Chapter 5: Boundless Romance — Prince Yong Makes His Move, Forcing Ying Xi with Brute Strength to…
After speaking, Prince Yong played his game even more enthusiastically.
If the rest of the court could maintain at least a superficial respect for Ying Xi, Prince Yong was different.
Prince Yong refused to give Ying Xi any face; he didn’t even fear Ying Xi killing him.
He had no fear of death, so neither the threat of torture nor execution had any effect on him.
Moreover, Ying Xi truly couldn’t easily take Prince Yong’s life, because he and Prince Yong were family in the truest sense. Ten years ago, the Late Emperor, having hollowed out his body through debauchery, left no heirs and was forced to adopt a child from a distant branch of the imperial clan to inherit the throne.
The one the Late Emperor had his eye on was the heir of Prince Yongning of Yangzhou—Ying Xi, who was renowned locally as a child prodigy.
When the Late Emperor sent men to take Ying Xi away, they also brought along Prince Yongning’s second son, Ying Dang—the man currently before him.
By rights, the two should have been the closest of kin.
But ever since coming to Chang’an, Ying Xi found Prince Yong’s temper increasingly impossible to gauge. He became rebellious, eccentric, and utterly unpredictable.
In his past life, Ying Xi had tried many times to counsel Prince Yong, hiring learned scholars to serve as Ying Dang’s tutors, offering stern criticism and discipline. The result was that they drifted further and further apart.
Just recently, on the day the Xiongnu besieged the city, Ying Xi had hidden Ying Dang to protect him. Yet, Ying Dang had opened the side gate from the inside, releasing the Xiongnu cavalry into the city. He destroyed Xie Qianli’s defense plan on the spot, leading to the fall of the nation.
“……” The events of the past were vivid in his mind.
Ying Xi felt a blockage in his chest, imperceptibly tightening the hands pinned behind his back.
Ying Dang was willing to be the final straw that broke Great Qin.
He dared to defect to the enemy on the spot, so what was a little teasing of the Emperor? What was taking liberties with the Emperor?
There was nothing Ying Dang wouldn’t do.
So, Ying Xi suppressed the impulse to teach Prince Yong a lesson right then and there. A familiar sense of exhaustion washed over him; the other party was physically stronger than him, and his moral compass was non-existent.
Ying Xi decided to look out for himself first in this life.
He needed to escape; he didn’t want to be hurt by Prince Yong. Mulling over the idea of finding an opportunity later to put a collar on Prince Yong and whip him soundly, Ying Xi pursed his lips tightly.
At this moment, Prince Yong became even more presumptuous.
Though they came from the same Prince Yongning Manor, Ying Dang possessed a strong physique that made Ying Xi look like a pearl just lifted from the water by comparison.
Ying Dang released the hand gripping Ying Xi, switching to tilt Ying Xi’s chin upward. “Do you know, Royal Brother? What do you think those censors and officials would think if they saw His Majesty in a brothel? How would the history books record it? What legends would spread among the common people?”
Prince Yong was guiding Ying Xi’s imagination.
Ying Xi understood. Prince Yong wanted him to lose all face, to let rumors spread that the dignified Emperor slept with prostitutes.
He was pulled closer to Prince Yong. Looking over Prince Yong’s shoulder, he saw the wall of this ordinary guest room, and behind Prince Yong, a large window.
Ying Xi judged by the direction the window opened: if he could break free from Prince Yong and jump out, he could reach the streets of Chang’an in the shortest possible time.
He would be violating the night curfew and would certainly take a nasty fall… but it didn’t matter!
Running into patrolling soldiers would actually get him back to the palace. Sometimes, sacrifices were necessary.
Ying Xi’s freed hand had already zeroed in on a decorative vase on the table.
It was a stroke of luck—the vase had a narrow neck, perfect for gripping in his palm to smash over Prince Yong’s head. He would knock some sense into this brother of his.
The confrontation lasted only a brief moment, and just as the situation was about to reverse…
Just as Ying Xi’s palm touched the vase, a crisp notification sound rang in his mind.
The System interface popped up a mission again, but this time there was no countdown. Instead, a semi-transparent, empty bar appeared in his field of vision.
Sweet Tub: “Ding ding! Novice Mission Two released. Please check it, Your Majesty!”
Ying Xi’s brows furrowed inadvertently.
His fingertips paused on the porcelain. He saw the mission content clearly and was so angry he almost laughed.
— [Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1)]!!!
In. Sane.
No matter how good the Emperor’s self-restraint was, this time Ying Xi couldn’t control his emotions.
The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. Distracted, he glanced at Ying Dang, who was unfastening his own clothes. Ying Xi fought hard to suppress the urge to slap him across the face and completely enrage his bastard brother.
Ying Xi demanded, “I am the one who needs protection.”
