Chapter 171
Chapter 171 - Is There Anything Cooler than You?
Teng Yu had achieved his goal, so he didn't waste any more time. Exiting the Emperor's Bedroom Hall, he took a detour to the imperial kitchen to pick up some pastries before heading to find Yin Xu.
Yesterday, upon returning to his residence, he immediately had someone deliver something to the palace, transforming the simple and crude small room into a comfortable and warm space. When he pushed open the door, Yin Xu was lying down to rest and didn't open his eyes even when he heard footsteps.
Teng Yu held onto the food box containing Yin Xu's favorite pastries. The guards' meals were all the same, primarily featuring fish, which Yin Xu did not enjoy.
The aroma of the food caused Yin Xu to open his eyes.
“You came rather early,” Yin Xu murmured.
Seeing him in a rare daze, Teng Yu felt a deep affection. He walked over and lowered his head to playfully bite him, saying, “Are you tired? Get up and eat something first. Look how thin you've become.”
Yin Xu was too lazy to argue. Ever since he had lost weight, he had maintained his figure, neither fat nor thin. It had only been a day since Teng Yu last saw him, so how could Teng Yu tell he had lost weight?
He leaned into Teng Yu's embrace and ate the food he was fed. After eating until he was half full, he finally shared what he had discovered with Teng Yu.
Teng Yu wasn't surprised to hear that the emperor had secretly taken pills or been poisoned, but he was astonished to learn that there was a traitor in the Huo Family.
His way of thinking differed from Yin Xu's; he immediately considered Huo Yidao's motivations. A person must have a reason for doing bad things, and understanding the reason would make him more confident.
Before he could ponder Huo Yidao's reasons, Yin Xu dropped another bombshell: Lai Jiquan was the one who had secretly drugged him.
Teng Yu was puzzled again, “What did he come up with?”
Lai Jiquan had watched him grow up and was highly valued by the emperor as far back as Teng Yu could remember.
This person didn't have any other faults, just a bit of arrogance, probably because he had bullied him before and held a grudge.
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However, this wasn't enough to prove his betrayal to the emperor. If he were an informant placed beside the emperor, Teng Yu wouldn't believe it. If the emperor lacked that much ability, he would have long been dethroned.
In other words, Lai Jiquan's betrayal wasn't recent. Perhaps it happened this time; then who made him take such a huge risk to betray his master?
“Don't ask me that. How would I know? Looking at his cheap appearance, he doesn't seem like anything good. What's impossible for him?”
With a direction, Teng Yu wasn't afraid of uncovering the truth. No matter how secretive Lai Jiquan's actions were, it was impossible for him to avoid contact with the person behind the scenes.
“My wife is really capable. She found so much useful information in just a day!” Teng Yu couldn't help but kiss Yin Xu heavily on the cheek.
Yin Xu wiped the saliva off his face, embarrassed and angry: “Who is your wife?”
“Alright, alright, I'm the wife. Master, don't be angry!” Teng Yu comforted Yin Xu, hugging him and calling him “Old Master,” making him burst with joy.
“That's more like it.” The false master lay on the lap of the real master, continuing to eat his pastries, leaving the questions for the real master to think about.
Teng Yu was deep in thought for a while and almost fed the pastries into Yin Xu's nose, making him want to kick him out of the room.
Teng Yu knew it would take a while to come up with a countermeasure, and when he came back to his senses, he immediately pushed the matter to the back of his mind and focused on serving Yin Xu. When Yin Xu was full, Teng Yu hugged him and went back to sleep.
As he had told the Emperor, Yin Xu couldn't sleep well when he wasn't around. He didn't know if it was because he was used to it or for some other reason, but he felt something was missing without such a person.
Now that he was holding her in his arms, he felt a little more at ease.
In the following days, Yin Xu slept during the day and busied himself at night. To keep up with his schedule, Teng Yu did the same.
The palace guards were no longer surprised by the appearance of the Third Prince; they even teased him a little. They were all young men, so it was easy to let things go.
Although they were initially conflicted about the relationship between the two men, thinking it was too dirty and short-lived, time proved otherwise. The Third Prince visited the palace daily, and anyone who observed could see his dedication to the Huo Family's Seventh Young Master.
Consequently, no one dared to speak against their relationship. Moreover, because of the Third Prince's special feelings, everyone regarded this His Highness The Prince as a righteous person.
In the past, Teng Yu had offended many people while trying to create a wild and unrestrained image, making him appear extremely annoying.
