Chapter 35: Ancient Palace BL (VIII)

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Chapter 35: Ancient Palace BL (VIII)

Miao Lichen pushed open the carved wooden door before him, and the previously noisy room fell into an eerie silence almost the instant he stepped inside. As if oblivious to the strange atmosphere, he walked in with his ever-present guqin, and bowed to Xuanyuan Ziying.

“It is a family banquet today, A’chen, so you do not need to be so formal. Speaking of which, this should be your first time formally attending an imperial family banquet.” Xuanyuan Ziying spoke with a smile that masked his true thoughts.

Miao Lichen simply nodded, seemingly in agreement. This was certainly not Miao Lichen’s first time attending an imperial family banquet; what mattered was the word “formal.” The Emperor’s greeting confirmed the recent rumors. The love-hate relationship between Mr. Miao and the Prince had not yet ended, and now rumors claimed that the Emperor had also fallen for Mr. Miao. If all the rumors were true…

“Well, it looks like Your Majesty didn’t set up a spot for a musician today. This musician…” The Empress was the daughter of the Prime Minister, and naturally possessed the refined air of a noble lady. She exuded just the right amount of dignity and elegance befitting an Empress without appearing overbearing. That grand and vigorous aura flowed from her naturally, and was not suppressed even against Xuanyuan Ziying. Rather, they complemented each other perfectly.

She was a competent Empress, capable of managing the harem efficiently. But besides being an Empress, she was also a woman and harbored some hopes for her husband’s affection. When she heard that her husband’s sexual orientation was the same as that brutal Prince Ming, she became worried. For now, the Emperor still appeared perfectly normal. He continued to visit the harem as usual and remained as unfathomable as ever.

“Just sit beside me. That way I can better appreciate your music.” Xuanyuan Ziying beckoned to Miao Lichen, clearly pleased by that faint smile he wore. He was actually as pleased as he showed. Falling asleep in another man’s arms was never a pleasant memory, so a little petty revenge was inevitable.

Besides the Empress’s seat, there was one other seat beside him—the seat of the Crown Prince. It had caused unease among the attendees when the Emperor set up that seat. The Emperor was in his prime, and the eldest prince was only five or six years old. Although naming a Crown Prince at this stage seemed rather early, it was not without precedent.

Having a mere musician sit in the Crown Prince’s seat, especially one rumored to be involved with the Emperor, carried many implications. Xuanyuan Ziying wasn’t afraid of other people’s speculation; he was more concerned that they wouldn’t speculate enough. Xuanyuan Ziying picked up the cup in front of him and drained it in one gulp.

As if oblivious to the significance of the seat, Miao Lichen sat down without a change in his expression. Beautiful soothing music flowed from his fingertips like every other performance, leaving everyone feeling slightly tipsy. Unlike the grand and imposing music he played when entertaining foreign guests that contained some national pride, the music at the banquet was nothing but gentle; like a calm lake whose tranquility could be broken by even the smallest pebble.

Whether it would produce gentle ripples or surge into towering waves like the sea was impossible to predict. It all depended on the chess player’s intentions, and there was more than one player in the game. After the piece ended, Miao Lichen did not leave. He stayed at the banquet to enjoy the remaining performances.

“Burp~” A soft, shallow burp went largely unnoticed amidst the chatter of the banquet, but because it came from the newly crowned Consort Ming, everyone stopped their pleasantries.

The Empress was the first to voice her concern. “It seems Consort Ming cannot hold his liquor. Why don’t we have a servant send him back to rest, and give him some hangover tea?”

“Since my Consort is drunk, it would be best that I took my leave as well.” Xuanyuan Zihao held back Nangong Qingyue’s hands that were frantically clawing at his clothes due to being drunk and dodged the wine cup he was holding. He skillfully concealed the hint of impatience in his eyes and looked at Miao Lichen who was gently sipping at his wine with determination. Only through comparison can one distinguish the superior from the inferior, and only what is unattainable seems the most desirable. Miao Lichen was now both.

∇ Capture Target Xuanyuan Zihao Favorability: 60.

“Since you’ve come all this way, why leave so soon? I think we should let A’chen keep the Consort company for a while and we can continue. Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since I had a proper drink with you; we must enjoy ourselves to the fullest.” Xuanyuan Ziying glanced at Nangong Qingyue then at Miao Lichen. The grip he had on his wine cup tightened as a hint of coldness seeped into his smile. It was truly laughable.

∇ Capture Target Xuanyuan Ziying Favorability: 35.

“Then I will take my leave.” Miao Lichen nodded to Qin Yue behind him and walked toward Xuanyuan Zihao. He had referred to himself simply as “I” rather than using a self-deprecating form of address such as “this servant” or “this subject.” Everyone understood the significance behind it and their expression became more complicated. Miao Lichen who had once been the laughing stock of the palace became one of the most untouchable people in the palace.

