Yan Liang’s position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works had only been secured after the recent capital evaluation. Before he could even settle into his new office, he was impeached by the censors and thrown into prison. They accused him of embezzling five hundred thousand taels of silver, a claim of sheer lawlessness.
Successive emperors have always loathed corruption among their officials, especially in recent years as the national treasury has dwindled. Xiao Li was already troubled by these financial woes. Yan Liang committing a crime at this juncture was like adding fuel to the fire. Without a chance to defend himself, he was cast into the Imperial Prison and handed over to the Ministry of Justice for trial.
No final decision had been reached on his punishment, and it remained unclear whether the claim of five hundred thousand taels was true or false. In matters of such gravity, impatience was useless.
Yan Qushan understood this logic. With a bit of thought, he knew exactly who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. The censors who impeached Yan Liang were all protégés of Yu Zhongqin. It was likely that because Yan Qushan had previously dealt a heavy blow to the civil official faction, Yu Zhongqin now harbored a deep grudge.
He stood before his desk, looking down at the family letter he had just finished writing, his gaze darkening slightly. He had been a step behind. Yan Qushan had anticipated that Yu Zhongqin would eventually target Yan Liang, but he had not expected the man’s audacity to be so great. Before even clearing his own reputation, Yu Zhongqin sought to drag others down with him. Truly, he was a veteran official of three reigns with countless followers.
Yan Qushan pressed his brow and was about to put the letter away when the door to the side hall was pushed open. He looked up and saw half of Xiao Qi’s head peeking in.
The Prince appeared to have just finished bathing. He was surrounded by a faint mist of steam, his ink-black hair falling unbound to his waist. His collar was wide open, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin that was blindingly fair.
Upon seeing Yan Qushan, Xiao Qi’s eyes brightened. He stepped over the threshold, closed the door behind him, and hurried toward him.
Yan Qushan moved to perform a formal greeting but was stopped midway. “Your Highness,” he began.
Xiao Qi gave him a reproachful look and tapped his finger against Yan Qushan’s collar. “How many times must I say it?”
“In the Hall of Imperial Favor, if there is no one around, you are not allowed to bow to me, nor are you allowed to call me Your Highness. What are you supposed to call me?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.
Yan Qushan looked at him with a gentle smile. “I should call you Qi’er.”
Xiao Qi was finally satisfied. “That is better.”
He walked to Yan Qushan’s side and said, “I just sent someone to inquire. Your former attendant, Zhu Li, said that everything is fine at the Yan residence. Since no final verdict has been reached, the soldiers do not dare to be insolent.”
Xiao Qi looked up again, cupping Yan Qushan’s face with his hands. His gaze was clear and filled with unconcealed concern. “Do not worry. Those censors always grasp at shadows and love to exaggerate. Grandfather will come to give lessons tomorrow. When I see him, I will beg him to speak for your father.”
Yan Qushan lowered his head slightly, nuzzling into the Prince’s palm like a wolf that had tucked away its claws. He was incredibly submissive. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Hearing this, Xiao Qi raised his brows and made a show of pushing him away. Yan Qushan finally laughed. Applying a bit of strength, he pulled Xiao Qi into his arms. Resting his chin on the Prince’s shoulder, he whispered like a lover, “Why are you angry again?”
“I have not forgotten. I was just teasing you, hm? Qi’er.” His voice was low, carrying a hint of suppressed emotion.
At those words, a crimson flush instantly bloomed on Xiao Qi’s face. He gave Yan Qushan a shove, though it lacked any real strength. “You are becoming more and more audacious.”
Yan Qushan laughed and guided him to sit on the edge of the bed, trailing soft kisses along his neck. “It is because Qi’er spoils me.”
Xiao Qi shivered under the kisses. It tickled so much he tried to push him away again, but Yan Qushan was quick to catch his wrist. He moved closer to Xiao Qi until the distance between them was negligible. His voice turned husky. “You came here after washing up. Are you sleeping here again today?”
Xiao Qi curled up in shame at the question. He raised his eyes, his gaze carrying an unintentional allure. “Be gentle.”
Unexpectedly, Yan Qushan simply spread his hands and moved to sit on the other end of the bed. He said wickedly, “Oh? I never said we were going to do anything.”
Xiao Qi froze, realizing he had been toyed with again. He glared at Yan Qushan in annoyance and tried to dive into the bedding without even taking off his outer clothes. Midway, his body was covered by another, his chin was turned, and a soft sensation met his lips.
Yan Qushan had kissed him.
Xiao Qi closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling as he wrapped his arms around Yan Qushan’s broad shoulders.
