What, General Xie, are you unwilling?
Upon his release from the dungeons, Xie Linchuan was arranged to reside in the side hall of the Zichen Palace, the residence of the new Emperor.
Zichen Palace served as the bedchamber for generations of emperors. Having undergone centuries of expansion and renovation, its scale was immense. The front hall functioned as the Imperial Study for processing administrative affairs, while the rear section contained a main hall, two side halls, and numerous warm pavilions.
Having just ascended to the throne, Qin Li was busy purging the remnants of the old regime. With a thousand loose ends of vital business in his hands, it was unclear whether he was truly too busy or if he was intentionally ignoring Xie Linchuan for some tactical reason. In any case, Xie Linchuan lived in the side hall for several days without seeing Qin Li once.
The side hall was spacious, featuring carved beams and painted rafters, with courtyards in both the front and back planted with crabapple and laurel trees. Above the beams of the corridor hung a plaque with four characters, “Gold and Jade Fill the Hall,” inscribed by Emperor Jingzhao of the previous dynasty.
Restricted by his status, Xie Linchuan could not leave the side hall and could only wander within the courtyard. No matter where he walked, he could always sense one or two gazes following him closely. When he turned back, he saw only young eunuchs who appeared to be sweeping. They were all fresh faces, likely a new batch recruited after the palace changed masters. It was unknown how many among them were eyes arranged by Qin Li, or perhaps they all were.
In his past life, the place where Qin Li had kept Xie Linchuan under house arrest was a two-story warm pavilion with little space and zero privacy. The sheer duration of losing one’s freedom could drive a person mad, especially for a modern person deprived of the internet and cell phones. The longer he was confined, the more Xie Linchuan grew to loathe him. When the relationship between the two was at its most tense, Xie Linchuan could barely step out of the small building; he could only stay by the window, staring blankly at a beam of sunlight slanting into the courtyard.
His temperament had always been to respond to gentleness rather than force. When he harbored resentment, his temper was as unyielding as that of the tyrant Qin Li. If someone treated him three parts well, he could return it tenfold, as with Li Xuehong. If someone used power to suppress him three parts, he would retaliate tenfold, as with Qin Li.
In this life, he had moved from one small cage into this larger one of his own accord. Although he had not yet escaped Qin Li’s control, his state of mind was entirely different. At least he could now exercise in the courtyard at will; this was a small step toward a breakthrough and a giant leap toward his goal.
A wooden post stood in the courtyard, firmly wedged into the ground. A bag of sand, simple and double-sewn with coarse cloth, was hung upon it to serve as a punching bag. During these past few days, aside from his restricted movement, his food and supplies were not lacking in the slightest. Every day, Xie Linchuan ate his fill and slept in the side hall. When he was bored, he asked someone to help him make a sandbag for fitness.
He spread out a sheet of paper and splashed a few strokes of ink, drawing an extremely abstract sketch of a head, which he pasted onto the wooden post. Xie Linchuan wrapped thick strips of cloth around his hands and slowly rotated his wrists and ankles. After a brief warm-up, he slammed a fist into it with a thud, causing the sandbag to sway violently.
The young eunuchs sweeping the courtyard soon heard a series of dull thuds. The force sounded both painful and vicious; if it landed on a body, it would surely break bones and snap tendons. It was said that this man was the illustrious General Chixiao of the previous dynasty, and now it seemed he was indeed quite ferocious. The young eunuchs, faces pale, shrank into the corners, their attitudes toward Xie Linchuan becoming increasingly cautious.
The Emperor’s Visit
As the sun set, Qin Li sat in the Imperial Study. He waved his hand to dismiss several officials from the Ministry of Rites who were discussing the Heaven Worship ceremony. He had spent his life accustomed to killing and fighting; what he feared most were these fussy, trivial formalities and the pedantic jargon of the scholars. After a day of listening to them argue over minor rituals by citing classics, he felt more exhausted than if he had spent a day in battle.
Qin Li picked up a warm teacup and took a large gulp. He took his vermilion brush and made a few casual circles on a memorial regarding the suppression of the remnants of the previous dynasty. Tapping his fingers lightly on the edge of the desk, he asked nonchalantly, “How is the one in the side hall?”
He did not specify who, but the personal eunuch by his side, Li Sanbao, understood immediately. He answered cautiously, “General Xie has been staying quietly in the side hall for several days, behaving himself.”
“Behaving himself?” Qin Li closed the memorial and glanced sideways at Li Sanbao. “He has not attempted to leave, contact the outside world, or scout for information?”
Li Sanbao lowered his head further to show submission. “He has not. General Xie rises and eats on time every day. In the morning, he reads, paints, or practices calligraphy. He takes a nap at noon. In the afternoon, after tea and snacks, he goes to the courtyard for simple drills. In the evening, he strolls to admire the moon before retiring to bed.”
The man was essentially living a healthy, self-disciplined, and leisurely retirement. His complexion had even improved by three parts.
