Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty-Two Still Forcibly Taking, How Exciting…

Chapter 22: Non-consensual Takeover? How Thrilling...

The old emperor, who guarded his dragon throne so fiercely, would secretly draft an imperial decree of succession at this critical juncture and entrust it to his Grand Tutor. This alone indicated he was at death's door.

Wei Zheng had always known the old emperor was in poor health, merely clinging to life with life-sustaining medicinal brews. He wouldn’t have been surprised if someone told him the old emperor had passed away. What truly astonished him was that the old emperor had issued the succession decree before reaching a critical state of illness, and the person entrusted with it was equally unexpected.

The Grand Tutor, who by all reason and logic should align with the Crown Prince, turned out to be loyal to the old emperor.

He lowered his gaze in thought briefly and said to Wei Er, "Continue to remain undercover in the palace. If there is any unusual activity, send word immediately."

"Yes."

Wei Er acknowledged the order and left directly. Duan Lin stepped forward and asked, "Master, what should we do next?"

Wei Zheng replied, "Not only do we need to do nothing, but we must also guard the secret of the Emperor and the Grand Tutor."

A secret that could determine the fate of the Yu Dynasty was not yet ready to be exposed to the light of day.

Duan Lin was a smart man and understood immediately. He didn’t ask why but instead discussed with Wei Zheng how to proceed further, making no effort to exclude Wei San, who stood beside them.

Wei San could not contribute to the conversation, standing meekly at Wei Zheng’s side, silently listening to their discussion.

As he listened to Duan Lin and Wei Zheng exchange strategies on how to deal with the Crown Prince and the old emperor, he couldn’t help but sigh in dejection. He really couldn’t compare to Commander Duan. Aside from being able to kill for his master, he was useless and of little help in all other ways. If not for his master’s kindness, he would have long been sent back to the assassin corps.

Wei San’s mood grew increasingly low, and the more he thought about it, the more useless he felt, not even qualifying as a competent assassin.

After Wei Zheng and Duan Lin finalized their strategy, a single glance revealed the sadness beneath Wei San’s expressionless face.

It wasn’t that he could read minds, but Wei San’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes were misty and red, as though on the verge of tears.

He didn’t know what Wei San was thinking to be so upset, but without a second thought, he reached out and ruffled Wei San’s hair affectionately, silently comforting him.

Duan Lin, forced to witness their intimacy: "............"

He was not unfamiliar with romantic matters and could see the unusual change in Wei San at a glance.

The former Wei San was like a dull, uninteresting bud that wouldn’t bloom on its own. The current Wei San was like a multi-petaled lotus whose petals had been pried open to reveal its tender yellow stamen, unconsciously captivating at all times.

He discreetly glanced between Wei Zheng and Wei San, then frowned subconsciously.

These two were highly unusual!

Had the act become real? Had Wei San truly become the master’s male concubine?

This thought flashed through his mind, and Duan Lin felt deeply conflicted. He wanted to convince himself that he was misreading the situation, but Wei Zheng didn’t give him the chance.

Under Duan Lin’s scrutinizing gaze, Wei Zheng boldly took Wei San’s hand, startling the already guilty Wei San so much that he visibly shrank back, like a frightened animal.

Wei San didn’t care much about others, but in front of Duan Lin, who was both mentor and father figure to him, he dared not do anything even slightly improper, especially something as scandalous as seducing his master.

Wei San tugged hard at his hand but couldn’t free it. Helpless and flustered, he stole a glance at Wei Zheng, signaling for him to release it quickly.

Wei Zheng raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand, and continued to play with his fingers. Unable to escape or speak up, Wei San could only lower his head, avoiding reality, staring at the tips of the grass on the ground, pretending not to care while inwardly twisted into knots.

Duan Lin wanted to say something, but seeing Wei Zheng’s self-satisfied expression, he found himself at a loss for words.

No wonder the master had suddenly decided back then to have someone pretend to be a male concubine, with conditions that subtly pointed to Wei San.

He had originally thought Wei San had the audacity to seduce the master, but upon reflection, it was clearly the master who, captivated by Wei San’s looks, took advantage of his obedience and simplicity.

Wei San was clearly still naive and hadn’t developed genuine feelings yet, but since Duan Lin had essentially raised Wei San, he knew well the weight Wei Zheng held in Wei San’s heart. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before Wei San fell for him.

Duan Lin sighed inwardly, not optimistic about the development of their relationship. The master was born into the royal family, and the vast difference in status meant there would be no future for them. Moreover, it was unclear how much sincerity was involved. He could only hope Wei San would maintain his integrity.

.

Time passed like flowing water, fleeting in the blink of an eye. With less than two hours left before entering the palace to see the emperor, Wei San was stripped to his undergarments, standing stiffly behind a screen. Outside, a row of maids held clothing, while Wei Zheng picked up each piece to examine.

"This one is too vulgar, this one is too flashy."

He picked and chose, feeling that none could fully accentuate Wei San’s beauty and temperament.

No one present dared to speak. If there hadn’t been women outside, Wei San would have walked out to urge his master to just pick one.

