山无棱 shān wú léng comes from ‘By Heaven!’ (上邪) by an unknown poet of the Han Dynasty, and the full verse is: 山无陵，江水为竭，冬雷震震，夏雨雪，天地合，乃敢与君绝。 The poem describes the loyal love of the protagonist.
Even when mountains flatten and riverbeds run dry,
And the earth moves to become one with the sky,
Even when winter has thunder and summer has snow,
Never will my feelings do anything but grow.
When Ye Yang returned from his horse training, he found Feng Luan waiting for him in his palace. Upon seeing his return, it seemed as if there was still a hint of unease, as he nervously clutched the memorial in his hand.
Ye Yang had regained his composure, and he was about to avoid discussing what had happened that morning. However, Feng Luan had already called him, looking somewhat hesitant as he said, “You…… come here.”
Ye Yang, “……”
Observing the regret in Feng Luan’s face, Ye Yang thought that perhaps Feng Luan wanted to apologize. With palace attendants nearby, he believed there wouldn’t be any issues, and if need be, he could simply raise his voice. With a furrowed brow, he approached Feng Luan and inquired, “What’s going on?”
Feng Luan cleared his throat and asked him, “How are you feeling today?”
Ye Yang was utterly confused. “How am I feeling about what?”
Feng Luan inquired, “Your…… Did you hurt yourself while riding today?”
Ye Yang, “……”
Today, he had switched to a more comfortable saddle for his horse, a significant improvement over the previous one. While he still felt a bit uneasy, at least he hadn’t scraped his buttocks and thighs again. However, after the awkward morning encounter, Feng Luan’s question felt rather odd. He could only offer a casual “Hmm” in response and then turned his head away, with the memory of the morning’s embarrassment filling his mind.
After Feng Luan’s question, he fell silent, leaving Ye Yang feeling somewhat awkward. He hesitantly spoke up, “If there’s nothing else……”
Feng Luan replied, “There is something.”
After saying this, he hesitated and refused to continue. Ye Yang felt utterly bewildered, but all he could do was stand by and, almost instinctively, he glanced up to check Feng Luan’s current favorability score.
「Feng Luan’s current favorability score is 71」
Ye Yang, “……”
Wait a minute! Wasn’t it in the fifties last night? How did it suddenly go this high?!
Earlier that morning, he was too flustered to pay much attention, and as a result, he had completely forgotten Feng Luan’s favorability score at the time. He hadn’t anticipated that Feng Luan’s favorability would increase so rapidly. Now, the immediate concern was no longer about currying favor with the emperor to ensure his survival, but rather how to lower this unexpectedly high favorability score.
Ye Yang let out a deep sigh, feeling a headache coming on.
……
Feng Luan was also letting out a deep sigh.
He was very distressed.
According to Shen Shaoheng’s advice, he needed to locate a wall and corner Ye Yang against it. Then, he had to draw upon all his knowledge and recite every love poem he had ever learned in his lifetime to Ye Yang.
He had a wide range of knowledge from his regular reading, and he also had some love poems memorized, so this wasn’t a difficult task for him. The most challenging part at the moment was something else.
Ye Yang’s return caught him off guard, and there was no wall around to be found anywhere!
Feng Luan thought that if he deliberately made Ye Yang walk towards the wall, it might expose his next actions. If Ye Yang was still upset with him, he might flee in embarrassment ahead of time, causing all of his plans to fall apart. Feng Luan couldn’t let Ye Yang have any suspicions, so he had to make use of everything around him at that moment.
What did he have around him?
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.
C rajmx bo wfwbgljir, kglalcu ygertfr, lcx, qjqfg, lcxrabcfr, jcv……
Ccv j ajyif.
Mfcu Oejc ecvfgrabbv.
Without a wall, the table itself becomes the wall!
Qjiir bg regojmfr kfgf pera rlwqif qblcar bo reqqbga. Cr ibcu jr Mfcu Oejc ugjrqfv atf wfatbv wfcalbcfv ys Vtfc Vtjbtfcu, fnfc lo tf kjr jkjs ogbw atf kjii, tf mbeiv ralii ogffis jqqis atf frrfcmf bo Vtfc Vtjbtfcu’r wfatbv.
