Rebirth
Song Song felt someone kick him.
How strange, he thought. He’d been drifting about as a ghost for so many years. Countless times, when they took his child from him, he’d passed straight through his enemies, each time more desperate to wrap his hands around their throats. But he’d never even been able to touch them. He’d gone from Daoist detachment to Buddhist resignation. So why did it suddenly feel as though he had a body?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, someone grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up. A twisted face filled his vision, leaving him utterly stunned.
“Don’t play dead on me,” the young man snarled. “The Mad Prince is already in the residence. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for the Song Clan. We didn’t go to all that trouble developing the sacred medicine just for you to take it and call it a day. You have to satisfy him tonight. If you slack off even a little, just see if I don’t skin you alive.”
Song Song stared at him, still unable to make sense of what was happening.
“Ashi.” A warm voice suddenly called out. “Let go of your elder brother.”
The boy called Ashi released him at once, flinging his hair away. His body was so frail that even the young master’s careless toss left him dizzy. He blinked and saw a long lock of hair drift down before him, torn out by the boy’s rough grip.
Song Shi’s contemptuous voice sounded in his ear. “A bastard born to a lowly merchant woman, worthy of being called elder brother by the likes of you and me? You’re just too kind, Brother.”
Song Ge shook his head helplessly and walked over. He crouched in front of Song Song, gently taking his thin shoulders and helping him up. “Ashi is unruly. Don’t take offense at him, all right, elder brother?”
Song Song slowly raised his face to look at him.
His face was as gentle as jade, a crease of worry between his brows, as if he feared this might damage the brothers’ relationship. It was a face Song Song knew all too well, and hated with all his heart. Even many years after his death, he remembered it clearly. He had waited and waited for Song Ge to die, but it had never happened.
Song Song often thought that if you laid out Song Ge’s whole life on paper, it could be summed up in five neat characters: “Evil lives a long life.”
Song Song had once thought that everyone in the Song Clan was rotten, except Song Ge. Only later did he realize that Song Ge was the true devil. Without ever showing his hand, he made the people of the Song Clan torment Song Song, then played the part of his protector. In truth, every time Song Ge “protected” him, his situation only grew worse.
He remembered it all with perfect clarity. On this day, after enduring the excruciating constitution-altering procedure, the Song Clan had given him to the Mad Prince as a gift.
The Mad Prince’s real name was Li Xiao, and his courtesy name was Changji. His title was actually Prince Ping, but the name Mad Prince was better known, and he himself rather liked it.
Li Xiao had been a prodigy from childhood. His Majesty had once placed great hopes in him, praising him aloud: “With letters, he can secure the state; with arms, he can □□. The world will soon be in my son’s hands.” Those words had brought disaster down on Li Xiao. At eleven, he was poisoned with a rare toxin and spent five years raving mad. The poison was eventually purged from his body, but his mind was never stable again. He was a peerless fighter, unstoppable when his madness took hold, and it was said he had killed countless people.
Anyone would normally have kept well away from a man like that. But after recovering from the poison, he went to war, and in battle he could take on a hundred men single-handed. To the enemy, he was a living King of Hell. His moods might swing, but when he was clearheaded, he was a brilliant strategist. He quickly took control of the army, and his reputation at court soared.
The reigning emperor’s health was failing by the day, and the court had now split between the crown prince’s faction and the Mad Prince’s. The crown prince had the old ministers’ support, but no real power. And the Mad Prince was not called mad solely because of his illness. Even when calm, there was a streak of madness in his bones. In private, people said that the moment the emperor breathed his last, the crown prince would become a little rabbit in the jaws of a mad wolf. But the Mad Prince was disliked by the old ministers, and the emperor himself feared his madness. His claim to the throne would hardly be legitimate. No one knew what the Mad Prince himself intended.
In circumstances like these, plenty of families like the Song Clan tried to curry favor with both sides. The Songs had already sent a beauty to the crown prince’s residence. But the Mad Prince disliked women, so Song Song had become their tool for winning his favor.
The Song Clan’s plan was that if Song Song, after taking the sacred medicine, managed to bear the Mad Prince a child, he would surely become special to him. But that was only a possibility, and no one could be sure what effects the sacred medicine might have. They couldn’t risk using any of their other children. Song Song, an illegitimate son who was neither useful nor easy to discard, was the safest choice.
Especially since, if Song Song succeeded, they could have the more capable Song Ge take his place with the child. And if he failed, well, he was only a worthless life.
“Elder brother?” Song Ge’s eyes flickered with impatience when Song Song didn’t answer. At last, Song Song came back to himself. He looked at the man before him, who in his previous life had impersonated him, taken his child, and used his name to secure a place at the Mad Prince’s side after he ascended the throne. His fingers brushed against a dagger hidden in his sleeve. He vaguely remembered that he’d meant to use it to kill himself. But later, Song Ge had comforted him, making him believe that at least one person in the world cared for him. And so he’d found himself clinging to life again.
He closed his hand around the dagger and slowly curved his lips. “Of course I wouldn’t.”
