BEGW C84

Chapter 84

From the height of the tower, the river of stars spilled downward, as though the heavens had overturned, pouring the entire galaxy into view.

Jiang Yuxun suddenly sensed a faintly dangerous aura emanating from the man before him.

A bird beat its wings across the darkness, disrupting the stillness of the night.

In the next instant, the Emperor bent down, hooked an arm beneath the crook of Jiang Yuxun’s knees, and lifted him effortlessly.

The narrow wooden stairs creaked beneath their feet.

The Languang Pavilion of Pinghua Park rose a full hundred feet high.

Suspended in the air, Jiang Yuxun instinctively clung to the Emperor’s neck.

Ying Changchuan lowered his head and asked softly beside his ear, “Do you dislike it?”

“…No.”

Beneath the staircase was a sheer drop; the night wind tugged at his robes and loosened strands of hair, filling him with instinctive unease.

Yet none of that unease came from Ying Changchuan’s arms.

The Emperor gave a soft laugh and continued upward.

Beyond the wooden railing carved with intertwining branch patterns lay ten thousand acres of forest.

The wind brushed across the treetops, stirring them into rolling waves.

The Languang Pavilion swayed gently, like a vessel anchored upon a sea of leaves.

Ying Changchuan slowly set Jiang Yuxun down.

They stood side by side against the railing, their bodies pressed closely together.

Jiang Yuxun’s hand was still lifted; the Emperor settled a steadying hand around his slender waist.

Then he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss atop Jiang Yuxun’s hair. “Do you dislike it?”

His body trembled lightly. “No…”

Starlight illuminated half the long night, and Jiang Yuxun closed his eyes without meaning to.

Ying Changchuan bent forward, trailing soft kisses from the crown of his head downward—kiss by kiss.

Jiang Yuxun heard his own breath quiver along with the night wind, dissolving into a faint, trembling pant.

Beneath the thin spring garments, his chest rose and fell sharply.

He could not help lowering a hand to press lightly over his heart.

A cascade of soft kisses traced over his forehead, cool from the wind; his trembling brows and lashes; the fine, chilled curve of his nose, tinged faintly red.

He had lost count of how many kisses there had been—

Until the Emperor finally brushed one against the corner of his lips. “…Do you dislike it?”

His voice was hoarse, low.

Jiang Yuxun reflexively tightened his grip on the railing. “No…” He took a deep breath. “Not at all.”

He did not dislike Ying Changchuan’s kisses in the slightest.

…

Starlight fell like rain along the curve of Jiang Yuxun’s cheek.

Ying Changchuan gazed at him with unrestrained intensity, tracing every line of his face with his eyes, over and over again.

When Jiang Yuxun’s response reached his ears, he finally captured those trembling lips.

The soft warmth pressed against him—more intoxicating than any dream.

His skin, chilled by the wind, heated swiftly from the touch.

Ying Changchuan’s heartbeat had long since tangled completely with Jiang Yuxun’s breath.

The galaxy flowed; the world seemed to tilt.

The wind stirred the forest into surging waves.

The pavilion rocked gently with them.

The bird chimes beneath the eaves sang softly in the breeze.

After a few moments, Ying Changchuan shifted slightly, deepening the kiss bit by bit, guiding the inexperienced Jiang Yuxun to part his lips.

Just as he was about to coax open the faintly clenched line of teeth—

The young man beside him gasped.

Only when he ran out of breath did Jiang Yuxun suddenly remember to inhale.

Ying Changchuan laughed quietly and pressed another kiss to the corner of his lips.

Then, in a voice rough with restraint, he murmured at his lips, “Do you like it?”

At the same time, he took Jiang Yuxun’s tightly clenched hand from the railing.

Jiang Yuxun’s closed eyes fluttered open slightly.

In the darkness of his irises shimmered a softness tinged with moisture.

He didn’t need to think—his instincts answered for him.

“…I like it,” Jiang Yuxun heard himself say.

His heart pumped wildly, pushing heat to every inch of his skin, even tingling at his fingertips.

A light kiss fell on his eyelid.

Ying Changchuan closed his eyes as well, savoring the tremble of Jiang Yuxun’s lashes against his lips.

“I like you as well.”