The crowd’s eyes followed his every move, many eager to watch the drama unfold. Drunk people were notoriously difficult to persuade, and although the Consort appeared delicate and frail, he was still a man. Hadn’t they seen how even Prince Ming’s clothes were disheveled because of his Consort? They didn’t believe Miao Lichen could match Prince Ming.

“Your Highness, come with me to rest.” Miao Lichen held his hand toward Nangong Qingyue in front of Xuanyuan Zihao.

Xuanyuan Zihao looked down at the hand. The hand before him had distinct, elegant fingers. One could almost imagine how soft they would feel just by looking at them. The calluses from years of playing the guqin that he remembered were gone, just like the memories between them. It was as though Miao Lichen had erased those memories completely. When he thought of it like that, he tightened his grip, causing Nangong Qingyue to struggle even more.

“Consort? Who’s the Consort? I don’t want to be a Consort, I am a man. Only that fool Xuanyuan Zihao would insist on making a man his Consort. That damn Xuanyuan Zihao…” Nangong Qingyue struggled while muttering almost deliriously, but it was still loud enough for the two near him to hear. “I want to go home, I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”

“Your Highness, you are drunk. Come with me to rest.” Miao Lichen placed his hand over Nangong Qingyue’s and almost simultaneously, he felt another hand on top of his hand. The familiar feeling from memory made him frown.

Xuanyuan Zihao lowered his hand as though nothing had happened. “Although Nangong Qingyue is a man, he is still my Consort. For a mere musician to behave this way is rather improper.”

“It was my oversight.” Miao Lichen’s lips moved slightly, then lowered his hand and turned to leave. He did not intend to continue persuading Nangong Qingyue. But to everyone’s surprise, Nangong Qingyue who had been trying to get a wine cup suddenly broke free from Xuanyuan Zihao and grabbed Miao Lichen’s sleeve.

“Don’t go.” Nangong Qingyue’s fair, almost translucent skin gripped the red sleeve tightly, turning his knuckles white from the force.

“Follow me.” Miao Lichen continued walking, with Nangong Qingyue stumbling along behind him. Even while drunk, he was clearly trying to be very careful. No matter how unsteady he was, he didn’t dare to lean on Miao Lichen. It was as if what he was dealing with was a beautiful illusion; it would vanish like foam if he went too close.

“Looks like A’chen and the Consort get along quite well. Your Highness can rest assured now.” Xuanyuan Ziying repeated Miao Lichen’s mouth movement, but he didn’t feel anything different about it. But he knew that was what had made Nangong Qingyue’s expression change drastically and even sober him up a little.

Miao Lichen knew something very important, and it was something that Nangong Qingyue would disregard both the Emperor and his current husband, Xuanyuan Zihao for. Xuanyuan Ziying repeated the mouth shapes, a gentle smile remaining on his face the whole time.

If Xuanyuan Ziying knew that English existed, he would have recognized that the lip movement simply formed the word: “HELLO.”

“As long as Nangong is in this palace, I have nothing to worry about. Even my last concerns are gone with Mr. Miao taking care of him. Today, let’s drink until we drop!” Xuanyuan Zihao picked up the wine cup in front of him and raised it to Xuanyuan Ziying who remained seated on the tallest position. Both men drained their cups, wearing remarkably similar smiles, even the chill hidden in their eyes was nearly identical.

“Miao Lichen, you’re not Miao Lichen right?! You’re.. You’re…” Nangong Qingyue bumped into Miao Lichen as soon as he stopped. He clutched the front of Miao Lichen’s robes tightly and had to tilt his head up because of their height difference. But he didn’t notice any of that as he focused on staring intently into those eyes, trying to find the answer he longed for in those eyes.

Miao Lichen placed a finger to his lip in a silencing gesture. “Do you want everyone to know? This is the palace.”

“No…” Nangong’s eyes were visibly red. More than a decade had passed since he came to this world. He didn’t know what it was like for others to meet an old friend in a foreign land, he only knew that he desperately wanted to tell Miao Lichen everything. Nangong Qingyue had yet to undergo all the hardships that originally befell him in the novel and was still a well-protected 21st century young man who had never set foot into the world. Moreover, he was drunk, making it even harder for him to realize that Miao Lichen was nothing like the kind-hearted people he had known in his previous life.

“I know what you want to say, but you need to calm down right now. We have plenty of time to talk about this. Okay?” Miao Lichen patted Nangong Qingyue’s shoulder, pushing him away a little. He subtly straightened his slightly wrinkled collar and smiled as gently as a breeze.

“Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Miao Lichen, but I am not a court musician. I am… a doctor.”

“Nice to meet you. Um… hello. My name is Nan Xin, a homebody.” Nangong Qingyue looked up at Miao Lichen, his cheeks slightly flushed. Whether it was from alcohol or something else, it was hard to tell.

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