"Jiang Ye!" Si Ning shouted. He knew it doesn't make sense for a high-ranking General like him not to be vigilant when sleeping that he doesn't even know the person that came into his room. At least he should be vigilant enough to hear the slightest sound but Si Ning decided to blame it on the sleeping pill.
"General Lieutenant Jiang went..." Xiao Pei stopped when the doors opened to reveal Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye dressed in dark blue robes, his hair neatly done into a simple ponytail with a dark hair band without a strand out of place and no shiny hair accessories, his dressing gave him a cool look even though his dull cloth seemed expensive and he doesn't look like a guard, he had the look of a wealthy man that doesn't want to flaunt his wealth that came to pay his friend a visit. Si Ning had to stretch his neck so he could check Jiang Ye's shoes before Jiang Ye close the door and he was able to peek at the dark boots and Si Ning could tell it was an expensive one and he only directed his attention to Jiang Ye after he closed the door.
"Jiang Ye." Si Ning was glad Jiang Ye wasn't in armor but he wasn't sure Jiang Ye would fit walking behind him as his guard.
Jiang Ye lowered his head in salute holding a stack of papers. "General, I received this report from Commander Chen An but I told him General is currently resting in, General should I go and call Commander Chen An? he should almost be at the gate." He raised the papers to show Si Ning and glanced at Xiao Pei who was currently laying a new sheet on the bed.
"No need, bring it here." Si Ning beckons to Jiang Ye to come closer because Chen An would probably be gone before Jiang Ye wear his shoes to chase after him. "Jiang Ye, do anybody come in when I was resting?" He props up his elbow on the table to support his chin.
"His Majesty came by yesterday evening and His Majesty...." Jiang Ye stopped abruptly, hesitating as he trailed off, his cheeks suddenly flushed when he realized he just stated the obvious, absentmindedly he lowered the report he was holding as his eyes shifted around to avoid looking straight at Si Ning.
"His Majesty?" Si Ning raised a brow, his gaze on Jiang Ye knowing he could always send him home if his habit was to stop in the middle of a sentence.
Jiang Ye cleared his throat and straightened up placing his finger to lightly scratch his cheeks nervously. "His Majesty left by dawn and the Minister of Works came this morning with the Imperial Doctor, the Minister of Works left earlier but Imperial Doctor left this evening." He said and quickly handed the reports over to Si Ning.
Minister of Works? the Imperial Doctor?
The Minister of Works coming to see him didn't make Si Ning happy, he doesn't know their identity, and the Imperial Doctor personally coming to see him. Does that mean Song Feng accompanied the Imperial Doctor?
Si Ning collected the reports and threw them on the table as he pushed his thoughts aside. "Did His Majesty come into my room?" He had to be sure. To know the intruder who came into his room was his priority.
Jiang Ye frowned, looking lost not knowing where their discussion was going. "Yes General." He replied and directed his gaze at Xiao Pei who pretended he didn't hear anything and rolled and pack the old sheets coming to stand beside him.
Si Ning knew it, even if he was half asleep, he knew what was going on and for him to remember a perverted Emperor climbing into his bed was no illusion. "Jiang Ye you can wait outside."
"Yes General." Jiang Ye saluted.
Si Ning waited till Jiang Ye left the room and closed the door before directing his full attention at Xiao Pei whose hands were full because of the sheets he was holding. "Xiao Pei, why did you say nobody came in last night, or perhaps you left Jiang Ye to guard me?" He was quite curious about why Xiao Pei doesn't know.
Since the day they arrived at the capital, Xiao Pei had been the one guarding his door because Si Ning ordered him to do so. Si Ning wasn't sure if he could fight with a sword and the fear of being attacked made him stationed Xiao Pei at his door even though the Si household had a lot of guards.
If Xiao Pei decided to rest by making Jiang Ye fill in for him then Xiao Pei shouldn't be at fault since he was a human after all and humans get tired but Si Ning doesn't trust Jiang Ye yet and if Xiao Pei left his life in the hands of Jiang Ye then it was careless of him. Now that Si Ning thought about it, whenever he awakens in the morning, Xiao Pei never seemed tired or slow due to lack of sleep and there was also no sign of him lacking sleep, no eye bags or dark circles under his eyes.
"I Xiao Pei the subordinate of General Si Ning dares not leave Lieutenant Jiang guarding you all night." Xiao Pei replied before falling on one knee. "Forgive me General but I thought you and me already knew about the Emperor, I only avoided bringing up a private matter." He said firmly.
"Private matter?" Si Ning raised a brow.
Xiao Pei hesitated. "General I mean you and the Emperor being... being." He stopped talking and quickly lowered his head to prevent Si Ning from looking at his face.
"Being?" Si Ning doesn't know if stopping in the middle of the sentence was the new trend.
"..ehmm.. being... being... lovers." Xiao Pei said one word at a time, his voice muffled before raising his head. "Since the Emperor do drop by in the past so I thought it... Forgive me General for assuming the situation but the situation is beyond me to handle but since I didn't hear a struggle so I thought all is well..." He trailed off.
"I see..."Si Ning nodded. "So the Emperor also came when we were at the camp?" he still remembered the black cloth figure. Now was the time to clear up his misunderstanding.
"Yes General, His Majesty dropped by once before we departed for Zhonghua." Xiao Pei confirmed.
Si Ning's eyes fell on the sheets and he frowned when it dawns on him the reason why Xiao Pei wanted to change the sheets when it was not even his duty, he thought him and Xiu Zhicheng had a vigorous night activity. Si Ning quickly waved his hand for Xiao Pei to leave and watch as Xiao Pei quickly left the room. He took the rough paper Qiu Bai sent him and heaved a sigh knowing Xiu Zhicheng had seen it but the sender's name was not written on it and Xiu Zhicheng didn't take it along to find out means he might have recognized the writing or he wasn't just interested in Si Ning's business.
The whole Emperor sneaking into his room at night was something Si Ning doesn't understand. He should have been bullied because of seeing Xiu Zhicheng but him having a high status must have been the reason he and Xiu Zhicheng was able to have an ambiguous relationship in the past. Xiu Zhicheng coming to his room must be his way to claim his ownership on him and Si Ning does not know what to think about it.
Si Ning rubbed his face wondering if he would finally see the day he had to not worry about a thing. He felt like he was the busiest person in the world as he took the report Jiang Ye brought.