“I’m going to kill him.”
Jin Xiyan and Li Wangshu reached out to grab at Li Changyu as he rose up from the table. With one on each arm, the two of them managed to keep Li Changyu from getting up past his knees. The poor Daoist fell backward in his cushion from the force of the killing intent that radiated off the Emperor – Empress? It was hard for the poor man to keep track at this moment since he feared for his life!
Li Wangshu came to his paying lover’s defense, “It is a perfectly valid suggestion!”
“Oh really, dear Cousin?” said Li Changyu, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I will see if it still is valid after I have his head!”
“Li Changyu!” grunted Jin Xiyan. The effort to keep him back was tremendous, and it was credited to Li Changyu’s body that he could even do it at all. “It’s inauspicious to kill him!”
“He hardly seems like a devotee when he is here spending his money away on vices!”
“H-h-hey…who said I had any money?”
Three heads turned to the Daoist – the most sinister of expressions came over Li Wangshu.
The omega let go of Li Changyu and crawled back around to his original side of the table, toward the Daoist. “I thought you said you were paid for an exorcism just two days ago…”
The Daoist righted himself and his throat bobbed with an audible gulp. “Y-y-yes, but…”
“And you still owe me for last week, and for the game you lost…”
The beta winced under Li Wangshu’s fiery gaze. “This…this is all true, but…I lost all my earnings…”
“How?!”
“…gambling on horses.”
It was Li Changyu that caught Li Wangshu mid-air when he launched himself at the Daoist. The man cowered on the ground once again as Li Wangshu stretched his arms out and clawed at the air to get him.
“Let this one kill him, Li Changyu! I will surely get vengeance for us both!”
“Sit back down!” Li Changyu shoved Li Wangshu into a nearby cushion, away from the Daoist. By the omega’s glare and gnashing teeth, he looked even more murderous towards the Daoist than Li Changyu had been just moments earlier.
Maybe it is true that you should not come between a brothel worker and their money? Jin Xiyan mused on this until his thoughts were pulled to the here and now by a loud shout.
“What!” cried Li Changyu. Jin Xiyan followed where Li Changyu’s attention was.
A head poking out of a potted bush spoke, “I said, that explains a lot.”
Then a second one popped out to the left of the first, looking identical to the first but his hair was long with a few leaves stuck to it. “Yeah, we thought you were behaving rather suspiciously.”
Miraculously, a third did the same at the right. His hair was excessively messy, and the twig poking out from it looked at home in the nest of hair. He wore the same bored expression of the other two.
“Who knew this entire time you were our Cousin?”
Li Changyu thumped his fist on the top of each head. The identical trio each gave a wail in protest before stumbling out of the potted bush. Jin Xiyan stared at the scene, blinking rapidly. He could not understand how three teenage looking betas fit inside the bush, or how they hid so successfully. The leafy branches did not look any worse for wear, either.
“Cousin my ass!” Li Changyu growled, then he shot a glare at Li Wangshu. Gesturing to them with a sweep of his arm, he asked, “Did you put them up to this?”
Li Wangshu shook his head, “Don’t look at me. I thought they were in the Palace.”
“The Palace?” Jin Xiyan frowned. “Why would these…” How could one describe a set of triplets that were hiding out in a bush? “…gentlemen…be at the Palace?”
It was Li Changyu that explained, “I have enlisted their help in figuring out a few things related to our deaths. They are supposed to be physicians. The only reason I trusted them is because they apprenticed under my Mother, and that this idiot is their Brother.” Li Changyu stuck a thumb towards Li Wangshu.
“Brother?” Li Wangshu scrunched up his nose, his fiery stare now at the betas. “You three are just little gutter rats taken in that eat me out of house and business. Who is your Brother?!”
“And who is your Cousin? Hmph!”
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 crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away with a huff. The Daoist looked relieved that the conversation had shifted to the Brothers, so Jin Xiyan kept it on them, for now. Facing the triplets, he nodded to them in acknowledgement.
“Though this is an unusual way to meet, I want to commend you three for your assistance.”
