TPATTHU Chapter 73
by VolareShen Zhejiang finally couldn’t endure the torment any longer and couldn’t hold on.
Xiao Zhinian relaxed his tense jawline slightly, scooping Shen Zhejiang’s limp body out of the water. Splashes of water flew everywhere, and wet, slender legs stood on the marble floor.
He looked at Shen Zhejiang’s head, which was tilted to one side. The hair on his forehead was wet from the intensity of the moment, and his face still had beads of water clinging to it, it was hard to tell if it was sweat or tears.
Shen Zhejiang must be in a lot of pain. He had bitten his lower lip until it broke the skin, but he kept his voice muffled and refused to make a sound.
Xiao Zhinian murmured, “Teacher, are you deliberately trying to anger me? Is it that hard to just say you’re sorry?”
He sighed a long sigh.
Behind the warm pool was a spacious bed with carved rosewood, with flowing red gauze curtains and all the necessary bedding and pillows. The only thing missing was clothing.
Xiao Zhinian gently placed Shen Zhejiang on the bed, then pulled a red and green quilt over him, before letting him lean against his arm. He took a dry towel and carefully wiped Shen Zhejiang’s wet hair.
Once he was almost done, Xiao Zhinian threw the towel on the ground, then casually pulled down the curtain and called out, “Liu Bao, come in.”
Soon, Liu Bao entered. He didn’t dare to let his eyes wander, keeping them fixed on the ground as he knelt and said, “This servant is here.”
Xiao Zhinian tucked Shen Zhejiang in tightly, not letting a single bit of the scene be seen by outsiders: “Did you bring everything I asked you to bring?”
Liu Bao pulled a box of ointment from his sleeve, holding it up with both hands, “I-I brought it.”
Xiao Zhinian reached out from behind the curtain to take it, waving his hand and saying, “Go prepare two sets of clean clothes, and don’t mention tonight’s events to anyone. Otherwise, it won’t be as simple as thirty strokes of the rod. Leave.”
Liu Bao kowtowed, “Yes, this servant understands.”
Except for the first time when he didn’t get the ointment in time due to unforeseen circumstances, Xiao Zhinian had always made sure to apply medicine properly to Shen Zhejiang every time afterward, afraid that Shen Zhejiang wouldn’t be able to withstand the pain.
But this time, Xiao Zhinian was truly consumed by anger and went straight in without being prepared. Actually, neither of them felt good, but fortunately, they were in the water, so it wasn’t too dry and rough.
Xiao Zhinian looked at Shen Zhejiang, who was still frowning even in his unconscious state, and knew that he must be in extreme pain. Regret and annoyance surged up at the same time.
He opened the ointment box and smeared it on every bruise, scratch, and pinch mark on Shen Zhejiang’s body. When he got to the lower area, he discovered that there was even blood.
“…”
Xiao Zhinian was stunned for a moment.
What had he done just now!
“Mmm…”
No matter how gentle the movements were, touching the wound still hurt. Shen Zhejiang unconsciously gripped the bedding beneath him, twisting his waist to avoid the perpetrator.
Xiao Zhinian cleaned him while whispering, “It’ll be over soon, just bear with it.”
After cleaning him up as quickly as possible and dressing Shen Zhejiang in an undergarment, Xiao Zhinian, who had always been pampered, originally didn’t know how to take care of others, but he had slowly learned a little while interacting with Shen Zhejiang.
Moreover, Shen Zhejiang was in a coma, and with his earlier resistance, he seemed even more resistant when he smelled Xiao Zhinian’s scent and wouldn’t obey him so easily.
But he refused to let anyone else do it.
“I won’t touch you anymore, okay, don’t move…”
Xiao Zhinian half-lied and half-coaxed, clumsily tying the last knot for Shen Zhejiang, finally finishing everything.
He went back to the pool and soaked for a full half-hour. When he returned, he found Shen Zhejiang curled up into a ball, looking like a little cat that had been bullied, very helpless and pitiful.
Xiao Zhinian stood by the bed for a long time, his hands and feet a little cold. Finally, he lifted the quilt and slowly lay down next to Shen Zhejiang.
He was sleepless all night.
–
“Respectfully wish His Majesty good health!”
In the imperial court, amidst a chorus of shouts, Xiao Zhinian, wearing a black robe embroidered with gold silk dragon patterns and a nine-stream pearl crown, walked unhurriedly through the rows of kneeling officials on both sides of the hall, ascended the throne, and assumed a majestic and awe-inspiring demeanor.
