You Know, Looking Like This, You Really Seem Like a Siren Who Ruined the Country
Silence descended upon the Imperial Study.
Chu Yi sat dazed at the inner edge of the bed, racking his brains for a way to clear his name.
“Your Majesty, anyone who painstakingly practices and copies handwriting can make it indistinguishable from mine. As for the missing arrow, I truly harbor no rebellious intentions.”
Sheng Qianheng turned his gaze back toward Chu Yi, whose ashen complexion had yet to recover. “My men discovered that the letters were passed from your hands to that rebel. How do you explain that?”
Chu Yi continued, “In the year Your Majesty ascended the throne, many former officials of the previous regime were unconvinced. Although Your Majesty has already rooted out most of the treacherous ministers, remnants inevitably remain. I feigned association with them to ferret out their foundations, plotting to wipe them out in one fell swoop. It is true I had contact with the rebels, but those subsequent letters were certainly not written by me. I knew they intended to make their move on the day of the sacrifice, but I never calculated that they would advance the assassination attempt.”
Sheng Qianheng raised an eyebrow. “How do you explain the imperial guards capturing you and bringing you before Me that day? You had packed quite a few things in your bundle.”
Chu Yi adopted an expression of utmost sincerity. “I intended to take the bundle and rendezvous with the rebels to find their stronghold, planning to pass the intelligence along to Your Majesty afterward. I never expected the imperial guards to disrupt the plan.”
Sheng Qianheng pressed on, “Is that so? I had someone inspect your bundle piece by piece, and it didn’t look anything like what you claim.”
A cold sweat broke out all over Chu Yi, but he forced himself to maintain his composure. “Knowing I was framed for treason and finding it hard to prove my innocence, I had no choice but to flee in search of a way to survive.”
A knock sounded from outside the hall, and a maid’s voice called out, “Your Majesty, it is time to serve midday meal.”
Sheng Qianheng turned his gaze to Chu Yi’s pale cheeks, feeling a slight pang of emotion. “Are you hungry?”
Chu Yi wanted to say he was not, but his stomach betrayed him with a loud rumble.
Sheng Qianheng immediately ordered the meal to be served.
Several maids entered the Imperial Study carrying trays.
After carefully arranging the dishes one by one, Sheng Qianheng led Chu Yi toward the dining table. “Continue. Is there anything else you haven’t confessed?”
Seeing that the young eunuch tasting the food had sampled each dish, Sheng Qianheng dismissed all the attendants.
He pulled Chu Yi down to sit beside him.
Sheng Qianheng remarked, “The two of us haven’t had a proper, open conversation like this in a long time.”
Chu Yi furrowed his brow internally, thinking: Call this an open conversation? Every single word I say has to be meticulously weighed for fear of saying the wrong thing.
“Your Majesty, I have already told you everything I know.”
Sheng Qianheng picked up a piece of sugar-glazed lotus root, which Chu Yi usually favored, and placed it in his bowl, pressing further. “How much did you participate in the assassination plot?”
He had already learned through his secret guards that Chu Yi had signaled the rebels with a hand gesture that day. If he was lying, consequences would follow.
Chu Yi could not fathom the tyrant’s intentions at all. Yet according to the original text, Sheng Qianheng commanded numerous secret guards and should be able to discern many things. With no other choice, he recounted what the original owner had done truthfully. “I acted according to the plan with those rebels and merely passed the hand gesture. However, the timing of the signal was wrong, so they were bound to fail the assassination. If the arrow had truly harmed Your Majesty, having me by Your Majesty’s side, I naturally would have stepped in to block it.”
Sheng Qianheng scooped a bowl of porridge for Chu Yi. “Drink some porridge. The imperial physician said your constitution has been weak these past few days; you can only have light porridge.”
Starving at the moment, likely because his breakfast that morning had been minimal, Chu Yi spooned down a few mouthfuls of the plain congee before blurting out, “Your Majesty, whether you want me dead or alive, just give me a quick verdict.”
Sheng Qianheng asked, “A-Yi, why would you say such a thing?”
Abandoning all hope with a fatalistic mindset of self-abandonment, Chu Yi blurted out, “Before I passed out, General Wang presented evidence in the Imperial Study. Weren’t you making me open it myself just to test me? I’ve told you everything I possibly can. What else do you want from me?”
Looking at a table full of delicacies while the tyrant only let him drink bland porridge, porridge lacking any nutritional substance, he pushed Sheng Qianheng’s bowl away directly. “Sheng Qianheng, the two of us have known each other since you were five years old. For seventeen years, how have I treated you? Don’t you know my character?”
“Just a short while ago, you humiliated me so terribly. Logically speaking, I can even be considered half an elder brother to you. Yet you did this.”
Sheng Qianheng panicked instantly upon meeting Chu Yi’s tear-filled eyes. He raised a hand to comfort him, only for Chu Yi to swat it away.
“You know I didn’t mean it that way.”