Two of the three finished picking leaves out of their hair and clothes, but the disheveled one paid no mind. One had their hair in a tight bun, while the one in the middle kept their hair long and in a half bun. They shared a look with one another before giving a curt bow – but the one in the bun had to the dusty-looking one on the back for him to bend forward.
“Greetings to the Emperor, long live the Emperor,” two said in unison, while the third mumbled in off pace. “…live the Emperor..”
“Now that you three know, you better keep it quiet. Why are you even here, anyway?”
“Li Jiyu speaking,” said the one with his hair in a bun. He had a sharp, no-nonsense expression. “We followed His Majes–er, His Highness to report on the poison used on His Majesty’s tea.”
Both Jin Xiyan and Li Changyu shared a look. Wordlessly, Jin Xiyan gave a nod of approval. The pretty, scholar-ly looking one spoke next.
“I am Li Huayu. The cup His Highness gave had traces of Calming the Warrior.”
“It really was Calming the Warrior?” asked the Daoist, apparently familiar with the herb.
Jin Xiyan did not know about it, so he was forced to ask, “Can you explain further?”
“It’s a grass like weed.” Li Changyu frowned and touched his chin in thought. “We see it on the plains in the Northern Border. It’s called Calming the Warrior because nervous soldiers often chew a little bit before a battle. It settles the heart.”
“But in large doses, it can slow the heart too much. Chewing gives a very mild dose, even eating it does not cause too much problem. But brewing it activates the herb tremendously, and the dose in a small clump is heightened a hundred fold.”
And because he was awake reading reports, Jin Xiyan would normally have about three cups of tea. With that much of a dose… “So I died because my heart stopped…”
Li Changyu’s voice lowered to a dark timbre, “And it’s a convenient herb to use. Who else but a soldier and child of a Physician know about Calming the Warrior?”
Jin Xiyan recalled the night he woke up in Li Changyu’s body. Shen Pei claimed he – or rather, Li Changyu – had written a suicide note confessing that he had poisoned the Emperor. With the note, the suicide, and the herb as evidence, it was more than enough to condemn the Li Family.
Whoever plotted this has thought of every angle…this worried Jin Xiyan the most, because it meant Li Changyu’s extreme caution was warranted. The more his concern grew, the tighter Jin Xiyan balled up his fists.
“Li’s or not, they can be trusted, yes?” At Li Changyu’s reluctant nod, Jin Xiyan’s decision was now made. Understanding he was in good hands, an unnoticed knot in his heart loosened. He addressed the triplets once more, “If you are to be Imperial Physicians, I would ask that you act as testers during my Son’s birthday banquet. But instead of poison, you must make sure that there are no shellfish in the food.”
“Shellfish? Haohao is allergic?”
“Yes, and it is no surprise that this information must be kept secret.”
Bedhead stuck a pinky in his ear and wiggled it around. “Then why are you telling us?”
“Zhenyu!” Hissed his two Brothers, both elbowing that one in the chest. Li Zhenyu looked unphased.
“Well, for one,” he arched a brow at Li Changyu. “I learned that my primary Physician was demoted.”
“Err, um…” Li Changyu rubbed the back of his neck and avoided his gaze. “He was suspicious and immediately blamed me when I woke up in your body. He needed to be dealt with!”
“And he was the only physician to know about Xiao Hao,” he said as he extended his arm and swept it towards the triplets. “These three can act as his replacement.”
“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but does this position of being your Primary Physicians come with a…” Li Huayu looked at his Brothers before finishing, “…bigger salary?”
“Certainly.”
The three chimed together in unison, “Sold!”
“Haaa…” sighed Li Changyu. He ran a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. To him, this meant even more problems were stacking up in the palace. After another sigh, Li Changyu dropped his hand and motioned for Jin Xiyan. “Let us go, we are finished here.”
“W-wait!” Li Wangshu rose from the table, his hand reaching out for Li Changyu, who whirled on him with an accusatory finger.
“When he,” his finger moved to the Daoist. The beta’s neck sunk into his shoulders like a turtle trying to go back into his shell, “comes up with a better solution, then you will get paid.”
