CH 1

Somewhere in the Forbidden Area of ​​the Imperial Palace, rows of guards holding torches were searching for intruders.

The night was silent, only the sound of footsteps could be heard back and forth in an orderly manner.

Those are an abandoned Living Quarters (1). It is said that it used to be the place where a certain concubine lived. After the concubine died, this place was sealed by the emperor's imperial decree.

Qi Changyi stood behind the door of the Living Quarters , nervously looking at torches that had rushed into the inner courtyard.

He was wearing a bright yellow brocade robe with dark cloud patterns, with gold threads. And he also wore a moon-white waistband that made his waist slender.

The bright moonlight shined on his face through the gap of the door. The little man has fair skin and picturesque eyebrows. His red lips are like fire, beautiful and alluring. A slight movement of his eyes is enough to attract and the soul. 

The head of the guards grabbed the door of the Living Quarters and used a slight power to push it open . 

The light of the torches came in. But there was only empty space with no one in sight. (2)The guards looked around to confirm that there was no one in the house, then closed the door and left.

Inside the inner room within the heavy curtains, Qi Changyi was pushed down against the desk by a tall figure. Their bodies were tightly pressed together.

The voice outside the door gradually left, and Qi Changyi relaxed a little.

The figure in front of him slowly appeared in the dim moonlight. He was wearing a black (3)robe. 

His sword eyebrows and eyes like stars were so handsome and bright to the point of being out of the mundane and ordinary.

Pei Zheng lowered his eyes and looked at the man in his arms, "Your Royal Highness, why did you come here?"

Qi Changyi blinked, "I.. I got lost." (4)

Pei Zheng curled up his lips, "Really? Don't lie to me, you know the price."

Qi Changyi thought of something. He suddenly covered his mouth and then shook his head.

Pei Zheng knew in his heart why he suddenly ran out during the banquet. In fact, when he saw the man at the feast, he was also shocked.

But this banquet was organized by the Emperor for the soldiers guarding the frontier to wash away the dust. Hundreds of ministers also came, and it was very grand.

The dignified prince, of course, couldn't be absent.

It's just that everyone in the world knows that the prince of the Qi Kingdom is a foolish child, who had a mother who gave birth to him, but didn't raise him.

Only the prime minister, Pei Zheng, seemed to have been very close to the prince Qi Changyi.

At tonight's banquet, after Great General (5) Zhenyuan (6)Zhao Litang appeared, Qi Changyi suddenly stood up in a daze, and sneaked out through the side door.

Everyone in the audience focused on General Zhao and the other soldiers, so no one noticed him.

While not daring to face that person, he staggered along running forward. 

He broke into the forbidden area directly.

When he was about to be discovered by the patrolling guards, a pair of hands behind him pulled him into his arms and hid behind the curtain of the inner room.

Qi Changyi blinked his big eyes, which were full of freshness, purity and quick-witteness. Pei Zheng's eyes darkened as he watched.

He pinched Qi Changyi's chin and said fiercely, "Why, you can't control yourself as soon as that person comes back? Do you want to quickly get rid of me so that you can fly away with him to far-away places?"

Qi Changyi's jaw hurt, and he opened his small mouth and sucked in a breath of air, "Pei-Gege, (7) I have never thought that way."

"No? Your Highness and General Zhao have grown up together since childhood, and everyone knows that you two have a deep friendship. How dare Your Highness say that you have never thought about it?"

Qi Changyi raised his head. Pei Zheng wrongly accused him and he was anxious to explain, but he couldn't organize the language quickly.

When he was in a hurry, he stumbled and knocked down the inkstone on the table, making a loud noise.

The guard at the door who was about to leave, heard the movement and walked towards the Living Quarters with a torch.

As if Pei Zheng was unaware of it, he still refused to let go of Qi Changyi's chin. Sensing that the little man seemed to be worrying about something, Pei Zheng tapped his lower lip with a dissatisfied finger.

"Your Royal Highness, please concentrate."

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Notes:

(1) 寝宫

mausoleum / imperial burial place / emperor's or king's resting place/living quarters

寝 - to lie down

宫 - palace

*I decided to translate as Living Quarters

(2)空无一人 idiom

not a soul in sight

(3)玄 xuan

Dark/black/mysterious

(4)lit. I mistaken my way

(5) 大将军 da jiangjun

*General is - jiangjun

*But here there is also da - Great

*Great General is considered to be the highest ranking military rank in most military systems

(6) 镇远 Zhenyuan

*Zhenyuan can be his title

*But Zhenyuan is also a name of a place 

*We will see in the next chapters which of the two options is correct 

*If the second, I will change to the Great General of Zhenyuan

(7). 哥哥 gege

(older brother)

When talking to the man who you are close to, and who is older than you