MFMH C72

Chapter 72 – I Am Your Betrothed

What did that mean? Su Qingze looked utterly confused.

Zhao Yu let out a quiet sigh. “An Eleven.”

That familiar dark shadow appeared in a flash. An Eleven knelt respectfully before Zhao Yu. “Master.”

Su Qingze’s eyes widened suddenly. In that instant, everything became clear.

An Eleven was his fiancé’s man. His fiancé was A Heng!

With a wave of Zhao Yu’s hand, An Eleven dispersed like smoke and vanished without a trace.

“You—you…” Su Qingze’s face alternated between pale and flushed before finally burning red all over.

Zhao Yu thought he was furious and was about to explain, but the boy only glared at him and stammered: “I—I used to be so fat I looked like a ball. How—how could you possibly…”

The boy’s dark eyes brimmed with disbelief. That stunned look was irresistibly endearing. Zhao Yu could not help but pinch his cheek. “At that time you were soft and fair like a dumpling, smiling at me every day…”

“So adorable to hold, warm and soft…” Zhao Yu’s voice lowered slightly, carrying a trace of laughter. “I just wanted to hide him away in my house, so he would smile only at me.”

“And besides, you weren’t heavy. Even fatter, I could still carry you.”

With a boom, Su Qingze’s face erupted scarlet, even his ears turning red. He hastily slapped Zhao Yu’s hand away and demanded harshly: “Who exactly are you?”

He had been in Yongjing City all these days, asking around, yet found no prince matching his parents’ description—young, powerful, handsome!

What was more, these past days Zhao Yu only invited him out to eat, drink, and wander around the capital. He had never once taken him to his own residence!

When your best friend comes to play, your home is right there, yet you won’t even let them set foot in it—what was going on?

The smile faded from Zhao Yu’s face; his expression grew slightly solemn.

Su Qingze snorted. In their youth this man had always liked keeping a cold face. Now grown, the habit had only worsened. When not smiling, he was icy and intimidating.

“My title back then was Jing’an.” Zhao Yu met his eyes directly as he spoke.

The words struck Su Qingze like lightning, leaving him stupefied.

Jing’an…

Among the nobility, the only one to bear the title “Prince of Jing’an” was the Prince of Jing’an himself. Yet that very Prince had become today’s Emperor!

Su Qingze’s lips trembled. “You Heng… is that your courtesy name?”

Zhao Yu nodded, a touch helpless. “Yes. My courtesy name is You Heng, and my personal name is Zhao Yu.”

Suddenly, Su Qingze grabbed his hand and bit down hard, then angrily flung it away, shouting, “Bastard!” before storming off.

Back then, when they first met, he had taken a snakebite for Zhao Yu, suffering poisoning and fever. Now that he had bitten him once, they were even!

Zhao Yu glanced at the wet bite mark on his hand, frowning slightly. Striding forward, he reached out to seize Su Qingze’s hand, not letting him leave.

“Let go!” Su Qingze turned his back to him, struggling, but could not break free.

The boy’s voice carried a nasal note. Zhao Yu froze, then hurriedly stepped around to face him, trying to see his expression. But Su Qingze kept his head lowered.

“I’m sorry, it was my fault. You… don’t cry.” Zhao Yu coaxed awkwardly. He had never comforted anyone before; no one had ever needed him to. Nor was he the type to speak flowery words with ease.

“You’re the one crying!” Su Qingze snapped, lifting his head. Yet at the thought of Zhao Yu’s identity, frustration welled up inside him, and he clamped his mouth shut again.

The boy’s eyes were rimmed red, his lips pressed stubbornly together, and his clear gaze, brightened by anger, sparkled all the more.

Zhao Yu tightened his grip on that warm, soft hand, his gaze earnest. “Forgive me. I should not have deceived you. Only…”

“When I proposed to your parents, I was still the Prince of Jing’an.”

“At that time, the court situation was tense, the struggle for the throne at its fiercest. I had no leisure to care for you, but feared you might form an attachment elsewhere. So I made an agreement with your parents—”

“If I failed, the betrothal would be void.” Zhao Yu’s voice sank, his brows filled with steely resolve and pride.

“If I won, I would welcome you into the palace.”

Su Qingze’s pupils quivered, shocked speechless.

“Later, I ascended the throne smoothly and changed the reign title to Jianyuan.”

Zhao Yu’s tone grew even, as if relating something irrelevant to himself. Yet Su Qingze had heard from Su Jingheng how perilous the struggle for the throne had been then—blood flowing like rivers, corpses piled like mountains, not an exaggeration.

