/
Ye Shu didn’t respond.
“Minister Ye, that dog emperor has a deep-seated hatred for you. You’re not going soft on him, are you?” Mu Jiuqing said.
“I……” Ye Shu looked down.
Of course, he’s not going all soft.
There was no distinction between noble and lowly human lives; just as he hadn’t been willing to harm others’ lives in order to save his own, now he wasn’t willing to harm Jin Wang in order to escape.
The notion of taking people’s life arbitrarily was just beyond acceptable to him.
But he didn’t need to tell Mu Jiuqing this.
Mu Jiuqing was a spy from an enemy state, and his relationship with the original owner was only of cooperation: ‘give and take what they both need’, thus he should take this matter with a grain of salt.
“How could I be soft on that dog emperor,” Ye Shu said in a faint tone. “It’s just that…he is heavily guarded, and I don’t know wushu. This game is already as good as lost. In what way can I help you kill him?”
“Mu Gongzi, I can give you far more than you can imagine; far more than killing.”
What he said wasn’t false.
In the book, Western Xia was exterminated first, and then, Great Yan capitulated. Looking back, it had only been a year or two since Jin Wang instigated the war.
Jin Wang was a military prodigy; he was extremely adept at setting up battle positions and conducting his troops, while Western Xia was flatly lacking a military adviser who understood military defenses.
Only Ye Shu could undertake this role.
Long before coming here, Ye Shu had already thought of all this.
Mu Jiuqing, however, said, “Who says I need you to do it yourself?”
Ye Shu, “……”
“You have a close relationship with the emperor of Changlu. I want you to keep him in the capital tonight and think of a way to render him unconscious, so that I, naturally, would be able to kill him.”
Ye Shu, “………………”
Are people in this book crackbrained ba???
Not even batting an eye at information served to them on a silver platter???
Ye Shu’s expression looked like he was falling apart, and he lightly coughed. “Mu Gongzi, we might as well discuss it again…”
“No need,” Mu Jiuqing placed an exquisite jade bottle on a table. “Just do as I say. As long as the emperor of Changlu doesn’t return to the palace tonight, I will definitely be able to get my hands on him.”
—
A moment later, Ye Shu walked out of the lane with a litter of kittens in his arms.
There was a carriage parked at the end of the lane, and a young man dressed in black was reclining against the carriage, with eyes closed in repose.
He raised his head at the sound of footsteps.
The dappled sunlight streaming through the treetops onto the side of his face seemed to coat him with a light layer of gold, lending a certain gentleness to his features.
Ye Shu halted as he met his gaze.
“All done?” Jin Wang asked.
Ye Shu then walked forward and replied, “Look, they’re so small ah…”
A litter of yellow-white kittens lay with their heads next to each other, and a mother cat lay obediently next to them, not making any noise.
Jin Wang reached out and touched the head of one of the kittens. “A-Wang was so big when you brought it back.”
Ye Shu smiled and thoughtlessly said, “Yeah, weren’t you jealous of it?”
It was a cold winter day on the twelfth month when the original owner brought back a dying yellow dog from somewhere and not only stole food for it, but also insisted on naming it “A-Wang,” which made little Jin Wang eat vinegar for several days.
The smile in Jin Wang’s eyes somewhat faded after hearing this.
He turned his head and ordered someone to take the kittens and first send them back to the palace to be cleaned and fed.
Ye Shu followed him into the carriage.
As the carriage slowly drove forward, Ye Shu asked, “Aren’t we going back to the palace?”
“Didn’t you say you’d been in the palace for too long and wanted to come out?” Jin Wang supported his chin and calmly said, “As luck would have it, Gu has taken a break today. Gu will accompany you wherever you want.”
In the populous and affluent capital, the Bian River ran through the city.
At the height of his power, the hedonistic late emperor filled the capital city with brothels, thoroughly leading a voluptuous life in all respects.
This circumstance didn’t improve until Jin Wang ascended to the throne.
Ye Shu had been curious about the brothels described in the book and would have loved to take a look.
But he was a wimp.
He wouldn’t dare mention this matter.
Finally, the two of them chartered a boat and went canoeing in the river.
As the dim light of the night drew near, the glazed river lamps on both sides of the waterfront lit up, floating boats swayed in the water, and the melodious sound of singing and various modes of instrument playing could be heard from across the river.
“That’s the ‘Spring River Pavilion,’ the number one brothel in the capital,” Jin Wang, sitting on the side of the boat, put down his cup of liquor. “My beloved minister has already cast looks there seventeen times tonight, do you want to go in there and have a look?”
“……” Ye Shu withdrew his gaze. “No, I don’t want to.”