Finally, Feng Luan slowly lifted his gaze, intense and piercing, looking directly at Ye Yang.
Ye Yang became even more flustered.
Watching Feng Luan ponder for a while, then gaze at him with an odd expression, Ye Yang felt increasingly uneasy. He had a vague and ominous premonition.
Ye Yang spoke up, asking, “Your Majesty, are you—”
Before Ye Yang could finish his sentence, Feng Luan had already grabbed his arm, pulling him to the edge of the table. Without waiting for Ye Yang to react, Feng Luan pushed him back slightly, supporting Ye Yang’s waist to prevent him from falling or hitting his head. Placing a hand on the table near Ye Yang’s ear, it startled Ye Yang.
With Feng Luan’s face now close before his eyes, Ye Yang subconsciously placed his hand against Feng Luan’s chest. He couldn’t help but feel the warmth emanating from his palm, coupled with Feng Luan’s slightly faster, audible heartbeat.
This doesn’t seem right.
Ye Yang widened his eyes.
It must be that the favorability score is too high.
No, it needs to decrease!
Feng Luan took a deep breath, trying to calm down his extremely tense emotions. Finally, he spoke in a low voice to Ye Yang, “Even when mountains flatten……”
Ye Yang, “……When……When the hills are all flat……”
Feng Luan continued, “……and riverbeds run dry.”
Ye Yang, “The rivers are all dry……”
Feng Luan, “……”
Ye Yang, “……”
A brief pause ensued.
Ye Yang quivered and with an unsteady voice, continued singing, “Let us accompany each other in this mortal world, live freely and unrestrained, gallop on horseback, and share the splendor of the world~~~”
Feng Luan, “……”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 1, current favorability score is 70」
Ye Yang praised his own quick thinking.
Seeing Feng Luan’s decreased favorability score, Ye Yang desperately wanted to showcase his prowess at singing in a KTV style. He continued singing, “Sing when toasting wine~ Sing out the joy in your heart~~ Full of passion~ Seize the prime of youth~~~”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has decreased by 1, current favorability score is 69」
Feng Luan’s expressionless face relaxed, releasing his grip. Ye Yang fell onto the table with a thud, causing him to grimace in pain, yet he felt quite pleased inside.
Ah, this dog emperor.
As expected, the young master makes a strategic move!
……
Feng Luan refrained from taking the memorial, perplexed by Ye Yang’s sudden burst into song akin to a wailing ghost. Though unable to discern the lyrics, he felt that the atmosphere he intended to create had been utterly ruined. Furthermore, Ye Yangțs mischievous demeanor hardly resembled shyness. It appeared that everything Shen Shaoheng had said was indeed deceitful.
Furious and eager to confront Shen Shaoheng immediately, Feng Luan flung the door open, only to find Shen Shaoheng, Kang Ning, and Wan Juan eavesdropping outside. He pulled the door inward, nearly causing all three to stumble inside. His anger intensified, and without a word, he grabbed Shen Shaoheng by the collar, dragging him several paces into the courtyard while gritting his teeth, “You, come with zhen.”
Kang Ning hurriedly followed to prevent any unforeseen incident. Upon reaching the courtyard, Feng Luan halted his steps, glaring at Shen Shaoheng with an air of fury, demanding, “What is the meaning of this?”
Shen Shaoheng had been eavesdropping outside moments before and had naturally heard the entire sequence of events. Observing Feng Luan’s enraged countenance, he responded cautiously, “Yun…… Yun shijun’s impromptu singing perhaps stemmed from shyness.”
Feng Luan, “……”
Shen Shaoheng continued, “Your Majesty, do not be alarmed. I have another strategy, widely recognized in literature. This plan, once implemented, will assuredly yield immediate and beneficial results in every aspect!”
Feng Luan gritted his teeth, “Pray tell, what kind of literature are you consulting?”
