Transmigrated as the Emperor, but Slacking Off - Chapter 16

Inside the room was a youth clad in a tea-white long robe. He had crimson lips and pearly teeth, with bright features and a pair of “peach blossom” eyes that held a certain elegance. Seeing Wen Xing, he bowed with impeccable politeness, his expression carrying a hint of bashfulness. “This subject is Wang Yian.”

As he spoke, he lifted his eyes, but seeing Wen Xing’s look of total indifference as if looking at a complete stranger he felt a sting in his heart. Still, he maintained a beaming smile. “My grandfather is the Prince of Pingyang. I am within five degrees of kinship with Your Majesty; by seniority, I should call you ‘Imperial Uncle.’ I wonder if I might address you as such?”

Wen Xing had zero interest in investigating these distant relatives. He simply stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping over the black and white chess pieces on the table. He sat down, cutting straight to the point: “As you wish. Let’s begin.”

A flash of disappointment crossed Wang Yian’s face, but he quickly concealed it. Sitting opposite Wen Xing, he explained: “The rules are simple. Both sides hold pieces to seize the ‘star points’ (astral positions). There are nine star points on the board, each worth one point. If any four corner star points or the central ‘Tianyuan’ point can be connected with adjacent stars to form a triangle, the points are doubled meaning three points become six. Once all star points are occupied, the one with more points wins.”

As he spoke, Wang Yian placed pieces on the board in a triangular pattern to demonstrate. “In this rule-set, the Tianyuan position is paramount, so it is a shared position. If a black piece occupies Tianyuan and a white piece connects to it, the white points still double, while the black piece still retains its single point.”

Wen Xing raised an eyebrow. He had never heard of this style of play; it was quite fresh. However, he quickly grasped the crux of the game the point wasn’t just to seize star points, but to prevent the opponent from completing a triangle. The strategy seemed very similar to Gomoku or Connect Five.

Wen Xing’s fingertips idled in the chess box, making a clattering sound. “After you.”

Inside the quiet room, the crisp sound of pieces hitting the board echoed continuously. From the censer by the table, blue smoke rose in curls, filling the small space with an ethereal, cold fragrance. Perhaps because the room was too quiet, Wang Yian began to make conversation as he played: “Perhaps Your Majesty does not remember me.”

“But three years ago, I followed my grandfather into the palace for the Mid-Autumn family banquet held by the Empress Dowager. I saw Your Majesty at Yongshou Palace.”

“Your Majesty possesses the air of a dragon and the spirit of a phoenix one look is enough to make you unforgettable.” As he spoke, he carefully observed Wen Xing’s expression, a flicker of emotion flashing deep in his eyes.

Wen Xing, focused on the board, gave a casual “Oh.” Of course he didn’t remember; the one who saw this guy was the original owner, not him.

Wang Yian felt a bit defeated by his coldness but forced himself to maintain his spirits. “Back then, I was only fifteen. Your Majesty praised me for being quick-witted and fond of learning, saying I could enter the Hanlin Academy in the future.” As if lost in a memory, he continued without waiting for Wen Xing’s response: “But I didn’t want to enter the Hanlin Academy. I wanted…”

Wen Xing had no desire to reminisce. He cut the youth off: “Focus. I’m about to win.”

Wang Yian was silent for a moment. When he looked down at the board, his spirits lifted, and he praised sincerely: “Your Majesty learns so fast. After only one trial round, you’ve already grasped the key and have pushed me to the point where I can barely hold my ground.”

A smile bloomed on his lips as his gaze fixed tightly on Wen Xing’s face. After a short while, he tentatively picked up a piece and placed it at a distance, right under Wen Xing’s nose. As he retracted his hand, the back of his hand brushed lightly against the side of Wen Xing’s hand—as if by accident.

Wen Xing’s long eyelashes suddenly lifted, a flash of disgust appearing in his eyes. That cold gaze made Wang Yian’s heart tighten.

Wen Xing locked onto him with a look of imperial scrutiny and pressure. Simultaneously, his slender fingers dropped a piece with a crisp clack. “I win.”

With those words, he rose immediately to leave. Seeing him about to depart, Wang Yian’s face darkened. He stood up abruptly and rushed forward to block Wen Xing’s path, saying urgently: “Your Majesty!”

