Extra six
Xiao Ziyu looked calm, probably because he knew he couldn't escape, so he simply didn't bother to struggle.
The Golden Palace was tall and spacious, with sixteen supporting pillars alone, each engraved with coiled dragon patterns. Dragon eyes looked down coldly from above. It should have been the place where all officials came to pay homage, but Yuan Heng did not find it amiss.
Xiao Ziyu placed his hands on his chest and gently unbuttoned his cloak. The next second, the fiery red fox fur slipped to the ground, revealing the slim and well-ironed white robe underneath.
He didn't have his hair tied up in a bun, and his hair fell to his shoulders as he moved, and was brushed away carelessly.
Yuan Heng stared at him intently, frowning, seeming to be dissatisfied. If Xiao Ziyu could resist a little, or look a little more embarrassed, he might feel better.
It was already late, the young eunuch had been sent away, and the charcoal fire in the hall was about to go out. Yuan Heng had been here for quite some time, and his palms had already become cold.
He put his hand into the neck of the robe and could feel the trembling of warm skin through the thin fabric. Xiao Ziyu's body was far from being as calm as he appeared.
Xiao Ziyu's hands hung at his sides, allowing him to move like a puppet. He didn't know where his hands had wandered to. Suddenly, his eyes blurred and his body spasmed subconsciously: "...Your Highness!"
The collar was finally torn open, revealing the collarbone. Xiao Ziyu half-clenched his hands into fists, raised his neck impatiently, and a few broken breaths escaped from his lips and teeth.
Yuan Heng took the opportunity to step forward, took hold of his small and round Adam's apple and gently rolled it. Wang Jun had already bathed, so the skin here was exceptionally soft and exuded a light herbal scent.
Xiao Ziyu finally fell into his chest, and barely stood up by pulling on Yuan Heng's waist belt. Yuan Heng leaned over to his ear, his hands still moving, and whispered: "Today, the new top scholar came to see the emperor. He has great potential in both civil and military affairs..."
Xiao Ziyu no longer had the energy to think about why he suddenly said this. He tried his best to endure the impulse in his body. The cold fragrance of ambergris filled his mouth and nose, making his face gradually burn.
Yuan Heng was not happy with his distraction, so he finally pulled his hand out and patted Xiao Ziyu's cheek. He continued, "That number one scholar, who is the same age as you, can already help the people solve their problems. What are you doing standing here now?"
Xiao Ziyu felt his cheeks sticky and wanted to shake off his hand. However, before he could raise his arm, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. With his weak will, he could no longer resist the invasion of the insect and subconsciously let out a muffled groan.
Yuan Heng's expression froze, and he asked solemnly, "What's going on?"
The poisonous insect only attacked for a short while before going dormant again. However, Xiao Ziyu was already covered in cold sweat, and even his lips had turned pale. He did not explain, but answered the previous question: "The number one scholar is in his prime, why don't you go find him to serve by your side?"
Yuan Heng's face darkened, and for a moment there seemed to be a fierce light flashing in his eyes. He dragged Xiao Ziyu to the table with one hand, and seeing that he could not hold on and knelt on the animal skin blanket, he showed no pity at all, but grabbed the man's jaw and kissed him bitingly.
Xiao Ziyu had kissed him countless times, but he still hadn't learned how to breathe. As the air in his chest was sucked away bit by bit, he grabbed the animal fur under him tightly, and finally felt Yuan Heng breathe in when he was dizzy.
He stretched out his hand to wipe the water marks on Xiao Ziyu's lips and said nastily, "There is only one number one scholar every year, he is very rare, can you humiliate him at will?"
Xiao Ziyu felt himself being flipped over and uttered a cry of surprise helplessly. The animal's hard hair rubbed his neck red. He was in a trance from the intense pain and was forced to climb layer after layer of clouds.
His knees were numb from kneeling, and Yuan Heng finally felt relieved. He came over and licked his lips gently: "Xiao Ziyu, you are alone..."
When the night was at its darkest, the poisonous insect began to migrate deep into his blood vessels. Xiao Ziyu endured the pain penetrating into his bone marrow in the tenderness, and even fine blue veins appeared on his neck.
Yuan Heng noticed again that something was wrong with him. Wang Jun's heart disease had been around for a long time and had been becoming more frequent recently, but he had never seen it so serious.
