Memories of the PalaceCh36 - Uncovering Secrets 2

Content Warning: domestic abuse, drugging with non-consent, non-con, domestic violence, mental manipulation, sexual assault, general abusive behavior. Due to the nature of this chapter, I will be putting a star bar for people to STOP reading and skip ahead to the end where there will be a quick recap. I will also assure that I do not go into extreme or explicit details.

A few days after… kxWVU0

Li Changyu twirled the shaft of the brush between his fingers as he peered closely at an old memorial. During his time as the Emperor, Li Changyu made himself privy to the archive of past memorials in order to dig up some sort of clue. There were a few loose ends that nagged at him to be pulled.

The kidnapped men who are missing once again – and likely dead.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

The reduction in salary for the guards.

How was Jin Xiyan poisoned? Seriously, how can someone successfully poison an Emperor? NhbCQ8

How annoying Su Ao could be.

Well, the last one wasn’t exactly a clue, but it was something that grated him. Su Ao was always underfoot, like a skinny little puppy that kept following. This further complicated how Jin Xiyan’s tea was poisoned. Was it just the cup like I thought? But his food is tested meticulously. Does it mean that Su Ao is part of the plot? The words in front of him started to blur as his mind drifted off into the possibilities, then an all-too-familiar call cut the silence that surrounded him in the Dragon Chamber.

“Eunuch Su enters!” Su Ao shuffled towards his line of sight and bowed low. It was funny that Su Ao thought he had to announce himself every time, as if he didn’t already know what Su Ao sounded like. The eunuch held a tray in his hands that had yet another memorial sitting upon it.

Su Ao lifted himself back upright, but his eyes were still down, “Your Majesty, this needs to be finalized immediately.”

v5DjXd

More work? Previously, he made fun of how often Jin Xiyan was working, but now he’d swallow those words if he could. There was indeed a lot of responsibility that went into his position, and more often than not Li Changyu was awake and working by the lamplight well into the night.

Li Changyu dropped the memorial in his hand onto the desk with a thunk and leaned back in his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “Bring it here. What is it about?”

“It is about the Autumn Hunt, Your Majesty.” Su Ao scurried over and delicately laid the tray down beside the mound of work on the desk. He opened the memorial and set it in front of Li Changyu for his inspection. “The necessary provisions and entourage needs to be approved. There is also the matter of, ah, which…” Su Ao cleared his throat, a flush blossoming on his cheeks, “…which of your Wives will you be bringing, if any.”

Li Changyu knew for a fact that Su Ao had walked in on him and Jin Xiyan more than once, so how the little eunuch managed to still be so innocent escaped him. Does he even have sex? Shaking the thought from his head, he put his focus back on the paperwork. He quickly started making strokes and changes. mg1ZHL

“Add the Li Family to the retinue and extend an invitation to them. Zhen is bringing Li Changyu, and for extra security, please notify the Li family to bring their extended family. They will be compensated.” Li Changyu anticipated push back, but when he received none, he continued. “Even with this addition, there are too many tents for this adventure. Make sure that is changed.”

Li Changyu was about to close the memorial when a last minute thought struck him.

“Oh, and add Song Rushen. Zhen would like to reward them with a trip, and he may have his own tent.”

It had been a while since he’d seen Song Rushen since switching bodies. There was a brief moment during a walk in the garden, but the omega was as timid as he remembered. As a lesser concubine, Song Rushen did not have many chances to curry favor with the Emperor, but it seemed that he and Jin Xiyan were on good terms. He liked Song Rushen, and he was one of the few that was nice to him, too. Li Changyu wanted to show his appreciation by giving Song Rushen some of the limelight and a much coveted position of joining the Emperor on an outing. 60H2lE

In fact, the old documents he read said that the only one who accompanied Jin Xiyan on any outing was his Huang Guifei, Qin Yuze. The most recent one was a visit to the Summer Palace that took place before Li Changyu married Jin Xiyan. Summer felt so long ago that Li Changyu had to pause in order to count how many months ago it was.

Has it really been that long?