“N… Novice missions… cannot be changed,” Sweet Tub whispered, repeating the rules.
This drew a muffled grunt from Ying Xi, his breathing heavy.
Sweet Tub sensed Ying Xi’s reaction was off. Its host was usually as steady as an old dog, but his treatment of Prince Yong was fundamentally different from how he treated human traffickers.
In reality, it didn’t know how many tangled concerns Ying Xi harbored.
It heard Prince Yong strike first, his voice pitched slightly high, having just shed the boyishness of youth and carrying a hint of madness: “Does Royal Brother like this vase?”
“What a pity. This subject-brother comes to this brothel often; I count as a VIP here.”
“The old madam running this kiln is ugly and stingy. She abducts people into this dark business, doing trade without even putting up capital.”
“The decorations here look expensive, but they are all fakes. For making His Majesty look at them, these bottles deserve to die ten thousand deaths. This subject-brother will dispose of them for you immediately—crushing them to powder.”
Crash…
Smash…
Sounds of shattering erupted in the room.
Prince Yong knocked over all the vases in succession. The commotion would definitely attract a lot of people!
He did it on purpose.
This suite was not secluded, and the soundproofing was far inferior to the previous room. Before long, footsteps would come rushing down the corridor.
Prince Yong watched the drama with great interest. “The Censor-in-Chief’s grandson, the Rite Minister’s nephew—these playboys are all in the building. They have no filter on their mouths, and their words carry weight all over Chang’an.”
Ying Xi locked his brows.
Prince Yong continued, “Presumably, His Majesty and this subject-brother’s heroic postures will immediately be made public to the—”
Ying Xi sighed lightly. “I have just ascended the throne. I have only seen the ministers in the court and held a few morning assemblies. The scions of various families do not yet know my appearance; they won’t recognize me easily. You need to leave, quickly.”
“—masses.”
Hearing Ying Xi’s words, the frivolous expression on Prince Yong’s face froze instead.
Prince Yong raised an eyebrow.
The empty bar before Ying Xi’s eyes was slowly filling up as time passed. Ying Xi guessed that the absurd mission would only be declared complete when the progress bar was full.
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 5%]
Prince Yong clearly hadn’t expected Ying Xi’s reaction.
In the past, his Royal Brother only had two attitudes toward him.
Either he would find a stiff, old minister to reprimand and educate him—out of respect for the minister being near death, Yong wouldn’t easily pluck their beard or burn their clothes, but his attitude was never humble. He would often just turn and walk away, leaving the old minister staring at his back, beating his chest and stomping his feet.
Or, Ying Xi would scold him personally.
Since coming to Chang’an, his Royal Brother had developed an indescribable aura of majesty. He was surrounded by guards, never giving Yong a chance to get close, let alone play tricks on him like this.
Ying Xi was always looking down from above.
Having been scolded so much, now that the tables were finally turned, Prince Yong thought he would surely see Ying Xi in a wretched state—either terrified and uneasy, or begging to be let go so his image before his subjects wouldn’t be ruined…
But he never expected that at this critical juncture, Ying Xi would actually protect him.
It didn’t seem fake, and he found it hard to accept.
Prince Yong’s brow raised even higher. He broke into a smile that looked dangerous and biting, leaning down until his nose touched Ying Xi’s. The words he spoke next lightly were enough to push Ying Xi to the limit of his anger.
Prince Yong: “This subject-brother doesn’t want to leave. This subject-brother just loves trampling on His Majesty’s goodwill. Besides, with this face and this status, no matter where I go in a brothel, people fight to serve me. This subject-brother never covets those vain reputations.”
Despite his words, the fingers of the hand Prince Yong rested on Ying Xi’s lower back trembled slightly.
His smile was dissolute, but his eyes were guarded, narrowing into slits as if trying to see through Ying Xi completely in that short moment.
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 15%]
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 25%]
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 35%]
The damn progress bar advanced slowly.
Ying Xi suppressed his anger, forcing his voice to remain steady.
He couldn’t change his mind. His lower back trembled where Prince Yong touched it; he was sensitive in many places, and Prince Yong knew him very well, stroking him almost imperceptibly.
For a brother to do this to a brother, he must be crazy.
But Ying Xi knew Prince Yong was a lunatic!
Ying Xi didn’t feel the action was born of malice or love; the other party simply enjoyed it on purpose. And right now, without guards, Ying Xi couldn’t pose any threat to him.
“You are usually absurd, nothing more than being impeached by censors, having people sent to reprimand you, or me scolding you a few times—none of which you ever took to heart!”
Ying Xi paused, then continued, “But abducting me into a brothel, being intimate with me… if seen, these are all capital crimes! I have already turned a blind eye to your violations of the law, but if a scandal breaks out again, even I won’t be able to protect you.”
