The traitor's red mark deep inside his clothes
On New Year's Eve of the fourth year of Yongkang, the capital was in chaos. The Prince of Huai led his personal troops into the imperial city, and cannon fire also disturbed the streets and alleys outside the imperial city.
Wei Shuang rushed back from her post to quell the rebels, but she was too late. The emperor had been shot with an arrow and was seriously injured and unable to recover.
On New Year's Eve, amidst thunderous cries, Emperor Liang De left behind a will and passed away.
That night, the whole country mourned.
Except for Xiao Yu.
At the tender age of fifteen, he had not yet recovered from the shock of the rebels attacking the city when he unwittingly became the future emperor on the imperial edict. The leading soldier who came to welcome him back to the palace was covered in blood and dirt, and he wrapped himself in a warm white fox fur cloak while shivering.
The air was thick with the smell of blood, and Wei Shuang was covered in the stench of blood, mixed with the bitterness of the ointment. Xiao Yu felt as if a piece of pastry had been forced into his mouth.
Sweet.
What did you give me to eat?
The man revealed a fierce-looking face: "Don't move, be quiet."
Xiao Yu immediately fell silent, shrinking back into his fox fur cloak and secretly gagging himself.
Before he could vomit up the food of unknown origin, he smelled a pleasant aroma of wine. Then, Xiao Yu tilted his head to the side and fell into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was stuffed into the palace. The strange smell of wine on that person was suppressed by a series of complicated rituals and was forgotten by Xiao Yu.
With the late emperor gone, the country could not be without a ruler for even a day. Xiao Yu was hastily enthroned and the reign title was changed to Cheng'an.
An auspicious day was chosen for the coronation ceremony.
It had just rained lightly overnight, and the woods were damp.
The carriage wheels creaked as it drove through the outskirts of Beijing, getting covered in fresh spring mud. Before the grand ceremony, a sacrifice was offered at the ancestral temple, and the emperor's carriage was heading to the altar of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
As soon as they left the capital, Xiao Yu clutched his backside and huddled on the left side of the carriage, having suffered quite a bit from the jagged rocks blocking the way.
It's several miles from the imperial city to the ancestral temple. Along the way, Xiao Yu was constrained by his solemn imperial robes, unable to bend over or lean against the wall, and his head felt very heavy.
Having lived outside the palace for many years, Xiao Yu was used to his freedom. It had been a long time since anyone had forced him to sit upright. The empty carriage was only occupied by two people. He quietly spread his legs and adjusted the crown on his head, the twelve jade beads of the crown hanging down to his shoulders.
He is now the de facto emperor, and no one should dare to say anything against him.
Bar?
Xiao Yu leaned back sprawled out, his waist twisting and turning from the jolting. His eyes never stopped moving as he looked up and down at the magnificent interior of the emperor's carriage from the moment he got in, but his peripheral vision kept glancing at the other adult man sitting on the right side of the carriage.
It was the leader of the soldiers who rescued him a few days ago.
I heard that because of his merit in saving the emperor, the old emperor... cough, my father was able to have a bloodline, so before his death, my father entrusted himself to him.
What title of marquis was he given again?
Oh right, Marquis Ding'an, Wei Shuang.
Why did the old emperor choose such a fierce and ruthless person to assist him in achieving his great cause, and even made an exception to allow Wei Shuang, who was not of the same surname, to act as regent?
He wasn't afraid that he might also bring about the death of this nominal new imperial uncle.
As Xiao Yu was thinking, Wei Shuang's gaze swept over, and at the same time, he reached out his hand to Xiao Yu.
The shadow of the chaos that had gripped the capital a few days ago had not yet dissipated when the smell of blood, mixed with the aroma of wine, wafted over. Xiao Yu's eyes sharpened, and he instinctively jumped onto a chair to avoid it.
The cushion that Wei Shuang handed over remained frozen in mid-air.
“...A cushion.” The man didn’t explain further, his hand holding the cushion remained motionless inside the swaying carriage.
What a steady hand! What a vicious cushion! It could kill ten emperors with a single blow!
Since there was no ill intent, Xiao Yu magnanimously touched Yuzhu, straightened up, and slowly jumped off the chair. After hesitating for a long time, he still did not reach out his hand.
He raised his head and openly scrutinized Wei Shuang.
The carriage sped along, forcing the spring breeze to lift the bright yellow curtains. The bloody smell that filled the carriage suddenly faded, revealing the concealed aroma of wine. Xiao Yu took a deep breath.
This person is so fierce!
Wei Shuang had become a regent several years ago and had been stationed in the northern border for many years. The regent, who was born a military general, was over eight feet tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. He had a well-proportioned and beautiful figure, a classic example of a tiger with a wasp waist. However, he had been through many battles and had recently purged the rebels. His bloodlust was still strong, and his fierce and menacing appearance was evident between his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. His high nose and distinct jawline made him look distant and mean.
