CH 28

Taken aback, Chang Yuan immediately thought of diving under the bed to hide, but Ye Shu abruptly yanked him back. “Where are you going? You want to get killed?”

“But……”

Ye Shu threw the quilt over Chang Yuan and made a split second decision, “Hide inside and don’t move.”

He hurriedly got out of the bed and pulled down the gauze drapery. Just at that moment, Jin Wang pushed the door open and entered.

“……Your Majesty,” Ye Shu greeted him as he walked forward and tried his best to act natural. “What brings you here?”

A servant followed Jin Wang into the room to light up the lamps. Jin Wang’s eyes swept around the room and he asked, “Are you alright?”

“I’m……I’m alright, of course,” Ye Shu rubbed his eyes, pretending to be sleepy. “Just woke up. It was so noisy outside.”

“Gu was informed that a famous assassin escaped and fled here.” Jin Wang’s expression looked composed and he asked in a light voice, “You really haven’t seen anyone?”

In a rare event, Jin Wang had finished dealing with his affairs ahead of time and he wanted to go back to Yangxin Hall a bit earlier to spend more time with his little consort. Unexpectedly, he returned to an empty hall and only after inquiring did he find out that this man had come here. He immediately set out and was just halfway to the palace when the news that a prisoner had escaped reached him.

Jin Wang didn’t want to disclose anything about Ye Shu’s escape attempt, thus he didn’t put Chang Yuan in the official prison, but found a separate palace to keep him imprisoned. However, the man had surprisingly found an opportunity to escape between the guards’ shifts today.

And coincidentally, the shadow guards’ found traces of Chang Yuan’s presence near Chengqian Palace.

Could there really be such a coincidence? Or did this man intend to…go back to his trickery and mischief again?

Jin Wang’s eyes darkened.

Ye Shu was unaware that from the sight of his sleepiness, he was already on the verge of being locked back up in his little dark room. He reached out to pull Jin Wang’s sleeve and said, “Your Majesty, I’m hungry. Let’s go back to Yangxin Hall, shall we?”

Jin Wang stared at him for a moment and then smiled gently. “Why bother, isn’t it the same as dining in here?”

“But…”

Jin Wang didn’t wait for him to finish and ordered, “Someone, prepare the meals.”

Chengqian Palace had never been given the privilege of serving meals for the monarch. The servants quaked in their shoes as they rushed to and fro, fearful of making the slightest mistake lest the emperor be enraged.

Ye Shu could barely manage to get in a few bites as his gaze couldn’t stop drifting to the inner room.

Poor Xiao Chang Yuan. He’ll suffocate if this continues.

Ye Shu’s wandering mind didn’t escape Jin Wang’s notice, who he asked with a tilt of his head, “Not to your taste?”

Ye Shu subconsciously wanted to shake his head, but after a fleeting thought, he nodded and said, “Not to my liking.”

He paused and then added, “I want to have Your Majesty’s rice congee.”

The servants were taken aback.

Rumor had it in the palace that His Majesty often went to the imperial kitchen to cook personally. During that period, the imperial kitchen nearly burned down thrice and numerous pots and bowls were broken. Everyone was wondering which concubine could have won such a special favor from His Majesty.

It seemed now that it was actually Concubine An.

Jin Wang simply put his chopsticks down and said in his insipid tone, “You’re lying.”

Hearing His Majesty’s tone, the servants who served the meals were scared witless and nearly fell to their knees.

Ye Shu frowned. “I’m not.”

Jin Wang said, “You didn’t even finish Gu’s rice congee that day.”

Ye Shu was stumped by this man’s unreasonableness. “Weren’t you the one who didn’t let me finish it?”

Jin Wang, “And you didn’t like it.”

“……”

Jin Wang was simply being provocative in this regard.

He hadn’t touched the meal he had made or shown a special liking to it, though it wasn’t any good either. But the thing was, no matter how exemplary one’s culinary skills were, how good could plain rice congee taste after all?

Jin Wang said, “Be good and eat. I’ll make it for you some other day.”

Ye Shu resentfully made an ‘oh’ sound and didn’t say more. He was still concerned about Chang Yuan who was hiding in the inner room. He really didn’t have much of an appetite and simply had a few bites until he could eat no more. Fortunately, his appetite did seem to fluctuate often due to his pregnancy, so today’s loss of appetite couldn’t be seen as suspicious.

Jin Wang didn’t force him and the two soon finished their meals. The servants then took away the crockery.

Ye Shu once again urged Jin Wang to return to Yangxin Hall.

“What’s the rush,” Jin Wang sipped his tea and pointed out the window, “see how heavily it’s snowing; won’t it be too cold to go out now?”

