Qin Yuanxi couldn’t come up with a response for Lu Bohuan, so it became the default.
Probably because he knew there was some inexplicable and unclear connection between him and the person in front of him. Although he wasn’t the person involved, Lu Bohuan felt it was necessary to take care of both the person in front of him and the child in his belly. After all, theoretically speaking, this person still has his blood running through his belly.
Whether he liked it or not, this was the reality.
Lu Bohuan had intended to have a proper conversation with Qin Yuanxi and resolve this matter. In Lu Bohuan’s view, this person was audacious to impersonate an emperor, and if anyone could save him, it was himself. He hoped Qin Yuanxi would cooperate.
But Qin Yuanxi refused, strongly.
Why should I cooperate, damn it? It makes no sense. Cooperate? Cooperate my ass!
If Qin Yuanxi could find another emperor for himself, why would he be stuck here?! He would have run away long ago, okay?
“If the Prince is not busy, please leave,” Qin Yuanxi dismissed, looking like he was too lazy to pay attention to Lu Bohuan. “My chambers are better off without the Prince.”
His words seemed almost irritable, as if the royal chambers were a place where Lu Bohuan should visit sparingly. However, while he should visit sparingly, the treatment was vastly different for Zhao Tuo. General Zhao, who had been personally brought into the royal chambers, received far better treatment, even the dragon bed had been arranged by the Emperor himself.
In comparison, Lu Bohuan’s treatment was far from equal; it was significantly worse.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Lu Bohuan asked calmly this time, his gaze filled with pity. “Regardless of who ordered you to do this, do you understand the consequences? Even if not for yourself, have you thought about the child in your womb? Assuming this goes awry, impersonating an emperor, sitting on the Dragon Throne, do you understand the gravity of such a crime?”
“What if it leads to the extermination of ten clans?”
Qin Yuanxi turned around, his expression remarkably calm. “Prince Lu, you are truly strange. Suspicion is one thing, but the Prince must present evidence. You have none. Yet here you are, lecturing me at length. Have the Prince’s scholarly pursuits entered the realm of absurdity?”
“Enough, Lu Bohuan,” Qin Yuanxi stared at him, his gaze chilling, a hint of warning. “Whether you know it or not, some things are not within your control. Today, you may wield power, but what about tomorrow? In the past, I had no one to deal with you, so I let you act as you pleased. But times have changed. I now have a capable ally, Lu Bohuan, I advise you to rein in your actions, lest it ends poorly for you.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Bohuan’s complexion soured.
Qin Yuanxi’s confidence stemmed solely from the protection of Zhao Tu, and with General Zhao as an unpredictable variable, Lu Bohuan couldn’t afford to confront him.
With his gaze growing colder, Lu Bohuan approached Qin Yuanxi step by step, his voice low. “The same advice applies to you. Exercise caution and take care of yourself, lest you find it impossible to salvage the situation.”
And with that, Prince Lu turned and left.
Qin Yuanxi let out a sigh of relief and slumped into his chair. Communicating with Lu Bohuan was truly mentally and physically taxing. In truth, both he and Lu Bohuan were well aware of each other’s secrets. Lu Bohuan hadn’t spoken wrongly; Qin Yuanxi had many vulnerabilities. However, as long as he didn’t admit to them, no one could do anything to him. Just like Prince Lu, their outer appearances were the same, but the cores were different. Who could uncover the problem, not to mention in this underdeveloped ancient society, even if they did a DNA test, Qin Yuanxi wouldn’t be afraid.
DNA testing is not possible, but Prince Lu did not give up on this matter. During the subsequent morning court sessions, Qin Yuanxi once again felt the immense power of Prince Lu.
Qin Yuanxi couldn’t be sure if it was Lu Bohuan’s idea, but during the morning court, someone proposed the idea of offering ancestral sacrifices and renovating the ancestral temple. Well, when it came to repairing temples for their ancestors, how could Qin Yuanxi refuse?
But the problem was that whether it was ancestral sacrifices or temple renovations, they all required the Emperor’s personal presence to show sincerity and honor the ancestors in the heavens. Qin Yuanxi didn’t refuse to go, but he felt something fishy about it, and couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Especially in the current situation where Lu Bohuan still doubted his identity, these ancestral sacrifices and temple renovations seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Clearly, Lu Bohuan was setting a trap for him to fall into!
Qin Yuanxi couldn’t afford not to fall into it. He had no choice but to take it step by step. The day chosen for the temple ceremony was quite something. Qin Yuanxi didn’t know who the cunning fellow was who picked this day, but it coincided with the hottest day of the year, and they even spouted a lot of gibberish about the balance of yin and yang. Qin Yuanxi didn’t understand it, but ancient wisdom should not be underestimated. Everyone knows how hot it is on a hot summer day. Just sitting still was unbearable, and now they wanted to climb a mountain.
Prince Lu was truly out to get him. The mountain for the ancestral sacrifices wasn’t high, but it was located in the Imperial Mausoleum1Mausoleums are an alternative type of memorial, built as free-standing monuments to house the remains of the deceased.. Even though Qin Yuanxi was the Emperor, he couldn’t use any privileges. He had to personally climb up step by step.
