Chapter 59 - Zhen’s Miserable Childhood

Translated by Eve

Edited by Kara

6.Zhen’s Miserable Childhood

Because Chu Xing had things to do, it had delayed him, causing him to end up returning a little late. When he entered, he saw the Incapable Ruler lying there, seeming to have already fallen asleep.

When he thought about the little trick the Incapable Ruler had done earlier today, Chu Xing sneered. This Incapable Ruler didn’t seem to have learned his lesson. He didn’t know what to do to make things less painful for himself. He walked over and pulled at Xie He’s hair violently, raising the other’s head. Only then did he realize that the other hadn’t been sleeping. Xie He’s eyelashes were half lowered, his eyes were misty, and his lips were slightly parted.

Chu Xing chuckled lowly, “Your Majesty, do you like both these toys that much?”

Xie He slowly looked up and met eyes with the other, his own expression dark and cold.

Chu Xing caressed his cheek. There was a cruel chill in his gentle voice, “I think that Your Majesty quite likes to attend morning court. From now on, I’ll let you attend morning court with these things every day. How about it?”

Upon hearing this, Xie He’s face finally broke out into a fearful expression. He curled up. He could not endure not being able to sleep in every day! He was still useful without going to morning court! He used a glacial, scornful expression to look at Chu Xing, “You traitor! Brute!”

Chu Xing smiled.

…………………………

When Xie He woke up, it was already the next day. Chu Xing had unexpectedly stayed. He had even slept in his bed, one arm around him.

Xie He moved slightly, causing Chu Xing to wake. Last night, he had dealt with Xie He quite a bit, so he didn’t find Xie He as irritating to the eye as usual. He smiled, “Your Majesty has awoken.”

XIe He didn’t make a sound. His face was pale, drained of blood. His eyes were still.

Chu Xing paid him no attention. He sat up and prepared to leave. Suddenly, he swept a look around and discovered that the bedsheet was wet. Chu Xing’s expression immediately became strange. He discovered that the Incapable Ruler had already shut his eyes tightly, biting his lips practically to the point of bleeding!

This Incapable Ruler had been played with by the traitor he hated to the point of incontinence. He must feel ashamed, ba?

Chu Xing didn’t want him to hurt himself, so he reached out and tried to pry open Xie He’s lips. With a deep voice, he said, “Open up.”

Xie He seemed to lose the willpower to fight him. Upon hearing this, he slowly opened up his mouth.

Only then did Chu Xing let go. He saw that the Incapable Ruler’s fists were both tightly clenched. Therefore, he pried them apart too, only to see that his palms were also bloody from having the skin pierced. Seeing this, Chu Xing didn’t know why, but he wasn’t happy. He stood up, rather antsy, and prepared to call for the doctor.

Just before he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a weak, hoarse voice call out, “General Chu.”

Chu Xing paused. A strange emotion emerged within him. This was the first time the Incapable Ruler had called him so peacefully since he had locked him up. For once, he wasn’t cursing him maliciously or calling him a brute or traitor.

Chu Xing turned around. He saw that Xie He had already opened his eyes. There was a deathly stillness in those eyes, devoid of all lustre. There was only a complete lack of regard for his own life.

Xie He pursed his lips slightly and asked, “When will you kill Zhen?”

When Chu Xing heard this—when he looked at the Incapable Ruler, who he used to hate to the extreme and wanted to make feel that living was worse than death, had finally been tormented to the point of begging for death— his heart thumped.

It was very strange. Clearly, this Incapable Ruler had done worse things than he did! He had hurt even more innocent people! He only had himself to blame for ending up like this! However, he actually felt his heart soften.

【Ding, the target, Chu Xing’s Favourability Value +10, Blackening Value -10. The current Favourability Value is 40. The current Blackening Value is 60.】

Chu Xing gave Xie He a profound look. He forcibly suppressed the flash of soft-heartedness. He did not answer Xie He’s question and turned to leave.

Xie He watched as the door closed, and then sobbed. It was too stimulating, too stimulating. He nearly exposed himself, because he had felt so good. With Jing Zhao’s personality, he absolutely would not allow anyone else to know his most unbearable secret. Therefore, he could only cry out miserably and curse to cover it up….Aside from Yang Xian, everyone else who knew of his past had already been killed by him.

444 was just as naive and simple as always.

