Chapter 1: The Man’s Bed
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“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened again…”
The expansive and desolate outlook provided by the terrace offered a view of the bustling capital of the Great Yan Kingdom.
Upon hearing the message from the maid, the man adorned in dragon robe and golden crown paused. His icy gaze shifted away from the cityscape, revealing a glint of ruthless determination. “Pass my order over: if he dares to attempt suicide, have the royal physician save him. I want to see how much resolve this waste of space has, whether he can meet his end at my hands.”
“But…” The maid seemed somewhat hesitant, kneeling at a distance, struggling to speak. A eunuch nearby intervened hastily, barking, “Why aren’t you going?!”
Liu Yu Zhen, you’re truly audacious. If you don’t return Zhi Jun to me, I’ll make sure you regret ever being born.
Yan Tenghua clenched his fist tightly with a fierce expression. He was now the monarch of Yan Kingdom, and no one dared to oppose his words. No one had dared in the past, and no one would in the future. There was no reason for him not to obtain what he desired. Yet, this subordinate from a minor state dared to take away his sister, Zhi Jun.
Just because of his words, chaos erupted in the cold palace quarters. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, sweat beading on their foreheads.
None dared to report to the emperor. The man imprisoned with iron chains on that cold, hard pallet had long since suffocated to death. His once handsome but now emaciated and weak face finally showed a hint of relief.
Whether it was murder or suicide by this prime minister who lacked martial skills, it was now impossible to tell. But what everyone knew for sure was that if the monarch were to learn of his death, regardless of how it came about, everyone present might end up joining him in death.
“Hurry, hurry up and bring the ancient incense, there might still be a chance to save him.”
After who knows how long of struggling, the person on the bed, besides emitting a faint hint of death, showed no signs of waking up.
“The King has arrived!”
The eunuch’s announcement made everyone in the room feel like they were sitting on pins and needles, and with a thud, dozens of people simultaneously knelt to the ground.
The King hadn’t visited the cold palace in over ten days. With daily interrogations and punishments ongoing, the room was filled with a strange smell. Why did he choose to come today of all days?
Yan Tenghua’s penetrating gaze pierced through the crowd, fixed straight on the wooden bed.
“Don’t pretend to be dead in front of me,” he walked slowly towards it. The last time he came, Liu Yu Zhen also pretended to be asleep like this, despite enduring so much torture from him. He only begged for mercy, never once surrendering his sister. Don’t think begging or seeking death will make me spare you.
Yu Zhen still showed no reaction. This angered him. Brushing aside the others’ attempts to stop him, he strode forcefully to the bed, grabbing Yu Zhen’s collar. “Wake up!”
He couldn’t allow it. How could this man seek death before revealing the whereabouts of his sister? Didn’t he fear provoking Yan Tenghua’s wrath to the point of annihilating his own Liu Country? Didn’t he realize that Zhi Jun was his only solace? Without her, he would feel terribly lonely and insecure in this imperial city.
Yet, in that moment, nobody comprehended how things had unfolded. All they saw was, in the fleeting instant when robes fluttered, their esteemed dragon-bodied king was abruptly pinned beneath Prime Minister Liu. The iron chains meant to restrain him had become his weapon, now clasped around the king’s neck with a swift motion of his hands.
What in the world…. is happening?!
Believe it or not, the most astonished person here must be the one using the iron chains to subdue another person.
He blinked, going from the darkness of confusion to sensing someone attacking him, then instinctively reacting to overpower that person. Finally, as his vision cleared, he couldn’t believe it was a man he had pinned to the bed.
His first thought was, damn, wouldn’t it be better if this were a woman?
The next moment, he realized something was amiss. Never mind the man wearing a soft golden robe, what mattered was the faint hint of killing intent on his handsome face, which made him even more alert. Was this man going to resist?
“Liu Yu Zhen,” the man uttered slowly through thin lips.
“You actually know my name?” He was first taken aback, then he realized it was strange for this stranger to call out his name. Could there be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?
“If you don’t let go, I’ll order your Liu Country to be reduced to rubble,” the man’s face turned ashen, his eyes burning with hatred as he directed his almost murderous gaze at him.
Liu Yu Zhen was stunned for a moment. When he glanced around to assess the situation, he was suddenly taken aback. There were so many people!
And why were they all dressed in strange ancient clothing? Why did the young man beneath him in the dragon robe look so much like a seasoned actor who had been pulled into a movie and couldn’t break character?
