“Let’s load it up!”
Servants bustled around Jin Xiyan, each with arms laden with items that they set inside carts for their caravan to the hunting grounds. Tents, weapons, food and other camping gear were stacked high on each of them. Jin Xiyan was surprised that Li Changyu was taking him along, but he welcomed it. He enjoyed the Autumn Hunt every year, as it was one of the few times he could be out and away from the Palace and capital.
Jin Xiyan stood awkwardly by the carriage that was assigned to him. Shen Pei had gone off to help Li Changyu with something, so he was left alone with Bowen while Meimei made sure everything was packed. He was thankful that the tigers were not coming, because they would likely have to ride with him, and they still weren’t too friendly towards him.
“Is there anything else you need, Changyu?” asked Bowen, who stood at his side.
“Ah, no thank you, Bowen. May you check with the driver to see when we are leaving?”
“We are waiting for Song Rushen, since he will be riding with us. As soon as he arrives, we can set off.”
He nodded to Bowen’s explanation. Jin Xiyan had grown accustomed to the very familiar nature that Li Changyu’s servants behaved. After seeing Li Changyu and his Family, he could tell that it was obvious that they did not put their station above anyone else in civilian life. They were not like noble or other martial Families that postured or put on airs. It was…refreshing. With the promise that some of them would be coming along, Jin Xiyan strangely found himself eager for that.
With nothing else to do but stand there and wait, Jin Xiyan rocked back on his heels and looked around. Since he arrived at the plaza before the Palace Gate, he noticed that the others around him treated him very differently. Jin Xiyan found that most people avoided his gaze or stared at him before quickly looking away when he noticed. It did not feel like the typical way servants behaved around him when he was Emperor, which was often out of fear, respect, nervousness, or a combination. They seemed to look at him – or rather, Li Changyu – like he was an oddity or something in a zoo. Some were obviously whispering amongst each other, only to part when they passed by.
The Li Changyu that he thought he knew would not care about this, but he did not know if that was still the case now. How could anyone be okay with this? But of course, that brought to light an even bigger issue. Jin Xiyan sighed. Do I even really know him then? So far, all signs pointed to no. Despite his best efforts to try and gain as much information as he could, Li Changyu was still a mystery. It—
A prickling sensation at the back of his neck made the hair stand on end. Jin Xiyan stiffened and the eerie feeling that he was being watched nagged at him. While it was true that he was keenly aware of how the others were looking at him, this sense of foreboding didn’t exist until now. Jin Xiyan scanned around the small crowd, his eyes not lingering too long on any particular figure until he turned and met…his Brother, Jin Ai, who stared directly at him.
Jin Xiyan blinked in surprise. Jin Ai’s expression was indiscernible, but it was evident he was staring at him. Jin Ai was his direct biological Brother, but they were far from close. He was rather crass and vain, but growing up Jin Ai just ignored him and never outwardly antagonized him. He never feared his Brother, but even after realizing it was him, the feeling did not go away. It clung to him and crept across his skin, making him shiver.
A dark mass stepped before Jin Xiyan, blocking his view of his Brother. He blinked and stepped back in alarm while Bowen bowed.
“G-greetings to His Majesty, long live his reign,” Bowen said, managing to not stutter too badly. Jin Xiyan blinked again to regain his senses and looked up to see Li Changyu. He was in front of him, partially facing Jin Xiyan, but his head was turned to look at Jin Ai. Though he acknowledged Bowen’s greeting with a terse okay, Li Changyu’s hardened stare was focused on Jin Ai. The intensity in his Empress’ gaze could cut a man in half. Seeing this, Jin Xiyan was reminded of Li Changyu’s words shortly after they had switched bodies.
“…don’t go anywhere near Jin Ai.”
Beyond the obvious that Jin Ai may have been able to tell their ruse, something clearly happened. Jin Xiyan’s eyes traveled from Li Changyu back to his Brother, providing his own scrutinizing look.
I will have to get to the bottom of this, later.
“I forgot he was part of the guest list,” Li Changyu muttered, turning his attention to Jin Xiyan now. He lifted a hand and pinched one of Jin Xiyan’s cheeks roughly, “Remember, be good and stay close to me.”
Jin Xiyan winced and grimaced. He lightly slapped Li Changyu’s hand, “Do not touch me like that, it is embarrassing.”
Instead of answering, Li Changyu just smirked. To Bowen, he nodded. “We are just waiting for Concubine Song?”
