"Your majesty!" Court Lady Han forcefully barged into the emperor's hall. The sun didn't even fully rise in the skies and she's already so full of life... or rather feeling aggrieved.
"What is it?" Emperor Yin Renshu annoyingly asks with his eyes still closed. Usually, his court lady would wake him up after sunrise. He wonders why is she making a fuss first thing in the morning.
"Court Lady Han, you're disturbing his majesty's rest!" A maid anxiously told the old woman as she pulls her sleeves. The maiden is Court Lady Han's roommate in the servants' quarters.
"It's almost time for his majesty to wake up anyway. A couple of minutes wouldn't hurt." The court lady insisted and hurried to his majesty's side.
The commotion inside his hall made Emperor Yin Renshu fully awake. Although his head still hurts, he thinks he had enough rest. "What made you very aggrieved, Court Lady Han?" The emperor asks. His annoyance is somehow evident in his cold voice. Of course, who wouldn't get annoyed if you woke up earlier than your set alarm?
"Please forgive me for disturbing you this early, your majesty. " Court Lady Han speaks. "However, I had a nightmare about you. In my dreams, you're in trouble! I can't help myself but get worried."
"Eh?" The maid got confused. If she remembers it correctly, didn't Court Lady Han say last night that she dreamed of his majesty being dirtied by a pig? Is that really something that can be considered trouble? Even if it is, she really doesn't have to get worried at this level. Because first of all, the imperial farm doesn't raise pigs as livestock. Second of all, passing through the palace gates is hard to even with people, what more to pigs?
"Court Lady Han..." The maiden silently said in the back of her head, "You're not making any sense. You're making me have a secondhand embarrassment. Please stop!"
Emperor Yin Renshu is torn between being touched and getting annoyed. He knows that Court Lady Han is just worried but does she really have to cause such a ruckus early in the morning? Just because of a nightmare on top of that?
"I see." The emperor takes his blanket away to his side to get up. Since he's wide awake already, why not start his day instead of staying in bed for just a few more minutes?
He's having a vague memory about what happened before he slept. He silently tries to remember what he did before he retired to his bed only to be interrupted by Court Lady Han.
"Your majesty, do you know where is Eunuch Xu?" Even though he already sees the emperor safe and sound sleeping alone in his hall, she still can't help but ask.
Only by then did his majesty's memory comes back to him. Xu Zhengming's condition got worse and he lost control over his body! His pair of phoenix eyes widen. Being reminded, he subconsciously looks back on his bed then to the entirety of his hall. Weren't they together before he lost his consciousness.
Not finding the person he's looking for, he turns his head to face the servants. "Where is Eunuch Xu?"
"...?" The maid remained silent. She doesn't have an idea why are they looking for Eunuch Xu this early morning. Doesn't he always come here after daybreak? The sun is only about to rise.
But now that she thinks about it, she indeed wants to see the 'palace heartthrob' first thing in the morning. Just thinking about his good looks made her grin like crazy without even realizing it.
Fortunately for her, the other two in the emperor's hall are too occupied to notice her. The emperor is asking for his eunuch's whereabouts and Court Lady Han's mind flies away from reality again.
The court lady gets even more anxious when his majesty looks for him inside his hall. Why is he even looking here? Is Xu Zhengming supposed to be here?
"Your majesty..." Court Lady Han covers her mouth with her palm.
She looks like a mother who sees the biggest horror of his son's life. In her eyes, what she sees is that her good child is being taken advantage of and then left out after being used. Like a daughter being spoiled in the most immoral way, and the culprit escapes. Like a good cabbage arched by a filthy pig! Her eyebrows twitch as she grits her teeth out of anger. She suddenly yells, "Xu Zhengming! I'll kill you!"
"...?!" The emperor doesn't know why Court Lady Han suddenly has the urge to kill him. "Wait, what?!" Even though Eunuch Xu has a short life to live, his majesty wouldn't allow anyone to harm him.
"Hihihi..." The maiden finally got lost in her wild imagination with Xu Zhengming and didn't bother to pay attention to what's happening around her.
"I'll definitely make him pay. Just you wait, Eunuch Xu." The court lady is so enraged that she forgot about the formalities in front of his majesty himself.
"Why are you so angry towards him?" Emperor Yin Renshu asks but instead of responding to his question, the court lady turns her back to his majesty and headed to the hall's exit in a hurried manner.
"Court Lady Han? Court Lady Han!" The emperor calls out but the court lady didn't bother to turn her head to him. His majesty scratches his head and goes after Court Lady Han.
"Ah? Eh? What happened?" The clueless maid asks but no one replies. And so, she just goes after the two. "Where are we going?"
Meanwhile, in the Lotus Hall...
