Chapter 50 Incense

Chapter 50: Incense

Zhou Mingqi had just turned around when he suddenly locked eyes with Cheng Ge.

His heart clenched, and his grip involuntarily loosened.

Unlike usual, Cheng Ge was sitting up straight, his long hair nearly spilling onto the floor.

He looked especially gaunt, his sharp collarbones peeking out from his frost-white collar, with a few strands of dark hair tangled over them.

Cheng Ge lifted his chin slightly, his lips pressed into a tight line, his reddened eyes staring straight at Zhou Mingqi with a hint of untamed wolfishness.

The two of them stood there, neither backing down, locked in a silent standoff...

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," the attending eunuch said, dropping to his knees repeatedly, barely daring to breathe, so that you could almost hear everyone's heartbeat.

"Think about what you've done here. I'll deal with you later," Zhou Mingqi said, turning and walking away.

But with every step he took, Cheng Ge's wolfish stare bored into his back like a nail.

Back in the imperial study, Zhou Mingqi was unusually irritable, his brow deeply furrowed.

He glanced casually at the old ministers still kneeling below, and his irritation only grew.

Zhou Mingqi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then said to the old ministers, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The old men, as if pardoned, struggled to their knees, helping each other slowly stand up.

"Have a seat." Zhou Mingqi waved his hand, signaling them to sit.

After the ministers sat down, they exchanged knowing glances, sneaking a look toward the rear hall.

Because the flooding in Yuanzhou was so severe, every detail needed careful discussion and finalization.

Zhou Mingqi forced himself to focus, listening to the ministers' reports.

The ministers spoke one after another, each offering their opinions, until dusk fell and they barely wrapped things up.

After the ministers left, Fu Quan stepped forward and asked softly, "Your Majesty, shall I order dinner?"

Zhou Mingqi waved his hand weakly, rubbing his throbbing temples, and replied tiredly, "Not yet."

"How is he?" Zhou Mingqi asked without thinking.

Fu Quan, hearing the question, didn't immediately catch who he meant.

By the time he realized Zhou Mingqi was asking about Cheng Ge, the emperor had already gotten up and headed toward the rear hall where Cheng Ge was.

In the rear hall...

Cheng Ge was still kneeling in the same position as when Zhou Mingqi left, his hair messy over his shoulders, his face a little pale.

Sensing someone approaching, he slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting Zhou Mingqi's again.

When he saw it was Zhou Mingqi, his expression didn't change. He quickly looked away and lowered his head again, lost in thought.

The dim candlelight fell on one side of his face, his thick eyelashes fluttering, casting a small shadow under his eyes.

Cheng Ge felt like his knees weren't his own anymore. The ice basin was generously filled, making the place cold, and the cold from the floor crept up through his knees, burrowing into his body.

"Do you know you were wrong?" A shadow fell over him, and a voice came from above.

Cheng Ge was silent for a moment, then replied in a very stiff tone, "Yes."

Zhou Mingqi could clearly hear the defiance in his voice, frowning slightly, feeling both helpless and annoyed.

But remembering how stubborn he was, all stiff-necked and bug-eyed like a mule, he figured that even if Cheng Ge knelt here till he died, he wouldn't learn a damn thing. So he said, "Get up first."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Cheng Ge gave a dry, perfunctory thanks, all formality and no feeling.

He braced himself against the wall with one hand and pressed the other on his knee, struggling to stand.

But his legs were already numb, and he nearly stumbled and fell, barely managing to steady himself with a solid stance.

"Then I'll take my leave," Cheng Ge said, forcing himself to move. But as soon as he took a step, his legs started aching uncontrollably.

"Going out like this? You think the Five City Military Command doesn't have enough to do?"

The Five City Military Command, under the Ministry of War, was mainly responsible for public security, firefighting, and keeping the city looking decent.

Usually, there were no major incidents; they just caught thieves and... uh... perverts.

Hearing this, Cheng Ge stopped mid-step and looked down at himself.

He had been too busy cursing the Dog Emperor's wife for cheating on him to notice earlier, but now he realized.

Great Zhou law stipulated that anyone in the capital dressed improperly would be considered a pervert, with penalties ranging from a warning to a flogging.

Cheng Ge's ass clenched instantly. Damn! He had almost gone out for a stroll in just his underwear.

"Where are my clothes?" He remembered wearing a sharp, handsome outfit when he came in the morning.

He had only worn that outfit for a day—it was one he had haggled with the landlady over for ages before spending a fortune to buy. And now someone had stripped it off him?

Fu Quan hurried forward, still smiling. "Master Cheng, no need to worry. Your clothes got stained with ink today, so this servant had them sent for washing."

After speaking, he glanced toward Zhou Mingqi and continued, "This servant has prepared new clothes for you. Would you like to bathe first?"

Even though Cheng Ge didn't want to stay with the Dog Emperor any longer, he knew he couldn't go out like this.

With no other option, he glanced at Zhou Mingqi and, seeing no objection, reluctantly replied, "Then I'll trouble you, Eunuch."

Fu Quan led Cheng Ge to the bathing chamber in the side hall, summoning several palace attendants to serve him.

Cheng Ge looked at the flower petals in the bathtub, then turned to the beaming Fu Quan, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

"Eunuch... isn't this... a mistake?" Was this really appropriate?

A grown man taking a flower bath? If they're so capable, why not give him a milk bath? Hilarious...

Fu Quan gestured to the attendants and said to Cheng Ge, "It's correct. This is the palace custom; you'll understand in time."

The attendants understood the signal and quickly ushered Cheng Ge into the bathtub, starting to scrub and wash him thoroughly.

At first, Cheng Ge resisted, but their techniques were really something, massaging him so comfortably that he felt great.

He soon stopped struggling, closing his eyes to enjoy it.

Resting his head on the edge of the tub, his expression totally relaxed, he noticed an attendant lighting incense nearby.

The fragrance was especially cloying, and Cheng Ge found it unpleasant. "Can you take this away? It's making my head dizzy."

The palace attendant smiled. "You might not know this, young master, but this is one of the most beloved scents among the palace ladies. Most people can't even get it if they ask."

Seeing this, Cheng Ge didn't want to argue. He just wanted to finish washing quickly.

After bathing, Cheng Ge was led to a side room where a table of food was laid out.

"It's getting late, Young Master Cheng. Please have some food first."

Cheng Ge looked at the dishes on the table, and his stomach let out an embarrassing growl.

He didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down and began to eat heartily. To his surprise, there was even a plate of grapes on the table—a rare treat.

He had loved grapes in his original world, and now that he could eat them again, he went all out.

The grapes had been specially chilled, so they were cool and refreshing. Yet, strangely, the more he ate, the hotter he got.

...

At the Hai hour, Zhou Mingqi finished going through all the memorials. After bathing, he made his way to the bedchamber.

The candlelight in the hall was dim, with attendants standing on either side, waiting. When Zhou Mingqi walked in, they quickly bowed.

"You may leave now," Zhou Mingqi said with a wave of his hand.

He stepped into the inner chamber and bent slightly to get onto the bed. But just as his hand pressed down on the bedcovers, he suddenly felt a soft, raised lump.