Taiji Hall.
Qi Hanmiao stood by with a bowl of porridge, his face full of worry. “Your Majesty, this is the porridge you used to like the most. Please, have a little.”
“What’s wrong with His Majesty?” Chen Ziyan asked. “Just a couple of days ago, he seemed perfectly fine.”
He even took the initiative to hold my hand…
How did things suddenly turn out like this?
King Xiang shot a sharp glare at Yin Wuzhi, his voice full of resentment: “You stay in the palace every day. What have you done to him?”
Yin Wuzhi: “.”
Actually, nothing much had happened. He had only given Jiang Wu a drink of water, and then Jiang Wu seemed to accidentally stop breathing. After putting in a lot of effort to save him, the man had seamlessly transitioned from the brink of death into a state of sleep.
After that, when Jiang Wu woke up, he turned into what he is now.
His face still carried the same expressionless look, but it appeared even more melancholy than before, as if a dark, gloomy aura was swirling around him, like a ghost haunted by resentment in the deep recesses of the palace.
King Xiang approached Jiang Wu, squatted by his feet, and said, “Your Majesty, it’s your younger brother. Look at your younger brother, will you?”
He tentatively reached out to grab Jiang Wu’s hand, but Yin Wuzhi suddenly stepped forward, pulled the blanket over Jiang Wu’s hand, and said, “It’s cold. Don’t let your hands freeze.”
Chen Ziyan glanced over, and King Xiang shot Yin Wuzhi a glare.
Retracting his hand, he frowned and said to Jiang Wu, “Your Majesty, if there’s anything troubling you, tell your younger brother. Perhaps I can help.”
Jiang Wu found them irritating.
Can’t they just let him wallow in his gloom for a few days in peace?
Right now, he had no motivation for anything. He was too lazy to pick a fight with Chen Ziyan or even think about how to kill King Xiang. Even dealing with Zisha felt exhausting.
He vividly remembered that night—his soul had indeed flown out of his body, flipped through the air above the palace, and performed a set of calisthenics. He remembered clearly how he had dashed out of the palace, drifted onto the empty streets in the early morning, and wandered through the bustling nightlife areas of Guanjing City.
But it turned out, it was all just a dream.
Everything was just a dream.
He hadn’t died, hadn’t escaped this body, and hadn’t gotten rid of his title or these people.
“Your Majesty…”
“Get out.”
King Xiang: “…”
Did he just tell him to get out?
His fourth royal brother actually spoke to him like this.
Jiang Wu weakly repeated, “All of you, get out.”
Qi Hanmiao tentatively said, “Your Majesty…”
“If you don’t want to die, then get out.”
Finally, silence filled the air. Jiang Wu closed his eyes, sinking into it.
He hadn’t eaten in two days, but he wasn’t hungry at all. He didn’t want to eat. His mood was terrible—extremely terrible, absolutely abysmal.
He kept recalling that night, the long-lost feeling of lightness and joy. But now that he was back in this body, everything felt distant and out of reach.
When he woke up yesterday, he felt utterly lost and despondent. Then Chen Ziyan came in with a report, saying that the horse bandits in Qi were becoming more and more rampant. The people King Qi had sent out discovered that it was likely the Zhao army using the horse bandits as a front to harass the surrounding areas. He asked Jiang Wu if he wanted to send someone capable to investigate.
Jiang Wu lazily closed his eyes.
If getting angry required effort, he would have made sure they saw what impotent rage looked like.
Outside, Chen Ziyan and Yin Wuzhi were still discussing: “Could His Majesty be angry because of the report from King Qi?”
King Xiang immediately looked over. “You mean our third royal brother?”
“Exactly,” Chen Ziyan briefly explained the situation and said, “It seems that after that matter, His Majesty was so angry he even stopped eating.”
“If it’s because of the Zhao forces harassing Qi, it’s understandable that our older brother would be upset.”
“Would King Xiang care to explain the full story?”
“There’s nothing to hide,” Jiang Rui said. “When His Majesty was young, he was kidnapped by Zhao assassins, and ever since, he’s harbored a deep hatred for Zhao. During the previous wars in the southern regions, if it weren’t for Empress Dowager Yao forbidding him, he would’ve donned armor and headed to the battlefield himself.”
Yin Wuzhi asked, “The Empress Dowager forbade him?”
King Xiang responded with a sharp tone as soon as he looked at Yin Wuzhi. “The Empress Dowager has only one child. Naturally, she wouldn’t want him to go to war. Our second brother, however, was allowed to go, but he was unfortunately poisoned by a Gu curse. He’s been bedridden ever since, barely hanging on.”
At this, King Xiang glanced at the Taiji Hall, his frown deepening.
Yin Wuzhi was well aware of the situation with King Ning.
