Qin Huaiqiu almost fled. Before he knew it, he had already run out of Qingning Palace.
All he remembered was that he had suddenly pushed Si Kongting away. Amid Si Kongting's calls, he had slammed open the door and bolted.
Damn it! Damn it!
Qin Huaiqiu touched his still-flushed cheeks and angrily punched a tree. "Fuck!"
Si Kongting sat on the bed, looking at the mess on it, feeling somewhat dejected.
He leaned against the headboard, lost in thought. Suddenly, he reached down between his legs. After feeling the unfamiliar hardness, he was stunned for a moment, and his eyes turned obscure.
After a moment, he looked at his palm, gave a self - mocking smile, wiped his hand on the bedsheet, and then called out towards the door, "Xu Xian."
Xu Xian walked in and said, "Your servant is here."
"Burn this quilt," Si Kongting said in a deep voice.
"…?" Xu Xian was taken aback but didn't dare to ask more questions. He quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Si Kongting threw off the quilt and stood up with some difficulty. Seeing this, Xu Xian quickly stepped forward to help him sit at the table and draped a cloak over him.
"Summon Dou Yuan," Si Kongting said, his knuckles turning white as he held the teacup. "Let him come and see me immediately."
This was the second time Si Kongting had urgently summoned Dou Yuan.
Dou Yuan had been having fun in bed with his lover when he suddenly received the news that the emperor had been seriously injured. Frightened, he quickly pulled up his pants and rushed to Qingning Palace. After the emperor woke up, he returned to his own residence. Although Si Kongting had assigned him to investigate this matter, with the beauty by his side and himself feeling aroused, just as he was about to have some fun, he was urgently summoned by Si Kongting again.
Dou Yuan put on his pants once more, grumbling, "What does the emperor want now!"
Xu Xian said at the door, "Your servant doesn't know, but it seems to be something very urgent."
Qing Luo, Dou Yuan's young lover, casually grabbed a piece of clothing that had fallen on the ground and loosely draped it over himself. He hugged Dou Yuan from behind and said, "Zichen, go. I'll wait for you here."
Dou Yuan looked at him, kissed him, and said, "Be good. Wait for me here."
Qing Luo helped Dou Yuan put on his clothes one by one. Dou Yuan looked at himself in the mirror, kissed Qing Luo on the lips, and said, "I'm leaving."
The emperor had been injured during the spring hunt, and the matter had not been thoroughly investigated yet. Liu Zhen had already led troops to surround Fengquan Hot Springs and had arrested the officials from the Ministry of Rites who were in charge of this spring hunt. While they were being interrogated, the emperor suddenly urgently summoned him. Most likely, there were some new discoveries.
With these thoughts in mind, Dou Yuan was completely speechless after hearing what the emperor had to say.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty," Dou Yuan rubbed his forehead and waved his hand. "Did I hear you right? You want me to stop this investigation and turn to investigate the Noble Consort De?"
"Yes," Si Kongting replied calmly.
Dou Yuan said, "Your Majesty, you've just come back from the gates of hell. Can't you tell what's more important? At this critical moment, why should I investigate the Noble Consort De? Wasn't she chased and killed with you?"
At this point, Dou Yuan suddenly paused, widened his eyes, and said, "Wait a minute, Your Majesty. You don't suspect that this assassination was planned by the Qin family, do you?"
Si Kongting sighed and said, "That's not it."
"Phew…" Dou Yuan let out a sigh of relief. "I knew General Qin Feng was a loyal subject of the Great Sheng Dynasty. If you suspected him, I, Dou Yuan, would be the first to object."
Si Kongting frowned and said, "I'm not asking you to investigate that."
Dou Yuan said, "Then what should I investigate?"
Si Kongting said in a deep voice, "Investigate how many children Qin Feng actually has."
"Ah?"
"Just do as I say," Si Kongting said irritably, running his fingers through his hair. "Investigate thoroughly. Find out what they look like, their birth dates, who their mothers are, everything. Understand?"
Si Kongting looked rather terrifying at the moment. Dou Yuan glanced at him and didn't dare to ask further. He could only say, "Understood, Your Majesty."
"Not a single word of this must be leaked," Si Kongting gritted his teeth. "There's another thing. Secretly summon He Yanzhi from Ye City to come and see me. Hurry."
