Chapter 8

Ye Shu had a dream.

In the dream, rain fell without end. He held a young boy who was thinner and smaller than him.

Water seeped through the roof, dripping down to pool on the floor. Outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder crashed — and with every peal, the boy in his arms would shudder.

"Such a little coward," Ye Shu said with a soft smile, slowly rubbing warmth into the boy's cold fingers and cheeks. "A Yuan is going to be emperor one day. There's no such thing as an emperor who's afraid of thunder."

The boy lifted his head, revealing a pair of bright eyes. "…Can an emperor really not be afraid of anything?"

"Of course not." Ye Shu said. "To rule as sovereign, you must first be strong yourself — only then can you make the nation strong and make the people submit. Any trace of cowardice or fear in you will become a fatal weakness."

The boy stared at Ye Shu in a daze. A thunderclap burst across the sky, and the boy shrank back in an instant.

"Then…then let me be scared just this once more." The boy clutched Ye Shu's clothes, his voice muffled. "The last time."

Ye Shu laughed and held him tighter.

The scene shifted. The clouds broke and the sun came out.

Ye Shu was leaning lazily against the railing of a winding corridor, drowsing pleasantly in the warm sunlight.

"I'm buried in all the nonsense for the coronation and can barely keep up — and here you are, hiding away to enjoy some peace and quiet." A clear, crisp young voice reached him, and Ye Shu squinted his eyes, spotting a figure striding toward him from a distance.

The young man was tall and upright, with handsome brows and eyes that were slightly furrowed — yet still very good-looking.

Ye Shu grinned. "Calling the coronation ceremony 'nonsense' — you'd better watch out or those old fogeys will hear you."

The young man said nothing and walked calmly to Ye Shu's side.

"I asked you before what official post you wanted," the young man said, standing beside Ye Shu, his tall figure blocking most of the sunlight. "Have you thought it over?"

Ye Shu asked in return: "Truly anything?"

"A sovereign's word is his bond."

Ye Shu was silent for a long time.

No one knew what he was thinking in that silence. After a long while, he finally said slowly: "The position of Left Chancellor has been vacant at court. Are you willing to give that to me, Your Majesty?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the young man's eyes.

A moment later, the young man smiled. "Of course I am."

Beneath the brilliant red palace walls, the two young men walked away side by side.

"I thought you'd ask for a noble title and live a comfortable life."

"What can I say — I was born to toil." Ye Shu hooked an arm around the young man's neck, his eyes full of laughter. "I have to help my emperor unite the realm."

"Those are your words. It's a promise."

"Mm. It's a promise."

Ye Shu woke to the faint gray light of dawn.

He opened his eyes — and found himself looking directly at an extraordinarily handsome face.

Jin Wang was still fast asleep. His crow-dark lashes fanned down in a thick, even fringe, concealing the sharp, narrow outer corners of his eyes. His brow was faintly furrowed, leaving a shallow crease.

The "A Yuan" from the dream — it was him.

The sovereign of Changlu, surnamed Jin, given name Wang, courtesy name Lingyuan.

It had been so long since Ye Shu transmigrated into this body, and this was the first time he had dreamed of the past.

His memories of the original host's life were extremely hazy. Most of what he knew came from the novel itself, or from scattered fragments of memory.

Like this dream today…

So it turned out this tyrant used to be a soft, clingy little ball of fluff who liked to be babied.

How had three years of being emperor turned him into such a bastard.

"What are you thinking about?" someone murmured close to his ear.

Without thinking, Ye Shu opened his mouth to answer: "I'm thinking about why you're so—"

The word "awful" was right on the tip of his tongue. Ye Shu met Jin Wang's gaze and was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Ye Shu let out a dry laugh. "Good morning, Your Majesty."

"Morning." Jin Wang's voice was low and a little hoarse, his expression somewhere between a smile and not quite a smile. "What were you just saying, beloved subject — what were you thinking about regarding Us?"

"I was thinking…"

Ye Shu's eyes darted around. Improvising swiftly, he said: "I was thinking about how Your Majesty could possibly be so extraordinarily gifted — this subject is utterly awestruck, and can only look upon Your Majesty with new eyes!"