The man beneath him grew increasingly grim, then suddenly raised a hand, sending a gust of wind with force towards Yu Zhen’s chest.
Who was Liu Yu Zhen? From his own perspective, he was an outstanding detective nurtured by the Celestial Empire, now a member of the international police special forces due to his exceptional performance. His mastery of ancestral grappling techniques had earned him the prestigious title of “Falcon”.
Though he hadn’t fully grasped what was happening before him, if someone dared to launch a sneak attack, they were in for trouble.
Yu Zhen swiftly countered the gusty palm strike, elbowing the man’s jaw to immobilize him. As another strike came, he skillfully twisted his wrist, firmly seizing both of the man’s hands, effectively trapping him beneath him. A rebellious yet handsome face and a pair of eyes radiating with sinister intent stared back at him.
It was only then that Yu Zhen voiced an unprecedented question, “Who are you exactly? I don’t recall your face being on my mission list.”
“Release the King at once! You despicable creature who dares to lay hands on the dragon’s body, you have the audacity of a tyrant!”
Voices clamored from beneath the bed, but none dared to approach, probably fearing that if the man tightened his grip, he might take the life of the dragon-robed youth.
Yu Zhen’s expression shifted, holding onto the iron chain with one hand, he used the other to pat the man’s face. “Hey, listen here. Assaulting an officer is a serious crime. I could easily justify taking you down on the spot for assaulting an officer. If you want to play dress-up games, go play by yourselves. I’m a busy officer.”
As he was about to release his grip and get off the bed, he suddenly felt a major discrepancy—why was it me who’s trapped by the iron chain?! Huh?!!
He knew he was a bit slow on the uptake, but this situation was just too absurd, wasn’t it?
He stared blankly as the man beneath him got off the bed, and a person who looked like a maid immediately brought a basin of water, repeatedly wiping his face as if he had gotten dirt on it.
Yu Zhen moved the iron chain in his hand. What a strong sensation! He chuckled dumbfoundedly. Oh man, did I forget that I was hit by a bullet when I was chasing the criminals just now, and presumed dead? I even saw my own dead body while floating around with my soul. So, what’s this situation now?
Transmigration?
And here I thought transmigration to the palace was exclusively for women!
Yu Zhen awkwardly smiled at the person in front of him, a very bad feeling creeping into his emotions. If he had known, he wouldn’t have let go of that dragon-robed bastard earlier. “Uh, heh heh, hi everyone…”
“Guards!” The man in the dragon robe’s voice turned ice cold to the extreme. “Drag him to the interrogation court, and execute him by slow torture tomorrow.”
“Huh?!”
As a group of people approached him, cracking their knuckles, Yu Zhen certainly knew the capabilities of Imperial China’s officials. He didn’t need to put on a show for them! Though he didn’t know which dynasty this was or what crime the owner of this body had committed, if they didn’t execute him right away and instead kept him well-fed and confined in a room, there was definitely something fishy going on.
Yu Zhen stretched out his hands in a “hold on” gesture and shouted, “If you execute me, I won’t tell you what you want to know!”
This shout relieved Yu Zhen a bit. The man seemed to momentarily forget his resentment, his eyes shining. “Oh? So you’re finally willing to talk?”
“Of course, I’ll talk!” Yu Zhen’s face twitched a few times, trying to act tough. “But not right now.”
“Take him away,” the man pronounced coldly.
“Wait a moment, I’m just a bit hungry. If you give me something to eat, I might talk,” Yu Zhen abandoned his resigned attitude towards death. That determination was reserved for dealing with criminals, not for the person in front of him who had no grudge against him, and might even become a cash cow for him after his rebirth.
Perhaps deceived by his innocent and harmless appearance, the man in the dragon robe frowned. Various expressions flitted across his refined and elegant face before settling into his usual cold indifference. “Prepare some snacks from the royal kitchen. If he still doesn’t talk by midnight, let him die.”
Upon hearing about the food, Yu Zhen felt overwhelmingly grateful. Considering he hadn’t eaten since his last mission until now, this offer seemed like heavenly music to his ears. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
He bowed reverently, with a hint of sarcasm, feeling like he was performing a compliance act to satisfy someone with psychological issues, but he didn’t feel at a loss.
However, from the perspective of King Yan, all of this felt entirely different.
Huge shoutout to @denkoumaru on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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