The medicine was completely applied soon, and a little eunuch came into the room to clean up the mess, and then exited the room after taking care of it.

Jing Ye first scolded Ye Mao, but this time he showed no mercy. He severely deducted Ye Gonggong’s salary for one month, and ordered him not to eat meat for a month’s duration as well.

The deduction of a month’s worth of salary was nothing, but when he heard that he couldn’t eat meat, Ye Gonggong, who felt as if he was struck by a thunderbolt, immediately knelt on the ground, hugged the emperor’s calf, and with snot and tears running down his face, he managed to haggle one month down to ten days before he finally retreated with an aggrieved expression.

Jing Ye watched the door close again, turned his head and smiled at Gu Hong: “Qing has seen a joke.”

The corners of Gu Hong’s lips curled slightly upwards: “Ye Gonggong’s loyalty to his master moves this subject.”

Jing Ye didn’t know what this meant, but he still smiled and went back to the desk to continue approving the memorials.

The rest of the afternoon passed without incident.

When Gu Gongzi came to the imperial study the next day, Jing Ye was no longer alarmed. He waved his hand to let Ye Mao bring refreshments, and went back to handling governmental duties.

The two stayed quietly until nearly evening, when Ye Mao knocked on the door twice: “Your Majesty, Lord Feng asks to see you.”

“Oh?” Jing Ye, who had been bored all afternoon, had a smile on his face when he heard this, “Invite him in quickly.”

“Yes.” Ye Mao answered loudly outside, turned around, and looked at Feng Ling with complicated eyes, “Lord Feng, please go in.”

Feng Ling was frightened by that hesitant and complicated expression of his: “This lower official has only come to hand over the memorial that wasn’t submitted during the morning assembly. There is no problem, is there?”

Ye Mao’s head shook like a rattle: “No, no, no.” I am just afraid that the emperor will have to drink vinegar on such a hot day like today, “Lord, please go in quickly.” (TN: vinegar is slang for jealousy, but it is not clear whether this refers to the MC being jealous or the MC being subjected to a jealous fight between his two MLs)

Feng Ling immediately pushed open the door and entered the study, where he saw His Majesty raise his head and smile at him: “Feng Qing.”

Feng Ling knelt down and bowed: “This official pays respects to Your Majesty.”

“Rise.” Jing Ye shook the memorial that he had just finished in his hand and motioned for him to get up, “You came at a coincidental time, Zhen was just thinking of you.”

Gu Hong’s hand turning the page paused.

“This official....is here to hand over the memorial that has not been submitted.” Feng Ling blushed, “Don’t know what orders does Your Majesty has for this official?”

“Come and help me sort out these memorials.” Jing Ye knocked on the tabletop in front of the mountain pile of memorials in front of him, “Ye Mao cannot help with these, so Zhen must rely on you.”

“Yes.”

Feng Ling was about to step forward, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gu Hong sitting on the side, and couldn’t help being shocked: “Gu Gongzi!”

Gu Hong smiled: “Son of the Feng family, hearing about you cannot compare to seeing you in person.”

“No, no, no....I am humbled.” Feng Ling hurriedly cupped his hands, “Gongzi is famous all over the world, and this lower official dare not take this praise.”

Jing Ye finished approving a memorial in his hand then looked up and smiled when he saw this situation: “Gu Qing, stop teasing him, he is very thin-skinned and can’t stand it.”

Every word spoke of protection, they have actually become so intimate?

Gu Hong thought deeply in his heart, but the smile on his face did not diminish.

Feng Ling stood in front of the desk and organized the memorials for Jing Ye. Because of Gu Hong’s presence, he was not as relaxed as when he was alone. He was also hesitant and stammering when Jing Ye joked with him, making His Majesty the Emperor sigh.

When it was almost dark outside, everything was finally done. Jing Ye stood at the door of the imperial study and said goodbye to Feng Ling.

“Always asking Qing to take care of these sundries for Zhen, you’ve worked hard.”

“Your Majesty’s diligent administration is the blessing of the officials and the common people....” Feng Ling’s words were actually very boring, either the common people this or the common people that, but Jing Ye understood that for a life partner, he had to find such a person.

