Chapter 36: The Dance of Intrigue in the Ancient Court

Chapter 36: A Distinct Flavor

Shen Zechuan suddenly mimicked Xiao Chiye's previous action, splashing water droplets onto his face, and seized the opportunity to snatch the clothes from his hand.

Xiao Chiye's eyes were momentarily blinded by the water droplets. He reached out to grab a dry towel and draped it over Shen Zechuan's head, proceeding to rub him haphazardly. Shen Zechuan, still in the midst of dressing, swayed unsteadily under his touch, seething with anger. He kicked Xiao Chiye's chair with his bare foot.

The chair beneath Xiao Chiye's buttocks slid backward. He immediately extended his leg, pinning Shen Zechuan tightly against him, dragging him closer to himself. He rubbed Shen Zechuan's head as if he were a puppy.

"I'll do as I please then!" Xiao Chiye growled fiercely.

"Pl-lease... you... b-bastard!" Shen Zechuan's words were interrupted by Xiao Chiye's towel rubbing against his face.

Xiao Chiye removed the towel without another word. With one hand gripping Shen Zechuan's chin, the other traveled down his nape, reaching his waist and hips.

"Bastard," Xiao Chiye said, "you called me a bastard?"

Shen Zechuan's belt was loosely tied, and he wore one of Xiao Chiye's old garments, which hung loosely on him, exposing his collarbone. The water droplets on his body moistened Xiao Chiye's fingertips as they moved together, blending into a smooth sensation.

"I didn't say that," Shen Zechuan countered, pressing Xiao Chiye's hand back. "People reflect on themselves three times a day, Second Young Master. Good reflection."

"You don't understand," Xiao Chiye said, his nimble fingers intertwining with Shen Zechuan's. "The first word I learned was 'scoundrel.' I've always known that Second Young Master is a bastard. There's no need for me to reflect on this matter. Your waist is awfully thin, isn't it?"

"Perhaps you haven't touched enough," Shen Zechuan replied coldly.

"Indeed," Xiao Chiye pretended not to understand, deliberately steering the conversation in another direction. "I haven't had the chance to touch your waist that often."

Shen Zechuan was not in the mood to play along. He wrapped his own belt around his waist with one hand and said, "Since you've touched it, let's drop the subject."

Xiao Chiye released his legs. Shen Zechuan finished tying his belt. After being rubbed by Xiao Chiye's handkerchief, his face had turned red.

Feeling hot, Xiao Chiye got up and picked up the East Pearl from the ground. His gaze then fell upon Shen Zechuan's bare legs. He froze for a moment before quickly straightening up. Taking two steps back, he then approached Shen Zechuan again and said, "Sleep."

Shen Zechuan drank a bowl of hot ginger soup and gargled. He sneezed after spitting out the liquid.

Xiao Chiye found his sneezing amusing, like a kitten... Xiao Chiye wet a handkerchief with cold water and wiped his face.

"Stay away from there," Xiao Chiye said as he undressed, pointing at his bed. "Sleep in my bed."

Shen Zechuan wiped his mouth and said, "In that case, I shall take you up on your offer."

He didn't bother with formalities and sat on Xiao Chiye's bed.

Xiao Chiye moved the table and chairs aside and dragged the small daybed in the room to the newly vacated spot, leaving just enough space for someone to step up onto a stool between him and Shen Zechuan. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his arms, and said, "Lan Zhou, extinguish the lamp."

Shen Zechuan blew out the lamp and turned over to lie down with his back to Xiao Chiye.

Snow still fell outside, while the room was warm and quiet.

Xiao Chiye closed his eyes as if he had fallen asleep. The sensation of touching Shen Zechuan lingered on his fingertips, growing clearer in the darkness. Xiao Chiye opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling, and began to think of the northern sky.

Only by wanting nothing can one become a saint.

His master taught him how to wield a bow during the season when the grasses in Libei were lush and green. He sat on the fence at the edge of the horse field, leaning against it as he gazed at the blue sky.

Zuo Qianqiu asked, "What are you thinking?"

Xiao Chiye wore a bone ring around his neck. He swung his legs and said, "I want an eagle, Master. I want to soar."

Zuo Qianqiu watched him from the side, patting the back of his head and saying, "You're also a lad full of desires. But only by wanting nothing can one become a saint. Many things become cages once you have a desire for them."

Xiao Chiye couldn't sit still; he clutched the railing and suddenly flipped upside down, his face smudged with grass and dirt from the hem of his robe. He said, "It's only natural to want things."