Xiao Ziyu gritted his teeth and endured the pain, being forced to embrace Yuan Heng in intimacy. Ambergris had already fermented in the ambiguous atmosphere, arousing people's passion. He gently stroked Yuan Heng's face and said, "Your Highness, I have never belonged to anyone. Although I am not as precious as the top scholar, you can't stop me if I want to leave."
He knows his own body best. He has already reached his limit after dragging it on until now. If the poisonous insect is not fed with nectar, it will eventually break out of its heart and no one will be able to save it.
Yuan Heng's astonished expression flashed before his eyes, and he finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted completely.
Xiao Ziyu has been suffering from an outbreak of poisonous insects in recent days and he can’t remember the last time he had a good night’s sleep.
In the dream, there always seemed to be a pair of hands caressing my body, from my shoulders to my back, and then lingering on my waist. He couldn't help but want to hide, but his forehead was pressed against a warm and broad chest, and even the frequency of the heartbeat was extremely familiar to him.
Xiao Ziyu's breathing paused and he woke up. The hall was still empty and cold. A tall and heavy shadow had appeared on his bed. His memory was cut off in the Golden Palace. After a moment's reaction, he realized that it must be Yuan Heng who brought him back.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince refused to sleep in the spacious palace and insisted on squeezing into his cramped little bed.
It has been a long time since they fell out with each other and haven't been so affectionate like this. Xiao Ziyu closed his eyes in the darkness, feeling an unspeakable sense of powerlessness and weakness.
As if he had noticed his movements, Yuan Heng stopped and put his big hands loosely on his waist, as if he was afraid of waking him up. The cautious look seemed to have returned to the time when they first came in. The boy of sixteen or seventeen was too young, his body frame had not yet grown into an adult's. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was always afraid of hurting him. The first time, both of them were very nervous and they tried several times but failed to get in smoothly.
Xiao Ziyu felt his cheeks getting hot when he recalled the past inexplicably. The hand on his waist was broad and strong, and the burning temperature came through the fabric. Actually, it’s okay like this. There’s nothing much to talk about between them now. They always can’t help but quarrel when they are awake.
Before he could calm down, he felt the bed beside him lighten and Yuan Heng sat up. Xiao Ziyu huddled in the quilt motionlessly, hoping that he would leave quickly, but at the same time he couldn't help wondering if there was still room for maneuver.
Without support in front of him, Xiao Ziyu slumped uncontrollably on the bed. Yuan Heng grabbed the quilt and stuffed it into his arms to prevent the pressure on his heart and lungs.
The deliberately light footsteps gradually faded away, but he did not leave. He stopped at the table and searched for something.
Xiao Ziyu subconsciously slowed down his breathing and felt Yuan Heng approaching from afar, and when he came back, he grabbed the hem of his clothes.
What is this for? Could it be that Yuan Heng hadn’t had enough fun with the absurdity in the Golden Palace and now he felt like doing it again in the middle of the night?
He didn't dare to move, and suddenly felt a chill on his back. His underwear was completely opened, and Yuan Heng's fingertips reached out and rubbed the cool plaster.
His movements were very gentle, allowing the plaster to fully dissolve before applying it, which was infinitely gentler than the rough way he had done in the hall. Xiao Ziyu felt embarrassed and lay there motionless, almost tearing holes in the bed sheets with his fingertips.
Yuan Heng had done this for him many times before and was very skilled at it. After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Ziyu finally felt a lightness on his side while he was in a daze, followed by the sound of the palace door opening, and Yuan Heng walked out quietly.
When he woke up the next day, there was nothing unusual in the temple. Hua Yuan helped him wash up, and Xiao Ziyu asked casually, "I heard some noise last night, did anyone come to the palace?"
Hua Yuan paused while twisting the handkerchief, then said, "No, it might be that the wind was a little strong and it disturbed the king."
Xiao Ziyu remained silent. He didn't know when Yuan Heng bribed the people around him, probably through coercion or bribery. He didn't know how many times he had sneaked in at night in the past year.
He suddenly felt a little bored, raised his hand to wave away Hua Yuan, gathered his hair together with a green jade hairpin, and went to the Golden Palace to attend court as usual.
According to the Daliang laws, officials were supposed to wear court robes when attending court. Most of them were dark and heavy in color, and embroidered with patterns of birds and animals. Xiao Ziyu walked in gracefully in white clothes, and everyone was used to it.
After all, he did not hold a real official title, and all he did was serve the prince as a clerk. The atmosphere in the court was a little strange today. The right prime minister glared at him angrily, his beard trembling with anger. Yuan Heng lowered his eyes from a high position, and there was no expression on his usually indifferent face.
