Ye Shu's consciousness gradually became chaotic, and Yu Yan's voice seemed to be floating over from a great distance.
"I-I don't know exactly what will happen." This was the first time that Yu Yan had encountered such a situation, and he said anxiously, "The physician who had prescribed it to me said that Kunjun shouldn't use any medications for suppressing faith incense while pregnant, otherwise it may cause the faith incense to go out of control and would harm their health."
"It's not like I could get pregnant, of course I wouldn't ask for such details!"
He picked up the cup of warm tea and set about pouring it wholly into the incense burner, extinguishing the incense in a split second.
But it was already too late.
That room had already been filled with suppressing incense, and Ye Shu had been in it for at least an hour, which was more than enough time for it to take its effect.
Ye Shu felt so hot that he could hardly breathe, and his cheeks flushed with a red tinge.
He slowly sat down at the table, slumped low, as if trying to curl himself up.
Yu Yan trotted towards the windowsill, intending to open it, but Ye Shu stopped him and demanded, "What are you doing?"
"Opening the window to let in fresh air!" Yu Yan appeared more anxious than he was, saying, "We can let the suppressing incense in the room dissipate a bit."
Ye Shu firmly said, "No way."
The faint fragrance of green plum began to diffuse throughout the room. Ye Shu, with a weak yet clear voice, said, "If you open the window, the entire Huitong Building will find out that there's something off about me, how are you planning to explain it? By concealing your identity as a Kunjun's and ruining my reputation? Or by disclosing your identity for my reputation?"
The stately consort became like this in another man's room, even if they really didn't do anything untoward, it was impossible for anyone else to harbour no doubt.
Yu Yan straightened out his thoughts and forced himself to maintain composure, "What should we do now then?"
Before Ye Shu could respond, a man's voice suddenly came forth from outside, "Master, what's going on?"
Martial arts practitioners had a keen sense of hearing. As Mu Yungui was guarding outside, he immediately sensed that there was something unusual inside the room.
The door moved slightly. Mu Yungui was apparently trying to push the door in.
"Don't come in!" Yu Yan looked at Ye Shu who had curled himself up completely on his seat. He took a deep breath and promptly said, "Go and call on the Emperor, say that the noble consort suddenly fainted while meeting me in Huitong Building, and ask him to come over as quickly as possible."
Mu Yungui hesitated for a moment, before he responded, "Yes."
The sound of footsteps outside gradually faded. Yu Yan breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to help Ye Shu.
"What are you doing..."
"Take it easy. I'll help you to bed so you can lie down for a while." The fragrance of Kunjun's faith incense in the room was getting so concentrated that even Yu Yan could hardly breath. He looked away and said in a low voice, "Jin Wang will be here soon, just hold on a little longer."
Ye Shu, "......Okay."
Yu Yan supported Ye Shu, and as soon as the latter touched the bed, he curled up his arms and legs with a forceful jerk.
The indescribable heat that rose from within his body caused his sweat to drip layer upon layer. His entire being soon was as wet as if he had been fished out of water, even his eyelashes were moist.
Ye Shu, with his teeth clenched, rested his head against the soft bed.
He had never been more aware of the fact that his body was different from the pastas he was today.
Even when he had gone through differentiation in the woods, it wasn't nearly as trying as today.
At that moment, he only felt physically uncomfortable and wanted someone to help him. But today, he understood more clearly what he truly wanted.
He wanted......
Jin Wang.
Ye Shu's body shivered slightly, and he finally couldn't help but let out a cry, "Jin Wang......"
At the imperial study.
Having sent off the Great Yan officials, Jin Wang was wrapping up the documents spread out on the tabletop as Gao Jin presented to him a wooden box.
Jin Wang paused, then leaned his head to look over. "All in here?"
"Yes," Gao Jin said. "These are all the confidential letters of collusion that were formerly recovered from Minister Ye's mansion. Your Majesty may check it."
