Ch 53: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Fang Tianying, known for his generosity, had reserved a private room on the third floor of the best restaurant in town. From their vantage point, the four of them could look down and take in the entire length of the bustling street below.

The town was lively and festively decorated for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Though the sky wasn’t fully dark yet, various lanterns were already hanging along the street, waiting to be lit when night fell.

“I always knew Brother Qin was well-educated, but I didn’t realize he was also so skilled at poetry,” Fang Tianying praised, repeating the two lines of poetry he had heard from his servant. “Marvelous, truly marvelous.”

Chen Yanan, toying with the vegetables on his plate, scoffed, “Come on, young master Fang, do you even understand poetry?”

“Why wouldn’t I understand? You think this young master is really that ignorant?” Fang Tianying retorted with a playful laugh. “Just eat your food. It’s been a few days, and you’re eating so little—are you on a diet?”

Chen Yanan’s movements paused, and he seemed slightly embarrassed. “W-Why do you care!”

Whether Fang Tianying truly understood that line of poetry was unclear, but Jing Li genuinely didn’t. His level of appreciation for poetry wasn’t that high yet; he had only learned from Fang Tianying on the way that Qin Zhao had composed a line that no scholar in the land had been able to match.

No wonder Qin Zhao was so impressive.

Jing Li, hiding his hand under the table, gently squeezed Qin Zhao’s hand and whispered, “You’re amazing.”

Qin Zhao was in the middle of placing some food on Jing Li’s plate. Seeing the expression on his little fish’s face, his heart felt a bit tender. He turned his hand over to grasp Jing Li’s soft fingers, lightly brushing his thumb over the back of his hand, and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

But before he could speak, Fang Tianying suddenly exclaimed, “It’s more than just amazing—Brother Qin is practically a genius!”

Qin Zhao: “…”

This is exactly why he didn’t like having outsiders around.

Qin Zhao felt a bit helpless but couldn’t say much. He let go of Jing Li’s hand and replied, “You flatter me, young master Fang.”

Recalling the information Fang Tianying had shared earlier, Jing Li asked, “Did that prince who composed the original poem really say that anyone who could complete it would be promoted to the Hanlin Academy?”

“Of course,” Fang Tianying replied. “I heard from my father that Prince Rong made that declaration in front of the Emperor and the entire court. It had to be true.” He sighed, “But it’s a pity Brother Qin wasn’t born in the right time. It’s too late now.”

“Too late?”

Jing Li wanted to ask more, but Chen Yanan interrupted, “What’s too late? It’s more like Brother Qin avoided a disaster. If he had been promoted to the capital back then, would he have survived?”

Fang Tianying made a sound of agreement, “That’s true.”

Sensing something ominous in their words, Jing Li asked, “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t he survive if he had been promoted?”

“You don’t know?” Chen Yanan glanced around, ensuring their private room was well-insulated and quiet, before lowering his voice. “That Prince Rong plotted a rebellion a few years ago and was executed by the Emperor’s decree. He didn’t even have a body left to bury!”

Qin Zhao’s hand paused as he sipped his soup, the spoon clinking lightly against the bowl.

But no one noticed the slight sound.

“I see…” Jing Li felt a vague sense of regret.

Though he didn’t know much about the prince, anyone who dared to make such a bold claim in front of the entire nation, promising official promotion to anyone who could match his verse, must have been a highly talented and audacious person.

But now, he was already dead…

It seemed that Chen Yanan picked up on the regret in Jing Li’s tone and said, “Brother, don’t just look at one side of the story. That Prince Rong did plenty of bad things; it’s no pity that he died. Back then, the Emperor was young, and Prince Rong acted as regent for seven whole years. He was corrupt, accepted bribes, and treated lives as if they were worthless. It’s no wonder that once the Emperor gained power, he quickly moved to eliminate him.”

“…That’s why they say that talent and knowledge have nothing to do with one’s character.”

Jing Li blinked in surprise. “Was he really that bad?”

“You can’t put it that way,” Fang Tianying interrupted. “My father says that during his regency, Prince Rong implemented many policies that benefited the country and the people. If it weren’t for him raising the status of merchants, my family wouldn’t be where it is today.”

