Lin Xueyo/Shen Yichen
Time passed by and it was morning.
The other soldiers returned. And news got out to the villagers that the Emperor had come down himself to save them from bandits. As soon as word spread, people started trooping into the forests. The village chief invited the emperor to his home for rest, and that is currently where they are.
Lin Xueyo sat on a mat, her eyes downcast. The room she was in belonged to the village chief, and was allocated for the emperors stay. By all means it was a terrible room. The bed was a mass of straw with a rough mat thrown on top, the floors were bare and not even covered in marble, and there was the smell of garlic and herbs hanging in the air.
Outside the room, she could hear the soldiers talking with the villagers. Inside the room, Lin Xueyo felt the anger radiating from the Emperor. He stood in the doorway, his large frame blocking anyone from accidentally peering in. Yes, there was no door in this room.
"Shen Yichen! You want to die huh? What is wrong with you?" The Emperor snapped. His voice carried all his anger from the previous night. And Lin Xueyo, who had been expecting nothing less, couldn't help but flinch.
"Nothing at all, your Majesty, I just–"
"You dare lie to your Emperor?"
"N-no! I would never dream of—"
"You speak like a maiden. You forget how to use your sword. You lose your head in the middle of battle. Surely you court death!"
Lin Xueyo went down on her knees and bowed, her forehead kissing the muddy floor. The herby smell was even stronger here, making her gag. "I am still recovering, Your Majesty. Please, tamper your anger with mercy! I am but a lowly servant."
It dawned on Lin Xueyo, just how much of a dangerous game she was playing. The difference between her and Shen Yichen couldn't be any more apparent, like the sun and moon. How was she going to ensure she didn't garner any more attention and expose herself?
She needed to become like Shen Yichen. Immediately. But how, when she didn't even remember anything from the man's life.
"Your Majesty, I fear my combat skills have become rusty thanks to the illness. If it is not too much of a bother, could I request a sparring match? Or training. So I can sharpen my skills and protect you to the best of my ability."
Even with her head bowed, Lin Xueyo felt the Emperor's burning gaze drilling into the back of her head.
He walked into the room and yanked her up by her upper arm. Lin Xueyo kept her eyes down. She wanted to look up at him but her heart wouldn't stop pounding like a war drum.
"You want us to train together?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"Look at me." It must have been her imagination, but his voice dropped lower.
Swallowing her fear, she obeyed. His beauty struck her like a poisoned arrow. Her breath vanished, and tremors overtook her entire body.
"Shen Yichen, are you messing with me right now?"
"N-n-no!"
"We train together. Every day an hour before sunrise."
Lin Xueyo wanted to punch herself hard. "I…I forgot?"
The Emperor closed his eyes, sighing heavily. "Just go."
"But your majesty,"
He turned his back to her. "Shen Yichen, get out."
"Yes, your majesty."
Lin Xueyo bowed and ran out of the room before she could further incur his wrath. On her way out, she met Ao Yin, the first son of the village chief. The boy carried a large bowl of water, heading to the Emperor. His ruddy face shone with bright smiles.
"Good day sir! Is his Majesty in?" The boy asked.
Lin Xueyo gave a loud sigh. "He's in a foul mood right now. So I'd advise you, try again later."
His smiles fell and his shoulders dropped. The bowl of water trembled and Lin Xueyo was worried for a second that he'd drop it. "Oh," he said softly. "I wouldn't like to lose my head."
They both laughed.
Lin Xueyo, having just witnessed first hand the ruthlessness of the emperor, knew it wasn't a mere joke.
She turned, glancing in the direction of the doorless room. She had a feeling she'd done something terribly wrong. Something she wasn't even aware of yet.
Absent-mindedly, she touched her arm, the spot the Emperor had grabbed when he pulled her up. She still felt his touch, the rough pads nod his fingertips digging into her skin. The warmth of his palm.
Warmth she wanted to feel all around her body.