Prince Yong locked his brows.
Then, his raised eyebrows gradually leveled, and Prince Yong reined in his mocking expression.
Prince Yong had long regarded life and death as lighter than water. But that genuine word “protect” in Ying Xi’s speech touched his heart like a blossom dipping into water, creating a slight ripple.
In these past few years of confrontation with his Royal Brother, it was always blame, always resentment—when had the word “protect” ever been used?
An uncontrollable sourness rose in Prince Yong’s heart. He gritted his teeth hard!
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 45%]
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 55%]
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 65%]
Meanwhile, Ying Xi lowered his head, waiting for the mission to end.
Even if he had to jump from the large window later and lame himself, he didn’t want to stay in this hellhole entangled with Ying Dang for another moment.
Ying Xi was unaware of how he looked in Prince Yong’s eyes: long, slender lashes half-lowered, cheeks flushed red, eyes shimmering with concern. It was like a god stepping down from a high altar. Just like in the Prince Yongning Manor ten years ago, it was a scenery Ying Dang could never forget in this life.
Ying Dang’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 75%]
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 85%]
“In that room!”
The people outside the guest room followed the sound and found them!
The brothel hand’s voice echoed through the building, clearly audible. The crowd was coming from the direction Ying Xi had fled; the thumping footsteps were chaotic.
One brothel hand said, “Damn it! The rich master buying ass in Spring Orchid Garden got pecked in the eye by a new bird. He was drugged! He mistook Qin Wu for a gigolo. When I went in to deliver water just now, the two of them were gnawing on each other!”
“The corridor is full of the smell of aphrodisiacs. Ruthless bastard! I just walked past once, and now I’m rock hard down there…”
“What’s the noise now?”
“If it’s that little duck again, once the Master finds out, he’ll smash our rice bowls. If I catch him, I’ll screw him for seven days and seven nights!”
“…”
The brothel hands doing the dirty work were full of foul obscenities.
The door was wide open, and the thugs gathered outside.
News that a stunningly beautiful and spicy new gigolo had snuck into the pleasure quarters had grown wings. The playboys who came to watch the excitement crowded the doorway like ants. Since the pimp Qin Wu had a good eye for abducting people, everyone was expectant.
[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (0/1): 95%]
A brothel hand stormed through the door aggressively: “Damn it, catch him for me!”
The moment the thug stepped over the threshold, his face changed drastically.
Reflected in the thug’s eyes was the dissolute and frivolous Ying Dang. The room was small; inside, Ying Dang was holding a slender young gentleman.
That young gentleman was the very gigolo Qin Wu said he had lured into the building.
The room should have been pristine, but broken porcelain littered the floor. The figures were overlapping. The young gentleman was hidden by Prince Yong’s sleeves, still trembling, his face completely invisible. The frequency of his trembling sparked infinite imagination in those present—it seemed Prince Yong had already had his way with him.
Prince Yong was royalty. That he would condescend to come play in their dark brothel gave the Brothel Master immense face; he was the Master’s number one VIP.
Thus, having met Prince Yong’s eyes for just a second, the thug was so terrified he shook like chaff.
The thug’s knees went soft and he collapsed. “P-P-P-Please forgive me, my Lord… This slave didn’t know it was the Prince’s person. I disturbed the Prince’s mood! This slave deserves ten thousand deaths, this slave deserves ten thousand deaths!”
After the thug bowed down, the other playboys knelt as well. These second and third-generation ancestors mostly held no rank and only knew how to cause trouble. Without favor from their clans, who dared risk offending Prince Yong?!
Prince Yong let out a nasal sneer: “Scram.”
Before the word “Scram” had even faded…
The thug and the crowd of playboys wished they could erase their own existence on the spot, fighting over each other to back out of the room, squeezing the door frame until it nearly burst.
In truth, Ying Xi wasn’t trembling from being kissed; he was trembling from rage.
The instant the outsiders barged into the room, Prince Yong had made his move, using brute force to twist Ying Xi directly into that ambiguous position.
Ying Xi’s physical strength was naturally inferior to Prince Yong’s. To have his Imperial dignity violated like this was something he absolutely could not accept.
Only then did the progress bar sluggishly fill up—[Accompany and Protect Prince Yong (1/1)].
A sense of relief flooded Ying Xi’s brain as he received the mission reward.
Sweet Tub’s lively girlish voice rang out again, smoothly reporting the settlement: “Congratulations, Mission Complete. Charm +500. System Level Up. ‘Return to Base’ function unlocked. Would you like to try it?”
Ying Xi had absolutely no idea where “Base” was.
But anywhere was better than here. Ying Xi nodded, and immediately, he was enveloped by layers of brilliant golden light.
…
Recommended Reads