Chen Yanan countered, “But the people he killed weren’t imaginary.”

Fang Tianying calmly replied, “But this meal is on me.”

“…”

Chen Yanan immediately backed down. “Alright, young master, you’re right about everything.”

“That’s why it’s a good thing Brother Qin didn’t complete that verse back then,” Chen Yanan added. “I heard that after the Emperor executed Prince Rong, he purged all his supporters in the court. If Brother Qin had joined the prince’s faction, he probably wouldn’t be alive now.”

Qin Zhao remained silent.

After a moment, he asked softly, “When did you say the Emperor ordered Prince Rong’s execution?”

“The Emperor announced it to the world a little over two years ago, back when you were still bedridden,” Chen Yanan replied. “But there are rumors that the Emperor secretly killed Prince Rong several years earlier. It’s just that he only dared to announce it once he had purged all of the prince’s supporters.”

“…It’s hard to imagine how tough things must have been for that young emperor. If the rumors are true, he wasn’t even as old as Fang Tianying and me when he killed Prince Rong.”

Jing Li opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.

He had never heard such royal secrets before. It all seemed so complicated and dangerous, but thankfully, it was all far removed from his life.

There was a moment of silence at the table. Qin Zhao calmly placed some food on Jing Li’s plate and said, “It’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Why are we discussing such things? Let’s enjoy our meal.”

The group didn’t return to the topic.

Chen Yanan and Fang Tianying, who had been schoolmates, resumed their lighthearted banter, making the atmosphere lively and cheerful.

The meal was filled with warmth and laughter, and after it was over, Fang Tianying, still in high spirits, mentioned that there would be a lantern riddle contest at the temple fair and tried to drag Qin Zhao and Jing Li along.

Jing Li, almost too eager to follow, was pulled back by Qin Zhao, who caught him by the collar.

Qin Zhao calmly said, “No need, we’ll go on our own.”

Fang Tianying didn’t catch the meaning behind Qin Zhao’s words, but Chen Yanan did. He gave Qin Zhao a sheepish grin and then pulled Fang Tianying aside. “Come on, come on, our brains aren’t sharp enough for riddles. Let’s go have some osmanthus wine at the tavern instead; it’s a rare opportunity!”

“But why should I go with you—” Fang Tianying began, but before he could finish, Chen Yanan had already dragged him off.

Jing Li watched the two leave in confusion and called after them, “Hey, why are you—”

His voice trailed off as they disappeared from sight.

Qin Zhao raised his hand and gently pinched Jing Li’s earlobe, asking in a low voice, “What’s this? Still want to follow them?”

Jing Li: “…”

Perhaps because he had successfully completed his plan today, Jing Li was in a great mood, feeling a bit too pleased with himself and failing to notice Qin Zhao’s tone.

But even with a slow reaction, he could now sense the underlying danger in Qin Zhao’s words.

Jing Li shook his head timidly and then smiled at Qin Zhao in a flattering manner. “No, I want to stay with you.”

Qin Zhao responded, “Sweet talker.”

“But…” Jing Li glanced back in the direction where Chen Yanan and Fang Tianying had gone and murmured, “I also want to try some osmanthus wine…”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Qin Zhao sighed, “I’ll buy you some later.”

Greedy fish.

Qin Zhao led Jing Li down the lantern-lit street, stopping at a stall selling sweets and pastries to buy some.

Just as he finished paying, he heard some commotion behind him.

Turning around, he saw Jing Li holding a sprig of osmanthus, looking a bit dazed.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, many unmarried young women would also come out to enjoy the festivities. In this era, social customs were relatively open, and if a woman took a liking to someone on the street, she would toss a flower branch to them as a sign of affection.

Jing Li had heard of this custom, but this was the first time he had experienced it.

He looked at the group of young women in front of him, feeling flustered.

“I-I’m not—”

A hand reached out from the side, taking the flower branch and politely returning it. “He’s my husband. You’ve made a mistake.”

