Not far away, De Quan made an abrupt stop and retreated. Ning Rushen didn’t notice this. His entire focus was on the thigh beneath him and the hand around his waist. Only after he came to his senses did he realize he was sitting in Li Wuting’s lap, and Li Wuting had stretched out an arm to encircle him completely.

“…!” Ning Rushen’s legs went weak for a moment. He grabbed the robe for leverage, trying to rise from the lap, but a tug on his scalp made him hiss in pain. The hand around his waist tightened, pulling him back—a hot breath fell slightly chaotically.

“What are you wriggling for?” Li Wuting’s voice was husky, “Trying to get your hair pulled out?”

“…”

So, he was supposed to just sit there? On these dragon thighs, no less? Ning Rushen’s mind was a mess, his waist trembled badly, and his back was covered in restlessness, his ears to his collarbones flushed red.

Li Wuting closed his eyes, “Let’s untangle it first.”

Oh right! Ning Rushen hurriedly bent down to do so. His hair was caught in the buckle, and his hands reached for the emperor’s belt, fumbling at the front.

Li Wuting’s hand still rested on his back. His wide sleeves fell, blocking most of the view from the outside. With his head down, Ning Rushen tugged a few times without success, his knuckles clumsily rubbing against Li Wuting’s stomach. The large palm at his waist suddenly tightened. Then, his hand was held—

“Enough.” Li Wuting, as if unable to endure any longer, pulled away Ning Rushen’s hands and started untying it himself. “Step back, I’ll handle it.”

The heat from that palm burned Ning Rushen a bit. His fingers curled in mid-air, then he grabbed Li Wuting’s robe again, honestly letting the other man untangle his hair. Li Wuting’s slender fingers skillfully moved.

In just a moment, he freed a few strands of hair. Ning Rushen, watching Li Wuting’s precise movements, remembered how the other had similarly freed a red curtain in the carriage last time.

Suppressing a shiver, he tried to distract himself: “Your Majesty is quite skilled at loosening clothes.”

“…”

The slender fingers paused, then tugged at his hair—

Ning Rushen, “Ow!”

Li Wuting looked up heavily, “Keep quiet.”

Ning Rushen obediently closed his mouth. In a few breaths, his hair was finally freed, looking a bit frizzed.

Ning Rushen quickly jumped down from the lap. His legs were still weak as he landed, “…Your Majesty, forgive me.”

The warmth withdrew, and his lap was suddenly empty.

Li Wuting clasped his fingers, speaking lightly, “Ning Qing’s hair—”

Ning Rushen holding his frizzed hair: ?

“…Forget it.” Li Wuting looked at the black hair trailing down his back: still young and tender-faced for his actual age of thirty-five.

Li Wuting softly, “Still too young.”

Some things… both personally and officially… how could he endure it?

Ning Rushen, “??” What did ‘young’ mean? You couldn’t just say that.

Li Wuting glanced at him again, “Ning Qing, you’re not even twenty yet.”

Ning Rushen, “…”

His heart split: Aren’t you just in your early twenties? Besides, he was over twenty in reality. Not much younger than Li Wuting.

Ning Rushen earnestly, “My mind is already mature.”

Is it? Li Wuting calmly, “Your cakes are gone.”

Ning Rushen alarmed, “—No!!”

Li Wuting, “Heh.”

“…”

The tips of his hair seemed to frizz even more.

Li Wuting’s lips curved slightly, still calling, “De Quan, take him to the Imperial Kitchen.”

Ning Rushen was gently smoothed down: That’s more like it.

De Quan responded slowly, making his way over.

Li Wuting frowned, “What are you dawdling for?”

“Yes!” De Quan immediately quickened his pace, thinking: Isn’t it because I’m afraid I might have to retreat again?

Ning Rushen happily followed.

Before leaving, he turned towards Li Wuting to thank him, their eyes met, and his waist suddenly softened! Ning Rushen’s words halted, “…”

Li Wuting, “What?”

Ning Rushen, heart still fluttering, “Nothing… my stamina is just fine.”

·

On the way to the Imperial Kitchen.

Ning Rushen asked, “Is it the same kind as last time?”

