11.8 – We are the true master of this land
translator: xiin
editors: BlueBug & Juurensha
Xue Ling looked up, his hands coming up to adjust his mask. The man wrapped an arm around his waist and plucked the mask off as he said, “There are too many people here. I’ll bring gongzi to a less crowded place.”
Xue Ling narrowed his eyes. The man was much taller than him this life and was wearing a mask that completely covered his face. Xue Ling allowed him to lead him along as he liked, and had a completely new view on how repressed the man was.
Hadn’t he just had Chen Jingzhen invite him out and then arranged for people to force them apart in the crowd just so that he could create opportunities for him to act virtuously?
However, he seemed to have forgotten that decent people would not be cheekily taking advantage of others by wrapping their arms around other people’s waist. His current actions were more like something a pervert would do.
A pervert who abducted little gers.
But it had been so long since they’d last met, Xue Ling did not make any attacks on the man’s hobbies while they were amidst the crowd. The man brought him along, and the crowd automatically dispersed as they got closer. The corner of Xue Ling’s lip curved as he mused that this group of performers were really well trained, not even forgetting to assist their superior during the Lantern Festival. They scattered silently, but even as they left, they managed to ‘carelessly’ push Xue Ling back into the arms of a certain person every time he tried to escape from his embrace.
He didn’t even need to raise his head to see how satisfied the man’s smirk was. Don’t think he didn’t realize that he had taken the opportunity to pinch his butt twice while he was squeezed back into his arms! People shouldn’t be so shameless, otherwise karma might get them in a few days!
The two of them went against the crowd until they got out; the amount of people slowly lessened. Xue Ling was constantly within the man’s embrace and had time to twist his head back and forth and look around everywhere as they walked. The man probably thought he was looking for the people he’d been separated from, and comforted him by saying, “If gongzi doesn’t mind, I can help gongzi find your friends.”
Xue Ling glanced at him and spoke indifferently, “You’ve disguised yourself, but still want me to trust you?”
The man froze. This was the first sentence that Xue Ling had spoken to him. He was unexpectedly such a straightforward and direct person. The man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he took the mask off his face and said helplessly, “It’s not a disguise. It’s just, I’m in the same situation as gongzi. My appearance is too outstanding, and I occasionally need the opportunity to breathe by myself.”
Xue Ling commented internally that he was really quite shameless. There was nothing wrong with being good looking, but saying these kinds of words out loud really destroyed his image as the Zhennan Prince.
Xue Ling could now confirm that the man in front of him was his lover, and also his purpose for coming to the South – the Zhennan Prince.
He had the system and could confirm the man’s identity even if he intentionally concealed it. Let alone when the man had no genuine intention to hide it. His tyrannical, ‘this entire world exists to serve me’ aura had already completely betrayed him. Xue Ling looked at him for a long time, and the longer he looked, the more the man stiffened. It wasn’t until a blush had started forming on his face that Xue Ling finally shifted his gaze away, walking of his own initiative in a direction with less people. “There’s no need to bother Your Excellency anymore. My friends are also adults and can find their own way home. I’m not a little ger who needs protection. There’s nothing difficult about walking home by myself.”
The expression on Ying Sheng’s face had basically frozen. After all, he hadn’t thought that Xue Ling would deviate so far from his script. But on second thought, he also thought there was nothing wrong with it. Since he could come out to open his own household and make his way to Zhanjing from the Capital, he would naturally be different from the timid gers that spent all their days in their residences and knew nothing of the world. “Ger gongzi, you’ve misunderstood my intention. I don’t think that you’re weak and require someone to protect you. However, Zhanjing is doomed to be sleepless tonight, and the lights in every household will remain on until morning. There are many unknown people in the city, and I can’t be at ease letting a little ger return home alone.”
Xue Ling looked at him strangely and said, “We don’t know each other. If you hadn’t forced me out of the crowd today, we also would never have had a chance to talk.” He pressed his lips together, and continued, “In fact, even if I was separated from the others, I would still be able to follow the flow of people and return home. Now that you’ve pulled me out like this, I’m no longer certain about where I am now.”
Ying Sheng: “…” Really worthy of being the person he was attracted to. He had such a glib tongue that he hadn’t been able to get any sort of advantage in the conversation at all. Even though he had carefully planned their first encounter, it seemed that the other party had ignored it completely! “Since you don’t know where you are, I’ll send you back in return for forcing you out of the crowd.”
Xue Ling stared at him for a long time once again. It dragged on for so long that Ying Sheng felt certain there had to be something wrong with his face before the ger finally nodded reluctantly and turned to go. “Let’s go that way then.”
The direction in which he had turned was not the correct one, but Ying Sheng still followed along. “Your Royal Highness should know where military advisor Chen’s manor is, right? Just take me in that direction.”
