After the mid-autumn festival in Qing County, the heat of summer receded, and the scent of osmanthus filled the air, making it the most comfortable time of year.
But in a small residence in Qing County, there were unexpectedly three layers of iron cavalry surrounding it, with another layer of guards with swords at their waists inside.
Among them, even if only two or three drew their long swords, it was enough to make Xueya tremble.
Xueya was sixteen years old and had never seen such a situation before.
Xueya was born into a lowly background, growing up in a brothel. Typically, a person like him would be put up for sale at the age of fifteen, but Xueya was lucky. On the first day he was put on display, he was purchased by a frail but kind-hearted benefactor.
The benefactor was not only kind-hearted but also quite handsome. Xueya was prepared to offer himself, but to his surprise, the benefactor didn’t sleep with him. Instead, he just wanted Xueya to stay by his side and attend to him.
The tasks were trivial, like singing songs or pouring tea.
The benefactor doted on him, never even saying a harsh word. After spending a year with the benefactor, Xueya almost forgot the hardships of his first fifteen years, strutting around like a little peacock every day.
Ordinary courtesans, once redeemed, couldn’t leave the confines of their new home and were often confined within four walls. But Xueya was different. As long as he wore a veiled hat and was accompanied by servants, he could stroll the streets freely.
However, such comfortable days were too short-lived for Xueya. This evening, the benefactor suddenly passed away. Before Xueya could even cry, dozens of men burst into the modest house. They were tall, armed with swords at their waists, and looked fierce. Terrified, Xueya collapsed to the ground, his legs giving out, and was dragged into the courtyard by his hair without any resistance.
He didn’t understand much of what happened next because a large blade was pressed against the back of his neck, making him too scared to lift his head. His knees were sore, and his legs went numb. Finally, he heard a familiar voice.
“…This person was bought by His Majesty to sing. We investigated his background before purchasing him. He comes from a slave family; his mother was a prostitute, and his father is unknown. He grew up in the Red Moon House…”
The voice belonged to Housekeeper Wang, the housekeeper who served the benefactor. Housekeeper Wang had never liked Xueya.
Xueya was stunned as he listened to Housekeeper Wang’s words.
His Majesty?
Did he hear that correctly?
But before he could figure this out, he heard the housekeeper continue, “He is just a slave, and the general can handle him as he pleases.”
Xueya trembled all over, ignoring the large knife at his neck, and tremblingly said, “Don’t kill me, I…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was viciously hit on the head, the back of the blade hitting his head.
This blow made Xueya’s ears buzz and his eyes dark.
“The Lord Empress has not yet come out. Let’s wait for the Lord Empress to decide.”
A deep and steady male voice sounded.
Despite feeling dizzy, Xueya strained to listen to their conversation. They mentioned the Emperor, a general, and now the Lord Empress. As he thought about it carefully, cold sweat began to form on his back.
Everyone knew that the current Emperor had married a Lord Empress.
When it came to this Lord Empress, Xueya had heard some things from others.
The Lord Empress was named He Xulan, who came from a distinguished family. At sixteen, he had become the top scholar in the imperial exams. He then entered the Hanlin Academy, becoming an editor and later being promoted to assistant-minister of the Hanlin Academy. After a few years, he was elevated to Grand Scholar of the Hanlin Academy.
Just as he was at the peak of his career, the current Emperor fell gravely ill, and no medicine could cure him. The Astronomical Bureau divined day and night and finally predicted that someone could bring luck to the Emperor and cure his illness.
That person was He Xulan.
Though the Li Dynasty favored male relationships, there had never been a precedent of a man bringing marriage blessing to another man to cure an illness, let alone He Xulan, the Grand Scholar, doing so for the Emperor.
Xueya didn’t understand the intricacies of this event, as he was only twelve years old when it happened. In the end, not only did He Xulan bring marriage blessing to the Emperor, but he also became the Empress.
Because He Xulan was a man, people called him the Lord Empress instead of Empress.
***
Realizing that the sickly person he had served for a year might be the current Emperor, Xueya felt utterly hopeless, thinking he wouldn’t survive. Yet, he was unwilling to accept his fate.
He was still young and had not yet enjoyed a good life.
