Imperial Weight Chapter 24
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 24
Xingyi had asked for leave to take Little Phoenix elsewhere for a visit and some sightseeing, but in the end, they still couldn't make the trip.
The Young Emperor had approved his leave, but halfway through their journey as Xingyi sat with Little Phoenix in the carriage, they were intercepted by an urgent scout who brought news of new military developments in the southern coastal region. He was to immediately deploy reinforcements and take command of military affairs.
Little Phoenix sat quietly in the carriage, chin resting in his hands, watching his husband calmly and steadily understanding the situation and planning deployments. Unfamiliar people in armor came and went, and the carriage turned around, heading in the opposite direction from their original destination.
Xingyi had said he would take him to Jiangnan. Little Phoenix had actually been to Jiangnan before—catching a distant glimpse from a painted pleasure boat under autumn skies and clouds—and considered that as having been there. Compared to the languid charms of Jiangnan, he would rather go to those foreign lands where the wind wailed and yellow sand stretched endlessly. But these open territories were places Xingyi had already seen, so he changed his mind and said he wanted to go to the passionate and gentle Su and Hang regions. Now that couldn't happen either. When Little Phoenix heard that Xingyi was going to the battlefield, he felt a different kind of hidden anticipation.
Once Xingyi got busy, he had no time to spare for him. Midway through, he even rode off on horseback for a while, leaving Little Phoenix alone in the carriage. The coachman, having received no instructions and not daring to take initiative, tried to persuade him. "Young master, let me call another carriage to take you back. The prince doesn't look like he'll return anytime soon. This is a carriage from Ping Mountain Camp, and it will surely have to rush south in a bit. No one will have time to look after you then."
Little Phoenix's eyes curved with a smile as he squatted peacefully with his back against the carriage, arms wrapped around his knees. "But I want to wait for him."
The coachman said, "Young master, we can't afford to wait. I have to rush to the camp soon, and whether the prince will even ride in this carriage is uncertain. I'm here to deliver the prince's luggage."
Little Phoenix said, "Then just take me along too. I'm also his luggage."
A day and night later, this piece of Xingyi's luggage arrived at its destination. Xingyi had ridden hard and arrived much earlier than them, so when Little Phoenix secretly slipped into Xingyi's tent, Xingyi was completely unprepared.
He frowned. "How did you get here? Didn't I have someone send you back?"
Little Phoenix said, "I came here on my own."
Xingyi scolded. "Nonsense! Do you know what kind of place this is? This is a battlefield, the front lines! The enemy outpost is only ten li away. Bird guns can take lives from twenty feet away, not to mention other firearms and artillery. Is this a place you should be?"
Little Phoenix stood there quietly, listening to him scold at length. In the end, he actually smiled with curved eyes and said softly and gently, "I'm already here. You can't send me away now, so don't be fierce with me."
Xingyi was rendered speechless by his response.
Little Phoenix ignored him and deftly tidied things up: his own belongings and Xingyi's. He arranged Xingyi's things according to Xingyi's habits at home. Then he took out a hard bamboo mat from his bundle, along with a simple bedding set, and placed them in an empty spot in the tent.
He said, "I'll be very good and stay here without disturbing you, okay?"
Xingyi: "......"
Little Phoenix's eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at him. "Is this how you usually scold people? This is the first time I've seen you like this. Don't be angry—anger is so bad for your health."
Xingyi ignored him, so he just went about his own business. This was Xingyi's tent, and if outsiders came to visit and saw another person here, it wouldn't be quite appropriate. So Little Phoenix hid behind the screen all day, lying motionless and playing dead whenever someone came.
His husband was truly angry with him this time, not speaking to him for a whole night and the following morning.
Little Phoenix knew he was in the wrong, so he became even more obedient, doing everything himself without disturbing anyone.
By noon the next day, words were finally exchanged, though it was Little Phoenix who initiated the conversation.
Xingyi had gone out early in the morning. When he returned and bent over the table searching for his military seal and documents, he saw the silhouette behind the screen move, followed by a soft voice. "Weijian."
Xingyi paused.
Little Phoenix peeked out from behind the screen, looking a bit embarrassed. "Weijian, I ate dry rations this morning and wasn't full. Could you help me get another steamed bun? I'll just say this one thing to you—I won't disturb you again today."
He reached out to take Xingyi's hand and pressed it against his belly. "Look, it's flat. The baby in my belly is so hungry, saying daddy won't give him food." He spoke with a solemn expression, as if it were real. When Xingyi felt it, he had stuffed a soft cushion under his belly, making it bulge out.
When the cushion was removed, it was a truly flattened, hungry stomach.
Xingyi had still been angry, but this made him laugh. He reached out and firmly pinched Little Phoenix's soft cheeks, then stood up to go outside and order his adjutant to bring some food, holding back his laughter as he tossed out. "......Serves you right."