“After becoming Emperor, clad in splendid robes, feasting on delicacies, attended by servants, enjoying supreme honor—yet the palace walls were lonely, the rules suffocating. I thought you surely would not like being confined here. And at the time you showed me no affection beyond friendship. I would not use imperial command to bind you.” Zhao Yu’s long, narrow black eyes shimmered like dark spring water. “But I was unwilling. Every day I guarded this vast land, handling affairs of the realm, my mind restless, yet each night I slept in this cold palace, with no one to warm my heart…”

“A Heng…” Su Qingze suddenly felt his eyes sting.

The Emperor stood lofty above all, but heights were unbearably cold.

“When I first took the throne, the seat was not yet secure. There was too much to consider. I myself could not act freely—how then could I let you act freely?” Zhao Yu said wryly. Seeing Su Qingze’s anger fade, his own cold face softened. He pinched the boy’s slender fingers gently. “You are so lively. Truly not suited for the confines of the palace. But I could not let you go. So I thought, if you liked me, perhaps you would willingly follow me back. That is why I did not confess the truth.”

Though the other was the Emperor, these words were sincere to the core. Su Qingze could not help but be moved. And yet…

His lips parted, and after some struggle, Su Qingze finally forced out: “But you still should not have hidden your identity, making me suffer daily under moral reproach.”

He had known he was betrothed, yet could not control his attraction to Zhao Yu. His reason warned him over and over not to think further, but when he had finally resolved to cut things off, Zhao Yu had told him: I am your fiancé!

What was worse, Zhao Yu had colluded with his parents to keep him in the dark all this time!

Truly infuriating!

Zhao Yu’s lips curved upward, his mood bright. “It was indeed wrong of me. I owe you an apology.”

“Hmph!” Su Qingze yanked his hand back. This time Zhao Yu did not seize it again, though regret flickered in his eyes. Su Qingze snapped irritably: “For an Emperor to be tugging and pulling like this—what sort of decorum is that?”

“I am your betrothed,” Zhao Yu said warmly, his gaze like spring sunlight.

The way he said it so matter-of-factly left Su Qingze’s heart in turmoil.

He had accepted Zhao Yu’s explanation, but… Previously they had interacted as friends, natural and easy. Now that the window paper was pierced, friends had become betrothed husbands. The change was too drastic. He could not adapt all at once—especially given Zhao Yu’s complicated status.

Confused and flustered, Su Qingze did not know how to face him. He finally said: “I want to go back now.”

“All right. I’ll walk you.”

Su Qingze shook his head. “No need, I… you should go back too.” Zhao Yu had left the palace without attendants.

Thinking Zhao Yu did not much like staying in the palace either, Su Qingze added: “A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall…”

“No matter.” Zhao Yu naturally walked beside him, as if nothing had changed from before their conversation.

Su Qingze stole a glance at him. The man was tall and striking, his brows and eyes carrying noble majesty. His usually cold face now seemed softened, his lips faintly pressed, and though he did not smile, one could sense his better mood.

Su Qingze’s unease eased, and he walked with him all the way.

Near the gate, Su Qingze hesitated, then said: “If you’re busy, don’t trouble yourself to leave the palace just to accompany… me.” His voice faltered on the last two words.

Among friends, everything had been carefree. Now, however, there was a trace of intimacy, and the boy felt at a loss.

A large hand came down over his head. Beside his ear, Zhao Yu’s deep, mellow voice said: “All right.”

Relieved, Su Qingze looked up at him. “I’m going in now!”

“Go.” Zhao Yu ruffled his hair, his gaze gentle.

Lowering his eyes, Su Qingze turned quickly and entered, footsteps hurried.

As the boy’s figure was about to vanish from sight, Zhao Yu sighed softly. “Don’t overthink. Do whatever makes you happy. In any case, I cannot bear to force you.”

Su Qingze’s heart jolted, his steps halting abruptly. After a moment’s hesitation, he could not help turning back.

Behind him, the man stood with hands clasped behind his back, his gaze deep and cold, exuding natural authority. Yet when their eyes met, in that instant, his severe face warmed, and his gaze softened.

Somehow, Su Qingze’s unease vanished like mist.

“All right.” He smiled at Zhao Yu, his eyes curving like crescents, just as before.

The other was the Emperor, master of the world. If he commanded, how could Su Qingze resist? Yet Zhao Yu had never tried to seize him by force…

In the courtyard, Shen Yanbei, Gu Changfeng, and Zhou Yuming’an were setting up iron grates to prepare a barbecue. Seeing Su Qingze return, they called him over.

