Your Humble Servant Is Trembling with Fear

[A sweet little story about a husband who loses his memory and falls in love all over again] In the seventh year of the emperor and chancellor's secret marriage, torrential rains struck the south. The river burst its banks, leaving the people in misery. The powerful chancellor, Li Xiu, volunteered to head south and manage the flooding. After three months, he had finally inspected all the villages along the river and repaired a thousand dikes. On the carriage ride back to the capital, Li Xiu looked at the wooden box full of over a hundred letters and felt a headache coming on. Oh no, he'd been so busy managing the floods that he'd forgotten to read his husband's love letters... Li Xiu estimated how far they had to go and read through the letters the emperor had sent by express courier, day and night, writing a reply to each one. At last, he reached the end of the letters. The convoy returned to the capital, and the chancellor looked up, dark circles under his eyes, then promptly fainted. The emperor, who had spent three months alone in an empty room, hadn't even had a chance to get a good look at his husband before he saw him pass out in a guard's arms. He was furious. Fine. He hadn't replied to the letters, hadn't taken care of his health, and now he even dared to let another man carry him right in front of the emperor. Did he have any respect for his sovereign at all? The emperor stepped down from his sedan chair, snatched the chancellor from the guard in front of all the officials, and carried him back to his chambers himself. The whole court was stunned. The next day, the overworked chancellor slowly came to. He saw a field of imperial yellow, and someone stared down at him with a gloomy expression. He shuddered in fright and rolled toward the corner of the bed with the quilt clutched to his chest. "...Who are you?" The emperor: "?" This is outrageous! He hadn't even settled accounts with him, and now his husband didn't want him anymore!? Was he unfaithful after just three months away? What man in the world could be better than him? The emperor glared furiously at his chancellor for a long while, then abruptly flung his sleeves and stormed out. He ordered the hidden guards, "Investigate! Find out everyone the chancellor met on this trip, and every word he said. Don't spare even a male rabbit!" He wanted to see who dared try to steal his man! - Li Xiu has been feeling a little troubled lately. He was an immature college student who transmigrated to ancient times and became a brilliant, powerful chancellor. He had to stay up all night cramming knowledge and working himself to the bone just to keep up appearances. That would have been enough, but the emperor of this country also seemed to have something wrong with his head. At court, the emperor wouldn't stop staring at him. After court, they had to go to the Hall of Diligent Governance to discuss affairs. Just when the day was finally drawing to a close and Li Xiu could go home, the emperor would look at him pitifully like an abandoned puppy. Every time Li Xiu left the palace, he had to pat the emperor on the head twice, all while worrying that sooner or later the emperor would kill him. He was constantly on edge. Then, after the officials once again submitted a petition asking the emperor to select consorts, the ruler flew into a rage. He stepped down from the throne, dismissed every minister and guard, and stood before Li Xiu. His voice was hoarse and wounded. "You want me to select consorts?" Terrified by the emperor's imposing presence, Li Xiu said, "Your Majesty should consider the royal heirs." The emperor was furious. "But you can't give birth!" Li Xiu: "?" The emperor: "You're my husband. If you want an heir, you'll have to give birth yourself!" Li Xiu fell silent for what felt like a century, then shook his head. "I don't believe you." The emperor: "It's true!" Li Xiu: "Where's the proof?" The emperor produced two strands of hair tied with red thread, a wine flask, two cups, three large chests full of carefully preserved letters, and the daily records compiled by the court historian... The emperor listed them all like treasures: "This is the hair we tied together when we got married. This is the flask and the cups we used to drink the nuptial wine on our wedding night. And these are the daily records. Look for yourself. Other than the nights you sent me to the Imperial Academy, when have we ever spent a night apart?" The emperor was filled with resentment and cried out in anguish, "And you still want me to select consorts? You have no heart." Li Xiu: "..." Oh no, it seemed to be true. That really was his handwriting! Blurb archived on 2023/04/29. Theme: Love life, love your husband.