Drip.
A cool sensation landed on his forehead and meandered down his cheek.
The memories Qin Duoye saw in his dream ended with Wen Qinghe howling like a ghost in the Wuji Palace, only to be knocked unconscious by a strike from the handle of a Dark Robe Guard blade.
Qin Duoye eyelashes fluttered, and water droplets fell from them.
He opened his eyes.
At first, his vision was slightly blurred. After blinking a few times, Qin Duoye saw dark robes; as the tips of boots moved forward, the accumulated water on the ground rippled accordingly.
Qin Duoye looked up and saw Qin Xuanxuan standing in front of him, with Fan Jun bent over behind him, clutching a large bucket of ice water.
“I thought you were dead,” Qin Xuanxuan glanced at him and said coldly.
“Many thanks for His Majesty concern,” Qin Duoye curled his lips into a smile. “Unfortunately, this humble official has a tough life.”
His hands remained hoisted high on both sides, his hair plastered to his face in wet strands, and his court robes were soaked through.
Despite being a prisoner, in this exchange of just two sentences, Qin Duoye presence was on par with that of the reigning emperor.
Watching them, Fan Jun felt as though two dragons were locked in combat. Unable to help himself, he interjected, “Your Majesty, is this bucket of ice water still needed?”
“Are you blind?” Qin Xuanxuan turned his gaze slightly. “The man is already awake. If you wish, I can pour it over you instead.”
“Your Majesty, you are too hard on this humble official.” Fan Jun sheepishly wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead and seized the opportunity to retreat with the bucket. Only Qin Duoye and Qin Xuanxuan remained in the cell.
A strange silence descended upon the prison. Both men watched each other quietly, neither speaking first. For a time, the only sound was the dripping of water.
Qin Duoye stared unblinkingly into Qin Xuanxuan narrow, deep, and dark phoenix eyes. Suddenly, he spoke: “Your Majesty, I can help you.”
Qin Xuanxuan raised an eyebrow at this abrupt, head-scratching statement. “Help me? What does Scholar Wen refer to?”
“The imperial court.”
Ignoring the young man sarcasm and offering the tolerance of an elder, Qin Duoye continued, “The officials in the court may have their own selfish motives and schemes, whether for fame or for their names to be inscribed in history. But I am different. I can stand on Your Majesty side forever, with absolutely no secondary motives.”
“Wen Qinghe, regarding what you said,” Qin Xuanxuan seemed displeased, his voice dropping a few degrees, “which court official is not loyal to me? What use do I have for you?”
“Loyal and devoted?” Qin Duoye laughed out loud. He arched a brow, looking at Qin Xuanxuan with unbridled arrogance, and said, “Loyalty is one thing, but having their own thoughts is another. They can still be loyal while doing what they believe is right and quoting classics to persuade you to agree with them. These are not mutually exclusive.”
Seeing Qin Xuanxuan fall into an abrupt silence, Qin Duoye voice was soft, yet it clung like a parasite. “Otherwise, why would there be disputes over conferring titles to concubines and establishing an empress?”
Qin Duoye had been an emperor; he could perfectly grasp a monarch psychology. “Perhaps some are loyal to Great Wei, perhaps some are loyal to the country, but Your Majesty, I am different. I can be loyal only to you.”
The monarch was still young, and from his memories, his grasp over the court was clearly insufficient.
He knew exactly what Qin Xuanxuan wanted most.
“That sounds quite interesting,” Qin Xuanxuan said leisurely.
Hearing this, Qin Duoye knew he had succeeded. He narrowed his eyes at Qin Xuanxuan, his voice carrying a subtle, bewitching suggestion: “So, my Emperor, do you need a blade that is held completely in your palm, pointed toward the court?”
My Emperor.
These two words held an attraction for Qin Xuanxuan far greater than the prospect of gaining a sharp blade that would strike wherever it was pointed.
“Completely held in your palm” also stirred Qin Xuanxuan deeply. His heart even trembled slightly; just thinking about it made him unable to suppress his excitement.
Therefore, he chose to listen to what this man had to say next and temporarily spare his life.
On the surface, however, Qin Xuanxuan remained non-committal. He pulled a bamboo chair from the side, sat down with grand, sweeping motions, leaned back, rested his arms on the armrests, and propped his head up in a relaxed posture.
He lifted his chin, signaling: “Continue. Persuade me. Tell me how exactly you will be completely held in my palm.”
Tsk. Qin Duoye rolled his eyes internally. Why was this young emperor so difficult to persuade? Must he bring everything out into the open?
Qin Duoye sighed, resigning himself to his fate. “It has been quite a while since you brought me into the palace. That amount of time is enough for those pedantic old men to think I have committed acts contrary to ritual. If you simply promote me, then the rumors that I ascended by selling my body will be solidified.”
Qin Xuanxuan could not help but sneer.
Qin Duoye was speechless. “What are you laughing at? Is this not obvious?”
“Wen Qinghe,” Qin Xuanxuan shook his head. “Your respect for me truly comes and goes.”
Qin Duoye: “You should get used to it.”
Qin Xuanxuan: “…”
Too impudent.
“I am both your favorite and a court official. In the eyes of others, no matter what, I will only ever be the Emperor person,” Qin Duoye continued, his expression blank. “Therefore, I will be isolated in the court; no faction or political stance will ever be open to me.”
“I will be a truly pure official.”
Qin Xuanxuan nodded. “Continue.”
Continue your head.
“Your Majesty need not worry about my betrayal, because by then, I will be completely controlled by you. I will have no one to rely on but you. If you abandon me, I will be shattered into pieces and beyond redemption.”
Qin Xuanxuan did not speak again. He simply sat quietly, looking up into Qin Duoye eyes.
Those eyes, which thrilled him so, were now as deep as ink. The torches hanging on the prison walls burned with a crackling sound, and a flicker of fire swayed deep within those pupils, possessing a bewitching beauty.
The word “controlled” gave Qin Xuanxuan a sense of immense satisfaction, as if the conquest that had been clamoring within him had been smoothed over by a gentle breeze, only temporarily, for it was immediately followed by a more profound, surging desire.
This made Qin Xuanxuan even more inclined to try exactly what this man had proposed.
Although he did not care about controlling the court, the suggestion made by the owner of these eyes was truly exhilarating.
Qin Xuanxuan chuckled. “You must know the consequences of deceiving the emperor.”
Qin Duoye nodded indifferently. “Of course. I have also tried the crime of attempted regicide, have I not? At that time, you can punish me for all my crimes together.”
Qin Xuanxuan: “…”
He constantly felt like he was punching a ball of cotton. Why was confronting this man so inexplicably frustrating?
Forget it.
“It is not that I cannot agree to you, but you mentioned selling your body as an exchange for a promotion…”
Before Qin Xuanxuan could finish his sentence, he suddenly saw Qin Duoye spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. He stood up from his chair instantly. “Hey! You…”
Qin Duoye widened his eyes, staring blankly downward as he watched the blood drip and stain his court robes red.
What is going on…?
Qin Duoye looked up in a daze and saw that Qin Xuanxuan also appeared somewhat stunned. Then, he felt a fishy sweetness in his throat.
With a cough, another surge of blood welled up, dyeing his lips a vibrant red. The blood flowed in a stream, dropping into a puddle of water at his feet.
Qin Duoye felt his vision go black; he could see nothing.
Before he slipped completely into unconsciousness, he felt his hands being released and his body being scooped up in a horizontal hold.
A cool scent of agarwood enveloped him.
It was pleasant, not much different from the scent he had preferred in his past life.