An Empire as a Betrothal Gift

The Peerless Young Master...

When Wei Lian was in the middle of applying the medicine, a palace maid bearing a serving tray came in.

Wei Lian raised his gaze and looked over. The palace maid paused in her steps, a dainty blush rising on her cheeks.

She curtsied, lowering her head. "Young Master, these are the garments that His Majesty has instructed this servant girl to give you. Please make haste to dress in them."

With flushed cheeks and her head lowered, the palace maid thought to herself, Young Master Lian is really good-looking.

The fine black hair of the young man was spread across the bed and the inner layer of his clothes was messily rumpled, exposing sharp and exquisite collarbones. There was also a faint ring of red around his throat that made him appear even more mesmerising. 

He had an elegant visage and an ethereal aura. When his eyes, gentle as water, gazed over, anyone would inevitably feel their heart skip and their face flush.

While his Majesty was also attractive, no one dared to look directly at the Emperor. Conversely, a single look sufficed to tell that Young Master Lian from the Chu Empire had a gentle chivalry that ran deep in his bones.

The frost in Wei Lian's eyes immediately receded. He said gently, "Thank you for the trouble."

The palace maid hurried to say, "It's this servant girl's duty. Young Master doesn't need to be courteous."

Wei Lian nodded and took the clothes on the tray.

The palace maid asked, "Does Young Master want this servant girl to wait on you?"　

Wei Lian shook his head. The palace maid quietly stood by the side.

The Qin Emperor wasn't stingy in regards to the attire that was presented to Wei Lian. The long robe was plain white, complemented by a white fox fur coat that was thick and warm, without being bulky, accentuating his slender figure.

After dressing, Wei Lian sat in front of the bronze mirror, running a fine-toothed comb through his hair. As he had not yet come of age, he only used a jade hairpin to fix a bun at the back of his head, dark strands of hair tumbling down to his waist. The man was a stunning beauty and his skin was white as snow. With just a little tidying up, the eyes of the palace maid, who was waiting upon his command to one side, were dazzled.

The Young Master is really good-looking... Zhu Cui couldn't resist sighing in wonder again.

Wei Lian's beauty stole her breath away at first sight. After that, the longer her gaze lingered, the more pleasing it was.

Wei Lian warmly smiled. "Don't call me Young Master; I'm now a man who waits upon the Qin Emperor. It wouldn't bode well for you if his Majesty hears you."

Zhu Cui gave a start. Only then did she realise that she was so overwhelmed by his beauty that she had unwittingly breathed out her inner thoughts.

This could be considered a breach of etiquette. Yet not only did Young Master Lian not charge her for impertinence, but he'd even reminded her to change the address, lest she be punished by his Majesty.

The Young Master is too kind.

Zhu Cui's good impression of Wei Lian deepened significantly, and she felt even more sympathy for his plight. This modest gentleman with such a noble and benevolent character was actually forced to become a male pet for his Majesty...it was far too heartbreaking!

Wei Lian glimpsed the distress on Zhu Cui's face, and the glint in his eyes dimmed slightly.

Her distress was to his advantage. This palace maid should be an attendant of the Yangxin Palace Hall and likely had some understanding of the Qin Emperor. Due to the dearth of relevant knowledge on his side, it was necessary for him to glean a little information from the palace servants to better guide his next steps.

Wei Lian was an outsider of the Qin Empire's Royal Court. If his questions were rashly put forth, the other party might remain tight-lipped. Further, he was impoverished; anything he brought over from the Chu Empire belonged to the Qin Empire. Short on money, it was impossible for him to bribe her with silver.

The only way was to move her heart.

Now that the heart of the taciturn girl had softened, he could probe discreetly for the information he wished to know.

"What's your name?" Wei Lian inquired in a light tone.

The base of Zhu Cui's ears heated. "This servant girl is Zhu Cui."

While it was true that she didn't harbour any unwarranted intentions for Young Master Lian, who didn't like to appreciate beauty? Could anyone refuse a question posed by a beauty?

"You are a palace maid of the Yangxin Palace Hall; do you have an understanding of his Majesty?" Wei Lian continued to ask.