"Achooo! *sniff*" Xu Zhengming sneezed.
He's in deep sleep that he didn't wake up after sneezing. Instead, he snuggles closer to Prince Yin Wenyan, seeking warmth.
"Pfft..." The prince chuckles.
That was just too adorable. He'll be anticipating the next time Eunuch Xu sneezes.
He pulls the blanket up to the other's shoulder. The weather is indeed getting chilly these past few days. So, Mingming ends up sleeping in the lotus hall beside his highness because of his stubbornness.
A couple of hours ago, after they landed back to the ground after a sword flight, Xu Zhengmung refused to go back to his room in the eunuchs' quarters.
"But you need rest." Prince Yin Wenyan said.
He's standing beside the crouching Eunuch Xu. He finds it adorable how the other looks like a child refusing to go home.
"I'm not sleepy yet." Xu Zhengming replied.
The truth is... he's lying. His drowsiness drags his eyelids down to put him into a deep slumber. It's really hard for him to fight it. However, he doesn't want to sleep or at least return to his room. He's too scared that the "dickless" eunuch might still be around and would attack him again if he let his guard down or whenever he's alone.
"Okay?" Prince Yin Wenyan scratches the back of his head. He thought, maybe the things that are happening to them keep bothering him. He sighs silently and sits beside him. He gives his signature smile to the other and says, "Alright. Then, I'll accompany you until you feel like going back." He leans his back on the trunk of the old willow tree just like how he used to.
"You don't have to." He replies. In fact, it's just his pride as high as this old willow tree speaking. He badly doesn't want to be alone now, especially that it's still dark.
Actually, he's willing to pay fifteen gold coins to other just to keep him company. But will his majesty even accept fifteen gold coins? He already gave him forty-five gold coins excluding his monthly salary.
"No. No. I insist." Prince Wenyan said.
This made Mingming's heart a little less troubled. It's good that this temperamental emperor is in a good mood. If not, he may have to step on his own pride and beg for him not to leave him alone. Also, Xu Zhengming felt relief that he didn't have to pay him to give him company for a couple of hours. He would be too pitiful if he's going to die young and lacks money.
Actually, he once thought of leaving the palace and living normally and peacefully before he dies because of this strange illness. However, he also thought of the bad possibilities. Now that he knows that he can lose control of himself, he might harm innocent people, or spread this unusual sickness. But if he stays inside the imperial palace, the emperor or the princess general could stop him or maybe kill him when things get out of control. Also, didn't his majesty tell him that he'll help him as much as he can? That hope is enough for our pitiful eunuch to hold on.
"Loneliness and sighs
Is this the wisdom's price?
Like a bird in a cage
Shouldn't I be on stage?
I felt being held back
I can only blame my bad luck
Under this willow tree
Only here I am free."
Xu Zhengming looks at Prince Yin Wenyan behind him, leaning on the trunk with his eyes fixed in the starry night. He didn't know that his majesty knows a poem or two. But this poem is... Xu Zhengming finds it cheap, a step superior to trash.
Sensing the gaze that Xu Zhengming throws at him, he looks back to the others. He chuckles the moment he sees the eunuch's complicated expression on his face. "What's with that face?"
Mingming hesitated. He silently asks himself, "Should I tell him how crappy that poem is? But what if his majesty made it himself? This temperamental might point his sword on men again. Better be tactful."
Prince Yin Wenyan smiles, "That's the first poem I heard from my favorite poet."
Xu Zhengming laughs internally. Really, the emperor has poor taste! May it be in women or literature. Why won't he take this good-looking man as an example? He can get any woman he likes. He can compose a quality poem on the spot.
Eunuch Xu unconsciously forms a smirk on his lips. He praised himself in silence, "Just how brilliant can I be?"
Mingming clears his throat before speaking. Trying not to laugh, he asks, "Who's your favorite poet? I am a scholar, how come I haven't heard of this pfft... 'beautiful' poem yet?"
He even emphasized the word "beautiful" in a sarcastic way, mocking the poet.
Prince Yin Wenyan smiles sweetly. He doesn't seem to mind this, or rather he didn't see through Xu Zhengming's sarcasm. His eyes seem to twinkle as he responds to the other's inquiry. "His name is Xu Zhengming."
"..." Xu Zhengming is quiet for a good while.
Xu Zhengming? Why is this name familiar? Wait.. isn't it his name? Does he have the same name as the author of that crappy poem? Or is it that his mother named him after that poet? He hasn't heard of a poet that has the same name as his though.
Prince Yin Wenyan can't help himself but laugh at the eunuch's reaction. "Stop thinking too much. It's you."