De Quan explained, “The box of cakes last time was bought from outside, just have the Imperial Chefs replicate it now—nothing outside is as good as what our chefs make!”

“Why did we buy from outside last time then?”

“It was just too rushed to deliver—”

De Quan cut himself off suddenly.

“?” Ning Rushen, “What was too rushed?”

De Quan had already changed the subject, “Oh, nothing, we’re here… Minister Ning, go ahead!” saying so, he pushed Ning Rushen towards the kitchen.

“???” Ning Rushen eyed him suspiciously: Did that sieve just leak something?

…

Ning Rushen, bearing the emperor’s worries, received a box of cakes in return.

His enthusiasm for work dramatically increased.

So much so that the next day when he was called upon, he was full of energy, not as if he was going to work, but as if he was going to eat. Halfway there, he even lightly urged the eunuch leading the way, “Little Eunuch, hurry!”

The eunuch, breathless, let slip a few eloquent phrases in Dacheng language…

Once they reached the Wenhua Hall.

Ning Rushen entered only to find he wasn’t the only one there.

Including Ji Jie, five senior ministers were present—

Seeing him arrive, Li Wuting dismissed the attendants, “Now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”

Ning Rushen: Huh??

The attendants left, and several papers were handed to them by De Quan.

Ning Rushen glanced down, recognizing the content:

Wasn’t this the power-sharing concept Li Wuting proposed yesterday? Only now, it had been merged with a lot of “Cabinet” systems, forming a unique system suitable for Dacheng, distinct from the “Ming Dynasty Cabinet system.”

Just overnight, Li Wuting had already revised it.

Ning Rushen looked up in surprise, only to find the others even more shocked.

Ji Jie, after scrutinizing it several times, “Your Majesty, this is?”

Li Wuting met the speculative gazes of his ministers, “This ‘Cabinet’ system was drafted with the assistance of Ning Qing.”

At that, five pairs of eyes turned sharply towards Ning Rushen!

“……”

Ning Rushen, shocked, turned to Li Wuting: Why bring me up!!!

Li Wuting met his widened eyes and smiled. Then he continued, drawing the fire back:

“I wish to establish a ‘Cabinet,’ promoting talented ministers to assist in governance, consolidating the scattered powers here, henceforth the left and right Chancellors will be selected from the Cabinet.”

As he spoke, the hall grew solemn with mutual looks.

Li Wuting continued at a measured pace. Listening to him, Ning Rushen realized:

Li Wuting was conservatively retaining the position of Chancellor. He was just taking away some of its powers and expanding the real powers of the Cabinet ministers.

If nothing unexpected happened…

Ning Rushen glanced at the five senior ministers present—

Each backed by their own faction and inclined towards the new emperor, they would likely be the first to share in the spoils and support the new policies.

…

The discussion in the hall gradually came to an end.

Listening in, Ning Rushen felt that it should avoid some of the residual issues of the original “Cabinet system.” If nothing else, at least the issue of eunuch dominance—

He glanced at De Quan, immersed in his own world, occasionally laughing about something…

Completely unaware of what he was there for.

Just then, Li Wuting spoke, “Grand Tutor Ji and Minister Guo, stay behind; the rest of you may leave.”

Ning Rushen came to his senses, along with everyone else responded, “Yes.”

He looked at Li Wuting.

Just then, Li Wuting looked past the others towards him, his lips moved as if to say something but then he stopped.

Turning his head back to Grand Tutor Ji and the others.

Ning Rushen: ?

With mild confusion, he stepped out of the hall.

The other three ministers had already left quickly. Ning Rushen walked a few steps when suddenly a small eunuch caught up with him, carrying a food box, “Minister Ning, His Majesty asked me to bring this to you.”

Ning Rushen paused, his heart rate quickened:

He had thought there wouldn’t be any today…

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

He took the food box, delightfully walking away.

Leaving Wenhua Hall, there was a shortcut through the Imperial Garden.

As Ning Rushen entered the Imperial Garden, he saw a group of attendants ahead, a familiar youthful voice coming from them.

He paused, then as he turned a corner, indeed saw the little legs.

Li Jingyu turned his head sharply, “Minister Ning!”

