On the next day, Ye Yang woke up from a nap, lying on his stomach. The pain in his buttocks and thighs had improved quite a bit, but there was still some discomfort when his clothes rubbed against them.
He really didn’t want to get out of bed and walk around. He was certain that he couldn’t go horse riding today. So, he stayed in bed for most of the day. Wan Juan didn’t come to ask him what had happened. However, in her occasional glances at him, there was an indescribable expression of admiration.
Ye Yang found the situation a bit peculiar, but he couldn’t quite grasp the reason behind it. It wasn’t until that afternoon when Kang Ning brought people to measure his dimensions and tailor his hunting outfit for the autumn season that he became certain something was amiss. As Kang Ning gave careful instructions to the attendants outside, he realized that there was definitely something unusual going on.
While Kang Ning was giving orders to those people, Ye Yang was inside the room, so he heard every word and sentence very clearly.
“Yun shijun isn’t feeling well, so be very careful with your actions,” Kang Ning advised. “If you inadvertently cause him more discomfort, His Majesty, the Emperor, will undoubtedly place the blame on you.”
“Eunuch Kang, how could we dare?” one of them said. “Everyone knows that Yun shijun is His Imperial Majesty’s favorite now.”
Kang Ning’s tone grew slightly serious as he said, “His Majesty detests gossipmongers the most. Do not spread any information carelessly that you hear from the Imperial Guards.”
The others quickly acknowledged, and only then did Kang Ning lead them inside. However, Ye Yang heard everything clearly, and he even mentally extracted the key parts of those sentences.
If Yun shijun isn’t feeling well…… condition worsens due to our actions…… the person favored by His Majesty…… word heard from the Imperial Guards……
from the Imperial Guards?!
He suddenly recalled the moment when he had clung to Feng Luan in the jolting carriage. Back then, Shen Shaoheng had discreetly observed their actions from behind the sheer curtain of the carriage. Consequently, he had instructed the Imperial Guards to retreat, undoubtedly with some misconceptions in mind. Now, it appeared that this rumor had already circulated. Furthermore, the unclear words spoken by the imperial physician while administering medicine yesterday strongly suggested that he, too…… had heard about this rumor.
The ointment that Imperial Physician Rong had given him—
Reducing swelling, relieving pain……
Ye Yang’s face suddenly turned bright red, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words. Even the previously comforting coolness on his injured buttocks now felt oddly uncomfortable. Kang Ning had already brought the court tailor before him, and they greeted him with great respect. However, he couldn’t help but sense that everyone’s eyes on him were akin to the way people might look at a favored consort who had brought misfortune to the nation’s imperial harem…… no, he should say, a male consort who had brought misfortune to the nation.
Ye Yang’s scalp tingled, and he was utterly unsure how to proceed. At this juncture, no matter how he tried to clarify things, it felt somewhat off. His heart sank, and it was only after the court tailors had finished measuring him for his clothes that he looked to Kang Ning. Gathering his courage, he pulled Kang Ning aside and asked in a hushed tone, “Eunuch Kang, I heard everything you said earlier.”
Kang Ning had no choice but to explain, “Yun shijun, these are just idle words spoken by people in the palace……”
Ye Yang asked, “How many people already know about it?”
He knew that Feng Luan didn’t appreciate rumors spreading, so if only a few people knew about it, he could swallow his pride and talk to Feng Luan, perhaps putting an end to the rumor at its source. But if most people in the palace were already aware…… he’d have to accept it.
Kangning awkwardly replied, “Well…… everyone?”
Ye Yang, “……”
Kang Ning added, “Yun shijun, please rest assured, this is not a matter of great significance.”
His words carried a hint of strain—he had not encountered such a situation before. The emperor had never shown favoritism towards a concubine, and Yun shijun was the first in the palace to receive such a distinguished honor. His continued elevation in status had piqued everyone’s curiosity. If not for Shen Shaoheng claiming to have witnessed it firsthand, Kang Ning would never have believed the emperor capable of such a bizarre act.
He also thought that it was perfectly normal for a young gentleman from a prominent family like Yun shijun to feel embarrassed. As the Chief Eunuch, he would likely have to deal with such situations frequently in the future, and at times like this, he should offer gentle reassurance.
Kang Ning cleared his throat and said, “Yun shijun, such matters are common in the palace, and you will get accustomed to them in due course.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Bjcu Rlcu, “Tbe rff, fnfc Llr Zjpfras mbcrlvfgr atlr wjaafg bgvlcjgs, rb sbe cffv cba kbggs.”
