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Yan Ke asked, “First question, why did you — want to kill yourself earlier? Write it out.”
: I didn’t want you to hurt Su Yu gege.
The corners of Yan Ke’s eyes twitched, and his lungs ached with anger. “Look at how he treats you! If he really likes you, he wouldn’t have killed your mother!”
: I know.
Yan Ke shut his mouth. One was s.a.d.i.s.tic, the other was m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic. What else could he say?! Even if the s.a.d.i.s.t used a knife to stab him, the m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t would still grit his teeth and endure it in silence. What else could anyone really say?!
Yan Ke continued, “When he was escorting you here for the marriage alliance, I ran away a few times. Each time, he was the one who dragged me back!”
: He said he still wants me as long as I’m untainted.
Yan Ke asked, “So — this was the reason why you did not show up to stop me when I was looking for Meng You to discuss divorce?”
Yan Ke did not wait for the original host to finish writing, because the answer was so obvious there was no need to wait. “Can you stop being such a fool? The terrain of Yue is easy to attack and difficult to defend. This is why Su Yu sent you here! Su Yu is eyeing this territory.”
“Since he can think of it, surely the previous sovereigns of Yue’s past dynasties would be aware too. Who knows how advanced Yue’s military defense is now?! He just wants you to get the defense blueprint. If you return empty-handed when the time comes, do you think he will still want you?”
Yan Ke knew what he said was a stab to the heart, but it was the cold hard truth! The original Yan Ke was an adult, and he had to take responsibility for his actions. He should be made aware of what he is doing.
Yan Ke continued, “Even if you steal the defense blueprint for Su Yu, then what will happen to the common folk of Yue when Su Yu attacks the State of Yue with the blueprint. Aren’t those people lives too?”
: There are always casualties in war. They aren’t from the State of Chu. There’s no need to worry.
Yan Ke looked at the words of indifference on the paper; he could sense the original Yan Ke’s apathy even across their different souls.
He acknowledged that there were always casualties in war, but sentiments like ‘they aren’t from the State of Chu; there’s no need to worry.’ was truly cold and selfish.
Yan Ke asked, “So, for the sake of your own delusional feelings, you can forget how your mother died and sacrifice so many people just to pursue one Su Yu?”
: Yes, I can.
Yan Ke felt his worldview crumbling.
It’s really shocking, okay?!
: I don’t know who you are or why you are in my body. I don’t mind. But I hope you won’t consummate your nuptials with Meng You. And don’t always say stuff to p.i.s.s Su Yu gege off. He’s very hard to coax.
Yan Ke irritably tossed the paper into the candle lamp and watched the flame instantly engulfed it. He narrowed his eyes and said, “I won’t let you do that.”
Since the day he had chatted with the other soul in this body, the original host had never reappeared to hinder him.
Perhaps he felt more at ease to know that Yan Ke did not want to offer his a.s.s up as a tribute either.
Yan Ke snorted coldly, you may freaking feel at ease, but I’m not relieved!
I don’t want to be the sinner who aided in the destruction of the State of Yue and gained notoriety among future generations as a sc.u.m.
“Where is the Crown Prince?”
And so, Yan Ke began to focus his attention on the Crown Prince again!
I want a divorce! Buddy!
If we still don’t get a divorce, we are both done for!
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince is not in residence today.”
The little servant girl cast an ambiguous look at Yan Ke. No one knew when it all began, but a rumor had been circulating in this residence. At first, some people were saying that Xiao Wu and the Crown Prince could not get it up. In order not to let the Crown Princess turn his back on him, the Crown Prince allowed him to have an affair. Now, there were rumors that because there was too much work in the Crown Prince residence and because it was so tiring, there was not a single man in the Crown Prince residence who could get it up!
The little servant girl had initially wanted to find a man in the Crown Prince residence when she was of marriageable age. But now, all her hope has been doused by the phrase ‘could not get it up’.
Yan Ke nodded his head and said, “Then, when he returns, ask him to come to my chamber.”
“All right, Your Highness.”
——————
On the other side, Meng You met up with a few good friends at the tavern to drown his sorrows. Knowing that he was in a bad mood, his companions drank up as well in silence so as not to disturb him.
Meng You knocked back a flask of wine. His heart was filled with unspeakable bitterness. “You guys really don’t know what I’ve been through.”
Tang Qi had some scant knowledge of it, but he did not dare to speak lightly of it.
Because of Meng You’s heartlessness, Tang Qi was now reduced to being a laughing stock among the young masters in the capital, for no other reason than because there were still hired hands reading aloud all those painful past of his while guarding them so that no one could tear them down.
Meng You ranted, “You guys know that I am married, right? That one at home keeps forcing me to consummate every day! He follows me everywhere! Later on, I had an idea. I thought if I told him I can’t get it up, then perhaps he would drop the matter.”
“Then not only did that sicko not give up, but he was even b.l.o.o.d.y unscrupulous enough to spread rumors that I can’t get it up. Now the whole city knows about it!”
“This morning, after the morning court session1, I was pulled into the medicine store by the store’s lad. And then the proprietor of the medicine store rattled on and on and said to me…”
Meng You tugged at the skin of his throat and began to imitate in a sharp voice. “Your Highness, do you want to treat your problem? My shop has an effective medicine for treating impotence!”
The crowd suppressed their laughter. They wanted to laugh, but they did not dare to.
Meng You forcefully patted himself on the chest and said, “If you ask me, this is all that Yan Ke’s attempts to ruin me because he can’t have me!”
On seeing that Meng You had started to utter nonsense, Tang Qi waved over a few people to help him send Meng You home.
“Eh? Isn’t Shu Li’s2 room over there?”
