Ch. 1: Hostage

 12th Year of Qin Chang King, Winter

Outside the window, the snow flutters everywhere.

As the cold permeated the air, the servants in the palace who wore thick winter coats and were sweeping the snow would rub their hands together from time to time, their breaths producing a continuous stream of water vapor.

The ice and snow had weighed down the plum blossoms a bit, and produced a layer of frost.

The room inside wasn't much warmer either, the fire in the stove had been burnt out. The cold penetrated to their very bones, making all four limbs freezing rigid.

A young man wearing a snow fox garment was sitting near the window. The hot tea that he had been holding has already been blown cold by the wind and snow. His fingers are long with distinct joints, and are very good looking.

Chang Shou (name meaning long life) carefully stepped up: "Prince, it is cold outside, let this servant close the window."

As the youth heard his voice, he turned his head around to reveal a classically beautiful visage with a radiant aura.

Even if it was the number one beauty of the seven kingdoms, Yan Kingdom's Princess Zhong Hua, who saw him, she would probably feel chagrined. A beauty that overthrows countries, and yet is not as good as a man's appearance.

Wei Lian smiled: "If the window was open, I would at least be able to see the enemy kingdom's wind and snow. If it was closed, then there wouldn't be anything to see."

His voice was gentle, yet cold as jade. His face contained a fraction of a smile. If anyone saw him, they would feel that this was only a rich man's son who was leisurely enjoying the snow, with no doubts to his identity.

Yet as Chang Shou heard this, his nose became stuffy, and his tears almost fell.

The Chu Kingdom had abundant snowfall. The prince is thinking of home.

But as the Qin Kingdom's hostage, he will probably in his lifetime.....never be able to go back.

The prince was only 19 years old, and yet he would have to waste his entire life here in another country.

Chang Shou used his fingers to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, his voice was already stuffy: "Prince needs to protect his body. If a cold is contracted, it is afraid..."

It is afraid that the Qin people would not even provide a doctor for the Prince.

The prince is of the Chu Kingdom's royalty, and yet had ended up in a place like this.

_

The world at present is divided into seven: Qin, Chu, Yan, Lu, Liang, Chen, and Xia. They each control one section of land, and each have a king.

The Qin Chang King Ji Yue ascended to the throne when he was nine years old, and had been ruling for 12 years. He knew to be brave and to strategize, and was proficient in battle. He was also an ambitious individual, and was known to be vicious and cruel. In his twelve years on the throne, he declared war nine times, and swallowed innumerable cities. Five kingdoms  surrendered, and they were forced to pay tribute every year.

The smallest Xia Kingdom was left from ruin just one step away.

Chu, however, remained a strong kingdom, and fought with the Qin soldiers for many years. Every other kingdom had already surrendered. Only Chu was still fighting.

Regrettably, this time they lost big at the Battle of Yanling. The Qin broke through three large barrier gates. As the danger of annihilation was seen, the Chu Kingdom hurriedly sent Prince Lian as a hostage, and promised gold and pearls, as well as cloths and horses to express their subservience.

It is said he is sent to become a hostage, but in reality he is sent to die. The Qin and Chu had been fighting for many years, and each side hated each other to death. A Chu Kingdom's prince sent to the Qin Kingdom is equivalent to a lamb sent to a tiger's mouth. It wouldn't be a surprise if they were immediately ripped to shreds.

He is the Chu Kingdom's abandoned son.

Wei Lian's mother was only a palace maid who died giving birth to him. Although he had the nobility of a prince, he had experienced the warmth and coldness of humankind. He had already known well his fate. 

The Chu Kingdom's officials had entered the capital and yet the King of Qin had not received them. They only heard a message: "Leave Prince Lian behind. Everyone else return to their country. Gu (how kings address themselves) does not want to meet them."

Just like that, the Chu Kingdom's officials left, and Prince Lian was left behind. And left behind with him were only Chang Sheng (long life) and Chang Shou (long age), two housekeepers who had been serving him since they were young.

Wei Lian waited in the post office for two days, but there were no summons.

He was calmly arranging flowers and brewing tea. Chang Sheng and Chang Shou worriedly circle around. Chang Sheng even said: "Prince, how about we run away?"

For his two confidants next to him, Chang Shou is dexterous with his hands and feet, and his words are entertaining. Wei Lian liked to joke around with him, and it seemed they were closer to each other. Chang Sheng is strong in martial arts, and did not smile or speak often. He was very respectful and never crossed boundaries, but he was the one Wei Lian trusted for important tasks.

