How Can I Yield to the Traitor! - Chapter 2

The figure in the mirror wore a pale green silk dress, the slightly open collar revealing delicate collarbones. The original owner was a pampered Crown Prince whose features had not yet fully matured into masculinity, possessing a beauty that blurred the lines between male and female.

His skin was white as snow, and under the contrast of the gauze clothing, he radiated a fragile aesthetic. Most striking was that face: eyebrows like distant mountains shrouded in mist, and eyes like the ripples of autumn water.

“Holy…” Qi Zhan couldn’t help but swear. “Is this really me?”

He leaned closer to the mirror, touching his face in disbelief. Did the original owner truly possess such a face one capable of bringing down kingdoms and causing chaos among men? No wonder fallen sovereigns in history were always linked to the “distraction of beauty.” Was it their own beauty all along?

“Your Majesty…” Fu’an whispered a reminder. “You mustn’t act like that, or the outfit change will be for nothing.”

Qi Zhan snapped back to reality, touching his Adam’s apple it was faint, but present. Fu’an was prepared; he took out a pale-colored silk stole. “Allow this servant to tie this for you, Your Majesty.”

The soft silk wound around his neck, perfectly concealing the Adam’s apple. Then, like a magician, Fu’an produced various powders and rouges, lightly dabbing them on the corners of Qi Zhan’s eyes and his lips.

“You know how to do this too?” Qi Zhan asked in surprise.

Fu’an’s ears turned red. “This servant used to work in the Bureau of Imperial Attire…”

The final touch was the hair. Fu’an skillfully dismantled Qi Zhan’s imperial crown, winding his hair into a simple bun fastened with a jasper hairpin. When the transformation was complete, Qi Zhan faced the bronze mirror, he was the living image of a world-toppling beauty.

“It’s just…” Fu’an looked hesitantly at Qi Zhan’s hands. “The hands of the Sovereign…”

Qi Zhan looked down and understood immediately. Hands that had been pampered for years were slender and jade-like; they certainly didn’t look like the hands of a palace maid accustomed to hard labor.

“And the voice…” Qi Zhan tried to pinch his throat to speak. “How is this?”

He intentionally raised his pitch, his voice becoming clear with a hint of seductive softness. Fu’an’s eyes widened. “Your Majesty sounds exactly like a lady!”

Qi Zhan gave a bitter smile. He never expected his experience playing Juliet in his university’s drama club would come in handy like this. He hadn’t even graduated before transmigrating!

“Listen, Fu’an. If we are found, you must say my name is Chu Duruo, and that I am Consort Chen, the childhood sweetheart of the Qi King, Qi Zhan.”

Chu Duruo was a character who wouldn’t appear until much later in the original book a Princess of Chu who had married the Prince of Yan, whom Xie Gebai would search for over a long period. With hands like his, claiming to be a maid would be an instant giveaway. To stay alive, this identity was his only breakthrough.

He only needed to endure for a while. Once the Kingdom of Yan attacked, he could take advantage of the chaos to escape. Otherwise, in the current situation, he would surely be finished. Qi Zhan thought of the chaotic army outside; life and death were up to fate, but if the heavens didn’t want him dead, he hoped to survive this ordeal.

Besides, the real Chu Duruo was currently in the Yan Palace. Since the Yan were plotting against Xie Gebai, even if the strategist Lu Xun suspected his identity was fake, he wouldn’t be able to prove it easily.

Qi Zhan took a deep breath. At this life-and-death threshold, his fingertips trembled slightly. He pulled his wide sleeves together, hiding his distinct, long fingers beneath the silk.

Outside the window, frantic footsteps echoed faintly. Qi Zhan threw his original dragon robes into the stove to burn and poured oil around the area. With the fire roaring behind him, he grabbed Fu’an and ran. He had the original owner’s memories and knew the layout of the palace. There were no secret tunnels leading out of the city, and leaving the palace was useless the book mentioned potential massacres in the streets. He didn’t want to be slaughtered.

In such a large palace, hiding was easy enough. Furthermore, when a kingdom fell, beauties usually didn’t run; they stayed to be collected as spoils of war for the victor’s harem. Once they hit the streets, they were finished.

Though Qi Zhan wasn’t a woman, beauty knew no gender. It was hard to be a “beauty in times of chaos,” and he didn’t want to set the difficulty level too high for himself. He had to survive first and wait for the right time to flee. At the very least, he needed a horse, time, and an escape route. He also needed proof of identity to contact the remnants of Great Qi; that old father of his clearly wouldn’t live long.

With his status, he had two choices: live in total anonymity or contend for the world in these troubled times. There was no third option. Naturally, he chose to contend. How far could one hide anyway? Survive in the mountains with wild beasts and poisonous insects?

“Search! Don’t leave a single corner unchecked!”

Fu’an’s face turned deathly pale with fright. Qi Zhan pressed down on his shoulder and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. Act according to the plan.”

A second later, the door was kicked open. Several armored soldiers burst in, swords drawn. The leading officer had sharp eyes and immediately locked onto the two figures hiding behind the curtains.

“Come out!”

Qi Zhan rose slowly, his sleeves fluttering, his expression composed. He intentionally softened his voice, carrying a hint of nobility and aloofness. “General, whether you wish to kill or execute me, I shall go willingly.”

The officer froze, clearly not expecting to encounter such a breathtakingly beautiful woman with such an extraordinary aura. He frowned. “Who are you? Why are you hiding here?”

“This lowly one is the King of Qi’s Consort Chen. He took everyone and fled, but because I am of Chu origin, he abandoned me here.” As he spoke, he allowed tears to fall; his acting was flawless.