“Pray allow me a few words!” Fearing Wen Xing wouldn’t give him the chance, he spoke in rapid succession: “I have no ulterior motives, nor have I ever thought of replacing Lord Ning’s position in Your Majesty’s heart…”

Lord Ning himself was standing on the veranda outside the window. Hearing this, his knuckles tightened around his scabbard until they turned white.

“I only wish to serve at Your Majesty’s side for a long time. Even if it is just holding the reins, serving meals, offering medicine, or grinding ink, I would be content. I only hope for Your Majesty’s pity.”

As Wang Yian spoke, he attempted to throw himself into Wen Xing’s arms. Wen Xing was quick of foot; he took two steps back to avoid the embrace, the disgust in his eyes deepening. He rounded the other man without stopping to put some distance between them.

Outside the door, Ning Wujie’s clenched knuckles were skeletal. The icy blade of his sword had unknowingly slid an inch out of its scabbard.

Wang Yian lunged into empty air and stumbled to a halt, completely stung by Wen Xing’s gaze. A mixture of anger and disappointment made him grip his sleeves until they wrinkled, his eyes fixed deathly on Wen Xing.

He saw the Emperor say coldly and without expression: “The only ones who do those things by my side are eunuchs.”

Wang Yian: …Huh? Ning Wujie: …

Seeing Wang Yian stunned, Wen Xing raised an eyebrow. “What? Do you wish to be castrated and enter the palace?”

Ning Wujie’s grip on his scabbard suddenly loosened. The sharp edge in his eyes vanished instantly, and the thin line of his lips quirked upward slightly. Only eunuchs do those things? Then who is it that makes me learn the “Way of Serving the Sovereign” every day?

Wang Yian’s fair face turned deathly pale, even his crimson lips were coated in a layer of frost. “Your Majesty…” His peach blossom eyes filled with a mist of tears that threatened to overflow.

Seeing two lines of tears roll down Wang Yian’s face, Wen Xing frowned. Crying looks so ugly. He had zero patience for comforting anyone; he only wanted to leave this place quickly. But as he reached the door, he felt a sudden wave of dizziness. His legs turned soft for a moment, and he hurriedly grabbed the doorframe to steady himself.

His fingertips gripped so hard they turned white, barely keeping him from collapsing. What’s going on?

The dizziness grew more intense. Behind him, that voice suddenly became sharp and sinister a world apart from the “god-like” voice he had heard outside: “A spring night is worth a thousand gold. Since Your Majesty is here, do not leave.”

Wen Xing’s pupils shook violently. He struggled with all his might, but it was in vain. The strength in his body seemed to be drained away, his frame going limp bit by bit. Was he… poisoned? How? He hadn’t consumed anything since entering.

Could it be… He glanced slightly at the censer still emitting blue smoke and closed his eyes deeply.

“You’ve been hit by my ‘Drunken Bone Silk’ (Zuiguxiao). Tonight, you can only share a bed with me…”

Wen Xing felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar. Forcing a final sliver of clarity, he was about to bite his tongue to resist the overwhelming vertigo.

At that exact moment, a fierce wind carrying the autumn chill violently crashed the door open. Wen Xing’s mind was muddled and his vision blurred; he couldn’t see the newcomer clearly, but could only vaguely make out a towering silhouette against the light. With a chilling aura, the figure caught him in a firm embrace.

That familiar scent like a snowy ridge in a pine forest enveloped him, causing his panicked heart to suddenly calm. As his taut nerves relaxed, his entire body went limp against the other person’s shoulder.

In the final second before his consciousness faded, he gripped the person’s lapels and spat out three words through his teeth: “Kill… him… all.” (Note: In Chinese, “砍了他” – Kill him.)

With that, he was completely swallowed by the endless darkness.

Wang Yian looked on in terror as a figure like a god of slaughter suddenly burst in. Before he could even let out a scream, a blade was already before his eyes. Against the light, the man’s face was as still as water, his gaze sharp like shards of cold light. He spoke in a low voice, word by word: “What poison? The antidote.”

That voice… was the one Wang Yian had spent a fortune and effort to inquire about and mimic the voice His Majesty loved most.