After paying his respects, Xiao Ziyu knelt down at the lower left of Yuan Heng, glanced down the hall, and saw three young unfamiliar faces standing in the front row of officials.
It turned out that what Yuan Heng said yesterday was not a joke to humiliate him. After the palace examination, the top three candidates were selected. Today was their first day to report to the court.
They had probably heard of Xiao Ziyu's existence a long time ago, and they saw that the top scholar was indeed as handsome and elegant as Yuan Heng described. He was wearing a bright red robe, and a black and gold gauze hat. His eyebrows were sharp and his eyes were bright. His eyes met Xiao Ziyu's, and he did not hide the contempt in his eyes at all.
Having followed Yuan Heng for many years and being a man, Xiao Ziyu has long been accustomed to all kinds of looks. At this moment, he just lowered his head, ground the ink, placed the red brush next to Yuan Heng's hand, and sat upright to listen to his orders. It seemed as if the young talents in the hall were nothing special to him.
There were no major events in the court since the beginning of spring, except for routine reports. The three newly-appointed scholars had done their homework for their first time in court, writing long essays like those for the imperial examinations. Later, Yuan Heng was probably a little tired, and he casually played with the red brush, and with a slight movement of his wrist, he tapped a red sand on the back of Xiao Ziyu's hand.
His movements were not large, and the people in the court could not see clearly what happened. Xiao Ziyu was quite helpless. The ink dried up after a while, leaving only a small mark.
After retiring from court, Xiao Ziyu sorted out the documents on the desk and said, "The viewpoint expressed by the champion is reasonable. Your Highness might as well listen carefully next time."
This was a hint that he was not paying attention in court. Upon hearing this, Yuan Heng chuckled and said, "Then do you know why he is so indignant?"
Xiao Ziyu lowered his eyes and said nothing. It was probably because the top scholar saw this "monster that brought disaster to the country" and wanted to show off his abilities more. That scorching gaze seemed to want to burn a hole in his body.
He felt bored and stood up to say goodbye, but Yuan Heng grabbed his wrist.
Xiao Ziyu had no choice but to stop and ask: "Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"
Yuan Heng pinched the back of his hand, exposing a small piece of skin, and said with a playful look: "Zi Yu, have you ever heard of Shou Gong Sha?"
Xiao Ziyu's expression froze, and he said stiffly, "I haven't heard of it."
In court, the king and his subjects were respectful to each other, but after court, they lost their dignity. When Xiao Ziyu walked out of the Golden Palace, the vermilion on his hands was rubbed off and a thin layer of powder was added to his face. He wanted to walk quickly, but he saw many more carriages and horses on the main road of the palace along the way, and guards with swords were checking their passes one by one.
Seeing him coming, the guards led people out of the way: "Master Xiao!"
"Why is it so lively today?" Xiao Ziyu asked.
"My lord, you forgot about the cherry banquet," the young guard explained. "According to the custom of previous years, after the new Jinshi were called in, His Highness would hold a cherry banquet to celebrate."
After hearing this, Xiao Ziyu reacted slowly. The results of the palace examination happened to be announced when cherries were ripe. According to Liang customs, on the day of the roll call, the King of Liang would hold a cherry banquet in Furong Garden and give out cherries from the garden to share with everyone.
However, he was imprisoned in a water dungeon during the spring equinox last year, and his life or death was unknown. He was in a daze during the days of recuperation. Later, he lived in seclusion in the East Palace and would not show up unless it was absolutely necessary. Gradually, he even forgot some of the customs of the time.
The Cherry Banquet is open to all officials, not just new scholars, but also veteran officials in the court can participate with their families. Xiao Ziyu looked at the leading carriage, with its tall horses and flowers and ribbons on their heads. It was the number one scholar's parents and younger sister. His family should be a prominent family in the local area. The carriage behind him was filled with gold, silver and treasures presented to Yuan Heng.
Both horses had red hair and black manes, with big red flower balls tied on their chests. If you didn't know better, you would have thought it was a wedding procession.
Xiao Ziyu withdrew his gaze, unable to describe the feeling in his heart. When they returned to the East Palace, the servants all ran off to watch the fun. Only Hua Yuan stayed in the palace and poured him some warm water. "There will be a cherry banquet this afternoon. Do you want to go and see it?"