Beauties were a scarce resource in any era, much like Zhen Ji of the Three Kingdoms. Such women were not to be touched by low-ranking soldiers. By claiming to be the King’s consort, the officer would not dare be disrespectful. If a subordinate tried to take such a woman for himself, the superiors would see it as a sign of treacherous ambition.

History was full of examples like when Han Xin conquered the Wei Kingdom, he sent the Wei King’s consort, Lady Bo, directly to Liu Bang from a great distance.

This was why Qi Zhan refused to play a maid. A status too low was too terrifying and a true dead end. This was the only identity that could get him through. After all, Xie Gebai’s mother was a Chu Princess; he and the real Chu Duruo shared a blood connection. No matter how much of a beast he was, he surely wouldn’t do anything to “Chu Duruo.”

Qi Zhan was nearly 180 cm tall and still growing at eighteen. While such height was unusual for a woman, it didn’t matter Xie Gebai was also tall, and he looked good in clothes regardless. Most importantly, that face was far too deceptive; it was so strikingly beautiful that it was hard for anyone to doubt his gender. They would only assume that beauties were simply that tall.

As expected, Qi Zhan was arranged to meet Xie Gebai. Fu’an was scared to death; they were truly walking on the edge of a blade.

The army poured through the city gates like a tide, iron hooves crushing the last remnants of Great Qi’s dignity. Xie Gebai sat atop his black warhorse, watching coldly. Clad in black iron armor with a crimson war-cloak draped over his shoulders, he looked at the captured capital it was practically an empty city, left with only the elderly, the weak, and women who couldn’t escape.

The “Old Dog” had fled, and the “New King” had followed. Xie Gebai’s eyes were filled with frost. Did they think they could escape? A King without territory or subjects was someone anyone could trample upon!

“General!” An excited soldier ran over from a side hall. “We found a peerless beauty in the Library Pavilion. She claims to be a Chu person abandoned by the Qi King. The brothers didn’t dare move recklessly and have come to ask for the General’s instructions.”

Hearing “Chu person,” Xie Gebai remembered what Lu Xun had told him about a surviving daughter of the Chu royal line. His heart stirred. “Lead the way.”

The Library Pavilion was on the west side of the palace, where the royal family kept their records. When Xie Gebai stepped inside, a dozen soldiers were surrounding a corner. Seeing him arrive, they immediately cleared a path.

Sunlight slanted in through the high windows, dust dancing in the beams of light. In the corner, a woman stood silently by a bookshelf, dressed in a plain white skirt with hair falling like a waterfall. Hearing the footsteps, she turned slowly.

In that instant, Xie Gebai’s breath hitched.

The woman appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen, her skin like snow and her features like a painting. Most moving were those eyes clear as autumn water, yet seemingly bottomless. She wore no makeup, yet she was more dazzling than any woman heavily adorned. Her simple clothing could not hide her inherent aura of nobility and composure.

“Who are you?” Xie Gebai spoke, his voice softer than he had expected.

The woman did not answer, simply looking at him with a gaze that held neither fear nor flattery. Such composure was rare among those of a fallen nation.

In truth, Qi Zhan’s heart was in his throat; he was simply too stunned to speak and had to maintain his calm.

“The General asked you a question, answer him!” a soldier nearby barked, reaching out to shove her.

Xie Gebai raised a hand to stop him and took two steps forward, closing the distance. She smelled faintly of ink and medicinal herbs, a stark contrast to the usual scents of powder found in the palace.

“Qi has fallen; resistance is futile,” he said, softening his tone. “You said you are of Chu. Give me your name, and I can guarantee your safety.”

“This lowly one’s surname is Chu, given name Duruo. I was originally a consort to the Crown Prince. We grew up together as childhood sweethearts with deep affection, but when he fled, he said I was of Chu and grew suspicious of me. After years of being husband and wife, he couldn’t bring himself to kill me, so he abandoned me.”

His voice was like a clear spring in the mountains cold and pleasant to the ear.

Xie Gebai’s expression softened as expected, but his brow darkened when he heard of her affection for the Qi King. “He abandoned you. Why do you still remember ‘affection’ for such a cowardly and suspicious waste? You are of Chu; do you not know the hatred of a fallen nation?”

The hatred of Chu’s fall was rooted in his heart. Seeing “Chu Duruo,” a Princess of Chu, so willing to submit to her enemy made him feel a sense of frustrated anger on her behalf.

Qi Zhan was stumped how would he know? Wasn’t this all made up? He wasn’t the real Chu Princess, but he could feel the “hatred of a fallen nation” now. Tears began to flow, creating an image that commanded pity. He drew Xie Gebai’s sword, attempting to commit suicide, but Xie Gebai grabbed his wrist and snatched the blade away.

Xie Gebai thought he had provoked her. Fearing she might try to die again after all, she was the last sprout of the Chu royal line he softened his voice. “I did not mean to blame you. You have suffered many changes today and are but a weak woman. Go and rest.”

He glanced at Fu’an. “Take your mistress to rest and look after her well.”

Fu’an hadn’t expected the lie to actually work. It was mostly because the logic held up, and with such a beauty standing alone and abandoned, Qi Zhan’s explanation seemed perfectly natural: the King was suspicious but couldn’t bring himself to kill her.

“Yes! This servant shall take the Consort back immediately!”

Hearing “Consort” made Xie Gebai a bit angry. He said coldly, “She is no longer your ‘Consort.’ Sooner or later, I will twist off the Qi King’s head. Call her Princess.”

“Yes!”

Qi Zhan felt as if he had just brushed past the God of Death. He followed Fu’an away from the verge of death, his heart racing with the thrill of escape.