Wang Dian’s anger had not subsided, but he noticed that he was almost entirely soaked in the water, and the surrounding pool water had taken on a faint blood color.
Really did a good job dying.
“Deserved it.” He shook off Liang Ye’s hand, got up and went ashore ruthlessly, and quickly put on his robe against Liang Ye’s substantive gaze, trying to let himself ignore the ambiguous and presumptuous traces on his body. Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on his ankle by something. He looked down and saw a thin red string wrapped around his left ankle. The red string was loosely wrapped around twice, with a gold leaf the size of a fingernail attached to the outside. The red string was wet and stuck to his ankle bone, looking inexplicably…seductive.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, this little thing was very much in line with his aesthetic, and he knew who had made it.
“Did you wrap this?” Wang Dian gathered his robe and squatted by the bath, asking Liang Ye who was still soaking in the water.
“Is it pretty?” Liang Ye came over with a proud face, stretched out his arm and held the ankle wrapped with the red string, “This little leaf is Zhen’s treasure.”
“It’s pretty.” Wang Dian let him hold it, looked down at the wound on his shoulder, “Is there more?”
Liang Ye raised an eyebrow and smiled, “There’s one more.”
“You wear it too.” Wang Dian stopped his paw that wanted to touch up.
Liang Ye squinted his eyes, “Zhen doesn’t like to wear these.”
“I like it.” Wang Dian reached out and touched his face, which was exactly the same as his own, his gaze was deep and dark, “I’ll put it on for you.”
Liang Ye rubbed his face against his palm, tilted his head as if thinking, Wang Dian reached out and grabbed his half-length hair, “I’ll bandage your wound by the way.”
Liang Ye readily agreed, “Okay.”
Liang Ye’s ankles were the same as his, but Wang Dian had never looked at it from this perspective before. Now, looking carefully, it appeared more than twice as attractive as when he looked at his own. The slender and fair ankle, wrapped in two loops of red string, exuded a kind of intense and alluring thirst. The exquisitely crafted little leaf hanging there, perfectly resting on the ankle bone–stunningly beautiful.
Wang Dian’s eyebrows twitched slightly, his fingertips gently caressed the little leaf, enveloping the slender and beautiful ankle in his hand. Liang Ye lazily leaned against the head of the bed, lifting his ankle onto Wang Dian’s shoulder, smiling like a demon, “Zhen originally wanted to put a bell on you, but remembering you don’t like it, Zhen gave up.”
Wang Dian slightly tilted his head, kissing the little leaf, his gaze meeting Liang Ye’s suddenly excited eyes, and he chuckled softly, “Are you this affectionate?”
Liang Ye’s Adam’s apple rolled unconsciously twice, “Zhen is more affectionate than you.”
“If you let me kiss you back, maybe I won’t be angry,” Wang Dian said.
Liang Ye was obviously tempted by this proposal, leaning in to get closer to him, but Wang Dian dodged, “Unfortunately, you have too many wounds. You’re in pain, it’s important to recover first.”
“Zhen is not in pain,” Liang Ye’s eyes sparkled, pushing him down onto the soft bed, confidently saying, “Zhen has the strength to kiss you again.”
“No,” Wang Dian held his waist, “Apply medicine.”
Liang Ye pressed him down, refusing to get up, looking at him eagerly, “One more kiss.”
Although Wang Dian knew he was pretending, his breath still tightened slightly, “Where to kiss?”
“Shoulder, here,” Liang Ye pointed to the wound on his shoulder, where the skin and flesh had turned white and flipped out due to soaking in water, frowning, “Uncomfortable.”
It was uncomfortable, not painful. Wang Dian leaned in and gently touched it, then heard Liang Ye’s dissatisfied voice, “Didn’t feel that.”
“Already did as agreed.” Wang Dian avoided his shoulder and pushed him up. “This wound is too severe, let the imperial physician handle it for you—”
Liang Ye buried his face in his neck, holding onto him, “You do it.”
Wang Dian deeply sighed, then there was a voice of surrender, “Okay.”
