Liang Ye lay on top of him, happily kissing his earlobe. He stared at the earhole for a while, then gently pinched it. “Zhen has already had earrings made for you. The wedding attire for the ceremony is almost ready. You’ll be able to try it on soon.”
Wang Dian’s gaze paused. “It’s almost ready?”
Ancient wedding attire, especially for an emperor’s grand wedding, was certainly intricate and complex, time-consuming and labor-intensive to make. Yet now the wedding attire was almost ready, which meant it must have been started long ago—just a few days ago, this Liang Ye had earnestly said he wouldn’t force him.
Liang Ye said proudly, “We started rushing the production early. Zhen always has ways to make you agree.”
Wang Dian pinched his cheek, smiling coldly. “I’m afraid you planned this as soon as you returned to the palace? If I hadn’t appeared, someone else would wear it. How could you not establish an empress and let others exploit your weakness?”
Liang Ye blinked once and said sincerely, “Now it’s only for you to wear.”
Wang Dian cupped his face with his hands and asked puzzledly, “What exactly is the structure of your brain? You can see eighteen steps ahead with each move. How did you not resolve the Cui Yuxian issue earlier with such flawless strategies?”
Liang Ye allowed him to hold his head and look it over, mumbling, “Drinking the white jade soup made me forget people and events. Not drinking it caused severe pain. Only after having you did it become somewhat bearable without drinking.”
Wang Dian stroked his cheek with a pained expression. “Oh, you poor thing.”
Liang Ye cooperated fully by putting on a pitiful expression, nodding vigorously. He clung to Wang Dian with his hands and feet, grumbling, “Yet you’re not willing to show Zhen any sympathy at all, always making Zhen angry.”
Wang Dian patted the back of his head. “My fault. Always making you angry. Look how upset you are.”
Liang Ye nuzzled his neck for a while, then lifted his head contentedly and said magnanimously, “Zhen occasionally goes too far as well. Let’s call it even, shall we?”
This fellow fully demonstrated what it meant to be shamelessly thick-skinned. Wang Dian smiled and said, “We’re about to get married now. There’s no need to keep such a precise account.”
A hint of suspicion flashed in Liang Ye’s eyes. “Really?”
“What do you think?” The fake smile instantly vanished from Wang Dian’s face as he pinched Liang Ye’s cheeks hard, narrowing his eyes. “I’ve been thinking for a long time and finally realized something.”
“Hmm?” Liang Ye looked at him in confusion, his cheeks still pinched.
“Cui Yuxian controlled the Liang State for decades, yet was overthrown in just a few months,” Wang Dian said softly. “Whether I appeared or not, you would have returned to the palace.”
Those mountains of jewels and weapons, the smoothly operating secret service, the quickly responding soldiers during the imperial guard’s mutiny, the southern army arriving without delay, and Jiao Yan who seemed very familiar with Liang Ye, even the wedding attire that had started production early—
It seemed Liang Ye had begun laying out his plans long ago. He just happened to arrive at the right time, coinciding with the final stage. That’s why Liang Ye repeatedly tested his identity, confidently letting him interfere in state affairs. His modern-minded, crude yet dazzling operations became the biggest smokescreen for Cui Yuxian, intentionally or unintentionally perfectly covering up Liang Ye’s covert actions…
When he reviewed the entire event from Liang Ye’s perspective, he realized that his presence had indeed accelerated the progress of Liang Ye’s plan. Originally, Liang Ye could have completed the power transition unscathed, sacrificing his “substitute’s” life.
However, Liang Ye changed his mind and adopted a riskier approach – he wanted not only the throne but also Wang Dian himself.
As a result, he was now tightly entangled in a web named Liang Ye. He had never had the chance to jump out of this game from the beginning. Every step from start to finish had been controlled by Liang Ye. There was no escape. Liang Ye naturally knew this. Liang Huan, the child, was nothing more than a reassurance he gave, first to stabilize the other party, then to gradually erode his defenses.
The fundamental reason why Liang Ye had never been willing to remove the Gu worm was that on his chessboard, the outcome was already decided, and Wang Dian had lost the qualification to negotiate.
Wang Dian’s final destination was, and could only be, by his side as the empress. If Wang Dian stood in the court as a minister of state affairs, minister of revenue, or in any other capacity, or even just existed as “Wang Dian” beyond his sight, Wang Dian’s existence would be the greatest threat, solely because of his face identical to Liang Ye’s. Not to mention the ability Wang Dian had unknowingly displayed that was no less than his own –
This was the wariness of an emperor.
In the moment after realizing this, Wang Dian was devastated. However, he sadly found that he felt no disgust towards Liang Ye in his heart.
This was the real Liang Ye. He had already merged with the identity of the emperor in blood and bone, and Wang Dian had vainly attempted to separate Liang Ye from it – the facts proved he had failed. He could not shake Liang Ye, let alone the vast and deeply rooted mountain behind him.
“Zhen originally didn’t want to bother.” Liang Ye’s eyes finally showed long-absent interest. He was unhurried, as if observing dying prey struggling for life. A neurotic smile slowly crept onto his face, his voice gentle yet cruel. “What’s the point of killing Cui Yuxian? What does it matter to exterminate the Cui and Jian families? Even if all forty thousand people were to have their hearts carved out and bones picked clean, it would mean nothing. They wanted power, they wanted Great Liang, so Zhen will let them have nothing. Having no Liang State is the best revenge against them.”
Wang Dian let go of his hand, but Liang Ye grabbed it tightly. He stared at Wang Dian with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, instead revealing a twisted and sinister pleasure. “The people of the world are vulgar and disgusting. It’s better for them to die clean. But with power in hand, toying with people’s hearts is quite interesting. Zhen is happy to play with them.”