“Your Majesty,” a familiar, tentative voice called out from behind them. Each of them turned in unison, seeing that it was Song Rushen. He was in a simple yellow robe, more fitting for a tea banquet than a hunting trip, and a cloak worn so thin that the edges were fraying.
“Your Majesty,” Song Rushen repeated again, this time with a bow. “This one apologizes for the delay.”
Li Changyu beamed at Song Rushen, “Nonsense! A little thing like you could hardly hold up an entire caravan.”
Li Changyu approached Song Rushen and took a light hold of his arms to help him rise. He then slid his arm lightly around Song Rushen’s waist, fingering the fabric of the cloak. Jin Xiyan’s eyes narrowed at the point of contact, the tart taste of vinegar just on the tip of his tongue. Li Changyu was naturally affectionate, it seemed. Song Rushen was equally taken aback at the gesture, his brows lifted and pink colored the bridge of his nose and cheeks.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“Aiya,” Li Changyu sighed. “This will not do. You will be much too cold in the carriage even with a heater.”
They parted, just barely, just enough that Li Changyu could unclasp his own long red cloak and slip it off his shoulders. He whirled it around Song Rushen and delicately placed it on the concubine, clasping it at the hollow of Song Rushen’s throat. Li Changyu adjusted the collar and smoothed his hands over it, straightening it before giving Song Rushen’s shoulders a soft squeeze.
Jin Xiyan hated it.
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.
Song Rushen’s lips parted, but there was no response. His eyes flickered over to Jin Xiyan and his jaw snapped shut. He turned his head away from Li Changyu and murmured.
“Many thanks to Your Majesty’s generosity.” He followed with a quick bow, “How may this wife serve Your Majesty and His Highness?”
“You may ride on Zhen’s carriage with Su Ao,” Li Changyu nodded to the direction at the head of the caravan. “It is much more comfortable there, and you can take care of it for me.”
Jin Xiyan frowned, “Then where will y–Your Majesty ride?”
“Well…” Li Changyu snapped his fingers and Su Ao appeared with another cloak, this one black with mink fur lining. Jin Xiyan remembered that Qin Yuze gifted this to him. Li Changyu bent forward and tucked a finger under Jin Xiyan’s chin and forcibly tilted it up to meet their gaze. “Where else would Zhen be but to keep an eye on Our Empress?”
Despite himself, Jin Xiyan flushed at Li Changyu’s words. Though it was his voice and his face, Jin Xiyan could hear Li Changyu’s teasing, mischievously seductive tone. He reacted on instinct as himself, but perhaps it was enough like Li Changyu that it would be believable behavior.
He pushed Li Changyu’s hand away and muttered, “Shameless!” before turning towards the steps at the carriage and quickly entering it to seek some security from his embarrassment. He could hear words being exchanged between Song Rushen and Li Changyu, and Jin Xiyan rubbed his chest where a burn had begun in the center of it. Ba-dum, ba-dum.
The carriage shifted when a new weight came aboard and the curtain opened with a fierce slap. Li Changyu looked at him with a bemused grin after he startled. He entered and sat across from Jin Xiyan, landing hard enough on his seat to rattle the carriage. Jin Xiyan thought he hid his annoyance well enough, but guessing by Li Changyu’s chuckle, he wasn’t successful. Li Changyu perched a foot on the bench Jin Xiyan was sitting on and leaned back. Crossing his arms, Jin Xiyan turned his head away.
“Mmm?” Li Changyu looked around. “Are we already in the city streets?”
Frowning, Jin Xiyan turned back and asked, “What?”
“I smell something particularly sour,” Li Changyu made a show of peeking out the window on his side with a smirk. “I could have sworn we rode past a street seller making buns.”
Jin Xiyan pushed Li Changyu’s foot away with a huff. That made Li Changyu throw his head back with a laugh. Jin Xiyan kept his mouth shut until it died down.
“How dare you flirt with him in front of me?” he whispered, but it came out more like a hiss between his teeth.
“Flirt?” Li Changyu tilted his head. He kept his voice low as well, but it didn’t hide his amusement. “Trust me, I am not attracted to Song Rushen. I’m pretending to be you, remember?”
“…”
“If I remember correctly, you like Song Rushen. Even slept with them a few times.”
“…!”
“So what is wrong with showing him favor? Let him enjoy some luxury.” Li Changyu shrugged like it was all no big deal.
The question leapt from Jin Xiyan’s mouth before he could think better of it, “And you are not jealous?”