Jin Wang smiled without answering and raised his hand to take the pot of liquor.
With a light tilt, the pot was already empty.
After last night’s incident, Jin Wang refused to let Ye Shu touch a drop of liquor and drank the entire pot himself.
Jin Wang’s alcohol tolerance was average. After one pot, his eyes were already not as clear and sober as they used to be.
But His Majesty the Emperor apparently hadn’t enjoyed himself enough tonight and was about to summon someone to fetch another liquor when Ye Shu hurriedly said, “Let me.”
Jin Wang looked at him.
Ye Shu got up and said, “Your Majesty, wait a moment, I’ll go fetch it.”
Without waiting for Jin Wang’s reply, Ye Shu quickly trotted out.
He was in such a hurry that he didn’t notice that Jin Wang’s eyes had suddenly turned icy cold.
There was a hint of killing intent that was rarely seen.
Tonight’s liquor was brought by Jin Wang’s men from the palace and was piled up on a small table outside which was covered by a screen, making it difficult to see the young man’s movements.
Jin Wang didn’t want to look back either.
He slowly finished the last sip from his cup as the young man returned to the table holding the pot.
“It’s getting late already. Your Majesty, finish this last cup and don’t drink any more.” Ye Shu said as he poured the liquor for Jin Wang.
The liquor in the cup rippled and was clear in color.
Jin Wang looked down at it, and his expression seemed to relax a bit. “Alright, let me finish this cup, and then we’ll go back to the palace.”
“Sit down and keep Gu company.”
Ye Shu poured himself a cup of tea.
Jin Wang had replaced Ye Shu’s drink with tea as he refused to let him drink the liquor.
Ye Shu raised his cup to drink when Jin Wang suddenly said, “A-Shu, do you still remember the last time we drank?”
Ye Shu’s movement paused.
“It was three years ago. That was the day you told Gu that you wanted to be the prime minister.”
“After that, Gu kept thinking that Gu should have just given you a noble title at that time and let you be an idle lord in the capital, it would have been better than what it is now,” Jin Wang restrained a trace of mockery in his eyes and added quietly, “Unfortunately, people’s hearts are capricious, who doesn’t want power and honor, right?”
Ye Shu didn’t answer.
He really had no idea how to answer.
Why did the original owner betray him? He had no memory of it, nor was it explained in the book.
Not only was Jin Wang confused, but he also was utterly confused.
When confronted with Jin Wang’s questioning, he couldn’t even come up with an excuse.
The room was silent, except for a mellow yet melancholy tune wafting intermittently through outside.
“Drink up.”
Jin Wang clinked his cup with Ye Shu’s, covered up with his sleeves as he tilted his head up and drank it all down.
Jin Wang, who seemed to have had too much to drink, slammed his empty cup down on the table and stood up holding onto the edge of the table, nearly falling on one side.
Ye Shu supported him at once.
The boat then docked and Ye Shu helped Jin Wang off the boat.
“Ah, why is His Majesty so drunk?” The personal attendant who had been waiting on the shore approached the two and helped them into the carriage before asking, “Minister Ye, are we…still going back?”
The capital was some distance away from the palace. It would take about an hour and a half to drive back.
Jin Wang was so drunk that he needed to rest as soon as possible, the carriage ride would only make him suffer more.
It was even more inconvenient to return to the palace now.
Ye Shu ought to have someone find an inn to rest for the night so that he could also act from within and coordinate with Mu Jiuqing.
But……
Ye Shu put his arm around Jin Wang, who leaned against his shoulder, staring at him with half-closed eyes full of drunkenness.
That look gratuitously reminded Ye Shu of what he saw in his dream last night.
The young man shrank into his embrace and in a low voice, said, “…be afraid once and for all.”
Ye Shu took a deep breath and ordered, “Send us some sobering soup. Let’s go back to the palace.”
—
The night was silent as the carriage moved slowly along the mountain road.
Within the spacious interior, Ye Shu helped Jin Wang up and brought the sobering soup to his mouth.
Jin Wang dodged, frowning. “What is this? Gu won’t drink it.”
“Sobering soup,” Ye Shu said. “Drink it quickly so you won’t feel awful later.”
“…No.” Jin Wang seemed to ponder for a moment, closed his eyes and said, “You feed Gu, otherwise Gu won’t drink it.”
Ye Shu, “……” You might as well just get dead drunk and forget about this!
The jade bottle that was in his bosom was still unsealed. He didn’t give Jin Wang any of this drug at all.
In all fairness, this dog emperor treated him quite well, except for the fact that he often frightened him.
Jin Wang didn’t even want to take his life, so how could Ye Shu hurt him just to get away?
