Translated by: Sahloknir

The Peerless Young Master...

 

When Wei Lian was halfway through administering the medicine to himself, a palace maid came in with a tray.

When he looked up, the palace maid paused in her steps, her cheeks colouring up a little.

She curtsied and bowed her head, "Gongzi, these are the clothes his Majesty has ordered the servant girl to bring you, please make haste to put them on."

The palace maid blushed again and hung her head, thinking to herself, ‘Lian Gongzi is very good-looking’.

The young man lay sprawled on the bed, his fine black hair loose, with the inner layers of his clothes open, exposing his delicate, deeply indented collarbones. The faint red marks on his throat made him even more seductive.

His face was beautiful, temperament unmistakable, with eyes as gentle as water. When gazed upon by such a person, no one could avoid their heart skipping a beat and their face being coated in a blush.

His Majesty was a good-looking man, but no one dared to look him in the face. But this Lian Gongzi from the Chu Empire was a gentleman to the core.

The frost in Wei Lian's eyes faded in an instant and he said gently, "Thank you for your service."

The palace maid hastened to say, "It is my duty as a servant, Gongzi  need not be polite.

With a calm nod, Wei Lian  took the garments from the tray.

The palace maid asked, "Does Lian Gongzi want this servant girl to wait upon him?"

Wei Lian shook his head and the palace maid stood silently to the side.

The Qin Emperor did not treat him poorly in terms of clothing. He dressed in a plain, white robe with a white fox fur coat, which was thick and warm, but not too bulky, and which complemented Wei Lian’s slender figure.

When he had finished dressing, Wei Lian sat in front of a bronze mirror and ran a fine-toothed comb through his hair. He had not yet come of ageMales in ancient China officially became adults at 20. This meant they carried greater responsibility, could get married and also put their hair up among other things. On the left is an example of Wei Lian's current style, on the right is a hair crown and 'grown up' style both modelled by our WoH bois. These images are a rough guide only. 😉, so he used a jade hairpin to fix a bun at the back of his head, with the rest of his dark hair hanging down his back to his waist. The man was already very beautiful, his skin was white as snow, and with a little dressing up, the palace maids waiting for his command at the side were dazzled.

‘Gongzi is really good-looking…’ Zhu Cui couldn't resist sighing in wonder again.

Wei Lian’s beauty was striking at first glance, and then it became more and more intriguing the longer a person looked at it.

Wei Lian gave a gentle smile, "I am already a man who waits upon the Qin Emperor, so don't call ‘Gongzi’. It wouldn’t bode well for you if his Majesty heard you."

Zhu Cui was shocked. Only then did she realise that she was so overwhelmed by his beauty, she could not help but whisper what was in her mind.

This was already a breach of etiquette. But instead of blaming her, he reminded her of the change of address so that she would not be punished by his Majesty.

Gongzi is so kind as well.

Zhu Cui’s initial good impression of Wei Lian deepened further and she became even more sympathetic to his plight. That such a noble and modest gentleman was forced to become a male pet for his Majesty…what a miserable situation!

Wei Lian saw the distress on Zhu Cui's face, and emotion shifted in his eyes.

This distress worked to his advantage. The palace maid should be a regular attendant in the Yanxin Palace Hall and therefore likely had some understanding of the Qin Emperor. Due to a lack of useful knowledge on his part, it was essential he get some information from the palace servants before he decided on his next steps.

Wei Lian was an outsider in the Royal Court of the Qin Emperor. If he had asked the Emperor himself, then he would most likely remain tight-lipped. Furthermore, he was penniless, and everything he had brought from the Chu Empire now belonged to the Qin Emperor, so it was impossible to bribe the servants with silver.

The only thing left to do was to move her heart.

Now, with a few gentle words the woman has become soft-hearted and he can discreetly probe for the information he wished to know.

"What is your name?" Wei Lian asked in a soft voice.

Zhu Cui's ears became a little heated. "This servant is Zhu Cui."

Admittedly, she had no desire for Lian Gongzi, but who didn't love beauty? And who can refuse the questions asked by a beauty?