Without waiting for the young women’s reaction, Qin Zhao handed the sweets to Jing Li, took his hand, and continued walking without looking back.

Leaving him unattended for just a moment, and he nearly got into trouble again.

Qin Zhao sighed inwardly.

But it wasn’t enough to just send those young women away. The street was crowded that night, and as they walked, more and more eyes were on the two of them.

Qin Zhao finally had enough and bought a small koi mask from a street vendor, covering most of Jing Li’s face with it.

The koi painted on the mask wasn’t even a fraction as cute as Jing Li’s original form, but it was better than nothing.

Qin Zhao said, “Keep it on. Don’t take it off.”

Jing Li was so exasperated he couldn’t find the words to respond.

Clearly, more people had been looking at Qin Zhao than at him. Why was this man getting jealous?

Recently, Qin Zhao’s complexion had improved significantly, and with the sickly look gone, his face appeared even more strikingly handsome. Walking down the street, he had attracted countless gazes.

Jing Li refused to back down. He immediately picked out a fox mask from the stall and put it on Qin Zhao’s face.

The mask was large, covering all but Qin Zhao’s well-defined jawline and thin lips.

Jing Li nodded in satisfaction. “You look good like this.”

Qin Zhao, however, felt a bit helpless. “But why do I have to wear a fox?”

“Because a fox suits you best.”

Jing Li, happily munching on a bag of candy, suddenly noticed something in the distance and his eyes lit up. “Is that the place for guessing lantern riddles? Let’s go!”

At the end of the street stood a tall osmanthus tree, beneath which hung a dozen or so lanterns. Each lantern had several red paper strips attached, with riddles written on them.

If someone wanted to guess a riddle, they would take down a paper strip and write their answer on the blank space provided.

Each riddle was unique and had a corresponding answer, so there was no chance of duplication or cheating.

A crowd of scholars had already gathered under the osmanthus tree, and Qin Zhao even recognized a few familiar faces from the poetry gathering earlier that day.

A vendor sitting in front of the tree loudly called out, “Three copper coins to enter and guess the lantern riddles! Guess three correctly and win a red wishing ribbon. Guess five correctly and win a lantern. Guess ten correctly and get your money back, plus a bottle of osmanthus wine!”

Jing Li’s eyes widened in excitement.

Qin Zhao asked, “Didn’t you just say you wanted some osmanthus wine?”

Jing Li nodded eagerly.

Qin Zhao squeezed his hand and whispered, “Three copper coins, madam.”

Jing Li quickly took out the coins from his pocket, and Qin Zhao took them, stepping forward to place them on the vendor’s stall.

The vendor cheerfully accepted the payment and handed him a brush. “Go ahead, young master, write your answers on the paper strips. But keep in mind, we only have one bottle of osmanthus wine. If someone else guesses ten riddles correctly before you, the prize will be gone, and you’ll only receive two lanterns instead.”

To win the grand prize, one needed not only to solve the riddles but also to do so quickly.

However, despite his warning, the vendor rarely encountered anyone who could guess all ten riddles in one go, so the bottle of osmanthus wine often remained unclaimed.

Qin Zhao nodded in acknowledgment and, without moving further in, directly took down all the paper strips from the nearest lantern.

The vendor’s smile froze.

Each lantern typically had five or six riddles underneath, all different. Normally, people would first read the riddle and only take it down if they could guess the answer.

But he had never seen someone like Qin Zhao, who just took the strips without even looking at the riddles.

Qin Zhao placed the strips on the table, quickly scanned the riddles, and without hesitation, began writing.

The vendor was bewildered. “???”

Writing answers without even thinking—was this man here to cause trouble?

Feeling a bit annoyed, the vendor leaned in to take a closer look, but then he froze.

Qin Zhao had already finished writing the first answer.

And it was correct.

Without pausing, Qin Zhao immediately started on the next one.

The surrounding crowd, engrossed in their own riddles, didn’t notice what was happening, but the vendor couldn’t take his eyes off Qin Zhao. The latter swiftly completed all six red paper strips he had taken down and then reached up to grab four more, bending down to write.