“Of your harem? Why would I be?” Li Changyu blinked. “I don’t control the harem, and I understand that it is your duty to have a full, prosperous harem. I have no standing, so what would be the point in being jealous?”
Again, Li Changyu said this all very matter of factly. The vinegar turned into a bitter taste that did not sit well with Jin Xiyan’s stomach. Was he jealous, or was he upset that Li Changyu wasn’t jealous? He hated the infighting in harems, especially when he saw how it endangered his siblings growing up, so he wouldn’t have actively encouraged it, per say. But…
Jin Xiyan’s shoulders slumped and he curled up tighter inside his cloak. Looking at Li Changyu, who took a pillow and rested it in the corner so he could lean on, he thought to himself; Would it be so hard for him to show he cared for me? Jin Xiyan reminded himself of Li Changyu’s harsh words about being a discarded Empress, and he hung his head even lower.
There was a sudden bustle of activity outside, and someone shouted, “Jiya!” and the carriage rolled on, carrying them to the hunting grounds.
————
“Baby Brother!”
Jin Xiyan was plucked off the carriage before he could even put a foot on the little steps that Bowen set down. He was flung over a big, beefy shoulder and swung around. He let out a cry, a wave of sickness flooding him, but thankfully he was put down before it could overtake him. He did not have a chance to collect himself before a set of strong arms pulled him in for a fierce hug.
“That is Your Empress that you are manhandling,” said Li Changyu, stepping out of the carriage.
Li Jiuxing let go and went to attention. He bowed forward, “Your Majesty! This…this subject–”
“Alright, alright. Rise,” Li Changyu raised his hand to Li Jiuxing, but quickly pulled it back. He cleared his throat. “We are family, and it is to be a festive occasion. No need to stand on ceremony.”
Jin Xiyan waited for Li Jiuxing to rise before asking, “Where’s Fa–er, Papa?”
“Ah, he is with the rest of the family. Julong’s cousins came, but I have even better news!” Li Jiuxing beamed at Li Changyu first, who was flat faced, and he faltered. He turned his smile to Jin Xiyan, chuckling nervously, “The Li Elder sent his son and grandson to visit!”
“Eh!” Li Changyu’s eyebrow twitched and he stood up a bit straighter. He loudly clapped Li Jiuxing on the back, “Wonderful, wonderful! Loyal Brother-in-law, send word to the Empress’ family that Zhen has arrived.”
Li Jiuxing’s smile looked a little less strained and he bobbed his head at Li Changyu. “Sure, sure!” To Jin Xiyan, Li Jiuxing rubbed his knuckles against the top of his head.
Wincing, Jin Xiyan tried to duck out of it, but it did not last long, and Li Jiuxing jogged away. A tight grip covered his shoulder and yanked him back, and again he was spun around, now to face Li Changyu. Li Changyu crouched to eye level with him.
“We have to run and hide right now.”
“W-what?” Jin Xiyan blinked. Li Changyu grabbed his hand and started walking. Too surprised at the sudden reversal, he didn’t resist at first. “What are you talking about?”
Li Changyu answered him without looking back, heading straight to the treeline that surrounded the wide plain where the Imperial Family made camp. “If His Majesty didn’t want to kill this subject before, you will after you meet the main branch of Li’s.”
“Nonsense!” Jin Xiyan dug his heels in the ground this time and made Li Changyu stop. “How dare you say such a thing?!”
Li Changyu did stop, but still did not look at him. His shoulders rose and fell with a heavy, exaggerated sigh, and he dropped Jin Xiyan’s hand. Turning, Li Changyu rubbed his left temple and spoke.
“The main branch of the Family comes from Jiangshen, the furthest border city next to the fortress. The Li’s have always defended the border for generations.” Li Changyu heaved another sigh. So far, the explanation was lacking. “The reason there is a branch of the Li’s in the Capital is because of my Great Grandfather. He was the Brother of our Elder, who is still alive.”
Jin Xiyan waited for more, but he received none. He stepped up to Li Changyu and prodded him in the chest.
“Well?”
Li Changyu glanced at him then rolled his eyes up to the sky. “I hoped they wouldn’t be made aware of our marriage for maybe a year or more. It is likely they heard about everything that happened so far, and…well…” Li Changyu lowered his eyes to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. “They are loud, rough people from the mountains. They are…likely to offend Your Majesty.”
This consideration, be it for Jin Xiyan himself or his family, touched Jin Xiyan. He tilted his head to get into Li Changyu’s line of sight. He smiled softly, “Any more than you have offended Zhen before?”