The late emperor’s sons were all talented, especially the Crown Prince and the second prince, King Ning. When Yin Wuzhi was young, he knew that one of the emperor’s sons served as a deputy general under his father. When they returned victorious to the capital for the first time, King Ning was among them. The second time they went to the southern regions, King Ning left a few days later, only to be ambushed, disappearing from the public eye ever since.
By the time Yin Wuzhi grew up and replaced King Ning’s position, becoming the right-hand man of King Dingnan, he learned that King Ning hadn’t seen anyone since being poisoned.
Noticing King Xiang’s expression, Yin Wuzhi said, “It seems His Majesty cannot be comforted today. We should focus on other matters.”
That whole day, Jiang Wu ate nothing again.
In the evening, Qi Hanmiao brought Gu Yan to see him. But since Jiang Wu didn’t want to speak to anyone, after taking his pulse, Gu Yan withdrew to the outer chamber.
Jiang Wu had been moved to the bed but still had no appetite. He laid there, eyes closed, praying that he could have another pleasant dream tonight.
The bed curtain was lifted, and a bowl of steamed egg custard was passed in from outside. Jiang Wu smelled its fragrance but still didn’t want to move. Not only did he not want to move, but he also felt nauseated.
His mood was truly at rock bottom.
Before the person delivering the egg custard could speak, Jiang Wu quietly said, “Get out. Stop bothering me.”
Yin Wuzhi knew that in Jiang Wu’s current state, if the first words he heard didn’t please him, he wouldn’t give the other person another chance to speak.
“Your Majesty…” Yin Wuzhi recalled the rare moments when Jiang Wu had shown excitement and said, “Do you want to fly again?”
Jiang Wu’s eyes shifted, silently staring at him.
Got it right.
Yin Wuzhi sat by the bed, holding the bowl, and said, “Here’s the deal—finish this bowl, and I’ll take you flying.”
That time bouncing around on the roof hadn’t left Jiang Wu with pleasant memories.
He listlessly averted his gaze, unwilling to pay Yin Wuzhi any attention.
“This time, you won’t be hopping around. You’ll really be flying. I’ve ordered a few experts in qinggong skills to carry Your Majesty for a flight around the palace.”
Jiang Wu looked at him again.
Yin Wuzhi scooped some of the egg custard and brought it to Jiang Wu’s lips. “Your Majesty, eat first. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied this time.”
Jiang Wu opened his mouth.
Yin Wuzhi sighed with relief and patiently fed him, spoonful by spoonful.
Perhaps trusting him, Jiang Wu didn’t ask further questions and finished the bowl of egg custard.
After rinsing his mouth, Yin Wuzhi carried him to the back courtyard and said, “I couldn’t find enough qinggong skill experts on short notice, but I promise I’ll find them by tomorrow. For today, I’ll take Your Majesty on a little tour myself.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Wu behaved.
After about half an hour, some of the gloom around Jiang Wu had lifted. He even suggested, “Let’s rest.”
As they passed the Imperial Garden, Yin Wuzhi landed with him in a pavilion atop an artificial hill. It seemed someone important had rested there earlier, as thick wind-blocking curtains were draped around the pavilion.
Qi Hanmiao had been observing their movements and quickly followed with attendants. They set up lanterns in the pavilion and placed a stove to warm the area.
Yin Wuzhi placed Jiang Wu on a small couch near the stove and warmed his hands by holding them over the heater. “I just checked with the Imperial Observatory. Tomorrow there won’t be any cold winds or snow. It’ll be sunny all day. If Your Majesty wants… wants to see Qiu Wuchen, tomorrow would be a good time to go.”
Jiang Wu looked at his hand in Yin Wuzhi’s grasp.
Yin Wuzhi had mentioned this several times since that day, but Jiang Wu had been too lazy to leave the palace and hadn’t gone yet.
He hadn’t wanted to go, and Yin Wuzhi, oddly enough, felt somewhat relieved and hadn’t pressed the issue.
But earlier, Gu Yan had said that Jiang Wu’s current state might be due to long-standing emotional stress. Although he had been eating well daily, his weight was steadily declining, which wasn’t good for his health.
In all honesty, during these two days when Jiang Wu had refused to eat, Yin Wuzhi oddly felt that life had been easier when Jiang Wu bullied him.
Though they had just flown a lap, Jiang Wu still seemed listless and uninterested.
Having experienced the sensation of a wandering soul, he found this kind of flight crude and dissatisfying.
He remained silent, and Yin Wuzhi began to reflect on that night again.
The Emperor had turned out this way, maybe because of him.
If he hadn’t kept holding him down… he was certain Jiang Wu had almost been suffocated to death by his kiss. Had he been a few seconds later, the palace bells might already have been tolling.
