Many martial artists brag about how fast they are; they can dodge the fastest arrows, walk on lotus pads, or even leap along the steep face of a mountain. But Li Changyu learned from the best, and his Shizun had a simple philosophy.
“Don’t boast about your abilities like you’re on the top of the food chain. Even if you are faster than the others ‘cuz you’re pintsize, it’s not enough to just be fast. A real predator doesn’t have to run in order to catch its prey.”
And, because he was an omega and his size, Commander Xu would often remind him with a simple phrase: “Be as small as a cat, but stalk like a tiger.”
That was exactly what Li Changyu planned to be that night. Days ago Bowen helped him shift things around in his room so that on the day he would go spy, the space would allow him to leave a decoy in the bed, duck away, and slip out undetected. Once the sun set, he went about his fake bedtime routine that he created to trick the Shadow Guards.
Li Changyu bathed and braided his hair then secured it in a bun with one quick release pin and a lockpicking pin. He made sure to dress out of any line of sight and put on his dark martial shirt, then over that his white robe that became something of a fixture for his weakened persona. The next step was to enter his room, set aside a set of clothes for the next day on top of his dresser, light his stick of incense that was next to it, then turn off his oil lamp.
Before he doused the flame, he glanced over at Bowen who was in position under the bed to do their switch. Bowen was the best candidate as they were close in height and frame, so he dressed and wore his hair exactly like Li Changyu’s. To cover up that action, he rubbed his eye and faked a yawn and blew out the light. The moon barely illuminated all of his room, only his dresser and the path to the door. Under the cover of darkness, Li Changyu walked to the bed as Bowen rolled out from underneath.
Li Changyu bent down and pretended to sit on his bed, slinking down to the floor where he laid down. Bowen moved into the position he was just in and proceeded to get into his bed and went under the covers, tucking them close to his chin. While on the ground, Li Changyu watched the incense stick while he peeled the white robe off and stuffed it in the front of his shirt robe. It was necessary to keep it on hand so he could quickly cover himself with it and hide the fact he was snooping.
The incense was something he implemented a while back once he counted the shift changes, their frequency, and how long it took them to switch. The sticks of incense were cut to the exact minute when they would be distracted by changing the guard.
Time was burning away fast, so he snatched the veil he had hidden under the bed and covered his face with it. When the last bit of ash fell from the bamboo stick, he got up and pressed himself against the wall and carefully edged towards the window. He listened carefully for the soft clack of the roof tiles before he hopped over the windowsill and ducked beside the bushes.
His first stop was to the Empress Dowager, who was on his list. Jin Qiuye was crafty and manipulative, so it was possible that he had a hand in the scheme somewhere. He did not think the man would hurt his own son, but it was no secret that he did not like Li Changyu. If anything, he could have been responsible for his poisoning.
Jin Qiuye’s palace was nearby, so all Li Changyu had to do was pull the hood over his head and walk slowly in the shadows. Like this, he could be as quiet as a snake in the grass and passed the sentries unnoticed. His training here with Commander Xu wasn’t just that of a regular guard – he too was a Shadow Guard.
It was not his Shizun’s intention to teach him this. Commander Xu was probably the most skeptical of him when he arrived, but shortly after showing his promise, Shizun felt it was necessary to show him these techniques.
“You’re an omega. If you keep on this path, these skills may very well mean your survival.”
Li Changyu almost let out a snort. Wonder what Shizun would say about me in this situation? He stopped at the wall that separated the main path to Jin Qiuye’s palace and he paused. He scanned the area and noted where each Shadow Guard was; there seemed to be more Shadow Guards than necessary. Glancing across the way towards the Grand Empress Dowagers, she had less than half of the number of men stationed there.
He arched a brow as he turned his attention back to his target. Just what is so special that you need to guard against, hm? Looking up, he watched as two Shadow Guards walked along the top of the wall he was against. They would stop at the corners and pause there for a few moments then turn and walk towards another corner and cross one another.
