# Chapter Twenty-Seven
The coachman Li Yuanbao had died from poisoning at the Dali Temple, and no clues could be found on his body. The Chief Justice of the Dali Temple had ordered his parents and all his close associates to be brought in for questioning, but nothing came of it. The case carried such gravity that the Chief Justice found himself constrained at every turn. In the end, he had no choice but to report the meager, insignificant findings upward, hoping the Emperor would pass judgment.
The Emperor's intention, of course, was to bury the matter quietly.
Previously, the Emperor had not ordered the Dali Temple to deliberately conceal the case for two reasons: first, to give an explanation to Bai Ren, or rather to Lingnan; second, the Emperor knew in his heart that Qi Hua was not responsible, and wanted the Dali Temple to clear his name. But now that Li Yuanbao was dead, there was no point in saying more—all they could do was try to suppress the matter.
The Emperor naturally could not say such things outright. He only instructed the Chief Justice that the case involved Lingnan, and this was a particularly sensitive time—neither the court nor the southern frontier could withstand any more turmoil. The Chief Justice understood the hidden meaning as soon as he heard it. The next day, he rendered his verdict: the coachman Li Yuanbao had always been reckless and had a prior record. This time, drunk, he had gone about his deliveries and accidentally collided with Crown Prince Qi Xiao's carriage. Fortunately, the carriage had been empty, so His Highness the Crown Prince had not been disturbed. After being detained at the Dali Temple for one day, Li Yuanbao finally sobering up, he was seized with terror upon learning that he had offended the Crown Prince's dignity. His heart condition suddenly flared up, and he literally scared himself to death.
Qi Xiao closed the document and smiled faintly. "See? This is how the history books you read are written. The victors write the history. In a few decades, when everyone who knows the truth has passed on, the lie becomes the truth."
Bai Ren's heart stirred. He suddenly remembered what Dong Boru had told him about the events right after Emperor Wu's death—there had been loopholes everywhere. He wondered... what had really happened back then?
The matter concerned Qi Xiao's biological parents, and both were already deceased. Bai Ren did not feel it was his place to ask too many questions. He took the document and glanced at it, saying, "The Chief Justice is quite skilled at avoiding the important matters. He doesn't mention a word about it being my carriage originally—only that it was His Highness's carriage, so no one would suspect anything about the Second Prince's previous animosity toward me."
Qi Xiao coldly laughed but did not respond. This was all the Emperor's doing—turn big problems into small ones, small problems into none. By not mentioning Bai Ren, the Emperor prevented anyone with ulterior motives from dragging Lingnan into it. However, the Emperor was not so free to do as he pleased. To placate public opinion, the Emperor charged Qi Hua with the crime of poor household management, stripped him of his court positions, and ordered him to sort out his estate properly after recovering from his injuries. As for Empress Feng, the Emperor表面上 said nothing, but from the day of the incident, he never set foot in Fenghua Palace. When Empress Feng occasionally requested an audience, the Emperor declined, citing pressing state affairs.
Of course, punishment alone was not enough. To appease Bai Ren, the disaster relief grain and supplies being sent to Lingnan were increased by another two hundred thousand shi.
Qi Xiao glanced at Bai Ren. Come to think of it, Cen Chaoge would be departing with the army back to Lingnan tomorrow.
Lately, one thing after another had kept Bai Ren occupied and unable to return to his own residence. But occasionally, in moments alone, Bai Ren would stare blankly into the distance. Qi Xiao coldly thought to himself—he certainly didn't believe Bai Ren was thinking about him.
Admittedly, Bai Ren might also be thinking about his family in the south or the current complex political situation. It wasn't necessarily about Cen Chaoge. But Qi Xiao still couldn't help feeling irritated. There had been several times when he had almost been moved to kill—making Cen Chaoge disappear quietly on his way back to Lingnan would be too easy for Qi Xiao.
But Bai Ren was no fool either. Qi Xiao had thought the incident in Ma'er Alley was handled perfectly, yet Bai Ren had seen through it anyway. Qi Xiao did not want to make Bai Ren unhappy again over such things. However... this Cen Chaoge had first irritated him, then hurt Bai Ren. Qi Xiao smiled faintly to himself—he would teach him a lesson eventually.
"I went to the palace early this morning and didn't even have a proper breakfast. What would you like for lunch?" Qi Xiao walked over and sat beside Bai Ren, taking his hand and wrapping his fingers around Bai Ren's wrist. He sighed softly, "Bai Ren, you've gotten thinner since you first came to the capital..."
By now, they had grown accustomed to such intimate gestures. Bai Ren no longer dodged, only shaking his head. "Perhaps it's because I'm still growing... I've always had trouble putting on weight."
"Nonsense... I wasn't this thin when I was your age. This afternoon, I'll have Jiang Deqing summon Physician Zhang from the Imperial Medical Academy." Qi Xiao smiled when he saw Bai Ren's puzzled look. "Physician Zhang has excellent pulse-reading skills and specializes in tonic medicine. Let him feel your pulse and write you a prescription. We're about to enter winter, which is the perfect time for nourishing the body. A stronger constitution means less illness during the cold months."