Jiang Yuxun had drunk quite a bit that night, and after their kiss, the delayed intoxication swept over him.

Not long after watching the stars from the Languang Pavilion, he leaned against the Emperor’s shoulder and drifted into deep sleep.

The night wind was far too gentle.

He did not remember what followed.

He only knew the Emperor carried him back to his chambers.

…

Though Pinghua Park was a hunting ground of royalty—

Jiang Yuxun knew his own capabilities.

He did not join the hunt the next day, but remained upon the high platform at the forest’s edge, watching from afar.

Those who did not participate in the hunt sat here, overlooking the woods.

Sunlight drifted from the southeast, caught behind sheer veils fluttering in the breeze.

After a night’s rest, Jiang Yuxun had regained some semblance of composure.

He gripped his tea cup and stared at the forest as though analyzing the progression of the hunt—when in truth, his mind was drifting aimlessly.

On loop, he replayed last night—

He and Ying Changchuan… were now that sort of relationship!

He was actually with someone from ancient times?!

And that someone was Ying Changchuan?!

Chaotic thoughts tumbled together.

His heart clenched tight, like a hand squeezing it from within.

Now that he was sober, everything felt unreal, bewildering.

His ears reddened again.

Feeling the heat rising in his cheeks, he hurriedly drank the cold tea to suppress the surge of emotions.

A breeze stirred the chimes atop the Languang Pavilion—

The familiar sound bringing back memories of those fragmented kisses.

And the nervousness that had tangled around them.

“…Zhaodu has a population of 250,000. One person needs five mu of farmland near the Yi River,” Zhuang Youli said, still unable to ignore his paperwork even during a hunt. After calculating repeatedly, he turned to Jiang Yuxun. “That means the people must have at least 1.25 million mu of land. A’xun, did I get it right?”

Jiang Yuxun blinked, only then realizing Zhuang Youli was speaking to him.

“Yes,” he nodded slowly. “The farmland along the Yi River has long exceeded that amount.”

The past few years had brought ample harvests, and the granaries of Ningping were already filled to the brim.

The Emperor never skimped on military supplies.

Not only did the soldiers now receive polished rice and fine wheat flour—

Even the warhorses had grown stronger from improved feed mixed with bran, hay, rice chaff, and wheat husks.

Seeing Jiang Yuxun nod, Zhuang Youli finally set down his brush.

He was about to drink his tea when he noticed the flush on the young man’s cheeks.

“Eh? What’s wrong with your face?” he asked, pointing.

“Hm?” Jiang Yuxun forced calm. “Perhaps the sun.”

Zhuang Youli looked at the sky. “…Is that so?” He didn’t question it further. “The sun hasn’t even risen high yet. If you’re worried about burning, you should return indoors soon.”

Recalling Jiang Yuxun’s childhood frailty, he grew even more concerned.

“No need,” Jiang Yuxun said softly. “Leaving too early would be impolite. I’ll sit a while longer.”

“…Fair enough.”

When his calculations were finally done, Zhuang Youli looked toward the forest, curiosity taking over.

Pinghua Park was the earliest “forest zoological garden” in history, housing countless rare animals.

Aside from native Zhou species and the hawks and leopards gifted by Qiaoluo, there were other creatures collected by dynasties past.

“A’xun! What is that?!” he suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward a pond.

Others nearby looked as well.

Beside the water stood a massive beast, lowering its head to drink.

It was large, with curved horns atop its head.

“A rhinoceros,” Jiang Yuxun said. “There used to be many near Zhaodu long ago. Now they live mostly in the south.”

“Oh! The ‘si armor’ comes from it!” someone cried.

“Yes,” Jiang Yuxun nodded.

Si armor—rhinoceros hide armor—was lighter and stronger than cowhide, widely used in southern armies in ancient times.

As the climate cooled and hunting increased, rhinos vanished from these lands.

Watching it drink, Jiang Yuxun felt a sudden awareness—

History had not yet reached the point of no return.

There was still time.

Everything could still be changed.

“Don’t let it get away!”

“After it! Hurry!”

“What are you staring at? Shoot!”

The forest erupted with noise.

Hunters burst into view.

This hunt was for entertainment, not competition.

Thus, Zhou people and Kahan people had drawn lots and formed mixed teams.