With that, Li Changyu did a full about-face and marched out of the room. Jin Xiyan stood up and nodded towards the group that gave their goodbyes in a proper bow. Following Li Changyu out the door, Jin Xiyan had to keep his pace quick in order to match Li Changyu’s stride.
They walked down the grand staircase and entered the once bustling main floor. This time all the action was to one corner of the room, a small mass of people huddled together. The shaking of dice could be heard amongst the lively shouts. As the royal couple drew near, they could make out the chant that came over the crowd.
“Hao! Hao! Hao!”
Jin Xiyan and Li Changyu shared a look before he stepped forward to wedge himself between some people. Jin Xiyan struggled until Li Changyu clasped the shoulders of the two large men in front of them and shoved them firmly aside. This cleared a path for them to get to the center, which was quite the scene to behold.
Little Jin Haoran sat content in Su Ao’s lap, eagerly shaking the cup of dice that was too large for his hands. Su Ao looked dazed and half passed out, rouge kisses peppered all over his face and neck. Seated on either side of them were brothel workers enthusiastically cheering the young boy on. Jin Haoran slapped the cup on the table and revealed a winning die! The man opposite Jin Haoran stomped his foot and cursed, but it was drowned out by the roar of excitement that erupted all around them.
By the looks of it, Jin Haoran had collected quite a large pile of winnings. Silver shatter, paper bills, and a few taels were scattered around the table in front of Jin Haoran. Li Changyu nudged Jin Xiyan and motioned to Jin Haoran. Understanding his Wife, Jin Xiyan stepped forward and reached for Jin Haoran and lifted him up with a hand under each arm. An audible ‘awww!’ in protest broke out. Just as Jin Xiyan brought his Son close to his chest, Li Changyu gathered a bit of the winnings in one large hand and threw it into the air. Money rained down around them, allowing the Family of three to slip away. Those that just lost their entertainment now had a new goal: Get! That! Money!
They managed to escape the dog pile that ensued as everyone scrambled for a piece. Li Changyu placed a protective arm around Jin Xiyan as he guided him out of the building and to their nondescript carriage. Shen Pei was seated as the driver, and once they were loaded, she only had to whistle to get the horses going.
Li Changyu listened attentively as Jin Haoran recounted his version of their little adventure to them. Jin Xiyan was only half-listening, his mind wandering between thinking he should scold his youngest Son for gambling, then straying to more upsetting thoughts.
Did Li Changyu really think I would send poison to him?
And what exactly went on in the Cold Palace after they had died? His mind replayed the memory of Shen Pei saying she had taken him down from a rafter, a crudely made noise tied right around his neck. His hand went to his collarbone, his throat suddenly sore.
What about the—
The jerk of the carriage’s stop yanked him out of his inner thoughts and to the present.
“Shh, shh,” Li Changyu whispered. Jin Xiyan opened his mouth to respond, thinking the utterance was for him, but he saw a sight that made his words stop short.
Li Changyu held a sleeping little Xiao Hao, who almost woke up from their arrival. At Li Changyu’s gentle coaxing, Jin Haoran’s heavy eyelids shut once more. Li Changyu was oblivious to Jin Xiyan’s stare, his own eyes downcast with a hint of a smile that could be seen from the firelight that streamed through the curtained window. It was a domestic but serene sight, even though it was eerie to observe his own body doing it.
As quickly Jin Xiyan took in the scene, it ended just as fast with Li Changyu leaving through the curtained back after Shen Pei held it aside. Jin Xiyan followed though he declined Shen Pei’s offer to help him down. He instantly regretted it when he landed hard and unsteadily on his feet. When he caught himself and stood upright, he found himself face to face with an angry Nanny Song.
The glare she cast at him could scorch the earth. A heavy sigh fell from Jin Xiyan’s lips. Haaa…Blaming me, instead of the real instigator. In the Nanny’s defense, the real Empress did come up with such a plan and he would be the one to bear the people’s opinions on the matter. If he tried to correct them that the “Emperor” had decided on this little excursion, he doubted that they would care and still blame him. Instead of arguing, he went to Jin Haoran who was now passed over to the Nanny.
