After I Faked My Death, the Dog Emperor Completely Lost His Mind - Chapter 20

As for how that bite mark on his neck got there, Shen Yuheng naturally couldn’t say a word.

He stammered, “That… actually, this is…”

Before he could come up with an explanation, Su Cheng apologized first. “I’m sorry.” His face was slightly flushed, and he fidgeted awkwardly with his sleeves. “I’ve never been… favored by His Majesty, so I didn’t realize…”

Shen Yuheng froze. Su Cheng couldn’t possibly… think this bite mark was left by Xiao Huai, could he?!

His heart, which had already “died” once, died a little more from this misunderstanding. But seeing that the other party didn’t suspect Xiao Jin, he felt somewhat relieved. Shen Yuheng managed a smile. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Just keep it a secret for me, don’t tell anyone.”

Su Cheng looked deeply at the tightly wrapped neck. By the count of days, it’s been a long time since the Emperor last summoned Consort Shen… He bit his trembling lip. Is Shen Yuheng… really that daring?

Then again, the Shen family was a prestigious clan; since the founding of the dynasty, no emperor had dared to move against them lightly. Even if a scandal broke out, the Shens would likely protect him. But someone of Su Cheng’s lowly birth? One wrong step meant being crushed to pieces.

If they hadn’t entered the palace at the same time, someone in his position would never have even caught Shen Yuheng’s eye. But now, he held such a secret over him… An obscure, dark flutter stirred in Su Cheng’s heart, and the flush on his face refused to fade. He didn’t dare look at the fox-fur shawl again, but his mind couldn’t stop wandering as he lay awake that night.

I wonder… did the Ninth Prince feel this same way when he committed such a transgression against the natural order?

After seeing Su Cheng off, Shen Yuheng asked Imperial Physician Xu for more wound medicine. When asked for the reason, he didn’t show the wound, only claiming he had been scratched by a palace cat. The physician didn’t pry, but he did bring some “bad” news Shen Yuheng’s name tablet had been put back into the selection rotation.

“His Majesty hasn’t summoned anyone lately,” the physician reminded him kindly, “but the Consort should prepare himself and recover quickly.”

“Isn’t the Emperor still ill? He probably won’t summon anyone for a while, right?”

“I cannot say for certain. However, I’ve heard His Majesty’s diet and routine have returned to normal. He seems much better.”

Shen Yuheng sighed, though his heart wasn’t too heavy. Based on his previous “bedtime” experiences, he had a hunch that Xiao Huai didn’t actually have any sexual interest in him. He told the System, “Maybe Xiao Huai is just… past his prime, and he’s afraid other consorts will mock him, so he comes to me for cover?”

[Host, don’t speak too soon. What if he’s ‘capable’ this time?]

“…” True. No more death flags!!

Fortunately, over the next few days, Xiao Huai didn’t summon anyone, staying confined in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Meanwhile, in the court, the Second Prince, Xiao Qi, grew increasingly tyrannical. High-ranking officials could still protect themselves, but the upright officials who had offended him in the past weren’t as lucky. They were imprisoned, and their families were dragged away from the palace gates, their whereabouts unknown. Under Xiao Qi’s grip, the court grew suffocatingly tense; no one dared to raise a voice in protest.

Shen Yuheng couldn’t understand. If Xiao Huai is better, why isn’t he reining in his bastard of a son? He flipped through the original book, but there was nothing on this. The book’s version of Xiao Jin had killed everyone far too quickly. Xiao Qi, once the prime candidate for the throne, was eventually hacked to death by assassins in his own manor. The old Emperor, Xiao Huai, “accidentally” fell into water and vanished much like Xiao Jin’s own disappearance years prior. By the time Xiao Jin took the throne, there was no one left to oppose him. He stabilized the throne with an iron fist, becoming a tyrant whose name made the court tremble in fear.

Shen Yuheng thought for a bit and wrote a letter home, asking Shen Yun to do him a favor. He listed several names of officials and asked Yun to invite them to a palace banquet in ten days. These officials were young but were destined to be the pillars of the court; even the Xiao Jin of the original book hadn’t executed them. More importantly, none of them had clearly sided with any prince during the succession struggle. If they hadn’t sided yet, there was still a chance to pull them in.

Shen Yun wrote back quickly. He wasn’t much for writing; the letter contained just a few scrawled words: Someone doesn’t want to come.

Shen Yuheng replied, asking who. He guessed it might be the officials named Chen or Huang, who were known for disliking the palace’s extravagance.

Yun replied again. One simple, scrawled word: Me.

Shen Yuheng: “…” Fine.

Imperial banquets usually included court officials, but even the Great General Shen hadn’t attended many. The Shens were warriors; they liked excitement but hated the rigid rules of the palace. But if Yun didn’t lead the way, the others who were all quite proud would be even less likely to attend.

Shen Yuheng grit his teeth and sent several more letters.

Shen Manor, Capital

A servant sighed as a knock sounded. A moment later, he walked into the inner room and placed a stack of letters before Shen Yun. Beside him, a second man Shen Tinglan lay back in a sandalwood chair, enjoying a water pipe. He let out a puff of smoke and chuckled. “Again?”

Tinglan didn’t expect to see such an entertaining sight during his rare visit home. His “stupid and stubborn” younger brother had actually lowered his head and was begging for help every single day. Only when he’s in trouble does he realize his family is good to him. What an idiot. He watched his elder brother’s furrowed brow, knowing a show was coming.

