Marked by a Tyrant After Transmigrating

Chapter 52

in Wang had mentioned to Ye Shu earlier that he wanted to restore his identity, but he didn’t expect this man to draft the edict so quickly.

Moreover……

“Isn’t this just nonsense?”

Ye Shu pointed to the imperial edict, caught between tears and laughter. “I put up an act of rebellion with you with the aim of catching all the spies hiding in the capital? We feigned my death so that the renegade traitors in the imperial court would let down their guard and thereby be caught in one fell swoop?”

“How could this be nonsense? Is that not the truth?” Jin Wang said, “After the assassination in the hunting ground, all the spies hiding in the capital were caught, and the intelligence network they had been putting together for years was uprooted. As for the recent case of rebellion in the imperial court, everyone witnessed how you caught them all.”

Ye Shu was struck dumb by his earnest nonsense.

The first excuse seemed to be something he had fabricated without much thought. This man would use this and that’s that?

Ye Shu said, “But it’s true that the original owner committed treason……”

“But that was not your doing,” Jin Wang looked back at him tranquilly.

Later that day, Ye Shu found time to bring the yellow dog back to Yangxin Hall and explain everything from beginning to end.

Upon learning the whole truth, Jin Wang did not look too surprised.

This man even accepted that he was just a character in a book without even blinking. His psychological endurance was so great that it took Ye Shu’s breath away. 

“A-Shu, I have told you, you do not need to take responsibility for anything you have not done. That would not be fair to you,” Jin Wang said warmly.

Ye Shu’s heart fluttered slightly and he looked away. “Do you think others will believe this reason? Isn’t it too far-fetched……”

Jin Wang chuckled. “Do you really think that everyone else acts like you do, acting as if there’s no difference between the ruler and the subject in front of Gu even, acting impudently in front of Gu? Who would dare not believe in the edict I personally issued?”

Oh. He almost forgot. This man was the Emperor.

No one would dare question the validity of what His Majesty would say, no matter how outrageous it might be.

Jin Wang took the imperial seal that was placed aside and handed it to Ye Shu. “If you have no other objections, then let’s seal it.”

Ye Shu looked pensive for a moment.

He did not take it, rather reached out and placed his hand over the back of Jin Wang’s, interlocking their fingers and pressing firmly at the bottom of the edict.

Unlike Ye Shu, whose limbs were always cold, Jin Wang’s hands were very warm, with strong, slender fingers and well-defined bones. The warmth turned into a scorching heat when their skin made contact, passing over along the palm.

Ye Shu was just about to retract his hand, but Jin Wang held him in place.

He softly caressed Ye Shu’s hand with his fingertips, and said, “I forgot to mention that the minister of the right is already well advanced in years. He had submitted a request for resignation to me a year ago. I approved it.”

This was also the case in the book.

Changlu had two ministers, namely, the left and the right. The minister of the left was the monarch’s confidant, while the minister of the right was a veteran statesman who have served under three successive regimes. In the same year that the left conspired to rebel, the right retired due to old age and returned to his hometown. Jin Wang then simply revoked the post of prime minister, and it was never instituted thereafter.

But this was clearly not what JinWang meant at this point.

He was being screwed with by this man again.

Ye Shu forced a smile. “Behave yourself, Your Majesty. Your little brat has not yet been spawned. Are you so eager for me to labor for you?”

Jin Wang looked calm. His tone was unhurried. “I naturally will share the prime minister’s worries and will not let him be put to much trouble.”

Ye Shu turned around. Their gazes struck one another and they laughed in unison.

Jin Wang dropped a kiss on Ye Shu’s lips.

“Welcome back, my Minister Ye.”

The following day, His Majesty made a public announcement, clarifying that the true identity of the noble consort was in fact that of Minister Ye Shu. The edict explained exhaustively that the Minister had faked his death as an act, thus reversing the verdict of his rebellion, and even elaborated at length on how Minister Ye had served Changlu with great dedication and had been loyal to His Majesty.

An imperial edict was written in a way that was capable of evoking praise and tears, and all public rumors were squashed.

As to why Minister Ye disguised himself as the noble consort after his fake death, the imperial edict did not mention a word about it, but all the courtiers had their own calculations in mind.

Their discord was fake, their falling out was fake, so was the stand-in, could it be that the love and affection they showed in front of the courtiers were also fake?

No one was certain anymore.

Following the edict, the court and the commonality were immediately divided into two opposing factions.

There was the fact that His Majesty and Minister Ye had cooperated in doing all that drama before, such a great sacrifice, and to use the word love to presumptuously describe the relationship between these two was simply disgraceful to their brotherhood.

On the other hand, the other side came to believe that there was true affection in the world as well as true love between a ruler and his subject, and that the fact that the two have a relationship does not preclude them from being in cahoots.

The two factions were at loggerheads, but as for the incident of Minister Ye’s fake death per se, not many people seemed to care.