Tang Qi shook his head. “He is drunk. What would happen if we left him alone in his room, and those scheming maids climb onto his bed?”
“So — we should dump him on the Crown Princess.”
“I feel like you will be done for.”
All along, Tang Qi was the kind of person who would return t.i.t-for-tat. Those he could not retaliate, he would remember it in his heart and wait for the right time in the future to seek revenge.
The maidservant knocked on the door of Yan Ke’s chamber and reported, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is back.”
Yan Ke was sleeping soundly, but he hurriedly stood up when he heard this.
Yan Ke said, “I’ll be right there.”
The maidservant said again, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is drunk.”
Yan Ke was getting off the bed when he paused in mid-action.
Drunk?
Why send him to his chamber when he’s drunk?! Who is going to take responsibility if this Crown Prince loses control and does that while he’s drunk?!
Yan Ke, “Cough cough—I—cough cough cough. I’m sick again, I’m afraid it’s not convenient for me to take care of your Crown Prince. Cough cough— Oh my, I’m coughing to death.”
Everyone outside Yan Ke’s chamber, “…”
His ‘I’ll be right there’ earlier was spoken rather energetically.
Tang Qi rapped on the door and said, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is still robust. If you let him in, he can still take care of you in the middle of the night if you really fall sick.”
Yan Ke said, “It’s better to be safe than sorry. If the Crown Prince gets infected by me, then I’d be guilty of a great sin.”
Tang Qi tried to persuade him, “Both of you are husband and husband, I’m sure the Crown Prince won’t split hairs with you over this. The night is short. The Crown Princess should not let this great opportunity slip away!”
Yan Ke, “…”
Why does this man speak in such a provocative way?
When Tang Qi saw that there was no response from the room, he continued to knock on the door with the resolute intent of sending Meng You in this very day.
Not a moment later, a series of thunderous snores rang out from within the room.
Tang Qi, “…”
It was almost at this moment that Tang Qi had had an intuition that these two birds of a feather would definitely end up together.
Because their being together would rid the people of two scourges of humanity.
Finally, Tang Qi resigned himself to it and sent Meng You back to his own chamber. After putting the man down, he clapped his hands and asked the person beside him, “Do you really feel that this Crown Princess is always thinking about doing it with him?”
Seeing that Meng You was sleeping soundly, the man quietly shook his head.
Tang Qi stroked his chin and said, “I thought so too. If he really wanted to consummate their union, then as long as the Crown Princess still has some sense left, he would not have shut us out of the door especially when this Crown Prince of ours has pa.s.sed out drunk.”
“Perhaps… this is their way of spicing things up between husband and husband?”
On hearing that, Tang Qi snorted coldly, “To h.e.l.l with spicing things up. Our Crown Prince’s greatest pleasure in life is to misunderstand others.”
He thought back to the past when the Crown Prince had just rescued him, and he was still indebted to the Crown Prince for saving his life. Every day when he tagged along behind the Crown Prince, he would always feel incredibly proud.
Then, in all these more than ten long years of acquaintanceship, every time the Crown Prince had a use for Tang Qi, the words he would say to him the most was, ‘You still have not forgotten my great kindness, right?’
Only this Crown Prince would feel that saving him from the cesspit was still considered a great kindness after all these years.
——————
After Meng You woke up with a hangover, he looked around the familiar room and breathed an inexplicable sigh of relief. Fortunately, when it came to matters of principles, Tang Qi had not gone completely bonkers and sent him to Yan Ke’s room.
Meng You asked the maidservant who was attending to him, “How’s the Crown Princess?”
The maidservant replied, “The Crown Princess seems to have started coughing again last night.”
On hearing that Yan Ke had fallen sick yet again, Meng You ma.s.saged his throbbing temples. There was no telling how irritated he was.
Just how weak does his body have to be to fall sick twice in three days?
Meng You said, “Summon the Imperial Physician. I’ll visit him later.”
The maidservant nodded her head and immediately went about her task.
When the maidservant appeared at the door of Yan Ke’s room with the Imperial Physician, Yan Ke looked at his wrist that was bruised all over with silver needle marks3 and smiled, “I’m fine! I’ve really recovered.”
The maidservant smiled as well and replied amicably and courteously, “That won’t do~ Your Highness, this is what the Crown Prince himself has instructed!”
Yan Ke, “…”
Why did this Crown Prince call the Imperial Physician over for no rhyme or reason?
“Your Highness, you’d better lie down in bed first.” The maidservant awkwardly looked at Yan Ke who was blocking the entrance and reminded him with a smile.
Yan Ke maintained a straight face and stood his ground, “I’m really fine. I’m full of vigor!”
Yan Ke turned his eyes as he thought back to the first night they met where Meng You had fled when he thought that Yan Ke had wanted to consummate their nuptials with him. An idea popped up in his mind.
Yan Ke said, “Go and tell my husband, tell him that my body has really recovered. If hubby is really that impatient, then well, I would suggest him to just do me~”
The maidservant’s face flushed bright red at Yan Ke’s brazen words, “All… All right.”
The maidservant had only taken two steps out of the door when she saw Meng You standing outside with a dark expression on his face. Her red, blushing face that was brought about by Yan Ke’s words immediately turned white in fright.
The maidservant said, “Your Highness… The Crown Princess said—”
Meng You blew his top. “Recall the Imperial Physician! Anyone who dares to see Yan Ke again, I’ll chop off his hands!!”
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Some Rights ReservedFootnotesCourt sessions are usually held daily for the Emperor to discuss state affairs with his ministers.Shu Li is Meng You’s courtesy name.Silver needles are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), notably Acupuncture, to treat a variety of conditions.