Wei Zheng was unsatisfied with all the choices and finally gestured for the maids to take the clothes away and leave. He then turned and went to his own wardrobe.

The room suddenly fell silent. Wei San could only see shadowy movements through the screen. From the motions, it seemed the master was turned away from him, searching for something.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he peeked out but was immediately met with Wei Zheng’s teasing eyes.

"What are you sneaking a look at, little assassin? Earlier, I asked you to come out and try on clothes, but you refused. Now that there’s no one else, you’re not embarrassed?"

Wei San opened his mouth but had no retort. He pursed his lips awkwardly and quickly retreated.

Wei Zheng chuckled and didn’t give him a chance to hide, striding over and squeezing behind the screen as well.

The space behind the screen wasn’t large. With two grown men squeezed inside, there was less than half an arm’s length of space left.

The assassin had his back to him, the protruding butterfly bones tinged with a faint pink. His waistline was smooth, and his skin was dazzlingly pale, like the most perfect sculpture crafted by a master artist. Even the pink scars covering most of his back exuded a disturbing beauty.

Wei Zheng licked his canines and suddenly felt that these scars didn’t necessarily need to be removed.

"When did you get these scars?"

He reached to touch the scars. Wei San was startled and reflexively grabbed the outer robe he had taken off and placed nearby, draping it over himself. Every muscle in his body tensed.

The space behind the screen wasn’t large. With two grown men squeezed inside, there was less than half an arm’s length of space left.

Wei San knew he had come in but never expected him to reach out and touch the scars on his back.

The cool touch of fingertips still lingered on his back, tingling as if from insect bites.

"I don’t remember," he said, lowering his gaze slightly. For some reason, he thought of the fake Wei Liu, who had also touched his scars like this.

Not only touched but also used his tongue…

The color drained from Wei San’s face, leaving it as pale as paper. His fingers clenched the front of his robe, turning white with force. His stomach ached faintly, and he felt nauseous.

He felt disgusted by what the fake Wei Liu had done to him, and even more disgusted by his own perceived filth.

Wei Zheng’s eyes darkened slightly as he slowly withdrew his hand, still suspended in the air. He casually handed the azure robe hanging on his arm to Wei San.

"Change into this. We must leave for the palace soon."

He set aside his earlier teasing attitude, putting a perfect distance between himself and Wei San—not too close to be oppressive, but close enough to hand him the clothes.

Wei San inwardly sighed in relief and thanked him, "Thank you, Master."

Wei Zheng nodded without a word, turning to walk outside the screen before saying to him, "I’ll wait outside. If you need any help from the maids, just summon them."

The person behind the screen responded with an "Okay" before falling silent.

Wei Zheng stared at the slender figure, rubbing his fingertips together. As if he’d thought of something, he curled his lips into a smile and turned to leave the room.

Hearing the door close, Wei San slowly relaxed his tense muscles. He let out a frustrated sigh, reflecting on his over-the-top reaction earlier—he must have annoyed his master.

Did his master think he detested his touch? That wasn’t his intention at all; it was just that the despicable fake Wei Liu had left him with a psychological shadow, making him react that way.

Wei San wanted to clear up the misunderstanding but had no idea how to explain it to Wei Zheng.

As troubled as he was, he kept in mind that he still had to accompany Wei Zheng to the palace for an audience with the emperor. So, he pushed aside his chaotic thoughts and quickly changed clothes.

While styling his hair, he glanced down at the light cyan outer robe with its subtle bamboo leaf pattern. Instead of simply tying it into a high ponytail for convenience, he used a hair ribbon to tie it loosely, letting it fall diagonally over his neck.

Wei San’s hair was smooth and raven-black, and since he wore a mask year-round, the skin on his face was as pale as winter snow. The contrast was striking. Combined with his delicate, handsome features and the elegant cyan robe, he looked like a gentleman as refined as jade who had stepped out of a painting.

When Wei Zheng caught sight of him, his eyes were filled with unconcealed admiration.

That cyan robe was a new garment made last year. It didn’t suit his temperament, so Wei Zheng had never worn it. But when he found it in the wardrobe, he knew no one would suit it better than Wei San.

Unable to resist teasing, he remarked, "Who does this beauty belong to? You’ve captured my heart at first sight."

Wei San blushed at the teasing, so flustered he didn’t know where to put his hands. Yet Wei Zheng wouldn’t let him off, tapping a fan against his palm and pretending to have a sudden realization: "Ah, he’s from my own household."

This teasing was absolutely shameless.

Wei San… Wei San was utterly dumbfounded.

The attendant maid lowered her head, barely suppressing a smile.

.

The carriage from Virtuous Prince Manor traveled from the outskirts of the capital all the way to the imperial palace, stopping just outside the palace gates.

A guard at the gate peeked out and happened to catch sight of the Virtuous Prince—rumored to have recovered from a brain ailment—stepping out of the carriage with an elegant beauty in his arms.

The beauty frowned slightly, his brows tinged with sorrow, clearly unwilling.

The guard straightened up, his gossip-loving heart burning with curiosity.

Was the Virtuous Prince actually forcing himself on this beauty? This is too exciting!