Li Changyu’s brows dropped into a scowl, then he looked away with a haughty lift of his chin. “Hmph! Well, as long as His Majesty remembers their words and doesn’t sentence nine generations of us to death.”
Jin Xiyan’s smile didn’t fade. He slid his hand into Li Changyu’s cloak to find his nearest hand. Li Changyu froze, but it didn’t deter Jin Xiyan. He pushed his fingers against Li Changyu’s clenched fist until they opened and he threaded their fingers together. He held their clasped hand between them. Li Changyu looked at their joined hands with a slight frown then looked Jin Xiyan in the eye. The unreadable expression in them made Jin Xiyan want to avert his gaze, but he willed himself not to.
“Stop making jokes about killing you,” he chided gently. “You and your Family have defended us countless times. I will not let a few harsh words change my mind.” Jin Xiyan rubbed a thumb over Li Changyu’s knuckle. “We already died once…I would not want you to suffer that fate again.”
“There you are!”
Both their heads turned back towards the camp at the sound of Li Jiuxing’s shout. His Brother-in-law led Li Beidou, Li Guangzhu, and two other men, to them. Li Guangzhu’s eyes went directly to their joined hands and he cleared his throat loudly, enough so that the other men looked at him. They looked down in unison to their hands and Li Changyu let go and leapt back. He swiveled on his heel to face the rest of his family, a strained smile on his lips when all of them bowed and hailed to him as the Emperor.
Jin Xiyan was unsure how well Li Changyu knew the members of the main branch. He thought that defaulting to being overly polite to two such influential family members was the best route. He bowed to the older of the two men.
“It is good that my cousins could come,” he said, cupping his hands to the two other Li’s.
Li Changyu did the same, “Zhen welcomes Our Family Empress’ kin.”
The younger one, who could have passed as Li Beidou’s twin save for the slightly different shape of his eyes and their dark color, cupped his hands again and bowed to them both again.
“This subject does not know if His Highness remembers us, it has been many years since we have seen one another.”
Jin Xiyan stepped up to touch the man’s elbows, “Please, we are family, there is no need for etiquette outside the palace. As for remembering, well…”
He looked to Li Beidou and Li Guangzhu for help, and it was the former that came in for the rescue. Li Beidou stepped up beside Jin Xiyan and patted him on the shoulder.
“Cousin, you will have to excuse His Highness,” Li Beidou glanced at Li Changyu before continuing, “There has been an accident, and Li Changyu is still recovering his memories.”
“Hmph!” In a nearly identical move to his Wife, the older man turned his head with his nose to the air defiantly. His hair was a dark gray, like the black of it was stubbornly resisting age, and pulled into a bun. He had a scraggly patch of hair on his chin that hung a few inches past it, and the thinnest of mustaches. His armor was well worn and had knicks from battle. One would not be able to tell by his demeanor that he was from Royal Grandmother’s generation.
The younger shot a glare at the elder, then re-addressed Jin Xiyan. “This one is Li Yang, and this is my Father, Li Yunxi. We have not seen you since you were quite young, so do not worry. We brought gifts for you, as we could not bring any to your wedding day. There are some nourishing herbs among them that may help.”
“I can not thank you enough for your kind–”
“Well, it is the least we could do!” Li Yunxi interrupted, his scratchy voice raised, “It appears the Palace must be lacking in resources if its own Empress must look to his Family!”
Oh, this is what he meant. Jin Xiyan bit his lip to keep from smiling as the similarities between the elder Li was to his Li Changyu. He tilted his head back to look up at Li Changyu expectantly. Li Changyu pursed his lips like he tasted something sour then eased his expression with a slight chuckle.
“Zhen is thankful that our Empress is cared for by his Family. His Highness prefers his Mother to attend to him, and–”
Li Yunxi interrupted again, “Of course we care for him! He is the first omega born in over fifteen generations!” He smacked a hand onto Jin Xiyan’s shoulder. Jin Xiyan would have fallen if it wasn’t for the rough grip of the old man. “Our Elder says that he is most auspicious, and he carries the Li honor well!”
Li Changyu frowned and didn’t say anything further, so Jin Xiyan took control of the conversation. Smiling, he reached up to pat Li Yunxi’s shoulder.
“You all traveled so far. Let us rest before we go hunting. Jiuxing,” he called, and the large Brother popped up. “Please bring them to the quartermaster so they may be assigned a tent first.”
Li Jiuxing bobbed his head and did as asked, ushering his two relatives along by slinging his arms over their shoulders and walking between them.
