Marked by the Tyrant After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 2

Ye Shu opened his eyes.

The sun had not yet fully risen; a glimmer of faint light filtered through the room, falling upon the gold-threaded gauze. Ye Shu stared at the bed curtains above him in a daze. Where was he?

The air was filled with a quiet, warm fragrance and a very faint scent of wine, so light it was almost undetectable. Ye Shu propped himself up on the soft bedding, feeling his bones and muscles emit soft, protesting cracks from the overexertion. A sudden ache in his lower back made him collapse back down.

“Sigh,” Ye Shu hissed under his breath.

His memories of last night were actually quite blurred. From the moment he entered the woods, his body had grown increasingly hot, and he had craved the touch of another. But there was no one. He had wandered through the empty forest for an unknown amount of time until he finally heard footsteps.

His brain had been scrambled by the heat of his cycle; he only vaguely remembered that he must not let his face be seen. Thus, he had haphazardly torn a piece of fabric from his robe to blindfold the other person before throwing himself at them.

After that, it had been madness, a loss of control, and total infatuation.

Ye Shu covered his face, not daring to think further. He had clearly only gone for help; why did it turn out like this? Heaven was his witness; while he did like men and was indeed a “bottom,” that did not mean he was willing to sleep with just anyone. Furthermore, the man had been so incredibly rough.

Rubbing his waist, Ye Shu suddenly felt a bit aggrieved. This was entirely different from the gentle, considerate, and gradual first night he had imagined. The experience was simply terrible.

Ye Shu rested for a long while before finally supporting himself against the edge of the bed to sit up. He had already been changed into clean inner robes. The material was soft and comfortable, but the size was wrong; the sleeves were half a length too long. Ye Shu rolled them up haphazardly, letting them hang loosely at his wrists.

He quietly lifted a corner of the gauze curtains to look outside. The place appeared to be a sleeping palace. The interior was decorated with magnificent sophistication without being gaudy. Every ornament and carving was meticulously arranged; one look was enough to tell they were priceless.

This was not good.

Even if Ye Shu did not understand this world, he could see that the owner of this place was surely wealthy or noble, far surpassing a common rich family. Could he have slept with a member of the imperial family? Wasn’t that man an Imperial Guard last night?

“I can’t be that unlucky,” Ye Shu muttered in a low voice. Just as he was about to get out of bed, footsteps sounded from outside the door.

Ye Shu retracted like a flash of lightning, pulling the quilt tight to cover himself completely. Several people entered the room. Ye Shu lifted his head from the quilt and peered through the gap in the curtains.

The person leading the way wore black robes. From Ye Shu’s angle, he could not see the man’s face, only the gold-trimmed hem of his garment.

“Why is he not awake yet?” The voice was deep, and Ye Shu’s scalp instantly went numb.

It was truly the man from last night!

Ye Shu unconsciously gripped the thin quilt, holding his breath as he heard another person speak.

“To answer Your Majesty, the official’s body is weak. Perhaps he is over-exhausted. He will be fine after a bit more rest.”

Ma, Ma, Majesty?!

Ye Shu froze in place as if struck by lightning, unable to regain his composure for a long time. His memories regarding the original owner were unclear, and last night was such a chaotic scene; even if he had seen the man’s face, he would not have recognized who he was.

He had actually slept with Jin Wang?!

Wait. Ancient people always valued these things. There was a saying that “one day of marriage brings a hundred days of grace.” Since he had been tormented by Jin Wang like that last night, perhaps he could use it to beg for a way to live.

In the next moment, Jin Wang’s voice rang out coldly. “Use the needles. Prick him awake.”

Ye Shu thought, “Is this man insane?”

The hall was deathly silent. Ye Shu could only hear his own rapid heartbeat. Soon, someone lifted the gauze curtain. A hand reached for the back of his hand, raising a finger to find a point. Ye Shu could no longer lie still.

“No!” A second before the silver needle pierced his skin, Ye Shu pulled his hand away forcefully and sat up abruptly. He used too much force and rolled straight off the edge of the bed.

“Ugh.”

As he fell, the movement tugged at the aching areas of his body, making his eyes turn red with pain. A pair of black brocade boots appeared before him. Ye Shu lifted his head, following the line of the magnificent black robes upward until he looked into a pair of handsome, smiling eyes.

Jin Wang leaned down, his voice sounding almost tender and considerate. “Did my dear official sleep well?”

The fragrance of tea filled the hall. Ye Shu, now properly dressed, walked out of the inner chamber and immediately saw Jin Wang sitting in the main seat sipping tea. He walked over timidly. “Your Majesty.”

Jin Wang took a sip of tea and spoke slowly. “Last night, my dear official gave me quite a surprise.”

The teasing tone was so heavy that Ye Shu’s ears burned. He lowered his head and remained silent. Jin Wang did not seem to mind. He set down his teacup and pointed to the items in front of him. “I have prepared some gifts for you.”

Three exquisite wooden boxes were placed on the floor, arranged from smallest to largest. Jin Wang raised an eyebrow slightly. “Open them and see.”

Ye Shu instinctively felt that this would not be anything good, yet he did not dare refuse. He walked forward and opened the first wooden box. Inside lay a secret letter. Ye Shu’s heart leaped into his throat. The seal on the letter belonged exclusively to the original owner and could never be forged. It was a secret letter detailing the original owner’s collusion with foreign enemies.

With this item, his crime of treason and assassination was solidified. What should he do? A cold sweat broke out on Ye Shu’s back. He tried desperately to scavenge the original owner’s remaining memories. His thoughts were in a mess, and he subconsciously opened the second, slightly larger box.

“Ah!”

