Chapter 14: Misunderstanding

Chapter 14: Misunderstanding

Lu Changping's back hurt terribly, and he couldn't stand up for a while, maintaining the pitiful look from when the tyrant pushed him down.

Having practiced martial arts since childhood, his body was far from frail, despite being pampered in the palace.

The reason for the severe pain was that Xie Xuan Yuan, the tyrant, possessed considerable internal strength and had used full force in the push.

Lu Changping, caught off guard, was thus victim to the tyrant's harsh action. That he didn't suffer internal injuries was a stroke of luck amidst this misfortune.

Seeing his assassination plot exposed, he discreetly picked up a gold hairpin from nearby under the cover of his long sleeves, ready to use it to take the tyrant hostage if necessary for an escape.

Xie Xuan Yuan, observing the scattered items on the floor, was stunned. After a long silence, he finally spoke up to question: "Consort Lu, don't you have anything to explain to me?"

Lu Changping sat on the ground, seemingly motionless, but was actually gathering nearby objects that might be useful.

He quietly waited for the pain in his back to subside, appearing calm, not at all like someone whose assassination attempt had failed.

The tyrant, seeing his composed demeanor, seemed even more irritated. Covering his barely held-together collar with one hand and pointing at the pile of clutter on the floor with the other, he raised his voice:

"I didn't expect you to have such a shameless fetish! Were you planning to use all these things on me tonight?"

Lu Changping had prepared himself for a deadly struggle with the tyrant, but the tyrant's reaction wasn't quite as he had anticipated.

Wouldn't a normal emperor upon facing an assassin immediately order the capture of the assailant before questioning?

Why did it turn into a standoff between him and the tyrant?

"I'm asking you a question! Answer me now."

As Lu Changping hesitated, Xie Xuan Yuan grew even more irritable.

Lu Changping suppressed the urge to roll his eyes in front of the tyrant, silently shaking his head.

He found the tyrant's question rather strange.

Murder is murder; why refer to it as a despicable fetish? He certainly didn't enjoy killing like the tyrant.

Moreover, he only needed one of the items to take the tyrant's life; there was no need to use all of them.

Of course, this excluded the candles that had accidentally mixed in. Those could at best be used to dispose of a body afterward, not actually kill someone.

Wait... candles?

Lu Changping stared at the red candles on the floor, his gaze struggling to make sense of the assorted items scattered around.

It seemed he suddenly grasped the tyrant's earlier implication…

He wanted to grab the tyrant by the collar and demand what filthy nonsense filled his mind day in and day out.

His preparations—rope, dagger, and gold hairpin—were clearly for assassination. The unintended inclusion of a few red candles, originally stored in the compartment, twisted the narrative entirely.

In an instant, from attempting to assassinate the tyrant, Lu Changping, as “Consort Lu,” became a pervert with a fetish for abuse in bed.

Not only his own reputation but also his sister Zhao Ping’s would be tarnished in Beiwai.

Lu Changping wished to explain, but any explanation to the tyrant now would force him to choose between being labeled as a perverted beast or an assassin.

With Xie Xuan Yuan sobered up from the shock and his internal strength, assassinating him tonight became an impossibility.

Only someone wishing death upon themselves would tell the tyrant the true purpose of these items wasn’t for marital play but to end his life.

After weighing his options, Lu Changping decided to take the exit unwittingly provided by the tyrant.

So what if he was considered a pervert? A few gossips wouldn’t cost him flesh.

Besides, the tyrant, valuing his own face more, would likely never allow such rumors to spread.

Yet, admitting too readily at this crucial moment would appear highly suspicious.

To prevent the tyrant from linking this exposed act to assassination, Lu Changping symbolically shook his head, lips tightly sealed, face flushed with shame.

Seeing such a reaction from him, Xie Xuan Yuan became even more convinced of his speculation, scoffing coldly:

“What’s the matter, Consort Lu? Brave enough to act but not to admit? I advise you to think carefully. If you deny it, I will have no choice but to summon guards to capture you for interrogation as an assassin.”

Speaking of interrogation, a gleam of excitement shone in the tyrant’s eyes: “I’m curious, how long can a delicate woman like the consort, who fears even silver needles, endure under those punishments?”

Lu Changping had heard of the tyrant’s twisted punishments. Not just the “delicate woman” the tyrant referred to, but even a robust man like himself wouldn’t be able to withstand them.

Knowing when to concede, Lu Changping has always had an open-minded approach to such situations.

He quietly set down the gold hairpin he had been holding, closed his eyes for a moment, and gave an almost imperceptible nod, accepting the ignominious title of "utterly shameless pervert."