Jin Wang opened the cover and took out one letter after another.
These confidential letters had already been scrutinized by him long before, as without doing so, he wouldn't have ascertained that man as guilty.
But Jin Wang remained very patient, taking his time to take them out one after another.
Within these letters, there was not only communication with foreign enemies, but also plans that hadn't been sent out and set into motion yet. Jin Wang dwelled for sometime on the letters written by Ye Shu himself, whilst Gao Jin waited on the side, not understanding the other party's intention.
These letters had not only been read by His Majesty, but had also been reviewed many times by the Ministry of Justice more than two months ago; what else was thereto read?
Silence reigned in the imperial study until Jin Wang put down the letters. Gao Jin then asked, "What did Your Majesty find?"
"Nothing." Jin Wang leisurely put the letters back and he said, "Every operation of conspiracy on these letters was planned, detailed and thorough, the handwriting has no clues either, and evidence is conclusive."
Gao Jin was at a loss. "Then you are..."
"Gu just wants to understand one thing." He turned his head to look at Gao Jin and asked in a low voice, "If it were you, under what circumstances would you have kept these confidential letters of collusion so well preserved?"
Gao Jin immediately fell to his knees in fear. "This servant is terrified!"
"What are you being so tense about? Get up," Jin Wang said. "You'll be spared, just go ahead and say it."
Gao Jin got up in fear and then thought for a moment. "This servant would be so bold as to say that I also know when handling this kind of matter, one must destroy the evidence. This servant really can't think of why Minister Ye did not do so."
"Yeah, why would he..."
Jin Wang put the last letter back into the wooden box and before closing it softly. "These letters hold almost all evidence of his collusion with the enemies. The comprehensiveness is almost as seamless as heavenly robes. No matter whose hands this evidence falls into, it would be enough evidence to convict him of a capital crime."
"It might have made sense to others, but when Gu was actually living with him, he was still able to communicate secretly with the prince of Great Yan for several years. Now, why would he be so careless when he was conspiring with Western Xia?"
"There's only one explanation."
Jin Wang didn't proceed to elaborate any further as he gazed towards the horizon.
He once thought that people's hearts were fickle. So he wasn't surprised at where that man's gradual transformation over the past three years took them.
But recently he found that Ye Shu hadn't changed at all.
He wasn't a hundred percent sure about it two months ago, but now he could be sure that Ye Shu couldn't possibly want to kill him.
"Back to the palace," Jin Wang got up after a short while. "Gu will ask him personally."
Negotiations with the Great Yan had already been concluded, and the envoy along with the officials would leave the capital in a couple of days.
He will speak to his little consort and get to the bottom of the truth, and then ask him what really went down in those three years.
Jin Wang came out of the imperial study, when at that moment, a servant rushed in. "Your Majesty, someone from Huitong Building came to report that the noble consort has fainted there!"
Time passed bit by bit. It was as if the wait was drawn out extraordinarily long. Ye Shu's consciousness was already groggy, the growing heat within his body almost swallowed up all of his sanity.
Yu Yan was pacing anxiously in the outer chamber.
Suddenly, there was a clamor outside, followed by an announcement from the guards, "His Majesty has arrived!"
Yu Yan's eyes lit up and he trotted towards the door. He was about to open it when, on second thought, he pushed the door that was just about to open back with force, and firmly held it against him.
Jin Wang who was about to push the door. "......"
For the first time, His Majesty was refused entry. He was immediately infuriated and demanded with a cold voice, "Open the door."
Yu Yan's voice came through behind the door. "Asking Your Majesty to please dismiss the attendants and come in alone."
Jin Wang gritted his teeth. "Yu. Yan!"
Yu Yan insisted, "Asking Your Majesty to please dismiss the attendants!"
Jin Wang closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and ordered, "Withdraw."
The attendants who followed behind retreated one after another. Jin Wang said, "There's only Gu outside, open the door quickly. A-Shu's..."