After his wounds were bandaged, Liang Ye finally calmed down. He was arrogantly sprawled out on the dragon bed, sleeping soundly. His long legs were entwined around Wang Dian, as if he was afraid he would run away.
Wang Dian had already had enough sleep. He laid on his back, resting his head on his arm, looking at the canopy of the bed with a complicated expression.
Although he could explain that his compromise with Liang Ye was for the sake of survival – he could be assertive with Liang Ye when appropriate, but fundamentally, arguing also needed to be balanced. He couldn’t really anger Liang Ye. It was just another form of negotiation, with the ultimate goal of maximizing his own interests. However, once this business-like strategy was tainted with personal feelings, it became extremely easy to lose control.
This made Wang Dian feel somewhat uneasy.
Indeed, he could take advantage of Liang Ye’s naive and unconscious feelings, but he also found it difficult to distinguish how much of his feelings for Liang Ye were genuine and how much were pretense.
He could be infuriated to death, he could want Liang Ye’s life, but he was also reluctant to let go.
Pretending to be submissive and coquettish could also move his heart.
Even heroes have a hard time passing the beauty barrier, Wang Dian. Wang Dian sighed inwardly, subconsciously holding down Liang Ye’s injured arm that was moving restlessly, and cursed inwardly.
Demon.
****
Cui Yuxian wanted to use the worship of the ancestors to warn Liang Ye, but she was used by Liang Ye to go to Shizai Mountain. Then she wanted to place Cui Mimi by Liang Ye’s side, but she was counteracted by Wang Dian’s plan. Annoyed, she wanted to kill Liang Ye, but not only did she lose the prince in her hand, she was also tricked into revealing her own people who had been planted in the imperial army. After several tentative confrontations, she was at a disadvantage, which made her very upset.
Cui Yuxian, although in her fifties, did not look old. She had always taken care of her appearance and looked no more than thirty-four. Only the fine lines at the corners of her eyes would occasionally remind her, so the palace maids paid extra attention when applying powder to her face.
Unfortunately, the new maid didn’t know her place and was too heavy-handed, which annoyed her.
The maid who had been slapped knelt on the ground, crying softly and begging, “Empress, pardon the offense! Empress, pardon the offense!!”
Cui Yuxian looked at her coldly, “Yang Man, take her away.”
Yang Man stepped forward, commanding two young eunuchs to drag the crying and screaming maid away. Not long after, a scream came from outside, followed by silence.
“Empress is fair as a flower and beautiful as the moon. The maid is ignorant, please don’t be angry.” Yang Man personally applied powder to her makeup, smiling broadly, “Your skin is so tender it could pinch out water.”
Cui Yuxian snorted coldly, “You’re all talk.”
“This slave is telling the truth.” Yang Man laughed.
“Aijia heard a few days ago that your adopted son was bullied outside?” Cui Yuxian said lazily with her eyes closed.
“It’s just a child’s mischief, this slave had already disciplined him.” Yang Man laughed awkwardly.
Cui Yuxian hummed, “Speaking of which, your son is sixteen now.”
“Huh, that little monkey is very cunning, he loves to be lazy. He doesn’t want to practice martial arts because it’s tiring, and it was hard to send him to the Imperial College to study literature. He said people bullied him and refused to go again, spending every day at home playing with cats and dogs, climbing walls and roofs. This slave is very troubled.” Yang Man spoke of her son with a rare maternal expression, “This slave doesn’t expect him to be ambitious, this slave just hopes that he can marry and have children to continue the Yang family line in the future.”
“Children are spoiled like this.” Cui Yuxian laughed, “Aijia knows you love your son, but don’t spoil him by keeping him at home every day.”
“Yes, this slave will definitely urge him to make progress.” Yang Man laughed.
Cui Yuxian opened her eyes, “Aijia remember, Jian Ling did say that the Black Armor Guard was short of hands, you could let your family’s son go in and get beaten up.”
“Empress!” Yang Man’s face changed drastically, and she knelt on the ground with a thud.