Ye Shu’s hand shook, and the lid slammed back down, sealing the box again. Inside that box was a bloody, severed hand.

Ye Shu was still reeling when he heard Jin Wang say leisurely, “That was my Commander of the Imperial Guard. Unfortunately, he has been sliced so much that not much flesh remains; only this hand is left. This hand of his accepted quite a lot of your wealth. Do you still recognize it?”

Ye Shu felt waves of nausea in his stomach. A drop of cold sweat slid down his cheek. Was this man a pervert?

But Jin Wang simply said in a flat voice, “The third item. Open it.”

Ye Shu looked at the last wooden box, his fingertips trembling imperceptibly. The last box was the largest, sealed tightly so the contents were invisible. Steeling his heart, Ye Shu strode over and forced the lid open.

At the bottom of the box lay a human head. The two eyeballs had been gouged out, leaving two dark, empty holes that stared back at him silently.

“AAAAAH!” Ye Shu scrambled back several steps and fell to the floor.

Jin Wang watched him, his voice calm and steady. “This was one of the assassins involved in last night’s attempt. He was caught not long ago. There are more than ten others outside who have yet to be executed. Would my dear official like to go and watch with me?”

Ye Shu’s face was pale, and his head was ringing. He stared blankly at Jin Wang, seeing the man’s lips moving but hearing no sound. In a state of extreme terror, Ye Shu’s vision finally went black, and he lost consciousness.

The youth on the bed was pale, his brows furrowed, sleeping fitfully. Jin Wang sat by the bedside, twiddling with the other’s earlobe. “Well?”

After finishing the pulse check, the Imperial Physician placed Ye Shu’s wrist back on the bed. “He was merely frightened. Perhaps he is also faint at the sight of blood. He will wake up in a moment.”

“Faint at the sight of blood,” Jin Wang murmured, lowering his gaze to pinch Ye Shu’s cheek. “Still so useless.”

The Imperial Physician looked at Jin Wang, hesitating to speak.

Jin Wang said, “Speak if you have something to say.”

The physician bowed deeply to Jin Wang, his forehead touching the ground. “May I ask Your Majesty how you intend to deal with Lord Ye?”

Jin Wang’s eyes narrowed slightly. The physician felt a chill like a blade against his back. He did not dare lift his head but forced himself to continue. “Your Majesty possesses the rare constitution of a Qianjun. A Qianjun’s mark can only be given to one Kunjun. Once marked, the Information Scents of both parties merge, and even the mating period can only be fulfilled by the other person. Unless the Kunjun passes away, the mark cannot be removed or transferred.”

Jin Wang said nonchalantly, “What are you trying to say?”

The physician steeled his heart and spoke plainly. “By doing this, Your Majesty is leaving behind a disaster!”

Jin Wang did not speak for a long time. The physician’s shoulders trembled as sweat slowly beaded on his forehead. The King of Changlu was known for his unpredictable temperament, but he never showed it on his face. Whether he was rewarding or punishing, he always maintained a graceful, lighthearted demeanor. However, there was only one exception.

When he was silent.

There was only one possibility when Jin Wang fell silent; he was considering which method of death to use on someone. The longer the silence, the more dangerous it became.

The atmosphere in the hall froze to the breaking point. The physician finally could not endure it. “I…”

“You have a point,” Jin Wang said softly. “Prime Minister Ye already has a rebellious heart. He cannot be kept.”

“But I do not want him to die.”

The physician looked up in shock. Jin Wang stared at him coldly, repeating each word softly. “I said, I do not want him to die.”

The physician trembled and kowtowed heavily. “Your servant is terrified!”

Jin Wang said nothing more. He walked to the physician and reached out to help him up. “Elder Feng is of advanced age. Do not kneel for too long.”

The physician did not dare actually let Jin Wang support him and stood up quickly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Jin Wang escorted the physician to the door and said in a low voice, “I know of a medicine that can briefly suppress the Information Scent and keep it from appearing.”

The physician understood. “I understand. I will see to it immediately.”

Jin Wang nodded, his expression remaining gentle. “Elder Feng is a veteran of three reigns and once saved my life. I shall naturally remember that. However, I do not wish to hear today’s words a second time.”

“Yes.”

The palace doors closed slowly, cutting off all outside noise. Jin Wang returned to the bedside and saw Ye Shu’s eyelashes trembling. He seemed about to wake. A smile touched the corners of Jin Wang’s mouth as he slowly leaned down.

The moment he was about to touch Ye Shu’s lips, the person beneath him suddenly turned away to avoid him, shrinking into the inner side of the bed. Ye Shu pulled the quilt around himself, curling into a ball and asking warily, “What are you doing?!”

Jin Wang was in a great mood and countered, “Am I so terrifying?”

Ye Shu was about to nod, but then he thought of something and quickly shook his head.

Jin Wang laughed. “You weren’t this afraid of me before.”

Ye Shu buried half his face in the quilt and muttered, “Oh, really?”

“Mhm.” Jin Wang sat by the bed and said, “You once dared to call me a faint-headed tyrant in the imperial court. Do you not remember?”

Ye Shu thought to himself that the original owner was truly a brave soul.

Jin Wang lowered his eyes. “Forget it. Let us talk of other things.”

Ye Shu protested, “Don’t show me any more human heads!”

“I won’t,” Jin Wang’s tone was very gentle. “Since it has been confirmed that you were behind this matter, things are much simpler. Your accomplices are already in prison. As for the others involved in this affair, I will investigate them one by one and punish them according to the law.”

“As for you.”

“You are the mastermind. According to the law, those who commit treason shall be sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.”

Jin Wang gazed at Ye Shu and asked unhurriedly, “Does my dear official have anything else to say?”

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