Chapter 5

Perhaps it was the shock of everything that had happened throughout the day, or perhaps he had just woken up and his mind hadn't cleared yet — either way, Ye Shu's head was completely blank. After a long pause, he forced out a dry laugh and squeezed out the words: "You… you counted rather clearly."

Jin Wang: "……"

Ye Shu: "……"

What on earth was he saying?!

Jin Wang's pettiness was nothing new — it had been this way for years. When he had first ascended the throne and the court was still unsettled, one official had privately remarked that the sovereign had poor judgment in people. Jin Wang had that man's tongue cut out in public and fed to the dogs.

And he had just cursed Jin Wang so many times……

Ye Shu felt a numbness spreading from the root of his tongue, as though he were on the verge of tears: "……I'm sorry."

But Jin Wang laughed.

The pad of his finger slid lightly across Ye Shu's cheek, and he gave it a playful pinch: "You do deserve to be punished."

"What to punish you with, though……" He straightened up and said unhurriedly, "As it happens, while I was just now attending to state affairs, there were a few matters I found myself unable to decide on. Why don't you help me think them through, Chief Minister Ye?"

Ye Shu didn't know what game Jin Wang was playing this time, and he hesitated before replying: "This subject… would not dare."

"What is there to dare?" Jin Wang raised an eyebrow. "Ever since I ascended the throne, haven't I always discussed matters of governance with Chief Minister Ye when problems arise? When things get busy, you even handle reading and annotating the memorials on my behalf — why the sudden reluctance now?"

Ye Shu was taken aback.

The original host didn't have much of a role in the novel. Apart from being executed by slow slicing at the very start, most of his appearances were in flashback sequences depicting his bond with Jin Wang — their years of relying on each other.

He had never known that Jin Wang trusted the original host to such a degree.

No wonder Jin Wang had been so furious upon learning of his betrayal.

Ye Shu gazed at the side of Jin Wang's face, and something else quietly stirred in his chest.

More than anger, it was grief.

In truth… he had been deeply, genuinely grieved.

Jin Wang, unaware of what he was thinking, rose from his seat and walked to the desk, beckoning Ye Shu over: "Come here."

Ye Shu walked over.

The desk in the bedchamber was fitted with only one chair. Jin Wang sat in it, and Ye Shu naturally came to stand beside him.

"How are you supposed to see anything standing all the way over there?" Jin Wang leaned back against the chair in a leisurely manner, tilted his chin, and said: "Come and sit."

Ye Shu: "……"

Sit where? On his lap?

Ye Shu gritted his teeth: "It's fine, I'll stand."

Jin Wang, perfectly composed: "Is Chief Minister Ye defying an imperial command?"

"……"

To think he had just been feeling sorry for this man — this person was truly insufferable!

Ye Shu's ears burned red with irritation, yet he didn't dare disobey. He sat, stiff as a board, on Jin Wang's lap.

Jin Wang's arm circled around and pulled him in close.

Ye Shu went even more rigid. Jin Wang gave a low laugh: "Last night you clung to me so tightly, yet today you won't cooperate — Chief Minister Ye's temperament truly eludes me."

Who exactly was hard to read?!

The position was incredibly close. Ye Shu's back pressed against the other man's chest, and he could feel Jin Wang's warm breath fanning out against the nape of his neck, scorching that patch of skin until it burned.

And yet… it wasn't unpleasant.

On the contrary, his body seemed to like this sensation rather a lot — it was almost as though some part of him wanted to draw closer, to be held more tightly.

The feeling unsettled Ye Shu. His jaw trembled, and he nearly bit his own tongue: "Doesn't Your Majesty want to discuss state affairs?"

"Right." With one arm still wrapped firmly around him, Jin Wang reached out with his free hand and took two sealed documents from the desk. "I drafted two edicts just now — have a look, Chief Minister Ye, and tell me if anything seems amiss."

Ye Shu was desperate to get through the business as quickly as possible, and he immediately took the documents and began reading.

The script used in this world resembled seal script, yet Ye Shu found it presented no difficulty whatsoever.