In this world, probably only Chang Sheng knew that the delicate and weak Prince Lian is even stronger than him in martial arts. It is not an impossibility to escape from the Qin Kingdom.

"Run?" Wei Lian absentmindedly trimmed the flower branch, "Where could I run to?"

"The world is big. As long as we leave Yong Ping, how could prince not go anywhere freely and with ease? With prince's abilities, prince doesn't need to helplessly surrender!"

"Everywhere under the sky is the king's land." Wei Lian successfully cut the the flower branch into a nice shape, and contentedly put down the shears, "Even if I can escape from Yong Ping, I cannot escape from the Qin Kingdom. Even if I escape from the Qin Kingdom, with one decree from the King of Qin, all six kingdoms would be searching for me as a criminal. Even my mother country would not do so differently. One is a Prince of Chu who is all alone, and one is the King of Qin with millions of soldiers at his disposal. Chang Sheng, they know who to please."

As Chang Sheng hears this, a helpless feeling flows to his heart: "But prince..... you will die if you don't run.....the King of Qin hasn't made any movements these two days, but who knows if there will be an execution decree tomorrow to soothe the Qin people's anger towards the Chu people?"

Wei Lian lightly spoke, "Then I would just die."

Chang Sheng halted, "What did prince say?"

"Maybe by hanging, by being hanged, drawn, and quartered, or if the King of Qin was merciful, by a cup of poisonous wine." Wei Lian looked up and smiled, "Left or right, it is but a death, what is there to be afraid of?"

Chang Sheng lowered his eyes: "Prince is clearly.....not someone who would just wait and sit around."

 "Chang Sheng," Wei Lian harbored a smile, "I can run away, but if I run away, what would become of the Chu Kingdom?"

Chang Sheng angrily spoke, "The Chu Kingdom already abandoned you, why should you put them in your heart?"

"It is not that I have attachments. The Chu Kingdom's palace is the same as the Qin Kingdom's, neither have warmth." Wei Lian lightly shook his head, "The Chu Kingdom sent me here to stop the war. If I run away, and the King of Qin is angered and decides to start another war, the ones who die will be the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. I use one life to switch tens of thousands of lives, worth it."

Chang Sheng opened his mouth, but no words came out. A long time had passed before both his legs kneeled down, and he performed the Chu Kingdom's rite of formality (kowtow).

Wei Lian spurt out in laughter, "I'm not dead yet, and you look like you want to send me off? Things might not progress to the worse case scenario."

——The third day, the king's decree came, not to put him to death, but to confer a shijun (male concubine) title to Wei Lian, who is expected to enter the palace to serve the king.

Shijun....what thing is that supposed to be?

The King of Qin is twenty-one this year. Because of the continuous wars every year, he was busy taking over lands, resulting in the harem becoming a mere decoration.

The first time he decided to take a beauty.....he takes a man.

For the harem's positions, below the queen 's position are the four consorts and three ladies. Concubines are numerous in number. What is a Shijun? It has no name or rank; it is equivalent to a concubine.

A concubine.

This is absolutely a humiliation——so what if he was the Prince of Chu? If he comes to the Qin Kingdom, he could only be a man's pet, a toy.

The Qin Kingdom's officials all thought that way, and so there was no opposition to the king's decree to grant a man's entrance into the harem. Some were even clapping their hands in gratification. To kill someone is to destroy their heart. Forcing a man to submit is more painful than death.

The king is truly wise.

Chang Sheng and Chang Shou heard the news as if a lighting bolt struck the earth. Chang Shou's eyes immediately reddened: "Prince, the King of Qin is too much, he actually humiliated you like this!"

Wei Lian said: "Isn't this rather nice? At least I kept my life."

Chang Shou cried: "Living lowly like this, death is better!"

Wei Lian: "Don't be like this, I still want to live."

In the end, Wei Lian entered the palace. 

Everyone in the palace knew the title Shijun was conferred not because of favor, but of disgrace. So naturally, no one gave any good faces. As half a month passed without any summons from the king, people were even more confident with their convictions that Wei Lian's position held no power.

As there were no servants assigned to him, Wei Lian lived leisurely and idly with Chang Sheng and Chang Shou. The food was bland and coarse, but as long as it wasn't rotten and cold, it was still edible. It's just that winter is really difficult to endure.