Seeing that Sheng Qianheng responded better to soft tactics than hard ones, Chu Yi pressed on, “Then what did you mean?”
The roles of offense and defense reversed in that exact instant.
The two stared at each other in silence.
Chu Yi had no idea why his tears wouldn’t stop flowing; he had merely intended to act to deceive the tyrant.
After hesitating for a long time, Sheng Qianheng finally spoke. “I just wanted you to tell me yourself. All those stacks of memorials on the desk are petitions urging me to execute you. What do you expect me to do?”
Continuing his fake crying and choking up, Chu Yi said, “Kill me or carve me up as you please.”
Sheng Qianheng sighed and instructed, “Eat first.”
Sniffling, Chu Yi turned back around and asked, “Your Majesty, regarding this minister’s life, will you give me a clear word or not?”
“Open your mouth.” Holding the bowl of porridge, Sheng Qianheng spoon-fed Chu Yi mouthful by mouthful. “Why are you suddenly calling me ‘Your Majesty’ again?”
Forced to swallow several more mouthfuls of the plain congee, which tasted utterly dull and devoid of even a hint of salt, Chu Yi figured he was about to be beheaded anyway, so he talked nonsense. “Calling you anything won’t stop me from losing my head.”
Sheng Qianheng was amused to the point of anger. Letting out a sigh, he said, “Finish your porridge first. We can discuss other matters later.”
Taking the bowl from him, Chu Yi immediately set it aside, picked up his chopsticks, and began picking at some dishes to eat. “Does this mean Your Majesty believes me and has no plans to execute me?”
Sheng Qianheng replied, “My belief alone is useless. It only matters if the court officials believe you.”
Chu Yi’s brain cells could no longer process the twists and turns, and too exhausted to keep playing along with the tyrant, he focused entirely on eating.
He was going to die sooner or later anyway; he might as well fill his stomach first so he wouldn’t be a hungry ghost on his way out.
When they finished the meal, servants were summoned to clear the table. Chu Yi was escorted back to the bedchamber to rest.
Sheng Qianheng returned to the Imperial Study to attend to state affairs.
The rebels involved in the assassination plot had already been purged, leaving only Chu Yi.
For the past few days, Chu Yi had been confined to Sheng Qianheng’s bedchamber with nothing to do other than eat and drink.
Calming incense had been kept burning continuously in the bedchamber, allowing Chu Yi to sleep until late in the morning.
After sharing a midday meal with Chu Yi, Sheng Qianheng brought him along to the martial arts field to practice archery.
The training ground was roughly the size of three or four football fields, with the archery targets set up in the southwest corner. Sheng Qianheng rode in a palanquin while Chu Yi was forced to walk alongside the accompanying servants for a good couple of kilometers on foot. He muttered a soft complaint, “Your Majesty, I am merely a civil official. Rather than serving as your sparring partner, I am turning out to be a burden.”
“Tired of walking?” Sensing Chu Yi’s hidden intent, Sheng Qianheng stepped down from the palanquin, scooped the back of Chu Yi’s knees with one arm to lift him up, gave him a gentle bounce, and slowed his pace.
Chu Yi was startled. How on earth did this tyrant pick up on his subtle needs?
Though he no longer had the palanquin to sit in, being carried was considerably less tiring. He found his threshold for acceptance climbing higher and higher; he didn’t feel entirely resistant to being carried like a princess anymore. The instant he was lifted off his feet, a faint floral scent drifted past his nose. “Is Your Majesty wearing perfume? It smells quite pleasant.”
Sheng Qianheng figured that after their initial bonding, Chu Yi had become extremely sensitive to his pheromones, able to catch them even when he wasn’t actively releasing them. “Do you like it?”
Feeling his head growing heavy and foggy, presumably from exhaustion, as dealing with the tyrant had unconsciously drained vast amounts of mental and physical energy, Chu Yi mumbled, “I like it. It’s subtle and refreshing.”
Upon arriving at the archery ground, Sheng Qianheng gently set Chu Yi down, then summoned servants to help him put on protective gear for archery.
Forced to strap on leather bracers and guards, Chu Yi glanced longingly at the jade token hanging from the tyrant’s belt, lamenting that he hadn’t managed to steal it while being carried. He hadn’t found any other opportunities to get close to Sheng Qianheng these past few days, so it seemed he would have to wait for another chance.
Turning back to catch Chu Yi’s fixed gaze, Sheng Qianheng roughly guessed his intentions, though he chose not to expose him. “A-Yi, did you learn archery when you were young?”
Chu Yi shook his head.
This answer played right into Sheng Qianheng’s hands. He picked up a suitable bow and arrow, handing them over to Chu Yi. “I’ll teach you.”
That was when Chu Yi realized something: back in the tyrant’s bedchamber when they were alone, Sheng Qianheng had not referred to himself as the emperor in speech, but simply as a regular person. Why was that?