It's both good-looking and bad-looking; it would be better if you smiled.
Lower your stern eyebrows a little, curve your lips a little more...
As Xiao Yu was lost in thought, the large hand that had been hovering in mid-air suddenly drew closer and closer to her... Xiao Yu turned her head and closed her eyes—then, a familiar feeling of weightlessness washed over her.
What is this traitor up to—wait?
Wei Shuang lifted Xiao Yu up, placed the cushion under Xiao Yu, and then took out a wad of plush blanket from under the chair: "Your Majesty, please sit down."
As her body returned to reality, Xiao Yu almost veered into a dead end due to the blood that brushed against her cheek. Fortunately, Wei Shuang wisely withdrew her hand in time and sat back down in her proper place. The distance between the two quickly gave Xiao Yu some breathing room.
As Xiao Yu's breathing returned to normal, he clutched the newly added blanket and moved closer to Wei Shuang: "Aren't you afraid of me?"
Wei Shuang: "What are you afraid of?"
"I am a monster. If you stare into my eyes for too long, you will die a terrible death." Xiao Yu blinked, and the moment Wei Shuang looked into his eyes, he quickly lowered his eyelids to hide the strange color in his eyes.
Wei Shuang did not look away, but frowned: "...It's alright. I have lived on the battlefield for a long time, and my body is full of murderous aura. Ordinary demons cannot get close to me."
Xiao Yu shrank back into the corner, bored: "Oh."
So that's how it is. He found a malevolent spirit to keep by his side so he could take my life at any time. The old man really went to great lengths.
"Is the smell of alcohol on you the scent of Gan Jun's message?" Xiao Yu asked again after a short while.
"...?" This time, it was Wei Shuang's turn to be incredulous. When he carried Xiao Yu back to the imperial city, he examined him many times, but there was still no sign of Xiao Yu beginning to differentiate.
A small percentage of people in this world will undergo a second differentiation in their teens. The Qian trigram represents the strong, while the Kun trigram represents both men and women who can conceive and have offspring. Ordinary people who do not differentiate are represented by the Ze trigram.
The "Dry Lords" that Xiao Yu mentioned are the most powerful type after differentiation. They are at the top of the food chain. Most of the Dry Lords are competitive and aggressive, and they are extremely sensitive to and repulsive to the scents of other Dry Lords.
In other words, it would be difficult for two people who are both from the same family to sit still in a confined space.
“I was born with the ability to recognize fragrances, but before I differentiated, I couldn’t tell the gender. Feng Shun told me that Regent Wei Shuang is a male concubine.” Xiao Yu naturally knew this, and fearing that Wei Shuang would misunderstand, he explained.
Children born from the union of Heaven and Earth will inevitably undergo a second differentiation in the future. Before differentiation, they can smell the scent of others. In order to maintain the superiority of their bloodline, the royal descendants of the Great Liang Dynasty are all born from the union of Heaven and Earth. Xiao Yu is even more special. Not only can he smell the scent of others in his childhood, but he can also use the scent to distinguish the joy and anger of others.
The faint aroma of alcohol in the carriage vanished instantly, and Xiao Yu noticed an awkward expression flash across Wei Shuang's face.
"Will I grow up to look like you after I differentiate?"
Xiao Yu didn't mind Gan Jun's rudeness in not stopping Xinxiang; he was more concerned about other things.
Even when sitting, Xiao Yu looked much thinner than Wei Shuang, who came from a military background. Her slender figure was so small that the tall and mighty General Wei could easily pull her into his arms.
It has lost much of its authority.
Wei Shuang spoke frankly: "It's very difficult."
Xiao Yu stopped talking and moved closer to the side.
The carriage curtains were drawn, and the carriage swayed back and forth. Xiao Yu, huddled in the blankets, unconsciously tilted his head as he smelled the aroma of wine inside the carriage.
The wheels creaked and turned, rolling over some small stone and swaying Xiao Yu onto Wei Shuang's shoulder.
Wei Shuang suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder.
He turned his head and saw that the face leaning against his shoulder was sickly pale, with only a hint of drunkenness on his cheeks. The pair of overly beautiful peach blossom eyes were now tightly closed, and the long eyelashes trembled slightly with the swaying, obscuring the small mole under the left eye.
Wei Shuang held her breath, trying to get closer, but the unsightly jade beads on her crown kept hitting her chest with a thud.
Wei Shuang raised her hand and pushed the jade beads back. The rosy beads were shaken by the countless small stones under the wheels and rolled over Xiao Yu's fair and slender neck, leaving pitted red marks above her collarbone.
Wei Shuang's breath hitched, and she silently placed her hands back on her lap, sitting up straight.
