Rumors about Luo Wei and Emperor Xingwu created a storm that covered the whole world. No matter how much it angered Emperor Xingwu, words traveled from mouth to mouth, and spread out of the capital to all of Great Zhou.

Luo Wei had been called back to the Luo estate from the Ministry of Revenue by Wei Lan, and since then, he stayed behind closed doors. Such days lasted from summer to winter. This was according to Luo Wei’s desires, but everyone in the prime minister's mansion was filled with righteous indignation. Wei Lan would even leave the house at dawn and come back after dark, looking for the culprit of the rumors every day.

“You don't need to look for them," Luo Wei lay on the bed, and said to Wei Lan who was about to leave for the day, "Neither the Ministry of Justice nor the Shangdu government can catch them, can you find them by running outside alone?"

Wei Lan sat on the edge of the bed. He was determined to catch this bastard, "I have nothing to do in the mansion," Wei Lan would not tell Luo Wei what people outside were saying about him now. He just said: "I go out to look, but I don’t expect to find them."

"How are things outside now?" Luo Wei asked.

"Fortunately," Wei Lan said, "Refugees from the south have settled in the capital."

"Have all the refugees come?”

"Hm," Wei Lan pulled down the quilt that covered Luo Wei, "Not many. I saw officers and soldiers giving them porridge today."

"We can't let people starve to death on the streets of Shangdu." Luo Wei yawned and said lazily, "It's still a while before we eat. I'll sleep for a bit more."

Seeing that Luo Wei was about to close his eyes and go to sleep again, Wei Lan nudged Luo Wei.

"Is there anything else?" Luo Wei asked with his eyes closed.

"Open your eyes," Wei Lan said.

"Let me sleep for a while," Luo Wei said, turning over his back to Wei Lan.

"Are you ready to live like this?" Wei Lan pulled Luo Wei into his arms, "I heard Xiao Xiao say you have slept all day today."

Luo Wei was shaken awake as he went into Wei Lan’s embrace. He opened his eyes, and said, "What else can I do if I don't sleep? I can't go out, and I don't want to read or write. Is it possible that I should still learn martial arts?" 

"Can’t you take a walk in the mansion’s garden?” Wei Lan said. Doctor Wei had come to check Luo Wei's pulse three days ago, and told Wei Lan that Luo Wei couldn't just lie down like this every day, he had to move around, otherwise his body would fall sick again. Imperial Physician Wei’s words were sacred to Wei Lan. This old man had not only saved Luo Wei many times, but also healed his old bone injuries. Now overcast days don’t ache anymore. In Wei Lan's mind, Imperial Physician Wei is Great Zhou's No. 1 miracle doctor.

"It's winter again," Luo Wei ignored Wei Lan's painstaking efforts, and said, "The flowers in the garden are all withered, what can I see? It's too cold outside." 

"Let's go," Wei Lan simply carried Luo Wei up from bed and said: "If you are afraid of the cold, you should put on more clothes. How can you be so inactive and feeble like some elderly person? The wintersweet in the garden is budding, maybe it will bloom today?" 

"It's not yet the time for wintersweet to bloom," Luo Wei lied back on the bed. He didn't want to go to the garden at all, he just wanted to stay in bed.

"Young master," Seeing Luo Wei being lazy like this, Wei Lan pretended to be brazen [1], "Do you want Wei Lan to carry you out?"

Luo Wei laughed a little cheekily, and said, "Then you can hug and carry me. I'm not afraid of others seeing, but I'm afraid you will be embarrassed."

"You..." The more Luo Wei's true nature is exposed in front of Wei Lan, the more helpless Wei Lan feels and the more headaches he has. Who would have thought that the young and mature Luo Wei from the eyes of outsiders, in private, was lazy and doing things that make people laugh and cry?

"What do you want?" Luo Wei smiled at Wei Lan. No matter how you look at it, with that pleased and cheeky expression, Wei Lan was never able to do anything about him.

"I..." What can Wei Lan do with Luo Wei?

"It's okay, I'll lie down for a while," Luo Wei took advantage of Wei Lan's softened grip, and fell back on the bed.