In the span of just a few moments, Qin Zhao had already answered ten riddles.

He put down the brush and handed the ten red paper strips to the vendor. “Please check if these answers are correct.”

The vendor looked at Qin Zhao as if he had seen a ghost.

He had watched Qin Zhao the entire time and knew that every answer he wrote was correct. Now, after carefully checking each one again, he nodded repeatedly. “Correct, all correct!”

Qin Zhao replied, “Thank you.”

The vendor then announced loudly, “Congratulations to this young master for guessing all ten riddles correctly! He wins a bottle of osmanthus wine!”

The crowd erupted in surprise, with people all around asking who had managed to solve all the riddles. The vendor, too, wanted to ask Qin Zhao’s name, but Qin Zhao simply shook his head, took the osmanthus wine and the returned copper coins, and quietly left with Jing Li.

A small river flowed through the town, and on the opposite bank, many people were releasing floating lanterns.

Qin Zhao and Jing Li sat on the stone bridge on the quieter side, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in contrast to the bustling scene across the river.

Qin Zhao uncorked the wine bottle and handed it to Jing Li. “Only one sip.”

“I know, I know. I don’t have a bad tolerance for alcohol,” Jing Li said, though it was more of a self-delusion.

His tolerance was only good when it came to low-alcohol drinks, like those with a few to a dozen degrees of alcohol. But if the alcohol content was higher, even one cup could make him dizzy.

However, this was just osmanthus wine, and considering it was ancient times, how strong could it be?

With this thought, Jing Li took a small sip.

The rich fragrance of osmanthus immediately filled his senses, sweet and fragrant, almost masking the taste of alcohol completely.

Jing Li’s eyes lit up, and he took another small sip.

As he continued drinking, Qin Zhao glanced at him and couldn’t help but remind him, “Drink less. We still have to release the lanterns later.”

“Got it.” Jing Li squinted, savoring the sweet osmanthus flavor. “It’s getting late already. After we release the lanterns, let’s head home. There’s still—”

Still the surprise he had prepared at home.

Jing Li pressed his lips together and didn’t continue.

Qin Zhao, sensing some guilty hesitation in Jing Li’s unfinished words, turned to him and asked, “What’s at home?”

“Uh…” Jing Li averted his gaze, staying silent.

Qin Zhao gently rubbed Jing Li’s earlobe with his fingers, intending to ask more, but was suddenly silenced by a kiss that tasted of osmanthus.

Jing Li carefully pried open Qin Zhao’s lips, kissing him tenderly. His mouth was filled with the sweet aroma of osmanthus wine, tasting like a piece of soft osmanthus cake.

After a while, Qin Zhao pulled back slightly, smiling. “Don’t think you can just brush me off with that. You sent me away today because you wanted to—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jing Li’s body suddenly went limp, collapsing into his arms.

Qin Zhao: “…”

“Little fish?” Qin Zhao gently patted his back and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Li rubbed his head against Qin Zhao’s shoulder and mumbled, “Don’t bother me… I’m a bit dizzy…”

Already… drunk?

Qin Zhao took the osmanthus wine bottle from Jing Li’s hand and gave it a slight shake, finding it already empty.

He turned to look across the river and sighed deeply.

He should have waited until after they released the lanterns to let him drink.

Jing Li quickly became completely inebriated, losing all awareness. Fortunately, he was small and slender, so carrying him wasn’t too difficult. Qin Zhao half-carried and half-supported him back to the village, breathing a little heavily as he pushed open the door.

The courtyard was dark, and with one hand holding a lamp and the other supporting Jing Li, Qin Zhao stumbled inside.

He first placed Jing Li on a bamboo chair in the courtyard and then took the lamp to the main house.

As he pushed open the door to the main house, he froze in surprise.

The room had been completely transformed.

The hanging curtains had been replaced with red ones, and there was a large double-happiness character pasted directly opposite the entrance. The table at the front was also covered with red cloth, and two brand-new red candleholders were placed on it.

So this was… the surprise Jing Li had planned for him.

Thandar: Heyyyy definitely think our MC is the son of Prince Rong 🤔🤔🤔