"Me?" Mingming pointed to himself with disbelief written all over his face. "But I can't remember making that cra-- that poem!" He wonders, was he the one who made that poem? Why can't he remember the time he composed such trash?
"I had read that from Yin Wenyan's handwritten book." Prince Yin Wenyan said in a casual manner. "It's the first entry of that book."
Now that his majesty mentioned it, Xu Zhengming thinks about the past. There's indeed a time when that mysterious friend of his started to record his poems in his blank book.
His cheeks suddenly feel warm. Embarrassment starts to arise within him. So that 'beautiful' poem that the emperor recited was his composition?! He never knew his poems sounded so cheesy. "Y-You've read it?! That poem is half-assed made! I wonder what else did I made him write." He sighs defeatedly.
"Yes, I've read it. I started liking literature ever since I've read your poems. I think they're well-crafted. I like your works and I'm sure he likes the poems too. If not, why would he record it in the first place?" Prince Yin Wenyan cheerfully replies. "I've memorized some other poems made by you as well! It seems you have forgotten about it, Eunuch Xu. Would you like me to recite it all for you?"
Eunuch Xu hurried to cover the other's mouth with his palm. He averted his eyes and pursed his lips. With the help of the bright moonlight, Yin Wenyan clearly sees Mingming blushing. The prince didn't take his eyes away from the sight. He makes sure to carve this image in his mind to remember it for eternity.
The eunuch averted his eyes and pursed his lips. He felt so proud of his composed poems before. But now, he realized it's cringe. He never knew he was full of himself.
He then said to the emperor in a low voice with a bashful face, "Don't recite it. It's too embarrassing. I don't want to hear it."
They remained like that for some time. One is too embarrassed to think straight while the other is too busy painting the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen inside his head.
Yin Wenyan was the first one to move. He took Xu Zhengming's both hands and holds them together. It's a chilly night, no wonder why his hands are cold. He then lifted the eunuch's hands near his lips, blowing air on it. Eunuch Xu stares at him warming up his cold hands.
It feels warm... and Xu Zhengming is wondering why is it that his face starts to feel a lot warmer than his hands? He got stuck in his position. It's as if an immobilization enchantment is cast upon him. He also felt his heartbeat a little faster than normal. Wait, is he turning into a monster again? But this feels a little different. He sighs internally. Really, Xu Zhengming doesn't understand everything anymore.
"You're hands are already this cold. How about going back to your room?" Prince Yin Wenyan's gentle smile makes Xu Zhengming's face even warmer. A silent thought came across his mind, "His looks actually aren't bad but still, I'm more good-looking than him."
"I..." Looking at the other's sincere eyes, he feels secure. He felt that he can finally let his guard down. "I don't want to go back. What if that monster comes back again?"
The prince's smiley face turns into a worried one real quick. "So that's why you keep on refusing on going back to your room?"
Xu Zhengming's pride made him hesitate but he nods silently anyway.
"How about you stay in the Lotus Hall with me? Well, the roof has a large hole on it but it would be fine." He said in a soothing voice. "You need to rest. It's been a tough day for you."
Again, Xu Zhengming didn't say anything and just nods silently.
So, that's how Eunuch Xu ended up sleeping in the Lotus Hall with the prince.
Bang!
The door of the Lotus Hall suddenly slides open in a forceful way. The loud sound dragged Prince Wenyan back to reality. It's Emperor Yin Renshu.
When Court Lady Han and he couldn't find Eunuch Xu in the servants' quarters, the old lady really thinks the eunuch ran away after 'taking advantage of his majesty. She remained there spacing out while the emperor left her and the maid to head in the Lotus Hall. What greeted his majesty is the fragments of the roof on the floor.
"Just what happened here?" He asks himself. "Wenyan?" He calls out. "Wenyan, are you here?"
"I'm here." Prince Yin Wenyan said in not so loud voice but enough for the other to hear him. "Don't be noisy."
Yin Renshu goes behind the screen, only to see his brother and Eunuch Xu in bed together.
"Don't make noises. He didn't have enough sleep yet." Yin Wenyan said as he slowly rises into a sitting position.
For some reason, Yin Renshu somehow felt sourness in his chest.
"Why is he sleeping with you?!" The emperor isn't really sure why he suddenly gets irritated. He forgot to control his voice and end up exclaiming loudly.
This brings Xu Zhengming into his half-awaken state. The other two froze when the eunuch opens his sleepy eyes. He saw the two of them at the same time!
Meanwhile, Mingming blinks slowly. Seems to be still half-asleep. He sees two emperors. One with the scary temper, and one with a gentle composure.
He thought, "Silly, this dream is funny." Then went back to sleep.
Only by then did the two could finally let out a sigh of relief.