Qin Yuanxi was drenched in sweat, and Prince Lu behind him wasn’t bothered at all. Instead, he looked quite majestic in his court attire. Qin Yuanxi felt frustrated; why did he get to be so comfortable? But he had no choice; the higher he climbed, the heavier his steps became. His ceremonial robe and golden crown weighed him down. It wasn’t just climbing a mountain; it was climbing it while carrying a heavy load.
Thinking about it, Qin Yuanxi felt even more aggrieved. He was in a special situation, carrying Lu Bohuan’s child in his belly. His stamina was definitely not up to par, and as he glanced at the stairs ahead, he let out a deep sigh. Then, he shifted his gaze to Lu Bohuan.
Lu Bohuan didn’t understand what he meant, so Qin Yuanxi signaled for him to come closer. There were still many courtiers behind them, and if His Majesty had ordered Prince Lu to accompany him, he had to listen. So Lu Bohuan came closer, and Qin Yuanxi didn’t mince words. He put his hand on Lu Bohuan’s arm, gasping for breath, and said, “Help me up.”
Lu Bohuan didn’t speak, but he didn’t move either, clearly indicating his reluctance to cooperate.
Qin Yuanxi couldn’t be bothered with a long argument, so he said directly, “Let me tell you, Prince Lu, the child in my belly right now is yours. You should know what’s at stake. If you keep tormenting me like this, are you not afraid of harming your own son?”
“Perfect.”
Lu Bohuan finally spoke, but his words could infuriate anyone.
Qin Yuanxi was so angry that he almost lost his breath. He glared at Lu Bohuan fiercely and said in a low voice, “I hope this is what you really think, Prince Lu. If Ah Tuo knows that you’re willing to harm his child, how will you explain it to him?”
Lu Bohuan fell silent and began to help Qin Yuanxi move up the steps.
Lu Bohuan’s pace was quick, and Qin Yuanxi had to keep up with him. Although he was still a bit tired, their speed was noticeably faster than before. After walking a few more steps, they had distanced themselves from the other courtiers, and Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but wonder if Prince Lu had given some kind of hint to maintain this distance. It made it more convenient for the two of them to talk.
“What’s going on between you and Zhao Tuo? How did he get involved with you?”
“Hah!” Qin Yuanxi sneered with disdain. “You make it sound like you two are close, Prince Lu. Let me remind you, you’re not close at all. Moreover, it’s not a matter of how he got involved with me; we’ve always had ties. Have you forgotten, Prince Lu? Ah Tuo is in charge of the Imperial Guard, guarding my palace. His relationship with me is much closer than yours.”
“Do you know why I brought you to the Imperial Mausoleum for the ceremony?”
Lu Bohuan suddenly changed the subject. “The royal ancestral temple can only be opened by the royal dragon heir. In the ancestral times, mechanisms were left in the Imperial Mausoleum, and only a royal offspring can activate them with their blood. How long do you think you can hold out?”
“So, you really intend to prove my royal lineage by shedding blood,” Qin Yuanxi chuckled. “Lu Bohuan, do you think I said that back then because no one from the royal family was around to verify it, so I could make grand claims? Let’s do the verification; I’ll show you.”
Qin Yuanxi was very confident. Things like blood tests and proving his lineage were irrelevant to him. He firmly believed he was the legitimate heir. Unless Emperor Qin Yuanxi had no royal blood in him to begin with, this matter was a done deal.
But he never expected that this done deal would take an unexpected turn.
The drop of blood went in, but the mechanism showed no response at all. Qin Yuanxi was left bewildered, utterly confused by what was happening. There were officials waiting below the steps for the ceremony, and the mechanism was not opening. Qin Yuanxi felt that he couldn’t carry on with this act.
He might not need to wait until he descended the mountain; a coup could be staged right here. His ‘fake’ emperor status would be over, and he wouldn’t even live to see tomorrow’s sun.
Lu Bohuan watched Qin Yuanxi’s shocked and disbelieving expression, his own demeanor somewhat unnatural. Then, he used the tip of the dagger to poke at a spot beside the stone door. Qin Yuanxi heard a faint click, and the mechanism slowly began to open. Qin Yuanxi had no idea what was happening.
“You deceived me!”
All this talk about royal bloodlines and mechanisms, it was all an act to fool him!
Lu Bohuan helped him tend to the wound on his hand, wiping away the blood from the dagger, then supported Qin Yuanxi as they entered. He didn’t bother explaining further.
He never intended to deceive Qin Yuanxi. The mechanism’s location was a secret known only to those with royal blood, and it was related to the dragon’s veins. Lu Bohuan used this as a test to see if Qin Yuanxi was truly of royal blood. The blood drop was just a gimmick, and as he expected, Qin Yuanxi was clueless about the mechanism; he had no prior knowledge.
But the unfolding events left Lu Bohuan even more puzzled. Qin Yuanxi knew nothing about the mechanism, yet he remained convinced of his royal lineage. What was this man’s true origin?
Could it be that he, like himself, was a dual-souled person?
Lu Bohuan had no answers. The only one who could provide them was Qin Yuanxi, but he stubbornly refused to share any information, leaving Lu Bohuan once again in a passive position.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