【444：Host dada, you’re so amazing, ah! Indeed, the more you seek death, the more unwilling he will be to let you die! O(∩_∩)O~】

&#k3010;Xie He&#kUU1J;Of course, I’ve studied psychology before. Smile.JPG&#k3011;

&#k3010;444&#kUU1J;The Blackening Value has already decreased by so much! So fast! \(&#k2267;&#k25KB;&#k2266;)/&#k3011;

&#k3010;Xie He&#kUU1J;It’s just so-so. &#k1U642; &#k3011;

&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;

Chu Xing did not appear at Xie He’s for a few days. Xie He really wanted to tell the Imperial Kitchen to bring him all of the delicacies they could make! However, right now, he was supposed to be utterly dejected. It was not appropriate for him to eat or drink much. Fortunately, General Chu finally did something considerate. Although he didn’t come over, he would instruct the Imperial Kitchen to make the highest-quality delicacies for Xie He. He was even afraid that Xie He would not eat and would always order his subordinates to stand guard on the side, ensuring that he ate his fill.

Xie He ate and drank to his content every day. Eventually, his face became rosy again. He felt that he had come back to life.

When Chu Xing came back, Xie He was not in his room. He found Xie He in a nearby garden.

Xie He sat on the stone bench by himself. His figure looked frail and thin. Before him was a chess board. He was playing against himself. There was still a pair of gold manacles on his wrists. A gold chain was threaded through the little hoops. The chain was long enough for him to spread his arms to shoulder length. He was currently twirling a white piece in his hand as if he was hesitating over where to put it.

It was very rare for Chu Xing to see such a quiet and unperturbed Xie He. Most of the time, the other’s expression was treacherous. Moreover, as soon as he saw him, the other would flash him a rancorous expression. He suddenly recalled the first time Chen Cong had entered the palace. At that time, the Incapable Ruler had also been sitting there calmly in his Qin Palace playing chess as if he had no regard for his own life and death. He had been calm. At that time, Chu Xing had been a bit surprised. He had thought that the Incapable Ruler would cry and beg for his life to be spared. But in reality, he didn’t…he didn’t, even at the peak of his despair and suffering.

This person had had the greatest authority in the world. He had had the most extravagant and wanton lifestyle that existed. He should have been reluctant to part with it. But, he hadn’t acted that way. It was almost like it had only been logical for him to give it up, like what he had been throwing away was not the position of the highest power but the shackles that bound him.

【Ding, the target, Chu Xing’s Favourability Value +10. The current Favourability Value is 50. The current Blackening Value is 60.】

Chu Xing stood there fixedly, a bit absentminded. He suddenly didn’t want to destroy this peaceful scene….Despite that, he had come here today with a goal.

He recalled the miserable state of the people, who had no way to survive, on his way back from the frontier to the Capital as well as the countless innocent, loyal, and good citizens who had died under the Incapable Ruler’s hand…. There was also Chen Cong’s younger brother, Chen Yan….He had met the boy before. The boy had always intimately called him Chu dage….

Chu Xing’s eyes became grim again. How could he let his mind be muddled by this Incapable Ruler’s false image? Even if he had an alluring skin, his essence was still that of a sinner, wicked beyond redemption!

Chu Xing took big strides and smiled insipidly, “Your Majesty is very refined and elegant, ah.”

Xie He glanced up to look at him expressionlessly. He then looked back to his chess board, still hesitating on what move to make. Chu Xing was angered by his indifferent appearance. He smacked the chess board away, causing the black and white chess pieces to scatter onto the ground….

Xie He’s expression warped. His face tensed, and blue veins could be seen throbbing in his forehead. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the white chess piece in his hand, fingertips turning white.

Chu Xing sneered. What was this Incapable Ruler playing at? He just messed up his chess board, that’s all. He looked even more pained and angry than when he f*cked him. He seemed to really like to put on an act! He smiled grimly, “Time to go back, Your Majesty.”

Xie He did not get angry in the end. He used a glacial and aversive gaze to look at Chu Xing and then slowly stood up.

In Chu Xing’s eyes, this was an insignificant chess board. But to Jing Zhao, this was the only thing that had kept him going in his life of endless suffering. Everyone in this palace had humiliated him—the guards, the palace maids, the eunuchs—all of them could humiliate him. He was the dirtiest, lowest person in the entire palace….He had no friends, no relatives. During his lonely childhood, the only one thing he could do was take out this chess board for very short intervals and pretend that he was playing chess with an invisible friend. This would let him temporarily forget his extreme suffering and give him some peace.

For a long time, he hadn’t played chess. That was because he had had enough power to exert suffering onto others. He could vent his brutal side as much as he wanted in an attempt to make others bear all of his pain in his stead.

However, fate would never forgive a sinner like him, so he’d come back to his beginning. He’d come back to the nightmare he could never escape.

Xie He lifted his leg, revealing the thick black manacles around his legs. These manacles did not come from the palace. They were custom-made, commissioned by Chu Xing. This mysterious metal was unbreakable.

When Xie He stopped seeking death, Chu Xing stopped chaining him to the bed. He permitted him to move about in his Qin Palace. However, he was afraid that Xie He would escape, or Yang Xian would come rescue him, so he had him put on these manacles….They were incomparably thick, and aside from Chu Xing, no one else could take them off.