Xiao Ziyu never liked to show up in public, so Hua Yuan only mentioned it casually, not wanting him to stay in the palace copying scriptures all day. Although Yuan Heng has no intention of taking a concubine now, he might get tired of it one day and recruit ten or eight beautiful girls. Their lives will definitely become more difficult.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Ziyu said, "Then let's go and take a look."
"Are you serious, Lord Wang?" Hua Yuan immediately became excited and hurriedly opened the wardrobe, wanting to pick out two decent clothes. However, Xiao Ziyu's clothes were mostly plain, either white or blue, which might not look good enough among the bunch of newly-appointed scholars with rosy faces.
Xiao Ziyu stood up, opened the box in the corner, and took out a decent piece of clothing. This was made when he was in Guanwa Palace. The base is moon-white with gold thread embossed on it. The embroidery pattern of auspicious clouds and auspicious cranes is exquisitely crafted. The most wonderful thing is the plum branch extending horizontally from the chest, with light pink dots that set off her complexion and add a bit of prettiness.
"This one looks good!" Hua Yuan's eyes lit up. She had only come to serve Xiao Ziyu in the last year and was already the most senior servant in the Eastern Palace. She knew nothing about Xiao Ziyu's previous experiences.
All we know is that the prince is frail and often suffers from unexplained body pains, probably because he is a man. His relationship with the prince is also unclear. Yuan Heng would stay in the Eastern Palace for several days on his days off, or he might ignore him for days on end. Without a monthly salary, he didn't even know how to get more charcoal in the winter.
While he was going hysterical, Xiao Ziyu had already taken out the clothes and placed them in front of him to measure them. The days in Guanwa Palace were probably the few relaxing times I had. I became plumper and the clothes are too big for me now.
He sat down in front of the mirror and began to wash and put on makeup. Xiao Ziyu was very skilled in applying makeup. Since there were no blemishes on his face, he did not need to apply powder. He only used black ink to outline his eyebrows and pearl powder to fill in the sunken areas.
Hua Yuan helped on the side and learned the skill secretly. She guessed in her heart that Wang Jun was probably a singer as rumored in the palace, otherwise he would not have been so skilled. If Wang Jun went to the Cherry Banquet, she could go with him to see the world and meet those newly recruited young talents.
She was still daydreaming and didn't notice Xiao Ziyu's expression. She didn't seem excited about the upcoming banquet at all, and the emotions beneath her calm face were hard to fathom.
Hibiscus Garden was decorated early in the morning. The birds are singing, the water is gurgling, and everything comes back to life after mid-spring. The ground is like a green velvet blanket, and the cherries are hanging full, each one is as big as a pearl, rosy and plump.
After noon, more and more people and carriages came, and the guards were all exhausted from the sun. They thought that no one would dare to act rashly at a banquet attended by the prince himself, so they simply found a cool place to gather together and hide away.
Xiao Ziyu walked slowly into the garden, followed by a curious Hua Yuan. Those who were somewhat knowledgeable had seen his true face. After all, he was the only one in the Eastern Palace and they could not offend him, so they all came forward to pay their respects.
But more people could not recognize his identity as a prince. They just thought that he had a handsome appearance, too handsome for a man. They were afraid that he was a lover of some family or a minor official. Voices of suspicion and discussion were heard everywhere.
Xiao Ziyu passed it off indifferently, but his heart was far from as calm as he looked. Yuan Heng had arrived a long time ago. I heard that he was competing in the game of pitching pots with the new scholars. He was a straightforward person and probably drank a lot of wine, so he would not notice me.
In addition to dozens of Jinshi, there were also their relatives at the Cherry Banquet. The court officials also brought their families to see the novelty. The right prime minister held his great-granddaughter happily and picked a small bunch of cherries to amuse the child.
Xiao Ziyu glanced at the guards who were shirking their responsibilities in the distance. In this situation, a bold idea finally emerged in his mind. If he blended into the crowd and sneaked out of the palace, it seemed that it might not be impossible.
Hua Yuan was attracted by the juggling troupe, but Xiao Ziyu cleverly shook her off and started walking towards a place with fewer people.
But just at this moment, a voice came from behind: "Nanzhu."
Xiao Ziyu's back stiffened and he turned around, only to see Yuan Heng with an amused look on his face. Who else could be standing next to him if not the top scholar? One of them was wearing a black robe, and the other a red robe, and they looked a perfect match standing together.
For some reason, Xiao Ziyu thought of the tall horse with red flowers on it, and his eyes turned red.
