Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Rong Yin’s mind was a tangled mess of countless emotions. He and His Majesty were hardly friends who could confide in one another, let alone now that he harbored such shameful desires.

Besides, if he were to tell His Majesty about his origins, he had no idea if he would be met with disgust.

Though he had never met his birth mother, he was grateful she had given him life. But that didn’t change the fact that he’d been cut from a dead woman’s womb.

’His Majesty already dislikes me. If he finds out about my past, will he loathe me even more?’

The more Rong Yin thought about it, the more his heart raced with panic, terrified His Majesty would call him a bad omen.

Yet after stewing in his thoughts for a long while, he suddenly realized something was amiss. It was too quiet.

It was His Majesty. Why was she so quiet? It wasn’t the quiet of silence, but of absolute stillness.

"Your Majesty?" Rong Yin dug his nails into his palm, bracing himself for the words of disgust he was sure would follow.

At the sound of Rong Yin’s voice, Xiao Yang slowly turned her head. Her gaze was unfocused and bewildered, tinged with a desperate frustration. "Rong Yin," she slurred, "I... I think I’m drunk..."

The two cups had become four, and now they were growing legs and running away.

And Rong Yin had sprouted four, five, no, six heads...

Rong Yin: "..."

The Little Emperor was well and truly drunk. Her words were slurred, her voice now soft and syrupy.

That sweet, drawn-out tone was like a feather tickling his heart, a pleasant itch that reached deep into his soul.

And with that soft, adorable look on her face, anyone would be tempted to tease her. For him, whose thoughts were already impure, it was nothing short of a potent poison.

After a great deal of mental fortification, Rong Yin finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly despite his efforts to suppress his emotions. "Your Majesty... you should get some rest..."

Nanny Yang and Lin Yi moved to support the Little Emperor, but Rong Yin was faster, catching her as her soft body slid from the chair.

Lin Yi reminded him, "My Prince, be careful with your hand."

It was still wrapped in bandages.

Rong Yin paid it no mind. Or rather, the faint throb of pain in his palm was proof of his willing descent into sin.

He still wasn’t sure if ’he’ was a man or a woman. But in this moment, holding her in his arms, her delicate body fitting so perfectly against his, a unique, sweet fragrance cutting through the heavy scent of wine... an endless craving instantly overwhelmed him.

’I’ve gone mad.’

In that instant, all sense of propriety and morality was tossed to the wind. All he knew was that even if the person in his arms wasn’t a woman, he could never let go.

There was a bed in Lan Yue Pavilion. Rong Yin carried the Little Emperor inside and gently laid her down.

He gazed at the Little Emperor’s face. Her flawless skin was flushed a faint crimson from the wine, and her lips were an even more striking shade of red.

He was so close now, close enough to smell the wine on her breath. If he just leaned in a little further, he could kiss her.

The desire in his eyes threatened to spill over, but she was unconscious, and Palace Attendants were all around.

He could only suppress that wretched impulse and turn away to sit at the side.

Nanny Yang removed the Little Emperor’s hair crown, gently took off her outer robes, and then wiped her face and washed her feet.

Rong Yin didn’t stare, but he didn’t miss much, either.

With her robes removed, the Little Emperor’s chest rose and fell normally, showing nothing unusual. Her exposed feet were shapely and beautiful, their pale skin dazzling to the eye.

Nanny Yang’s care was meticulous. Unconscious, the Little Emperor was as pliant as a little doll.

Once everything was in order, Nanny Yang and the others prepared to withdraw, only to see the Regent King still sitting there with no intention of leaving.

Rong Yin spoke. "It is New Year’s Eve. This Prince will keep vigil with His Majesty. You may leave."

Nanny Yang and Lin Yi exchanged a glance. Neither had any intention of leaving.

They simply closed the door, extinguished the lamps in the inner chamber, leaving only the lanterns outside lit, and took up a watch together by the entrance.

His Majesty was their master. They could not allow anyone to be alone with him while he was unconscious—not even the Regent King.

Fortunately, Rong Yin had no other intentions, so he paid no mind to their wariness.

Outside the Imperial Palace, firecrackers thundered, but inside, it was eerily quiet.

Rong Yin sat there, showing no hint of drowsiness. He remained that way until dawn broke, only then stirring slightly.

Peeking inside, he saw His Majesty was still sleeping soundly.

’The first person I see in the new year is His Majesty.’

A small smile touched his lips. He turned and left.

But Rong Yin wasn’t the only one who lay awake that New Year’s Eve.

「In the General Mansion」 Li Wei had been sitting in the attic all night.

The room was quiet, filled only with the sound of his own breathing. The soft rustle of heavy snow falling outside was clear, yet every sound was drowned out by the relentless THUMP-THUMP of his heart.

On the table sat the half-finished jar of wine he had shared with the Little Emperor.

He was a man who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, who finished a jar every year. This was the first time he hadn’t finished one. He didn’t want to finish it...

Li Wei was twenty-four. After the New Year, he would be twenty-five in two months.

He was no ignorant boy. He knew his own mind. Even if he couldn’t quite sort out his feelings, his desire was always clear.

Li Wei had grown up around soldiers; he’d heard his share of crude jokes, and knew that love between men was hardly unheard of.

He may not have been in love with any woman, but he certainly had no interest in men. The very thought of two men together... it disgusted him.

But if that man was His Majesty... he only felt bewildered, not disgusted.

His Majesty was just so exquisitely beautiful. His personality was mercurial and utterly charming. It had nothing to do with gender; she, as a person, was simply captivating.

Ever since the rumors had started, his mother, already anxious about his marital prospects, had become even more frantic. The house was now filled with portraits, and she had hired several matchmakers.

She was desperate for him to marry, even trying by all means to foist a concubine on him.

At the New Year’s Eve dinner, his mother had brought up marriage again. He was the only son, soon to be twenty-five. He was no longer young; it was time for him to marry, have children, and carry on the family line.

He had to put his father and grandfather at ease. He had to be worthy of the Li family’s ancestors. He had to ensure the Li family bloodline continued.

And His Majesty... was a man.

Li Wei hadn’t been drunk in years, but right now, he wished he could drink himself into oblivion. Then he wouldn’t have to face these absurd, wildly proliferating thoughts with such clarity.

As for Xiao Yang, who rarely had the chance to be so blissfully unconscious and carefree, she had the best sleep of her life. She slept so soundly it was as if the world had ended, utterly oblivious to everything.

The pain, turmoil, and dark, twisted feelings of others had nothing to do with her, and she didn’t care one bit.

She woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed.

Even when she was pulled out of bed and made to change so she could go worship the ancestors at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, she was in such a good mood that she didn’t resist.

’So what if I have to kowtow?’ she thought. ’It’s not like it’ll kill me.’

Xiao Lv asked, "Why is Your Majesty so cheerful today? Did you find a hidden treasure?"

Xiao Yang replied, "They say the ancestors’ spirits are watching. Do you think if our forefathers saw me, they’d be so angry they’d come back to life?"

From her tone, it sounded like she was actually looking forward to it.

Xiao Lv: "..."

’Whether the ancestors could come back to life, I don’t know,’ he thought, ’but this one right here is a real handful.’

As it turned out, the ancestors were quite open-minded. After Xiao Yang finished her worship, not a damn thing happened.