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"Emperor, Yue Lao and Phoenix Ming Zun have come, saying they wish to see you."
"I won't see them."
"Emperor, Tanlang and Qisha Xing Lords have also come, saying they'd like to visit you. What do you think?"
"I won't see them."
"Emperor, you haven't held court for many days. The Supreme Elder Lord says he wants to come check on you, and he also said he's the first-generation disciple under Goddess Nuwa and wants to catch up with you. You------"
"What's that old man coming for? When did he become such a gossip? Tell him to get lost."
Xingyi reclined half-sitting on the couch, leisurely flipping through a book that Yue Lao had sent over a few days ago, calmly issuing this order.
He had not held court for seven consecutive days.
The little immortal maid who came to report looked terrified. "Emperor! Even if you don't want to hold court, the threshold of Fuli Palace is about to be trampled through. It's not good for you to keep avoiding people like this!"
When Xingyi had been expelled from Northern Heaven before, it hadn't caused such a commotion. But Xingyi himself was quite enjoying this vacation period. His spirits had improved considerably, and he even had time each day to carefully guide Little Phoenix in learning transformation techniques, then go to the back garden to water those several thousand bamboo plants one by one.
The immortal maid was exhausted from seeing off visitors every day, barely managing to cope. She was at her wit's end. "What exactly are you doing? The matter between you and Phoenix Yuanyuan has spread throughout the Heavenly Court, yet we don't see you making any moves."
Xingyi put down the book in his hand. "Last time you said I couldn't clear my name. I thought about it later and realized you were right. Look at this situation—everyone rushing over wanting to see me make a fool of myself, to observe the rare sight of an old iron tree blooming. Can I change it?"
Before the immortal maid could speak, Xingyi let out a soft sigh, as if somewhat weary. "There is one solution—to crush every single star in the Star Disc one by one. That way those gossips would never have a chance to chatter again."
Immortal maid: "......"
"I won't do that. Since I can't clear my name anyway, I might as well accept it calmly. By my estimate, having no strategy is the best strategy. Within seven days, people's discussion and speculation about this matter will experience a peak and then decline. After a longer while, no one will continue paying attention. Then I'll let Little Phoenix out and find a good immortal maid or attendant to look after him. The rumors will collapse on their own." Xingyi said.
The immortal maid suspected she'd heard wrong. "You're going to find a match for Phoenix Yuanyuan?"
Xingyi raised his eyelids to look at her. "What, is that not allowed? I've already told him about this. He's been throwing a tantrum these past few days."
The immortal maid hesitated. "This..."
Xingyi continued. "Of course, since I'm the one raising this little bird, the companion I find must naturally be the best. Someone like the golden-winged bird is a bit too foolish, not a good match. Someone like the Great Phoenix is too cunning—you can tell at a glance he's up to no good and would definitely bully Little Phoenix. I still need to think about this matter and plan carefully."
Immortal maid: "......"
She bowed. "I've disturbed you. I'll continue seeing off guests at the entrance."
The door closed.
A moment later, a sneaky little fat bird hopped out from behind the door.
Little Phoenix had made considerable progress in learning transformation techniques recently. Eight out of ten times he could successfully transform, but because he exerted all his strength each time, he could only transform once per day.
He liked taking human form, but he knew that right now Xingyi preferred him in bird form, so he'd been a bird for several days.
Little Phoenix had recently resolved to pursue Xingyi, but before he could even start, he heard Xingyi saying he was going to find him a match.
He was still a bit sad about it.
Because of this, he hadn't spoken to Xingyi for two days straight, and when sleeping, he would sulkily slip into his bird nest to sleep. But after two days without having Xingyi pet his feathers, he felt even sadder.
He poked his head in to glance and routinely spy on what Xingyi was doing, then immediately lifted his little claw to prepare to slip away.
"Stop right there." The person on the couch commanded leisurely.
Little Phoenix stood at attention.
Xingyi lowered his hand and beckoned him. "Come here."
Little Phoenix didn't come over. He turned around, pointing his bottom toward Xingyi, then fluttered his wings to fly outside. But before he could take off, a strong wind swept him up into mid-air, and he finally landed steadily in Xingyi's hand.
This fluffy little round ball struggled in his hand for a while, then raised his dark little bean eyes to look at him, filled with grievance and anger.
Xingyi stroked his head with a finger. "How long do you plan to ignore me?"
The room was silent for a moment.
Little Phoenix glared at him for a while, then reluctantly opened his mouth. "Until you apologize to me."
Xingyi asked, "Why? Because you like me, and I want to find someone else for you, so you're angry?"
Little Phoenix nodded.
Xingyi picked him up and squeezed him for a while. "I told you before—I've lived too long, I'm already an old codger of tens of thousands of years. You're a little bird who hasn't even fully grown his feathers, a little child of just a few hundred years. Stop thinking about puppy love all the time."