The veins on Wei Lan's head were throbbing. He turned Luo Wei over and stretched out his hand. The slap landed on Luo Wei's buttocks without any explanation.

“You hit me?" Luo Wei was stunned by Wei Lan, and then turned over to avoid Wei Lan's next slap.

“Are you still feeling lazy?" How could Wei Lan get Luo Wei to get out of his bed? He pressed down and slapped Luo Wei a few more times, "Doctor Wei said you can't lie down like this anymore, why are you like this? Why don't you listen? It's for your health!"

"You’re hurting me!" Luo Wei yelled.

When Wei Lan heard that Luo Wei was in pain, he couldn't bear it. He immediately stopped and said, "It really hurts?"

Luo Wei's body was trembling.

Seeing that Luo Wei looked like he was crying, Wei Lan hurriedly sat on the bed and asked Luo Wei: "Does it really hurt so much? I didn’t use any force. Let me see where it hurts." Saying that, Wei Lan wanted to see the place where he'd hit Luo Wei.

Luo Wei slapped Wei Lan's hand aside, but his body was still shaking.

Wei Lan panicked a little at this moment. He remembered, he's a warrior, but Luo Wei is someone who could break at the touch of a finger. Just a few of his slaps may really injure Luo Wei. "Young master?" Wei Lan looked over Luo Wei's body in extreme concern, "It's my fault, I'm presumptuous, where does it hurt? I'll call the doctor, you..." Wei Lan straightened up Luo Wei's body, and he couldn't continue speaking. Luo Wei, who was lying in front of his eyes, was smiling happily, not at all sad.

"You are so brave," Luo Wei looked at Wei Lan, "you dare to hit me? Master Wei, do you really want to be the master of the house?"

Wei Lan was about to get up. He had to go out for a while. If he kept messing around with Luo Wei like this, maybe he really would end up giving this guy a good beating. He is obviously a handsome young man, but inside he is a rascal!

"Are you angry?" Seeing that Wei Lan was about to get up, Luo Wei grabbed Wei Lan's hand and said, "I’m just playing around, why are you taking everything seriously now?" He kissed Wei Lan’s lips, and said with a smirk: "Should we go now to the garden to see the wintersweet flowers you mentioned, or should we go later?"

Luo Wei's breath had the smell of medicine, a bit bitter and a bit sweet, left over from a long time of taking medication. Wei Lan embraced Luo Wei and collapsed on the bed again. He kissed Luo Wei almost greedily.  He liked to breathe the scent of medicine on Luo Wei's body.

Luo Wei smiled softly: "It seems that we will have to wait before going to the garden?"

Wei Lan untied Luo Wei's belt. He bit his chest, and heard Luo Wei gasp in satisfaction.

"What if I can't get up later?" Luo Wei pushed Wei Lan up, and negotiated with him, "You can't call me lazy when the time comes."

Wei Lan didn’t talk nonsense with Luo Wei anymore. He pressed him down possessively, directly blocking Luo Wei's mouth.

Luo Zhiqiu's sedan chair arrived at the gate of the Prime Minister's mansion at this time. The housekeeper lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, and just as Luo Zhiqiu was about to step off, he heard the chief guard next to him say, "Prime Minister, it seems there is another visitor coming from the palace." 

Luo Zhiqiu also heard the rapid sound of horseshoes approaching, so he stopped his movement, sat on the sedan chair and waited.

"Prime Minister," the palace guard rode the fast horse to the gate of the Senior Chancellor's estate. He flew off the saddle, knelt down in front of Luo Zhiqiu and said, "His Majesty wants you to quickly enter the palace." 

"What's the matter?" Luo Zhiqiu saw that it wasn’t an eunuch who delivered the edict, but a knight from the palace. Seeing that this was another urgent matter, he hurriedly asked.

"Answering Prime Minister," said the palace guard, "It seems that Northern Yan has sent an envoy to discuss."

Luo Zhiqiu breathed a sigh of relief. During such times, talking is better than fighting.

Translator Notes:

"Shangdu City" 上都城 = Upper Capital.

[1] "prentended to lower his face" - pretended to not have any shame

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