After Ning Rushen finished speaking, the person in front of him seemed to shudder. Then, his wrist was suddenly grasped with a “snap”! The tightening grip pulled him forward—

Ning Rushen was startled, almost falling onto the person. He braced himself with one hand in front, his knuckles pressing against the firm outer thigh of the other, and he looked up:

…What’s wrong, are you angry?

Didn’t Li Wuting say it was okay to call him by his given name?

“Your Majesty?” As his heart rate suddenly quickened, the large hand gripping him tightened as if enduring something, then quickly relaxed its hold.

Li Wuting finally spoke, “What are you yelling about?” His slightly husky voice grazed Ning Rushen’s eardrums.

As Ning Rushen turned his head to gauge his expression, his cheek was pinched and yanked toward the low table—

“Aren’t there enough cakes for you?”

“Enough…”

The large hand squeezed a bit, “Then just eat properly.”

“But…” Ning Rushen turned his head, only to be yanked back again. Li Wuting seemed to prevent him from turning to face him.

He, “?” The palm pressed against his jaw was vaguely hot. Rubbing against his tender flesh, rough and warm.

Ning Rushen endured the ticklish feeling, “Your Majesty, are you feeling hot? Did I fail to treat the wound properly earlier?”

The voice beside him was gentle, “Relax, I’m just cool.”

“…”

Listening wasn’t very reassuring, but it did restore some humor.

Ning Rushen guessed, “Your Majesty isn’t angry anymore?”

The silence at his side paused, then the large hand let go, “I was never angry.”

Ning Rushen then turned his head.

He saw Li Wuting retracting his hand, loosening his usually strict collar, the protruding Adam’s apple slightly reddened. His drooping eyelashes hid the deep hue of his eyes.

He looked mysteriously… very—

Ning Rushen subconsciously swallowed a piece of sugar cake, “Hmm.”

…

The imperial procession returned to the palace.

Ning Rushen, full and satisfied, slumped in his nest, nearly lulled to sleep by the swaying. So much so, that when the carriage stopped, he didn’t want to move.

His eyelashes drooped, his cheeks rosy from warmth.

A voice fell beside him, “What, you don’t feel like leaving?”

Ning Rushen subconsciously, “Hmm.”

Realizing his slip, he quickly straightened up, “I misspoke.”

However, Li Wuting’s face showed no displeasure, instead, his lips curved slightly as if the storm had passed:

“It’s fine. Ning Qing’s mouth has worked hard all the way, a slip is understandable.”

“…”

What nonsense! It wasn’t all the way.

He clearly slept through half of it.

Ning Rushen narrowed his eyes at him—

Li Wuting’s gaze fell on his reddened, pressed cheeks, his fingers slightly flexed, then waved it off:

“Alright, let’s go back.”

Ning Rushen generously withdrew his gaze, “Yes.”

He rose to his feet. The crimson sleeve robe slid off the cushioned carpet, pulling away the distance, leaving a thin silhouette behind.

His name was called from behind, “Ning Qing.”

Ning Rushen stopped, turned around, “Hmm?”

Li Wuting looked at him for a few moments, then beckoned, “Come here.”

Ning Rushen approached.

He approached casually, one hand braced beside Li Wuting.

Li Wuting lowered his eyes, slightly tilted his head in a whisper, “The market affairs, you can leave them to your subordinates. Just check in occasionally.”

The whispered words carried warmth.

Ning Rushen moved his neck, deeply agreeing, “I know. Can’t lead a team, can only work to death.”

“…”

Li Wuting softly, “Ning Qing indeed has great talents.”

Ning Rushen bashfully, “It’s all part of my duty. Anything else, Your Majesty?”

After a moment of silence. Just as Ning Rushen was about to leave, he heard:

“There’s more—”

“When no one’s around, you can call me that.”

That way? Ning Rushen paused.

He looked at Li Wuting’s face, close at hand, and realized, “Morning…”

“Uh!” A coarse thumb pressed his chin.

The descending breath seemed to scatter a bit.

Li Wuting’s Adam’s apple moved, he looked deeply, “When no one’s around.”

