TPATTHU Chapter 72
by Volare“Hold on.”
Liu Bao hadn’t even finished kneeling when Xiao Zhinian suddenly spoke. The knees that had just pushed him up slammed back onto the ground. “Does Your Majesty have any other orders?”
“Summon a royal physician; the teacher is injured,” Xiao Zhinian pondered for a moment. “No, first, go to the Imperial Hospital and get a box of ointment for wounds.”
Liu Bao dared not ask any further questions and obeyed, “Yes, this servant will go immediately.”
Xiao Zhinian entered the inner hall. The heated floor made it very warm. He took off his outer robe and tossed it to a palace servant nearby. He looked around but didn’t see Shen Zhejiang.
He blurted out, “Where is the teacher?”
As soon as he said the words, he realized that Lan Shu was present.
That’s not right!
Xiao Zhinian finally realized what was wrong with Yanqing Palace. He looked around, but Lan Shu was also missing.
He was alarmed. Could it be that she discovered that Shen Zhejiang was the person he had brought in from outside the palace?
“Where is Lan Shu?”
“Your Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager at the Xianghe Palace has caught a cold. Lan Shu was urgently summoned back to care for her.”
So it wasn’t what he thought. Good.
Xiao Zhinian breathed a sigh of relief, but then furrowed his brows slightly. “The Grand Empress Dowager is ill, yet she didn’t inform me… Forget it. Did you have a physician examine her?”
The palace servant replied, “Yes, Zhao Taiyi saw her, prescribed a remedy, and the Grand Empress Dowager has just fallen asleep after taking the medicine.”
“Hmm,” Xiao Zhinian said, pausing his movement of putting on a sleeve. He murmured to himself, “Since that’s the case, I won’t disturb the Grand Empress Dowager’s rest for now. I’ll visit her tomorrow. By the way, where is the teacher?”
“Shen Zhejiang is bathing in the Wenhua Pond in the back hall. He asked this servant to prepare a bed and move it to the side hall, saying that he would sleep there from now on. This servant dared not stop him…”
These words were simply adding fuel to the fire.
“I haven’t agreed yet, and you dare to act on your own accord?”
Xiao Zhinian immediately turned cold and suppressed his anger.
Sleeping in separate rooms? How could he agree to that?
Upon seeing this, the group of palace people knelt and prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling. “This… This was Shen Zhejiang’s request. We dared not disobey…”
Xiao Zhinian even took off his outer robe again and threw it on the floor. He took a deep breath, coldly looked at these people, and uttered each word with icy intent: “Someone, drag them all down and administer the court rod!”
He didn’t say how many strokes, which meant they would be beaten until he was satisfied. If the person administering the punishment hit too hard, they would lose their lives.
The palace servants were terrified. When had His Majesty ever been so angry? They quickly begged for mercy, banging their heads on the ground. “Your Majesty, spare us! Your Majesty, spare us!! This servant will never act presumptuously again! Please forgive us!!”
It was no use.
Xiao Zhinian was as cold as the depths of winter, and he shouted sternly, “Take them away!”
The heart-wrenching cries echoed inside and outside Yanqing Palace. The palace servants were dragged by the guards to the outside of the hall, their expressions twisted in pain. Soon, a large chorus of cries spread throughout almost the entire palace.
Xiao Zhinian was already in a bad mood, and the heat constantly rising from the heated floor scorched him, making him even more irritated.
Damn it!
Xiao Zhinian cursed inwardly, paced out of the inner hall, his robes fluttering.
He didn’t even glance at the chaotic scene in the courtyard, nor did he allow anyone to follow him. He walked along the corridor towards the Wenhua Pond with rapid strides.
The distance wasn’t far. Xiao Zhinian walked very quickly, and he arrived in a short while.
The Wenhua Pond was built according to the terrain of the mountain. An arched stone gate served as the entrance. After passing through it, a path paved with pebble stones appeared before him. Four seasons of flowers and trees were planted around it, blooming colorfully even in the cold winter. Behind the curtain embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, the mist emanating from the hot spring was hazy and misty, like a wonderland.
Xiao Zhinian wasn’t one to indulge in pleasure. This place was built by the Ministry of Works two years ago under the decree of Grand Empress Dowager, from the discussion of the draft to the completion only took five months, the meaning was self-evident, hoping that Xiao Zhinian would be more nostalgic for the harem, instead of traveling and playing outside.