Ying Sheng’s steps stalled. “How did you know I am…”
Xue Ling had resisted for a long time and really couldn’t hold on any longer. His lips turned up slightly when the man asked these words. He tilted his head to look at him, and his smile was enchanting. “Has Your Royal Highness chased a ger before?”
Ying Sheng subconsciously shook his head. Although he had never chased one before, he had checked with Chen Jingzhen before making this plan. Chen Jingzhen had said that he would definitely be able to make a good impression like this… But the problem was that the other party had been able to see through his identity at a glance and had even asked him such a question.
“No wonder.” Xue Ling lowered his gaze and turned his head to continue walking forward. “Your Royal Highness doesn’t need to use such means on me next time. Although there is a cinnabar mole in the corner of my eye, I hate it the most when people regard me as a ger. Your Royal Highness’ play tonight was very romantic. Perhaps if it was someone else they would fall in love with you at first sight, but it is wasted on me.”
Ying Sheng lowered his head to look at him. The little ger was a full head shorter than him, but he was currently walking beside him with a slight smile on his face. It could be seen that he was in a good mood, not because of the encounter that just played out, but because he had seen through it all. The smile seemed to be there more because he found his previous actions amusing.
“Then what will it take to make you fall in love at first sight?” Unknowingly, Ying Sheng had asked the question in his heart.
The closer he got, the more he understood how much of his heart had been lost to the person in front of him. When he spoke to him, his heart sped up and jumped with joy, and his mind was full of terrible thoughts about how he would immediately go and obtain the world for him if that was what he wanted. If he spoke a few more words to him, he would be willing to unhesitatingly hand over his life as well.
This feeling was too strange. It was as though the other party had implanted a gu that made his mind ripple whenever he saw him, making it so that he had no way to think of anything else.
For the first half of his life, Ying Sheng had never understood what was so great about love. His subordinates had always been keen for him to find someone he liked, but although he had the intuition that he was waiting and looking for a particular person, he had never experienced the burning passion they described when they discussed love. At least, until he saw the person in front of him…
Was this actually his tribulation…?
Ying Sheng was slightly distracted by his thoughts.
Xue Ling lifted his head and gave him a rather profound look, and the smile on his lips became wickeder. “You want to know?”
He nodded. Now that the other party had seen through his intentions, they could both be a little more honest. Although he had all kinds of doubts about what kind of little demon this person had come from for him to be specifically attractive to his soul, as long as the other party spoke, he found he had no way to refuse… “Can you tell me?”
“Yes.” Xue Ling lowered his gaze again and no longer looked at him. He glanced at the lanterns that lit up the street and said, “But not tonight.” His steps slowed slightly, “Now that I’m out, how can I return without seeing anything? If Your Royal Highness doesn’t mind, how about accompanying me to enjoy the lanterns in Zhanjing?”
“I’m naturally willing to do so.” Right. This was what he should’ve done…
“Such a magnificent scene.” Xue Ling turned around and went back to rejoin crowd. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to see it again…”
His voice was almost lost amongst the noise from the crowd. Ying Sheng was in a daze, and hurried to follow his footsteps. “As long as gongzi wants, Zhanjing will have this scene every year.”
“What I want to see is not just the beautiful scenery in Zhanjing.” After uttering this seemingly mindless sentence, Xue Ling no longer spoke anymore nostalgic words. Events like Lantern Festivals were all wondrous in different ways in every world. People in Zhanjing lived a relatively rich and carefree life, so their creativity was naturally more unrestrained. The lanterns were made in a variety of ways, dragon and lion dances were being performed, and the singing and dancing performances were in full swing. Laughter and sounds of celebration could be heard everywhere.
People lingered in every corner and made it difficult to remember to go home, so by the time Ying Sheng brought Xue Ling home, it was already past noon. Mu Ge had been guarding the door the whole time. He rushed forward to confirm he was alright as soon as he saw Xue Ling’s figure before finally relaxing. “It is this subordinate’s fault that gongzi was lost today. Gongzi can punish me as you see fit!”
Xue Ling waved and said, “Elder brother Mu doesn’t need to take it so seriously. There were so many people, you couldn’t possible have kept an eye on me the whole time.”
Mu Ge bowed his head and did not speak. It was not because there were so many people that he had been disgraced today. It was because someone had arranged to lead him away. When he thought of this, he raised his head to look at Ying Sheng who was following behind Xue Ling. His gaze darkened.
Ying Sheng didn’t care what he thought of him, but he was unhappy hearing Xue Ling call him elder brother Mu. “Since Xue gongzi has arrived, benwang will return first.”
Xue Ling nodded: “I will go and visit Your Royal Highness when the royal palace begins to accept visitors again after new year. I only hope that Your Royal Highness will be as courteous and amiable as he was today.” He dragged out the second half of the sentence, his tender voice intriguing and incredibly alluring. It made Ying Sheng’s heart heat up.
“Of course. If you come, I will always be ‘courteous and amiable’.” While the two were talking, it felt like there was no room for others. Mu Ge’s eyes were hooded as he stood to the side and accompanied Xue Ling to send Ying Sheng off.