Wearing armor of various colors, they chased a nimble stag through the trees.

To ensure all Zhou participants could understand him, Ruo’gu turned and shouted in Zhou language, “Stay sharp! Whoever wins, present the antlers to your beloved!”

A Kahan custom.

“Yes!” The Kahan youths perked up immediately.

Zhou riders, influenced by their enthusiasm, joined in.

The stag flashed past like lightning.

Everyone held their breath.

In the distance, Ruo’gu raised his bow, squinting as he aimed.

Across the pond, others charged forward.

No one wished to fall behind.

An arrow hissed through the air—

But before it hit, the stag darted away.

Ruo’gu swiftly adjusted his aim and predicted its path.

After a breath, he released.

The arrow streaked toward the stag.

Ruo’gu lowered his hand, lips already curling in triumph.

Cheers rose around him.

“Look!”

“Will he win?!”

The stag fled toward the water.

The sunlight turned the surface bright silver.

Everyone stared.

But just before Ruo’gu’s arrow reached its target—

Another arrow sliced through the air—

Shff—

It cleaved his arrow neatly in two.

Before the stag could retreat, a third arrow shot forth—

Striking its front leg.

The stag cried out, collapsing into the water.

Light shimmered everywhere, scattering everyone’s thoughts.

All three arrows had come from the same direction.

Everyone turned—

Across the rolling terrain, atop the tall pavilion—

The Emperor stepped out of the hall holding a curved bow.

The bowstring still trembled.

Silence fell.

Though they knew he was skilled, no one imagined he could shoot so accurately from such a distance—twice in succession.

His voice drifted clearly in the stillness.

As he lowered the bow, he glanced at Jiang Yuxun and said lightly, “Send the stag to Lord Jiang.”

“Yes, Your Majesty—!”

…Send it to me?

Jiang Yuxun’s face heated even further.

Still unaccustomed to his new situation, he bowed his head, using his cup to hide his expression.

Seeing this, Zhuang Youli instantly understood—

Jiang Yuxun hadn’t been blushing from the sun at all.

He had been thinking about the Emperor!

Hmph—why hide it from him?

…

The Emperor had not killed the stag.

The arrow struck the fleshy part of its leg; with rest, it would heal.

As attendants went to retrieve it, several young Kahan nobles whispered among themselves, exchanging increasingly strange looks.

“Did His Majesty hear what the Prince said earlier?”

Ruo’gu had just declared that the winner would gift the antlers to their beloved—

And the next moment, the Emperor gifted the stag to Jiang Yuxun.

Hard not to speculate.

“…Probably not?” someone said uncertainly.

“Then why give it to Lord Jiang?” They exchanged confused stares. “Does Great Zhou have customs we don’t know about?”

Silence fell.

The nobles glanced among themselves again, looks growing more peculiar.

“All right, enough!” Ruo’gu suddenly snapped, interrupting them. “Stop overthinking! Continue—!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

They galloped back into the woods.

Ruo’gu—still young but impressionable—looked back at the stag with awe.

He quietly vowed to remember this.

Once he returned to Kahan, he too would show off like the Emperor in front of his beloved!

Though a prince, Ruo’gu was young and unfamiliar with Zhou.

The more serious matters were handled by Cijia.

Pinghua Park housed not only beasts but also vast numbers of military horses.

After the hunt, Cijia and the Emperor inspected the stables.

Jiang Yuxun accompanied Ruo’gu to tour Zhaodu.

…Though in Jiang Yuxun’s view, it was pointless.

Ruo’gu had already explored Zhaodu extensively on his own.

He wandered everywhere, tasting everything, buying anything that intrigued him.

Since he was so independent, Jiang Yuxun welcomed the break.

He sat with the Seal Office officials at a teahouse.

By evening, they rode back to Xianyou Palace.

It was already nightfall, quiet and still.

As Jiang Yuxun prepared to depart, Ruo’gu suddenly told his attendants:

“You all go. I need to speak with Lord Jiang alone.”

“Yes, Your Highness—”

Soon, only the two remained.

Ruo’gu approached, glanced around suspiciously, and whispered:

“Lord Jiang, I bought this today in Zhaodu. I… can’t use it anyway. I thought I’d give it to you.”