When the other two Li’s were out of earshot, Li Changyu said, “I have something to discuss with Guangzhu. Papa,” Li Changyu jerked his chin towards Jin Xiyan, “Can you watch over him?”
The Brothers did not wait for a response from their Father before turning around and walking towards the treeline. Jin Xiyan watched their retreat until Li Beidou spoke.
“About what my relatives said, Your Majesty…”
Jin Xiyan shook his head and raised a hand, “Li Yunxi’s words are not anything worse than what your Son has said.”
“Changyu…” Li Beidou ran a hand over his face, a weariness in his eyes though his lips were in a soft smile. “If that is the case, then he should be doubly scolded.”
He shook his head once more and pulled his gaze away from Li Beidou. He hugged himself underneath his cloak and rubbed his arms, feeling a chill even though he was warm.
“I owe your Son a debt,” he explained carefully, unsure of what to share. “The Li’s will forever have my gratitude, even if they may not approve of me just yet.”
He felt a weight on top of his head, bringing his focus back to Li Beidou. The man had patted him gently, his wide, rough palm smoothed his hair back. To the real Li Changyu, he may have thought the gesture patronizing or childish, and grumbled. But to Jin Xiyan, it was a tiny bit of affection that was foreign but not unwanted. He tilted his head back to look up at Li Beidou, feeling a strange sense of deja vu. In his mind’s eye, an image of what he assumed to be a younger Li Beidou overlapped with the real man. It was at the very same angle, as if Jin Xiyan had to have been this height to have seen…whatever this was. A memory? The sky behind him was sunny, not cloudy like it was today, but he could not take in anymore detail as the vision disappeared in a blur.
Snapping out of it, Jin Xiyan pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not have a headache, but there was a slight pressure that built up behind his eyes that came on suddenly that caught him off guard.
Li Beidou pulled his hand away and dipped his head. “My apologies. Seeing you in his body, I–”
“No, no,” Jin Xiyan rushed to dismiss his apology. “It was–”
He was about to say that it was welcomed, but sudden screams and shouts stopped their conversation entirely. Without having to say a word to one another, both men ran back towards the camp towards the commotion. Dozens of horses had escaped the temporary pen made of posts and rope, with some of them bucking wildly and thrashing about. Guards were rushing around to gather the animals, and naturally shouted above the neighs and cries, but the loudest of all was of a rider on a stallion. It was–Jin Xiyan’s heart leapt to his throat.
“Bowen!”
So excited to read this! Thanks so much!
You are welcome! I hope you’re enjoying the ride so far 😉
Good luck hiding your vinegar face from its previous owner 😂. Welcome to harem life from the inside! I think Li Beidou instinctively knew Jin Xiyan needed a reassuring touch, and I don’t think it’s because he’s in Li Changyu’s body. Lots of progress in this chapter – I love it!
Are you forgiving our emperor a teensie bit?
I mean, Li Beidou’s opinion does carry a lot of weight 😏
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️
You are welcome!
Wonder what will happen next..
Thanks for the chapter 🥰🥰
You are most welcome!
More Jin Xiyan vinegar! With a side of familia affection, round out those emotions.
Bowen! Who bullied him 😡
Thank you for chapter
I heard from some people that Li Yunxi is the new OP
Thanks for the chapter! LCY family is the best!🥰😍
You are very welcome and I hope you liked it!
Okay….OKAY. The hand holding was a cute gesture on JXY’s part. Hmpt.
What the hell is going on with the horses? Another harem scheme this far out??
sloooowly pries shoes out of your hands
Shoes?? I don’t throw shoes. I throw hands!! JXY better watch out~ 💪💪😤
But at the same time, it was a cute gesture. I think being around the LI fam is going to help him in more ways than he realizes. He will be more sincere in his feelings and have better communication with LCY, I hope.
I feel the one JXY has to impress with the redemption arc is you, not his Wife 😣
Thanks for the chapter ❤️❤️☺️
You are most welcome!!
sniff sniff enn, smells like a huge tank of vinegar… Songsong is cute tho-
GASPPP JXY STARTING TO REMEMBER SMTH- 👀
hope nothing happen to Bowen pls🙏🏻
Thamkk for the chappie, domdomm-sama ⁽⁽ଘ( ˊᵕˋ )ଓ⁾⁾
Shiiiiro <33 you are very welcome and I always love your comments they are fun.
I finally have time to read!! Gosh work was so hectic since december..
I like how JXY feel jealous hehehe. I enjoy tormenting him a bit. LolThank you for the chapter!