“What is there for me to be afraid of?”
An hour ago, Ji Yue was still unswervingly thinking, How could he sleep soundly if he had only half of his bed?’
An hour later, Ji Yue stared at the sleeping youth’s figure and wondered why he had called the other person back so impulsively.
Such an insolent man, not even putting us in his eyes.
We should have left him out to freeze to death.
Ji Yue tugged the cover, indignantly thinking.
We see you asleep, let’s see if you could still steal the quilt from us.
Wei Lian indeed stopped fighting over the cover with Ji Yue.
His eyes were closed, face exhausted, and his breathing was even and long.
The youth lay on his side with one hand resting under his head. He was frowning in his sleep, and his body was curling up slightly.
The quilt was rolled away by Ji Yue, exposing most of the youth’s body to the cold, emphasizing his fetal position and making him appear frailer.
Ji Yue knew very well that this was how people behave when they are in a state of uneasiness.
A sword had been hovering over Young Master Lian’s head since his arrival in this foreign country, and he also had to deal with this notorious tyrant. At what point could he truly feel at ease?
It appears you have moments where you show your fear.
Ji Yue sneered as he threw the quilt back heavily on top of Wei Lian, covering the youth completely.
He lifted the bed drapes and blew out the candle burning at the bedside.
The room was suddenly in complete darkness.
Only then did Ji Yue lie down, grab the other end of the quilt and close his eyes.
He actually didn’t feel repulsed towards Wei Lian.
If there is one person whose goal was to get close to you not for your life, embrace you without fear, treat you like a normal person, and have the courage to romp around with you.
How can you have the heart to push him away?
In the tranquility and darkness, the eyes of the supposedly sleeping Wei Lian opened, and it was the look of someone who was fully awake.
He clutched at the brocade quilt covering him, clenching out several wrinkles.
He closed his eyes again after a long time.
To get his good night of sleep.
_
The sky was dark blue with a slight glow. The snow that had been falling for several days had finally taken a break as rays of sunlight appeared behind the clouds.
A few palace maids were sweeping away the snow accumulated in the Hall of Mental Cultivation’s courtyard. One of them was done with her task. She rested against the broom, before waving at the other two maids.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Zhu Lang, Zhu Se, come over here, I have something to tell you two.” Zhu Yu said with a mysterious expression.
Ite Ojcu jcv Ite Vf uijcmfv ja fjmt batfg, kjixfv obgkjgv jcv ujatfgfv jgbecv. Ite Vf jrxfv meglberis, “Qtja lr la?”
Pa kjr j veii vjs ja atf qjijmf. Po atfgf kjr ubrrlq, atfs kfgf jikjsr tjqqs ab ilrafc.
Ite Te ibbxfv jgbecv, meqqfv tfg ilqr jcv ktlrqfgfv, “P’nf yffc tbivlcu atlr lc jii cluta ibcu jcv vslcu ab rtjgf la klat sbe. Ktf bcf ktb mjwf ogbw atf Xgffc Djwybb Ujnlilbc tjr yffc ojnbgfv!”
Zhu Se puffed out a snicker. “Zhu Yu, everyone in the palace knows this news. How could His Majesty not favor that person after bringing him here? Aren’t you just wasting your breath!” She showed a slight disinterested expression.
Zhu Yu blurted out, “Oh, that’s not all! I was serving in the imperial study last night, and the ministers sent portraits of beautiful candidates. His Majesty had Wei-shijun to pick one out, which he couldn’t, because none of them are as beautiful as he is. Guess what His Majesty did next?”
Zhu Se was surprised. “The audacity! Did His Majesty punish him?”
“Of course not! Not only was His Majesty not angry, but His Majesty wanted him alone, then—” Speaking to this part, Zhu Yu felt rather shy. “His Majesty did Wei-shijun on the table where memorials were stacked!”
This topic went straight to bedroom activities immediately. The few untouched palace maids were dumbfounded, feeling ashamed and curious at the same time.
Zhu Se, the younger and bolder out of the group, wanted to know more and asked, “How do you know this? Did you spectate?”
“Don’t ask such an embarrassing question! We were naturally dismissed by His Majesty, but I was at the end of the line. I saw it through the crack before I closed the door…Really, I saw it with my own eyes!” Zhu Yu lowered her voice. “Afterward, in the Hot Spring Pavilion, His Majesty did it again in the pool…Aaaah, this is too much for me.”