Tf Tjcu, “……”
Ordinary? Far from it!
Ktlr vbu fwqfgbg mbeiv vb atja? Lf tjv lclaljiis yfilfnfv atlr vbu fwqfgbg kjrc’a qjgalmeijgis rxliifv, tfcmf tlr gfdefra obg jrrlrajcmf lc jnblvlcu atf tjgfw. Dea cbk la jqqfjgfv…… tf kjr cba qjgalmeijgis rxliifv? Lf rffwfv ab tjcvif la delaf kfii, vlvc’a tf? Pa kjr j mbwwbc bmmeggfcmf lc atf qjijmf, jcv wbgf atjc bcf qfgrbc tjv fzqfglfcmfv atlr?
He had previously regarded the dog emperor as innocent and inexperienced, a ruler who made mistakes due to his lack of knowledge. However, it was now evident that he was anything but innocent. This was the behavior of a reckless sovereign.
Kang Ning felt that he had done an excellent job comforting Yun shijun. When he looked at Yun shijun’s expression now, it seemed that the previous embarrassment had vanished, indicating that he was no longer feeling shy. With this matter behind them, Kang Ning needed to quickly discuss the next issue with Yun shijun.
“Yun shijun, how is your recovery coming along?” Kang Ning asked in a hushed tone. “Don’t forget, tomorrow His Majesty plans to leave the palace with you to watch a play.”
Ye Yang, “……”
He almost wished he could tear up the theater tickets on the spot, but Feng Luan’s favorability score wasn’t particularly high at the moment. If he tore up the tickets, he feared that his score would plummet even further.
He could only take a deep breath.
“I’m fine,” Ye Yang gritted his teeth and said, “Since His Majesty wishes to go, then we should attend the stage play.”
……
Ming Yan had chosen the ‘Group of the Three Emperors,’ one of the three major theater troupes in the capital. Its lead actor, Yu Shangsheng, enjoyed immense popularity in the city. Whenever he performed, tickets were in high demand and commanded exorbitant prices. As Ye Yang listened, he couldn’t help but feel that this actor had a certain level of contemporary celebrity status, akin to a top-tier entertainer in their era. Ming Yan had provided him and Feng Luan with one ticket each, and he couldn’t help but wonder how much money had been spent on them.
When it was time to leave the palace, Shen Shaoheng and Kang Ning also joined them, each with two more theater tickets. Ye Yang looked at them and felt a twinge of pain. In the end, he could only marvel at the emperor’s wealth and influence. For others, getting a single ticket was a near-impossible task, yet he had effortlessly obtained several.
This was Ye Yang’s first time leaving the palace since he arrived at the residence. The last time he had gone with Feng Luan to the Imperial Guards’ horse training grounds, there had been a procession of guards and they had sealed off the route. He hadn’t seen anything along the way. This time, leaving the palace, everything felt incredibly fresh to him. He looked around in wonder, finding everything on the street fascinating. Feng Luan found his curiosity amusing and couldn’t help but ask, “Have you rarely gone out before?”
Ye Yang paused briefly and then offered what seemed like the most reasonable excuse, saying, “This servant used to have poor health……”
Feng Luan smiled and said, “Zhen had forgotten about that.”
After walking a few steps, he recalled something and turned to Ye Yang, saying, “Now that we are outside the palace, you can use ‘I’ to refer to yourself. There is no need to be overly formal.”
Ye Yang had initially thought that Feng Luan rarely left the palace. In terms of finding the streets outside equally fascinating, Feng Luan shouldn’t be any less interested than him. However, to his surprise, Feng Luan navigated the streets with ease, as though he went out for walks like this every few days.
Ye Yang, encouraged by Feng Luan’s advice not to be too formal, gathered his courage and took a step forward to walk alongside Feng Luan. While doing so, he asked, “Does His Majesty…… Does the Young Master often leave the palace?”
Feng Luan responded, “Sometimes, for a walk.”
He could tell that Feng Luan wasn’t being entirely honest, but considering Feng Luan’s current feelings towards him, he didn’t expect complete openness. Ye Yang refrained from asking more questions and had even turned his attention to an elderly man on the street who was making sugar figurines. Suddenly, Feng Luan whispered beside him, “You should not address me as Your Majesty, nor should you refer to me as Young Master.”
Ye Yang blinked in surprise.