Shen Shaoheng paused for a moment.
“This…… isn’t really of significance, is it?” Shen Shaoheng spoke softly, “Just the kind that common folk often peruse.”
Feng Luan declared, “Should you choose silence, your stipend shall be forfeited for a span of three months.”
Shen Shaoheng reluctantly began, “……Stories of allure in the pavilions, dreams lost in the springtime dust, the search for lost hairpins…………”
Feng Luan, “……”
Feng Luan smiled in response, “You have a penchant for such literature, it seems.”
Shen Shaoheng, apprehensively, responded, “Just ordinary literature, nothing noteworthy……”
“You shall incur a six-month stipend deduction,” Feng Luan declared icily. “Moreover, the excerpts you referred to must be transcribed in their entirety for zhen.”
……
Shen Shaoheng appeared unreliable, Feng Luan thought. Perhaps he needed to seek alternative methods himself.
After much contemplation, he realized it might be more beneficial to seek advice from Ming Yan, the renowned ink connoisseur in the capital, rather than querying Shen Shaoheng, who feigned knowledge he did not possess.
Feng Luan had long heard of the reputation of Ming Yan. Ming Yan had penned numerous widely acclaimed love stories enacted on most of the prominent theater stages in the capital. Even though it was all fictional, Ming Yan was presumed to have a better understanding of such matters compared to Shen Shaoheng
However, Feng Luan felt hesitant about going personally. He couldn’t clarify his own thoughts—recently, he had sought Ye Yang’s help to conceal his reluctance to favor his concubines. Yet now, he found himself involuntarily trying to please Ye Yang. He yearned to converse with Ye Yang, to witness his smiles. This emotional turmoil left him unprepared to expose everything. He stubbornly clung to the last vestiges of his perceived dignity. He instructed Kang Ning to seek Ming Yan and inquire about the next steps he should take.
Kang Ning, more reliable than Shen Shaoheng, swiftly brought back Ming Yan’s response.
Ming Yan believed that regardless of the circumstances, giving gifts was always the most reliable approach.
However, the gift had to precisely align with the recipient’s preferences and not appear abrupt. It was necessary to find a suitable pretext for presenting the gift.
However, Feng Luan was unaware of Ye Yang’s preferences. After much contemplation, he suddenly recalled that next month, after the autumn hunt, winter would arrive. According to the customary practices within the palace, this period was when measurements for winter clothing would be taken for the palace concubines.
People always need clothing when going out, so gifting clothes seemed like a fail-safe option to Feng Luan. Feeling a bit more assured, he promptly expedited the schedule for the palace’s custom winter clothing orders. Simultaneously, he sent Kang Ning to inquire about Ye Yang’s preferred colors and styles for clothing.
Kang Ning, burdened with a significant task, felt immensely nervous.
Having been at the emperor’s side for many years, Kang Ning found it unprecedented to witness the emperor displaying such interest in the affairs of the palace. Not willing to take any chances, he proactively conducted his groundwork, arranging inquiries about the gift preferences of those from the frontier.
Kang Ning was aware.
The Prime Minister’s wife hailed from the frontier, which explained why Yun shijun spoke with a distinct accent from that region. Since Yun shijun often interjected with peculiar phrases in that regional dialect, it suggested his fondness for the customs and people of his mother’s homeland.
Gift-giving demands originality, Kang Ning learned this well. After thorough investigation, he hurried to Ye Yang’s palace. He found Ye Yang returning from a morning jog around the imperial garden, planning to change clothes before horseback riding practice. Kang Ning hastily mentioned the matter of preparing winter clothing. As the palace attendants measured Ye Yang’s body size, Kang Ning stood nearby and casually inquired, “Yun shijun, have you accompanied the Prime Minister’s wife on a trip to the frontier?”
Ye Yang had to respond to this question.
In the novel, it was mentioned that when Yun Yang was young, the Prime Minister’s wife took him and Yun Lin back to their hometown for a family visit. He nodded to Kang Ning and replied, “I have been there once.”