However, Xiao Zhinian didn’t get what she wanted. Later, he did come a few times, but that was after Shen Zhejiang returned to the palace.
No matter how beautiful the scenery was, Xiao Zhinian had no mood to appreciate it at the moment. He walked quickly along the stone path and lifted the curtain.
What came into view first was a screen. Through the screen, he could faintly see Shen Zhejiang’s back facing him, submerged in the water. His dark hair was styled in a high bun, revealing the smooth and firm curve of his shoulder blades. From a distance, the undulating shape looked like a pair of butterflies fluttering their wings.
Shen Zhejiang stood by the pool, wondering what he was contemplating. He lowered his neck slightly and didn’t notice Xiao Zhinian’s footsteps. However, even in the midst of the rippling water, his body was constantly tense.
“…”
Xiao Zhinian’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He walked around the screen, his eyes swept over the neatly folded clothes on the wooden rack, and then fell on Shen Zhejiang again, his pupils deep.
He tried to soften his voice and said, “Is Han Zitang really that important to you? I only said a few words about him, and you’re already throwing a tantrum at me.”
Shen Zhejiang suddenly opened his eyes, but he didn’t turn around. His voice reached Xiao Zhinian’s ears through the mist: “Your Majesty still doesn’t understand what I mean. Since Your Majesty has doubts, I won’t obstruct Your Majesty’s sight. Wouldn’t it be to Your Majesty’s liking if I voluntarily move out?”
“I have always followed the teacher’s wishes. I listen to whatever the teacher says,” Xiao Zhinian walked towards him. “You said your friendship with Han Zitang is indifferent. Fine, I believe you. But what about you? You’re protecting him!”
“…” Shen Zhejiang felt that continuing to argue with Xiao Zhinian was not a solution. “Let’s leave it at that for tonight. It’s getting late. I heard that the Grand Empress Dowager is unwell. Your Majesty should go and visit her to show filial piety. Please leave, Your Majesty. I need to get dressed.”
Unexpectedly, in the next moment, all the clothes on the wooden rack were suddenly swept into the water, gradually soaked, and sank to the bottom of the pool.
Shen Zhejiang was speechless.
Was he not letting himself leave?
Xiao Zhinian then began to untie his own belt, throwing one item after another into the water. Shen Zhejiang became alert and wanted to retreat, but Xiao Zhinian, who jumped into the pool, grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to the edge of the pool.
The edge of the warm pond was paved with evenly sized pebbles, although they were polished very smooth and round, it would still hurt if you crashed into them suddenly.
Shen Zhejiang had just recovered for a while, his vision was completely blocked by Xiao Zhinian’s tall figure. Such Xiao Zhinian made him feel a little scared.
Xiao Zhinian looked at him, pinched his waist, and said, “You can only be mine. Whoever dares to covet you, I will kill them all.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Zhejiang suddenly felt a sharp pain. The fingernails, which had been flushed red by the warm water, turned pale because of the force of grabbing the edge of the pool. Gritting his teeth, he roared, “Xiao Zhinian, are you crazy?”
Xiao Zhinian didn’t listen: “Didn’t teacher want to move out? Okay, I agree. Then move to Wenhua Pond. There’s a bed inside. I don’t mind being here with you every day.”
“You… Ah!”
Shen Zhejiang exclaimed.
Xiao Zhinian whispered in his ear, his heart was bitter, but he still spoke harshly: “Teacher has been serving in my harem for so long, I haven’t even given you a title, it makes me seem stingy. In a few days, I will have the Hanlin Academy draft an imperial decree and give you the title of ‘Shen Consort’, how about that? At that time, it will be announced to the world to dispel the covetous thoughts of those people.”
Shen Zhejiang shook his head desperately, he couldn’t speak, his throat was pinched by Xiao Zhinian’s fingers.
How could Xiao Zhinian say such things…
“Oh right, I forgot to tell teacher that those palace people who moved the bedding to the side hall for you have all been punished by me. Judging by the time, they should be almost beaten to death,” Xiao Zhinian continued. “Now Liu Bao is waiting outside. Teacher, be obedient, and let me enjoy myself, maybe I will show mercy and spare their lives.”
Shen Zhejiang grabbed Xiao Zhinian’s palm, his eyes were filled with a layer of blurred water vapor, and he tried his best to say: “…I used to teach you… to love the people…”
Xiao Zhinian said: “Rather than that, teacher might as well save your strength to please me and shout louder!”