Qin Li remained silent, but he felt an inexplicable bitterness. He, the Emperor, was busy every day with his feet barely touching the ground, while Xie Linchuan was living a carefree and pampered life? Qin Li’s brow twitched. He immediately dropped his vermilion brush and the memorials, stood up, and strode out of the hall.
Just as he arrived in the courtyard of the side hall where Xie Linchuan lived, he saw Xie Linchuan wearing only a white inner garment. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing the bulging muscles of his arms as he sweated profusely against the wooden post and sandbag. After finishing a set of military boxing, Xie Linchuan casually lifted the hem of his short shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He revealed a lean, powerful waist and eight tight, well-defined abdominal muscles. Deep lines rose and fell with his slightly rapid breathing, vanishing into his trousers. His shoulders were broad, and the sweat-soaked clothes on his back clung tightly to his body, clearly outlining the shape of his shoulder blades.
Qin Li’s gaze froze along with his footsteps. He stood still for a moment before slowing his pace to enter the courtyard. “General Xie certainly has a fine disposition.”
Qin Li approached slowly, his lazy gaze scanning Xie Linchuan from top to bottom. “You are already living in my palace, yet you still do not forget to practice military boxing? Could it be that you are always ready to go into battle and kill the enemy?”
Xie Linchuan turned around to see him. Releasing the hem of his shirt, he cupped his hands in greeting. “The Emperor has arrived.”
He was not too rude, but he was not overly polite either; at least he showed none of the fear and trepidation that other ministers and attendants displayed before Qin Li. It was as if Xie Linchuan were the master of this place and Qin Li were merely an uninvited guest.
Li Sanbao, who followed Qin Li, glanced at Qin Li’s expression and broke into a cold sweat. He hurried forward and said, “General Xie, when addressing the Emperor, you must refer to yourself as ‘this subject’.”
Xie Linchuan recalled his past life. Even a title as clearly submissive as that was something he had been unwilling to utter. He had angered Qin Li many times over it, but in the end, Qin Li had never done anything to him. Now that he had chosen to ease the relationship between them, there was no need to cause a deadlock over a mere form of address. He thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Eunuch Li is right. Since Prince Shun has already referred to himself as a subject, I should do the same.”
Qin Li’s brow, which had begun to relax at the man’s submission, immediately furrowed upon hearing the words “Prince Shun.” He said with a darkened gaze, “Forget it. It is just a small matter. The halls are full of ministers who submit with their mouths but not with their hearts; you are not the only one. I am not a petty person.”
Xie Linchuan looked at him with surprise and curled his lips slightly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Qin Li thought to himself lazily that he would eventually make the man refer to himself as a subject willingly; there was no rush for this moment. He took two more steps further in and suddenly noticed the palace maids stealing glances at Xie Linchuan. His cold, sharp gaze swept over them. “All of you, leave. Your service is not needed here.”
The maids and eunuchs, as if granted a great reprieve, retreated one after another. Qin Li turned his head and looked coldly at Xie Linchuan. “Does General Xie usually maintain this kind of appearance?”
Xie Linchuan followed his gaze, looked down at himself, and straightened his disheveled hem. “During military drills, one usually cannot attend to appearances. I have made a fool of myself before the Emperor.”
Hearing him say this, Qin Li had no choice but to swallow his words, as he had just said he did not care about small matters. After Xie Linchuan had briefly wiped away the sweat, tidied himself up, and changed his clothes, he found Qin Li staring at the abstract sketch on the wooden post. It depicted a round head with up-turned eyebrows, and two small circles below that seemed to be glaring in anger. No nose was drawn, only a single down-turned stroke for a mouth. The messy, curly lines on top seemed to represent hair. It looked like a comical and punchable image of someone fuming with rage.
Qin Li narrowed his eyes and pointed at the sketch. “Who is this you have drawn? General Xie’s painting skills are truly regrettable. If you gave this away for free outside, no one would take it.”
Xie Linchuan thought to himself that this fellow, who could not even manage a doodle, actually had the nerve to mock his painting. This style was clearly about omitting the form to preserve the spirit. He remained composed on the surface and said, “This is a small trick I use in the army to train soldiers; it is not worth mentioning. One draws an imaginary enemy as a target, making the soldiers practice their boxing with more vigor and high morale.”
“An imaginary enemy?” Qin Li repeated. His suspicious gaze scanned between the abstract painting and Xie Linchuan as his brow slowly furrowed. “General Xie’s imaginary enemy would not happen to be me, would it?”
Xie Linchuan said nonchalantly, “How could that be? Your Majesty has silver hair, while this is black hair. It was just a casual drawing.”
Qin Li stared at him for a moment. Failing to find any trace of guilt on his face, he withdrew his gaze. “I assume you would not dare to offend me so boldly.”
He thought to himself, How could I be this ugly?