The door opened wide, and the heavy fragrance of green plum, which was so solid that it could hardly be melted, flooded out.
Jin Wang's breathing suddenly lagged.
Yu Yan dragged him in and closed the door again.
The room no longer smelled of the former incense as the heavy fragrance of Kunjun's faith incense had pervaded the entire room.
Jin Wang's breathing was rather heavy. He walked up to the area where the smell was strongest, bypassing the screen of the inner chamber, seeing clearly the situation inside.
Ye Shu was lying on the bed, trembling all over, his arms and legs curled up tightly.
The hair on his temples was drenched wet, his clothes were in complete disarray, and the bare skin of his neck was stained an ambiguous tinge of red.
Jin Wang narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Yu Yan.
Yu Yan promptly said, "I didn't touch him!"
"Gu can tell," Jin Wang, with a gloomy expression, passed him with large strides.
As if awakening to the familiar scent, Ye Shu's body moved impatiently and his moistened eyelashes quivered slightly before he opened his eyes with some difficulty.
But he couldn't see anything clearly at all. In his blurred vision, he only vaguely saw a familiar silhouette approaching him.
Ye Shu instinctively stretched out his hand, and in the next second, he was already in that familiar embrace.
"Mmn—!" The sensitive back of his ear was suddenly touched, and the unbearable tingling mixed with its stimulation made Ye Shu couldn't help but whimper.
After a very long kiss, the Qianjun's faith incense was slowly injected, and the scorching sensation within the other party's body gradually subsided.
Jin Wang brushed away the hair on Ye Shu's temples and planted a soothing kiss at the corner of his reddened eyes. "Feeling better?"
"Jin...Jin Wang......" Ye Shu's consciousness somewhat sobered, and with his low and hoarse voice taking along a sobbing tone, he asked aggrieved, "What took you so long ah......"
Jin Wang replied coldly, "Whoever told you to wander around?"
Jin Wang was still in a state of shock.
Heaven knew how anxious he was upon hearing that Ye Shu fainted. The fetus in his womb was still a minor thing, if something happened to this man...
Jin Wang didn't dare to keep thinking about it.
He looked up at Yu Yan who was standing behind the screen and coldly asked, "How did this happen? The second prince perhaps can explain?"
As a Qianjun, Jin Wang could naturally tell that the man before him was a Kunjun.
Otherwise, with how strong the fragrance of the Kunjun's faith incense was inside the room, had this man been a Qianjun, he would have lost all his reason long ago.
Yu Yan looked at the two men in the inner chamber, hesitated for a moment, before he truthfully spoke about the suppressing incense.
"I really wasn't aware that Ye Shu was pregnant. He didn't inform me beforehand either, or I would never have lit this incense here——"
Yu Yan was still in the middle of explaining while Jin Wang, still listening, took off his robe to wrap Ye Shu in his arms and picked him up horizontally in his arms.
Jin Wang no longer heeded to Yu Yan, striding out of the room carrying the man in his arms.
The door slammed shut in front of his eyes. Yu Yan said in annoyance, "What's with you——"
He frowned as he paused.
He seemed...seemed a little hot too?
Mu Yungui's voice came through from outside, "Master, this subordinate saw His Majesty take the noble consort away. Are you alright?"
Yu Yan, his breathing somewhat unsteady, replied, "A-All is well. You can't come in!"
His fingers trembled slightly as he hurried to the table, raised the already cold tea tohis mouth and took a gulp.
......No way.
Jin Wang carried Ye Shu back to the bedchamber.
In just these few moments, Ye Shu's body became hot again. Jin Wang put him on the bed and was about to get up when the latter immediately wrapped his arms and legs around him.
Ye Shu clung to Jin Wang's sleeve, his voice terribly aggrieved as he spoke, "Don't go......"
