CH 53.1

Just now, he was in a hurry to get out of the water to take Lin Bozhou’s hand and hadn’t wiped his body clean, only wearing a thin inner cloth. The water almost penetrated the cloth at this time, and the thin silk stuck to his shoulders.

Lin Bozhou touched the dampness of his fingertips and frowned. “Finished washing? Dry your body. If not, you’ll get a cold.”

His hand was placed on Meng Huan’s waist, gently embracing him. Meng Huan was originally thinking solemnly but was suddenly caught in his arms.

Leaning close in his arms, Lin Bozhou reached out, got a clean handkerchief, untied Meng Huan’s shirt, and moved methodically to wipe him.

Meng Huan’s fingers clenched his shoulders. “Husband, I have something very important to tell you.”

“Hm?” Lin Bozhou’s end tone was raised slightly, wiping to his waist.

…… Although he felt he was being serious, Meng Huan felt he wasn’t serious enough and couldn’t help but mutter, “Listen to me.”

Lin Bozhou’s hand stopped at his waist, and he wrapped himself in his arms. “I am listening.”

Meng Huan licked his lips, his tone solemn, and tried to make himself appear less like a con man. “Do you know that many people want to kill you?”

“……”

After a moment of silence, Lin Bozhou breathed with a laugh, “I know.”

Meng Huan felt a little stuffy. After all, he did not know how to let Lin Bozhou avoid trouble, only some memories of the original book that he was unsure if it still worked.

“Then you have to be careful, really careful.” He decided to bypass this topic and talk about the current key point, “There is a zhizi in Elder Cui’s residence, named An Chui, who may escape back to his tribe later to lead the troops and invade us. I mean, why don’t we put him in prison now?”

Meng Huan finished speaking and looked at Lin Bozhou with a sincere face.

His expression was full of ‘I’m not lying to you!’

But Lin Bozhou’s hand paused slightly, and his voice turned softer as he asked, “Zhizi?”

Meng Huan nodded. “Zhizi!”

Lin Bozhou originally had a smile on his lips, but the smile faltered.

After Great Zong changed the soil into streams*, the prefecture system was changed. The ethnic regions set up prefectures and counties, and the governors were filled by the Liuguan*. The regions no longer needed to send zhizi to ensure their loyalty, so the zhizi system died long ago.

*Changing the soil into streams: the imperial court abolished chieftains (hereditary officials) in ethnic minority areas and implemented Liuguan.

*Liuguan: local officials dispatched by the imperial court to ethnic minority areas.

–Therefore, Great Zong didn’t have any zhizi.

Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes, his fingertips caressing Meng Huan’s face, not refuting but saying, “Okay, this husband understood. Thank you, Huan Huan, for telling me.”

Meng Huan breathed a sigh of relief, and his expression was cheerful. “Good! Then I can be considered to have helped you!”

Lin Bozhou smiled and responded, then took a handkerchief to dry his hair. “Huan Huan was scared today. Be good; go to bed after bathing.”

Meng Huan was pleased with the role he played.

–He didn’t realize that he had never discussed political affairs and suddenly said these words without any basis. Moreover, he had just seen the death scene in the afternoon and was shocked and suspected of being possessed, so the situation was a little delicate.

Lin Bozhou asked after gently clasping the buttons on his chest. “Huan Huan, are you ready?”

“Mm, go back to sleep.” Meng Huan led him back to the bed chamber. The large hall was dimly lit, with an indescribable sense of coldness in the shadows.

Meng Huan went to bed early while Lin Bozhou had to listen to books and letters. In the past, Meng Huan slept on his own and rarely grabbed Lin Bozhou’s wrist. His hands were small, and Lin Bozhou’s bones were a little broader and harder; his fingers pulled his hands, “Can you accompany me to sleep? I’m scared.”

This was considered very rare. Lin Bozhou adjusted his own work and rest and said, “Okay. This husband will accompany you even if Huan Huan doesn’t ask for it.”

Meng Huan nodded and was finally relieved.

He closed his eyes, and the cracks of the corpse in the heavy rain appeared again before his eyes.

An unspeakable sense of fear came, and Meng Huan felt chills all over his body. He turned his head and gently rubbed himself into Lin Bozhou’s arms.

Lin Bozhou already hugged him tightly, but the young man’s whole body curled into his arms and legs, looking really frightened. A fair, thin wrist stretched out of the loose sleeve and clutched the clothes on Lin Bozhou’s chest.

But Meng Huan’s mind was awake, and he rubbed for a long time. “Husband……”

Lin Bozhou: “Hmm?”

“Can’t sleep.”

Lin Bozhou gently pinched his jaw. “This husband was eager to sleep after being busy with the court. It seems that Huan Huan is not tired enough.”

When he said this, Meng Huan realized something and looked up.

The shadow fell, and his lips were blocked.

Lin Bozhou said, “Then sleep when you are tired.”

The meaning of the words, those who understood would understand. Meng Huan blushed and felt his hand probe over.

……

Breathless from the kiss, the tip of his tongue was flooded with the numbing feeling of losing perception. Meng Huan lay in the quilt with a red face, sweating a little, and sleepiness attacked immediately, saying, “I can sleep now……”

“Mm, sleep.” Lin Bozhou’s voice carried a smile.

Meng Huan patted the quilt and fell into dreamland.

The restless, hot breath floated inside the veil, and a strand of Lin Bozhou’s wet black hair pressed against his face. He pushed it aside with his slender fingers, and there was gloominess in his calm expression.