"Wanting is the start of both joy and pain," Zuo Qianqiu said as he held his large bow, meticulously wiping it clean. "If you acknowledge that you're an ordinary person full of desires, you'll be plagued by anxiety over gains and losses. If you want something, you must have it—that's the kind of little wolf you are. But Aye, there will always be things in life that you desire but can never obtain. What will you do then?"

Xiao Chiye landed on the grass, grabbed the hem of his robe, and caught a large grasshopper. Pinching the struggling insect, he said with a distracted mind, "Dad said that where there's a will, there's a way. There's nothing one can't get."

Zuo Qianqiu sighed, feeling that Xiao Chiye was still too young. Helplessly pointing at the sky, he said, "Fine then. If you want to fly, can you really do it?"

Xiao Chiye released the grasshopper and looked up at Zuo Qianqiu seriously. "I can learn falconry from someone else. If I tame an eagle, its wings will belong to me, and the skies it soars through will be the skies I've flown through. Master, people need to be adaptable."

Zuo Qianqiu stared at him for a moment before saying, "You're stronger than me... I'm just a foolish man who refuses to adapt."

Xiao Chiye imitated an eagle, spreading his arms and running a few steps against the wind across the grass. "I also want to tame horses."

"Hawks and horses are both strong-willed creatures," Zuo Qianqiu said as he followed Xiao Chiye. "Seems like our Aye likes people who are untamed and hard to control."

"To tame," Xiao Chiye said, "I enjoy this process."

Xiao Chiye pondered.

He didn't merely enjoy the process; he was captivated by it. It was like taming an eagle, keeping it awake for seven days without allowing it to sleep and withholding food for four days, dangling its survival before it until its feathers stood on end, its eyes shriveled like sesame seeds, and it submitted to commands, ready to be taken out for hunting.

Now, "lust" was his newly acquired eagle.

Xiao Chiye tilted his head slightly and gazed at Shen Zechuan's back. The clothing had slid off to reveal the nape of Shen Zechuan's neck, which in the dim light resembled a piece of exquisite unpolished jade.

Xiao Chiye hardened again.

He did not move or look away. He refused to believe that such shallow desire could control him, nor would he admit to being enslaved by such brutish instinct.

The next morning, before dawn, both men sat up as if they had finally endured enough.

The guards who had lain on the roof all night blew warm air and watched as the maidservants filed in. "Nothing happened last night."

The one drinking wine said, "It didn't work, then."

The one holding a pen asked doubtfully, "How do you know?"

The drinker shifted his body and saw Shen Zechuan leave the room. "Look how he's behaving as usual today, except for the dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, he got some rest."

Both men turned their heads in unison to watch Xiao Chiye leave through the back door.

The one holding the pen commented, "…Second Master doesn't seem very pleased."

The one drinking replied, "Looks like he's not satisfied."

Chen Yang draped a cloak over Xiao Chiye and, noticing his somber expression, asked, "Governor, has he done something wrong?"

Xiao Chiye answered, "Mm, you could say that."

Chen Yang was alarmed. "He… last night…"

"He's quite skilled at pretending to be asleep," Xiao Chiye said as he buckled on his Wolf Rampage saber and descended the steps into the snow. "Let's head to the Maple Mountain Training Grounds."

Chen Yang caught up and said, "It's not your shift today, and it's snowing. Governor…"

Xiao Chiye vaulted onto his horse and said in a grave tone, "I'll check out the new equipment. Tell Gu Jin and Ding Tao to keep a close eye on him."

Chen Yang nodded.

Xiao Chiye looked up and shouted at the two figures on the roof, "If you lose him again, you can both get lost."

The two heads poking out from the rooftop nodded in unison before they retreated back inside.

Ding Tao carefully placed the pen and notebook back into his bosom and said, "Now we've got it sorted. From being the Second Young Master's guards to being his personal guards."

Gu Jin swayed with the little wine he had left and commented, "I think he could take on eight men by himself. Just keep an eye on him."

"Keep an eye on him," Ding Tao prepared himself, placing his hands neatly on his knees. After a moment, he asked, "But where is he?"

The two exchanged glances and stood up simultaneously, exclaiming, "Oh no!"

* * *

As Shen Zechuan bit into a steamed bun, he opened the back door of the Temple of Repentance.

Ji Gang was practicing martial arts in the courtyard. Upon seeing him, he wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and asked, "Why are you here now?"

Shen Zechuan replied, "I'll be busy in a few days, so it's convenient for me today."