Seeing him not deny it any further, Xie Xuanyuan couldn't help but smile, pleased.

He casually picked up the robe that had been stripped off and carefully draped it over himself, covering the torn neckline, still mercilessly harping on the matter:

"I truly did not expect that Lady Lu, appearing so pure and pristine, would actually have such intense tastes. Does your royal brother know of your predilections? I wonder what the oh-so-proper Emperor of Nan Chu would think if he knew."

Lu Changping had never experienced such a bizarre situation. On one hand, he was being teased by the tyrant for having extreme tastes, and on the other, considered a prude by the same tyrant.

Inwardly, he couldn't help but retort: The Emperor of Nan Chu surely knows that he is enduring this humiliation out of sheer necessity...

After Xie Xuanyuan had dressed, he slowly rose from the bed and approached Lu Changping, looking down at him from above.

"Let me remind you, Lady, not to think about stripping me of my clothes whenever you're bored. This time, considering it's your first offense, I'll spare your life and have you copy Buddhist scriptures in Yi Xiao Palace as punishment. Should there be a next time, you won't be so lucky."

The tyrant spoke as if it were the most natural thing, making Lu Changping almost believe his actions had indeed been motivated purely by lust.

The tyrant seemed quite confident in himself.

He admitted, Xie Xuanyuan did possess a certain allure. But with countless beauties in the world, one would have to be quite foolish to specifically provoke someone as lethal as Xie Xuanyuan for their looks.

By the time Lu Changping snapped back to reality, the tyrant had already wrapped himself tightly and left under the cover of night.

Thinking back on the tyrant's alarm over a torn neckline, Lu Changping couldn't help but laugh. A sovereign of a nation, yet more cautious than an unmarried maiden in this regard.

After all the commotion tonight, it all boiled down to a simple wardrobe malfunction.

The tyrant's robes were of a high-collared style; even if they came undone, it's unlikely much would be revealed. And even if something did get exposed by accident, what loss could he, a man, suffer?

Moreover, previously, merely brushing against the tyrant's arm had him dodging as if avoiding the plague...

All signs indicate that Xie Xuanyuan not only dislikes being touched but is also very particular about not being seen naked.

With such cautiousness, not to mention assassins, it's doubtful any concubine in the harem could successfully serve him in bed.

Thinking of the countless palace servants who, like him, were disdainfully rejected by the tyrant, Lu Changping finally found some solace.

Tonight's mishap was not merely because he accidentally tore the tyrant's collar; it was more so because the tyrant himself might just be inherently indifferent.

Having realized this, Lu Changping had no choice but to change his strategy. Since serving in bed was not an option, he had to find another way.

If he could win the tyrant's favor and stay close to him, he might find an opportunity to assassinate him over time.

The only regret was that his mission in the North Guard, which seemed close to completion, was now indefinitely extended.

But having come this far, how could he return empty-handed without doing anything?

……

While Lu Changping was re-planning the assassination in his chamber, Xie Xuan Yuan, having returned to Zichen Palace, dismissed everyone and finally loosened the inner garment and robe he had been clutching all the way.

The fine silk garments rustled to the floor, leaving the notorious tyrant of the North Guard standing in his undergarments before a life-sized copper mirror.

Xie Xuan Yuan rarely looked in the mirror. However, tonight was different; he hurried back from Yixiao Palace, eager to see what he looked like in the eyes of others.

The youth in the mirror had a pale, bloodless complexion, yet his deep, striking features were not diminished. Under a high nose, his thin lips were tightly closed, presenting an aloof and indifferent demeanor.

Xie Xuan Yuan stared at the mirror without a trace of expression. After a while, he slowly opened the collar of his upper garment along the tear in his undergarment.

Others could hardly imagine that a body, usually wrapped in luxurious clothes, bore so many scars from past tortures.

At the junction where the neck meets the collarbone, a scar about two fingers wide is particularly noticeable, clearly indicating that a heavy iron collar was once placed around his neck long ago.

It is this scar that forces Xie Xuanyuan to wear high-collared clothes with care in his daily life.

This scar is too high up, too easily noticed. Even he himself isn't sure if the Princess of Southern Chu, Zhao Yun, saw this mark tonight.

From the collarbone downwards, several dark burn marks interspersed with crisscrossed whip scars easily mar the originally fair, cold skin.

The continuous scars are not only spread across the torso but even extend above the elbows to the arms.

Xie Xuanyuan quietly observed these marks on his body, eventually, only immense hatred remained in his eyes...

Author's note:

Xie's beauty and strength are undeniable, and so is his tragic past. His ruthlessness and pride are also true.

Going forward, there won't be any more suffering for Xie. The most painful moments of his life are, in fact, already behind him.