The emperor smiled and ordered Ye Mao to escort him out of the palace. After seeing the person walking away, he turned around and entered the imperial sedan. Suddenly someone grabbed his hand from behind.

“Your Majesty.”

Fingers interlaced with his own, the hand was slender and the grip firm, with thin calluses on the fingertips that come from practicing calligraphy all year round, but it was still very comfortable to hold.

Jing Ye was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw Gu Hong’s eyes which were full of smiles, and he was very close to him. The cinnabar red beauty mark in between his brows appeared even more captivating the closer one looked.

“Your Majesty, why not go to Yonghua Palace for dinner?”

His Majesty the Emperor was inadvertently bewitched by beauty: “Ah?”

Gu Hong’s thin lips came close to his ear. Seeing the man’s ear turn red in front of his eyes, he couldn’t help laughing softly: “This subject has something to show Your Majesty.”

“This....” Jing Ye held firm for three seconds, then disarmed and surrendered, “Fine, Zhen will go take a look.”

Yonghua Palace was not too far away, so the two walked side by side.

But Feng Ling, who was thought by Jing Ye to have long since returned to his manor, was standing still at the moment, murmuring, “Gu Gongzi....seems to sincerely like His Majesty originally?”

Ye Mao silently covered his face: Playing with people’s hearts or whatever, it was really too cruel.

Yonghua Palace.

The freshly served tea was at hand, and its fragrance escaped with the steam, bewitching the senses.

But Jing Ye didn’t have the heart to taste it at the moment.

Gu Hong was sitting on the couch, occasionally raising his eyes to look at the emperor who was reading the document by the desk, his fine features blurred from the steam rising from the tea.

After Jing Ye read it once, he carefully rolled it up and put it back on the table.

Gu Hong knew what he intended, but smiled slightly: “What does Your Majesty intend?”

Jing Ye breathed a sigh and tapped the side of his eyes: “Gu Qing should have guessed it.”

When Gu Hong heard the words, he smiled and said, “This was what he wrote without sleep three days ago. Ting Qiu was born in a drought-prone place and grew up there since he was a child. When he heard about the severe drought in the southwest, he wished he could do more. If Your Majesty could make it happen, then that will be a great virtue.”

“Zhen knows.” Jing Ye smiled helplessly, “In Zhen’s opinion, not only must this article be sent to the southwest, this person.” He tapped the piece of paper.

“Must also be sent over there.”

Gu Hong raised his eyebrows and finally became surprised: “Your Majesty is serious?”

“Very serious.” Jing Ye stuffed the scroll into his cuff, turned and walked out the hall.

“Your Majesty’s tea.”

“Not drinking anymore.”

“Then dinner....”

“No need.”

The green jade hanging down the man’s robe swayed, and soon he completely disappeared from sight.

“Heh.” Gu Hong smiled, “An impatient one.”

“Teacher.” The little eunuch tugged at Ye Mao’s cuff, “The food should still be kept hot?”

“Still.” Ye Mao waved his hand and looked back at His Majesty the Emperor, who was leaning on the armrest in a daze at his desk in the study, “Honestly, just looking at Gu Gongzi can make one full?”

“Ye Mao.” The emperor inside suddenly came back to his senses and shouted.

Ye Gonggong leaned forward eagerly: “Ai, Your Majesty, please have dinner.”

Jing Ye looked out the window: “What dinner, just look at the time. Let me ask you, does Li Gongzi know how to cook?”

“Li Gongzi?”

“Li Tingqiu.”

“This, how could he know this?” Ye Mao had a feeling, a feeling that something was going to go wrong, “What does Your Majesty asks this for?”

“You won’t understand even if it’s explained, hehe.”

Jing Ye turned his head, a sly and treacherous expression on his face, “Ahahahahaha....”

Ye Gonggong: “....”

After taking a noon nap the next day, Ye Mao had the palace servants wait outside the imperial study as usual, while he entered to serve the emperor himself.

Jing Ye let the other sort out the wrinkles on the corners of his robes for him, and said slowly, “Zhen won’t go to the imperial study today.”

“En?” Ye Mao raised his head in surprise, “Your Majesty is bored? This servant can call someone to place some snacks out in the imperial garden....”