Not to mention Ye Shu, even Jin Wang did not expect this outcome.

“They are all too carefree. Get more work done and they should be fine,” so said the re-instated Lord Minister Ye.

After the imperial edict was issued, Jin Wang had the Ye mansion refurbished inside and out. After another half month, the refurbishment was complete, as was the recovery of Jin Wang’s injury.

Jin Wang picked a day and personally sent the other man back to the mansion.

On the day of Minister Ye’s return, a conveyance of bestowed treasures paraded down the streets of Chang’an, and the people welcomed them with warmth and grace, even more so than when the mansion was first completed.

“This was a waste of manpower and resources,” Ye Shu put down the curtain of the carriage and drew back his neck angrily.

Jin Wang smiled at his remark as he put one hand on Ye Shu’s shoulder. “I have already reduced a lot of it according to your wishes. Still not satisfied?”

“……” Ye Shu, “Satisfied. Very satisfied.”

Jin Wang laughingly kissed him.

When they arrived at the mansion, all, without fail, of Ye Shu’s former servants were waiting there.

These days, Jin Wang actually did not make things difficult for them. At first, they were imprisoned for a few days, but later they were put under house arrest in a manor outside the city. Previously, they all thought that Ye Shu had died, and they were on tenterhooks around the clock, fearing that they would be implicated. Seeing their family lord return to the mansion in such a scenic manner, they all wept, and some of the old and frail ones even fainted on the spot.

Jin Wang had Gao Jin read out the edict, and Ye Shu bowed to receive it. The two of them acted out a harmonious scene featuring a saintly sovereign and his righteous subject in front of everyone. Soon, the courtiers who had come to take part in the proceedings were dismissed. The doors of the mansion were shut, leaving Ye Shu less than impressed.

“Why are you still here?” Ye Shu shot a glance at the man beside him as he walked into the main hall.

A maid was about to serve tea to the two of them when she heard Ye Shu’s tone of voice and was so frightened that she almost fell to her knees.

Unbothered, Jin Wang sat down in the main seat with his arm around the other. “Are you really not going back with me tonight? It is not as pleasant here as in the palace after all. Moreover……”

He looked at Ye Shu’s abdomen.

As it was still winter, Ye Shu’s belly could still be covered by his outer clothing, but it would not be long before spring arrived, and sooner or later he would not be able to cover it up.

Jin Wang naturally wanted to announce his relationship with Ye Shu to the public as soon as possible, to wed him officially and bring him into the palace.

But he had his misgivings.

Before, when he still thought that Ye Shu had conspired against the state with a series of maneuvers that almost destroyed the groundwork that the original owner had laid in the court over the years. If he wanted to restore Minister Ye’s former reputation, it would be far from enough for him to bestow some gifts alone.

He still needed some more time.

By announcing to the public that Ye Shu was pregnant with his child at such a time, and then incorporating the man into the harem, there would be little point in him reinstating Ye Shu to his official position.

He did not want Ye Shu to become his ‘accessory’.

As for Ye Shu himself, he didn’t actually care about this at first.

He was not from this world and had no desire for power, let alone any ambition. He did not particularly care whether he could be cleared of his injustices and be restored to his original post.

But he could not resist Jin Wang’s constant nagging.

At one moment, he felt that Ye Shu should be allowed to return to his normal life as a courtier so that he could do things more conveniently, and at another moment, he felt that it was not safe for Ye Shu to leave the palace. Jin Wang could not put his mind at ease.

After struggling back and forth for more than half a month, Ye Shu relented and finally made a decision.

—To return to the mansion and stay for a couple of days first.

Jin Wang, still unable to make up his mind, “How about I spend the night here tonight?”

“……”

The two looked at each other, with Ye Shu’s face expressionless.

“Minister Ye has just been restored to his post, and I still have many things to discuss with him personally,” Jin Wang issued a ‘legit reason’ remark and put on a serious expression. “Minister Ye must take the greater good into consideration.”

Ye Shu, “……”

Fuck the greater good.

Thus, on that day, after His Majesty had personally sent Minister Ye back to his mansion, Minister Ye not only hosted a banquet to entertain His Majesty, but also discussed state affairs with His Majesty and had a long talk with him throughout the night.

And this news spread to the entire state the next day, with people sighing with admiration at how virtuous the Minister Ye was.

Over the next few days, Minister Ye had extremely frequent discussions with His Majesty. His Majesty would visit the Ye mansion almost every day, and the two of them would talk all night long. In the end, even the servants of the mansion began to worry vaguely.

It has been a long time since the Lord and His Majesty have had a good night’s sleep, how can the body stand it if this goes on?

The good thing was that as winter came to an end, Jin Wang finally had his hands full and no longer had the time to make daily trips to the Ye mansion.

Therefore, he could only summon the man to the palace in the name of discussion.