Knowing he had to conserve his strength, which still hadn’t entirely returned, he had to time his jump over the wall perfectly. He crouched down and positioned his feet to prepare for a jump. Li Changyu watched and waited until both guards had their backs turned away from him, then he leapt high into the air.
He spun to avoid the top of the wall altogether and dropped to the other side in a crouch. Hiding along an empty tree, he kept timing his movements with that of the Shadow Guard until finally he neared a partially open window. It was to the receiving room, which was empty and completely in shadow except for the faint glow of light at the other end of the hall. He slipped between the shutters and gracefully rolled into the room. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Li Changyu jumped up high and grabbed the edge of one of the rafters in the ceiling.
Pulling himself up, he walked in a crouch along it towards the gap in the wall near the ceiling that allowed air to circulate between the rooms. Entering into the main hall, the room at the farthest end was where the light came from. The beam along the ceiling only extended so far, so he had to drop back down to the ground and crept towards the door.
The closer he got, the louder the obvious sounds of sex grew. Loud, wet slaps accompanied by moans and words hissed through teeth. Li Changyu tilted his head curiously and kept to the edge of the frame as he peered in. He could only see shadows that danced feverishly against the wall since screens lined what looked to be a bedroom. The scent of sex hit him like a slap across the face and he was thankful for his veil that kept some of it at bay.
To get a better look, Li Changyu dropped down to lay flat on the ground and belly crawled towards a dark corner where he could poke a hole in the lower part of the screen and peek through. While he knew there would be sex, the sight before him made him cover his mouth in order to not make a sound.
On top of a large circular bed was Jin Qiuye stradling the hips of a naked alpha sprawled out beneath him. His hips lifted up and down, obviously riding his cock, but a second alpha was positioned behind him that also thrusted his hips against Jin Qiuye. The Empress Dowager’s face was contorted in a state between bliss and pain. On one downstroke, Jin Qiuye tossed his head back and his eyes rolled up into his head. The scene was…
Hilarious! Li Changyu bit his lip to keep his grin from shifting into a full blown laugh. The high and mighty picture perfect omega is a sham.
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.
It wasn’t that Li Changyu particularly cared if his Mother-in-law was secretly a pervert. Hell, at one point Li Changyu wanted to do a variety of things with Jin Xiyan, and even offered a threesome. But the difference was that this was the Empress Dowager, who was once married to the Fallen Emperor, and this was considered adultery. The hypocrisy and irony was exquisite.
An offense like this was punishable by death.
Jin Qiuye pushed a hand through his sweat soaked hair and gathered it over one shoulder, exposing his neck. The alpha behind Jin Qiuye bent his head towards it and dragged his tongue up along it to the shell of his ear. The trio looked like they enjoyed themselves until suddenly the alpha at Jin Qiuye’s neck bit it.
The Empress Dowager’s blue eyes flashed in anger and he stopped moving. His hand came up and he backhanded the alpha so hard that he fumbled back. The man beneath him grunted as Jin Qiuye swung his leg over and pulled away from them.
“How dare you!” yelled Jin Qiuye at the man who now rubbed his red cheek. “You know the rules!”
Jin Qiuye slid towards one of the curved ends of his bed and grabbed the lightly sheer red robe that hung over the edge. He slid his arms into the sleeves and pulled it up and over his shoulders. The man laying down sat up and slugged the other alpha in the arm with a snarl.
“Your Highness,” the alpha that bit him whined. Still hard and covered in slick, he followed after Jin Qiuye. “I just wanted to have fun!”
In this position, Li Changyu could get a good look at the offending alpha’s face. It’s one of the guards! He didn’t know his name, but that alpha was definitely one that Li Changyu had seen around the palace before.
Jin Qiuye hissed, “Ming’er, I have told you time and time again that the rules are no marks and no knotting.”
