The Blood Crown - Side Story 2: Waning Moon (Part 10)

Side Story 2: Waning Moon (Part 10)

 

Since then, Yuan Nanyu often stayed overnight in the palace, and Chen Mu occasionally spent the night at the Jianjia Residence. Whenever the two met, they would indulge in “absurdity” almost all night.

 

Yuan Nanyu no longer cared how the outside world judged him. In the past, he was very mindful of his reputation, but with Yan Sikong as a “shining example” before him and having committed the treasonous act of rebellion, he was no longer concerned with others’ opinions.

 

What he cared more about was his confused and degenerate heart. On one hand, he resisted and guarded against Chen Mu, while on the other, he sank deeper into this twisted carnal indulgence. What frightened him the most was Chen Mu’s increasingly ambiguous attitude toward him, which at times even seemed exceptionally… tender.

 

He would rather return to those days in the Chu camp when they were at each other’s throats, eager to kill each other. At least back then, hatred kept him sober. He had always been someone who responded poorly to softness. Now, with Chen Mu showering him with kindness, even though he knew it was unreliable, his emotions were still stirred.

 

With the New Year approaching, Yuan Nanyu began instructing his soldiers to prepare the supplies needed for the return journey. Just the gifts Chen Mu had bestowed filled ten carriages.

 

Historically, when foreign nations offered tribute to the Central Plains, it was customary to give them return gifts. Since many of these nations were considered barbaric, their offerings were often of little value, while the return gifts were acts of significant generosity. To display their nation’s strength, these gifts were sometimes five or even ten times more valuable. Thus, these “barbarians” both fought and negotiated to force tributes upon the Central Plains, not out of servitude but for the lucrative return gifts.

 

However, Fengye’s tribute to Chen Mu was not such a situation. Instead, it was akin to a vassal paying taxes to the emperor. Chen Mu, sympathetic to the effort his subordinates took to travel such a great distance, rewarded them generously, albeit to the point of raising eyebrows.

 

Yuan Nanyu accepted it all without hesitation. Opportunities like this, where one could take credit using someone else’s generosity, were not to be missed. These rewards were enough for him to generously reward his subordinates and distribute gifts.

 

Once the arrangements for the return trip were set, he received a verbal summons from Chen Mu, calling him to the palace.

 

When Yuan Nanyu entered, Chen Mu was waiting for him with a smile on his face.

 

Perplexed, Yuan Nanyu asked, “What’s the occasion?”

 

Chen Mu replied, “The envoys from Liangguang who came to offer New Year’s greetings just arrived in the capital. They brought some intriguing items for me. Take a look.”

 

On the table lay several spherical objects with a peculiar appearance Yuan Nanyu had never seen before.

 

“This is called a coconut,” Chen Mu said, picking one up and tossing it to Yuan Nanyu.

 

Yuan Nanyu caught it effortlessly and heard the sound of liquid sloshing inside. He weighed it in his hands and shook it near his ear. “Is there water inside?”

 

“This fruit comes from beyond the South Seas,” Chen Mu explained. “It grows high on trees, encased in a hard shell, containing both juice and pulp.”

 

“Can you eat it?” Yuan Nanyu asked curiously.

 

Chen Mu glanced at Sun Mo.

 

Sun Mo chuckled, “Yes, you can eat it and drink it. They say consuming one daily can prolong your life.”

 

A small eunuch brought over a delicate wine cup and a bone plate with a few pieces of white flesh arranged on it.

 

Intrigued, Yuan Nanyu picked up the cup and took a sip. The taste was sweet and refreshing. “If this were used to make wine, it would taste incredible.”

 

Sun Mo said, “Ah, General, you and His Majesty truly share a tacit understanding! His Majesty just mentioned this and has already given the order.”

 

Yuan Nanyu felt a bit awkward and thought to himself how tiresome Sun Mo’s chatter was.

 

Chen Mu’s smile deepened. “Try the pulp.”

 

Yuan Nanyu took a bite, finding the flavor rich and rare, truly a delicacy.

 

Chen Mu approached and took the half-bitten piece from Yuan Nanyu’s hand, placing it into his own mouth. He even took the opportunity to lightly lick Yuan Nanyu’s fingertip.

 

Caught off guard, Yuan Nanyu shivered, feeling a tingle in his fingertips. His face instantly heated up.

 

Chen Mu licked his lips. “It’s said that beyond the South Seas, it’s spring all year round. There’s no winter. Even at this time of year, the land is lush and green. I’d love to see it for myself.” His eyes sparkled with longing.