“Keep your eyes forward, split your feet shoulder-width apart, chest out and stomach in.” Standing directly behind him, Sheng Qianheng pressed a hand onto Chu Yi’s waist and abdomen, correcting his stance.
Chu Yi’s ears had always been remarkably sensitive. Sheng Qianheng’s warm breath brushing against his ear made the atmosphere distinctly ambiguous, prompting him to instinctively shuffle a step to the left. “Your Majesty, standing too close might invite idle gossip.”
Sheng Qianheng had long since stopped caring about other people’s opinions. With a swift pull, he reeled Chu Yi right back against his chest, pressing his cheek close to Chu Yi’s. “Who dares gossip about Me? If any servant speaks ill of you, execution will take care of it.”
A sudden chill ran down Chu Yi’s spine. There was deep truth to the saying that the imperial household was the most ruthless place of all. What reason was there to try reasoning with a man who had committed patricide to seize the throne?
Sheng Qianheng turned Chu Yi around to face him, pinching his chin with one hand and asking, “Afraid of Me?”
Chu Yi shook his head. He didn’t dare speak.
Sheng Qianheng continued, “You were never afraid of Me before.”
Chu Yi’s eyelashes fluttered nervously. “Was I?”
The original book hadn’t recorded this; he had no way of knowing.
Sheng Qianheng recalled, “You used to call me a fool all the time, and constantly brought up how I hadn’t even started my formal education by age five.”
Chu Yi offered an awkward laugh.
This tyrant was utterly sharp, and the original owner had truly been far too bold.
After teaching Chu Yi the basic mechanics of shooting an arrow, Sheng Qianheng reached out to pinch Chu Yi’s earlobe, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. “Want to play a game?”
Confused, Chu Yi asked, “What game?”
He watched as Sheng Qianheng walked over to stand alone in front of the target, taking an apple handed over by a servant and balancing it on top of his own head. Turning back to face Chu Yi, he declared, “Chu Yi, I am giving you a chance for revenge. Pick up your bow and arrow, and shoot the apple on my head. Whether you hit it or miss is entirely up to you.”
Chu Yi felt neither love nor deep hatred toward Sheng Qianheng. The man was merely the male protagonist of the book, even if he had almost accidentally caused his death.
Yet if he were asked to commit murder, he wouldn’t dare do it in a million years. Picking up the bow, he hesitated and failed to draw the string.
Unable to hold back anymore, Chu Yi rushed forward and blurted out, “Your Majesty, I wouldn’t dare.”
Sheng Qianheng was gambling, gambling on whether Chu Yi was truly the mastermind behind the assassination attempt. Right now presented a golden opportunity; a single arrow was all it took to end his life. If he lost the gamble, he would simply forfeit his life. If he won, no matter how many civil officials and ministers submitted memorials demanding Chu Yi’s execution, he would reject every single one of them.
“Chu Yi, if you refuse to shoot this arrow, it is an act of defiance against an imperial edict, a grave crime punishable by the execution of your entire clan. Do you really want to end up packed inside a royal brocade box?”
Left with no choice, Chu Yi stood frozen in place, struggling to steady his trembling hands as he tried his best to aim at the apple resting atop the tyrant’s head.
The instant the arrow left the string, his right hand was still shaking uncontrollably.
He couldn’t bring himself to look.
The tyrant might very well lose his life at this very second.
Sheng Qianheng was worthy of being called a tyrant; he held his own life in casual disregard, let alone the lives of others. To survive, he had no choice but to loose that arrow.
The arrow ultimately embedded itself into the target, leaving the apple completely untouched. Glancing over with a fleeting look, Sheng Qianheng plucked the apple off his head and walked toward Chu Yi.
Chu Yi couldn’t bring himself to kill him! The affection of all those years still lingered.
The moment Sheng Qianheng stopped right in front of him, Chu Yi stood in a daze. Catching a whiff of that familiar floral scent once more, he subconsciously stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the man in an embrace.
Raising a hand to gently pat Chu Yi’s back, Sheng Qianheng used a volume only the two of them could hear to soothe him. “There, there. Don’t be afraid. I’m still right here.”
Only after Chu Yi’s emotions finally stabilized did he step back in embarrassment. Perhaps the violent emotional rollercoaster had triggered it, but unbidden tears welled up in his eyes, causing him to turn away and wipe them with his sleeve.
Tilting his head, Sheng Qianheng asked, “Crying? Why are you acting like a child?”
Choking back a sob, Chu Yi retorted, “Your Majesty is the child here.”
Slowly supporting Chu Yi’s shoulders to make him face him, Sheng Qianheng cupped his face, inching closer and closer until his hot breath brushed against Chu Yi’s cheeks.
“Chu Yi, you know, looking like this, you really seem like a siren who ruined the country.”
Raising his moisture-clouded eyes, Chu Yi stared straight into the depths of Sheng Qianheng’s gaze, momentarily forgetting what he had been about to say.
In the space of a heartbeat, only inches remained between him and the tyrant.