Bai Ren's heart warmed at these words. Though he didn't really want to take any medicinal cuisine, he didn't want to reject Qi Xiao's kindness. He nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
"Hehe... you're so polite. The weather is getting colder, yet you're only wearing these thin clothes?" Qi Xiao naturally reached out to touch Bai Ren's arm. "Are you cold?"
Bai Ren was still a bit bewildered. He shook his head. "Your Highness's mansion is warm. I'm not cold."
Qi Xiao couldn't help but laugh. "My mansion gets more Yinshuang charcoal allocation every winter than even the Empress's palace. The servants burn it generously, of course it's warm."
The Emperor had spent years trying to spoil Qi Xiao into becoming an extravagant and decadent person, pouring silver into him without changing his nature. Instead, it had allowed Qi Xiao to genuinely enjoy nearly twenty years of comfort. Qi Xiao smiled faintly. "That Yinshuang charcoal is rationed. Your residence probably doesn't get as much. Don't let the servants stint on it—if you run short, come get some from me. Just don't use charcoal bought outside—it has an odor and irritates the eyes. You can't tolerate it."
In the old days in Lingnan, only the Princess Consort of Lingnan had ever fussed over Bai Ren like this. Bai Ren couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. He nodded repeatedly. Qi Xiao, seeing how obedient he was, felt his heart warm. He gently pulled the young man into his arms and teasingly whispered, "If that's still not enough, just move in with me. When winter comes, we heat the floor and you could walk around this room in a single layer without feeling cold..."
Bai Ren quickly shook his head. Qi Xiao laughed lightly, then lowered his gaze to Bai Ren's clothing. "You're still wearing too little... What's underneath? Is it warm enough..."
While Bai Ren wasn't paying attention, Qi Xiao's hand discreetly slipped inside Bai Ren's clothing. Bai Ren thought Qi Xiao was genuinely checking whether he was wearing too little—until certain sensitive areas were touched. Only then did he snap back to reality. His face flushed bright red. "Your Highness! You—"
"Alright, alright." When Qi Xiao saw Bai Ren getting flustered, he hastily tried to calm him, smiling gently. "I got carried away talking with you. Forgive me for being overcome with affection, Your Highness."
Bai Ren looked indignant. "You did it on purpose..."
"Yes, yes, I did it on purpose." Qi Xiao, ignoring Bai Ren's struggles, pulled him back into his embrace. While soothing him, he laughed, "I told you long ago I'm no good person. Today you've been so obedient—letting me hold you and embrace you without saying no—so of course I had to press my advantage. Besides..."
Qi Xiao laughed softly and whispered in Bai Ren's ear, "I had my hand inside your clothes and Your Highness didn't say anything. I took that as you liking it too..."
"How could I possibly like this!" Bai Ren was furious.
Looking at Bai Ren's flustered state, Qi Xiao's urge to tease grew even stronger. Suddenly, he pushed hard and sent the young man tumbling onto the couch. Qi Xiao half-knelt on the couch, and while Bai Ren hadn't yet recovered, he pressed him down beneath him. Smiling softly, he said, "Don't like it? Then why is your face so red? Bai Ren..."
Qi Xiao lowered his head and kissed Bai Ren on the lips. Softly, he coaxed, "Be good. Let me enjoy myself once... I promise you'll come to like it. If one day I stop touching you, you'll probably be so难受 you'll cry..."
Bai Ren was mortified, yet didn't dare to resist too forcefully. His handsome face burned bright red. Qi Xiao found his expression hilarious. The more flustered he became, the more Qi Xiao deliberately pressed down on him, continuing to make advances. Unexpectedly, Jiang Deqing suddenly entered from outside and, standing behind the screen in the warm pavilion, quietly said, "Your Highness, the Emperor summons you to the palace."
Bai Ren felt as if he'd been granted divine salvation. Stammering, he said, "Your Highness... please go quickly."
Qi Xiao burst out laughing. He lowered his head and kissed Bai Ren on the lips again. Having thoroughly taken his liberties, he smiled and said, "Heaven helped you today. Fine, I'll let you off for now. Stay here properly. When I get back, we'll settle accounts."
Qi Xiao rose nimbly, straightened his clothes, and walked around the screen. The smile instantly vanished from his face. His phoenix eyes half-lowered, he said, "Do you know what it's about?"
Jiang Deqing shook his head. "I don't know. I only heard that no one else was summoned—just Your Highness."
Qi Xiao laughed lightly. "Fine. Let's see what else he wants. Oh, there's one more thing I need to tell you..."
Qi Xiao glanced toward the warm pavilion, then slowly walked out. Turning to the corridor, he quietly instructed Jiang Deqing. Jiang Deqing nodded. "Your Highness, rest assured. This servant will definitely arrange everything properly by tomorrow."