Su Ao bobbed his head, “Yes, Your Majesty. In that case—”

“Huang Guifei has arrived!” a crier called from outside of his chamber doors. AvBMO1

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.

Li Changyu let out a low groan. Speak of the devil, and he arrives. Normally he’d been able to turn Qin Yuze away because his attempts at visiting were like clockwork, at the same time every two days. Today Li Changyu had been drowned with so much work that he forgot to sneak off and make himself scarce in order to brush off Qin Yuze.

Qin Yuze breezed in like his feet did not touch the ground, his posture perfect and poised as he carried in a tea tray. He wore a long, trailing gauzy robe that had a blush of pink to it. Gold leaves and long arching branches decorated the hem, adding to the decadent quality to his already flawless attire. Qin Yuze had a coy, reserved smile that was perfectly appropriate in the presence of mixed company.

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It all made Li Changyu want to gag.

Miraculously, Li Changyu managed to curb his instinct. Su Ao turned and greeted Qin Yuze with a bow. Qin Yuze returned the greeting with a slight nod and he skirted around Su Ao without a second glance. He approached Li Changyu and set the tray on the only empty spot on top of the desk. There was only one cup, so it was clearly tea just for him. 9MiOxB

“This Wife has brought His Majesty the medicinal blend for headaches,” Qin Yuze bowed low once again and made an elegant show of pouring the tea. He held the delicate sleeve of his pouring hand back with the other, and he poured just the perfect amount of hot water into the cup.

Since he could not put off this meeting any longer, Li Changyu watched all this very carefully. He did not dare blink, lest he miss any sleight of hand Qin Yuze may pull. It was a fact that the herb that poisoned him and caused him to miscarry came from Qin Yuze’s homeland, which made him a prime suspect.

“This humble servant will leave first, Your Majesty. I will ensure your privacy for the rest of the evening,” Su Ao said with a parting bow. He turned to Qin Yuze to do the same, “Your Highness.”

No! The one time Su Ao didn’t want to stick to his side like glue had to be now?! Shit! ub5q7P

Any protest that Li Changyu had died on his lips when Qin Yuze shifted their posture to block his line of sight. He did not have to look up too much to meet Qin Yuze’s gaze, as Qin Yuze was around the same height as most omegas. Seated like this in Jin Xiyan’s body, they were almost at eye level.

“Zhen’s Wife is very thoughtful,” he said, with some effort.

Qin Yuze smiled at him, but it could not bring life to his cold, dull eyes. He picked up the cup to present it to Li Changyu. It took all of Li Changyu’s willpower to keep his face relaxed and neutral as he took it. He had to think quickly in order to avoid drinking it just yet.

“Mm, a bit hot.” Li Changyu set the cup back down on the tray with a soft clink and pivoted his body to face the desk again and lifted a memorial back up to his face to inspect it. ddH03x

Qin Yuze wasn’t deterred, however. Li Changyu was hyper aware of his presence as he slipped around Li Changyu’s chair and out of his peripheral vision. Long, scallion-like fingers took a gentle hold of his shoulders, and the thumbs stroked the exposed skin along his collar. Li Changyu stiffened, and Qin Yuze patted down his muscles with a soft cluck of his tongue.

“I was right, you have been under such stress…” cooed Qin Yuze, his lips hovering near his left ear.

Li Changyu understood how messed up the situation was. Beyond the fact that Qin Yuze made his skin crawl, Li Changyu was technically a Wife, and here he was getting pawed at by another Wife. And to top it all off, he was in their Husband’s body!

What did I do in my last life to be suddenly intimate with my nemesis?! 3L9gTQ

His silence was probably mistaken as permission of some sorts, because Qin Yuze continued by drawing his fingers up towards Li Changyu’s temples. He had Jin Xiyan’s brown hair down, so Qin Yuze’s soft fingers threaded through his hair to rub circles around the spot. Li Changyu couldn’t contain his instincts this time, and he shuddered. Qin Yuze paused and Li Changyu quickly covered his reaction up with a lie.

“The headache today is painful…” Li Changyu lifted a hand to cover one of Qin Yuze’s and pulled it down away from his head. “There is no need to burden yourself, and thank you for the tea.”

