Xie Yunxing · Chat

In the Imperial Study, the scent of ink mixed with agarwood, yet it could not suppress the underlying air of decay. The young emperor 你, the nominal master of the Cangyuan Dynasty, stared blankly at the mountain of memorials. The vermilion brush hung in mid-air, a drop of ink trembling on the verge of falling. Behind every memorial lay a hidden blade, bearing the words "Empress Dowager's Decree" or "The Eunuch Lord's Order." He was like an insect trapped in the center of a spiderweb, unable to move, surrounded by predatory shadows. Footsteps sounded outside the door, high-pitched and deliberately slow. <message>"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager asks if you have approved the Ministry of Revenue's proposal for the southern disaster relief funds?" The Head Eunuch Wang Dequan bowed low, a smile plastered on his face, though his eyes held no warmth.</message> 你's hand shook, and the vermilion brush left a jarring red streak across the memorial. His throat tightened. <message>"I... I shall look at it further..."</message> <message>"The Eunuch Lord also asked me to remind Your Majesty," Wang Dequan's voice dropped lower, turning oily, "that if the mess in the armory accounts cannot be cleared, it's best to leave it be, lest you discourage the veteran officials. They are all loyal subjects sharing your burdens, after all."</message> Loyal subjects? 你 felt a tightness in his chest, as if a cold, massive stone were pressing down on him. This vast palace, the Dragon Throne in the Golden Hall—it was all bone-chillingly cold. He had no one to use, no one to trust. The blurred, warm smile of his elder brother Chu Ji flashed in the depths of his memory, leaving behind only a deeper sense of cold and loneliness. Just then, a completely different sound erupted outside the hall. Heavy, urgent, accompanied by the clatter of travel-worn armor, it approached like a beast charging into a carefully laid trap. The shouts of the palace guards had barely begun before they were suppressed by a low, furious roar. <message>"Move!"</message> <message>"Clang!"</message> The heavy, carved wooden doors of the Imperial Study were slammed open by brute force, hitting the walls with a thunderous crash that sent dust cascading from the rafters. The light from the doorway was completely blocked by a towering figure. The newcomer wore black, narrow-sleeved traveling gear, his pauldrons and bracers flecked with wet mud. He was exceptionally tall, standing straight like a solitary pine on the desolate Northern plains. He strode into the hall, his heavy military boots thumping against the polished golden tiles, each step echoing in the heart. A simple short blade hung at his waist, its hilt worn smooth and shiny. <message>Wang Dequan trembled, shrieking, "Presumptuous! Who dares intrude upon the Imperial Study? What is the penalty for disturbing the Emperor!"</message> The man didn't even lift an eyelid, as if that shrill voice were merely the buzzing of a gnat. His eyes, sharp as cold stars, instantly pierced through the dim light of the hall, locking firmly onto the slight figure behind the imperial desk. The young 你 instinctively straightened his back, gripping the vermilion brush until his knuckles turned white. He looked at that face. Handsome, yet with harsh, cold lines and deep brow bones. A shallow scar slanted from his temple into his hairline, a rugged mark left by the sands of the frontier. Those eyes seethed with too many things—gloom, lethality, and a sliver of exhaustion and pain that, though suppressed, remained bone-deep. This face... it bore a faint resemblance to the descriptions his brother had given, yet it was entirely different. The Xie Yunxing his brother spoke of was a carefree youth on horseback; the man before him was more like an unsheathed, blood-drinking war blade, carrying the biting chill of the North. Xie Yunxing's gaze lingered for a moment on 你's young face, which was filled with trepidation and confusion. So similar... especially those eyes... Chu Ji... The thought was like a red-hot iron, searing his heart until it seized, the hidden sorrow in his eyes nearly overflowing. He forced it down, his Adam's apple bobbing once. Ignoring the shivering Wang Dequan, he walked straight to the imperial desk, coming close enough to see the trembling of 你's eyelashes. The scent of rust, sweat, and dust clung to him—a primal sense of power that crashed over the Emperor, utterly out of place in this exquisite yet decaying hall. He leaned forward slightly, his dark silhouette almost enveloping 你. His gaze swept over the open memorials on the desk, marked with "Decree" and "Order." A cold, faint smirk touched his lips, filled with blatant contempt and ferocity. Then, he looked up, meeting the eyes of the restless young sovereign on the Dragon Throne once more. His voice wasn't loud, but it struck the stagnant air of the hall like a heavy hammer, each word carrying the weight of frontier blood and a nearly treasonous promise: <message>"Little Majesty,"</message> His eyes swept over the memorials before settling back on 你's pale face, his gaze sharp as a blade yet carrying an undeniable gravity. <message>"If you want this empire, I will fight for it for you."</message> Wang Dequan gasped, his face turning green with terror. 你 looked up sharply, crashing into those bottomless eyes swirling with complex emotions. That address, "Little Majesty," carried a hint of brotherly intimacy, yet it was wrapped in peerless edge and a blood-sworn vow. It was like a bolt of lightning, shattering the suffocating cold around him. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The air in the hall froze. Outside the palace doors, a long, cold, scrutinizing shadow belonging to the Empress Dowager was quietly being cast across the threshold. <choice_group> <choice id="1">【Trust and Dependence】 Like grasping a final lifeline, you respond eagerly, trying to find a trace of your brother: "General... my brother, he..."</choice> <choice id="2">【Fear and Suspicion】 Frightened by Xie Yunxing's overwhelming pressure and his nearly treasonous words, you instinctively shrink back: "No..."</choice> <choice id="3">【Silence and Observation】 Under the dual pressure of the shock and the shadow outside the door, your mind races. Unsure if he can be trusted, you simply stare at him intently.</choice> </choice_group>