 

Still flustered, Yuan Nanyu opened his mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say.

 

Chen Mu gazed at him intently. “Would you be willing to go with me?”

 

Yuan Nanyu’s heart raced. His face burned even hotter as he turned away, stammering, “Your Majesty… inspecting… uh…”

 

Chen Mu looked at Yuan Nanyu’s slightly reddened cheeks and felt immense joy in his heart. “Everyone, leave us,” he commanded.

 

Sun Mo cheerfully replied, “Yes,” and led the eunuchs and maids out in single file.

 

Chen Mu gently patted Yuan Nanyu’s cheek, teasing, “Why is your face so red? Is the brazier too hot?”

 

Yuan Nanyu brushed his hand away. “Yes, maybe a little.” He took a deep breath to compose himself. “Although the South Seas’ produce is excellent, the distance makes transporting it a burden on the people. It’s fine just to enjoy it as a novelty.”

 

Chen Mu chuckled. “If you like it, don’t hold back.”

 

“I’m only curious, not particularly fond of it,” Yuan Nanyu replied, putting the cup back.

 

Suddenly, Chen Mu hugged Yuan Nanyu from behind.

 

Startled, Yuan Nanyu instinctively grabbed Chen Mu’s hand, speaking in a low voice, “Don’t…”

 

“Don’t worry about being seen,” Chen Mu interrupted, resting his chin on Yuan Nanyu’s shoulder. “I just wanted to see you since court ended. The affairs of the state are so troubling. Only seeing you brings me peace.”

 

Uncomfortable with such intimacy, Yuan Nanyu pried Chen Mu’s arm off his waist.

 

Chen Mu frowned slightly. “What’s wrong? It’s just us here.”

 

“It’s… not nighttime.” Yuan Nanyu’s words were hesitant.

 

“So, you’re saying I can only touch you at night?”

 

“You know what I mean,” Yuan Nanyu said, annoyed and flustered.

 

“I don’t,” Chen Mu said, pulling him into another embrace. “I only know that I want to be with you day and night, whether in bed at night or close by during the day.”

 

Yuan Nanyu avoided Chen Mu’s gaze, trying once more to turn his head away.

 

But Chen Mu cupped his chin, leaning in to kiss him tenderly.

 

Yuan Nanyu shuddered slightly. He never responded, but neither did he resist. That kiss, soft, warm, and intimate, was undeniably… not unpleasant.

 

Breathless, they parted. Chen Mu gently stroked Yuan Nanyu’s face. “What are you thinking right now?”

 

“…Nothing.”

 

“Then you’re thinking about me,” Chen Mu said, his bright eyes locked onto Yuan Nanyu’s. “Thinking about that kiss, or perhaps reminiscing about last night’s rain of passion.”

 

Yuan Nanyu’s lips quivered slightly, and he said in a low voice, “I’m thinking about how I’ll soon be able to go home.”

 

Chen Mu froze, his eyes flickering with anger. “Are you just being stubborn, or are you trying to provoke me?”

 

“I’m simply telling the truth.”

 

Chen Mu clenched his fists tightly. “Do you know what I’m thinking?”

 

“I don’t want to know.”

 

“Well then, I’ll show you.” Chen Mu flipped Yuan Nanyu around and pinned him against the table, lifting his robes and reaching for his waistband.

 

Yuan Nanyu was startled. “Don’t you dare…”

 

“The entire palace belongs to me. What would I not dare?” Chen Mu lowered his head and bit Yuan Nanyu’s ear. “Do you still want to go home?”

 

Yuan Nanyu gritted his teeth.

 

Without warning, Chen Mu thrust into him with forceful conquest. Their bodies fit perfectly, like dry wood meeting fierce flames, easily ignited.

 

In the heat of the moment, Chen Mu whispered softly in Yuan Nanyu’s ear, “Can you stay?”

 

In his haze of consciousness, Yuan Nanyu couldn’t be sure if he truly heard those words tinged with a hint of pleading. That tone sounded deeply sorrowful.

 

—

 

The night of New Year’s Eve finally arrived, and Chen Mu hosted a banquet at the Taihe Hall to entertain the officials.

 

Throughout the entire feast, his thoughts seemed elsewhere. His gaze frequently drifted toward Yuan Nanyu, though fortunately, the dangling beads of his imperial crown shielded him; otherwise, everyone would have noticed.