Yun opened a letter. In it was Shen Yuheng’s elegant, almost cute handwriting: “Did my elder brother receive my letter? The plum blossoms in Qingzhuo Hall have bloomed; I’ve sent the best branch for you.”

Yun璟 looked at the tied plum branch inside the envelope, speechless. There are way more plum blossoms in the capital than in the palace. Does he think I’m blind?

He opened another. “The palace has been so boring lately, I have no one to talk to. If only I could see my big brother at the banquet…”

No one to talk to? Isn’t Xiao Jin there?! …Actually, never mind. Xiao Jin is a lost cause. Thinking of this made Yun璟 angry. Without him, Xiao Jin wouldn’t even have made it back to the capital, yet now the kid dared to lay hands on Shen Yuheng. He should have just left him to rot.

Yun璟’s frown deepened. He skimmed the remaining letters they were all variations of “Outsiders can’t handle this, only my great elder brother can.”

The kid knows this is a hassle! And he still has the nerve to ask! Yun璟 nearly crumpled the paper in rage. He didn’t mind the officials, but it was the fact that Shen Yuheng was asking this for that bastard Xiao Jin! First a Meng, now a Xiao none of them were easy to deal with.

Yun slammed the table, his eyes filled with ferocity. Beside him, Tinglan smirked, waiting for the explosion. Everyone knew Yun loathed the theater of the court; asking him to invite those officials was a direct insult.

But in the next second, Yun growled, “Dammit, the brat has learned how to act spoiled! Fine, I’ll go!”

Tinglan choked on his smoke. “…” Wait, who is this? Big Brother, since when did you become so spineless?? He bolted upright, eyes wide. When he had asked for help after cracking a rogue’s skull, Yun璟 had nearly cracked his head. But a few letters from Yuheng and he agrees?

Yun璟 explained, “Yuheng’s temper has improved quite a bit lately. I can’t find it in me to lecture him.”

Tinglan took a deep pull from his pipe, trying to stay calm. Big Brother, you weren’t this indecisive when you were punching him back at the manor. It seemed the squeaky wheel got the grease. Seeing Yun was set on going, Tinglan’s lips curled into a wicked smile. He lowered his voice. “Brother, how about this…”

The Palace Banquet

On the day of the banquet, Shen Yuheng caught Xiao Jin early and dragged him to change clothes. “At the banquet today, follow me. There are people you need to meet.”

Xiao Jin looked at the winter clothes thrust into his hands. He said nothing, only disappearing behind the screen to change. Their relationship had been neither good nor bad lately; Xiao Jin was uncharacteristically quiet, and neither had mentioned the night of the assassins. Best not to mention it, Shen Yuheng thought, lest he starts overthinking.

But Shen Yuheng was still a bit disappointed. He asked the System, “Remember when the kid called me ‘Mother Consort’ before? Why has he gone back to being a mute?”

[Host, he’s probably just shy, hehe.]

“Hehe.” Shyness is a human trait, Shen Yuheng thought. If he’s shy, his redemption score must be going up.

Xiao Jin emerged. He wore a dark, ink-black fur cloak. His features still had a hint of youth, but his brow was sharp and cold. His gaze was indifferent and proud, like a distant star. Shen Yuheng realized, to his surprise, that the boy had grown. They were now the same height. He knew Xiao Jin would hit a growth spurt, but he hadn’t expected it so soon.

They arrived at the banquet hall at dusk. The room was already filled with the scent of wine and incense. This banquet wasn’t hosted by Xiao Huai but was managed entirely by Xiao Qi. The extravagance was off the charts, with gold glinting everywhere.

As Shen Yuheng led Xiao Jin forward, the servants now seeing the favor he held served them with frantic diligence. Once they were seated, Xiao Jin’s gaze slowly rose, sliding across Shen Yuheng’s back. The winter wind was growing sharper, and no one questioned the fox-fur shawl anymore.

Xiao Jin had assumed Shen Yuheng wouldn’t dare attend this banquet. His father hadn’t touched him in so long; if the mark were exposed… The Shens could keep him alive, but he’d lose his title as a male consort forever.

He had mentioned his plan to Cheng Xiao once; the soldier had begged him to reconsider, noting that Qingzhuo Hall provided excellent cover. Xiao Jin took a sip of wine and sneered. To him, the palace, the title, and the person were all trivial. If he wanted to, he could ensure Shen Yuheng didn’t survive the night. But… he wanted to see Shen Yuheng crawling on the ground, begging for a way out. He wanted that very much.

Shen Yuheng was looking around for Shen Yun. He was starting to panic. “System, can you share his location? I can’t find him!”

The System chuckled: [Host, believe it or not, I actually have that feature. Locating ‘Shen Yun ‘… Coordinates: The Shen Estate.]

Shen Yuheng nearly choked. His eyes almost popped out of his head. Big Brother, are you kidding me?? You promised me in your letter!

As he sat there feeling aggrieved, a sudden chill hit the back of his neck, making him gasp. Before he could turn, a cold, wine-scented liquid poured down his collar, spreading across his back and drenching his clothes.

Shen Yuheng spun around, stunned. Behind him was Xiao Jin, an overturned wine jug on the table, and a palace maid kneeling in terror.

The maid wailed: “Your servant deserves ten thousand deaths! I will take the Consort to change his clothes immediately! Please, forgive me!!”