Ning Rushen, his chin lightly pinched by him, glanced at the corner where De Quan nearly blended with the carriage wall, “Oh, okay.”

Li Wuting released him, “Go back.”

…

As the shade of crimson lifted the curtain out of the carriage.

Li Wuting breathed deeply, straightened the slightly loosened collar, and regained his dignified imperial demeanor.

He called De Quan out of the carriage.

De Quan gleefully flattered, “No one understands Minister Ning better than Your Majesty—speaking of which, Minister Ning liked that blanket, cakes… He had treated Your Majesty’s wounds earlier, yet hadn’t received any rewards.”

As he finished, Li Wuting did not respond as usual, just glanced indifferently, “Let’s go.”

De Quan: ?

·

It wasn’t long after Ning Rushen returned to his mansion that the rewards arrived.

He looked at the trays being brought into the mansion, “What’s the occasion?”

The palace servant respectfully, “For protecting the carriage.”

Ning Rushen, “…”

What carriage did he protect? From the Royal Physician?

Among the gifts were fine ingredients, tonics, and the pearls and large agates he had once wished for…

But he oddly missed that comfortable blanket and the sweet cakes.

Unfortunately, those were only in Li Wuting’s golden nest.

Ning Rushen pondered regretfully: Need to find a way to nestle in that nest again next time.

The palace servant soon left.

Ning Rushen had Yan Min and Xing Lan store the gifts, then turned to call Shi Yi, who watched over the mansion:

“Anything happened in the mansion while I was away?”

“You didn’t… mess around with anything, did you?”

Shi Yi clueless, “Nothing much. Just that the gray fertilizer flew back again.”

Ning Rushen was first stunned by his fluent tongue-twister!

Then he asked, “Gray came back?”

Shi Yi fetched the familiar fat pigeon from the pigeon coop, “Must be here to deliver a message.”

“Delivering a message, sent by Huo Mian?”

Ning Rushen took over and unrolled a small cylinder. He unfolded the paper:

“Minister Ning, greetings upon reading this.”

The familiar start gave him an ominous feeling.

He read on, indeed—

“I, Prince Xuan, have been eagerly awaiting in Jiangnan for a month, only to find out that Minister Ning has handed my pigeon to someone else!

My heart is thoroughly pained (crossed out), saddened!”

Ning Rushen, “…”

“But considering Minister Ning’s care for our soldiers on the great frontier, I have reconciled.

Letting the pigeon fly far to the border is too dangerous, so I have specially sent a falcon on behalf of Minister Ning.

I hope to keep the gray fertilizer for its intended use. Yingtang”

“…”

Are you using voice input?

After reading the letter, Ning Rushen stared at the gray fertilizer that had flown back to tattle for a long while:

Well, so it went back and snitched.

Shi Yi still eyed it hungrily, “Stew it?”

Ning Rushen, considering Prince Xuan’s kindness, eventually touched his dwindling conscience and said, “Forget it, bring me ink and paper.”

Once the ink and paper were brought, he penned a letter.

He briefly informed Prince Xuan of the events at Shao Jue Temple:

“…His Majesty accidentally injured his hand, I have dressed it, do not worry.

Empress Shu is well, always blissful.

I and King Jing lit candles for His Majesty’s health and together we paid respects to Empress Xian…

Wishing Prince Xuan well. Ning Rushen (crossed out) Chen.”

After releasing the pigeon, Ning Rushen watched it go: That should do, right?

…

The imperial carriage returned to the palace, and the next day resumed the morning court.

Ning Rushen was about to head to the Ministry of Rites after court when he remembered Li Wuting’s words about “leaving it to the subordinates,” and turned his steps toward the Imperial Study instead.

Upon reaching the Imperial Study, he saw a line of palace servants busily moving books outside.

Xiao Rongzi, seeing him, hurriedly greeted with a smile, “Minister Ning, the weather is fine today, the Imperial Study is airing out books, and His Majesty has moved to Lin Qing Pond.”

Ning Rushen nodded, “It’s good to air them out.”

Airing out for one hundred and eighty days, airing out the flavor and freshness.

He thanked them and headed towards Lin Qing Pond.