His smile was soft and gentle, as obedient as ever. But to Song Ge, something about it seemed different. He was still trying to figure out what, when Song Song said, “Why would I take offense at a dead man?”
A flicker of shock crossed Song Ge’s eyes. He realized that Song Song no longer looked dependent or timid. Before he could respond, Song Shi, behind him, exploded. “What kind of nonsense are you talking? Do you want to die?”
He charged over, seized Song Song by the collar, and drove a fist into his stomach, his face twisted with fury. “You filthy…”
A chill spread through Song Shi’s chest. Song Ge was still crouched before them, watching as the dagger plunged deep into Song Shi’s heart. He was seized by sudden panic and cried out, “Song Song! Have you gone mad?!”
He caught Song Shi as he fell and shouted, “Someone! Someone, get a doctor!”
The cries quickly drew a crowd. Lady Song had barely entered the room when she nearly fainted. “What happened?!”
As the servants carried Song Shi away, he pointed at Song Song. He couldn’t speak, his throat already filling with blood. Lady Song let out a piercing scream and rushed at Song Song, ready to strike him. Song Song didn’t move. He knew how weak he was after years of malnutrition and the constitution-altering procedure he’d just endured. He might not even be able to fight off the woman before him. But he also knew Song Ge wouldn’t let him die.
Sure enough, Song Ge shoved Lady Song aside and stepped in front of Song Song. “Mother! The Mad Prince is in the reception hall. We agreed to keep him here tonight. If we send him a corpse, how are we supposed to explain that?”
Lady Song’s eyes were venomous. “Then send someone else.”
“Father has already said he’ll offer his own son to prove our sincerity.” Song Ge stepped forward, his gaze burning. “Which son do you want to have the Mad Prince take to his bed?”
Lady Song’s lips trembled. She was a jealous woman by nature. Ever since her husband had married her, she had forbidden him from bringing any other women into the house. Any concubines he couldn’t avoid taking had been made to drink contraceptive medicine, and she herself had pushed herself to bear seven children, afraid her husband’s attention might be stolen by someone else. As for her husband’s own sons, Song Song was the only one they could afford to debase.
But thinking of the son who had just been carried away, she couldn’t contain her hatred. Song Ge stepped closer and put an arm around her, speaking gently. “Ashi will be all right…”
“What if he dies?!” Tears sprang to Lady Song’s eyes, and her whole body began to tremble. Song Ge took her hand and led her toward the door. “Whether Ashi is all right or not, I’ll make Song Song pay for this in blood… but tonight, we have no choice. We can’t afford to incur the Mad Prince’s wrath. Tomorrow, Mother can deal with him as she sees fit.”
Lady Song covered her face and wept. Song Ge urged her on. “Go check on Ashi. He must be in a lot of pain.”
Lady Song hurried away. Song Ge turned back to Song Song and said slowly, “Why did you do that? Are you mad?”
Song Song rubbed his eyes and smiled sleepily. “I’m tired.”
Song Shi had gone after him in the first place because he’d been trying to sneak away. In his previous life, they had drugged him and thrown him straight onto the bed. Song Ge had even claimed that was so it wouldn’t hurt as much. But things were different now. Song Song didn’t plan to run. He climbed into bed and lay down in the luxurious room where, for once, he was allowed to sleep. He’d always slept in the woodshed, without even a plank to lie on, though before his mother died, he’d known a father’s love and slept in a soft bed.
Even lying in bed, Song Song couldn’t sleep. He knew that once the Mad Prince left tomorrow, his fate would be even worse than it had been in his previous life. But it didn’t matter. If it came down to it, he’d make sure they all went down with him. Killing one would make it even. Killing two would be a bonus.
He would never let Song Ge have another chance to rise to power using his child.
But that was the worst-case scenario. If the Mad Prince was willing to take him away, that would be ideal.
He remembered that in his previous life, whenever the man went mad, all it took was someone calling his name to bring him back to his senses… But he still wasn’t sure whether the one who could wake him was Song Song himself, or Song Ge wearing his name.
What had he been to the man, really?
His mind wasn’t tired, but his body was exhausted. He could still vividly remember the pain of having his body forcibly altered in his previous life. Before long, Song Song began to drift into a drowsy haze.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard Duke Song’s voice outside. “I won’t trouble Your Highness any longer. I’ll take my leave.”
Song Song woke with a start.
After his death, he’d followed Song Ge and seen Li Xiao many times, but he’d only ever been close to him that one night. Even now, the memory of those hands, sometimes gentle and sometimes rough, made his scalp prickle.
He tugged at the covers, closed his eyes, and held his breath, trying to work out how to please him.
The door opened, then shut. He heard the man’s steady footsteps drawing closer, closer…
He reached the bedside and stopped. Silence fell.
Song Song clenched the edge of the blanket. Suddenly, he turned his face and found himself looking straight at the man, who had silently drawn back one corner of the bed curtain.
As in his previous life, the man gazed at him in silence. But Song Song was no longer timid or shrinking. He slowly rose and knelt on the bed, his slender neck bowed as he greeted him with perfect composure. “Your Highness.”