Emperor Qing died in the 21st year of winter.
In Dayu Dynasty, the Emperor’s funeral was more important than any weddings or birthdays. For the Emperor’s funeral, an auspicious hour in placing the deceased in the coffin needs to be chosen first. Next comes the organization of various memorial services and condolences. The funeral must also be extravagant. In short, many more trivial matters needs to be dealt, from the Emperor’s demise to the official funeral ceremony. Moreover, that little Emperor supported by Yuwen Yin was only around three to four years of age. So, even though he was sensible and precocious, he was still nothing more but a child. Therefore, even though Yuwen Yin had successfully pushed away this huge burden of the Emperor’s t.i.tle, he still needed to work hard. Especially during the first few days of the twelfth lunar month, in which the funeral ceremony, enthronement ceremony, along with the ancestral worship, were all hurriedly rushed together. These matters made him so busy that he could hardly even return to the w.a.n.g mansion.
In contrast to this, Shen Tong lived an incredibly idle life, which was simply more comfortable than any Immortal Daoist. Sleeping was one of the cultivation methods of a quilt. On top of that, the nonstop winter rain outside, which was wet and cold, made him only want to stay in bed and not go anywhere else. Not to mention that this place was the w.a.n.g mansion and not the Imperial Palace. enabling him to do whatever he wants, without any scruples at all. Therefore, Shen Tong would stay in bed and refuse to get up everyday even at noontime. This caused the people inside and outside the w.a.n.g mansion to do their activities in a soft and quiet manner. Such atmosphere made them even dare not breath out loud, for fear of disturbing this G.o.dly doctor youth, whom even their w.a.n.gye would patiently coax with great care.
In fact, in the eyes of these people, the youth had a very good temperament. He also treats them with a very kind att.i.tude. He wouldn’t even make trouble with them, even if someone clumsily knocks over something or does something wrong. Moreover, the only person capable of making the youth lose his temper was their w.a.n.gye alone.
Yuwen Yin was nominally a regent. But the power and prestige he has in his hands were no different from the Emperor, which was even a notch higher than what Emperor Qing had in his time. Half of the entire civil and military officers in the royal court were subordinates he personally promoted. Even the Grand Secretariat, Wei Song, who had been loyal to Emperor Qing, also stood in his side. The only two officials, who questioned him, were found guilty in corruption and many other cases in just a few days, and were soon convicted due to their crimes of corruption. Since then, Yuwen Yin’s path of monopolizing power practically went unimpeded.
The matter of the regent in hiding the sky with one hand wasn’t really a secret among the people in all levels of society. But under Yuwen Yin’s regency, the corrupt officials were significantly reduced. There was also the successful reformation of the taxation system, which allowed the entire dynasty to become more prosperous than before. This not only made the people not reject the regent, but also made them extremely supportive and respectful towards him.
Despite that, when this very respected Mr. w.a.n.gye was in front of Shen Tong, he would be comparable to a large domestic dog, who would lie down on his stomach and wag his tail more obediently than anyone else. When the youth was unhappy, he would coax him in every way possible in order to make him happy. He would also be the first to take the initiative to step back, regardless of who’s right or wrong, and had even suffered a kick for a kiss once. Several servants and subordinates were a little uncomfortable when they witnessed this scene for the first time, but had also become used to this with the pa.s.sage of time. The status of this youth in the eyes of their w.a.n.gye was very clear, that they felt that even if they didn’t properly care of w.a.n.gye they must not neglect Shen Tong.
Without anyone’s restriction, the little quilt’s sleeping cultivation method became more and more unbridled. This afternoon, when Yuwen Yin had finally returned to the w.a.n.g mansion after having finished handling all the matters in the Palace, he actually learned from a maid servant that the youth was still asleep. The meal outside had already been redone for no less than three times, but the other had still not gotten up to eat it until now.
Yuwen Yin strode into the bedroom. The temperature in the room was comfortably warm because of the heated floor. The youth on the bed also felt very hot because of this, as only a small part of the quilt had covered him, as he soundly slept on his side.
The regent, who’s widely known for his cold and steadfast image, only needed to glance at his little quilt, for his heart to overflow with infinite tenderness. What’s more, the youth’s current sleeping appearance was truly so lovable and adorable, that Yuwen Yin would never tire of looking at the other even for an entire day. After so many years, Yuwen Yin’s feelings for the youth hadn’t diminished the slightest through the pa.s.sage of time. On the contrary, he became more and more inseparable from the other, with the feeling that his love will only continue to grow bit by bit with each pa.s.sing day.
Maybe due to having sensed Yuwen Yin’s gaze, the little quilt slightly stirred, then gradually opened his eyes. But rather than getting up, he t.i.tled his head back instead. Yuwen Yin leaned over and dropped a kiss on his soft and tender face, before softly saying: “Tong Tong, be good. Get up and eat.”
The little quilt wriggled inside the quilt, then spoke in a low m.u.f.fled voice caused by sleepiness, which sounded a bit childish: “What time is it now?”
“Shen Shi* is already about to end. It’s almost time for dinner.”
*3-5pm
Spotting a stubble in Yuwen Yin’s face, the little quilt subconsciously asked: “Is your work completed? Can you now stay in the mansion? Do you no longer need to go to the Palace anymore?”
“The works basically completed. But, ” Yuwen Yin deliberately pretended to be pitiful and helpless as he replied: “The matter of whether I can stay in the mansion, doesn’t lie with me.”
“Ah?” The little quilt opened his large eyes with a bit of confusion upon having heard this, “Then who gets to decide? Is it the newly enthroned little Emperor?”
Yuwen Yin shook his head, “Of course not.”
In fact, the little quilt also didn’t think that the little Emperor, who was only about three or four years of age, could manage a black-bellied monster like Yuwen Yin. But aside from the little Emperor, the other court ministers were an even more impossible option. — If mere courtiers were to impertinently interfere with the Grand Prince, then they must have already been tired of living. So, he couldn’t help but wrinkle his brows: “If it’s not the Emperor, then who else is still there?”
However, Yuwen Yin showed a loving smile at this moment, then softly answered: “Little fool, of course it’s you. If you can’t decide my matters, then who else can?”
Yuwen Yin couldn’t help but adoringly place two more kisses on the youth’s face, before carrying on with his sentence: “If you allow me into the house, then I wouldn’t mind even if the sky falls. But if you drive me out, then I will have no other choice but to leave obediently.”
Saying so, he then leaned close to the youth’s ear, “May this little one ask the lord to allow this little one stay here to serve the lord for the night? You’re guaranteed to be served comfortably.”
They say that when one is fed and warmed, one’s s.e.xual desires will come up. So after having just eaten dinner, Yuwen Yin then began to pestered the lord to forcefully ‘serve’ him. Unfortunately for him, Shen Tong, who was still ardently eating some of the new recipe desserts made by the chef, remembered the hazy dream he had the last night, of him being pushed down and kissed by Yuwen Yin, who hurriedly returned at midnight, before doing the deed. Thus, he unhappily pushed away Yuwen Yin’s hara.s.sing hands, and ran off to the other end of the table with the plate of desserts, before warning him lividly: “I’ll beat you up if you hara.s.s me one more time!”