He gently stroked some stray hair away from the sleeping boy’s forehead then stepped back. As the Nanny walked away, he looked left, then right, and then to Li Changyu.
“Where is Su Ao?”
What neither of them remembered was that the poor eunuch was left abandoned at the brothel. Furthermore, they did not know that a certain hidden guard had followed their little crew, knew of this, and would bring Su Ao home much, much later.
Li Changyu looked around in the same manner then to Jin Xiyan. He answered with a shrug. “I don’t know. Shen Pei can be your escort if you–”
Jin Xiyan held up a hand, “That is alright. We are in the Inner Palace, it is certainly safe for me to walk.”
His Wife arched a brow at that but shrugged again and said, “Fine. I will see you on Xiao Hao’s birthday.”
Before Li Changyu could turn away, Jin Xiyan reached out. “Cha–Your Majesty, I…”
Li Changyu stopped and faced Jin Xiyan. His gaze was neutral, but always with the perpetual furrow in his brow. Now that they locked eyes, Jin Xiyan once again found himself at a loss for words.
After a beat, Jin Xiyan conceded and gave a nod, “I wanted to wish you a good night.”
“Oh…” Li Changyu shifted his weight from foot to foot and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…you too.”
They awkwardly parted ways like strangers with him bowing to Li Changyu. Both of them turned away from one another and walked to their respective locations – Li Changyu back to the Palace, and Jin Xiyan to Phoenix Palace. However, when he passed Maple Hall (where First Brother lives) and reached the moon gate to the Empress’ Phoenix Palace, his feet did not stop. Following the marble lined path, he moved deeper into the Inner Palace and passed several residences until he was at the very edge of the Western Wall that surrounded it. There, tucked in the corner, was the dilapidated wooden gate that led to the Cold Palace.
At this height, he felt small like a young child again. So naturally, his childish fears of the place crept back up. He stared up at the once golden lettered sign that read Palace of Wide Guidance. It had been generations since this became the Cold Palace, so he could not recall which Emperor let it get to this condition. However, he remembered his Father’s words on the matter.
One of his Emperor Father’s concubines had been stripped to a plain, itchy robe and was being dragged through the open gate of the Cold Palace. She cried out to the Emperor, arms outstretched to him as she pleaded. The young Jin Xiyan stood at the entrance alongside his Emperor Father much in the way he did now. He held the hand of his Nanny tightly.
In a very matter of fact tone, the then Emperor explained, “This is a place for a consort or concubine to reflect on their behavior.” His expression looked undisturbed as he watched the scene. “Concubines are expendable, but consorts and their connections to the court are often vital. No matter which they are, this is the best and most honorable punishment for them to be sent here for a time.”
“What…what about Empresses?” What compelled him to ask then, he would never know.
The Emperor looked down at his Crown Prince. The smile on his face was one of a parent indulging their child who said something cute. Jin Xiyan was gifted with one of the few shows of affection and was patted on the head by the Emperor.
“Empresses are the Mothers of our Nation. They know the rules very well, and would not warrant such a punishment. It would be too disgraceful for them and the Family.” Emperor Father shook his head. “If they did something, it is better to take care of their punishment swiftly.”
In the present, Jin Xiyan mulled over this memory a little longer. He had not understood his Emperor Father’s words then, but now as a grown man, he suspected that he was implying that the Empress would be given death over the Cold Palace.
A sudden chilly autumn wind blew through, making Jin Xiyan hug himself and rub his arms in a weak attempt for warmth. Well…here goes nothing. Jin Xiyan blew into his hands and rubbed them together as he mustered up the courage to step forward.
There was a small gap between the fallen off hinge and the thick wooden door of the gate. Luckily he was Li Changyu’s size, and though he was bigger than most omegas, he was small enough to fit through the gap with just a little bit of straining and squeezing. He stumbled into the front yard but caught himself before he could fall. He kept his feet moving, fearing that if he stopped, he would lose his courage.