“I’m not going,” Ye Shu swept a look at Gao Jin, who had come to summon him, and with a cold voice, “Gonggong, go and report to His Majesty that I am not feeling well tonight and am not in a state to discuss anything.”

Gao Jin, somewhat embarrassed, “Uh……”

Ye Shu said, “Just as the saying goes, if he casts blame, I’ll take it.”

After sending Gao Jin away, Ye Shu leaned back in his seat and rubbed his abdomen through his clothes. “I’ve never seen your father be so clingy. Let’s just ignore him today, sounds good?”

The brat moved gently under the flesh.

Together, the little one and the big one both reached a consensus.

It was not that Ye Shu was at liberty to act up, it was just that he was……a little restless again recently.

Since the heat period, Jin Wang had not touched him again. Coupled with the fact that his belly was now getting bigger, Jin Wang was worried that it might cause harm to the baby, and even simple soothing was scarce.

Not since he’d transmigrated here had he been abstinent for a time this long.

Usually, he could still restrain himself, but once he got close to that person……

It was all that asshole’s fault for always hitting on him.

It was already deep in the night, and Ye Shu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

He couldn’t stand it when that man was around, but it was a different thought when that man wasn’t around.

If there really were demonic forces that caused harm to the state and the people, Jin Wang would certainly be one of them.

Ye Shu thought angrily.

It was all quiet when suddenly, a light, unusual sound came from outside the window. Ye Shu had not yet fallen asleep and instantly opened his eyes.

It was the sound of movement he was all too familiar with.

His Majesty was getting really skilled at climbing over walls and windows.

Ye Shu remained unmoved as he closed his eyes and feigned asleep.

In the darkness, he felt someone slowly approach him and lift the bed curtain.

But that was all.

The person seemed to just stand at the side of the bed, watching him silently, neither moving nor making a sound.

……Had Jin Wang had a change of heart tonight?

The two were locked in a stalemate for a few moments when Ye Shu, unable to contain himself, stealthily looked up to see the profile of the person standing by the bed.

It was not Jin Wang.

Ye Shu sat up abruptly and was about to speak when the person covered his mouth. “It’s me.”

The voice has some youthfulness to it and sounded extra familiar.

Ye Shu’s eyes flickered as the latter added, “Xiao Huan.”

It turned out to be him.

Xiao Huan had already left the capital a few days ago, so how could he…

The moonlight was obstructed by overcast clouds, so Ye Shu could not make out Xiao Huan’s expression, and could only feel the heavy chill on his skin. It was unknown how long he had been outside for him to be cold like this.

Seemingly worried about passing the cold to him, Xiao Huan let go of his hand and took a half step back.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to cause offence, I just…… I heard something on the way and came back to confirm……”

The youth seemed somewhat at his wits end. “You…… You really are……”

“It’s me,” Ye Shu said. “I’m sorry for lying to you before.”

Xiao Huan’s sentence stalled.

“I knew it……” Xiao Huan said softly after a long time. “I knew you wouldn’t do something of that sort… That’s great, Ye Shu-ge, you are fine, that’s great…”

Ye Shu, “If you wanted to see me, why did you have to enter through the window this late at night?”

“I……” Xiao Huan scratched his nose. “I just arrived in the capital. I didn’t expect it to be this hour already, but I was too anxious to wait for daybreak.”

“……”

What a foolish kid.

Ye Shu sighed. “No matter. I will ask the servants to arrange a room for you, we can talk about it tomorrow.”

He got up to head for the door only to be suddenly pulled by his sleeve.

Ye Shu looked back and saw the pitiful glint in the other party’s eyes from up close.

“What is it?” Ye Shu, heart softened, asked patiently.

Xiao Huan, aggrieved, said, “You are a Kunjun……”

“……” Ye Shu replied, “I am.”

Xiao Huan’s eyes, even more, became aggrieved.

Ye Shu, helpless, said frankly, “Xiao Huan, even if I was not Kunjun, we still wouldn’t work out.”

“Is it because Ye Shu-gege already has someone he likes?”

Ye Shu, “Yes.”

The rims of the youth’s eyes reddened. “Is it Jin Wang?”

Ye Shu did not answer.

The young Kunjun looked extremely aggrieved that Ye Shu could not help but feel his tender loving care.

He reached out his hand and gently touched the youth’s head. “Xiao Huan, you are still young and do not understand that admiration and love are two entirely different things. Once you understand, then you will find someone you really like.”

Xiao Huan suddenly wrapped his arms around him. “But I’m……”

His voice halted.

Martial artists’ senses were extremely keen. He clearly felt a slight bulge under the other man’s thin clothing.

That was……

There was a momentary blankness in Xiao Huan’s expression.

All of a sudden, another noise was heard from outside the window.

The two subconsciously looked back.

A familiar figure was leaning against the window, with arms crossed, and an expression hidden in the darkness.

Ye Shu’s heart pounded.