As winter descended and the air grew frigid, Wei Lian's courtyard's firewood was less than a palace maid's, and there weren't any thick covers, only a thin quilt. If Wei Lian didn't know any martial arts, an idle man like him truly wouldn't be able to survive winter.

Chang Shou attempted to work in the internal affairs department, but was ridiculed and chased out.

The days were very hard to live by.

"Prince, the tea has gone cold, let this servant switch another cup." Chang Shou was only eighteen, and yet was always worrying. The tea that was sent to the Green Bamboo Court was of low quality. Brewing the tea would be for warming hands, and not for drinking.

Wei Lian glanced at him, and his gaze stopped: "What happened to your hands?"

Chang Shou rushed to put his hands into his sleeves, but Wei Lian caught his wrist.

The fingers were all swollen and suffering from frostbite.

Wei Lian and Chang Sheng had martial arts to protect their bodies, but Chang Shou didn't.

Chang Shou hurriedly said: "Prince, it's alright....."

"I still have some ointment." Wei Lian's eyes slightly drooped, "In the third box near the bed, go take and use it."

Chang Shou repeatedly shook his head, "No, prince, you should save the ointment to use for yourself. The people in the doctor's courtyard don't care about us. Every time the ointment is used there would be less of it. It can't be wasted on this servant."

"Too talkative, this is an order." Wei Lian wouldn't allow any arguments, "Go quickly."

Chang Shou covered his mouth and had a look as if he was about to cry. He bowed and entered the bedroom to take the ointment.

Wei Lian looked towards the cold teapot as his thoughts wandered off.

Then he stood up and closed the window.

Only then did the room become slightly warmer.

Chang Shou entered the room and saw the closed window. He was extremely moved.

The prince is taking care of him since he can't withstand the cold.

Although this bit of rise in temperature is nothing, and the room is still freezing to the bones, Chang Shou felt his heart filled with warmth.

_

Usually, the three of them would eat dinner together.

Living in another country and in a difficult position, Wei Lian didn't feel the need to care about the usual master-servant etiquette, and called for the two people to share a table of food together. Chang Sheng and Chang Shou were reluctant at first, but gradually let go of it in time.

In their situation, the food would obviously not have someone to specially send it to them, so they had to go and get it themselves. Usually, the food were steamed buns or cold noodles. Wei Lian didn't pick at his food, so he lived rather comfortably.

Today however, Chang Shou returned with reddened eyes.

"Why are you crying again?" Chang Sheng scrunched his eyebrows, "Did the people in the imperial food court make things difficult again?"

"They said I came too late, there was only this left.....but I was clearly the earliest!" Chang Shou sorrowfully said, "How could the prince eat this!"

Chang Sheng opened the food box to take a look, and was first assaulted by the smell of spoiled food. He immediately put the lid back on.

.....How many nights has passed since the food was first made?

The Qin people has started to intensify their bullying. Even the food became worse.

"Unreasonable!" Chang Sheng gnashed his teeth together, "I'm going to go find them——"

"Find who?" Wei Lian stepped out of his room to find both of them standing in front of the door.

Chang Sheng and Chang Shou became momentarily speechless.

Wei Lian looked towards the food box, and opened it to find leftovers of a meal and a stench that assaulted his nose.

His face didn't change as he returned the box, but his voice was slightly cold, "Not eating anymore."

Chang Shou was crying without tears: "But prince, we can't not eat everyday if they decide to do this every time."

Wei Lian lightly sighed: "They dare to be this perfunctory only because I am not favored."

"I am too Buddha-like. For the half of month that I have entered the palace, I don't even know what the king looks like. It cannot continue like this," Wei Lian softly self mumbled, and suddenly asked, "Chang Shou, you say, since I look so good, do I have a high chance of getting the king's favor?"

Chang Shou: "......"

Chang Shou bawled into tears: "Prince,  you can't lower yourself to hope for a better outcome, giving up your body to the King of Qin!"

Chang Sheng also had a look of restraint and suffering.

A warrior can be killed, but not shamed. The prince is of the blood of royalty,  how could.....

"I'm not aggrieved." Wei Lian lazily turned around, "Everyone wants to live well; I do too."

"As a human, one should either die swiftly or live carefree. I won't suffer this wretched anger."

Translator notes: 

I mixed around and changed some words so it would make sense. Woo woo, don't kill me. TvT

Index

Chapter 2 >