Zhu Lang had something to say but refrained herself.
Zhu Se was skeptical. “Is it really true? But to tell you the truth, I really like how Wei-shijun looks.”
“Shh!” Zhu Yu quickly covered the girl’s mouth. “You’re talking about His Majesty’s man.”
Zhu Se smiled to brush it off. “What are you afraid of? There is no one else in this courtyard.”
“It has to be true.” Zhu Lang had a sweet-tempered nature as she blushed before she had said much. “To shed more light on this, during yesterday’s night watch, I saw a lady official of red record hurrying out of the pavilion. Judging from her appearance, she must have seen the good part where His Majesty and Wei-shijun…and then…” She was too embarrassed to go on.
Zhu Yu and Zhu Se both urged, “And then what? Stop keeping us in suspense!”
Zhu Lang simply finished it in one breath, “And then, I heard from Zhu Yue-jiejie this morning on how when she went to serve His Majesty on dressing, Wei-shijun was still asleep on the bed. His Majesty specifically ordered her not to wake him. Per-perhaps he was exhausted from last night.”
The three palace maids stood in silence for a moment.
Zhu Se murmured, “To bear three rounds of the royalty’s benevolence in a single day. I don’t know if Wei-shijun could handle it…”
To be pampered by His Majesty regardless of location and time…His Majesty was really amazing.
Wei-shijun was pretty amazing as well.
“What are you three dilly dallying about instead of working?” This was the scene Zhu Chu witnessed as soon as she entered the courtyard. Three palace maids crowded together, blushing and talking away on who-know-what.
The three hurriedly formed a line and greeted, “Zhu Chu-jiejie.”
Zhu Chu was a senior palace maid in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, with a status higher than theirs. They naturally didn’t dare to gossip before her.
Zhu Chu narrowed her eyes. “Off you three go.”
“…Understood.”
The three palace maids disbanded to clear the snow in the courtyard. Zhu Chu turned back to gaze at the glorious palace hall, shaking her head and sighing softly.
The young master had indeed been favored. But she felt sorry for him when she thought about the humiliations the noble and benevolent man had to suffer from.
There were no secrets in the palace. With the King of Qin favoring Wei Lian so ostentatiously, it didn’t take longer than half a day before words were spread throughout the whole palace.
With this momentum, it wouldn’t be long before it reached outside the palace wall.
_
Wei Lian ignored anything beyond his immediate surroundings, as he busied himself in the classics.
When Ji Yue returned from the court, he saw that the youth was already dressed and leaning lazily on the soft daybed. Supporting his hand with one hand and holding a book in the other. His eyes were downcast, and his attention was focused on the text.
Ji Yue asked, “What book are you reading?”
Without raising his eyes, Wei Lian turned the page. “A holy book.”
Oh, it looked like the youth didn’t bother with the basic return greetings.
He was getting bolder and bolder.
Instead of asking more questions, Ji Yue went forward to pluck the book out of Wei Lian’s hand.
Wei Lian raised his eyes slightly when his hand became empty.
Ji Yue looked down, and the first thing he saw was two shining white figures stacked together; their limbs entangled as the couple were in the process of lovemaking.
His hand trembled as he threw the book on the ground immediately, feeling like his eyes had been defiled.
He said in disbelief, “…You call this kind of thing a holy book?!”
Wei Lian said lazily, “Today, a lady official of red record specially delivered this book to this subject. It’s filled with the spring palace’s secret techniques performed between men. This way, this subject could be more diligently and well-educated on how to serve Your Majesty.”
Suddenly, he took on a serious expression, “This subject has the intention to seek such knowledge, so how come it’s not a holy book?”
Followed by his eyebrow bent slightly. “Your Majesty, why are your ears red?”
Ji Yue subconsciously moved his hands to touch his ears. The temperature was normal, it was neither red in color nor hot to the touch.
As someone who was used to hiding his emotions, why would he show his emotion on his sleeves that easily.
He gritted his teeth. “You tricked us?”
Wei Lian leaned back on the couch and laughed cheerfully without restraint. “Hahahaha, the way Your Majesty acted is making this subject wonder if Your Majesty had a taste of this before.”