 

Yuan Nanyu, in truth, was just as distracted.

 

Tomorrow morning, he would finally leave the capital—a day he had long anticipated for months. Yet his emotions were a tangled mess of restlessness and anxiety, for reasons he couldn’t articulate.

 

When he first arrived in the capital to offer tribute, he had braced himself for the perils of this tiger’s den, but never did he imagine it would come to this.

 

Once he returned, if Yan Sikong and the others in Fengye inquired, what would he say?

 

Even he couldn’t define what exactly transpired between him and Chen Mu.

 

After the banquet ended, he was summoned to Qianqing Palace.

 

Chen Mu had been toasted with plenty of wine and was now being attended to as he changed his clothes and drank sobering soup.

 

His face was flushed, and his eyes seemed dazed, but the moment he saw Yuan Nanyu, a trace of clarity flashed through them.

 

After changing, he sat on the couch and said in a low voice, “Leave us.”

 

The attendants withdrew, leaving only the two of them staring silently at each other.

 

After a long pause, Chen Mu finally said, “Before dawn, I’ll set out to perform the ancestral rites.”

 

Yuan Nanyu remained silent.

 

Chen Mu reached out his hand to him.

 

Yuan Nanyu hesitated but eventually stepped forward.

 

Chen Mu grasped his hand, looking up at him. “When I return, will you already be gone?”

 

Yuan Nanyu nodded. Chen Mu’s gaze once again unsettled him.

 

“I won’t let you leave,” Chen Mu whispered.

 

“You’re going back on your word?” Yuan Nanyu frowned.

 

“If you leave and never come back, what then?” Chen Mu stared deeply at Yuan Nanyu. “What if we never see each other again for the rest of our lives?”

 

Yuan Nanyu froze.

 

He had never considered this question: what if they truly never saw each other again in this lifetime…

 

“Stay. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.” Chen Mu clung tightly to Yuan Nanyu’s hand. “Hmm? Whatever it is, just say the word.”

 

Yuan Nanyu lowered his head, remaining silent.

 

Chen Mu suddenly wrapped his arms around Yuan Nanyu’s waist, pressing his face tightly against Yuan Nanyu’s abdomen. In a hoarse voice, he asked, “Yuan Nanyu, do you still hate me?”

 

Yuan Nanyu’s body stiffened, unsure of how to respond, because he didn’t know the answer himself.

 

Hate him? This man was already the emperor; hate was irrelevant and useless.

 

No, that wasn’t the answer either.

 

So what was the answer?

 

“Stay. When you’re by my side, I feel like I’m still human,” Chen Mu closed his eyes, the furrow in his brows betraying a hint of pain. “Don’t leave.”

 

“…I can’t… stay,” Yuan Nanyu replied with difficulty.

 

Chen Mu tightly gripped Yuan Nanyu’s waist, unwilling to let go, fearing that if he did, it would be a final separation.

 

The world is vast, but a thousand miles apart often means a lifetime of separation.

 

Yuan Nanyu stared at Chen Mu’s hairpin, his emotions surging, unable to calm down. How could this happen? What exactly were they doing? He had once sworn to peel the skin from this man before him, yet they had done the most intimate things in the world. Now, they were about to part ways. He should feel relieved, he should be joyful, but instead… instead, he felt an inexplicable sense of loss.

 

What was wrong with him? Was he really so weak?

 

Chen Mu suddenly shouted angrily, “If I want you to stay, you must stay!”

 

Yuan Nanyu said coldly, “You promised me, a monarch’s words are not to be taken lightly.”

 

“To hell with a monarch’s words!” Chen Mu suddenly threw Yuan Nanyu down onto the bed, “I won’t let you leave.”

 

Yuan Nanyu calmly repeated, “You promised me.”

 

Chen Mu stared fixedly at Yuan Nanyu, his eyes slowly reddening, “I want you to stay by my side, always be with me.”

 

Yuan Nanyu’s mind overheated, his heart pounding like thunder. He blurted out, “Why?”

 

“Because…” Chen Mu opened his mouth, his lips trembling, words stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

 

Yuan Nanyu stared at him intently.

 

Chen Mu leaned over Yuan Nanyu, whispered in his ear, “I… like you.”

 

Yuan Nanyu was struck like a bolt of lightning, his blood seemingly boiling, his mind suddenly going blank.

 

“And you?” Chen Mu asked in a trembling voice, “Do you have me in your heart?”