He finished reading the first edict quickly, and couldn't hide his surprise: "Your Majesty wants… wants to take a consort?"

Jin Wang nodded: "Yes."

People in ancient times married young. By Jin Wang's age, an ordinary man would likely already have children. Let alone Jin Wang, who had been born into the imperial family — even if he didn't fill a harem with three thousand beauties, he ought at least to have a handful of wives and concubines.

Yet from the day Jin Wang ascended the throne until now, there was not a single consort in the imperial harem.

And by all accounts, Jin Wang had an extreme aversion to anyone raising the subject in his presence. From his coronation to this very day, not one official who had dared urge him to take a consort had come to a good end.

Why, then, this sudden decision?

And besides… what was there to discuss with him about such a matter?

Ye Shu couldn't fathom Jin Wang's intentions, and he didn't dare venture a hasty reply.

Jin Wang didn't press him. His palm moved in slow, unhurried circles against Ye Shu's side.

Ye Shu was wearing only a thin inner robe, beneath which his waist was slender and smooth, an exceptionally pleasant handful. The body in his arms was taut with nerves — it trembled at every touch — and Jin Wang was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Unable to bear it any longer, Ye Shu steeled himself and spoke: "Your… Your Majesty's intention is to ensure the continuation of the imperial bloodline and provide an heir for the realm — this subject… has nothing to object to."

"Wrong." Jin Wang leaned close to his ear, his voice laced with amusement. "It's not for the bloodline, and not for the realm."

Then he must have someone in his heart.

A flash of inexplicable displeasure passed through Ye Shu's mind.

Before he could say anything more, Jin Wang pointed to the other document still lying on the desk: "Now read this one."

Ye Shu opened it.

It was an… execution order.

Left Minister Ye Shu, found guilty of high treason and attempted regicide, evidence conclusive, sentenced by law to death by slow slicing, to be carried out immediately.

Ye Shu's hand jerked, and the document slipped from his fingers and landed with a soft smack on the desk.

Jin Wang covered his cold fingers with his own: "What's the matter?"

Ye Shu curled his fingertips inward and asked quietly: "Does Your Majesty want to kill me?"

"What do you think?"

"I think……" Ye Shu's lashes trembled faintly. "Your Majesty does not want to kill me."

Jin Wang neither confirmed nor denied it. Ye Shu pressed his lips together and continued: "Your Majesty is the sovereign of a nation. To grant life or order death is a matter of a single thought. Whatever Your Majesty wishes to do, you would not go through so many roundabout steps to do it."

If he truly wanted to kill him, Jin Wang had had countless opportunities today.

Placing this execution order in front of him to read was clearly a prelude to negotiating terms.

Ye Shu lowered his gaze and did his best to appear composed: "What would Your Majesty require in exchange for sparing this subject's life?"

The original host in the novel had been ordered to his death directly, with none of this. He had never encountered any of this.

He didn't know why the plot had diverged, but Jin Wang's willingness to let him live was most likely because he still had some value to be made use of.

In the span of an instant, Ye Shu's mind had already drawn up a complete list of every official both inside and outside the court who harboured treasonous intentions.

If that wasn't enough, he could even reveal the military strength of the Dayan and Western Xia kingdoms, along with their tactical dispositions.

Trading classified secrets to preserve one's life — that was how it was always done in political intrigue novels.

But Jin Wang only said, in an unhurried tone: "I've already told you the terms."

Ye Shu was bewildered: "……Hm?"

Jin Wang explained: "I was nearly assassinated during the autumn hunt. The matter must be resolved. The Left Minister is heavily implicated in the assassination attempt and ought to be severely punished. Ye Shu the Left Minister cannot remain — but you… I am willing to spare your life."

"However, if you wish to live, you can no longer continue as Left Minister, and you can no longer appear before the world as Ye Shu."

"If you are willing to take on a different identity……" Jin Wang drew out the words, and tapped the edict regarding the consort.

Ye Shu's gaze followed Jin Wang's finger downward, and in an instant he understood his intention.

"You want to take me as a consort?!"

Jin Wang smiled: "That's right."

