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.

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?”

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.