Maybe Jiang Wu had been frightened.
Even Yin Wuzhi had been scared to death, staying up all night watching Jiang Wu’s breathing and heartbeat.
Lowering his head, Yin Wuzhi said, “About that night, I hope Your Majesty doesn’t take it to heart. I… I don’t know what came over me… but I swear it won’t happen again.”
If he hadn’t brought it up, Jiang Wu might’ve almost forgotten about being pinned down that day.
Now that he thought about it, had his out-of-body experience been caused by Yin Wuzhi’s kiss?
He stared directly at Yin Wuzhi.
Under his gaze, Yin Wuzhi couldn’t lift his head. After a moment of silence, he said, “If Your Majesty thinks having Brother Ziyan serve you would bring you joy, I can go tell him tonight.”
Jiang Wu set that aside for now. “Carry me back to the palace.”
Yin Wuzhi hadn’t fully understood the implication of that command but reflexively picked him up. Jiang Wu said, “Hurry, back to the palace, to the bed.”
Ignoring Qi Hanmiao’s expression, Yin Wuzhi quickly carried Jiang Wu back to the palace, placing him on the bed, then squatted beside it.
“Come here.”
“Get up here.”
“Lie down.”
Yin Wuzhi, stiff as a board, obeyed. “Your Majesty, what is this…”
“Kiss me.”
“…” Yin Wuzhi barely made it onto the bed before retreating.
He quietly squatted back at the bedside and said, “Your Majesty, please don’t tease me.”
“I’m giving you permission to kiss me.”
“No,” Yin Wuzhi shook his head. He didn’t want to resuscitate Jiang Wu again, nor did he want to be accused of regicide.
Jiang Wu said, “You’ve already pinned me down and forced a kiss. It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”
Yin Wuzhi: “…”
His face turned pale, then flushed red. “I… I don’t know what came over me that day. Your Majesty should rest early. I’ll leave now.”
“Stop.” Jiang Wu commanded, “Take another step, and I’ll have your feet chopped off.”
Yin Wuzhi froze.
Behind him, the Emperor’s voice spoke again, “Yin Wuzhi, are you lusting after my beauty?”
“…” The audacity of someone to say such shameless words.
Yin Wuzhi didn’t respond for a long moment.
He was trying to figure out what had come over him—why he kept feeling drawn to Jiang Wu, even though he detested him.
“Or do you like me?”
Yin Wuzhi felt as though he’d been struck by lightning.
“You must really like me, sneaking into my bed over and over to kiss me,” Jiang Wu said, suddenly thinking much faster than usual in his death-seeking mood. “You even kissed me so hard that I nearly died. Tell me, do you like me?”
“…I don’t.” Yin Wuzhi’s entire body was numb, and he forced out the words stiffly, “How could I possibly like you?”
“You’re hilarious,” Jiang Wu said with sincerity. “You like me but won’t admit it. Because I toy with you, because I humiliate you, you think you should hate me. But you can’t stop yourself from getting close to me, from treating me well. Yin Wuzhi, do you have some kind of brain disease?”
A cold sensation crept from his feet to his entire body, and Yin Wuzhi began trembling uncontrollably.
It was as if his mortal enemy had stripped him naked, exposing him completely. Jiang Wu’s words were merciless, revealing everything with brutal clarity.
In that moment, Yin Wuzhi wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
He stubbornly insisted, “I don’t. I hate you.”
“Yin Wuzhi, you do like me,” Jiang Wu said. “You like me, that’s why you kissed me. I didn’t even ask you to, but you did it anyway.”
Yin Wuzhi: “…”
His red-rimmed eyes were covered with a sheen of tears, and his tightly clenched fingernails dug deeply into his flesh. The pain helped him regain some clarity, but his rebuttal was weak: “It’s not like that.”
“Then why did you kiss me the other day?” Jiang Wu said. “Were you trying to kiss me to death?”
At the mention of the word “death,” Yin Wuzhi immediately found his voice again, stammering: “Yes, I was just trying to…”
He bit down hard on his tongue, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth.
Kiss him to death? What kind of revenge was that? Jiang Wu saying such things was clearly mocking him.
A cold chill spread through Yin Wuzhi’s heart, and he found it laughable.
How could he like someone like that? Jiang Wu wasn’t worthy of love, from the moment he summoned him to the palace until now, ruthlessly exposing all his thoughts.
He had been so careful around him, but every word Jiang Wu spoke felt like a knife cutting into his heart, each slash precise and unrelenting.
“Yin Wuzhi.” Whether it was because Yin Wuzhi liked him or hated him, Jiang Wu figured he wouldn’t refuse his next proposal: “Come here. I give you permission to kiss me to death.”