Cui Yuxian laughed and turned to look at the pale-faced person, “We were just talking, what are you doing?”
“Empress, Wujiu is still young and naturally stubborn. This slave is afraid he will upset Commander Jian. This slave only has this useless son, begging the Empress to show mercy!” Yang Man knocked her head hard with her trembling arm.
“Look at you.” Cui Yuxian chided and laughed, helping her up. Yang Man dared not refuse, her eyes filled with tears, “Empress, this slave is loyal to you without any second thoughts, it’s just that my son is really not promising, this slave is afraid he won’t be able to enter Commander Jian’s eyes.”
“Jian Ling is only twenty-one or two now, similar in age to your son. They must have something to talk about.” Cui Yuxian said unhurriedly, “Aijia knows you and Jian Ling don’t see eye to eye, but after all, that’s some old grudges between you and his father. It is better to resolve enemies than to make enemies. If you can’t discipline your son, Jian Ling will certainly have a way. Don’t worry, Aijia will protect him, he won’t do anything to your son.”
(t/n: It is better to resolve enemies than to make enemies-means that conflicts should be resolved rather than deepened)
“Empress…” Yang Man wanted to say more, but was stopped by her raised hand.
“Alright, Aijia is a bit tired.” Cui Yuxian waved her hand, “In a few days, let him come to the palace, take Aijia’s decree and go find Jian Ling.”
“Yes.” Yang Man knelt and thanked her, “This slave thanks the Empress on behalf of Wujiu.”
The Xingqing Palace was filled with gloom, but the imperial study was full of laughter.
“It’s good that you’re okay.” Wang Dian looked at Wei Wanlin, who was hanging from his arm, and happily patted his uninjured arm, “Zhen knew you were lucky and wouldn’t get hurt.”
“It’s because Your Majesty is a good person and is naturally blessed by God.” Wei Wanlin laughed heartily, “Those little thieves are not enough to cut melons and vegetables!”
“Wanlin, you have done a meritorious service in rescuing the emperor in the Shizai Mountain incident, what reward do you want?” Wang Dian asked with a smile.
“Protecting Your Majesty is this lowly general’s duty, this lowly general dared not take credit!” Wei Wanlin’s voice was like a big bell.
Wang Dian laughed, “You don’t want it, but Zhen has to reward you. Yunfu, draft the decree.”
Yunfu quickly spread out the silk cloth, and Wang Dian said, “Wei Wanlin, the Grand Commander of the Eastern Palace Six Rates, has done a great service in rescuing the emperor. He is promoted to the Commander of the Imperial Army, in addition to his original position in the Eastern Palace.”
Wei Wanlin was immediately taken aback and knelt down to thank him, “This lowly general thanks Your Majesty!”
“General Wei, please get up.” Wang Dian laughed and helped him up, tirelessly painting a cake for him, “One day, Zhen will let General Wei return to the battlefield to protect my Great Liang’s border.”
(t/n: painting a cake-to make promises; to give false hope)
“Your Majesty!” Wei Wanlin’s tiger eyes were filled with tears, and it took him a long time to choke out, “This lowly general will definitely assist you!”
After Wei Wanlin left, Wang Dian successively summoned several important ministers, and finally waited for Wen Zong in the evening.
“Imperial Preceptor.” Wang Dian was very cordial when he saw him, personally stepping down to help the old man, “Haven’t seen you for a few days, how is the Imperial Preceptor’s health?”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessing, everything is fine.” Wen Zong laughed, “Your Majesty’s trip this time turned danger into safety, and the harvest was quite fruitful.”
Wang Dian knew he was referring to the fact that Liang Ye had directly taken over most of the Imperial Army. He dismissed the eunuchs and palace ladies in the room, sat across from him and poured him tea, “How does the Imperial Preceptor see this matter?”
Wen Zong looked at the slowly rising mist and slowly said, “Greedy for merit and reckless, not quite like what Your Majesty would do now, but it does have some of the old style.”