“Gongzi… That’s the Zhennan Prince…” After the man had gone far away, Mu Ge reminded him of this cautiously.
“I know. Didn’t I address him as Your Royal Highness?” Xue Ling wiped any traces of emotion off his face as a hint of chilliness seeped into his eyes. “The royal palace will open its doors again after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Are you ready to go there with me?”
Mu Ge looked at his face, and his heart settled. He nodded. “Gongzi plans to expose his identity?”
“If he is to send out troops, it is naturally better for him to know as early as possible.”
“Is gongzi certain?” Mu Ge did not know what it was that made Xue Ling so confident that the Zhennan King would not do anything to him even if he showed all his cards.
“This hand may have been difficult to play in the past, but that’s not the case now.” Xue Ling did not do uncertain things. Now that he had confirmed that his lover was the Zhennan King, many things could be started ahead of time. There was much that they needed to do before the start of spring. Even if Ying Sheng had made some preparations before, he certainly would not have gone all out.
Xue Ling did not fight unplanned battles. Since they needed to fight their way over, they should naturally make sure all the preparatory work was complete.
He turned to return to the house and spoke to Mu Ge, “Even if he gets angry and wants to kill me, I believe that you, Mu Ge, would still have a way to bring me out, right?”
Mu Go was silent.
Xue Ling found it amusing as he patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, it won’t happen.”
Mu Ge quietly agreed, but it was unknown whether he really believed it or not.
Time passed quickly, and the annual vacation was soon over. The royal palace began to deal with all sorts of matters again, and Ying Sheng was constantly waiting for that person who had said they would come. Xue Ling did not disappoint him; on the second day after the vacation ended, he sent over a letter requesting an audience.
Ying Sheng immediately asked people to welcome them over. With that anxious appearance of his, those who didn’t know would believe that the person waiting outside was higher in rank than he was.
If Xue Ling had still been an Emperor, he would be higher ranked, but he was now nothing more than a downtrodden Emperor whose position had been taken away.
Despite the shortage of cards in his hand, Xue Ling’s entrance this time very low-key. He did not bring Shu Heng, and only brought along Mu Ge. After entering the room, he cut straight to the point. “Your Royal Highness does not need to stand on ceremony so much. I’ve come today to discuss something important with Your Royal Highness. If it’s possible, could Your Royal Highness ask the attendants to withdraw? It’s a matter of great significance, and I would prefer not to speak of it in front of so many people.”
In an instant, Ying Sheng’s mind supplied him with stories of blood feuds or grievances in Xue Ling’s family. He was incredibly distressed, and asked everyone to withdraw.
“What kind of grievances do you have? Just tell benwang. As long as it’s within my abilities, I will do anything for you.”
Xue Ling curved his lips and had Mu Ge go outside as well. “That’s perfect. What I want to do is something that only Your Royal Highness can help me with.”
Ying Sheng nodded. “Is this the reason why you travelled so far and came from the Capital to Zhanjing? You said you had come to find your relatives when you came to the city, but now you live alone because of this?”
“If you want to put it like that, you’re correct.” Xue Ling adjusted his sleeves. He was wearing a white brocade robe embroidered at the edges with gold and red thread. After removing his large cloak, he looked very thin and frail. “Your Royal Majesty seems to have done a very thorough background check on me. I don’t know if you sent someone to the Capital to where I lived before to see if there was a ger called Xue in that family?”
Ying Sheng shook his head. “I only wanted to learn something about you. I did not investigate you because I had doubts.”
“In that case, Your Royal Highness really ought to investigate.” Xue Ling laughed coldly. “You would discover that there has never been a ger named Xue Ling in the Capital. If you investigate the guard by his side in detail, you would learn that that person is Mu Ge, the primary enforcer of Six Leaf Gate who was supposedly killed by King Xian during the palace upheaval.”
Ying Sheng’s forehead wrinkled slightly. He seemed to have finally realized that what the person in front of him was about to say would probably give him a great shock. It definitely would not be a simple matter that he could resolve with a smile and wave of his hand.
“The King of Zhennan just said that as long as he was able to help Us, he was willing to do anything for Us?” He tilted his head and looked straight on at Ying Sheng. “That’s perfect. What We want are these rivers and mountains and everything else under this sky! We want to drag the person sitting in the Emperor’s seat down and break him into ten thousand pieces! We want to bring peace to Xue Kingdom!”
He raised his arm and straightened his spine. His waist was slender, and made his figure appear as though it was unable to withstand even a gust of wind, but his momentum was now fully out in the open and in that moment, Ying Sheng saw an echo of himself in his body.
That was the momentum of the Emperor of the world.
“We have not introduced Ourselves to the Zhennan King yet.” Xue Ling curved his lips again, and that smile carried hints of wickedness. “Our name is Jin Yunhua, and We are the true master of this stretch of land.”