This was not the first time.
Considerable time had passed since the plum blossom cake incident. Although Yan Qushan had woken up unharmed, it had left a scar on Xiao Qi’s heart. He often slept fitfully, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the tragic image of Yan Qushan bleeding from his Seven Orifices.
Plagued by nightmares, he became increasingly clingy toward Yan Qushan. Terrified that he would not find him there upon waking in the middle of the night, he insisted on sleeping with Yan Qushan like a child.
Xiao Qi was frightened, wrapping his limbs around Yan Qushan and insisting on being held. Yan Qushan, who had long reached the age of adulthood, had always lived a clean life. He did not often find release for his physical needs. Being rubbed against by Xiao Qi like this frequently sparked other intentions.
One night, as Xiao Qi lay on top of him, he felt something hard and uncomfortable. He glanced down instinctively and his whole face turned bright red. “You, how is your audacity so great?”
Yan Qushan was helpless. “I am of an age where I should be married, yet I am confined to the palace and have always been alone. Although this is impudent, I am truly without options. I beg Your Highness to forgive my sin.”
Xiao Qi bristled. “What do you mean? Do you feel that staying by my side has blocked your path to marriage?”
In a fit of resolve, he flipped Yan Qushan over, reached for the source of the trouble, and gripped it with clumsy strength, causing Yan Qushan to hiss in pain.
Xiao Qi gave a huff and said fiercely, “You had better give up on that idea!”
Yan Qushan laughed deeply and did not stop him. He simply supported the Prince’s waist and leaned against the headboard, watching Xiao Qi by the candlelight.
Since the plum blossom cake case, although neither had broken the silence regarding their relationship, there was a wordless intimacy between them. Even though Yan Qushan hid his true thoughts, Xiao Qi assumed the man did not dare to resist and acted as he pleased.
Yan Qushan was happy to let him have his way, continuing to hold onto this fraying thread.
After the kiss ended, Xiao Qi’s clear gaze remained fixed on Yan Qushan. As if under a spell, he spoke. “Do you love me?”
The room suddenly fell silent.
“Yan Qushan?” he pleaded. He had been able to endure it before, but today, seeing the way Xiao Yue had acted in Yan Qushan’s arms had truly stung him. He could not control himself from asking. “In your heart, what am I?”
Yan Qushan paused and looked up at him with dark, unreadable eyes. As he looked at Xiao Qi, his heart skipped a beat.
Some things had changed silently through the days and nights. No matter how great his ambitions, he was still only a young man. With one careless step, he had fallen into the clamor of the mortal world.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. He leaned down, pressed a kiss onto Xiao Qi’s cheek, and said with a deep gaze, “I, Yan Qushan, will be Xiao Qi’s man for all my life.”
“I will never leave you.”
“I will never betray you.”
This is what Yan Qushan said.
He did not answer directly, yet it felt as though he had. Perhaps for Yan Qushan, this was his most sincere confession. Xiao Qi looked at him blankly. The red gauze fluttered, covering half of his face like a bride’s veil.
Xiao Qi cast a reddened glance at Yan Qushan and then looked away as if burned. He said, “Remember the rules. That, leave that for later.”
He looked at Yan Qushan, stopping halfway through his sentence, as if testing the other man’s heart.
But Yan Qushan understood what he meant by “later.” He was like a block of ice that had been warmed into water. Yan Qushan sighed. “We will leave it for later.”
He laughed at Xiao Qi, and Xiao Qi knew he understood. From that moment on, the thin veil between them vanished completely.
They embraced, their two hearts pressed tightly together, as if they had found the only fire in the cold depths of the palace.
The red candles burned brightly, yet Yan Qushan felt dazed. For a moment, those ordinary red candles seemed to transform into a pair of ceremonial wedding candles, burning through the night.
It felt as though he had truly stepped into the mortal world, finding a rare bit of sincerity amidst the pursuit of fame and the treachery of court politics.
Xiao Qi held him, his tears falling onto Yan Qushan’s shoulder. “You will never leave me.”
“You will never betray me.”
Xiao Qi cried even harder. “You can only ever,”
Love me alone.
Yan Qushan held him and said over and over, “Yes.”
The promise was real, and the love was real. But Xiao Qi did not know then that this small amount of true feeling was insignificant and fragile compared to Yan Qushan’s burgeoning ambition.
So not long after, this man who repeatedly claimed he would never leave or betray him stood before him and told Xiao Qi that he and the Fourth Prince were in love, begging for his blessing.
The world is truly unpredictable.