I'm so sorry for the delay everyone >.< i think the update will be much slower this month, i hope you could bear it with me.
I put the character's chart here, cause just like you guys, i also find it difficult to remember who is who XD Hope this would help
Oh, from this chapter onward, I'll put system's name as "Tong Tian" instead of Heaven. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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Edited by
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Inside the hall of Yong Yan Palace, imperial physicians and palace maids bustled around. Ye Zhizhou stood away from the crowd, standing crouched between the hall and the corridor. Looking at the corner of the room, he analysed the black-robed imperial guards that were stationed there. Madly poking the system, he spoke. "Tong Tian! Are you sure you didn't overlook any information? How could the eighth prince have the Zijin Imperial Guards?"
{T/N: Name of the residence of the eighth prince.}
These were the personal soldiers of the emperor, who had the privilege of standing outside the imperial system. They only recognised one master in their lifetime, and were the best swordsmen utilised by the Emperor.
In the original plot, the seventh prince wanted to subdue them after he ascended to the throne. Unfortunately, the group of soldiers resisted; committing suicide by poison to protect the emperor in the afterlife.
[System has given all the necessary information.]
In his heart, Ye Zhizhou rolled his eyes - accepting his misfortune. Information on the sickly and short-lived eighth prince was not much in the original plot - and his existence seemed to only be there as a springboard to launch An Chengjie into the imperial circle. Particularly because of his physical state and age, he seemed very plain among the many outstanding princes; only having few lines of description before he died.
In the original, only the emperor had grieved for the death of his eighth son - causing his body to be sick for a month. The seventh prince, following An Chengjie's advice, took the opportunity to gain the emperor's favour - polishing his solid foundation in the imperial court.
Turning off the data, Ye Zhizhou frowned; in the morning, An Chengsheng had said that the eighth prince was not a simple person. Afterwards, the eighth prince had mentioned information not recorded in the system data - and in addition to the presence of the Zijin Imperial Guards...... the eighth prince he met and the eighth prince he was meant to meet were completely different! Ah, it really was suspicious!
"The emperor has arrived!"
The sharp voice alerted everyone to the presence of their monarch. Ye Zhizhou looked toward the source, spying upon a bright yellow figure within a group of people; the crowd quickly rushed forward, anxious to greet the emperor. All the servants and guards began to kneel in a show of respect.
He had almost forgotten that there were these kinds of ancient ceremonies in this world...... and to minimalise his presence, he had no choice but to bow his head and kneel to the ground with the crowd. However, heaven was not willing, and the yellow-dressed figure suddenly stopped in front of him. A majestic but heavy voice sounded from not far above his head, "You are An Chengle?"
Ye Zhizhou moved - wanting to look up, but being afraid of provoking the taboo of 'no eye contact with the emperor'. As such, he only straightened his back, and answered the question. "Answering the emperor, An Chengle is indeed this humble servant."
"Get up, and follow me in." Without a second glance, the monarch continued to walk forward.
A small eunuch stepped out from behind the emperor, bending over to make a gesture of sincere respect. Ye Zhizhou, unable to refuse, straightened his back and stared after the emperor who had rushed into the inner palace, sighing in his heart. The ancient times were not good - the imperial power too great, and no human rights for the civilians. Kneeling down was so annoying, and though he wanted to resist this type of imperial decree, it was completely oppressive.
Entering the palace, Emperor Yan Di first went to see the unconscious Yan Mingyong. After sitting for a while, he called the imperial doctor to ask of his son's current situation. He learnt that Yan Mingyong had suddenly collapsed due to his emotional excitement, causing him to cough up blood. After hearing of this, the emperor's expression changed - and a thoughtful stare focused itself on Ye Zhizhou, who was standing in the corner.
Ye Zhizhou's hair stood straight, and he slowly swallowed a mouthful of saliva. One couldn't blame him - it was already scary seeing the eighth prince vomit blood while smiling, and now he had to worry about the intention of this Yan Di.
Fortunately, Emperor Yan quickly withdrew his gaze, choosing to sit down with a contemplating expression on his face. Suddenly, he got up and retreated with his people out of the hall, speaking over his shoulder. "Be good to Mingyong."
Not long after, a large reward was gifted to Yongyan Palace - containing many valuable medicines; and it seemed that there were also many rewards being sent to the Zhenguo Gong Fu.
Ye Zhizhou, scanning over the gifts list, thought that the emperor was indeed wealthy.
The next morning, he woke up dazed in a side chamber of Yong Yan palace. Realising that his body felt heavier than usual - he confusedly looked down, and was subsequently shocked by what he saw.