Wang Dian laughed bitterly in his heart, but didn’t show it on his face, “Then how does the Imperial Preceptor see the matter of the Cui family’s lady?”
“Good.” Wen Zong picked up the tea and smelled it, “Now the Cui family are in a mess because of this matter, and even have some grudges with the Grand Empress Dowager. Although was reluctantly appeased, the rift has been born, it’s just a matter of how to add fuel to the fire.”
“The Cui family wants to monopolize power as relatives, but the Grand Empress Dowager holds the power and refuses to let go, instead getting closer to the Eastern Chen Shen family. Even in the inner court, the Cui family doesn’t have much say.” Wang Dian added tea to him, “Zhen heard that the Cui family has a son taking the imperial examination this time.”
“Does Your Majesty want to let the Cui family’s son enter the outer court?” Wen Zong frowned.
“But what’s wrong with that?” Wang Dian asked.
Wen Zong shook his head, “Regardless of the fact that Cui Yuxian and the Cui main family are at odds, just looking at the Cui family, even if they don’t get along with the Grand Empress Dowager, choosing her is much safer than relying on Your Majesty.”
Wang Dian looked down, “The Imperial Preceptor just said that we should add fuel to the fire, isn’t this a good time?”
“The timing is right.” Wen Zong sighed, “But please, Your Majesty, take a good look at this Cui family’s son at the ancestral worship grand ceremony before deciding whether to use him.”
The next day at the ancestral worship grand ceremony, Wang Dian finally understood why Wen Zong sighed – this legitimate second son of the Cui family who came out for the imperial examination was a cripple.
And a cripple who was as beautiful as an immortal.
He sat quietly in a wooden wheelchair, his head down but his back straight, his wide and elegant robe fluttering in the wind, making him look even thinner. He seemed to sense that someone was looking at him, raised his head, and revealed that soft and beautiful face, coldly meeting Wang Dian’s probing gaze.
In theory, those who were not fit for service were not allowed to take the imperial examination and enter the service, but who made Cui Qi’s great-aunt the current Grand Empress Dowager.
No wonder he didn’t rely on officialdom and insisted on coming out for the imperial examination. This kind of existence that had become a discarded piece, whether it’s the Cui family or Cui Yuxian, probably didn’t have the intention to reuse him. Even if he entered the inner court, it’s just a matter of status – after all, he’s a legitimate second son.
Wang Dian stared at him for a while, Cui Qi was indifferent from beginning to end, and finally lowered his eyes faintly, clenched his fist against his lips and started coughing.
Still a sickly person.
The ancestral worship grand ceremony was complicated and cumbersome, the ceremonial clothes were heavy, and the heavy crown almost broke Wang Dian’s neck.
By the time he led the officials, noble families, and the pitiful imperial family to finish the ancestral worship, it was already late at night. As soon as he entered the sleeping chamber, he had Yun Fu and Yu Ying take off his crown and clothes for him. After dismissing everyone, he collapsed on the bed, not wanting to move a finger.
Someone quietly laid down next to him, whispering in his ear, “Who were you so fascinated by today? Zhen will dig out your eyeballs and stick them on him.”
Wang Dian pushed him away, “Didn’t look at anyone.”
“You clearly did.” Liang Ye said in a strange tone, “You’ve never looked at Zhen like that.”
Wang Dian, tired and sleepy, said with his eyes closed, “Didn’t look.”
“You did.” Liang Ye ground his teeth, “Don’t think Zhen doesn’t know, you’re really fickle.”
Wang Dian was too lazy to argue with him, “Then I won’t look in the future.”
Liang Ye reached out and pinched his face, saying ominously, “It’s that sickly person from the Cui family, right? You’ve made him lower his head, tsk, a cripple.”
“Hmm.” Wang Dian pushed his hand away and turned over.
“Zhen is talking to you.” Liang Ye turned him back over, “Do you think he’s good-looking?”
Wang Dian, exhausted, perfunctorily said, “If you think so, I can’t help it.”
Liang Ye looked shocked.
<3