The Ninth Prince was waiting in the next room. He had already finished most of the food and wine.
“Why hasn’t the Little Khan of Northern Di arrived yet?”
“The Little Khan’s residence is quite far. He woke up with a hangover from last night and took his time leaving this morning… Please be patient, Your Highness. Isn’t it better if he arrives a bit later?”
The Ninth Prince tilted his chin and glanced at him. “How is that better?”
“The drug given to the Sixth Prince makes him unconscious for half an hour. After that, he will feel an unbearable heat and only want to be with someone. If the Little Khan arrives too early, he would only see a wooden block who can’t wake up. There would be no mood at all.”
The Ninth Prince laughed. “True… What about Chief Lu? Any news?”
“I secretly delivered the invitation to the Eastern Depot yesterday, but the Chief hasn’t sent anyone back with an answer yet.”
The Ninth Prince’s expression darkened, and a flash of jealousy crossed his face.
“What exactly does Chief Lu see in Mu Jue?”
“The Sixth Prince comes from a lowly background and has no foundation. He is probably easier to control. You, Your Highness, are the Empress’s legitimate son, of noble blood—”
“The Empress’s legitimate son, noble blood… yes, but unfortunately, Brother Crown Prince is even more noble. Just because he was born a few years before me, he is the eldest son and rightfully took the position of Crown Prince.”
The Ninth Prince whispered, so low that only his personal servant could hear him.
“As for me, I can only be a ‘good brother’ to the Crown Prince if I act arrogant and useless.”
“Your Highness, if Chief Lu is willing to help you today, you would surely be more fit for that throne than the Crown Prince.”
The Ninth Prince gave a cold laugh and leaned back in his chair.
“Let’s wait for the Little Khan… Where is the servant watching Mu Jue next door? Why hasn’t he come to report for so long?”
A knock sounded at the door. It was Commander Cao, Lu Shiting’s subordinate.
The Ninth Prince stood up quickly, his voice tinged with excitement. “Is Chief Lu looking for me?”
“Yes. The Chief has read your invitation and asks Your Highness to come over for a talk.”
Mu Jue opened his eyes from the chaos. His head was burning, and his vision was still blurred. A scorching heat spread from his spine, with nowhere to escape.
In embarrassment, he curled his legs to hide his condition. Turning his head, he saw he was lying on a mattress embroidered with mandarin ducks. A man sat on the edge of the bed; his face was against the light, so Mu Jue couldn’t see his features.
Mu Jue was inexperienced, but he wasn’t ignorant of palace secrets. Given how hot his body felt, even a fool would know he had been set up.
The young man’s lips were dry, his color flushed. He struggled to widen his eyes to see the person beside him, but he could only make out the smooth line of a jaw.
He couldn’t speak clearly. When he opened his mouth, all that came out was quick, gasping breaths that sounded like a lure.
He shut his mouth tightly. To stop himself from making a sound, he bit his lip hard.
He looked for anything nearby that could make a loud noise.
This should still be Xiao Yun Restaurant. There were many people outside; maybe he could catch someone’s attention. And there were the hidden guards Lu Shiting had assigned to him…
Just as his hand reached out from the quilt, his wrist was caught and pinned to the pillow.
His body was already very hot, but the man’s palm felt even hotter. There were rough calluses on the fingertips pressing into the inside of his wrist, which hurt a little.
“Be quiet, Your Highness.”
The cool voice made him feel even more embarrassed and restless.
Mu Jue felt a tingle in his ears. He recognized that it was Lu Shiting’s voice.
The Ninth Prince was the one who invited him to drink. Why was Lu Shiting here?
If the man wanted to do something to him… there was no need to go through all this trouble.
“Is Your Highness uncomfortable?”
Lu Shiting seemed to lean closer. A sliver of light hit the bed, and Mu Jue saw those amber eyes—cold as frost and devoid of desire.
He instinctively felt that Lu Shiting wouldn’t touch him, so he nodded.
But as the drug took effect, even the man’s fingers on his wrist made him want to lean into him.
Lu Shiting let go of his wrist. Before Mu Jue could breathe a sigh of relief, the man grabbed his chin. With his other hand, he unfastened the belt at Mu Jue’s waist. He slowly and methodically removed Mu Jue’s outer robes, leaving only a thin, plain white inner shirt.
Lu Shiting leaned down. From a distance, it would look like he was embracing him, or doing something even more intimate.
But the man’s own clothes were perfectly tidy, and his voice didn’t even waver.
“Make some noise, Your Highness.”
Lu Shiting’s finger brushed against the young man’s Adam’s apple. Mu Jue closed his eyes in pain, his shoulders trembling. The corners of his eyes were incredibly red, and his lashes were wet.
He heard himself let out a soft moan and a shameful gasp.
He squeezed his palm hard, digging his nails into his skin. The sharp stabs of pain helped him steady his breathing for a moment.
In that moment, the door nearby seemed to open, and footsteps entered.
Mu Jue’s eyes snapped open. A broken vulnerability finally appeared in his gaze as he looked at Lu Shiting pleadingly.
Lu Shiting didn’t look at his face. Instead, he pinned Mu Jue’s hand down, not letting him stab his own palm with his nails.
The young man’s voice now carried a hint of a sob.
The footsteps stopped outside the screen.
Lu Shiting curved his lips into a smile.
“Chief Lu.” It was the Ninth Prince’s voice. “It seems I’ve come at a bad time. Am I interrupting your fun?”
“Just a pretty boy to play with—why did Your Highness send an invitation asking me here?”
Shadows flickered on the screen. The Ninth Prince’s expression shifted. Hearing the soft sounds from the bed, he managed a strained smile after a long silence.
“If you like him, Chief, I will have someone pick out some good-looking ones and send them to the Eastern Depot once they are trained.”
Mu Jue tried his best to listen to the conversation.
The Ninth Prince didn’t know it was him on the bed, which gave him some small comfort.
Lu Shiting’s eyes showed a hint of amusement. “I think Your Highness is quite good.”
Mu Jue’s breath hitched. He wondered if he had heard correctly. He wasn’t paying attention when Lu Shiting touched his throat again, and he let out a loud, low moan.
He realized Lu Shiting just wanted him to make these sounds. Since others didn’t know it was him, and since Lu Shiting touching his face and neck made the drug harder to endure, he decided to just cooperate.
The young man’s ears were as red as agate stones as he began to moan on his own.
The Ninth Prince outside was silent for a long time.
Mu Jue thought that Lu Shiting’s words were perhaps too blunt. The Ninth Prince was so proud, and he was the Crown Prince’s brother. He would eventually be a Prince with his own wealthy lands. There was no need for him to submit to a powerful eunuch.
But soon, he heard the Ninth Prince reply respectfully.
“As long as you can help me sit on that dragon throne, Chief, I will grant any request you have.”