"This..." 

They were mere servant girls. How dare they venture an opinion on their master? Especially in the view that his Majesty was a tyrant...

Seeing this, Wei Lian cast his gaze down, muted sorrow surfacing in his eyes. "I am a man with lofty aspirations to do good for the people. I didn't ask to enter the Qin Empire's Royal Court..."

He forced a smile. "But I have already resigned myself to my fate, and no longer do I possess any inordinate ambitions. Now, I only wish to serve the Emperor well, for a steady life. Wei Lian has only recently set foot in the palace and is ignorant of his Majesty's temperament, thus fear bringing rage to his imperial mien. While my death is inconsequential, if his Majesty ends up venting his rage on the palace servants, I will be unable to rest in peace."

Zhu Cui's heart jolted. The only thought on her mind was that the man before her was a perfect synergy of peerless beauty and unparalleled brilliance.

How could she bear to watch a person like this struggle when he should never have fallen into such dire straits?

At once, Zhu Cui divulged everything she knew. "Young Master... Wei Shijun, this servant girl has served in the Yangxin Palace Hall for three years and has slight knowledge of his Majesty's habits. His Majesty has picky tastes—his favourite food is crystal shrimp dumplings, he doesn't eat scallion, ginger, garlic, or pepper... His Majesty doesn't like purple because the late Empress Dowager loved dressing in purple..."

Wei Lian listened to the Qin Emperor's likes and dislikes, memorising each and every one of them.

When she was through, he bowed slightly to her. "Many thanks to Lady Zhu Cui, Wei Lian is eternally grateful."

"It is nothing. This servant girl is undeserving of Wei Shijun's favour." Zhu Cui hastily inclined her body to the side to avert his respectful gesture. Then, she curtsied again. "His Majesty should have finished holding court by this hour and should be returning to the pavilion. This servant girl will take her leave."

She considered it again before saying, "If Wei Shijun has any request in the days to come, he may call on this servant girl."

Wei Lian nodded and gave his thanks.

***

After Zhu Cui retired, Wei Lian unhurriedly sat back on the bed and finished smearing on the remaining medicinal cream.

The marks on his neck had faded away by the time the Qin Emperor appeared at the pavilion door.

Wei Lian set down the cream, rising to his feet and bowing. "Your Majesty."

Ji Yue swept his eyes over Wei Lian's neck, only responding when he saw no traces of injury. "At ease."

Wei Lian straightened up. He studied Ji Yue's impassive face. "Your Majesty doesn't seem to be in a good mood."

Ji Yue neither denied nor affirmed it. "Why, do you also want to learn to guess my thoughts?"

There were past precedents of men who had presumptuously assumed the wishes of the Emperor. Li Fuquan, who was still bedridden, was a case in point.

Li Fuquan had accompanied the Qin Emperor through his childhood, but still received thirty lashes. Wei Lian had only known him for a day—on what basis was he assuming that he would be an exception?

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

Then he quietly spoke again, "It's only that your Majesty's displeasure is written all over your face. Even if I am unable to guess your thoughts, this subject can still tell."

Ji Yue removed his heavy court robes. His countenance, in contrast to the inky black robe with heavenly dragons embroidered in gold, had a demonic likeness. Even if he had flawless facial features, the stateliness and frigid chill he always carried overpowered his attractiveness.

His biased opinion and killing intent aside, the Qin Emperor was also strikingly handsome.

Ji Yue turned his head to look at Wei Lian, the corners of his lips lifting by a slight margin. "Tell me what is written on my face."

The mind of the Qin Emperor was impenetrable. His smile didn't necessarily indicate that he was happy—he could also be angry. His mild tone didn't necessarily indicate that he was in a good mood—he could also be wanting to kill someone.

The palace servants who had waited on him for many years were aware of this, yet they could never discern his true thoughts.

When Wei Lian made to speak, Ji Yue breezily added, "If you make a mistake, your tongue will be awarded to the mastiff I am raising."

Wei Lian, "..."

What kind of obsession did the Qin Emperor have with his tongue?