Qin Yuze’s hands fell back down to his shoulders, and there was a lengthy pause before he spoke in a low voice.

“Lately, you have been saying no a lot.” AwktGj

************ WARNING ********************

Li Changyu couldn’t quite place his tone, so he did not respond. Does he mean me rejecting his visits? To further keep up appearances, Li Changyu took the cup and mimed taking a small sip, but he kept his lip pressed down to prevent anything from going into his mouth. He was careful to not lick his lips either.

“Do you love me?” Qin Yuze asked.

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Li Changyu’s gut twisted. He forced a slight smile and turned his head to glance at Qin Yuze over his shoulder. “Of course. What is there not to love?”

Qin Yuze hovered behind him for a moment longer before slipping away, his hands dragging across his shoulders before they parted. In the silence, Li Changyu could hear his soft footsteps as he moved around the room. He pretended to be engrossed in the memorial, but he kept his other senses tuned in. ypba20

“I have not been here for quite some time…I was worried my dear Husband had forgotten me.”

“Do not be ridiculous,” Li Changyu waved his free hand. “There has been much on my mind with everything regarding the Emp–”

A scent invaded his nose so abruptly that it cut off Li Changyu mid-sentence. He heard a slight clink and his head jerked in that direction. Qin Yuze was by the incense burner, carefully wiping his hands together. Smooth, thick coils of smoke drifted up from the decorative holes in the burner and wafted into the room. Li Changyu dropped the memorial in his hand and it fell onto the cup of tea, spilling it about. He shot up to his feet, but in the next breath felt like he’d fall over.

The scent permeated around the room, carrying with it a warmth that traveled deep into his lungs on each inhale. Li Changyu bent forward and braced himself against the top of the desk as his mind began to fog. The memory of a recent past flashed through his mind. FwjY97

Qin Yuze motioned for Qian Jing to rise and she did so, approaching him hesitantly with stiff steps. In his mind’s eye, Li Changyu’s focus honed in on the sachet Qin Yuze passed to Qian Jing. Qin Yuze’s next words echoed in his head.

“Burn this aphrodisiac in your incense burner,” he explained. “It affects alphas, so you might react to it too.”

Again his gaze shifted back to Qin Yuze and a weight dropped into his stomach. This little shit…Sweat broke out along Li Changyu’s brow and his fingers dug so hard against the lacquer of the desk that he was surprised it didn’t break. Qin Yuze came forward, his outline wavering like a mirage as his vision momentarily blurred.

Qin Yuze gave another condescending cluck of his tongue, “I knew it has been too long between sessions.” cl2b7T

Murderous intent filled Li Changyu as his knees wobbled. He was getting an erection, and he wasn’t in-tune enough with Jin Xiyan’s body to try and suppress it. If this had been his own, Li Changyu could resist his own heat long enough to get to safety if need be, but that was because of his training in martial arts. Though Jin Xiyan’s body was fit and there was evidence that he could defend himself with his sheer strength, Li Changyu hadn’t made the effort to form a mind-body link.

“Oh do not give me that look,” Qin Yuze chided with a curled lip. The closer Qin Yuze got, the more dizzying the scent became. When he stopped in front of Li Changyu, Qin Yuze grabbed a hold of his chin, his nails pricking against his skin. “That is the same look you gave me when you accused me of poisoning your little wench.”

What? Li Changyu’s focus was split between Qin Yuze’s words and the way his touch felt like a branding iron. The feeling of his fingers lingered on his skin, tingling like little needles. In his effort to get away, Li Changyu leaned a little too hard against the desk and it scraped across the floor slightly. His cock felt restrained even in the loose fitting pants, the silk grating on the flesh like sand. He was so hard that it couldn’t even compare to his erections during the few heats he’d experienced. Qin Yuze, ignoring his obvious distress, carried on.