Jin Wang: "?"

Ye Shu adopted an earnest tone. "Last night, Your Majesty was mighty and magnificent, and this subject has never in all his life had such an experience. It truly made me… made me…"

"Made you feel absolutely nothing?" Jin Wang's expression was flat. "We didn't touch you last night. Stop making things up."

Ye Shu: "…Huh?"

He looked down. Sure enough, both of them were fully clothed, their bodies perfectly normal, with none of the signs of having done anything of that sort.

Hadn't they agreed he was supposed to attend the imperial bedchamber?

He had even gone to all that effort in the bathing pool by himself!

Could this dog emperor possibly be… incapable???

If Jin Wang had known what he was accusing him of in his heart — the thief crying thief — there would certainly have been severe punishment in store.

The truth was that last night, Jin Wang had gotten carried away and released far too much pheromone mist.

But he had forgotten — the person in front of him was a complete lightweight: touch alcohol and he'd fall asleep, catch a whiff of anything and he'd pass out.

Passing out was one thing. But then he'd gone and fallen asleep while clutching his thing, and there was simply no way to pry him loose.

The august sovereign of Changlu had, for the first time in his life, had someone hold his most vital asset while sleeping — and had been held like that for nearly half the night, leaving him alternating between stimulation and frustration, very nearly rendering himself genuinely incapable.

Just thinking about it made Jin Wang furious. He let out a cold snort and flung aside the bed curtain to get up.

Ye Shu poked his head out. "Then about what Your Majesty promised…"

"Promised?" Jin Wang turned to look at him. "What did We promise you?"

"The cat…"

The nerve of him, even bringing up the cat.

Jin Wang, coldly: "No."

"Your Majesty…"

"No. Don't even think about it."

"How can you be like this?" Ye Shu sat up on his knees on the bed, displeased. "Didn't we agree yesterday — as long as I agreed… you would let me go home? A sovereign's word is his bond. How can you go back on your word?"

Who exactly was going back on whose word.

We didn't even touch you.

Jin Wang couldn't be bothered to argue with him. Ye Shu shuffled forward on his knees, climbed off the bed, and chased after him barefoot on the soft carpet. "Your Majesty, please just agree. I'll go back for one look and nothing else."

"I'm begging you… A Yuan."

Jin Wang's fingers stilled on the buttons he was fastening.

Ye Shu seized the opportunity, moved around to face him, and began helping him dress with eager, attentive hands.

Jin Wang watched him in silence as Ye Shu dressed him fully and then looked up to meet his gaze.

The two looked at each other for a moment. Then Jin Wang suddenly reached up and caught Ye Shu by the jaw, and smiled: "It has been many years since We have heard that name. It seems you truly want to go back."

His smile was warm, yet dangerous — enough to make Ye Shu's scalp prickle.

What was going on? Hadn't the original host always called him that — why did this tyrant seem… angry???

Was he really this moody?

Jin Wang had trained in martial arts; he didn't hold back with his hands, and the grip was painful enough to make Ye Shu wince.

Ye Shu grimaced. "Your Majesty…"

The grip loosened.

Jin Wang rubbed the red mark on Ye Shu's cheek with the pad of his thumb, his voice gentle. "Don't be afraid. We can permit you."

"However… We will accompany you."

The Ye family manor was situated in the most prosperous district of the capital. Three years ago, it had been personally overseen and built by the sovereign himself, and named Linan Residence — a name that evoked a sense of tranquility found within the midst of noise and bustle.

When Chancellor Ye had been at the height of his favor, the Ye manor was the place that every prestigious family and every ambitious young scholar in the capital had vied to visit and pledge their allegiance to.

Visitors had thronged the gates. Its prestige had been unmatched.

But now, fresh seals had been plastered across the manor's gates. The plaque bearing the characters for "Ye Manor" had been split in two and discarded carelessly on the stone steps, already collecting dust.

Passersby didn't even dare to look for too long, fearing they might be implicated.

Anyone who saw it could not help but sigh at how swiftly the tides of fortune could turn.

…Except for Ye Shu.