He Yanzhi was the city - guarding general of Ye City. According to his rank, he was just a sixth - rank official. Since the founding of the Great Sheng Dynasty for so many years, no emperor had ever summoned a sixth - rank official. Although Dou Yuan was confused, he didn't dare to ask more questions. He just said, "Understood."
Si Kongting waved his hand at him, and suddenly seemed to sink into depression. Dou Yuan looked at him and quickly retreated.
Si Kongting looked at the empty Qingning Palace and found it laughable.
Yes, he had found a suspicious point.
Qin Huaiqiu had a good plan. He came to see Si Kongting early in the morning and subtly told him that Qin Lan's kidnapping was due to someone's plot, hinting that there were helpers from the Loulan people in Yushan Palace. Si Kongting had also noticed this. So after Qin Huaiqiu left, when Liu Zhen came to report that three corpses had been found in the woods, he had already secretly ordered Liu Zhen to investigate the entire Yushan Palace.
As for why he asked Dou Yuan to stop investigating this matter and turn to investigate the Noble Consort De, it was because Qin Huaiqiu seemed to have underestimated Si Kongting's understanding of him. Also, Qin Huaiqiu didn't believe that a majestic emperor would summon a sixth - rank official into the capital just to investigate him.
At Fengquan Hot Springs, although the two of them had been chased by assassins in a rather sorry state, Qin Huaiqiu had been calm throughout. In many situations, his performance had greatly surprised Si Kongting. Moreover, he didn't know how they had managed to be found unharmed by Liu Zhen in that situation after he had been unconscious from the wound - treatment by Qin Huaiqiu with a knife.
So he asked Liu Zhen. The location where Liu Zhen said he had found him was some distance away from the place where he had lost consciousness. That meant it was the Noble Consort De who had helped him move during this distance.
How did he move him?
Si Kongting couldn't figure it out at first. He had intended to ask Qin Huaiqiu when he came to see him before, but when he saw Qin Huaiqiu crying, he noticed something wrong.
From Qin Huaiqiu, he suddenly felt a sense of strangeness.
He should have noticed this strangeness earlier, maybe during that time when he fell into the water or the quarrel in the imperial study, but he had ignored it then. It was only this time that when he saw Qin Huaiqiu crying in his arms so pitifully, the visual impact had made him suddenly much clearer in his mind.
He began to examine his memories, every bit of his acquaintance with Qin Huaiqiu. Finally, he came to a conclusion: the Noble Consort De wouldn't cry like this.
But at that time, he was in his arms, and his tears had dripped one by one into the palms of his hands that were holding his face.
A very strange feeling welled up in Si Kongting's heart. He admitted that he had fallen in love with him, but just thinking about the Noble Consort De's deliberate disguise and the unknown reasons behind it made his heart feel as if it was being wound tighter and tighter by a rope, making it hard for him to breathe.
He wasn't the original Qin Huailian. This realization started when Si Kongting first thought that Qin Huailian had changed his personality because he had been scared by him. He had always thought that Qin Huailian had just changed his character. Now, there seemed to be another possibility, that is, what if this person had changed?
He didn't dare to think about it.
If he had fallen in love with a Qin Huailian who wasn't the real Qin Huailian, what could his love possibly gain?
However, if Qin Huailian hadn't changed and was still the original Qin Huailian, would he really have fallen in love with him?
Si Kongting lay on the bed with freshly - made sheets, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Memories suddenly flooded in like a tide -
"Turning into spring mud to protect the flowers is what Your Majesty means, isn't it?"
"Wouldn't it be good to just assume that I drowned, Your Majesty?"
"Si Kongting! You are the ruler of a country! Your life is the sky of the Great Sheng Dynasty. If something happens to you, what will happen to the country? What will happen to the people? Have you ever thought about that!"
The memories quickly shrank and merged into the expression of Qin Huailian with tears in his eyes, his face held by Si Kongting not long ago.
The memories suddenly changed again. He seemed to see himself just now, lying on this bed, thinking about Qin Huailian's face, comforting himself with his hand, gasping for breath, and finally ordering someone to burn the quilt...