“You almost regained your memory that day, and now I am worried you might be close again with all the time you are fussing about Li Changyu.” Qin Yuze shrugged his robe off his shoulders – when did he remove it? – and let it fall to the side. He was not completely naked, only down to his underpants which matched his robes, but it was bare enough that Li Changyu felt even more disgusted. He wasn’t attracted to Qin Yuze, even on a surface level. His arousal was not piqued by the other omega at all, so Li Changyu wasn’t afraid of doing anything to Qin Yuze. The truth of it was far worse. vw8XeY

He craved Jin Xiyan. Even in an alpha’s body, Li Changyu’s instinct and need for his knot, his sultry voice, his statuesque body–the very body he was in! He would never admit how his heart fluttered at how his thoughts drifted to past sexual escapades with Jin Xiyan. How he remembered his touch, his softly spoken words…

Frustrated and confused, Li Changyu let out a soft cry and then hit the desk with his fist. Qin Yuze startled, but he quickly recovered. He grabbed a handful of the now sweat damp hair at the back of Li Changyu’s head and jerked it in his direction. Li Changyu hissed at the contact, the pain amplified in his oversensitive state. Something hard and round pressed against his mouth and he clenched his teeth. Qin Yuze was trying to shove a pill into his mouth, the bitterness rubbing against his lips.

“You brought this upon yourself.” Qin Yuze dared to sound like he was giving a lecture. “This happens every time you put off seeing me. Even if I render you dumb, you should be smart enough for that, right?”

His push became insistent, and Li Changyu mustered enough strength that he smacked his hand away. He pulled free and stumbled away to put some distance between them, but the movement was laborious. Li Changyu found himself out of breath by the time he reached the middle of the room, and he fumbled towards the bed. He banged against it and fell down to his knees beside it, clutching at the covers for purchase. Saliva gathered in his mouth despite his throat feeling parched like he’d been in a desert, so he was forced to open his mouth. Drool slid from the corners of his mouth with each hot, panting gasp for air he took. It was all in vain, for the more he breathed, the more the cloying scent seeped into his senses. oVhjW3

A pill was placed on his tongue and his mouth forced shut. He weakly smacked at the offending hand once more, but in his ridiculous state, he was struggling. In this alpha body, Li Changyu would easily overpower Qin Yuze, but the incense rendered him helpless. It was beyond infuriating, and never had Li Changyu felt so vulnerable. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, his slick mouth carrying the pill that he so desperately tried to resist down his throat. He had no idea what was in it, which was all the more terrifying.

“It seems you have gone without your medicine for too long,” Qin Yuze knelt down beside him on the floor. He manipulated his body with ease so he sat on the floor, his back propped up by the side of the bed. “You are usually pawing at me, not running away.”

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Qin Yuze’s dark eyes came into frame and locked with his. Li Changyu knew something was terribly wrong when Qin Yuze’s face shifted and warped, the colors changing. The effect of the pill felt like the herbs he tried from a shaman in the North that created visions that weren’t physically real.

“It has been a while since we’ve done it in this position,” he chuckled softly. Z8ypQP

Qin Yuze straddled his lap, sitting on him so that they pressed against one another, but he did not do anything further just yet. Beyond the distorted image of Qin Yuze, he could feel Qin Yuze’s soft touches to his hair and neck. They could easily be mistaken as loving, but even in his altered state, Li Changyu could feel Qin Yuze’s fingers drip with malice. Qin Yuze wasn’t finished speaking, quite far from it.

“Do you not remember that you only love me?” Qin Yuze purred in a hypnotizing lull. “I am your childhood love. Who is this Li Changyu? No one but a stranger. I am the one who has been at your side during your lowest moments. Why not show your appreciation with a kiss?”

Despite not being in his body, he still had his own mind. Li Changyu had enough mental fortitude from his years in martial arts that though whatever drug worked through his system, altering his senses, he resisted Qin Yuze’s obvious persuasions. His forked tongue did not work on him, a mind practiced in the art of resilience, it could be deadly to someone with an altered mind.

A mind injured, left blank and receptive to whatever charming words filtered into it. From Qin Yuze’s own words, this was not a one time occurrence, and according to him, the most recent was likely the day Li Changyu confronted Jin Xiyan about the herb. cpFrxX

He…really questioned Qin Yuze? And it was likely that he was hurt, just like this, for it. Li Changyu’s heart ached as it pounded furiously against his chest. Was that kiss from Qin Yuze’s influence? Qin Yuze undid the simple tie of his robes and he snaked his hands into the collar, his intention to undress him obvious. Soft kisses trailed along his jaw, the soft and supple form pressed against him.