Not to mention this was such a cheap trick.
Anyhow… Getting so drunk like this without the drug, this dog emperor is really useless.
Ye Shu sighed as he scooped up a spoonful of the sobering soup and fed it to Jin Wang’s mouth.
The carriage was bumpy, and with Jin Wang being so uncooperative, Ye Shu tried several times but still couldn’t get a spoon in.
“Stop moving!”
Ye Shu exasperatedly sigh as he pressed his hand on Jin Wang’s shoulder, raised his head to drink up the sobering soup himself and then fed it to Jin Wang’s mouth.
The other party’s lips were soft and slightly cold. Ye Shu pried open Jin Wang’s lips, and the sweet and sour taste of the sobering soup slowly passed through.
Jin Wang immediately stopped moving.
After a mouthful of soup, a change occurred at this moment.
Suddenly, a horse neighed outside the carriage as its body shook violently and halted.
“Escort the Emperor!”
“There are assassins! Escort the Emperor!”
Ye Shu was startled and was about to withdraw, when he was suddenly flung back.
The change came so quickly that Ye Shu didn’t have time to react before he was pressed into the soft little couch of the carriage and his lips were once again sealed.
Ye Shu opened his eyes to a pair of eyes of a beautiful bird of prey.
And there were no signs of drunkenness in them.
Ye Shu subconsciously lifted his hand to push him, but Jin Wang held his wrist tightly and pressed it against his side.
Outside the carriage it was noisy and clamorous; the hissing and screaming were loud and clear.
Inside the carriage, as Jin Wang kissed Ye Shu, the faint scent of the recently downed liquor spread between the latter’s lips.
When Jin Wang kissed the other, it wasn’t at all like his own temper to be so gentle.
He lifted Ye Shu’s jaw and gently caressed his face with his fingertips. Two cold, thin lips covered Ye Shu’s, tracing them in detail, patiently and meticulously, giving him the illusion of being treated like a treasure.
Within moments, the noise ceased.
Someone’s voice came from outside the carriage, “Your Majesty, the rebels have all been captured, are you injured?”
Inside the carriage, Jin Wang finally raised his head as he parted his lips from the other.
He gazed deeply into Ye Shu’s eyes and said quietly, “Gu is fine.”
The imperial guards were keeping watch over several men in black who were kneeling in front of the carriage. The carriage curtain then lifted open.
Jin Wang walked out with Ye Shu in his arms.
The young man’s eyes were moist, with bright amorous red lips. One could tell at a glance what had happened.
The numerous imperial guards shut their eyes and played blind. Ye Shu buried his head in Jin Wang’s embrace and then cautiously raised his eyes to scan over the front.
Kneeling in the frontmost was none other than Mu Jiuqing.
“……” Why is this guy so impetuous?
Mu Jiuqing caught sight of him and his eyes immediately lit up with anger.
He got it. He got it all.
Ye Shu was in cahoots with the emperor of Changlu from the beginning, and he falsely cooperated with him in order to catch them all in one draft today.
Mu Jiuqing’s eyes were filled with anguish, but his mouth was gagged, thus he could only make a vague whimper.
Ye Shu shrank in Jin Wang’s embrace, and didn’t dare move a muscle.
“Sometime before Western Xia’s spies were captured, a few of them received the news in advance and fled. These seem to be them,” Jin Wang said indifferently, “Kill them.”
Mu Jiuqing, “Mnmhmnhh—!”
Jin Wang ignored him and walked into the carriage with Ye Shu still in his embrace.
Mu Jiuqing whimpered more violently, “Mnnmmmhhhmnmm—!!!”
Jin Wang stopped and looked back. “Do you have anything else to say?”
Ye Shu’s heart instantly dropped.
However, before he could speak, Jin Wang already took the initiative and ordered, “Let him speak.”
One of the imperial guards pulled off the black cloth that blocked Mu Jiuqing’s mouth, and he shouted, “Dog Ye! How dare you go back on your word?!”
“Fatuous ruler! My death is not to be regretted, but you won’t be any better off either!”
Mu Jiuqing had no scruples even when faced with imminent death.
The corners of his mouth grinned menacingly, and he cast the shattering, cold words, “That man beside you plotted day and night, wishing to see your Jin clan die a graveless death!”
Ye Shu was stumped, and instantly felt Jin Wang’s gaze along with half of his body numbing.
Uh-oh.
Author’s Note:
Ye Shu: I’mdeadI’mdeadI’mdead……
ps: The plot of this book will not be too serious, no need to guess the direction of grievances and conspiracies and all that, it’s just a little sweet cake~