Chapter 116
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The Heavenly Rite was held on the Changtai Peak, a sacred mountain on the outskirts of the capital. Throughout history, the emperors of Bei’an had to personally ascend the peak on the day of the Winter Solstice. Guided by the court officials, they would climb the elevated platform, praying for heavenly blessings to ensure favorable weather and prosperity in the northern lands.
Before dawn, a large contingent of Imperial Guards had already gathered at the foot of the mountain. Horses and people flowed towards the mountaintop, the grand ceremony being a meticulously planned event that started preparations five days prior. The Ministry of Rites officials and the deputy ministers of the Ministry of Etiquette had been working on these arrangements for months.
When Ni Lie, accompanied by Cao Gang and over a dozen valiant warriors, arrived at the foot of the mountain, the Heavenly Rite was still ongoing. Ni Lie could faintly hear the solemn toll of the Taihe Bell from the mountaintop. He was relieved to have finally caught up.
The assembled Imperial Guards at the mountain’s base immediately kneeled and saluted, “Marquis Wuwei!”
Ni Lie glanced towards the mist-shrouded mountaintop, then turned to the officers behind him, saying, “Zhao Quan, Wang Yi, follow me up. The rest of you, wait here.”
Cao Gang intervened, “Marquis, we’ve been traveling day and night for the past few days. It’s nearly noon, and the ceremony is likely coming to an end. Why not wait here for a moment? His Majesty’s carriage might be descending soon.”
Ni Lie waved his hand, “No need. I must personally go to welcome His Majesty.”
Resigned, Cao Gang sighed inwardly but refrained from further words. He stepped aside.
Ni Lie removed his armor, tossing it to a nearby guard, and gave a few instructions to Cao Gang. Then he hurriedly set off for the mountaintop with the two accompanying him.
Cao Gang stood still, watching the imposing figure disappear into the distance. After a long while, he couldn’t help but sigh, deep and heartfelt.
On a rainy night filled with thunder and lightning, the ferocious Red Tiger King had urgently requested to meet him. The man with resolute eyes and fiery determination had informed Cao Gang of a monumental decision.
He would assist the Third Prince in ascending to the throne and pledged his life to serve the prince.
“This decision is merely an announcement to you, and you are not allowed to oppose it. In any case, from now on, he will be the master of both of us. Do you understand?”
The man’s eyes were firm and his gaze intense.
For days afterward, Cao Gang struggled to comprehend the magnitude of that decision. He later learned that the Third Prince, a soul from his past life like him, had tamed an extraordinary beast. That fierce creature recognized human affection and love.
Cao Gang didn’t know when this began.
The only thing Cao Gang could do was to support him in accomplishing all of this.
As the tall figure gradually vanished on the mountain path, Cao Gang exhaled deeply, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Well, this could also be considered a different kind of fulfillment.
The followers were sweating profusely, unable to keep up with Ni Lie’s pace. Although the path wasn’t terribly rugged, it was steep, and the journey was anything but easy. Ni Lie was in a hurry to reach the mountaintop, and in a short time, he had pulled ahead of the two men.
Ni Lie moved with grace and speed, his steps growing quicker the closer he got to the summit. He yearned to see the person who occupied his thoughts so intensely.
Half a year had passed—half a year without him!
With the Southern Frontier War settled, Ni Lie had arranged everything and led a small team of a dozen men back to the capital. Throughout the journey, his dreams were filled with the cold fragrance that lingered on him. He wondered if his beloved had been eating well and sleeping soundly during these six months.
His restless heart was filled with tenderness.
As the commotion intensified, Ni Lie climbed the final set of stairs and finally laid eyes on the majestic Tian Tai, where his beloved was adorned in splendid ceremonial attire, high above, performing the Three Kneels and Nine Bows ritual. The grand ceremony seemed to be drawing to a close.
Ni Lie stood there, exhaling a deep breath of relief. Despite it being winter, sweat adorned his forehead, and his mind was buzzing. Finally, he had arrived. He could personally welcome His Majesty and his beloved down the mountain.
No one noticed Ni Lie behind them. Due to the lengthy ceremony, both officials and Imperial Guards were fatigued, some showing signs of exhaustion.
Emperor Chao Yuan lifted his robes and descended from the elevated platform. He casually raised his gaze, then froze for a moment.