He slipped a rolled booklet from his sleeve and shoved it secretly into Jiang Yuxun’s hands.

“…What is this?” Jiang Yuxun frowned, about to open it.

“Not here!” Ruo’gu hissed, waving frantically. “Look at it in your room—it’s not convenient out here!”

Jiang Yuxun immediately sensed something was wrong.

Under normal circumstances, he would never accept such a thing.

But since Ruo’gu was a prince, he reluctantly nodded. “Very well, I’ll read it after returning.”

“Good!” Ruo’gu beamed. “Zhaodu’s markets sell everything! When I saw that booklet, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

His Zhou speech had improved markedly.

Aside from the heavy accent, his wording was impeccable.

Under the lantern light, Ruo’gu’s youthful face seemed faintly flushed.

Before Jiang Yuxun could question him, the prince retreated at full speed.

“Lord Jiang! I’ll go first—go read it quickly!”

Then he vanished.

…Very suspicious.

Left alone before Liuyun Hall, Jiang Yuxun unrolled the booklet.

Though Ruo’gu had warned him—

Curiosity won.

By lantern glow, he opened it—

And froze.

“…What—”

Holy—!!

It was a… spring palace picture book.

The drawings were beautifully detailed—masterful even.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was—

On the page he opened—

Two figures were intimately entangled.

He snapped the booklet shut instantly, glancing around like a guilty thief.

There were no trash bins in ancient times—certainly not in the pristine palace grounds.

Unable to throw it away, he gritted his teeth and shoved it into his sleeve.

He nearly held his breath all the way back to his room.

Late that night, rain began to fall.

Though his eyes were closed, sleep escaped him completely.

He had been nonstop busy since arriving in this world.

Last night, his mind had gone blank—

He hadn’t even remembered to open his mouth—

Let alone……

But now—

That booklet lurked in his thoughts like a hidden thorn.

The moment he recalled that first illustration—

His curiosity stirred.

What was on the next page?

He tried to sleep, but the image returned again and again.

Eventually, unable to fight it, he sat up in surrender.

He slipped quietly to the desk, retrieved the hidden booklet, and returned to the bed—

Opening it by faint starlight, unwilling to light a lamp in case Ying Changchuan heard.

He flipped carefully, turning each page as softly as possible.

But—

Just as he found the page he sought—

Footsteps approached.

Someone was coming.

He froze.

The steps stopped right outside the door.

As though waiting for him to open it.

Holding his breath, Jiang Yuxun hid the booklet under the bed.

Only one person could walk freely in Xianyou Palace at this hour.

He already knew who it was—

But asked anyway, voice dry, “…Who?”

There was a pause.

Then the familiar voice, quiet and lazy, filtered through the rain:

“It is raining. Do you intend to leave me outside, beloved minister?”

The rain might not have touched him in the breezeway outside.

Nor the palace steps.

The Emperor was absolutely—absolutely—pretending to be pitiful.

Jiang Yuxun let out a silent breath, having hidden the incriminating booklet.

He asked, trying to appear unbothered, “Your Majesty, why come to see me so late instead of resting?”

The gentle voice drifted in, carrying only simple confusion.

Silence fell.

Only then did Jiang Yuxun realize—

He and the Emperor were now that kind of relationship.

And at this hour—

The Emperor naturally came to… sleep with him.

Aaaahhh!!

It wasn’t the first time they shared a bed.

But now that everything had changed—

A swarm of unfamiliar emotions swelled in Jiang Yuxun’s chest.

The bed seemed to burn beneath him.

Calm down, calm down—

Starlight cast the Emperor’s shadow upon the door.

Whatever his identity, Jiang Yuxun could not turn him away.

Seeing that the Emperor had no intention of leaving—

Jiang Yuxun took a slow breath and rose to his feet.

“Please wait…”

His heartbeat quickened violently.

Barefoot, he stepped across the wooden floor—

Each plank creaking softly beneath his toes.

At last—

He pressed a hand gently against the door.

Footnotes

1. Si armor (兕甲) — Armor made of rhinoceros hide, known in antiquity for being both light and extremely durable.

2. Mu (畝) — A traditional unit of land area. One mu ≈ 666.7 square meters.