"You are a palace maid of the Yangxin Palace Hall, do you know anything about his Majesty?" Wei Lian asked another question.

"This…" involves the Qin Emperor, and therefore Zhu Cui was a bit hesitant to reveal anything.

They are mere servants, how can they dare to discuss their master? Especially since his Majesty is a tyrant…

When he saw this hesitation, Wei Lian lowered his lashes and a faint sorrow surfaced in his gaze, "I am a man who has the will to rise above the clouds and serve the people, but I didn’t desire to enter the Royal Court of the Qin Emperor."

He smiled reluctantly, "I have resigned myself to my fate and no longer have any great ambition. I only want to serve the Emperor well and live peacefully. I don't know his Majesty's temperament, and I am afraid I might anger him. My death would be a small matter, but if his Majesty were to vent his rage towards you or the other palace servants, I would not be able to rest peacefully in my grave."

Zhu Cui’s heart trembled. The man before her was like a perfect jade, a gentleman of peerless beauty and noble temperament.

How could she bear to watch such a person struggle when he should not be in such a situation?

Zhu Cui at once divulged everything she knew, "Gongzi…Wei Shijun, this servant has been serving in the Yangxin Palace Hall for three years, so I know a little about his Majesty's habits. His Majesty's favourite dish is crystal shrimp dumplings, and he does not eat spring onions, ginger, garlic or peppers…His Majesty does not like purple because the late Empress Dowager loved to wear it…"

We Lian listened and memorised all the dislikes and preferences of the Qin Emperor.

At the end, he bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Miss Zhu Cui, Wei Lian is eternally grateful."

"It is nothing, this servant is undeserving of Wei Shijun’s attention.” Zhu Cui turned to the side to avoid his respectful courtesy and gave a curtsey, "His Majesty will have finished court at this hour and should be returning to the palace. I will take my leave now."

After a moment's consideration, she added, "If you need anything in the future, please let me know."

Wei Lian nodded his thanks.

* * *

After Zhu Cui had withdrawn, Wei Lian unhurriedly sat back on the bed and finished applying the rest of the ointment.

The marks on his neck had faded to invisibility when the Qin Emperor appeared at the entrance to the palace.

Wei Lian put down the ointment and rose to his feet and bowed, "Your Majesty."

Ji Yue swept his gaze over Wei Lian's neck and saw no injuries before he replied, "Rise."

Wei Lian straightened and gazed at Ji Yue's expressionless face, "Your Majesty seems to be in a bad mood."

Ji Yue was noncommittal in his response, "Why, do you also want to learn to guess my thoughts?"

There were previous examples of presumptuously assuming the wishes of the Emperor. Li Fuquan, who was still bedridden at this moment, was a case in point.

Li Fuquan had been at the Emperor’s side since he was a boy, and had still  received thirty lashes. Wei Lian had only known him for a day, so why should he think that he would be an exception?

Wei Lian lowered his gaze. "This subject dares not."

He said quietly again, "It is only that your Majesty's displeasure is written on your face. I can see it even if I am unable to guess what you are thinking."

Ji Yue removed his heavy court robes, his countenance a little demonic against the inky-black robe with its  gold embroidered heavenly dragons. His facial features are flawless, but his usual stateliness and coldness overwhelms his gorgeous appearance.

Bias and murderous intent aside, the Qin Emperor was a strikingly beautiful man.

Ji Yue turned his head to look at Wei Lian, the corners of his lips lifting slightly, "What is written on my face?"

The Qin Emperor’s mind was unpredictable. He may not necessarily be happy when he smiled, instead, he might be angry. His gentle tone might not necessarily mean that he was in a good mood, it may also mean that he wanted to kill someone.

The palace servants, who had served him for years, knew this, but were never sure what he was thinking.

As Wei Lian was about to respond, Ji Yue calmly said, "If you're wrong, I'll give your tongue to the mastiff I keep."

Wei Lian, "..."

What was the Emperor's obsession with his tongue?