However, his expression returned to normal within moments, as if nothing unusual had happened. With solemnity, he descended step by step, performing the Three Kneels and Nine Bows ritual. His eyes, though, held warmth.
A faint smile touched Ni Lie’s lips as he locked eyes with Emperor Chao Yuan from afar. Even his stern face softened with a hint of warmth.
His throat moved as he thought about how tonight he would finally be able to smell his beloved’s scent as he fell asleep. He would strip him clean, leaving nothing behind. He would tuck him into the blankets, pressing him down, pulling the curtains around the bed to capture his fragrance, to capture the damp moisture he exuded. He wanted to enjoy the gentle scent, to possess the intoxicating sweetness while indulging in his tender fragrance.
He knew that his beloved wouldn’t resist him in the slightest. He would offer up everything willingly. He was so lenient, so impetuous in his desires.
He knew that his beloved wouldn’t resist him in the slightest. He would offer up everything willingly. He was so lenient, so impetuous in his desires.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rocked the world. Ni Lie’s eyes widened as he watched his beloved being engulfed by rolling smoke and dust. Before anyone could react, a heart-rending roar echoed as Ni Lie rushed forward with the speed of a tiger, charging towards the elevated platform.
“No!”
A series of explosions followed, thick smoke billowing around. Finally snapping out of their stupor, the officials beneath the platform paled in shock.
“Protect His Majesty!”
“Someone, protect His Majesty!”
The area around the platform descended into chaos, filled with cries of alarm and curses. The Imperial Guards broke through the crowd from the periphery, quickly enclosing the platform.
Ni Lie’s mind was a blank slate. He charged into the thick smoke without a second thought. His head pounded, sudden intense pain seizing him. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he staggered as he rushed in the direction where Li Yuanmin had been standing.
“Jiaojiao! Jiaojiao!” he called out in desperation.
He shook his head in agony, but his steps didn’t slow down.
The intensifying pain surged through him, nearly tearing him apart. Ni Lie fell to his knees on the platform, his fingers digging into his scalp, veins bulging with horrifying prominence on his forehead. He let out a roar that sounded almost like that of a wild beast.
In the midst of the chaos, ripples gently spread across the water’s surface. A slender palace maid faintly approached him, ignoring the dirt and filth as she tenderly cleaned him like a wounded animal. Everything appeared like illusions in the water, vague and shrouded in a layer of yellowish light and shadow.
Ni Lie’s face contorted in pain, “No…”
In the light and shadows, the ten-year-old him held the thirteen-year-old him in his arms. Under the moonlight, the person in his embrace sounded a bit fragile, his voice almost as soft as the faint moonlight itself, “I… am intersexual.”
Ni Lie’s eyes turned even bloodier, as if they were about to drip blood!
He saw the moon again, and the gentle breeze of a summer night. The two of them were walking side by side on the rooftop of the King Guang’an mansion. With ambitious desires, he tenderly kissed the crying person before him, saying softly, “If Your Highness doesn’t marry, I won’t either.”
The gentle breeze rustled, and the scenes shifted accordingly.
The gauzy curtains fluttered in the warm wind. He and the other person hid in an empty room, where Tang Chrysanthemum petals drooped, their purple color vivid against the white. Like a wild beast, he licked him.
Amidst the thick smoke and dust, Ni Lie crawled on his knees, pounding his own head in agony.
The fluttering gauzy curtains persisted, carrying the moist warmth and the cold fragrance. The person opened his wet eyes, gazed at him hazily, then closed them again like a Bodhisattva gently guiding his restless soul. So lenient, so composed, he looked at him with compassion. It broke Ni Lie’s heart, almost suffocating him. He said, “A Lie, I’m not unwilling in the slightest.”
Tears streamed down Ni Lie’s eyes as he continued to crawl towards the platform.
It was a mirrored lake under the moonlight. The person ran towards it barefoot, resembling a dancing white butterfly. With a splash, they both jumped into the water, like two joyful fish, chasing each other, frolicking. He held him, rushing towards the wooden house beneath the moonlight.
Just like in the past, when they held hands and escaped the capital together.
Tears welled up in his beautiful eyes, “A Lie, please don’t make me sad anymore…”
More and more images crowded his mind like a frenzy.
Ni Lie was now sobbing uncontrollably, and with a sudden surge of strength, he rose to his feet, letting out a sky-piercing roar, “Your Highness!”
The roar shattered through the smoke and dust, echoing into the distance.
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