He had just taken a step when he realized something was wrong. This painting was clearly done in ink; could it have any color other than black? He turned back, only to see that the sketch had already been quickly torn down and shredded by Xie Linchuan. Xie Linchuan finished tidying up and followed him. Seeing Qin Li standing at the door with an uncertain expression, he spoke unhurriedly, “It was just a small, crude trick. Your Majesty is a magnanimous ruler; surely you will not take offense.”
Qin Li remained silent. He glared at him and turned to enter the room.
An Unexpected Command
Inside, the early spring snow was melting, and the air was chilly. A charcoal brazier was burning with high-quality silver-bone charcoal, providing warmth without smoke or dust. Qin Li first went to the study on the left and looked at the book Xie Linchuan had left half-read on the desk. They were all ordinary historical biographies. He then flipped through the characters the man had written. Xie Linchuan’s calligraphy was like his aura; beneath a seemingly steady surface, a sharp edge was hidden.
Qin Li searched for a long time but could not find any fault. He only found a sheet with fresh, bold, and uniquely styled lines of poetry: “The celestial immortals must be wildly drunk, to have kneaded and crushed the white clouds into pieces.” Qin Li’s gaze lingered on this line of poetry for a moment before he slowly looked toward Xie Linchuan. He said meaningfully, “General Xie is here, yet he still cannot forget his former master.”
Xie Linchuan was confused. Even though he prided himself on his quick wit, he could not understand Qin Li’s train of thought for a moment.
“What a fine ‘kneaded and crushed’.” Qin Li let out a light sneer. “What, do you think I have mistreated him? Or have I separated the two of you so you cannot meet, causing his heart to be crushed and broken?”
Xie Linchuan’s thoughts moved like lightning. Could it be that Qin Li thought this was a poem about snow, and thus believed he was secretly missing Li Xuehong? For a moment, he did not know whether to be surprised that Qin Li had enough culture to recognize it as a poem about snow or to be speechless that Qin Li was so firmly convinced of his ambiguous relationship with Li Xuehong.
Just as Xie Linchuan was about to explain, Qin Li did not continue to press the matter. He merely looked at him with a warning. “Whatever you think is useless. I do not care how deep the affection between ruler and subject was before. Since you have agreed to be with me, I will not give you any chance to regret it. Give up on that idea.”
Xie Linchuan had no choice but to say, “It was just casual calligraphy while admiring the snow in the courtyard. Your Majesty is overthinking.”
Qin Li gave him a deep look and said nothing; it was unclear whether he believed him. He stepped out from behind the desk and sat down on the soft couch where Xie Linchuan took his afternoon naps. He pointed at Xie Linchuan and ordered in a natural tone, “Come here. Serve me by undressing.”
Xie Linchuan stood in place and blinked very slowly. It took a long while for him to be certain his ears had not deceived him. Although he knew Qin Li would inevitably force him into bed when he chose to move here of his own accord, this day had come a bit too quickly. In his past life, Qin Li had at least known how to feign the grace of a ruler at the beginning. Why was he so direct now?
Qin Li scrutinized his expression, taking in every subtle change. He narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a mockery. “What, General Xie, are you unwilling?”
Xie Linchuan then thought to himself: they had done everything they should and should not have done in their previous life. He was no longer a virgin who knew nothing of love and passion, so why be sensitive now? Since he was here, he might as well face it. The stiffness on his face quickly relaxed. He walked toward Qin Li at an unhurried pace. He first reached out to unfasten the belt holding the jade pendant, took off the outer robe, and then unfastened the inner garment.
Then, he began to unfasten his own belt.
Qin Li had opened his hands, waiting for his service. Seeing the man’s actions, he was suddenly stunned. Once he realized what was happening, he immediately raised his eyebrows. “I told you to serve me; I did not tell you to undress yourself!” He pointed at the medicine box that Li Sanbao had already placed on the table and said crossly, “Change my bandages.”
Qin Li lowered his head and pulled open his undershirt himself, exposing various new and old wounds on his body. Most had already healed, except for a new wound on his chest that looked like an injury from an arrowhead. The wound was not deep and had already scabbed over. Qin Li said lazily, “This wound is your masterpiece.”
Xie Linchuan remembered that he had indeed shot an arrow at him from close range, but he had missed his aim, and the arrowhead had been caught by the armor plating, thus failing to injure any internal organs. Perhaps because of the exhaustion of recent days and the lack of proper sleep and rest, the wound had failed to heal completely and instead showed a tendency toward redness and swelling.
Xie Linchuan’s hand, which was unfastening his belt, paused. He lowered his hands naturally and stared at Qin Li for three seconds before slowly moving the medicine box over, pretending nothing had happened. Not until he found the wound medicine among the bottles and jars and looked up at the man did, he accidentally notice that the tips of Qin Li’s ears, hidden among his silver hair, were faintly flushed.
But the candlelight flickered, and that bit of color quickly vanished, as if it were merely an illusion of the candlelight.