"Gu's not going anywhere, don't——" Jin Wang's breathing stagnated and he snapped, "Ye Shu, where are you touching, release your hand!"
"It's unbearable..."
Ye Shu couldn't hear any of what Jin Wang was talking about. Some kind of thirst within his body gradually gained the upper hand. He followed his instinct to lean toward the man beside him, itching to snuggle closer......
Jin Wang tried his best to hold the man down, and almost lost his sanity in the midst of this unrestrained Kunjun's faith incense.
"A-Shu, don't do this......" He soothed, "You are not in good condition. Gu has already summoned the imperial physician, wait for him to come and then......"
"What exactly do we have to wait for?" Ye Shu wasn't able to get what he wanted. Fuming with anger, he roared, "It's because of this pup in my womb, isn't it? First of all, believe it or not, I don't want him!"
Jin Wang was stunned.
Ye Shu, with his tears falling straight down, looked like he had suffered an outrageous injustice. "You're the one who made me like this, yet you're still leaving me alone here...dog emperor..."
It took Jin Wang quite a while to find his own voice. He frantically put his arms around the other. "When...When did you find out..."
Ye Shu was focused on spitting out stuttering curses and didn't respond.
After a while, the imperial physician arrived.
Jin Wang pulled over the quilt and pulled down the gauze canopy, completely covering Ye Shu, then stretched out only his hand for the imperial physician to take the pulse.
Ye Shu couldn't lie still and moved around restlessly.
Imperial physician Feng soon finished diagnosing his pulse and informed Jin Wang about the suppressing incense.
"Young master's condition was indeed caused by the suppressing incense," Imperial physician Feng said. "Kunjuns have within themselves great desire during pregnancy and need their Qianjun to appease and neutralize it. If one were to repress the instinct with medication that inhibits the faith incense, instead of bringing it under control, it will lead to an intensified backlash."
"The young master had previously taken suppressant pills, which had already damaged his health and caused his faith incense to go out of control. And today he accidentally came into contact with suppressing incense, perhaps......"
Imperial physician Feng's voice trailed off. Jin Wang impatiently interrupted him, "What exactly will happen?"
"Kunjuns don't normally go into heat during pregnancy, but now that the faith incense was perversely stimulated and cannot be suppressed, if this continues, it may lead to Kunjun...being pulled into a heat cycle."
Jin Wang lowered his head. The man in his arms was frowning, the sweet fragrance of faith incense was as if it had substance, nestling at Jin Wang's side, expecting the Qianjun's appeasement.
This was indeed similar to the heat period of Kunjun's described in books.
Ye Shu couldn't take suppressant pills. Once his heat began, there would be no way out except intercourse with his Qianjun.
Jin Wang felt as if his sanity had almost been burned out of him. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady, "But he's still nearly three months pregnant, can Gu do it with him at this time?"
Jin Wang didn't mince his words. Imperial Physician Feng coughed lightly and explained, "This subject has just made a diagnosis and given treatment. The fetus in the young master's womb has basically already stabilized therefore you may...may...appropriately engage in intercourse."
Jin Wang's eyes darkened slightly.
However, he wasn't in a hurry and meticulously inquired about the precautions from the imperial physician; from top to bottom, all matters, whether important or trivial. Imperial physician Feng answered them one after another until his countenance turned all red, before he was finally allowed to leave.
The servants had long since withdrawn from the bedchamber, and only Jin Wang and Ye Shu were left in such a big palace.
Jin Wang lifted the quilt open, leaned over, and pressed up to Ye Shu.
"Did you commit to memory the physician said?" Jin Wang gazed at the man in his arms, his voice astoundingly hoarse.
Ye Shu's eyes were filled with water, and he was shuddering all over not knowing whether it was nervousness or anticipation. "I......I didn't..."
"Fool."
Jin Wang let out a sigh as he tenderly peeled off Ye Shu's messy clothes.
"Gu has it down," Jin Wang said. "Gu will show you."