“Only I know how to make you happy,” he said, his hands moving to dangerous territory. Li Changyu still had his pants, which barely contained his straining erection. This foreplay was carrying on, and Qin Yuze behaved like this was a casual tryst between lovers, instead of the assault that it was. Fire thrummed through Li Changyu’s veins as his anger rose.

******************** END WARNING *******************

Qin Yuze had done this to Jin Xiyan, but he’d be damned if the venomous bitch would try anything with him. Not only for himself, but he was the temporary caretaker of Jin Xiyan’s body, and he would not let him be hurt any longer. He had to work fast in order to prevent anything from going further. dVNi8

With the only tools available to him, Li Changyu channeled the slight nausea he already experienced from the incense and drug pairing with his meridians in order to ignite a negative reaction. His stomach roiled and a chord in his heart twisted painfully tight until he finally vomited up blood. It landed between them, splattering their clothes and some even landing on Qin Yuze’s face.

“Tch!” Qin Yuze reeled back with his arm protecting his own face. His nose scrunched and his eyes burned with disgust. If he could, Li Changyu would spit the rest of the blood that lingered in his mouth on that pretty face.

Qin Yuze lifted off of him, the literal weight removed made Li Changyu sigh in relief. Qin Yuze pulled off Li Changyu’s now soiled robe and used that to wipe himself off. He looked down his nose at Li Changyu.

“Hmph. It must have been so long since you’ve been exposed to this incense, I may have put in too much.” R35WfH

Whatever excuse or logic Qin Yuze twisted, it worked. He redressed and crumpled up Li Changyu’s robe and hid it inside his long sleeves. Li Changyu tucked his legs underneath him and managed to get onto his knees. Qin Yuze ripped the sheets of the bed open and took Li Changyu’s elbow. The urge to hit Qin Yuze and push him away was just at the surface, but Li Changyu knew he had to play dumb. He was blessed, for Qin Yuze only rushed him into the bed and began to tuck him in.

In a perverse display of affection, Qin Yuze brushed the sweat slicked strands of hair that clung to his forehead. A chill ran through Li Changyu at the touch, and he visibly shuddered. He shut his eyes in order to avoid glaring at Qin Yuze and to pretend he had drifted off to sleep. The “dutiful” Wife proceeded to clean up the mess, wiping his mouth and face free of blood with a cloth that was at his bedside table. The tang of blood still clung to his tongue, but most of the evidence was probably gone now.

“You won’t remember this night,” Qin Yuze whispered to him in that same honeyed voice. “You drank your tea and went to bed feeling unwell. You might wake up with a headache.”

Qin Yuze kissed the tip of his nose, and bile threatened to come up. He could hear Qin Yuze fuss about and the hiss of water dousing the incense. He maintained the act that he fell asleep until he heard the telltale slide of the door shut. Li Changyu’s eyes flew open and he stared up at the dragon embroidered in the gauzy curtain that hung over the bed. srj504

What the fuck just happened? Li Changyu’s drugged mind reeled. He felt gross, physically and emotionally. Has this really been going on for over two years? How could Qin Yuze go unchecked for so long? Recalling the events, it was fairly simple to figure out how. Jin Xiyan’s manipulated trust in Qin Yuze made it so that he could do as he pleased. Su Ao left him alone so readily, but it was unlikely that it was from some wicked plan. Over time, Jin Xiyan’s assurance and faith in Qin Yuze was probably confirmation enough to those who attended Jin Xiyan that there would never be a reason to suspect Qin Yuze of anything. In their point of view, encouraged by this obviously hypnotized Jin Xiyan, what could his precious Huang Guifei ever do to him?