Grand Tutor Qi was snoring loudly amidst a pile of papers. Shen Zechuan and Ji Gang did not enter the room but sat under the eaves, chatting.

Ji Gang wiped his face and asked, "Have you been slacking off lately?"

Shen Zechuan lifted his sleeve, revealing the bruise from his sparring match with Xiao Chiye the other day. He said, "I fought Xiao Er."

Ji Gang was stunned, then flew into a rage. "He dared to hit you?!"

"I think he wanted to see my internal martial arts," Shen Zechuan said, lowering his sleeve. "Master, he's truly blessed with exceptional physique, even more so than the King of Libei. I used the Ji Family's fist techniques against him, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree; I couldn't budge him at all."

"Back then, Zuo Qianqiu left the capital for Sky Lock Pass and met Feng Yisheng, who was in charge there," Ji Gang said. "Feng Yisheng took Zuo Qianqiu as his adopted son and taught him the Feng Family's sword techniques. By the time it reached Xiao Er, it has probably developed into its own style, different from ours. But the Ji Family has its strengths, and if you two can really engage in a sword fight, you'll be able to tell the difference."

"The Wolf Bite Saber was forged by a renowned craftsman under Commander Qi; it can cut through iron like butter. Ordinary blades would be useless against it," Shen Zechuan mused.

"Feng Family's swordsmiths specialize in crafting 'General's Swords' for battles on the battlefield. Look at Xiao Er's Wolf Bite Saber. If it could be used on the battlefield, it could split open a person's bones with a single slash, tailored entirely to that boy's strength," Ji Gang said, stamping the snow off his shoes. "As for us, we might not be accustomed to using them even if we had the chance. But there's no rush for your saber; Master has already found one for you."

"My saber?" Shen Zechuan was slightly taken aback.

"Imperial Bodyguard is a good place," Ji Gang smiled at him. "You've only been here for a short while, but you'll understand later that this is where great talents hide. Qi Zhuyin has famous craftsmen, and we in the Imperial Bodyguard don't lack them either. I've been thinking about Ji Lei's saber. Once Master gets that saber for you and has it reforged by an old friend, it won't be any worse than Xiao Er's Wolf Bite Saber!"

"Isn't Ji Lei's sword the Embroidered Spring Sword?"

"He usually carries that, but he also hid my father's blade," Ji Gang said with a snort. "Why isn't he dead yet? The Ministry of Justice should sentence him soon so the sword can be sealed away in storage. Once it's stored, my master will have a way to deal with it."

"He's endured much punishment," Shen Zechuan said gently. "He won't last much longer."

"Did you find the person I asked you to look for before the autumn hunt?" Ji Gang remembered and hurriedly inquired.

"I found them," Shen Zechuan smiled. "I'm just waiting for them to be released."

* * *

Xiao Chiye did not return for dinner, so Shen Zechuan rested in his own room. In the middle of the night, he heard hurried footsteps outside followed by someone knocking on his door.

Shen Zechuan tried to pretend he didn't hear anything, but then he heard a noise at the window as Xiao Chiye propped it open with his scabbard and whistled at him.

Xiao Chiye landed deftly on the windowsill, tilting his head to look inside.

"We agreed to sleep together," Xiao Chiye said unhappily. "Why did you come back?"

Shen Zechuan threw his pillow out the window, and Xiao Chiye caught it. Shen Zechuan had no choice but to get up, wrap himself in his blanket, and open the door.

Xiao Chiye held the pillow to his chest and suddenly took a sniff, asking, "Did you apply any perfume?"

Shen Zechuan replied, "I smear ten pounds of powder on my face each day."

"Mm," Xiao Chiye chuckled.

Shen Zechuan walked ahead, while Xiao Chiye stood behind him, shielding even the evening breeze from touching Shen Zechuan. Feeling a chill on the back of his neck, he swiftly turned around.

Xiao Chiye flicked Shen Zechuan's neck with his finger and then sniffed his own hand, looking puzzled.

"What's that smell on you?" Xiao Chiye said. "It's a scent of…"

Shen Zechuan threw his blanket over Xiao Chiye's head, speaking calmly, "That's the gunpowder smell from your own body."

Xiao Chiye stood for a moment before swiftly lifting the edge of the blanket to envelop Shen Zechuan as well.

Ding Tao, whose head was peeping out from the eaves, hastily took out a small notebook and exclaimed excitedly, "Second Young Master is amazing! He caught him!"