From afar, he saw Li Wuting sitting by a stone table beside the pond, dressed in deep cyan casual clothes, complementing the nearby radiant pond, exuding a refreshing demeanor.

Ning Rushen’s eyes were dazzled for a moment as he approached.

“Your servant greets Your Majesty.”

Li Wuting looked up, “I thought Ning Qing would go to the Ministry of Rites today.”

Ning Rushen succinctly, “Worked to death.”

“…” Li Wuting waved him over, “Come here.”

Ning Rushen approached, “Yes?”

Closer now, he saw several pages laid out in front of Li Wuting, filled with strong and elegant script—just looking was pleasing.

Ning Rushen praised, “Your Majesty has wonderful calligraphy!”

Li Wuting silently watched him for two seconds, then lightly tapped, “Look at the content.”

Ning Rushen realized, embarrassedly peered:

“Then I’ll take a look.”

As he bent over, strands of black hair fell forward. The smooth official robes outlined the arc of his back, then gathered at his waist.

He had only read a few lines when Li Wuting said, “Bring a cushion.”

A nearby palace servant hurriedly brought a soft cushion.

Ning Rushen, just as his back began to ache, conveniently sat down.

The surrounding palace servants naturally bowed their heads.

If outsiders passed by Lin Qing Pond at this moment, they would be amazed at such an unconventional scene—

Where would you find a minister daring to sit so close to the emperor on a cushion?

But the parties involved seemed not to mind.

Li Wuting lowered his head to look at the person close in front of him, paused, then dropped the arm that lay between them.

Space was made.

Ning Rushen immediately felt more at ease, pulling the cushion closer, half of his body leaning into Li Wuting’s space. He tilted his head, closely examining the content on the paper:

After the fall of the Cui clan, the position of Chancellor remained vacant… Promotions within the Hanlin Academy, division of Chancellor powers…

Ning Rushen’s heart raced as he read.

This familiar system, “…The Cabinet?”

A voice fell from above, “What?”

Ning Rushen snapped back, looked up, and met Li Wuting’s gaze. He carefully phrased his words, then roughly described the “Cabinet system” according to the framework on the paper.

As he began to speak, the surrounding palace servants were sent away.

Li Wuting’s expression grew serious, carefully absorbing every word Ning Rushen said.

After a while, Ning Rushen finished explaining.

The silence lingered, then Li Wuting asked, “As a senior official, do you also agree with my idea of power sharing?”

Ning Rushen unexpectedly, “Yes?”

Li Wuting suddenly tugged at his lip, “Indeed, Ning Qing isn’t concerned with these. What you care about…”

Is whether you can leave here.

A pause beside the stone table.

Ning Rushen waited: What do I care about?

He couldn’t figure it out but might as well ask directly.

He couldn’t resist and continued, “…I actually just want to know where yesterday’s cakes came from.”

“…” Li Wuting, “?”

He stared silently at Ning Rushen for a long moment.

Ning Rushen gulped, “Never mind then.”

Li Wuting inhaled deeply, inexplicably annoyed, pinched the bridge of his nose, “De Quan, take him to the Imperial Kitchen to choose—”

From afar, De Quan immediately scurried over, “Eh!”

Ning Rushen’s eyes brightened, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

He said, eager to rise—

The black hair tangled around Li Wuting’s waistband of jade and gold as he stood up, pulling painfully at his scalp, “…uh!”

He was yanked back, falling onto Li Wuting’s warm, strong thigh.

The muscle beneath tensed suddenly.

Li Wuting caught him reflexively, tightening his grip around his waist.

The sensitive waist was firmly held.

Ning Rushen grabbed at Li Wuting’s robe and shuddered.

Author’s note:

Li Wuting: He wants to leave, he wants to leave…

Ning Rushen: What brand of canned food is that, slurp~

On the other end, Prince Xuan, automatically filtering:

“I bandaged His Majesty, I prayed for His Majesty, I and His Majesty together paid respects to Empress Xian…”

Prince Xuan: kswl!kswl!kswl!!!

Boosting my favorite CP with a 【+1 Falcon】.