Of course, Feng Luan was not only the ruler of a nation but also the head of the palace. Calling him ‘Young Master’ seemed somewhat unsophisticated and not entirely fitting.
Ye Yang nodded in understanding and changed his address with sincerity, saying, “I understand, boss.”
Feng Luan, “……”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 5, current favorability score is 12」
Ye Yang was taken aback.
He looked at Feng Luan, who suddenly wore a dark expression, and was met with a cold snort as if Feng Luan no longer wanted to walk side by side with him. Feng Luan intentionally quickened his pace and moved ahead.
Ye Yang was genuinely perplexed about where he had gone wrong. He felt utterly lost and found the Emperor’s somewhat immature and irritating temper hard to fathom. As he grappled with his frustration, both Kang Ning and Shen Shaoheng, who were walking behind, took a step forward. Kang Ning, with an impatient expression, seemed to be dropping hints, while Shen Shaoheng simply raised his hand to shield his face and whispered to Ye Yang, “Yun shijun, at times like this, you should call him ‘Husband’!”
Ye Yang, “……”
What…… So, the dog emperor meant that?
No, as a straight guy who was very straightforward in both body and mind, he couldn’t bring himself to utter such words.
The three of them were quietly conversing at the back, which slowed down their pace. Feng Luan stopped in front and turned to look at them, wearing a stern expression. He said, “Will you continue walking or not?”
Shen Shaoheng glanced at Ye Yang, signaling something with his eyes.
—The outcome hinges on this single action, shijun. Call out quickly!
Ye Yang, “……”
Kang Ning, equally frustrated, looked at Ye Yang as well, vigorously winking in an attempt to convey the message. He couldn’t help but wonder why the usually sharp-witted Yun shijun was being so slow to catch on.
Ye Yang, “……”
No, he simply couldn’t bring himself to say it.
He raised his head and met Feng Luan’s gaze, forcing a smile and struggling to say, “Your Maj…… My Lord! I’m coming!”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 5, current favorability score is 7」
Ye Yang, “……”
Not good!
Apart from that specific term, there must be another way to address him that’s both safe and pleasing to Feng Luan!
He urgently ransacked his memory for any terms he had encountered in novels or movies.
In books, before the female protagonist establishes a romantic relationship with the male lead, what do they typically like to call the male lead?
A nickname? Gege?
No, no, no, that’s too ambiguous.
Big Brother?
Great! That works!
It reflected an intimate relationship between the two, avoided any ambiguous or unclear terms, and added a touch of straightforwardness and cheerfulness. After all, didn’t this dog emperor like straightforwardness?
Ye Yang felt that he had come up with the perfect answer, and now it was time to present his full-score response.
Ye Yang took a step forward, moving back to Feng Luan’s side. He raised his head, flashed a bright smile, showing his pearly whites, and said, “Big Brother Feng!”
Having spoken, he proudly stood tall, waiting for Feng Luan’s expression to soften and his favorability score to become greater.
A moment passed.
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 5, current favorability score is 2」
Ye Yang, “……”
Ye Yang gritted his teeth.
He couldn’t hold back his frustration. What was the deal with this dog emperor? This decreased his favorability score, and that, too, decreased his favorability score. Why couldn’t he just communicate openly about whatever was bothering him?!
“Your Majesty,” Ye Yang lowered his voice, “What exactly do you……”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 5, current favorability score is -3」
Ye Yang, “……”
Ye Yang, “I……”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 5, current favorability score is -8」
Ye Yang, “Husband.”
T/N
I’d like to see what you guys think: will Feng Luan’s favorability score get higher or drop ?? Correct answer will be rewarded with a crown <3
Hmmm, Feng Luan seems to like it when Ye Yang is sweet to him so I’m going to guess that it’ll go up. If it doesn’t go up, well, Ye Yang better hope someone tries to assassinate Feng Luan again cause idk how else he’s going to get those points back.
(♛▽♛)
😂
Wow, Ye Yang finally got the Dog Emperor’s favorability score into the negatives. I feel like congratulating him for making it this far.
Thanks for the chapter!
And of course, the score will have to go up a little after this, otherwise Ye Yang’s screwed.
hehe 👑
Well, now I want to know if Feng Luan is going to call him Wife…?
Wow, Dog emperor is so hard to please~ YY run away! 😂
Thank You for the new chapter (◞ꈍ∇ꈍ)◞⋆*♥
He’s so stubborn 😂😂 just one word will actually rise the favorability score, so don’t fight it hun lmaoo
Don’t be stingy with that one word YY 😂