The door was kicked shut decisively.
“What are you trying to do making such a big fuss?” Wang Dian maliciously tugged at the red gauze in his hand, watching with pleasure as it forced the other to lower his head. He raised an eyebrow and wickedly wrapped several loops around his hand.
Forced forward, Liang Ye caught his playful expression and smiled, curling his lips. “Why don’t you guess?”
“I won’t guess.” Wang Dian suddenly pulled the gauze tight and stepped on his shoulder, forcing him to half-kneel before him. Seeing his arrogant and displeased expression, his interest grew even more. “What’s wrong, not happy about it?”
Liang Ye’s eyebrows twitched slightly, “It’s just kneeling to you, not like I haven’t done it before. You really hold grudges.”
He had forced him to kneel in court, so Wang Dian was determined to get payback in bed – he was extremely petty and vengeful.
Wang Dian lowered his foot and brushed off his shoulder, his nose twitching, “Quickly put out that aphrodisiac incense.”
Liang Ye’s eyes were full of regret, “It’s still early.”
“Who knows how many people have slept here.” Wang Dian said with disgust, waving the red gauze to cover his head completely. He stared at Liang Ye’s faintly visible features through the gauze, leaned down to kiss him through it, and praised generously, “Beautiful.”
Liang Ye’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, “You can’t even see the real face.”
“I’ll marry you with an eight-bearer sedan chair later.” Wang Dian understood his meaning, “And lift your red veil then.”
“The veil should be adorned with gold and jade.” Liang Ye pulled off the red gauze and got up to extinguish the lingering incense. He said seriously, “When you wore the wedding clothes, we didn’t bow to heaven and earth, so it doesn’t count.”
Wang Dian leaned back in his chair laughing, “Then we’ll bow when I marry you, and give you a spring night that’s too short and bittersweet, rising when the sun is high.”
“Who is ‘Gao Qi’?” Liang Ye turned his head to ask him seriously after extinguishing the incense.
(TL: “日高起” (rì gāo qǐ) literally means “rising when the sun is high.” It implies waking up late in the morning, often after a long night.)
“……” Wang Dian was silent for a moment, then both of them burst out laughing simultaneously.
“If you make another terrible joke like that I’ll beat you to death.” Wang Dian laughed until his stomach hurt. Though the joke was terrible, when it came to Liang Ye his humor threshold was strangely low – they would laugh for ages at even the most vulgar jokes.
Liang Ye leaned against the table laughing, “Change it to Wang Dian.”
Wang Dian raised his foot to kick him.
After they fooled around for a while, the young male courtesans found by the madam arrived at the door. Four or five lovely young men bowed respectfully, though their clothes weren’t very respectful – quite revealing.
Before Wang Dian could look carefully, Liang Ye pulled him behind the screen and said in a licentious voice. “Play some music and sing outside to set the mood.”
Appropriate music and songs immediately started playing outside.
Just as Wang Dian was about to speak, Liang Ye grabbed the back of his head and kissed him. The force was so fierce that anyone who didn’t know better would think they were enemies. Liang Ye pinned him against the wall and said hoarsely, “Want to do it.”
This mood was set way too quickly.
“Do your uncle.” Wang Dian lowered his voice and said, “What did you really come here to do?”
Liang Ye bit him once with a displeased expression, “Let’s go.”
There was a secret passage under the bed in this room. When Liang Ye lifted the bed board, Wang Dian was shocked for a moment, “Is this brothel yours?”
“Of course not.” Liang Ye jumped down nimbly, “These kinds of rooms are for satisfying certain special interests.”
The extra silver given to the madam wasn’t for nothing.
Wang Dian followed him down, cursing under his breath. “Damn, they have some heavy tastes.”
Liang Ye led him forward, warning, “Don’t listen randomly, you’re already vulgar enough.”
Wang Dian laughed. “I only say what you like.”
Liang Ye snorted with laughter. “You better.”
They walked forward while talking. Liang Ye suddenly stopped, pointing at the wooden boards above and gesturing for silence.
The bed boards creaked, occasionally mixed with the gasps and whimpers of a man and woman. Just as Wang Dian wondered how to get out, Liang Ye narrowed his eyes and kicked the bed boards above them flying, leaving only the man’s wailing.
“……” Wang Dian’s mouth twitched.
Too uncivilized.
Wei Wanlin’s wail only lasted for the beginning before someone kicked his neck and knocked him unconscious.
Wang Dian grabbed an outer robe and threw it over him, then pulled another piece of clothing to cover the woman who had fainted from the impact. This earned him an unhappy look from Liang Ye.
“General Wei? General Wei?” The guards outside must have heard the noise just now and couldn’t help calling out to inquire.
“What!?” Liang Ye shouted coarsely, his voice remarkably similar to Wei Wanlin’s, “Don’t ruin my mood!”
Then he stared intensely at Wang Dian, “Moan louder, didn’t you eat?”
Wang Dian felt creepy under his stare and gave him the middle finger.
The two silently moved the unconscious people out. Chong Heng, who had been hanging by the window, silently climbed in, his appearance and build identical to Wei Wanlin’s. He nodded at Wang Dian and Liang Ye.
****
When Wei Wanlin was awakened by cold water, he thought he was seeing a ghost, “Your- Your Majesty?”
In the dark dungeon, Liang Ye smiled coldly, “General Wei, you really made Zhen look hard for you.”
Wei Wanlin’s tiger eyes widened, filled with terror, “Your Majesty spare me, Your Majesty spare me! This subject was also forced into it, Your Majesty!”
