Under the curtain of the night, Xilei Hall courtyard was filled with candlelights with a cold breeze blowing. Several tall, century old lotus trees swayed against the heavy wind and scattered beautiful pink petals across the ground.
The maids in the courtyard entered and left as quick as possible. They moved silently but sufficiently as if their very being was invisible and non-existent.
They all appeared to be stepping on egg shells today more than usual.
Everyone knew they had to be extra careful like never before today because His Highness was in a foul mood. No one knew what set him off but he was clearly mad. His Highness had always been cold and was never seen smiling but today in particular the aura around him was heavier. And the frown he showed was of distaste and deeper than usual.
The servants had one job and that was to serve the Crown Prince cautiously, lest they court the wrath of His Highness and have their life's stripped away from them.
The throne room was quiet.
The Crown Prince sat high on the throne with a book in his hands. His hair wasn't tied up and hung loosely over his black and gold robes. The jade crown he would wear was missing and in it's place was a simple hairpin.
People stood by his side silently and no one dared to disturb him.
A young maid ordered to deliver a basin of water by the head eunuch, entered the room carefully. She kept her head down as ordered and walked towards His Highness.
The atmosphere in the courtyard was already stifling enough, but who knew the atmosphere was even worse inside the palace. Inside was beautiful, the setting should be described as elegant and tranquil. But instead it felt like a place of the dead and it sent shivers down her spine.
She tried hard not to make a sound and keep her hold steady but because she was a new maid that was inexperienced with the inner palace. She let her feelings get the best of her and she lost focus. Before she could set the basin down, the rim of the basin jammed against the table and toppled over, splashing alot of water onto the floor.
The eerie silence within the room was quickly broken.
The young maids hands shook violently, her body tensed up, and she hastily raised her eyes to look at His Highness.
The Crown Prince slowly raised his head, and his gaze fell on her quietly.
Eyes blue as the morning sky looked at the young maid in contemplation. His eyes were beautiful, the shape serene and narrow. They lazily tilted upward at the ends, combined with his long raven colored eyelashes and slightly raised eyebrows he looked languid and enchanting.
Yet, beyond his beauty was a freezing coldness that was sharp as the tip of a sword. His gaze was so dark and soul less the maid was scared into almost having an heart attack. Her legs became weak and she quickly dropped to the floor and began to kowtow.
"Your Royal Highness I beg for your forgiveness! I didn't mean it, I really didn't mean it. Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, please spare me!" She banged her head against the floor and dared not show her face again.
Silence.
A long silence past and no response was made.
Did that mean she was going to be killed now?
Just when the silence had reached it's peak the Prince finally spoke. "Leave."
She was shocked for a second, could she have heard wrong. Was she not going to be reprimanded after all? She didn't even think about it and just praised the Crown Prince for being merciful, grabbed the empty basin, and swiftly fled from the palace not looking back once.
What the hell is going on?
The Prince pondered inwardly.
He had died, but now he was alive and well sitting on a throne that was not his.
When everything had turned dark and cold and he had felt that it was the end for him, he had suddenly woke up in another man's body.
A prince in particular.
Lui Yang lowered his eyes and closed the book in his hands with a loud shut.
Just where am I? And of all places why here?
He had so many questions but sitting here doing nothing wasn't going to answer a single one of them.
"You." Lui Yang looked towards the guard on his left. If he didn't know anything he'd just simply ask.
"Yes, your Highness?"
"What kingdom do I rule?"
The guard was startled. Was this a trick question?
"You rule the Hongdong Kingdom your Royal Highness."
"And the country?"
The guard was confused but did not show it and answered the Prince patiently. "Songhai, your Royal Highness."
Were these not the exact places he had read about in the novel before he died? Didn't that mean that he was now inside of a book.
Was that even possible? What type of magic was this?
As bizarre as the idea was the evidence was right in front of him. He had become the useless Prince who was nothing but a pawn that served the crazy Regent King, Qin Shi Huang.
??!!
Wait a minute.
Didn't that mean he was bound to die a dog's death by the very hand of said King?
This is bad. This is very, very bad.
Bai Li the prince wasn't just killed mercilessly in the dead of the winter, but he was also strung up and tortured for 10 days straight before Qin Shi Huang granted his death.
Lui Yang did not want to experience such torture. What the hell was he supposed to do to avoid such an ending?
The frown on lips depend further and his brows narrowed coldly. On the inside Lui Yang was going through an existential crisis and panicking. But on the outside to his nearby servants it was as if the guard had sad something that angered him dearly.
In a steady rhythm he tapped his index finger across the edge of the book in silence.
*Tap*Tap*Tap*
Well... he could die now and get it over with. That was an option, after all he had already died once, what was a second time?
He sighed. What was there to think about. The only thing he could do was try his best to survive in this treacherous palace and one day while the King's guard is down, try to escape as safely as possible.
Lui Yang nodded to himself. That was the best choice for him, he just had to be patient and wait for an opportunity.
While deep in his thoughts, he heard an unfamiliar voice mock him.
"My, my, my. The throne quite suits you very well your highness." The voice was cold and condescending.
Speak of the devil and he shall arrive.
"Your Majesty!" The servants and guards announced in unison and quickly bowed their heads and kneeled.
Lui Yang on the other hand did not move a single muscle. As crazy as it sounds, he bowed to no man. Not even the mad King Qin Shi Huang himself.
He glanced up at the man and his eyes locked with a pair of cold silver orbs. A small storm brewed within them.
Is he mad?
Lui Yang inwardly shook his head.
Nope that's probably just his usual expression of boredom.
He yawned. Speaking of which, he suddenly felt very sleepy. Question is, if he wanted to go to bed where exactly would he go?
Which room in this palace was the main bedroom?
The King looked at the easily distracted prince and his gaze darkened fiercely. He had just been completely ignored.
Ignored by a useless Prince he's trampled on for years. Was this some sort of fluke? He tried it again to test his doubts.
"It's as if the throne was made just for you your highness. It compliments you very well."
"Was it not?"
"..."
Lui Yang looked up from the book in his hands and set it aside. "I am of royal blood Qin Shi Huang." He called the Regent King by his name without fear. "If not made for me, then who was it made for? You?"
A deadly silence enveloped the room and it seemed that a bomb would soon be set off.
Since when did the Crown Prince talk back towards the King? The servants and guards couldn't believe their ears. His Majesty would surely be mad.
Lui Yang was out of line and he knew that. But he also knew that nothing would happened to him. Not when his change of behavior was intriguing to the King.