Kang Ning immediately perked up.
“Does Yun shijun like mink fur?” Kang Ning inquired, “I’ve heard that many people from the frontier prefer wearing fur for warmth. Mink fur coats are quite valuable, probably only affordable for wealthy families from the frontier.”
Ye Yang, “……”
He forced a slight smile, not particularly inclined to answer Kang Ning’s question.
In the past, his mother did have a mink coat, but he had never worn it. He had a hunch that this question might have been prompted by Feng Luan asking him. Unable to resist, he rolled his eyes in annoyance and sarcastically remarked, “Lord Kang, don’t you know this? When I followed my mother to the frontier, the wealthy there would casually drape live minks around their necks before going out. It’s an old saying that nothing beats wearing living creatures in terms of elegance.”
Ye Yang asked him again, “Was it His Majesty who sent you to inquire about me?”
Kang Ning hurriedly denied, “No, it wasn’t. Yun shijun, please don’t overthink it.”
“Very well, I don’t wear mink fur. Let’s not fuss over such superficial things, shall we?” Ye Yang said. “If he wants to gift me clothes, a warm, thick coat will do.”
Kang Ning seized upon the main point.
Mink fur coats are expensive.
Yun shijun intends to help save money for His Majesty.
Virtuous and noble in character, truly worthy of the title ‘Yun shijun’!
……
Ye Yang hurried off to ride his horse and couldn’t spare a moment for casual banter with Kang Ning. Ever since his backside stopped hurting, he’d begun to relish the joy of horseback riding. Now, he could guide the horse to prance around the field. He was eagerly anticipating the upcoming autumn hunt, practically wishing tomorrow would arrive sooner for him to saddle up his little horse and take a ride.
Meanwhile, Feng Luan had been absent for several days, and Ye Yang had heard snippets from Ming Yan about potential issues with recurring water problems and some developments related to the Commandery Prince Jinghuai and Wei Shi. It seemed that Feng Luan was quite occupied, often spending nights in the study. Honestly, Ye Yang didn’t mind Feng Luan’s absence much. He filled his days with horseback riding to keep fit and occasionally gathered with Ming Yan and Shen Xiang, who often dropped by, for a casual game of mahjong. Life was peaceful and enjoyable, until two days before the autumn hunt when the palace-made winter clothes arrived. Watching the palace attendants bring in a sizable box, Ye Yang didn’t need them to open it to know its contents.
Could it be anything else?
Feng Luan went out of his way to have Kang Ning ask whether he liked mink fur. And now, it turned out to be winter clothes. Even if he said he didn’t like it, knowing the dog emperor’s usual ways, if it wasn’t a mink fur coat inside that box, he might as well change his last name to match the dog emperor’s.
Ye Yang lounged with his legs crossed, waiting for the palace servants to open the box and reveal the winter clothes that Feng Luan intended to gift him.
As the silver lock clicked open and the lid of the box was lifted, there were no winter clothes in sight. Instead, what peeked out from the box was a furry little head with round, beady eyes that glanced at him and tilted its head to the side.
The furry creature poked its head out and made a chirping sound, “Eeep?”
Ye Yang, “……”
Wait.
What on earth is this?!
A live mink? Feng Luan gifted him a live mink?!!!
Is there something wrong?
Is there something wrong with the dog emperor’s head!?
T/N
hi everyone! here’s the chappie!! the midterms left me with absolutely no will to live but this chapter made me regain it all back!!! be sure to check the novel’s page this weekend for another chappie! thank you all for your patience <3
Ah, dog Emperor works so hard~
Thank You for the new chapter ( ∩ˇωˇ∩)♡ Hope You will find a energy after exams! And wishing You the best marks! ❤
aaah thank u so much!! <33
Lesson of the day: when someone is obviously probing for gift ideas do not answer sarcastically.
If I was Ye Yang, I’d marry that Dog Emperor if he gave me a cute little mink ☺️
Th and for the chapter, and rest well!
+1 I agree that the emperor won this round 😄