He seemed extremely afraid of Liang Ye and started struggling desperately, making the chains binding him clatter loudly. The general who never changed expression even when facing thousands of troops, the commander who once protected the emperor, holding off ten enemies alone, now trembled in fear with terror all over his face.
Standing behind Liang Ye, Wang Dian found the scene both laughable and ironic.
With the lives of ten thousand Northern Army soldiers on his conscience, he should be afraid.
“How so, who forced you into this state?” Liang Ye frowned and shook his head, standing up from his seat and walking to Wei Wanlin with a smile, “Zhen will absolutely not let them off.”
“Qi Ming! It was Qi Ming! He- he said Your Majesty didn’t trust me and would kill me! Your Majesty, it was that villain Qi Ming who deceived this subject, this subject has always been loyal, Your Majesty!” Wei Wanlin hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, this subject risked life to save you, how could I truly want to betray you, Your Majesty, this subject originally planned to guard the borders well for Your Majesty…”
He suddenly burst into loud sobs, “This subject has failed you, Your Majesty! It was I who let down our brothers and fell for the Loufan people’s schemes, it was I who listened one-sidedly and was deceived by that villain Qi Ming, this subject is guilty!”
“Wei Wanlin, no need to act anymore. There is fear in your eyes, but not a hint of remorse.” Liang Ye sighed and looked at him puzzled, then suddenly smiled, “It’s understandable that you don’t trust Zhen, but betraying Zhen comes with a price.”
Wei Wanlin’s lips trembled, “Your Majesty, this subject was forced into everything, it was Bian Cang, Bian Cang forced me to falsely convey the imperial decree, he threatened me with my family…”
Outside the secret prison, Wang Dian felt a surge of anger stuck in his chest, neither rising nor falling.
This Wei Wanlin disappointed him even more than Qi Ming.
Wei Wanlin did it for wealth and women – just the beauties in his courtyard now were countless, gold and jewels innumerable. Bian Cang had also promised him the position of Grand Marshal, defender of the nation, and a marquis title. Even so, he still risked discovery to secretly meet lovers at Guangfang Tower, and tried to paint himself as having no choice even at death’s door, always with a thousand excuses.
He didn’t stay to watch Liang Ye’s interrogation, and Liang Ye probably didn’t want him to see it either. When they left the secret prison in the general’s mansion, the smile was still on Liang Ye’s face.
But it didn’t look like a smile anymore, more like an expression twisted to the extreme, with blood spots at the corners of his eyes making him look sharp and sinister.
“Liang Ye.” Wang Dian couldn’t help calling out to him.
Liang Ye turned his head somewhat stiffly, his gaze falling on Wang Dian’s face. His lips moved as he stared at him directly.
“What’s wrong? Did you find anything out?” Seeing his expression, Wang Dian guessed the results might not be ideal.
Liang Ye walked over and held his hand, slowly smearing the sticky blood from his fingertips onto Wang Dian’s hand. After a long while he finally spoke, “Why do you think they all want to betray Zhen?”
Wang Dian frowned. This question was difficult to answer. He instinctively considered for a moment, trying to find a less cruel reason.
Liang Ye stared at him and suddenly smiled, “Zhen is suspicious and jealous, unscrupulous, and without any virtue. It’s only natural they don’t trust Zhen, don’t you think?”
“Northern Liang’s development to its current state was already an intractable illness. It would be the same no matter who was emperor.” Wang Dian gripped his cold hand, “All we can do is try our best.”
“Do you truly think so?” Liang Ye’s eyebrows twitched.
“Of course.” Wang Dian patted his arm, “Go wash up.”
“Zhen won’t let Wei Wanlin die easily.” Liang Ye said.
Wang Dian made no comment, but felt something was off.
“Would you betray Zhen?” Liang Ye suddenly asked.
Wang Dian narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
That Liang Ye could ask this question meant he had already grown suspicious. Wang Dian’s heart sank slightly. Although he was long used to Liang Ye’s suspicious nature, being doubted at such an intimate moment between them still made him very unhappy.
Liang Ye didn’t answer his question, only curled his lips in a cold smile, “If you betray Zhen like them, Zhen will make you die a thousand times more horribly than them.”
“What did Wei Wanlin tell you?” Wang Dian paid no attention to his threat and asked him directly.
“Why should Zhen tell you?” Liang Ye snorted with laughter, “When Zhen finds out the truth, we’ll settle accounts.”
“If you’re trying to trick me, don’t bother.” Wang Dian said woodenly, “I’ve hidden many things from you, and I can’t be bothered to waste energy confirming with you. Just tell me which one, and I’ll explain.”
Liang Ye was stunned speechless for a while, then said through gritted teeth, “Wang Dian, just how many things have you hidden from Zhen?”
“If you think there are any, a hundred or thousand wouldn’t be enough. If you think there aren’t any, even one is too many.” Wang Dian said coldly, “At this point, for you to doubt me again – do you think life has been too peaceful?”
Liang Ye stared at him for a while, “You are the person Zhen trusts most in this world, Wang Dian. Don’t disappoint Zhen.”
“Then you’d better trust no one.” Wang Dian tugged at the corner of his mouth and calmly looked into his eyes, “You clearly can’t do it, so why force yourself and make both of us unhappy?”
If he truly didn’t want to trust him, he wouldn’t have shown his suspicion in front of him – being so frank about it actually lost him the initiative.
Liang Ye looked at him deeply, “Jian Ling is still alive. Does this have anything to do with you?”