Ye Shu: "……"

Had this man lost his mind?

Jin Wang asked: "Is my beloved subject unwilling?"

"It's not a matter of being willing or unwilling……" Ye Shu could scarcely believe it; his expression had gone slightly dazed. "……Why on earth would you want this?"

Jin Wang replied with perfect equanimity: "My harem is empty. This cannot go on indefinitely. I need someone to fill it and silence the wagging tongues of the world."

Ye Shu gave him a look that said: keep making things up.

"Of course, there is another explanation." Jin Wang smiled, his palm continuing its maddening movements against Ye Shu's side. "Perhaps it is simply because… Chief Minister Ye's body has given me a taste I cannot forget, and I find myself unwilling to part with it."

Ye Shu immediately broke out in goosebumps all over.

Thi-this-this — this wretched emperor had set his sights on him?!

"Your-Your Majesty……"

Jin Wang's gaze grew calm, and his voice turned flat: "The imperial guards are standing just outside the palace gate. Shall I have them take away this execution order and bring someone from the death cells to die in your place — or shall I have them take you along with it to prison? Chief Minister Ye, help me decide."

Ye Shu said without a moment's hesitation: "I'll take the first option!"

Jin Wang smiled with satisfaction: "Very well."

Jin Wang summoned an attendant at once.

The attendant came before him, and Jin Wang gave his instructions one by one.

Throughout this entire exchange, Jin Wang kept Ye Shu tightly in his arms, not releasing him for a single moment.

Ye Shu's attempts to wriggle free came to nothing, and he was too mortified to face anyone. He could only bury his head in Jin Wang's chest while enduring the occasional startled glance the attendant cast his way, his ears burning scarlet.

When Jin Wang had finished his instructions, the attendant took the edict and left the bedchamber.

"There. They're all gone." Jin Wang gave Ye Shu's arm a light pat.

Ye Shu immediately sat upright and shifted: "You… let me go."

"No." Jin Wang stroked his back at an unhurried pace, his voice gentle yet dangerous. "Let me remind you of something — not killing you today does not mean I won't change my mind in the future."

"So, my beloved subject had better conduct himself well going forward. Otherwise, your life is something I can take back at any time."

Ye Shu laughed coldly to himself.

He knew this wretched emperor wouldn't soften his heart so easily.

Translated, wasn't this just saying: I've taken a liking to your body, so I won't kill you until I grow tired of you?

Damn Jin Wang.

Truly a tyrant through and through.

Ye Shu clenched his jaw and forced out something resembling a smile: "Yes. This subject understands."

Jin Wang said: "In that case, sign this edict."

The attendant earlier had only taken away the edict ordering the execution of the Left Minister; the one regarding the consort was still spread open on the desk.

There was one blank space left on the edict, left unfilled — the name of the consort to be taken.

Outside the window, the sky was darkening. Lamplight flickered and fell across the pale white silk, illuminating the inked characters that swept across the page with fluid, unrestrained elegance.

Jin Wang exchanged his brush for a vermilion one, dipped it in ink, and pressed it into Ye Shu's hand.

Then he closed his hand around Ye Shu's, and leaned forward.

Stroke by stroke, guided by Jin Wang, Ye Shu wrote — with his own hand — the name that had accompanied him for so many years.

Ye. Shu.

A strange feeling flickered through Ye Shu's heart.

Jin Wang was very close — so close that Ye Shu needed only to glance up to see him. The tiny light of the lamp was reflected in his eyes; the lines of his profile were refined and handsome, without a single flaw to fault.

Ye Shu's chest gave a small, quiet tremor. He quickly looked away.

With the name written, the edict was now complete.

Ye Shu watched Jin Wang put the edict away, and felt a complicated mixture of emotions settle in him.

He didn't particularly care about becoming a consort or not — as long as he could keep his life for now, there would always be an opportunity to escape later.

What made his feelings complicated was this: he had prepared an entire basket of classified secrets that could unite the realm under one rule — and Jin Wang just wanted someone to warm his bed???

This generation of tyrants truly had no ambition whatsoever.