A lot, apparently. Guilt and anger swarmed together to form a knot that lodged into his stomach. He trembled under the covers, jittery though sleep did threaten to overtake him. He was conscious enough to come up with a personal mission for himself, and to vow two things:

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First, he would find a way to deal with Qin Yuze. He wanted to rip the man’s throat out, but doing so wouldn’t benefit him. He was Emperor, and could sentence Qin Yuze to death with a snap of his fingers, but Jin Xiyan was still in love. The death of Huang Guifei would look like a jealous retaliation and an abuse of power that would drive a wedge between him and Jin Xiyan. Li Changyu needed to take care and gather evidence, which meant that he’d have to approach Qian Jing. She would be key in exposing Qin Yuze. Second…

Li Changyu would have to do everything in his power to make sure that Jin Xiyan would not ever recover his memories. D1vyX

***RECAP***

Qin Yuze has been drugging Jin Xiyan with aphrodisiacs and hallucinogenic drugs since his injury. He has manipulated his memories, feelings, and assaulted him frequently, enough to ensure that Jin Xiyan’s real memories won’t break through. They have tried, several times, one of which occurred after the events in Chapter 17 & 18, where Li Changyu reveals the truth about the herb used to poison him. It is alluded to that Jin Xiyan confronted Qin Yuze, quite possibly some doubts exposed and memories creeping up, so Qin Yuze did one of his drugging sessions. It is possible that the kiss Jin Xiyan gave Qin Yuze may have been orchestrated by Qin Yuze as well.

Li Changyu managed to stop Qin Yuze from doing anything more by forcing himself to cough up blood and appear ill. Qin Yuze cleaned up the blood and put Li Changyu to bed, tried to hypnotize him again by saying he’d forget about what happened and left. Li Changyu knows he has to take care of Qin Yuze but has to do so carefully. He needs to get evidence of his crimes. He also wants to make sure Jin Xiyan will never regain his memories, because there is a risk that he’ll remember these assaults.

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Leave a Comment

31 comments

  1. Qin Yuze such a despicable bitch. Is having a puppet emperor her endgame or is there a higher goal

    Thank you for chapter

  2. Oh my gawwwwdddd… I knew this was gonna happen later but daaaaammnn Qin Yuze daaaaaammmnn what the fuckkkkk..YEET- i didnt expect tht it was this bad.. also why you dont want JXY to remember all this..he better remember it tho imo.. anywaysss yumny chappie thamk ⁽⁽ଘ( ˊᵕˋ )ଓ⁾⁾

  3. At least LC know that JX do care and that QY is such a bastard even changed the memory.. Can he die soon.. Is he together with that bastard uncle and brother of JX

  4. Thank you for the chapter and 🎄Merry Christmas🎄

    On a serious note: Qin Yuze needs to go, her seat in hell has been empty for far too long. Hopefully Jin Xiyan will believe Li Changyu when the evidence is found. Better yet, LCY should make JXY hide in the room before Qin Yuze’s next visit so he sees the demon he has been sleeping with

    😡😡

  5. I want Jin Xiyan to remember every single assault even though it might be painful. He deserves the truth…I guess I don’t love him like Lin Changyu. I hope Qin Yuze gets everything that he deserves. The audacity to poison and rape a whole emperor!!

  6. Thank you so much for this chapter. Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

    Wow , Qin Yuze is disgusting and so glad Li Changyu knows that hubby just needs help and protection.

  7. First of all, why is everyone protecting this grown man?? Let him remember. Kmt. He needs to come face to face with his stupidity. Second of all, Boss LC is really top tier. Diabolical plan? Evaded. I feel like this is deeper than this though, LC needs to be suspicious of everyone again.

  8. I keep getting choked up that the younger generations recognize this behavior as assault. The fact that Li Changyu would rather protect Jin Xiyan from the memories than vindicate himself has got me completely melted! Qin Yuze’s disapproval and speculation that he used too much incense makes it painfully clear that he doesn’t need to monitor himself around Jin Xiyan. Ugh – the arrogance! Maybe Third Uncle will throw him under the bus to save himself. Thanks for updating during such a busy time.

  9. When i get my hands on this Qin Yuze it’s over. Execute him soon pls also tho i feel a bit bad for what JXY had to go trough, it doesnt excuse his behaviour towards LCY so i’m still vouching for a divorce