The manacles were very heavy. Every step Xie He took was very difficult. The skin around his ankles had begun to bleed from the friction. Chu Xing’s eyebrows furrowed upon seeing this. Didn’t this Incapable Ruler know to quietly stay in one place and avoid movement?

He reached out and directly carried Xie He into his room.

Chu Xing placed Xie He onto the bed. He smirked, “I never expected that Your Majesty took pleasure in self-harm.”

Xie He turned his head away, silent.

Chu Xing was angry. He directly scattered the medicinal powder onto the other’s wounds. Xie He broke out into a cold sweat from the pain.

Xie He’s white lips quivered. He used a detesting and malicious gaze to look at Chu Xing, “What did you come here for?”

Chu Xing also did not say anything superfluous. He pulled out a forged Imperial Decree from his sleeve and threw it to Xie He, “I hope that Your Majesty will announce this Imperial Decree tomorrow in front of everyone.”

Xie He opened it up and immediately laughed out of anger. This Imperial Decree said that he appreciated Chu Xing’s merit of having defended the country and would grant him the title of ‘Special Prince’! It would allow him to enter the palace hall with his sword on him and give him the liberty to enter and leave the Imperial Palace at will! There was also a countless number of other rewards! He threw the Imperial Decree to the ground and said in a frosty voice, “Don’t even think about it!”

This ambitious wolf of a traitor!

Chu Xing used a frigid gaze to stare at Xie He, “Why not? It couldn’t be that Your Majesty shouldn’t reward me?”

Xie He spat out ruthlessly, “Hah…you humiliate Zhen like this and still want Zhen to reward you! I even have to give you free access to the Imperial Palace so that your coming into the Imperial Palace to disgrace Zhen is justified?!”

Chu Xing’s eyes were fixed on him. He suddenly laughed, “I nearly forgot. Actually, Your Majesty has already rewarded me. I came back after a narrow escape, and Your Majesty rewarded me with a cup of poisoned wine.”

When he said this, he recalled the scheming against him that day, and a killing intent arose within his eyes once more.

Xie He broke out into a loud laugh, “It’s really too bad! At that time, I unexpectedly couldn’t kill you, hahahahaha!”

Chu Xing noticed that he actually had felt a bit unaccustomed, having gone so many days without being cursed at by the Incapable Ruler. He expressionlessly waited until Xie He finished cursing him and said, “It is a pity. So, right now, it’s Your Majesty’s turn to beg me to kill you.”

These words made Xie He’s expression turn ugly in an instant. The hate in his eyes dripped out like water.

Chu Xing had no expectations that the Incapable Ruler would be enlightened and agree to his demand. He was prepared to continue using his threat of desecrating Xie He’s corpse, but the words stopped at his lips. Chu Xing looked at Xie He…this Incapable Ruler would not live long…he would not be able to taste this delicious body in the future.

Chu Xing pinched Xie He’s chin and smiled, “How about this, ba? Today, I’ll wager with Your Majesty. If Your Majesty cannot endure and ends up begging me to do you, then it’s Your Majesty’s loss. You will have to personally confer the title to me in front of the military and civil officials. If Your Majesty can endure and refrain from begging, then this Imperial Degree will become invalid, how about it?”

Xie He stared at him coldly, “Why should I wager with you?”

Chu Xing said, “This is my kindness towards you. I’m giving Your Majesty a chance. Or, could it be that Your Majesty wants to hang from the city gates tomorrow?”

These words caused Xie He’s face to stiffen!

Chu Xing let go and stood up, satisfied, “It seems that Your Majesty has agreed.”

Xie He gnashed his teeth and glared at him fiercely, but he didn’t say a thing. He watched as Chu Xing left. After a while, he came back with a porcelain bottle. His expression changed.

Xie He was a bit curious as to how strong the effect of medicine from ancient times could be, how different it would be from that of the system store. However, he showed a terrified and disgusted expression outwardly and tried to flee!

But, how could Chu Xing let him escape? He seized him and pulled him back with a smirk.

…………………………………

The next morning, Chu Xing met with Chen Cong on a pleasure boat on the river. As soon as he saw him, he asked, “Did that Incapable Ruler agree to your demand?”

Chu Xing recalled last night. Although Xie He had not regained awareness, he did indeed take the initiative to beg him, so he nodded.

Chen Cong clapped his hands, gratified, “It should have been like this since long ago. This is what you deserve. If we have this title and have the Incapable Ruler enact an Imperial Decree blaming himself for the people’s suffering, we can have you ascend the throne at an appropriate time. Let’s see if those people dare say anything.”