The man, who had the name Ming, curled up against Jin Qiuye’s back and wrapped his arms around the Empress Dowager’s slim waist. “Your Highness, you are one of the most powerful people in the palace – second only to the Emperor! Who cares about what peo–”
Smack! Jin Qiuye had turned around in Ming’s hold to smack him once more. He spoke in his usual icy tone, “You are becoming much too familiar, Liu Xingming. Yu’er, take him away.”
The other alpha pulled up his pants in time with the command and made his way over to them with quick, sure strides. Ming – Liu Xingming – was obviously not pleased at being rejected. He reached out to Jin Qiuye a second time, his hand grasping the Empress Dowager’s wrist in what looked like a tight grip. Jin Qiuye flinched and Yu surged forward and grabbed Liu Xingming by the back of the head and yanked him away. Liu Xingming released Jin Qiuye as he was forced onto his knees.
“Yu’er…” His eyes lifted to the other alpha as he casually said, “It seems Liu Xingming needs to be taught a lesson. Send him to the dungeon, and if he doesn’t learn how to properly apologize…” Jin Qiuye glared down at the alpha while rubbing at his delicate wrist, “Cut off his hand.”
Liu Xingming’s eyes widened and he shouted out half a word before Yu hit him on the back of the head. Knocked out cold, Liu Xingming slumped and fell forward, landing face first on the ground with a hard thud. It looked like he was still breathing, which was a small relief.
“Take a few men and deal with this quietly,” Jin Qiuye said to Yu. “I don’t need my Mother-in-law to hear about this.”
Yu bowed his head, “Anything for you, Your Highness.”
“That is exactly what I like to hear.” Even Jin Qiuye’s smile was cool, his eyes skimming over his apparent boy toy with obvious interest. He skirted around Liu Xingming’s body and sidled up beside Yu. He looked down at the man’s tented pants and patted it lightly. “I’m not in the mood right now, but…”
Jin Qiuye crooked a finger under the alpha’s chin to turn his head towards him, his nail scratching at the skin lightly. “Return tomorrow, and I will be sure to reward you handsomely.”
Yu’s lips moved in a small murmur that Li Changyu couldn’t hear nor lip read. Whatever it was, it made Jin Qiuye give the most insincere giggle. The small omega went on his tiptoes, but the alpha still had to bend down so his ear was level with Jin Qiuye.
They exchanged a few more muffled words before Yu straightened and whistled softly, mimicking the sound of a bird. Li Changyu curled himself up to make himself even smaller inside the shadowed space as a few Shadow Guards entered the bedroom. Jin Qiuye kept his back to them as they dragged Liu Xingming’s body away.
Li Changyu did not want to linger any longer either. The guards left with Liu Xingming and Jin Qiuye disappeared into a side room, most likely to bathe. With this moment of opportunity, Li Changyu flitted across the room and slipped out the nearby window. He hugged the shadowed building until he could see a wall that had no guards and hopped over it.
His eagerness to get back made him sloppy, and a cry came out from behind him, “Hey!”
Shit! Li Changyu took off into a run in order to gain some distance. He didn’t quite hear anyone following him, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He pulled his hood back and yanked the white robe out from his shirt and shrugged it on. After a quick turn around a tree, he fell to his knees and plucked the hairpin from his bun and let the braid fall against his back. The lockpin was hidden in the ribbon at the end, and he discarded this pin by tossing it to the bushes.
Muffled footsteps bounded towards Li Changyu and he pinched himself to start some soft tears. He hung his head down and looked to the ground with the best blank expression he could and sat there with his feet tucked under himself. Three guards, one of them a Shadow, rushed past Li Changyu. One of the regular guards skidded to a halt and turned towards him, his shout at the others sounded like a loud bark.
“Over here! I found the trespasser here!”
A fierce grip came around Li Changyu’s arm and he let his weight be pulled around. He was hoisted up onto his feet and he swayed to give the impression that he was unsteady. Li Changyu put a hand against the tree for support.