It was common for noble families to have servant girls to teach bedroom activities to male members at thirteen to fourteen of age, it was even true for the royal family.
“What, are you saying you have?” Ji Yue countered, but without much high expectation.
…He didn’t know what this anticipation feeling was, or the feeling of wishing it wasn’t.
Wei Lian should have had an intimate education in the past.
He was one of royal heirs from the country of Chu, and was adopted by Consort Yan around the age to learn. It was logical for him to be taught by the palace maids.
Just the thought of the youth having been with another woman, Ji Yue was a little…no, not a little, he was very unhappy.
He pondered about it and decided that Wei Lian was at least his person now in name. He would never let anyone else lay their hands on his belongings, even before they belonged to him.
That was how domineering the King of Qin was.
Unbeknownst to him, Wei Lian had stopped laughing and replied, “Not ever.”
This answer startled Ji Yue.
“Why not?”
He himself didn’t receive education because he was on guard with the women the late Queen Dowager had sent him. What about Wei Lian?
Wei Lian said frankly, “Because this subject is a cut sleeve.”
Wei Lian had never fallen for a person, but he was more drawn to men, and this he himself knew the best.
Ji Yue took a step back without making a sound.
“You better not fall for us.”
Partners and whatnot became messy when there was emotion involved.
People who were led by emotions would always ignore their reasoning, and Ji Yue had always been rational above all else.
Wei Lian raised his eyebrows, “This subject should be the one saying that to Your Majesty. Your Majesty better not develop feelings for this subject.”
Ji Yue immediately denied, “That would never happen.”
How could he possibly like someone?
“Is that so?” The corner of Wei Lian raised up. “Your Majesty has been smiling since this subject’s answer on my virginity and sexual orientation.”
It took a moment for Ji Yue to realize that he had been smiling.
Not the usual meaningless laugh.
…But the one that was unconsciously happy.
Ji Yue immediately flattened his lips and tried to change the subject, “You insolent subject, you hadn’t saluted us yet.”
Wei Lian submitted to the other party’s complaint, saying, “Greetings to Your Majesty.”
He only greeted verbally, making no other movements.
Wei Lian never really liked to kneel around. On the first day, he was a complete stranger to the King of Qin, so he had no choice but to kneel for a long duration. Now, just after being slightly acquainted with the King of Qin, he knew he would not be held responsible for his occasional impoliteness by the King of Qin.
Ji Yue studied him. “Wei Lian, you appeared like a gentleman at first, but it only took three days for you to show your fox’s tail?”
“This subject dares not deceive as this is the subject’s true nature.” Wei Lian said courteously. “This subject acted somewhat reserved because you and this subject were strangers. But after interacting with you, this subject got the time to get to know you better. Of course there is nothing for this subject to fear.”
Ji Yue narrowed his eyes. “Li Fuquan had been by our side for twelve years, but he didn’t dare to say he understands us. But you do?
“Wei Lian, we don’t know where you get your confidence from. But don’t say foolish things like treating us as a husband again, we don’t want to hear it a second time.” Ji Yue’s tone was light, but it contained a dangerous warning.
After a pause, Wei Lian said, “Then this subject will be truthful.”
He abruptly got off the daybed, looked out of the window and said in a boisterous tone, “The world is full of fiendish people, ungrateful to their benefactor, blinded by greed and stuck in this never-ending vicious cycle.”
The beauty with the most striking face turned around and gazed at the young King with a smile. The courtyard was covered by heavy snow and wrapped in the winter cold chill, but the chilling element was kept out of the window as much as possible.
Standing inside and in front of the window was a beautiful young master, with a jade-like figure and peerless elegance. His eyes were clear and cold, something that could only exist in a painting.
He spoke each word like a precious gem.
“Human hearts harbor evil, yours have none. What is there for me to be afraid of?”
Thank You for the chapter ｡✰✧(♡´❍`♡)✧✰｡
This is my third time reading this novel and I just came to say that I truly love Wei Lian’s character. We love a self-aware kweeeeen! ✨️✨️🤌
There’s an error where it says “show your fox’s tail” where it should be “cutsleeve”. (In the sentence: ‘Wei Lian said frankly, “Because this subject is a ____”‘)
I fixed it. Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you for the update