Chu Xing nodded. When he thought back to how Xie He was still alone in that room and how the drug had yet to completely wear off, he felt a bit absentminded.

Chen Cong did not notice this though. He instead looked at the decorated pleasure boat heading towards them. He smiled at Chu Xing, “That’s the boat of Chunhe House’s number one. She has said that what she admires the most is General Chu’s heroic appearance. She would certainly welcome you to become her frequent guest.”

Chu Xing’s eyebrows furrowed. He had also seen Hua Kui. She was undeniably beautiful, but…what he wanted was unexpectedly that Incapable Ruler, crying and moaning beneath him.

Chen Cong looked at him in question and asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t like her?”

Chu Xing smiled, “That’s not it. Right, let’s go see Liu daren, ba.”

What these Imperial Officials liked to do the most was gossip. They had to win them over.

Chu Xing was busy all day. When he returned to the Imperial Palace, it was already nighttime. When he thought of the state he had left Xie He in, he rushed over.

Who would have expected that Xie He had made himself into a bloody mess and had already fainted?

Chu Xing hadn’t expected the drug to be so strong. When he looked at what Xie He had done to himself to end up in such a miserable state, Chu Xing clenched his fists. It was the first time he felt remorseful. He gently carried Xie He back into the Qin Palace.

Chu Xing stared at the Incapable Ruler lying in the bed with a complicated expression. The Incapable Ruler’s weak body was evidently powerless and frail. His chest rose feebly as if he would die at any moment. His brows were knitted in pain as if he was being tortured in his dreams….

For some inexplicable reason, Chu Xing felt his chest become stuffy. It was difficult to bear. He had been too rough.

Chu Xing knew that he shouldn’t have any tender feelings towards this Incapable Ruler, but he couldn’t control his thoughts. He was torn by this contradictory emotion.

【Ding, the target, Chu Xing’s Favourability Value +10. The current Favourability Value is 60. The current Blackening Value is 60.】

【444：Host dada…./(ㄒoㄒ)/~~】

【Xie He：I’m currently pondering over an issue.】

【444：What? QAQ】

【Xie He：If I were to sell this aphrodisiac into that scam of a system shop, I could sell it for at least 1000 experience points. I’ve confirmed that the efficacy of the ancient’s medicine is good.】

【444：……】

【Xie He: Too bad it was all used up. 🙂 】

【444：You want to use it again? Σ( °△°|||)︴】

【Xie He：Oh, did you think I’m that kind of person? I just wanted to say that perhaps it can be recycled. Smile.JPG】

【444：_(:зゝ∠)_】You are precisely that kind of person!

Xie He felt hungry. He slowly opened his eyes. There was no one else in the room, but it was fine. He had a special summoning skill. With a “thump,” he fell onto the ground heavily. Indeed, shortly after, Chu Xing rushed in.

As soon as he came in, Chu Xing saw that the Incapable Ruler had fallen onto the floor. The black, lifeless eyes on his pale face stared back at him.

He rushed over to pick Xie He up and place him back onto the soft bed. He parted his lips, but in the end, he didn’t say anything.

Xie He fixed his eyes on him. A long time later, he spoke first, “That Imperial Decree, Zhen grants it.”

That apathetic appearance seemed to say, Are you satisfied now?

Chu Xing’s goal had been achieved, but he still did not smile. He just said, “Alright.”

Xie He shut his eyes and did not say anything else as if he didn’t want to see this person.

Chu Xing paused. This Incapable Ruler had passed out for more than a day. He must be hungry right now. Therefore, he turned and left, bringing him back some food. Because the Incapable Ruler’s injuries were very severe, what he ate now also had to be under strict control.

Xie He looked at the porridge in front of him with sorrow in his eyes. He drank it, feeling mortified. Although he had purposely turned himself into such a miserable state to attract Chu Xing’s attention, he was really distressed…. He really wanted to eat last time’s Golden Thread Pastry Birds,Ruiyi rolls, and sweet-and-sour lotus root again!

Chu Xing watched the Incapable Ruler drink the porridge without any resistance, eyes cold and desolate. Chu Xing felt the distress he felt for the other grow.

He knew that he must be going crazy to actually begin to feel distressed for this Incapable Ruler. When he saw him in pain, he would feel unwell. Clearly, in the beginning, he had wanted to torment him until he would rather die. But, in this short amount of time, he couldn’t help but be drawn to him.

Perhaps it was that beautiful body of his. Perhaps it was the way he looked death so calmly in the face. Perhaps it was the tranquility that came when he played chess…All of these things made him seem different from what he had originally imagined.

He didn’t understand why, but…suddenly, there was only this Incapable Ruler in his heart and eyes.

【Ding, the target, Chu Xing’s Favourability Value +10. The current Favourability Value is 70. The current Blackening Value is 60.】