Inside the main room, the bright light of the full moon leaked through the open and broken windows. It was not enough to illuminate all the shadows in the Cold Palace, so Jin Xiyan squinted as best as he could. He should have brought a lamp, he chided himself. But, even without a lamp, Jin Xiyan could see that the room was in a state unlike the rest of the Cold Palace.
It’s…too clean. There wasn’t a speck of dust on the floor, and the bed that Li Changyu mentioned that had a carved message was not there. It seemed that the conspirators covered their tracks by leaving a large track, which was the obvious clean up. With a lack of evidence, it would be hard to conclude what exactly happened in the room. Looking up, he could find the trace of a knotted bit of curtain on one of the rafters. One end had a jagged cut, likely where Shen Pei had taken her sword.
Guilt choked him once more, and that is when he heard small voices in the wind.
“Let meee…show you what I foooound…”
Jin Xiyan whirled around, trying to find the owner of the voice. Then a loud clang made Jin Xiyan jump in the air like a startled cat. It was just one of the shutters rattling against the side of the building from the light force of the wind. He stepped backward, muttering to himself.
“Foolish. You are the Emperor, Son of Heaven, and here you are afraid of ghosts?”
He pressed onward to the garden. Though, calling it a garden was generous. It had nothing but gnarled, bare trees that contributed to the ominous nature of the grounds. There was a strange sense of deja vu as he looked at the ground, following the shadows of the branches towards the pond. The ground turned soft and slightly muddy, which initially made him stop, but something in his heart kept urging him along.
Again, the whispers on the wind mocked him, “We…have to exchange alochoool!”
He neared the large tree that stretched out over the murky looking pond. The moon cast down a beam directly on the tree, like it was highlighting it amongst the growing darkness. With each step, it felt like the temperature rapidly dropped even further. He could see his shuddery breath puff out in front of him.
Once he was standing directly in front of it, his eyes locked in on spot with loose moss clinging to it. There was something underneath it, and his hand, like his body was under some sort of spell, reached for it. His fingers brushed away the clinging plant, revealing the clearly defined letters that were elegantly carved into the wood.
Li…Chang…Yu.
A flash of white burned his eyes and the sound of shattering glass followed a searing pain that overtook him. It was worse than any of his past headaches and immediately he doubled over. He used the same hand to brace himself against the tree.
Like water calming after rippling, each remnant of his memory cleared and rushed through him. The first time he met Li Changyu, every teasing word he had ever said to him, Jin Xiyan’s frustration, then eventually the memories shifted to something more…
He remembered every laugh, every brush of their shoulders, every innocent press against one another when they were sneaking around. His heart pounded like it did in every memory of their near kisses, the warmth he felt each time Li Changyu would take his hand, and the sound of his laughter rang in his ears.
He found it hard to breathe as he remembered the day Li Changyu just…vanished. His arguments with his Emperor Father over Li Changyu, his attempts to contact him. His body remembered each worrying knot that formed in the pit of his stomach with each War Correspondence, terrified of the possible news that Li Changyu died. Then when he became Emperor…He remembered everything now.
Jin Xiyan’s knees shook until they could no longer support him. He fell into the mud, his hand scraping down along the tree. Though he now had the answers about his accident, his heart was thinking of something else.
“How could…how could I have…” His heartbeat pounded in his ears and guilt wrapped itself around his chest like a thorny vine. The past few months played out before him once again, and a fishy taste welled up in his mouth. He bent over even more and coughed up blood. It splattered against the base of the tree.
His body sank down further until he finally toppled over and rolled onto his back on the cold, muddy ground. His watery eyes blurred the image of the sky, which he blinked back when something cold sprinkled down on his face. It was snowing, and little snowflakes trickled down to rest on his eyelashes. Others clung to the stream of tears that had formed when he was remembering everything.
Jin Xiyan made himself sit up now, though it was a struggle. His body suddenly felt foreign once again, just as it had the first day they switched. When he sat upright, he held out a cupped hand and stared at the snowflakes that gently fell into his palm. The delicate kiss of cold that would almost immediately melt grounded him, as strange as that could be. With the foggy spell now gone, his mind was clear. More than that, he made up his mind about his current predicament and the threats surrounding them.