Upon reaching their destination, Xiao Yu seemed to sense something and abruptly roused himself from his sleep. He was almost next to Wei Shuang, and his long, beautiful white fingers helped straighten the crown on her head, which was still drowsy. Xiao Yu lifted the jade beads, tilted his head, and stared at Wei Shuang sleepily, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"I……"
Wei Shuang's indifferent gaze swept over, and Xiao Yu choked, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Even a simple question can be so fierce... After I got out of the carriage, I had Feng Shun straighten my clothes. It's not shameful that I slept crookedly.
"Your collar is messed up." This time, Wei Shuang didn't reach out.
"And now?" Xiao Yu quickly straightened his clothes, taking advantage of Wei Shuang's dark eyes.
"Hmm." Wei Shuang subtly shifted her gaze away from the red mark below Xiao Yu's collarbone, which extended into his collar.
Having been subdued by the fierce god all the way, Xiao Yu jumped off the emperor's carriage without any serious injury.
It had rained last night, and the damp mist brushed against his face, wetting the hem of his robes that reached the ground. Xiao Yu coughed twice to regain his composure, maintaining the dignity befitting an emperor. With a taut face, he was surrounded by the crowd as he walked toward the altar for the sacrifice.
The etiquette was tedious and lengthy. He knelt several times, his knees getting damp and then dry again, until the solemn bell tolled slowly. As Xiao Yu continued walking forward, he realized that Wei Shuang, who had gotten off the carriage with him, had suddenly disappeared.
Where is the evil spirit?
After he himself broke the incense, he jumped off the altar to perform the sealing formation?
Alright, now there's no need for an abdication edict. The regent's succession is illegitimate, but legitimate.
Before Xiao Yu could continue his daydreaming, he suddenly heard the sounds of the Imperial Preceptor divining.
Xiao Yu was extremely familiar with this process.
Soon, the Imperial Advisor's expression will change drastically. He will point to the amber-colored golden pupil in his eye socket, angrily denouncing himself as an ominous demon, and then muttering alarmist words such as "a cursed lone star, with shallow ties to his family."
Well... maybe it's not an exaggeration.
Born into royalty, with twenty-seven or twenty-eight blood relatives, yet almost all of them are still dead... Some died recently, others were slaughtered, and who knows what new things the Imperial Advisor can still divine.
Xiao Yu straightened his back and deliberately widened his eyes at the Grand Preceptor, whose face he couldn't see clearly. He stared intently at the Grand Preceptor, getting a little impatient, but still didn't hear the sound of the copper coin falling to the ground.
Why is this divination taking so long? Is it stuck?
The divination failed, but the blood and wine scent around them returned first. Wei Shuang raised her hand and gently patted Xiao Yu's back.
Xiao Yu shuddered, and the ends of her hair stood on end slightly.
After the evil spirit finished its ritual at the altar, it came back to watch me!
“The Imperial Advisor is one of our own, Your Majesty need not worry about your eyes. The previous ominous rumors were nothing but the schemes and slanders of villains, which I have already dealt with properly.” Wei Shuang lowered her voice. “Don’t be afraid, Your Majesty, I will protect you.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu was briefly shocked.
The usually taciturn Wei Shuang, inside the carriage, was surprisingly able to utter such a long string of heartfelt words!
The ritual was still ongoing, and there was no turning back. Xiao Yu reluctantly accepted the last three incense sticks.
Boom!
A strange sound came from the center of the altar.
The sky was a clear, azure blue, but just as Xiao Yu was paying homage at the ancestral temple, several long, drawn-out dragon roars faintly echoed from the horizon, accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder without a cloud in sight.
As the divination was about to begin, an unusual phenomenon occurred. At the same time, a strong wind arose, causing the jewel hanging in front of Xiao Yu's eyes to sway slightly. Xiao Yu finally witnessed the first blast of the dud. Several copper coins fell to the ground from inside the tortoise shell. The Imperial Advisor, looking dazed, knelt down, holding the tortoise shell, and exclaimed in astonishment.
"The dragon has blessed us! Auspicious omens have descended from the heavens!"
A strange phenomenon, a few words from the Imperial Advisor, and his own eyes inexplicably became auspicious omens. The heretic who had troubled him for many years was transformed into a once-in-a-century imperial face of the Great Liang Dynasty.
A baseless rumor trapped someone as kind as his mother.
Now, a grand and auspicious omen has once again elevated him to a high position.
It turns out that manipulating people's hearts is so simple.
Xiao Yu suppressed the turmoil in his heart and stood expressionless, waiting for Wei Shuang to help him to his seat.
He stared intently at Wei Shuang. As he walked away from the altar, Xiao Yu suddenly stopped, turned back to Wei Shuang, and asked, "Can the altar really produce celestial phenomena?"
Wei Shuang: "...??"
A note from the author:
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[Shrug] My little treasures
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