When he left the Red Moon House, he had boasted to the people there, saying he was going to live a good life and told them not to envy him.
But now he was about to die.
Firmly believing that it’s better to live in hardship than to die, Xueya was filled with fear and anxiety, desperately thinking of ways to stay alive. However, he couldn’t think of any solution, his heart pounding with anxiety.
At this moment, he heard Housekeeper Wang’s extremely obsequious voice call out—
“Lord Empress.”
Following this, the previous steady male voice also called out, “Lord Empress.”
Hearing this, Xueya dared not move. In an ordinary household, this Lord Empress would be like the main wife, and he, as someone kept outside by the master, would naturally fear the main wife. Not to mention, this was not an ordinary main wife but the current Lord Empress.
Xueya held his breath, but he felt a boot in front of him, lifting his face with irresistible force.
He didn’t dare struggle, raising his face stiffly, tears welling up the moment he lifted his head.
Having spent many years in the brothel, he knew how to appear pitiful to evoke sympathy countless times.
Although the person in front of him was technically his main wife, Xueya thought it was worth a try. As long as the other person was human, he might evoke some pity.
But as he raised his head and prepared to beg for mercy, he was stunned.
The reason was simple: the young man’s appearance was strikingly similar to his own.
But despite the similarity in facial features, their overall demeanors were entirely different.
The young man, dressed in a dark blue wide-sleeved robe, had a face that was handsome and noble, with an aura of elegance and majesty, looking like an immortal being. Xueya had always been confident in his own looks, but upon seeing this face, he felt a sudden sense of inferiority.
It was as if he was just a counterfeit of the person in front of him.
Aside from appearance and demeanor, the other person’s aura was extraordinary. Despite carrying no weapon, simply standing there, he outshone the group of armed guards behind him, especially with his scrutinizing gaze that sent chills down one’s spine.
At this moment, Xueya suddenly remembered how the benefactor often stared at his face. He had thought it was due to his beauty, but now it seemed he had been regarded as a substitute for the person in front of him, a way to reminisce about someone else.
In the Red Moon House, there was a guest who did the same, finding a boy who resembled his deceased lover.
Back then, Xueya had laughed at both the substitute and the one looking for a substitute, but now he was the joke. He didn’t dare laugh or cry, curling up and staying still.
After what felt like an eternity, the boot lifting his chin was withdrawn. Immediately, someone knelt and meticulously wiped the young man’s boot with a silk cloth.
Xueya noticed that the person cleaning the boot was Housekeeper Wang, who never liked him. He felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth but quickly lowered his head again.
Without seeing the young man’s face, he dared to use his looks to appear pitiful. Now, he wished he could hide his face entirely.
Xueya thought no one liked seeing their own counterfeit.
He believed he was doomed. His mother had told him he would achieve great things in life, but now it seemed he would disappoint her.
After a brief silence, Xueya finally heard a voice.
“Take him away.”
The voice was soft, like the clinking of jade.
“Yes.”
As soon as this was said, Xueya felt a heavy blow to the back of his neck and lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was on a cart, tightly bound, surrounded by boxes.
After spending a moment feeling lucky to be alive, Xueya tried to peek out of the cart to see where it was headed, but a large blade immediately blocked his view, scaring him into retreat.
Outside, he heard mocking laughter, “Careful, broken rabbit, or you’ll lose your head.”
He wasn’t a broken rabbit; if he were, he would be a fragrant one.
Xueya couldn’t help but snort in his heart. He knew most men despised them, calling them “rabbit boys,” but he thought, having been redeemed, he no longer counted as one.
Xueya no longer dared to stick his head out, but after thinking for a while, he gathered the courage to ask, “Sir, where are we going?”
“To the capital.”
Whether the person outside took pity on him or thought it was harmless to tell him, they directly revealed the destination.
Upon hearing the word “capital,” Xueya’s face turned pale.
***
Half a month later, Xueya arrived at the capital, a place he had only heard about from merchants.
The legendary capital, filled with opulent palaces and vibrant streets.
Author’s note:
The protagonist here is a low-level green tea shou, a pretty fool, so don’t expect too much from him.
The main character, He Xulan, also known as Lord Empress, is a staunchly straight man to everyone but the protagonist, around whom he bends like a mosquito coil.
