In Zang Xu's cognition, the only intersex people that he knew were his mother and Xia Chun, he inferred that his younger brother's knowledge should also be like his. So when he heard Zang Yue saying that the person in the painting was like Ah-Ma, he didn't think anything was wrong.
He had his own thoughts in his heart and it took him a while to speak, "I- I think he's a bit like brother."
His voice was too small, Zang Yue didn't hear him clearly but neither of them cared because their attention was lost.
He had just viewed an increasingly daringly obscene painting, Zang Xu had a spring dream that night. Of course, he had had similar dreams in the past because of his age, but the dreams weren't as clear as this time.
In the past, he dreamed of Xia Chun and was full of joy, he wanted to do something excessive but was too innocent at that time. Even in his dreams he only dared to kiss his brother and put his brother's small hand on his cheek, he could be satisfied with just this.
Unbelievably, this time, he finally made some bold moves.
The dream was overcast and his elder brother was different from usual. There was a touch of redness on his cold and frosty face and his eyes were moist, staring at him affectionately.
Zang Xu's lower abdomen tightened, his eyes fell on his red lips and he cautiously asked: "Can I kiss you, brother?"
His brother didn't answer, but his pale lips opened slightly as if they were silently inviting.
Zang Xu couldn't stand it, he leaned over and kissed him.
Those soft lips seemed to attract him, making him tremble with excitement, his lower abdomen was hot and sweaty. Unknowingly, his hands had unruly untied his brother's clothes, revealing an exquisite collarbone and a thin chest. His brother's skin was dazzlingly white, and his nipples especially red. Zang Xu rubbed it uncontrollably and licked them. The scene soon changed and his brother took the initiative to undress in front of him.
Layers of clothes fell to the ground, Zang Xu stared at the brother lying in front of him spreading his legs. His Royal Highness was awakened from the dream, even after returning to reality, he was still short of breath from being stimulated by the erotic images.
After panting for a while, he realized that his crotch was a little slimy.
A wet dream.
When he remembered that he had shot merely because his brother opened his legs in a dream, Zang Xu wrapped himself in the quilt because of shame. His face was as flushed as a cooked shrimp, after a long time, he whispered to himself.
"Why am I so bad? I dreamed of my brother... my brother..." But he still remembered every detail of the dream.
Zang Xu didn't sleep well that night. After studying his homework in the morning, he went to have lunch with his mother at noon.
He had a kind temperament, the eunuchs and maids of his mother's palace had a very good impression of him. When they saw him, they all smiled with a little affection, and so he met with many people along the way with him and got a little delayed.
The court culture of the Barbarians wasn't so onerous. When they first came, Zang Xu was a little uncomfortable, he gradually got used to it as years passed.
When he approached his mother's palace, he happened to see the people coming and going in the dining room while holding covered platters emitting various fragances, he stood still and waited until they got closer before asking: "There's so many dishes today, is my Royal mother entertaining guests?"
Although there was no other beauty in the harem, the ministers' family members were allowed to enter the Palace to admire the gardens, etc. Sometimes they would try the habits of the Xia people, occasionally holding flower watching banquets, poetry gatherings and all sorts of things just to get more contact between Emperor and his ministers.
The leading eunuch smiled and said: "Answering Your Royal Highness, the Empress invited the general to come today."
Zang Xu's eyes lit up and he almost jumped up in joy, "Truly?" He hurried to his mother's palace without waiting for an answer and both the little guard and an little eunuch hurriedly followed him.
His Royal Highness's etiquette had never been faulty, only when encountering Xia Chun would he be confused.
He arrived at the gate of the palace and couldn't remember his original goal. He finally changed to a sprint and organized himself only after entering the inner hall where he saw Xia Chun sitting next to his mother.
He had only seen him last night, but Zang Xu felt as if he hadn't seen him for a long time, his heart was agitated and the smile on his face couldn't dissipate.
He walked up to Xia Chun in a few steps, gave him a cheerful smile, and then properly saluted and greeted his Royal mother, he then called Xia Chun, "Brother."
The way he said "brother" was very affectionate, not only did Xia Xi discover it, even the maids standing next to them saw what was going on. They couldn't help but cover their mouths and smile. Zang Xu's smiling face turned even redder but Xia Chun still had no expression, he just stood up and moved to salute him. Zang Xu quickly stopped him, "Brother doesn't have to be so polite, sit down, sit down quick."
He took the opportunity to hold Xia Chun's wrist. Although it was guarded by a few layers of clothing, he was still satisfied.
Xia Xi chuckled softly: "Jin'er should also sit, you've seemed to have been running all over? Your face is soaked in sweat."
He was now over forty years old, but the didn't seem to leave a mark on his face. He looked like he was still thirty years old in appearance, but his temperament had become more regal.
Xia Xi's features were originally feminine, not heroic like Xia Chun's. After being spoiled by Chu Lan over the years, whether it be his skin or complexion, he went through hardly any aging.
Zang Xu quietly glanced at Xia Chun and said, "It doesn't count as a run, I just sprinted a few short distances."
He took the kerchief handed by his mother and wiped his sweat, he was about to speak, when someone came from outside. Along with the servants carrying the food came the little Prince Zang Yue.
Zang Yue came in wrapped in layers. He looked like he went to the training grounds for exercise, the sweat on his face was heavier than Zang Xu's. Xia Xi greeted him and wiped him down, Zang Xu took the opportunity to sit next to Xia Chun, he looked at him happily and said, "Brother came early today. I have to go to see you in the afternoon, shall we go together after eating?"
Xia Chun said: "Fine."