“That’s not necessary.” Jing Ye turned around and walked out, “Zhen is going to Yaoguang Palace.”

Ye Gonggong: “....Yes. Xiao Lizi, get ready!” Your Majesty, could it be that you can no longer bear it?

Then what about the innocent Lord Feng!

Jing Ye took the carriage to Yaoguang Palace. The staff cleaning outside the palace had likely not seen His Majesty the Emperor in so long, so they were frightened into dropping their brooms, while one servant stumbled in to report, and when he reached the door of the palace, he ended up being tripped by the threshold.

Jing Ye: “....”

Soon, the palace servants came out trembling and knelt on the ground: “This servant pays respects to Your Majesty!”

Only Li Gongzi was not seen.

Jing Ye raised his foot and entered the hall. Li Tingqiu sat in front of the desk looking down at a book, ignoring the emperor even as he stood in front of him.

Jing Ye stared at him for a while, and finally pulled out the scroll from his sleeve and put it in front of this man.

“Is this written by qing?”

Li Tingqiu glanced over, couldn’t help twitching his brows, and stood up abruptly to collect the scroll. Jing Ye grabbed his wrist.

“What are you going to do?”

“This subject does not know my place.” Li Gongzi gritted his teeth, “This subject will immediately burn it, Your Majesty does not need to blame others.”

Jing Ye looked at him for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, “You also know that you are guilty?”

Li Tingqiu lowered his head, with a face as beautiful as jade, and holding a trace of forbearance between his brows and in his eyes. The more he was like this, the more people wanted to see him in despair.

“Ting Qiu, Zhen will punish you.” Jing Ye stretched out his hand to lift his chin, “Since ancient times, the harem is not allowed to participate in politics, and the concubines should devote all their energy to the emperor’s everyday needs.”

This person’s slender fingers with distinct knuckles curled up with such force that if he had long nails like that of a woman they would have pierced his palms already.

“....Zhen punishes you to use the imperial kitchen in the palace to cook a table of good dishes for Zhen. Yes?”

“Your Majesty....” As the imperial sedan was carried all the way to the imperial study, Ye Gonggong began to worry about the emperor’s life, “Why make it difficult for Li Gongzi in such a way?”

Jing Ye yawned: “En? Is this making it difficult for him?”

Of course, something like eating dinner made by Li Gongzi! Your Majesty, you might as well call all the Gongzis (and little Lord Feng) together to eat it and die together!

The kitchen is dangerous, so be careful when teasing.

“Don’t worry, the emperor is not anxious, so what are you anxious for?” Jing Ye rubbed his face, “Zhen knows what Zhen is doing, alright?”

It was nightfall, Jing Ye had approved memorials for seven to eight hours, and psyched himself up to return to Ping An Palace to eat dinner made by Li Tingqiu himself.

Only to realize that he was still too naive.

In front of the table, Ye Gonggong glanced at His Majesty the Emperor who had no expression on his face, and after a short pause, he still opened his mouth and spoke with trembling hands:

“This dish....is called hundreds of splendid flowers greeting the colorful phoenix, which means the flying dragon and phoenix are auspicious, and the world is ptosperous and peaceful.”

Jing Ye looked down, just wonderful, a pile of of elliptical, rectangular, triangular, and square gelatinous objects all competed for beauty on the dish. He wanted to ask Li Tingqiu if he dared to tell which was the dragon and which was the phoenix!

Did he dare!

Ye Mao felt that he would not be able to report the names of the dishes anymore: “Your Majesty, are you really eating it?”

“Of course.” Jing Ye gripped the tablecloth, took a deep breath and smiled, “If he dares to make it, Zhen also dares to eat it.”

Ye Gonggong felt that his heart was about to tremble into pieces: “Your Majesty, wait a moment! This servant will go and invite the chef to come!” He rushed out, not caring even as he stumbled and tripped.

Jing Ye snorted and didn’t stop him. He picked up his chopsticks and chose a piece of pasty looking lump and put it in his mouth.

Chew, chew, swallow.

That night, the Ping An Palace urgently summoned the imperial physicians of the entire imperial medical college to enter the palace, apparently the emperor was critically ill.