I am the only one that can fix this…And there was only one way he knew how: as an Emperor. He fought hard and endured as long as he did within the wickedness of the Palace walls for one purpose, which was to become Emperor. Because, as Emperor, he could have and protect Li Changyu.
But first, he thought to himself. I have to deal with someone right away. As his resolve grew, each of his fingers slowly curled inward into a tight fist. His purple eyes flashed in the moonlight, then, through clenched teeth, he hissed.
“Qin! Yu! Ze!”
Author’s note:
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the patience from my readers 🙏 Graduate school this semester has been crazy, and the seasons change tends to make me depressed. But all your words of encouragement, and now that the semester is almost over, I feel revitalized! I hope you enjoy our ML finally getting his head on right! So please, try to throw less shoes? 👟
Shoes still thrown for forgetting Su Ao in the brothel. Thanks for the chapter and welcome back.
Really that’s LCY’s fault lolol
Haha they took the baby but forgot to grab his chair 😄
Welcome back!
Thank you! I hope you enjoyed
Welcome back, in every sense! I still get sick every September as a tribute to the beginning of the school year!
I feel bad that Jin Xiyan had to go through all that alone, but it wouldn’t be the same if he had to be responsible for another person. Shattering one’s heart through memories does require full focus, to be done properly. I hope he can fully utilize the strength in Li Changyu’s body to beat the snot out of Psycho! And I wonder if either his memories or just being outside in the dark will make him look more closely at First Brother. Exciting progress in this one 😯
Hehe I am glad you have your list of suspects!
And yes, sadly Jin Xiyan has to suffer alone. 🙁 but now he can protect his wife!
Pretty sure Su Ao is having a good time with a certain vinegar pot hidden guard
Feel bad for the pain JXY had to go through to regain memories BUT pay backs to Qin Yu Zu
No shoe throwing from me. I’m glad your life is a tad less crazy
That depends on your definition of “good time” or being bullied! 👀
Thank you, and I am happy to be back! And yay, shoes are lowered!
Glad you’re feeling better & are back! Best of luck for the reminder of the semester! You got this!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and are excited to see what plans JXY has in store
Of course I’m looking forward to JXY’s next steps! It’s time for him to GO GET his wife & let everybody else know the man he really is! 😝
Welcome back!
Poor Su Ao lol ..
Im glad that JXY now remembers but how will he fix this. I know he is angry but he should be careful. But still! Im waiting for him to grovel and ask LCY forgiveness hehe.
Ooohh the groveling! I really want to see that 😶
I know you want him to grovel, and I promise he will
Finally able to read this… im glad the ML finally remember and i cant wait to see that bitch QYZ dead soon
I like you just for this comment ☺️
I hope everyone bets on when QYZ gets his pubishment
Finally!
But I fear the Emperor is underestimating his enemies. And frankly, his mother is suspicious too.
B-b-but look! He’s all better though! And hopefully less stupid…?
Very helpfully digs that two face back stabbing bitch a grave while dancing and singing loudly Death of a faaaake biiitch oh oh oh!~ That’s what I’m waiting for~ Deeeeath of a Uglyyyy biiiitch woah oh oh!~ seems so petty but the Death of that bitch will make my baby’s happy cause that bitch is fake anyway~
I know everyone is sharpening their knives and collecting pitchforks
UwU who said knives? My lovely author that’s child’s play. We got better things~ Such as chainsaws, dull knives also hurt more than sharp ones too!, a slow painful poison, or just locking them up without telling them what we have planned for them let them slowly kill themselves in anticipation~ hehehehehe
After reading this chapter I was suddenly reminded of Taylor Swift’s Look what you made me do- lyrics ,” I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined ” Btw Thank you so much for such wonder writing 😊
Ironically, that is a song for a different story I write which is a rebirth revenge 😂
Wait wait wait purple eyes!?!?
Why yes, our Main Love Jin Xiyan is a purple-eyed ML! The classic!
Qin Yu Ze I think you will get your ticket to hell sonner than I think it will be happend. Soooo be happy about that 🤩🤩