He didn't speak much, but Zang Xu liked to stare at him. The more he looked, the more shy he felt. The dream he had last night suddenly appeared in his mind, causing him to tremble, as if a bug had penetrated into his body.
It moved and crawled, and he felt itchy with phantom itches. His gaze couldn't help but move down, falling on Xia Chun's neck.
The weather was cold but the inside of the hall was warm. Xia Chun obviously came wearing a cloak. After entering the house, he must've taken it off, leaving him with clothes that weren't too thick. To prove that he wouldn't mistreat the Xia, his father made the uniforms in the Palace all Hanfu¹; court clothes were also Hanfu and casual clothes were also Hanfu.
The skirts of the Hanfu overlapped and weren't tight. That way, one could see a flashes of white skin and Xia Chun's collarbone. Zang Xu thought about his dream and thought of pulling the robe open, revealing even more skin, and then... his face became redder and redder and his lower abdomen became a little hot. Fortunately, no one paid attention to him and noticed his strangeness.
With his upright appearance, no one could've guessed that he was thinking of such nasty things. Only Zang Yue understood him, and while he was eating, he looked up at him and winked.
Xia Xi, the host, was very busy, almost constantly distributing vegetables for his three sons to eat. He smiled: "It's rare for us to sit and eat together like this, my King had political affairs in wait and couldn't come."
Zang Yue said: "It's good that father didn't come. Otherwise, according to the rules, we would all have to stand and wait for him to eat before eating. "
The Xia people had many rules, unlike the Barbarians. They were a little irked when they first came but then gradually got used to it. They mostly lived as they wanted, but those officials poked their noses in everything, if they don't comply with the rules, they would make a mistake. Chu Lan wanted to win people's hearts, as long as it wasn't too much he would allow its practice. Therefore, after a few years, they gradually got used to the rules and established bottom lines, but it was still absolutely forbidden for subjects to sit at the table while the monarch was eating, even if just privately.
Zang Yue finished complaining and said: "Ah-Ma you're eating too little, don't just give us food."
Xia Xi blushed and said: "I'm still going to accompany your father to eat."
Zang Yue frowned and said with dissatisfaction: "Ah-Ma should just eat, father can do it by himself. The weather's so cold, why do you have to run around? Can't he come by himself?"
Xia Xi quickly patted lightly his head, "No more nonsense."
He turned to Xia Chun and Zang Xu and said: "The Prince's residence has been established, Jin'er, if you have time you can take Chun'er to have a look. Do tell if you're unsatisfied with anything, there's still room for improvements."
His Royal Highness was about to nod, but Xia Chun said: "No, it's fine for Your Highness to decide."
Zang Xu was slightly aggrieved and whispered: "Brother, its where we'll live together, you must see it first."
Xia Chun said: "I've made up my mind."
He refused too thoroughly, His Royal Highness couldn't think of any other excuses. Xia Xi could only smile and said, "Well, Chun'er always had low requirements for food and lodging, but a house should still be a nest for comfort."\n
After a meal, Xia Xi went to the main hall, Zang Yue also left, leaving only His Royal Highness and Xia Chun. Before leaving, Xia Xi asked Xia Chun to copy Buddhist scriptures for him, so Xia Chun sat at the desk copying the Buddhist scriptures seriously. His Royal Highness stayed behind to polish ink for him while complimenting: "Brother, your handwriting is really good, your characters are somewhat similar to that of NiangNiang."
When he mentioned Xia Xi, Xia Chun would speak, he indeed replied, "My characters were all taught by His Royal Highness."
Everyone in the Palace already called Xia Xi "NiangNiang", but Xia Chun was still used to calling him "His Royal Highness."
Seeing that he was willing to speak, Zang Xu was overjoyed and said, "My NiangNiang taught a lot of people; father, me, and brother. He taught Yue'er, but Yue'er was too stubborn and refused to write honestly every time, till now, his handwriting looks like a dog had crawled all over it, my NiangNiang's very disgusted but he can't do anything about it."
Xia Chun said: "If he doesn't want to do it then he should focus on something else."
Zang Xu said: "Well, he's good at killing and can't sit still. Mother was afraid that he would cause trouble so he kept him in the palace. But he's also fifteen years old, in another year, father would reward him with his own mansion and make him move out of the Palace."
His eyes became dodgy and he said, "We'll also live in a separate house by then, the harem would be deserted, I only worry that NiangNiang would get lonely."
Xia Chun suddenly stopped writing and stared at him, he said, "Is it bad to be alone? The King treats him wholeheartedly, His Highness deserves to be treated wholeheartedly. If he still needs to share with others, then all his efforts would have been wasted."
Zang Xu didn't expect that his reaction would be so big, he was confused and quickly explained: "I- I didn't mean to imply that. I just thought the Palace is too big, I'm afraid that my NiangNiang would be lonely without us."
Xia Chun said: "The harem is very large."
He asked again: "Isn't loneliness inevitable? How many people does His Royal Highness plan to include in the future?"
His tone was very calm but not kind, there was a compelling unspoken meaning inside. Zang Xu had never been treated like this before, a strong grievance suddenly appeared in his heart. This grievance gradually filled him, after a while, his eyes began to get sore and the corners of his eyes became red. He looked at Xia Chun's cold expression, his voice choked up and he said: "My feelings for you, brother, is as true as the heaven and earth. It's the same as my father's and NiangNiang's. How could brother suspect this of me? I've never wanted anyone else, there's only one brother in my heart." The tears in his eyes couldn't be held back anymore and rolled down his cheeks like broken pearls.
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Notes:
1- A fairly new term invented by internet users to refer to the clothes worn in the Han dynasty, here's pics:
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<b>PastTimer: Read this while listening to Billie Eilish's Bored and cry</b>