When Shen Wumian arrived, Chi Zhao was still weakly holding the spittoon, looking very weak, pitiful and helpless.
…..
His brain felt like paste and everything he looked at spun. It spun if he moved and it still spun even if he didn't move. He also had the urge to vomit from time to time. His body also affecting his spirit, Chi Zhao's words to the system were also lifeless, "Am I about to die? Did the poison finally take effect?"
[What a joke. You only drank the poison for a few months. If it could take effect this easily, did the original owner need to drink it for three whole years? Don't worry, you're fine. You'll be better after you rest for a while.]
Chi Zhao was doubtful. Suddenly, he heard noises at the door. He swallowed back the words in his mind and weakly raised his head. When he saw Shen Wumian, he unsteadily placed down the spittoon and made an attempt to sit up.
Like a gust of wind, Shen Wumian reached Chi Zhao's side from the door in a blink of an eye. He pushed Chi Zhao back down in bed without a word and, with one hand supporting his shoulder, he furrowed his brows and took in Chi Zhao's current appearance with a heavy expression.
Chi Zhao's scalp felt numb being stared at like that by him. It gave him a feeling that he was going to be scolded again. He shrank his neck back and didn't dare say anything. Shen Wumian however didn't scold him. He just very scarily turned his head away to look at the shadow guards in the room, "What is going on? How have you been serving him?!"
——–What on earth is going on? How have you been serving the lady? If anything were to happen to Zhen's beloved, Zhen will have you all buried to accompany her!
This classic line from a period drama appeared in Chi Zhao's mind for a brief moment and Chi Zhao's mind was a complete mess.
Chi Zhao for some reason felt that he wasn't acting the role of a slag Emperor and was instead playing the role of a tyrants favoured concubine. He wasn't even the official concubine and just a lover without a status. After all, his life depended on Shen Wumian's mood and love.
.....
Chi Zhao found this scene particularly funny and he smiled a little. His appearance right now however was just too fragile, as if a gust of wind could easily topple him over, so he couldn't express himself very well. He thought he had raised the corners of his lips as his eyes habitually lingered on Shen Wumian's face but when Shen Wumian saw his current appearance, his heart ached severely.
Just the act of reprimanding someone could make him happy to this extent.
All his previous abuse and suppression were indeed successful. The young Emperor who was originally arrogant and noble had now completely lost his identity and recognition from others. He was gradually becoming a real puppet.
Shen Wumian's hand holding Chi Zhao's shoulders tightened subconsciously. Chi Zhao felt some pain and couldn't help moving his shoulders a little. Shen Wumian who noticed this immediately let him go and then hid his hands inside his sleeves. At a place that couldn't be seen by others, his hands clenched and loosened and then loosened and clenched.
Not long afterwards, the imperial doctor arrived. The imperial doctor that came was not the same one who helped treat Shen Wumian. This one was more courageous and not as scared of Shen Wumian as the one from earlier. The imperial doctor calmly took Chi Zhao's pulse and after a while, he opened his eyes, stroked his beard and said a bunch of things while shaking his head.
The rough meaning was that the young Emperor had hit his head and would require taking medicine for a period of time to address it. Vomiting and dizziness was normal, and he would be fine after some rest.
In modern terms, it was a concussion.
Hearing those words, a line of words appeared in Chi Zhao's mind.
——You are ill, in the head, death will await if not treated.
Chi Zhao: "....."
Please read this from kk translates
After hearing the imperial doctor's diagnosis, Chi Zhao showed no reaction. On the other hand, Shen Wumian's expression became even more unsightly. He didn't say anything, nor did he stop the doctor from prescribing medicine and he just sat there silently, exuding coldness in all directions. The imperial doctor was very different from the one last time. He only raised his eyes slightly to glance at the prince regent before lowering his head again to write out the prescription.
Once done, he stood back up and bowed at Chi Zhao, "This official will take his leave."
He then proceeded to leave, the entire time not paying any attention to Shen Wumian.
Except for Shen Wumian, the rest of the guards, the system as well as Chi Zhao all had the same thought in their minds: Amazing. Admirable.
...…
Having ascertained that everything was okay, the shadow guards tacitly didn't ask how the young Emperor hit his head and went out to do the tasks they should be doing, leaving only Chi Zhao and Shen Wumian in the room. Shen Wumian motioned for Chi Zhao to lie down. Chi Zhao very obediently and slowly laid back down under the quilt. As Shen Wumian covered him up with the quilt, his large dark sleeves brushed across Chi Zhao's face, bringing along with it a tiny smell of blood.
Chi Zhao gripped onto the quilt tightly and asked in a small voice, "Imperial Uncle, did you kill someone?"
Shen Wumian's actions paused. He looked at Chi Zhao straight in the eyes, "Yes, this official has killed someone."
Without needing to ask, Chi Zhao knew who he had killed. It was most certainly the people behind the breaking in incident. After a moment of silence, Chi Zhao asked another question, "…..Then can you tell me who they are?"
Hearing this question, Shen Wumian didn't immediately answer. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, "The mastermind was the left prime minister Lord Wei."
This time there were a lot of people involved. Before this, Shen Wumian knew that these people were colluding together, but he didn't know that they were planning on taking away the young Emperor. In his previous life, Lord Wei was in the same group as these people but at that time, Shen Wumian was dedicated to assisting Chen Yi and had never shown any intention to seize power, let alone take over the throne, so he had always been peaceful.