Ning Rushen approached, “What are you doing here, Your Highness?”

“Squatting to wait for my imperial brother, but I heard he was in a meeting.”

So, you were literally squatting.

He said, “It should be over soon.”

“Oh…” Li Jingyu glanced at him, his clear black-and-white eyes turning, “Since there’s still some time, Minister Ning, play with this prince for a while.”

“What would Your Highness like to play?”

“Hide and seek?”

Ning Rushen considered, “Alright.”

The palace was safe enough with guards and attendants around, but considering the little prince’s penchant for getting stuck in walls, Ning Rushen, just to be safe, suggested:

“I’ll hide, and Your Highness can seek.”

Li Jingyu eyed his food box, “Hmm, if I find you, Minister Ning’s cakes are mine.”

“…” Ning Rushen instinctively hugged the food box tighter, “And if you don’t?”

Li Jingyu pondered for a moment, “Then I’ll tell you a little secret.”

Ning Rushen, “Not another tragic story?”

He had no interest in hearing those anymore.

“Not that.” Li Jingyu mysteriously, “It’s about a little secret concerning Minister Ning.”

“????”

Ning Rushen was shocked: His own secret that even he didn’t know, yet to be heard from someone else?

He opened his mouth, finally nodding, “Okay.”

…

The Imperial Garden was vast, filled with rockeries, pavilions, and towers.

Ning Rushen walked a bit into the garden and soon saw a rugged rockery behind a grove.

He circled around and found a recessed cave in the rocks.

Ning Rushen sized it up against himself: Feasible.

He squeezed himself in. Before doing so, he didn’t forget to move a large potted plant nearby to block the cave entrance.

After hiding, Ning Rushen quietly waited for the little legs to come find him.

Time trickled by.

After an unknown amount of time, noises finally approached.

Ning Rushen, hidden in the cave, perked up his ears.

It seemed Li Jingyu was on the other side of the rockery, possibly climbing somewhere, mixed with attendants’ shouts of “Your Highness, don’t climb.”

Minutes later, the noises drew nearer.

Ning Rushen hid himself even more: Tight squeeze!

As he held his breath listening to the sounds, another wave of noise suddenly came. Then, he heard the attendants exclaim:

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

“………” Li Wuting?

Ning Rushen swallowed hard, gulp.

A stern, majestic voice came from that direction, “Jingyu, what are you climbing up there for?”

“Imperial brother, this prince is looking for the cat.”

“Nonsense. How old are you, what is this behavior!”

A stern lecture came through the rockery.

Ning Rushen moistened his lips: …

No, it wasn’t his fault.

As long as he stayed hidden, the scolding wasn’t for him.

After five or six minutes, the voice finally stopped.

Li Wuting, having lectured a head-hanging Li Jingyu and assigned him some homework, turned and walked away.

He rounded the rockery, passing a potted plant—

Suddenly catching a glimpse of a crimson sleeve corner sticking out from behind the potted plant, hooked on a rugged stone edge.

Li Wuting paused.

He was silent for several seconds before reaching out to move the potted plant.

Rustle, a larger person was revealed behind it.

Li Wuting, “……”

Ning Rushen, “……”

Across the lush foliage, Li Wuting’s tall figure stood outside the cave, his calm, handsome face illuminated from behind.

Their eyes met.

Just then, Li Jingyu’s voice floated from the other side, “Imperial brother? Did you see Minister Ning?”

Ning Rushen instantly held his breath!

His back pressed against the cave’s inner wall, he anxiously looked on.

In the midst of his increasingly rapid heartbeat, Li Wuting silently watched him for two seconds, then suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled.

One hand tucked the exposed sleeve back in.

Li Wuting rustled the potted plant back into place and turned naturally to speak, “Didn’t see him.”

Author’s note:

Li Jingyu plays hide and seek.

Li Wuting: How old are you, what is this behavior!

After seeing the hidden ‘cat’—

Li Wuting: Joins in vertically and helps to hide.

*Different national conditions necessitate different systems; Dacheng’s “Cabinet system” is fictitious, not equivalent to historical ones, just for fun, don’t delve too deep~