Okay. This body is a man's body! I can't have feelings for my Emperor with a man's body!
Lin Xueyo turned her eyes away from the room and flashed Ao Yin a smile. "Why don't you give me a tour of the village while we wait for his Majesty's mood to improve?"
Like magic the boy's brightness came back. "Of course sir!"
By noon, a feast was ready.
The village wasn't the most well to do. Even the dishes they offered were simple rice and soup dishes with some pheasant meat the village chief caught himself. Lin Xueyo found the gesture touching, especially seeing how the elders and women ran about trying to set up the Emperor's table and make it as fit for a king as possible.
The Emperor finally made his appearance. From his frown, Lin Xueyo knew that his mood hadn't improved yet. And as if he knew her thoughts, their eyes met across the distance.
She was the first to look away.
"Your Majesty!" The village chief exclaimed, stumbling forward. He was so excited he was vibrating, rubbing his hands together and smiling so widely his cheeks hurt. "We the people of this village offer our heartfelt gratitude to you for delivering us from those rotten scoundrels!"
The entire village bowed at once, as if they had rehearsed it. Lin Xueyo bowed too, only to notice that the soldiers didn't.
I am not blending in well… she thought ruefully.
The Emperor replied with a low grunt.
The village chief took it as a sign and continued. "Please, accept the little we have. We pray that this feast nourishes your body. May you live long!"
"Long live the emperor!" The villagers chanted. "Long live the emperor! Long live the son of heaven!"
The chants continued for a few more minutes before they slowly fell quiet.
The Emperor hadn't moved. His expression didn't change. He calmly walked over to the table, at the chair that had been prepared for him. Then he picked up a plate of pheasant meat.
Lin Xueyo's heart melted and she exhaled a sigh of relief. She had previously worried that he wouldn't be too keen on accepting their food. Even she would have difficulties eating such bare food as her tongue was used to luxury.
But the Emperor, maybe under all the layers of being a cold tyrant king, he was actually a ruler that loved his people. After all he came down here himself and killed the bandits disturbing their—
Smash!
Lin Xueyo jolted, her spine straightening as the sound of a shattering plate rang out through the air.
"You serve me this?" the Emperor questioned, turning his blazing gaze towards the village chief. "How dare you. Something must be wrong with you if you think I'd eat your peasant food."
The village chief looked ready to run away. Or burst into tears. He bowed, trembling as he said "accept our apologies, your majesty."
The villagers all fell silent, exchanging worried glances between each other. .
No way. He's just as they all say. A cold tyrant. How could he pour away their food! They spent so much time making it! He could have pretended to eat it at the very least!
Lin Xueyo looked around and spotted Ao Yin. He looked the most devastated.
The Emperor turned, motioning for his soldiers to move out. His gaze fell on Lin Xueyo and hardened. She understood the clue and bowed. On her way out, she muttered an apology to the village chief and squeezed a gold coin into his hand. For the wasted pheasant meat.
The ride back to the imperial city was silent and full of thick tension.
Lin Xueyo and the Emperor rode side by side in silence. She wanted to say so much to him, but the black waves rolling out from him made her bite down on her tongue.
Meanwhile, the Emperor could barely control his own anger and questions.
Why was his personal soldier acting so weird? Why won't Shen Yichen stop looking at him like that? Did the illness affect his brains too?
He glanced over at Shen Yichen, trying to decipher what the soldier was hiding.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past the Emperor's left ear, nicking the shell of his ear and drawing blood.
"It's an ambush!" One of the soldiers in front screamed out.
"Protect the Emperor!" Another yelled.
The Emperor calmly touched his ear, his hand coming off stained with blood. His soldiers were so dramatic. When were they all going to learn?
"Your majesty!" Shen Yichen exclaimed in a high pitched tone. "We're under attack! We need to hide you—"
The emperor turned to him. "Hide me? Shen Yichen, I swear to the gods I'll cut your tongue out if you keep forgetting yourself."