“Ha!” barked the guard, which Li Changyu noticed he was actually Idiot One. He hadn’t seen him since that time he escaped the Palace. “This ain’t no tresspasser, it’s just the stupid Empress.”
“Still doesn’t matter,” the second guard stepped up beside Idiot One. “You know what a troublemaker he is. You’re supposed to be confined to your quarters, aren’t you?”
Li Changyu counted to three before he looked up at the guards. Playing meek and dumb was a lot harder than Li Changyu anticipated, but he had to commit. He exaggerated his frown but said nothing in response.
“You better answer when someone’s asking you a question, boy.” Idiot One’s spittle landed on his face, which normally would have made him cringe.
Idiot One shoved him against the tree and a knot along the trunk dug into Li Changyu’s back. He hissed in pain for show, but it did actually hurt. It’s gnarled end pressed against a sensitive spot against his spine, and his hand twitched instinctively, wanting to fight off the man.
“What is going on here?” A gentle, light voice that still commanded authority called out from the granite pathway. All eyes turned to see who it was, and it even surprised Li Changyu.
First Prince Zhao Lanhu stood tall and proud, flanked by two guards that carried spears and a lantern. Zhao Lanhu’s dark black hair shone under the moonlight. With his rich blue robes, he looked like a fairy in the night. His purple eyes, which were kind, held a sharpness in them as he raised a brow at the guards surrounding Li Changyu.
The guards stepped away from Li Changyu and bowed appropriately to Zhao Lanhu. The First Prince turned and glided across the granite towards where they were in the gardens along the path. His two bodyguards followed behind him, as stoic as their Master.
Li Changyu dipped his head down and prepared to bow but Zhao Lanhu stepped in front of him and acknowledged him first.
“Your Highness, it has been quite some time since I saw you last. It is an honor to see you again. ” Zhao Lanhu’s smile was genuine, but the frosty glare he casted over the trio rivaled Royal Grandmother’s. “Are you alright this evening?”
He licked his lips, prepared to look indecisive, but he genuinely was. Lying to Zhao Lanhu felt horrible, which is why he’d avoided him and the Grand Empress Dowager. He let out a shaky breath.
“Your Highness, it is I who is honored. I…am alright.” Li Changyu looked off into the distance, “I was following a cat…”
“Your Highness,” interjected Idiot One. He smartly didn’t lift his head up from his bow, but he continued speaking regardless of being addressed. “His Highness the Empress is in violation of his confinement.”
Zhao Lanhu’s lips pursed, but he ignored the man and asked Li Changyu, “Did His Majesty punish you?” Li Changyu nodded, and the Prince sighed. “I will escort you back and speak with His Majesty.”
Again, Idiot One persisted, “Your Highness, we were pursuing a trespasser, and we came across His Highness–”
“Are you implying your Empress is a trespasser on their own property?” Zhao Lanhu could be poised and regal even when cutting someone off. He did not raise his voice, nor did he look flustered.
“I…” Idiot One stammered, “Your Highness, I–”
“We subjects mean no offense, Your Highness,” said the guard beside him. “What we say is true, there was a trespasser and–”
“If there is someone lurking about, then His Highness the Empress should not be out here. For all we know, it could be an assassin.” Zhao Lanhu turned to face them and tucked his hands together, hiding them between his sleeves. “But instead of leading him to safety, it appears that you are touching His Majesty’s property on your own accord.”
The three men tensed and the light from the lanterns was enough to see the beads of sweat rolling down Idiot One’s face. Li Changyu was enjoying the show, pleased to see them being put in their place by another omega.
Zhao Lanhu’s brow rose high, “Nothing to say for yourselves? You were quite talkative before. What do you have to say for yourselves?”
“We-we-we were helping His Highness stand up!” One blurted out.
“We would never disrespect His Majesty by touching his property!”
“Y-yes! We saw that they were on the ground, and possible hurt, and–”
“Silence,” Zhao Lanhu ended their rambling with one command. He looked over to Li Changyu. “Are you alright? Were they…hurting you?”