Wang Yian’s gaze toward Ning Wujie was venomous to the extreme. Yet a moment later, he suddenly calmed down and let out a tragic, eerie laugh. “Antidote? I am the antidote.” His eyes flashed with a cold light. “Since we cannot be together in life, then let us die together!”

Before his words finished, he tore out his hair-pin and lunged toward the person in Ning Wujie’s arms!

However, in a flash, a cold glint appeared. He felt a chill at his neck, as if swept by a piercing autumn wind. Then, in his horrified sight, crimson blood erupted, instantly staining the strings of pearls in the room. The white-clad body collapsed to the floor, leaving only a pair of wide-open, hollow eyes.

Ning Wujie scooped the Emperor up in a horizontal carry and moved swiftly with qinggong, flying across the water pavilions and corridors toward the palace gates. Because he was holding someone and speeding to take a shortcut, he no longer hid his tracks, thus exposing himself to the patrolling guards.

The sound of blades being unsheathed rang out as a group of guards faced him as if meeting a great enemy: “Who goes there!”

Ning Wujie stopped abruptly. Looking down, he saw the tightly closed eyelashes and the furrowed brow of the person in his arms, as if he were trapped in a nightmare. He tightened his grip and roared: “His Majesty has been assassinated! Summon the imperial physicians immediately!”

The word “assassinated” was like a thunderclap, making the guards’ expressions change drastically. Seeing that the person in Ning Wujie’s arms was indeed the Emperor, yet not understanding the situation, they stood frozen in suspicion.

Xing He, who had been searching for Wen Xing, rushed over at the commotion. Seeing the unconscious Wen Xing, his face filled with terror: “Master… what happened to him?”

“Out of my way!” Ning Wujie roared at the hesitating guards. “Anyone who delays His Majesty’s treatment shall have their entire clan executed!”

Hearing this, the guards dared not block him further and parted like a receding tide.

However, just as Ning Wujie was about to step out of the palace gates, the voice of the Empress Dowager came from behind: “Ning Wujie, you dare to kidnap the Emperor? Stop right there! Seize him!”

The guards, having received the order, looked at one another, afraid to let him pass again. Ning Wujie paused and turned to look at Wang Fuwei. A cold gaze swept over her without reservation; Wang Fuwei was actually frozen by the killing intent in his eyes.

“The person chosen by the Empress Dowager dared to attempt regicide. I would like to ask what the Empress Dowager intends?”

Wang Fuwei’s pupils shrank in disbelief. “What did you say?” She only then noticed that Wen Xing was lying unconscious in Ning Wujie’s arms. Shocked, she yelled, “Speak clearly! Who attempted regicide?!”

“Wang Yian was executed after a failed attempt at regicide.” Ning Wujie’s knuckles tightened on his sword hilt, the blade sliding three inches out. “When His Majesty awakens, he will naturally ask the Empress Dowager for an explanation.”

“Put His Majesty down! Guards! Summon the physicians!” Wang Fuwei shouted in rage.

Ning Wujie remained motionless. “Staying here with the Empress Dowager, there is no guarantee there won’t be a second Wang Yian. I am taking His Majesty back to his palace.”

Wang Fuwei was incensed. “Insolent! How dare you question me? Men, take this man down!”

The guards moved forward to block him. Ning Wujie, holding Wen Xing with one arm, drew his sword and swept it in a horizontal arc, simultaneously kicking off the ground to retreat, kicking up a cloud of dust. The blade carried the force of his qi like a coiling black dragon; a single strike knocked several guards to the ground.

Xing He seized the opportunity to draw his sword and enter the fray, repelling several people in the blink of an eye. The two stood back-to-back, forming a near-flawless defense. The guards knew they were no match for these two and circled them with weapons drawn, afraid to advance.

Ning Wujie shouted at Wang Fuwei: “If Your Majesty’s treatment is delayed and his health is harmed, even as the Empress Dowager, I fear you will not be able to bear the responsibility!”

Wang Fuwei’s eyes widened. “You!” Seeing that the guards were no match for the two, she composed herself. After a moment of thought, she suppressed her temper and said coldly, “This palace will naturally investigate this matter thoroughly. Ning Wujie, if anything happens to His Majesty, I will have you flayed alive!”

With those words, she made a sharp gesture with her fingernail guards, and the guards retreated like a tide. Ning Wujie immediately gathered the person in his arms and leaped over the palace walls.