Even when the young Emperor imprisoned him in the end, he heard Lord Wei persuade the young Emperor to continue to use him. It was because in the eyes of Lord Wei, he was a rare loyal official.
He had changed and the court had also changed accordingly. The prime minister who was dedicated to supporting the young Emperor also changed.
Chi Zhao was immersed in his own thoughts and wasn't paying attention to Shen Wumian so he didn't see Shen Wumian's face suddenly becoming pale.
If he could change and Lord Wei could change, why did he still feel that Chen Yi would not change?
From the time he was reborn, this life had been completely different. He had clung stubbornly to the mistakes made by the Chen Yi in his previous life but the Chen Yi in this life clearly had not done anything; he hadn't met Sixteen and he also hadn't done anything to wrong himself. He on the other hand blindly tried to hurt him and even wanted to kill him.
A thought capable of subverting all of Shen Wumian's thoughts suddenly appeared in his mind.
Chen Yi could change. If he induces it a little, the Chen Yi in this life may fall in love with himself and become infatuated with him.
The reason why he treated Shen Wumian like that in the previous life was because the person he loved was Sixteen but what if he really fell in love with Shen Wumian? Then would he treat him like how he treated Sixteen and be willing to devote himself completely to him and love him deeply?
All the anger in the world comes from dissatisfaction. Shen Wumian had never been so clear in the heart before. His dissatisfaction had at some point in time changed. The hate he once had was due to Chen Yi's betrayal and humiliation but now what he hated was that the person Chen Yi met first was not himself.
His dissatisfaction was very simply put: Unwillingness to accept this truth.
He had everything Sixteen had and he also had everything Sixteen didn't have. Why was it that just a single life-saving act could take away all of Chen Yi's attention and heart? If Chen Yi loving Sixteen was because of fate/life, then he was also willing to give up his fate/life to Chen Yi in exchange for his attention and love. (KKnotes: 命 was used to here and it could mean both fate and life)
Such a method may be a bit despicable, but he was that kind of person. Only when Chen Yi loves him will he be able to cast everything aside. Only when Chen Yi belongs to him will he be able to lower his guard and give him a sincere promise lasting for an eternity.
While alive, he would do everything he could to treat him well but if he were to die, he would leave behind countless shackles and methods to ensure that Chen Yi remains alone, until he reaches the end of his life, until he once again reunites with him on the other side of the Naihe bridge.
Please read this from kk translates
This was a tyrant's love. Not everyone could bear with it. Fortunately, he had fallen in love with a real Emperor so he believed that Chen Yi and himself were the same.
Chi Zhao: …..No, I'm not.
....
Chi Zhao ended his deep contemplation and moved his eyes around until his gaze finally fell onto Shen Wumian's face. Suddenly, Chi Zhao's expression became a little strange.
Somehow, Shen Wumian's current expression looked very familiar, as if he had seen it many times before. But where did he see it?
Oh, he remembered now. It was on Li Yihan's face, on Louis's face and on Qi Yuyang's face. Each of them had shown this kind of ambitious and borderline mad expression.
Chi Zhao: "...…" Oh no.
Noticing that Chi Zhao was looking at him, Shen Wumian withdrew from his thoughts. He stretched out a hand and used his cool fingers to cover Chi Zhao's ear. After gently rubbing it a few times, Shen Wumian whispered, "I'm sorry."
Chi Zhao blinked a few times. It took him a while to realise that he was referring to the incident from earlier where he slammed him against the door panel. While Chi Zhao tried to convince himself that it was just his own imagination, he smiled stiffly, "It's okay Imperial Uncle."
Shen Wumian didn't speak anymore but he continued to look at him both deeply and indifferently, as if he had unknowingly managed to sort something out in his mind. What Chi Zhao feared the most was Shen Wumian sorting something out in his mind. He hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively, "Imperial Uncle.....Is Lord Wei still alive?"
In the original plot, Lord Wei was one of the officials who would come find the young Emperor with the intention to rescue him, but the method used in the plot wasn't breaking into the palace and instead he secretly tried to contact the young Emperor. In the original plotline, there was nothing about assassins raiding the palace. Something like this happened probably because of Shen Wumian's tyrannical actions as of late angering the left prime minister.
In any case, Chi Zhao still wanted to bring the plot back onto its tracks.
Staring into Chi Zhao's eyes, Shen Wumian silently nodded.
"Then…..Will you kill him?"
Shen Wumian retracted his hand and tossed the question back, "Does Your Majesty hope that this official kills him?"
Chi Zhao's expression turned even more strange. It was as if he was saying 'Why is it like this?' and also as if he was saying 'You see that. I knew it.'.
Shen Wumian: "...…."
Holding the quilt with both hands, Chi Zhao asked nervously, "What if, what if Zhen doesn't wish for it?"
Although it wasn't the answer he liked, it was the answer he had expected. Shen Wumian smiled slightly and for the first time took up an unconcealed pampering and compliant approach, "Then this official will not kill him."
Upon hearing this, the young Emperor's expression instantly turned into one of despair.
....
As expected of the Emperor's heart. It really was difficult to understand.