Touched by his concern, Li Changyu smiled slightly. He didn’t want to reveal how much it meant for him to be cared for by an old friend because it would break his character, so he shook his head.
“They were rough, but they were not doing anything that I am not used to.”
Zhao Lanhu met his smile with a frown. He flicked his head back to the trio, “You, Shadow Guard. You should have known better. You will escort these two to be punished and turn yourself in as well. Yu Jinglong, please guide His Highness back to the Phoenix Palace. Rong Tan, you will follow me to His Majesty’s chambers.”
All the guards dropped down into a kowtow and spoke in varying degrees of reluctant and sure obedience. “Yes, Your Highness.”
The alphas rose and the trio led by Idiot One shot Li Changyu a look before they left. Zhao Lanhu’s guards moved into their respective positions, one beside them both. Before Zhao Lanhu left, he bowed once more to Li Changyu and spoke softly this time.
“Please, do not hesitate to come to me. I do not like seeing you in this…” Zhao Lanhu’s violet eyes looked Li Changyu over, his frown deepening. “In this state.”
He did look a bit mussed, which is what he was going for. He pretended to be embarrassed and looked downward. “Your Highness humbles me. I will be sure to send a letter, and perhaps we may meet when I am released from my punishment.”
Zhao Lanhu lifted a hand and reached out, but his hand stalled. The Prince looked unsure of what to do, but he didn’t retreat his hand. He lifted it higher and patted the top of Li Changyu’s head as if he were still the young boy that guarded him.
“I will speak with His Majesty,” promised Zhao Lanhu. “Please, be safe and get some rest.”
They exchanged their final goodbyes and Rong Tan kindly escorted Li Changyu back to his palace. As they walked, Li Changyu looked over his shoulder towards Zhao Lanhu’s retreating form. A little bit of hope warmed Li Changyu’s heart at the knowledge that he had one more person on his side.
*pulls back the curtain*
Fun fact y’all. In the middle of writing this I was struggling with coming up with a name for one of the dudes. I really like the sound of “ming” in words and I was wracking my brain until I remembered that 姓名 xìngmíng with these characters means “full name” but another variation is 刑名 xíngmíng which stands for a philosophy by Shen Buhai from the Warring States Period about designations of punishment.
Sooo….all of these just fit together. Somehow.
*retreats*
I wonder what the edict will be.. To wait once a week is really heart aching.. Thank u for the update & looking forward for the next
Think of it like a tv show…but I know it’s hard!
Haha yes it’s hard
Thanks for more!
I want to trust ZL, but I just instinctively do NOT. Augh, I feel so bad for LC; he is surrounded by enemies. It makes me feel helpless. Also, the Dowager Empress is definitely deserving a good faceslapping.
I’m happy you enjoyed! Yes, sadly our empress is surrounded by snakes.
Did the quality of shadow guard’s training deteriorate with Commander Xu’s murder? Or is Li Changyu that good?
Both. Li Changyu makes specific mention about the quality of the guard having deteriorated. This may or may not be a clue 😉
But it is 90% that our MC is just that OP.
Ohhh, I wonder how Li Changyu will use this newly discovered secret? I hope he uses it to flay his MIL.
I even suspect Zhao Lanhu at this point. His son is the only alpha, aside from that third uncle.
Sigh. 9ur poor LCY.
I got you lovely writer asshole and bastard perfect names! Was there an idiot 3? If so how about impotent fuck? Or dumb dumb and dumber?
Cheating and a 3p!!?? You ded my guy..
How tf First prince just appeared there..sus ಠ_ಠ
Damn now I wanna see the mc and ml in a threesome 😔
Damn now I wanna see the mc and ml in a threesome lmao
The First Prince is not to be trusted at all imo. He has hidden agendas for sure
to be fair JQ can fuck whoever he want, afterall his husband is dead. Since I hate that man its fine. Use this to fuck him up.