“Young Master! Quickly, come!” Ming’an handed him a bamboo skewer. Since Su Qingze had things to ask Zhao Yu, they had not let him come along.

“You’re back? Where did you go?” Shen Yanbei, brushing sauce over chicken wings and passing them to Gu Changfeng, asked casually.

“Just wandered around.” Su Qingze picked the meats and vegetables he liked, stringing them up. Seeing the joy on their faces, he suddenly remembered—the provincial exam results were posted today! He hurriedly asked Shen Yanbei how he had done.

“Not bad. In a few days I’ll enter the palace for the palace examination.”

That meant he had passed! Su Qingze quickly congratulated him: “Congratulations, Brother Shen!”

As long as one entered the palace exam, at worst one could still attain the status of tong jinshi (same graduate). And since the Emperor himself set the questions, if a candidate caught his eye, being directly appointed among the top three was possible!

At this thought, Su Qingze recalled Zhao Yu’s words. His gaze fell on Gu Changfeng, leaving him conflicted.

“What is it?” The boy could never hide anything. His expression clearly said something was on his mind.

“Brother Gu… are you not returning to Qinghe Prefecture? Will you stay in Yongjing from now on?”

Shen Yanbei raised a brow. “Who told you that?”

Su Qingze pouted. “He did.”

Gu Changfeng and Shen Yanbei exchanged a glance. Shen pointed to the sky. “He?” The boy was too rational—since the Emperor had visited today, he must have already asked the truth.

Su Qingze shot him a glare. “So you all knew, and kept it from me!”

Shen Yanbei rubbed his nose with a smile. “Since your fiancé himself hadn’t spoken, how could we expose it?”

Gu Changfeng’s eyes held apology. “I had lost my memory before. After recovering it, I suspected Brother Eleven served the Emperor. But I only confirmed it that night when we met him.”

Ming’an was so shocked that the chicken wing fell from his hands.

Young Master A Heng was actually the Emperor?! Then… didn’t that mean his master would marry the Emperor?

Ming’an jumped up in excitement. “Young… Young Master, you—you…”

Su Qingze ignored him and instead asked Gu Changfeng: “That night we arrived in the capital?”

Gu Changfeng nodded. Su Qingze understood, then remembered something else. Curiously, he asked: “Brother Gu, you are the eldest son of the National Duke’s Estate. Then the Princess Consort of the Jinyang Prince is your sister? Why did she not recognize you at my grandmother’s birthday banquet?”

“How could she not recognize him?” Shen Yanbei sneered. “Did she not send Prince’s guards to identify him? She scared us into borrowing your help as backup.”

Su Qingze blinked, confused. When he finally understood Shen Yanbei’s meaning, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. “When you reported to the authorities that villains were trying to kill you—those men were the Prince’s guards?”

“The Jinyang Princess Consort tried to kill you? But why?” Su Qingze’s mind swirled with questions.

Shen Yanbei recounted briefly, his eyes full of disdain. “That Jinyang couple are nothing good, vermin in the same nest.”

“This…” The three boys were stunned by such baseness. Su Qingze frowned. “But I still don’t understand why the Jinyang Princess Consort wanted to harm Brother Gu.”

Shen Yanbei’s gaze chilled. “We will find out. You need not worry. We had not told you before, but now we do so that you will beware of them in future.” Since Su Qingze was to marry the Emperor, he would inevitably deal with noble families. Better to give him a warning.

As they spoke, sudden commotion arose outside. The servant who had brought them here entered to report: “Young Master Su, at the gate are servants claiming to be from the National Duke’s Estate. They say they have come at the Marchioness’s order to request that the Eldest Young Master return to the estate!”

Footnotes

1. Courtesy Name (字, zì) – A traditional Chinese practice where a man received a courtesy name upon reaching adulthood, used among peers as a mark of respect.

2. Prince of Jing’an (靖安王) – A princely title given to Zhao Yu before he became Emperor. Nobles were often granted honorific titles with territorial names.

3. Reign Title (年号, niánhào) – “Jianyuan” was the new reign title chosen by Zhao Yu upon ascending the throne, symbolizing the beginning of a new era.

4. Jinshi (進士) – The highest degree in the imperial examination system. The palace exam determined final rankings (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, Tanhua as the top three). “Tong jinshi” (同進士出身) was a lower but still prestigious designation.

5. National Duke’s Estate (鎮國公府) – A hereditary noble household with military prestige. “Gu Changfeng” is its eldest son.

6. Jinyang Prince & Princess Consort – Powerful royal figures tied by marriage to the National Duke’s Estate, playing a key role in court intrigue.