Ye Shu felt nothing whatsoever inside — and in fact just wanted to hurry back to the traveling palace.

Jin Wang had pulled him tightly into his arms and said with that half-smile of his: "Where is this cat beloved subject mentioned?"

"…" Ye Shu tried inconspicuously to shift away, but was yanked back by Jin Wang with some force. He bowed his head obediently and said, "It— it's usually right here. Let's wait a little longer."

"Mm. Let's wait, then."

Both of them had changed into commoner's clothing. Jin Wang was dressed all in black, a black-boned bamboo fan tucked at his waist — lending him quite the air of a dashing man-about-town from the common folk.

Ye Shu, meanwhile, wore a plain blue robe, which made him look all the more gentle and delicate.

Behind the Ye manor's rear gate was a narrow alley, rarely frequented, overgrown with weeds.

The two of them waited in the alley for a moment, and at last heard a faint little meow.

"Mreow~"

Ye Shu followed the sound and spotted a small yellow-and-white cat crouched in the weeds, a pair of dewy eyes peering out.

He had just started to move forward when the cat shrank back fearfully into the brush.

Ye Shu thought for a moment, then said: "Your Majesty, with you here, they won't dare come out. Could you… could you go and wait for me outside first?"

Jin Wang did not answer.

He lowered his gaze to look at Ye Shu for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Very well. We will wait for you in the carriage."

The carriage was parked at the mouth of the alley. Ye Shu watched Jin Wang leave, then silently let out a long breath.

Just then, the little cat suddenly turned its head and bolted deeper into the alley.

Ye Shu hurried after it.

Not far from the Ye manor's rear gate, there was an abandoned courtyard. Ye Shu chased the little cat into the yard and found it crouching outside a clump of weeds in the corner of the wall, meowing loudly at him.

Ye Shu parted the weeds.

— Inside was a nest of newborn kittens.

The kittens had only just opened their eyes; their fur was soft and sparse, and they were utterly adorable.

Ye Shu's heart melted at the sight of them. He was just about to reach out and touch them when a strange sound suddenly came from somewhere in the courtyard.

The door of a small room beside him creaked open.

A damp, cold air seeped out from within. Ye Shu looked up, his brow faintly tightening.

He hesitated for only the briefest instant before rising and walking inside.

The room was thick with cobwebs and permeated by the smell of something long-sealed and rotting.

The moment Ye Shu stepped through the door, he felt a cold draft sweep over him.

In the next instant, the back of his neck went cold.

A sharp blade pressed against his throat.

Ye Shu's lashes trembled faintly, but his voice was calm and steady. "So you really are here."

"No choice — there are people hunting us everywhere outside. If we don't hide here, there's nowhere else to go." The voice came pressed close against his ear, and on the ground before him fell the tall shadow of a man.

Ye Shu spread his hands open. "It wasn't me who betrayed you."

The man behind him let out a low laugh. "A Chancellor Ye who should have been executed is standing here in front of me — you think I'd believe that?"

Ye Shu was silent. In his heart he thought: he hadn't expected himself to still be alive to come back here either.

Who the hell knew what that dog emperor was thinking every day.

Ye Shu said: "If I'd really done it, the ones standing here today would be the imperial guards."

"That's a fair point."

The grip restraining Ye Shu loosened. He turned around. The man was slowly putting away his dagger.

The man standing behind him was extremely tall, with deeply chiseled features. A pair of eyes shone startlingly bright in the darkness — he seemed to carry some foreign blood.

Ye Shu had this person's image in his memory.

The original host's assassination plot had been carried out in cooperation with this man.

From the Kingdom of Xixia — Mu Jiuqing.

"Jin Wang is right outside. Let's keep this brief." Ye Shu said. "I want to leave Changlu."

Unexpectedly, the man did not ask many questions — he simply nodded directly. "That's fine. I'll take you away, but you'll have to give me something in exchange."

Ye Shu asked: "What do you want?"

"The Emperor of Changlu killed many of my men, and destroyed years of our efforts in one fell swoop." The man looked at Ye Shu, his eyes dark and deep.

"I want his life."