Yuan Heng seemed dissatisfied with his neglect and repeated: "Nanzhu, come here."
Xiao Ziyu stood there in silence for a while, then turned around. Yuan Heng had indeed drunk some wine, and there was a scent of cellar on his sleeves, and even the usually overbearing scent of ambergris was not very distinct.
He seemed to want to raise his hand to touch Xiao Ziyu's shoulder, but he held back and just said to him: "Is there anything you like over there? Go pick one."
When these words were spoken, several newly-appointed scholars were all surprised. Those gifts were sent by them to meet the emperor. It took several months just to select and polish them. Any one of them could equal the annual consumption of an ordinary family.
Who is that Master Nanzhu? Could it be that he is the prince’s guest of honor? If I have the chance later, I will definitely make good friends with him.
The top scholar's face looked particularly embarrassed. The coral tree sent by his family was placed in the front of all kinds of rare treasures. It was crystal clear and the crystals were clear. It took the ship merchant several months to find this one, so its value is needless to say. If he was picked by Xiao Ziyu, where would his family's reputation be?
Xiao Ziyu didn't understand Yuan Heng's intention. Could it be that he wanted to humiliate him in front of all the Jinshi? Just as Yuan Heng said that day, most of the successful candidates in the imperial examination were of the same age as him, all of them were eloquent and well-educated. Was he trying to make him feel ashamed of himself?
He had something on his mind, and Yuan Heng knew him too well. The longer he stayed here, the easier it would be for him to reveal flaws. Xiao Ziyu said politely: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I am afraid I cannot afford it."
Yuan Heng seemed to have expected that he would refuse, and smiled: "How about this, you go and cast your own ball, and I will give you the ball you cast. How about that?"
After saying this, without waiting for the servant beside him to offer the arrow, he directly handed the arrow in his hand to him.
At this moment, the top scholar finally opened his eyes slightly. Although Yuan Heng mingled with the Jinshi scholars and played games with them, and on the surface the relationship between the monarch and his subjects seemed harmonious, in fact, the arrow shafts Yuan Heng used were different from theirs. The arrowhead is coated with gold and the tail is the wing of a black bird. Each arrow is irreplaceable. How can something used by the prince be easily transferred to others?
Xiao Ziyu didn't say anything, as if he didn't notice this detail at all. The people around him had gathered more and more, and the discussions had become quieter. It seemed that the person who could make the prince do this must be no ordinary person.
Xiao Ziyu lowered his eyes to look at the arrow, but still reached out to take it. Yuan Heng knew too well how to force him, and with so many people watching, he would definitely not cause any conflict.
The smile on Yuan Heng's face deepened, not noticing that his expression was actually no different from those of the scholars around him who were presenting their treasures. Proud, but also a little nervous. I am confident about the gift I have chosen, but I am afraid that others will not like it.
Xiao Ziyu stood outside the red line and raised his hand to shoot. The champion finally stepped forward courageously, lifted his robe and knelt down: "Your Highness, please think twice. These treasures were collected by us from all over the world. They are rare in the world. How can we give them away so easily..."
Easily reward male parasites and concubines.
He didn't say anything else because the smile on Yuan Heng's face disappeared.
He didn't mean to be angry, but raised his chin arrogantly: "Are you disciplining me?"
The top scholar kowtowed and said, "I dare not!"
Xiao Ziyu stood there holding the arrow, only to hear Yuan Heng say, "You only have one chance to shoot. What does Nanzhu want? Do you have any plans?"
Xiao Ziyu had no preference at first, but the number one scholar kneeling on the ground was too eye-catching. For a moment, all kinds of random thoughts flooded into my mind.
First, there was Yuan Heng's "top scholar with great potential in both literary and military strategies" that night, then there was the undisguised contempt in the other party's eyes when they met once in the hall, the gorgeously decorated BMW, and even the discussions that he never cared about were all expanding in his mind again and again.
Xiao Ziyu held the arrow, and the only thing in his sight was the jade-white coral tree.
It was originally used for pitching arrows into pots, the arrows were too light, and the hollow wooden pole had no weight at all. But the moment he threw it out, he clearly heard the sound of it breaking through the air.
There was a crisp clanging sound; it was the gold-plated arrow hitting the coral tree.
The next moment there was an even heavier muffled sound, and the tree actually cracked under the tip of the arrow, fell to the ground with a thud, and shattered into pieces.
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