A young man clothed in white was sleeping in his arms - hands and feet wrapped tight around him. His face leaned on Ye Zhizhou's chest, black hair scattered on top of the both of them, mixing with his own loose hair. Such an intimate scene, ah!
His mind blanked out for a minute, then it suddenly hit him: how could someone, who was lying unconscious in the main hall yesterday, appear in his bed? And Ye Zhizhou didn't even notice that someone had climbed into his bed - it was simply bizarre! His spiritual power wouldn't have allowed him to be so unguarded!
Wait, a second......
A metaphorical lightbulb suddenly flicked on, and a surprising yet frightening guess came to mind. There was only one person in this world who could make him so unguarded like this - and it was that faulty-brained lover of his. Looking back at the eighth prince's mental case yesterday, it seemed likely that....
But then, why didn't his spirit force react when near this person? In the previous worlds, it was always stirred up when in proximity...... could it be that in this lifetime, that man's already weak spiritual force had completely disappeared?
Various theories and thoughts ran across his mind. Ye Zhihzou's spiritual force hesitantly lingered on the side of the other person's head, wanting to explore, but anxious at the possible results. If the other party was his lover, then naturally - it would be everyone's delight and satisfaction. But if he was not...... well, this eighth prince who already bore a weak body and defective brain might not be able to survive the spiritual scans......
Reason and emotions fighting a chaotic battle, he looked down at the youth in his arms with a complicated gaze. Trying to endure without much success, Ye Zhizhou gathered his courage and reached out to the youth's pants. Spiritual scans were temporarily out of question - but there was still one more method that he could always try... and though he wasn't sure whether the birthmark would always exist in every world, it was at least something. A guilty feeling of indecency rose in his heart as he leaned towards the minor. Fingers trembling, he held the other person's clothes and lifted them up. Then, he reached out for the waistband of the...... he prayed to God to forgive him of his crime.
"What are you doing?"
There was a cold feeling on the back of his hand - and all of a sudden, it was tightly held in another's vice-like grip.
! ! !
Ye Zhizhou eyes widened, and held his breath.
Yan Mingyong slowly got up, gradually tightening his grip around the wrist. Pulling his body forward, the wide collar slipped slightly open, exposing a white and frail looking chest. And probably because he had just been woken up, there was a tinge of red on his pale face, making it appear even more alluring. "Do you like my body?"
"Ha?" Ye Zhizhou felt dumbfounded; the youth's reaction was completely different to expectations. Where were the words of interrogation? The punishment?
Where was the denouncement of his 'pervertedness'?
There was a smile on the youth's pale face, and his eyes were full of delight. With a trace of huskiness in the pre-pubescent voice, he said, "That's good." With these bold words, Yan Mingyong pulled down on Ye Zhizhou's collar, placing his own hand on the other's neck. "Do you want me to teach you?"
Save me, ah! There's a pervert!
Ye Zhizhou retracted his hand as if he had gotten an electric shock. Climbing away from the side of the bed, he stiffly changed the subject. "Good morning, your highness. You must be hungry - and so, I'll serve you after getting ready, alright?"
The question was left unanswered as the smile on the eighth prince's face slowly disappeared. Yan Mingyong straightened, staring at Ye Zhizhou; switching his gaze front the latter's face, to baby fat, to 3cm down the navel. After quite some time, he spoke: "Haven't you grown up yet? Oh right, you are only 16 years old this year."
Child - you too have yet to mature! Only 13 years old this year, ah! Aren't you too abnormal?
"It doesn't matter." Yan Mingyong lifted his hand to tidy up his collar. A smiled, once again, appeared on his face. A strange light flashed through his black eyes. "After all, I have grown up."
......
That was even worse!
For a whole morning, Ye Zhizhou was in a state of numbness due to his emotional overstimulation. Yan Mingyong kept close, but did not harass him - opting instead to quietly read a book. The emperor arrived at lunchtime, and after eating, took a walk with them. Before leaving, he had also rewarded Ye Zhizhou with many items. After his father's departure, Yan Mingyong took to sleep after consuming the medicine. Ye Zhizhou, slowly pulling away the hand that held his body, called out to De An in a low voice. When De An had settled down the prince, he stealthily snuck out from the study room with a few pieces of paper. Writing a few lines of words in a dog-like crawl, he ran out from the Yong Yan Palace.
The palaces belonging to the princes were not far apart from each other. Avoiding the patrolling guards, he approached the seventh prince's residence, Deyang Palace. And quickly after arriving, he dispersed his spirit power over his body in order to conceal himself. With some effort, he finally reached the outside of the bedroom window. Pushing it slightly open, he flicked the note to the edge of the seventh prince's pillow with a finger - then quickly closed the window and left.