“But playing with you is the most interesting.” Liang Ye tilted his head to kiss his fingertips, his eyes full of interest and arrogant certainty. “You’re the most interesting person Zhen has ever met. It’s a pity you’ve only just realized it now. It makes Zhen a bit disappointed.”
Wang Dian cursed silently in his heart.
“But Zhen doesn’t mind. Being too clever isn’t always a good thing.” Liang Ye admired his unpleasant expression, reaching out to touch his face. The smile on his face was chilling. “Don’t ever think Zhen will remove the Gu worm in this lifetime. You can’t escape, Wang Dian.”
Wang Dian slapped that slightly grotesque and twisted face.
The person who had been so fierce was thoroughly stunned for a moment, then narrowed his eyes in displeasure.
“This kind of behavior is usually called–” Wang Dian pinched his cheeks and said contemptuously, “Anger and frustration after being exposed.”
Liang Ye bared his teeth at him, then turned to bite his hand. Wang Dian wasn’t as quick to react and got bitten on the fleshy part between his thumb and index finger. His face contorted in pain. “Let go!”
Liang Ye bit his palm while staring at him provocatively. He clenched his teeth harder, causing blood to seep from the corner of his mouth.
Without hesitation, Wang Dian kneed him in the abdomen. Liang Ye loosened his bite in pain, only to be immediately slapped on the head. He clutched his head and glared at Wang Dian in disbelief. “You dare to hit Zhen?”
Wang Dian looked down at his bloodied palm and said coldly, “Who else should I hit when you’re going crazy?”
Liang Ye gritted his teeth fiercely. “Don’t think Zhen won’t discipline you.”
Wang Dian pointed to where the incense burner had been earlier and gave him a warning look. “Liang Ziyu, do you want to seek thrills, or do you want to get married peacefully?”
Liang Ye was visibly conflicted for a moment. “Of course, to marry you.”
Damn, he even dared to hesitate.
What bullshit about being deeply scheming. No matter how clever his brain was, he was essentially a deeply scheming madman.
“Play your games and scheme as you like.” Wang Dian grabbed his collar and pulled him close, his face cold. “I’ll say it again. Since we’re getting married, and you’ve schemed this far, don’t say it out loud and ruin my mood.”
Liang Ye stared at him meaningfully for a while, then suddenly reached out to poke his cheek. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Zhen truly wants to marry you.”
“Mm.” Wang Dian frowned and caught his hand. “But it’s very annoying when you expose everything.”
Liang Ye exclaimed in shock, “You exposed it first, Wang Dian. How can you be so shameless?”
Wang Dian’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he casually averted his gaze. “Is that so?”
Liang Ye wanted to bite him again in displeasure. Wang Dian directly pressed his still-bleeding palm against Liang Ye’s lips, saying coolly, “Not pretending to endure anymore?”
The blood on his palm was slowly licked away, the warm yet eerie sensation almost causing Wang Dian to slap him. He quickly stopped Liang Ye’s dangerous attempt to bite through his hand. Lowering his eyes, he carelessly bandaged the wound with a handkerchief. “Your Majesty, you’re quite the actor. Does it satisfy you to toy with people’s hearts and watch them slowly fall?”
Liang Ye nodded with slight hesitation.
Wang Dian felt a surge of annoyance from the depths of his heart, almost instinctively. He tied the handkerchief in a dead knot and smiled, “Then what? You never felt anything?”
Liang Ye lowered his head to undo the dead knot, then slowly tied a pretty bow for him. He mumbled, “Don’t know.”
“You don’t know, yet you dare to make me your empress?” Wang Dian glanced at Liang Ye’s hand holding his own. Seeing him looking pitiful under his questioning, he felt both angry and uncontrollably sympathetic. He threatened bluntly, “Want to bet that as empress I could still interfere in politics? Maybe I’ll make you drink white jade soup again someday and become the next Cui Yuxian?”
Liang Ye lowered his head and curled his lips. “Zhen won’t give you such an opportunity.”
“Then you’d better watch carefully.” Wang Dian felt somewhat distracted by the slight upturn of Liang Ye’s lips. He pinched his palm hard, trying to keep himself clear-headed.
But he could hardly deny that this mad and ruthless Liang Ye held a fatal attraction for him. It was… breathtakingly beautiful.
Almost uncontrollably, he leaned in and captured that cold, sly smile lingering at the corner of Liang Ye’s mouth.
Liang Ye instinctively tilted his head, unsatisfied with such a fleeting kiss. However, before he could succeed, the door to the inner chamber was suddenly knocked, followed by Chong Heng’s voice, “Master, this servant has urgent matters to report.”
Liang Ye’s movements abruptly paused, clearly about to respond. Wang Dian swallowed, his thumb pressing against Liang Ye’s neck as he suddenly deepened the kiss. Caught off guard, Liang Ye held his breath. Only after being thoroughly taken advantage of did he think to push Wang Dian away, turning his head to cough forcefully.
“Master?” Chong Heng waited for a moment without response, heard Liang Ye coughing, and called out again worriedly.
Wang Dian smiled and patted Liang Ye’s back. Liang Ye glared at him ominously, then stood up and put on his outer robe. “Come in.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chong Heng hurriedly entered. Unsurprisingly, he saw Wang Dian’s shadow through the screen. He was about to approach Liang Ye to speak, but Liang Ye raised his hand slightly. “Speak.”
Chong Heng could only stand awkwardly outside the screen and said in a deep voice, “Master, Jian Ling is dead.”
“Dead?” Liang Ye’s expression suddenly darkened.
Behind the screen, Wang Dian’s lips curled almost imperceptibly, then he frowned. “Jian Ling is dead?”