Si Kongting covered his eyes and gasped for breath with difficulty, as if each breath was scratching at his lungs.
When he was in a state of extreme depression, Qin Huaiqiu's face unconsciously appeared in his mind. His every frown and smile, his anger and joy. Si Kongting was stunned for a moment. He wanted to get rid of this thought, but for some subconscious reason, Qin Huaiqiu's face almost filled his entire mind.
Xu Xian was standing at the door, staring blankly at the newly - risen moon.
At this moment, he heard Si Kongting's extremely suppressed voice from inside the room: "Summon the Noble Consort De - to serve me tonight!"
——————Dividing Line———————
Extra Chapter for 400 Votes:
Ten Questions about the Compatibility of the Couple Si Kongting and Qin Huaiqiu -
Xiaoxiao: Welcome everyone to this interview. Today we will be interviewing the couple Si Kongting and Qin Huaiqiu!
(Applause)
Si Kongting: Humph.
Qin Huaiqiu: Yeah~
Xiaoxiao: Question one: What do you think is the most attractive thing about your partner?
Si Kongting (stroking his chin): I think he's very attractive when he pretends to know everything and lectures me.
Qin Huaiqiu (scornfully): Are you a masochist?
Si Kongting: Because it makes me want to pin him down on the bed.
Qin Huaiqiu: …
Xiaoxiao: … Cough cough. Please be more normal, the top. Qiuqiu can answer now.
Qin Huaiqiu: I like it when he acts stupid.
Si Kongting: When have I ever acted stupid?
Qin Huaiqiu (coldly): Right now.
Xiaoxiao: Question two: When do you think your partner is the sexiest?
Qin Huaiqiu (blushing): Cough cough... In bed.
Si Kongting: When he's dressed.
Xiaoxiao & Qin Huaiqiu:?
Si Kongting: I like to undress you piece by piece.
Qin Huaiqiu: You're a pervert.
Si Kongting: But you like it.
Xiaoxiao: Question three: When did you first fall in love with your partner?
Si Kongting: Um... It's really hard to say. If I have to, it should be when he told me to escape first.
Qin Huaiqiu: The main story hasn't reached that part yet. I won't spoil it.
Si Kongting: Don't you like me now?
Qin Huaiqiu (coldly): According to the script.
Si Kongting: Humph.
Xiaoxiao: Question four: What was your first impression of your partner?
Qin Huaiqiu: A jerk.
Si Kongting: Disgusting.
Qin Huaiqiu (slaps him): Say that again?!
Si Kongting: I thought you were Qin Huailian at first glance... Don't be angry, wife. I was wrong.
Qin Huaiqiu: Humph.
Xiaoxiao: Calm down. Question five: How do you hope your partner will treat you in the following plot?
Qin Huaiqiu (glared at Xiaoxiao): Can he stop kissing me forcefully all the time?
Xiaoxiao & Si Kongting: No.
Qin Huaiqiu: I'm leaving.
Xiaoxiao: Don't go! (Pulls him back)
Si Kongting: I hope he'll be more proactive.
Xiaoxiao: Question six: If there hadn't been the match - making by the empress dowager, do you think you would have fallen in love with each other?
Qin Huaiqiu: I wouldn't even know him without the empress dowager's match - making.
Si Kongting: I'm sure we would have. The imperial astrologer has calculated it. I believe in fate.
Xiaoxiao: Question seven: How do you hope Xiaoxiao will set the endearment for your partner in the following story?
Qin Huaiqiu: Your Majesty is fine.
Si Kongting: My love, Qiuqiu, baby, wife, darling, honey...
Xiaoxiao: Stop stop stop!
Xiaoxiao: Question eight: If you lived in modern times, what kind of job do you think your partner should have?
Si Kongting: Um... A policeman or something.
Qin Huaiqiu: A CEO.
Xiaoxiao: Question nine: Where do you hope the confession will take place?
Qin Huaiqiu: Somewhere romantic, but not too cliché.
Si Kongting: In bed.
Qin Huaiqiu: Are you out of your mind?
Xiaoxiao: The last one. Let's ask something more private. What position do you like?
Qin Huaiqiu (veins popping): …
Si Kongting (spreading his hands): The navel - orange position.
Qin Huaiqiu: Shut up!!!