Ye Shu looked over the window. “……”

Snowflakes were floating above the curtain of night, accompanied by the biting wind. It was likely to last all night.

Even the weather was against him!

Without batting an eyelid, Ye Shu continued to persuade, “We’ll arrive there in no time if we take the imperial palanquin. It won’t be cold.”

Jin Wang didn’t answer. He beckoned to Ye Shu, who then walked over and was pulled into Jin Wang’s arms.

Jin Wang stroked his hair and gently said, “Why do you want to return to the Hall so much? Wouldn’t it be good for me to accompany you here?”

Ye Shu was dazed for a moment before figuring out Jin Wang’s implication.

Back at the Yangxin Hall, there were both the ‘noble consort’ and ‘Concubine An’ who served His Majesty together, while here, only Concubine An was in favor.

Ye Shu’s expression froze.

He indeed came here today to perform his role as the favored Concubine An, but this dog emperor didn’t have to go so far to perform in concert with him, right?

Did this mean they would spend the night here?

Ye Shu unconsciously glanced at the inner room, only to feel the chills on the back of his head. He didn’t dare to imagine what it would be like for His Majesty to embrace his beloved concubine in bed but lift the quilt only to see another man lying inside.

Would Jin Wang be so angry that he would directly throw him and Chang Yuan out to be cut to pieces?

He forced a smile and tried to free himself from Jin Wang’s arms. “Your Majesty, it’s not good for the noble consort to be left alone in Yangxin Hall. We’d better…”

Jin Wang strengthened his embrace and enveloped him tightly, his voice coddling, “Not good? Isn’t that exactly what you want?”

Jin Wang’s voice was low and magnetic, the kind of voice that would make people’s ears tingle.

Chengqian Palace’s servants had never heard His Majesty speak in such a gentle voice. They couldn’t help but redden slightly and lower their heads, not daring to look at the two men’s interactions.

Jin Wang’s palm gently ran across Ye Shu’s waist. Feeling the imperceptible trembling of the body in his arms, he gave a light laugh, “Why are you so nervous? Is it because there are people watching?”

Jin Wang’s breath brushed the back of Ye Shu’s ear as he spoke. Ye Shu tried to tilt his head to avoid it, and he said, “Don’t you…”

“Don’t move,” Jin Wang didn’t let him dodge and even kissed him in the most sensitive place behind his ear. “Don’t worry. They wouldn’t dare look. Whoever dares, Gu will gouge their eyeballs out.”

The servants promptly buried their heads lower.

Ye Shu’s waist went soft. Jin Wang knew his weak spots all too well.

Or simply put, this tool body of his was too defenseless against this man’s manipulation.

A few days ago, Ye Shu had surreptitiously sought out some books about Qianjun and Kunjun. He found that after a Kunjun was marked by a Qianjun, he would be extremely dependent on said Qianjun and couldn’t control himself at all.

It was the very definition of Ye Shu’s situation.

This setting was really too foul. Ye Shu, in Jin Wang’s embrace, angrily thought so.

Jin Wang lowered his head to kiss Ye Shu, who managed to maintain his sanity and turned his head to dodge. “Don’t do this…”

The slightly cold lips brushed the side of Ye Shu’s face. Jin Wang looked down to look at the man in his arms, and ordered the servants, “Get out.”

The crowd of servants naturally knew what was coming next. They couldn’t stay any longer and hastily withdrew.

The door closed. Jin Wang ceased to tease Ye Shu, only holding him in his arms and gently stroking his back so as to appease him.

“Loosen up. No more bullying.”

A pregnant Kunjun must refrain from getting frisky. A moment of seduction would arouse fiery passion, which would also be torture for him as he wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Ye Shu’s breathing gradually stabilized. “You…”

Jin Wang gazed at him and said softly, “A-Shu, do you have nothing to tell Gu?”

Ye Shu was stunned, feigning ignorance as he shook his head. “Noth…Nothing…”

“Well then…” Jin Wang heaved a sigh and suddenly hoisted up the other.

“!” Ye Shu exclaimed, “What are you doing?!”

“It’s already getting late. Let Gu take you to bed.” Jin Wang said.

Then, Jin Wang carried him directly towards the inner room.

Ye Shu cried out in alarm, “Stop, stop, stop—!”

Jin Wang put him down and asked, “You have something to say?”

Ye Shu braced himself to say, “I…I have difficulties sleeping in unfamiliar beds. I can’t sleep well here.”

“No harm. Gu will hug you to sleep,” Jin Wang smiled. “You always sleep soundly in Gu’s arms.”

Jin Wang pulled open the canopy.

Ye Shu closed his eyes in despair.

