Chapter 2: “Dare to Humiliate Me? You’re Asking for Death!”
After a while, A Wang finally returned with news about Qi:
“Qi still exists. After their defeat, they agreed to our demand for increased tribute and have now made peace with us. Why are you suddenly concerned about this, Young Master?”
“…Nothing.” Qi Xiaojun let out a long sigh, collapsing into a chair. “I was just reading a romance novel about a forbidden love between a man from Chu and a man from Qi, and it brought this to mind. You may leave.”
Qi was a vassal state of Chu, obligated to pay annual tribute. Chu had previously demanded increased tribute, a request rejected by Qi Xiaojun’s father. This led to Chu’s aggressive invasion of Qi.
Qi Xiaojun knew how humiliating it must have been for his proud father to lose a son and tens of thousands of soldiers, yet still had to agree to the increased tribute to preserve the state.
Qi Xiaojun felt a wave of shame, clenching his fists, and wished he could crush every person in Chu to pieces!
He resented Chu’s demand for a hostage from Qi, a demand that kept him from returning home until he reached adulthood. Now, just four years later, their actions were escalating, becoming even more shameless.
As Qi Xiaojun was lost in thought, someone barged into the room without knocking.
This person was adorned in jewels, wearing a low-cut green silk gown. Despite being male, he wore heavy makeup and long, greyish-black fingernails.
However, Qi Xiaojun felt that, aside from the repulsive and flamboyant aura, if the makeup were removed, this person’s facial features were even more similar to Zhou Jun and himself than either of them were to each other.
From Zhou Jun’s memories, Qi Xiaojun recognized this person as the “Consort Yin,” Yin Mei, mentioned by the maidservant. Since the custom of taking male concubines was relatively new in Chu, many families still used the old titles for female consorts. But Qi Xiaojun felt that calling him “Your Grace” would be an insult.
Yin Mei approached Qi Xiaojun with a smile. “It seems our Jun-di (Younger Brother Jun) is feeling much better? You had a high fever for three days and nights and were unconscious; you really scared me. If you had died, I would have been heartbroken.”
Qi Xiaojun immediately recognized the maliciousness in Yin Mei’s smile.
Though he had never taken a wife or concubine, as a prince he had witnessed countless power struggles in his father’s palace. He understood that Yin Mei had deliberately called Chu Lianmo away from his room.
“You said you weren’t feeling well earlier. You recovered so quickly? The Prince wasn’t here to keep you company?”
Qi Xiaojun revealed two facts: first, Yin Mei had likely been feigning illness; second, Chu Lianmo had visited him but left quickly. Qi Xiaojun wondered what Yin Mei had to boast about.
“…The Prince was still busy with state affairs! How dare you talk to me like that!”
Yin Mei’s face paled. He grabbed a cup of tea from the bedside table and threw it at Qi Xiaojun’s face.
Qi Xiaojun easily dodged it and slapped Yin Mei across the face.
“You’ve gone mad?!” Yin Mei was both shocked and enraged. He couldn’t believe that Zhou Jun, once timid and submissive, had changed so drastically after a simple illness. “I am a consort, and you’re just a mere concubine! How dare you hit me? You want to die! I’ll go find the Prince and see what he does to you!”
“Go ahead.” Qi Xiaojun sneered, lazily leaning back in his chair and yawning.
Yin Mei stormed off.
Moments later, he summoned Chu Lianmo.
“Your Highness, look at my face! He beat me!” Yin Mei cried, touching his swollen cheeks dramatically before Chu Lianmo. “He must have gone insane! You must have him beaten to death!”
In Chu, those deemed insane were considered possessed and deserving of death; hence Yin Mei’s suggestion.
Chu Lianmo frowned, remaining noncommittal, his gaze fixed suspiciously on Qi Xiaojun.
“Insane?” Qi Xiaojun stood up, a cold smile on his lips. “Your Highness, do you know why I had a fever for three days? Because Yin Mei falsely accused me of stealing his hairpin and forced me to kneel in the rain for a day and night, not allowing me to eat or drink…Ha, even the government needs evidence to use torture, and he had none. Why did he have the right to use such methods?”
Chu Lianmo’s face turned icy; he glared at Yin Mei. “Is what he says true?”
“No, no!” Yin Mei trembled violently under Chu Lianmo’s fierce gaze, shaking his head frantically. “He’s truly gone insane and is making things up! Your Highness, look, he is completely different from before; he must be possessed by an evil spirit!”
“It’s because I’ve had enough! Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Even a rabbit will bite when cornered’?”
Qi Xiaojun offered a reason for his changed demeanor, and continued to recount Yin Mei’s offenses:
“The day after I became your concubine, you called me a shameless vixen, held my head under freezing water, only releasing me when I was near death, repeating this over and over…
“Later, you stripped me naked and stabbed me repeatedly with needles, not even sparing my most sensitive areas! You knew this method would inflict excruciating pain without leaving scars.
“Pouring scalding tea on me and beating the parts of my body covered by clothing are trivial by comparison. You always found excuses to cause me trouble, sometimes without even bothering to fabricate one.
“There are so many people in this mansion; I’m sure someone saw these things! Do you still intend to deny it?”
“Your Highness!” Qi Xiaojun knelt before Chu Lianmo. “I beg you to investigate these matters and grant me justice!”
Chu Lianmo was utterly shocked.
The seemingly harmless Yin Mei had committed so many horrific acts in his absence?!
Qi Xiaojun’s logic was impeccable, suggesting he wasn’t insane. Coupled with Yin Mei’s pale face, it was clear that Qi Xiaojun’s accusations were true!
Seeing Chu Lianmo’s shocked and enraged reaction, Qi Xiaojun knew he had gambled correctly.
He knew from his past interactions that Chu Lianmo was, at least, somewhat kind, the only one among the Chu royal family he somewhat approved of.
—Though he still found every single person from Chu despicable, even the best of them.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?!”
Qi Xiaojun also wondered why Zhou Jun, this body’s original owner, had endured such abuse without fighting back.
Zhou Jun’s memories revealed that he was a timid and cowardly illegitimate son who had endured similar mistreatment from his stepmother and siblings, a neglect his father had always ignored.
Much like Chu Lianmo had ignored him.
With so many concubines, Chu Lianmo clearly couldn’t favor them all; he favored Yin Mei the most.
This explained why Zhou Jun hadn’t dared to offend Yin Mei.
But “explanation” only tried to understand Zhou Jun’s psychology. Qi Xiaojun’s philosophy was: If you don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke you; If you provoke me, I will retaliate tenfold.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry!” Yin Mei, knowing his denial was useless, knelt before Chu Lianmo, kowtowing repeatedly. “I was just jealous of others because I love you so much! Please forgive me this time!”
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