But now, he had changed his attitude and methods. His political achievements had seen breakthroughs, and he had managed the Hui State's relief efforts exceptionally well. It was said that the commoners even delivered a Ten Thousand People's Umbrella to the capital's Third Prince Mansion later on.
Given the Third Prince's capabilities, many past matters were easily forgotten. Who could hold onto the past and not let go?
Compared to the First Prince's humble gentlemanly demeanor and the Second Prince's recklessness and bluntness, the Third Prince's ease of manner made it easier for him to build good relationships with the imperial guards.
When others dared to criticize the Seventh Young Master Huo, if he heard it, he would certainly retaliate fiercely.
He was like a long-time brother, able to drink and cause trouble together. When it came to jokes, no one could outdo him, and he never got angry at jokes about him and the Seventh Young Master Huo. So, over time, a small portion of the guards were directly recruited by the Third Prince.
Yin Xu was even more remarkable. He never liked interacting with others, and given his relationship with Teng Yu, people didn't initially think highly of him.
Logically, with his reputation and personality, it would be difficult for him to make friends. Fortunately, besides being on duty and training, the palace guards had a monthly internal competition related to everyone's future.
Yin Xu only participated once, but his performance was extraordinary. He outshone everyone in the Guard Battalion and beat them until no one could match him.
Only one Lord Commander did not participate. Although the competition didn't include the Commander, everyone suspected he didn't dare to fight Yin Xu for fear of losing.
Regardless of the truth, Yin Xu used just one day to become the new focus among the guards, changing his image.
For Yin Xu to have such high-level martial arts at such a young age, he was undoubtedly a rare genius seen once in a hundred years. Coupled with his family background in the Huo Family, the guards gradually began to enjoy being close to him.
He didn't need to greet anyone purposefully or maintain friendly relationships deliberately. Just by occasionally giving pointers, he earned the guards' high respect.
Yin Xu lay on the bed and kicked Teng Yu's calf. This man spent half the day in the palace, so he could only bring in official matters to handle.
When Yin Xu was resting, he often looked at documents. The emperor had given him a moderate position, as if it was a special office for the Ministry of Revenue, without much authority but with many tasks to solve. Yet, he never heard Teng Yu complain.
Teng Yu wrote a few sentences, then set the documents aside. He grabbed Yin Xu's ankle and tickled the bottom of his foot, “Bored?”
“A little.” Although Yin Xu was not one to get bored easily, even if he had nothing to do all day, he would still practice. However, with Teng Yu by his side, it wasn't easy to calm his heart.
“Then I'll take you for a walk? It's been a while since you've been out, hasn't it?”
Yin Xu thought: He's already familiar with the palace grounds, what is there to stroll around for?
Teng Yu knew that he didn't like wasting time on trivial things, but when they were together, they couldn't possibly live a completely peaceful life.
He pulled Yin Xu up from the bed. The weather was already hot, and Yin Xu was only wearing a thin layer of silk, which exposed his entire chest. His exquisite collarbone also bore the bite marks Teng Yu had left.
“How about… You don't go out?” Teng Yu asked regretfully. He might as well do something more meaningful with Yin Xu than strolling around.
Yin Xu stood barefoot on the bluestone floor, “Go, why not? Let's find a cool place to stay!”
Teng Yu thought: Is there anything cooler than you?
In the winter, he hadn't felt it, but now in the summer, Teng Yu wanted to hold him all the time.
“If you're hot, I'll get someone to bring you some ice, but don't be greedy, just use it sparingly.”
Yin Xu nodded happily. He had been eyeing the Ice Bucket in the Emperor's Bedroom Hall.
Yin Xu initially thought it was because he was afraid of the cold, but once summer came, he realized his body was also sensitive to heat.
Teng Yu gave him a new set of Ice Thread clothing. His belt was no longer tied, and only after putting it on loosely did it feel cool.
He remembered a grove of trees in the royal garden, beside which was a lake. In the lake, there was a rockery with a spring brought in from outside, gurgling down from the rockery, making it a good place to cool down.
The imperial garden was considered the territory of the imperial harem and a favorite spot for the emperor's concubines. However, Teng Yu didn't have to hide anything; he had people clear the area first and then took Yin Xu there.
Except for the Imperial Consort Yun, no one dared to disrespect the women in the harem. Therefore, when Teng Yu and the others arrived at the imperial garden, the area was already cleared of random people.
Yin Xu walked into the pavilion at the center of the lake. It was surrounded by water and splashes from the fake mountains.
After conversing with Teng Yu for a while, Yin Xu started to feel sleepy, and since the environment was good, he directly laid his head on Teng Yu's shoulder and fell asleep.