A silver light then flashed before their eyes, but Jin Wang seemed to have anticipated this prematurely. His expression remained unchanged as he stepped sideways to avoid the opponent’s strike.

Chang Yuan held a dagger, with a sharp and cold tip, cleaving down in the air, when he suddenly shifted his target and intended to stab Ye Shu who was standing next to Jin Wang.

It happened so fast that Ye Shu had no time to dodge. Jin Wang apparently didn’t expect the opponent’s target wasn’t him and subconsciously dashed forward to hold the young man who had become frozen in place next to him.

In the next second, Jin Wang felt a cold tip sink into his forearm and shortly afterwards came the sharp stabbing pain.

That flesh wound was nothing to martial arts practitioners. Jin Wang seized the dagger in Chang Yuan’s hand and the sharp blade turned instantly against the opponent’s throat.

“Your Majesty? Has something happened?” The shadow guards outside heard a strange noise and inquired.

Jin Wang’s expression looked hostile and coldly looked at the man in front of him before he spoke, “Gu’s fine. No one’s allowed to come in.”

The men outside replied, “Yes.”

The atmosphere in the room was so stagnant that it was hard to breathe.

But Ye Shu didn’t seem to feel anything.

Jin Wang’s wounded arm was hanging at his side and blood slid down his black robe, pooling in small puddles on the ground.

Ye Shu stared at the glaring red, his expression dazzled and complexion pale.

He got hurt.

He got hurt…to…save him.

Jin Wang, with a gloomy expression, said in a low voice, “The palace outside is full of Gu’s palace guards. One command from Gu and you will die, so watch what you do.”

He threw the dagger on the ground and said faintly, “Clean this up. Don’t let anyone see it.”

Jin Wang tore a corner off of his robe to wrap his forearm to stop the bleeding. He then walked over to the mirror by the window and rummaged around.

Ye Shu subconsciously followed after him.

Palaces were usually equipped with emergency paraphernalia. Jin Wang soon found a vulnerary, when he looked up and saw Ye Shu standing frozen beside him.

Jin Wang chuckled. “Don’t you feel sick at the sight of blood? What are you following Gu here for?”

Jin Wang cooled down in no time and perceived his own impulsiveness.

Chang Yuan wouldn’t hurt Ye Shu at all.

Ye Shu was now in disguise. Chang Yuan’s purpose in doing what he did was to be sharply demarcated from Ye Shu to ensure that Jin Wang would think he didn’t recognize Ye Shu and, furthermore, that they weren’t in cahoots.

If he hadn’t done that, there was no way he could explain why he appeared in Ye Shu’s bedchamber.

This was probably the only stratagem this whip-smart guard could come up with.

Even if the possibility was only one in ten thousand, he wouldn’t let this man fall into danger. But that sealed the deal. Jin Wang still fell into the trap.

Ye Shu was green around the gills, his eyes were slightly red, and he murmured, “Let…Let me help you ba.”

Jin Wang was sitting in front of the mirror. He silently stared at him for a moment, before giving him the vulnerary.

Ye Shu knelt down and carefully uncovered his sleeves.

The wound wasn’t deep, though it was quite long, blood meandering out and dripping down the fair and slender forearm, a ghastly sight.

Ye Shu endured the upsurge of nausea and dizziness. With trembling fingers, he gently wiped off the oozing blood and applied some of the vulnerary.

“Sss—” Jin Wang frowned slightly. “With such poor technique, do you want Gu to suffer more instead?”

Ye Shu, “I-I’m sorry. Let me blow it for you.”

His movements were more careful this time and didn’t cause more damage to Jin Wang’s wound.

Jin Wang used his unharmed hand to prop up his chin, waiting for him to finish treating his wound, before he gave a slightly mocking smile. “Gu is indeed regressing with time.”

Ye Shu lowered his head and didn’t answer.

Jin Wang calmly said, “Gu was able to escape unscathed when you sent more than a dozen top assassins to assassinate Gu, but today, Gu couldn’t even dodge the singular dagger of this little guard by your side.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Jin Wang asked.

Ye Shu didn’t answer.

Jin Wang leaned down and lifted Ye Shu’s chin. “Gu is asking you.”

Jin Wang continued, “To think about it, Chang Yuan had been imprisoned until today. With the shadow guards by your side day and night for close protection, you two had no chance to conspire. Tell Gu, today’s affairs have nothing to do with you, right?”

Ye Shu’s eyelashes slightly trembled, his fingers on his lap curled up tightly.

Jin Wang looked into those red eyes, and with a bit of tenderness in his voice, he said, “A-Shu, Gu was hurt for you. Do you really feel sorry?”

(Little theater)

Jin Wang: This is called feigning self-sacrifice to win his faith. GGWP.