The next morning, Ye Zhihou wasn't all that surprised at the extra body in his bed - but his level two spiritual force, as if it was an ornament, had once again failed to sense the other's approach. Silently wiping his face, he nervously shifted - unwilling to wake the other, but too entangled to move. But the very next second, his wrist was grasped; the youth, head tilted to one side, drowsily whispered in the older's ears. "Le Er, did you miss me?"
"No." Thinking of the fear he had felt when his shameful act was caught yesterday, he decided that he want to be a bully today. Deliberately, in a firm manner, he said: "You're too thin - I don't have any interest in you. Also, don't call me Le Er, call me Gong Zi!"
[T/N: Le Er is an affectionate name for An Chengle; whereas Gong Zi is a title used to address a son of nobility]
The grip on his wrist tightened, only releasing after some time. Yan Mingyong, who was previously in Ye Zhizhou's arms, slowly got up - looking at him with an expressionless face; not speaking nor moving. Looking at the scene, Ye Zhizhou's heartbeat slightly sped up.
"Le Er." For a long time, Ye Zizhou felt that the air in the bedchamber had become a lot thinner. He swallowed the saliva that was pooling in his mouth, and just as he was about to admit defeat, the other person spoke - thin fingers leaning over to touch his cheek gently. "I suddenly remember that you have a very annoying brother named An Chengjie."
Ye Zhizhou stiffened, and his heartbeat quickened - not understanding why the other party had suddenly raised the protagonist's name.
"After you ruined the reputation of his Treasure Pavilion, he closed the shop." Slowly, the fingers dropped to his neck, firm but still gentle. "Xi Zi Gui, this is the name of his newly opened restaurant."
The protagonist actually opened the restaurant so quickly?
"Le Er." The amount of force applied on the neck increased slightly - the thin youth leaning forward, bringing with him a medicinal scent. "You can't escape." Gently, Yan Mingyong dropped down, rubbing the other's neck with his check. Long hair was scattered over his arm in a devilish manner, calling forth a chill. He whispered, quietly, but viciously - as if he himself was the devil's call. "Your enemy can fall to hell; or I can bring you down with me to that same blazing place of sins. What do you choose?"
Ye Zhizhou frowned - and his spirit quickly spread out, wrapping around the two people. Face set in a cold expression, he pushed the youth away, sneering all the while. "Trying to deceive people? Trying to trick people into falling to hell?" He pushed the other down, slightly pressing his leg down on the top of the pale body to restrict Mingyong's movements. Suddenly, Ye Zhizhou lifted his hand - bringing it firmly down to slap the youth on the butt. "Age is not important; after all it is but a number; so let this senior teach you what hell truly feels like!" The *pa pa pa* sound that rang after these words were heard clearly. Ah, finally! Ye Zhizhou had really wanted to do this long ago! This child who had kept on getting on his nerves, could finally be disciplined!
The sound of the slaps was loud and crisp. Yan Mingyong's shocked face trembled, attempting to stand up without prevail. In a sloppy manner, his arms reached out to grab the back of Ye Zhizhou's neck - and in a cold manner, he ruthlessly said: "An! Cheng! Le!"
"Oh, so you do know how to address me by my name." Ye Zhizhou was not scared by the vicious expression and the youth's face - and he also didn't care about the feeble amount of strength that was in the arms around his neck. His right hand quickly stretched outwards, pulling the youth's pants down. Pulling Yan Mingyong into his arms, Ye Zhizhou look down at the two globes of fat.
A red, bird-shaped birthmark was present on the buttock, brightly lit.
"You..." The expression on Ye Zhizhou's face stiffened, and then slowly grew blank; the hand pulling on the pair of trousers also losing strength. He absentmindedly looked down at Yan Mingyong, who was angry to the point that his face had grown red. "So, it really is you... the you in this lifetime... how did you become this weak?"
Yan Mingyong didn't speak, only staring at the other with an indiscernible expression on his face. His bloodshot eyes widened, and the tight grip on Ye Zhizhou's neck loosened; chest swelling violently, the younger of the two swallowed the words he wanted to say, and instead leaned over to the side of the bed - vomiting out a mouthful of blood.
"Mingyong!" The red stain on the cyan silk sheets began to grow without pause. Ye Zhizhou was scared - scared to the point that his soul had begun to tremble. Quickly rushing over, he gently grabbed hold of the other - panicking at the sight of blood stained lips. With a fearful cry, he said: "You, you cannot die right now!"
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