 

Yuan Nanyu’s emotions were in turmoil, Chen Mu’s words shocked him, made him helpless, and almost made him forget how to speak. After a long silence, he finally heard himself reply, trembling, “No.”

 

“I don’t believe it,” Chen Mu rubbed his cheek against Yuan Nanyu’s, “I don’t believe you felt nothing. When we kissed, when we were intertwined, when your mind was filled with me, I don’t believe it.”

 

Yuan Nanyu wished he could disappear on the spot. Every word from Chen Mu left him unable to respond. Though his voice was calm and low, to Yuan Nanyu, it was relentless.

 

It felt as though he was being forced to confront what was really going on between them.

 

And Yuan Nanyu instinctively resisted. He quickly said, “You don’t like me, Chen Mu, you don’t like anyone. You only like power. You may have liked Yan Sikong, but in the end, you love power the most.”

 

“It’s true that I like power, and it’s true that I liked Yan Sikong,” Chen Mu said without hesitation, “But I like you too, that’s the truth. You… you’re so good, straightforward and open, different from me, different from everyone else.”

 

Yuan Nanyu’s body stiffened, and he suddenly felt a strong sense of panic, wanting to escape. He struggled to push Chen Mu away, but Chen Mu desperately tried to pin him down.

 

The two of them struggled on the bed, and before long, their bodies reacted.

 

They both stopped at the same time, breathing heavily as they looked at each other.

 

In the end, it was unclear who kissed whom first. They kissed fiercely and roughly, then desperately tore each other’s clothes off, seeking each other’s warmth.

 

They were like wild beasts, ferociously making love.

 

“Yuan Nanyu, Yuan Nanyu,” Chen Mu called his name, “You have me in your heart…”

 

“Don’t… deceive yourself…” Yuan Nanyu gritted his teeth, enduring the intense thrusts.

 

Chen Mu’s assault became even more powerful. “If you’re a man, don’t lie to yourself.”

 

Yuan Nanyu closed his eyes. He didn’t want to, nor could he think any longer. He could only allow himself to fall completely.

 

“Chen Mu…” Yuan Nanyu unconsciously called out this name, the name of the man who completely owned him at that moment.

 

They went wild throughout the night, embracing each other, both going to a place only they could reach, whether it be hell or heaven.

 

When the morning light was faint, Yuan Nanyu got off the bed, his body tired, and slowly dressed.

 

By the time he finished dressing and turned around, the person on the bed had already sat up, silently watching him, eyes full of longing and reluctance.

 

Yuan Nanyu suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart, a mix of emotions.

 

The two stared at each other in silence for a long time.

 

Finally, Chen Mu spoke, “You…”

 

“I promised you,” Yuan Nanyu blurted out, “In the autumn, I will come again.”

 

Chen Mu’s eyes lit up, he gently bit his lip, then nodded.

 

Yuan Nanyu didn’t dare stay any longer. He feared he would do something incomprehensible. He took two steps back, glanced at Chen Mu one last time, then turned and left without looking back.

 

Chen Mu watched Yuan Nanyu’s retreating figure until it disappeared, then slowly covered his eyes with his hand.

 

—

 

As Yuan Nanyu rode out of Yongding Gate, he pulled the reins, turned around, and took a deep look at the majestic, towering city wall.

 

This city wall encased another city wall, and another wrapped around that, at the very center of the city stood a man, a ruler of the world, a sovereign, a man who would forever leave a deep mark on his heart.

 

He couldn’t help but touch his chest.

 

Perhaps, grudges and feelings are not as clear-cut as day and night. Perhaps he still resented the harm Chen Mu had done to him, but he also couldn’t ignore the good Chen Mu had shown him.

 

Perhaps… perhaps he didn’t need to rush to find the answer, perhaps there was plenty of time.

 

He turned his horse’s head and rode off into the distance.

 

—

 

AN – The extra chapters are finished.

 

Actually, from the beginning, I had already decided that their relationship would be an open-ended one because in the setting of this book, no one can have everything. Life is the same; it’s like the moon — it can’t always be full.

 

In any case, those of you who like them can continue to imagine their story. For now, they are like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, meeting once a year, haha.

 

And this book’s extra chapters come to an end for now. Maybe in the future, if I have more ideas, I will write about Feng Ye and Yan Sikong, those two poor souls. There’s really not enough sweetness for them.

 

In any case, Happy April Fools’ Day~ Did I tell the truth or was it all a lie? Hehe~~