Little Phoenix protested indignantly. "It's true I'm only three hundred years old now, but who knows, maybe I was an egg longer than you've been alive! If we little birds don't have anyone to incubate our eggs, we might stay as eggs for ten thousand years. That way I'd be about the same age as you. Besides, you're not old—you don't have white hair or a white beard, not old at all."
Xingyi laughed. "That's such unreasonable logic."
Little Phoenix said dejectedly, "I don't care, you need to apologize to me. I only want to be with you. I've never thought about anyone else. You can't push me away like this. You just don't want me. Do you have another little bird?"
Xingyi looked at him silently for a while, as if he didn't quite understand where the source of his sadness lay.
That feeling was very familiar, just like how he didn't understand where Little Phoenix's insistence on dancing for him came from—it was the same.
He shook his head helplessly. "You're really something."
Little Phoenix raised his head. Just as he was about to say something, he felt Xingyi's hand cover the top of his head, very warm. "I apologize, Little Phoenix. I won't say such things again in the future."
Little Phoenix solemnly extended one small claw and placed it in his palm. "I accept your apology, Weijian. I forgive you."
Xingyi rubbed him again, then placed the little bird beside himself and picked up his book again to continue reading.
The conversation broke off. It seemed both of them still had things left unsaid, but both tacitly avoided this point.
Little Phoenix squatted there bored, craning his neck to try to read along with him. He flew to Xingyi's shoulder to spy openly, but unfortunately today Xingyi's hair was loose, the black silk falling down and blocking many of the words.
He felt a bit restless.
He asked in a low voice, "Weijian?"
Xingyi, as if knowing what he wanted to ask, answered equally softly, "If you want to become human, then transform."
Little Phoenix's eyes brightened immediately. He silently recited an incantation and rubbed Xingyi's cheek with his small wing.
Soon, Xingyi felt a young man's weight pressing heavily against his back. Little Phoenix clung to his neck from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder, gaze on the book.
It was a very warm sensation. The fresh fragrance from Xingyi's body mixed with the sweet bamboo leaf scent from Little Phoenix's body—unexpectedly pleasant, permeating their clothes. Little Phoenix glimpsed from the corner of his eye that his own hair was tangled together with Xingyi's hair, and his heart began to pound.
He called out softly again, "Weijian......"
Xingyi didn't respond this time. He turned a page of his book, and only after a long while did he seem to remember something and say, "Oh right, I'll measure your dimensions in a bit. I've already contacted the Weaver Maiden to make you some clothes. Tomorrow is the Qixi Festival when the magpie bridge forms. She's busy with her date and can't come over, so I'll measure you early and send the measurements to her."
Little Phoenix said, "Okay."
He now knew how to conjure clothes for himself when transforming, but he still preferred wearing Xingyi's clothes. Although they were quite oversized, he didn't mind these details.
Little Phoenix leaned back and rolled over to lie beside him, somewhat carelessly tilting his head to stare at the snowy scenery outside the window, spreading his arms for him to measure. "Go ahead and measure, Weijian."
Xingyi saw that he seemed eager to go out and play and wasn't particularly invested in the matter of making clothes, so he also put down his book. With a casual gesture, he conjured a silver measuring cord and bent down to take his measurements. Those clear eyes turned back, their gaze falling on him again, the look in them very soft and tender, showing his completely unguarded affection.
As if possessed by ghosts and spirits, a scene flashed through Xingyi's mind: the same young man, also lying on the bed, opening his arms to him, tilting his head with a smile: "Weijian, come give me a hug."
That scene was so clear and vivid, as if he had actually witnessed it. He froze for that instant, and Little Phoenix noticed.
Little Phoenix looked at him quietly, watching his tightly pressed lips, watching his lowered eyes, and suddenly said, "Weijian, can I kiss you?"
Xingyi came back to his senses and said indifferently. "No."
Little Phoenix started being unreasonable again. "Why not? A kiss won't take off a piece of flesh. You've had no one with you for tens of thousands of years—you definitely haven't tried the feeling of being kissed by someone. You're just too scared."
"Too scared?" Xingyi stopped what he was doing and stared into Little Phoenix's eyes, a hint of surprised amusement in his gaze, then narrowed his eyes slightly.
Little Phoenix felt a bit intimidated under his gaze, but he was a phoenix, so he glared back and raised his voice even louder, as if pumping himself up. "You are too scared, why won't you admit it! You don't even dare accept a little bird's affection. You're a big pig trotter!"
The next moment, he felt his wrists being pressed down, and his whole person was lifted up like a little chick.
Xingyi's eyes were right before him. Little Phoenix's mind went completely blank.
"Wei—"
Xingyi kissed him without hesitation.