Xiao Zhinian was no longer the Xiao Zhinian who had just ascended the throne three years ago. He had long since shed his youthful immaturity. At this moment, he was the dreaded monarch of Yan Country.
He turned around, swept his sleeves, sat down, and scanned the dark mass of people below. Expressionlessly, he waved his hand and said, “Spare the formalities. Speak if you have something to report.”
The first to report on state affairs was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a man of forty or fifty years old, who respectfully held a memorial in both hands and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, I report that recently, a snowslide occurred in the distant mountains of Qingzhou, affecting nearly half the population of the disaster area. There are a little over a thousand deaths. The people are suffering greatly. I request that Your Majesty allocate disaster relief funds and open granaries to provide aid. Otherwise, Qingzhou may descend into chaos.”
The eunuch attending Xiao Zhinian lowered his head and presented the memorial from the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to the emperor on the high seat for his perusal.
Xiao Zhinian took it in his hand, quickly read it, and then raised his eyes, his gaze carrying a chill as he once again fell on the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, asking, “Qingzhou is located in the southwest of Hancheng, surrounded by mountains rich in minerals, such as Qingluan Mountain and Ziyuan Mountain. However, the local people are ignorant and recklessly mine minerals, resulting in depletion of the resources. The mountains are on the verge of collapse. I remember that last year, I ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate 300,000 taels of silver to evacuate the nearby residents and instructed the Governor of Hancheng to enlighten the people and keep them away from the foot of the mountains. Why were there still thousands of casualties during the avalanche? Fang Shiyuan, explain this clearly to me.”
Over the years, Xiao Zhinian had traveled to many places, and he had indeed visited many mountains and rivers. His heart wasn’t truly in leisure, and he wasn’t really enjoying himself so much as to forget his responsibilities. He used the excuse of traveling to secretly search for Shen Zhejiang’s whereabouts and, secondly, to travel incognito to investigate the people’s conditions.
Hancheng and Qingzhou were remote and backward areas, so much so that they weren’t even marked on the map with ink. Yet Xiao Zhinian was able to mention them offhand, which showed how much effort he had put in.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Fang Shiyuan, really didn’t expect that the emperor, who usually seemed lazy and indolent, would be so clear-headed. He was startled into a cold sweat and didn’t dare to hesitate any longer, replying quickly, “Reporting… reporting to Your Majesty, many merchants in Qingzhou made their fortunes by trading minerals. Although the mines are dangerous, the lure of huge profits led them to hire people to mine at high wages, resulting in many deaths and injuries during the mountain collapse. I received an urgent report from Hancheng yesterday and only then learned of this matter. I, too, was terrified.”
With a crash, the memorial was thrown heavily onto Fang Shiyuan’s knees, then fell to the ground with a thud. Everyone was silent.
At the same time, Fang Shiyuan knelt down in response.
“According to you, those who were buried under the snow-capped mountains deserved their tragic deaths?” Xiao Zhinian’s slender fingers rested on the armrest of the throne, the ring on his index finger gleaming coldly, and his words seemed to be dipped in a sharp knife that scraped away rotten flesh, “I ask you, how many households are there in Qingzhou, including women, children, and the elderly?”
“…Five thousand and thirty households.”
Xiao Zhinian said, “In that case, 300,000 taels of silver divided equally among each household is about sixty taels. That’s more than enough for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation for a year. Why would they risk their lives to mine minerals? Vice Minister Fang, you were originally responsible for this matter. Give me a clear account of every item in the books.”
What other reason could there be? It was simply that the silver hadn’t actually reached the people and had been withheld in some unknown place.
Hu Chengxiang, the Prime Minister standing in the front row, couldn’t help but feel emotional and burst into tears when he heard His Majesty’s orderly and clear explanation. He kept wiping his tears with his sleeves.
It seemed that there was a reason for His Majesty’s frequent trips outside. He would never stop His Majesty from leaving the palace again!
Fang Shiyuan said tremblingly, “I followed His Majesty’s decree and escorted the money all the way, working day and night without daring to delay. Upon arriving in Hancheng, I delivered the imperial decree along with the 300,000 taels to the Governor of Hancheng and then quickly returned on horseback to report to Your Majesty. I, I don’t know what happened after that…”
Xiao Zhinian stared at him, “How could you not know?”
Fang Shiyuan suddenly felt his hair stand on end.
Last night, news came from Yanqing Palace that Xiao Zhinian had ordered the live beating to death of five people. At the time, he had thought that it must be some ignorant, big-mouthed slave who was spreading rumors and slandering His Majesty, but now it seemed that it wasn’t entirely false.