A/N Another long chapter 😪
It was a lazy day today, a break from the strict regimen that'd filled Liu Qingyuan's days. The men were in their shared room, taking their time to get ready and talking amongst themselves. Da He was scrutinizing Liu Qingyuan who'd noticed but ignored him. Unfortunately, the staring was making him uncomfortable.
Liu Qingyuan pulled his belt closed and swiveled, locking eyes with Da He's malicious gaze. "Are you done looking?" Da He squared up.
"Why? You don't like the attention? You didn't seem to care when you recklessly spilled his majesty's drink." Liu Qingyuan gritted his teeth, shoving down the welling irritation. It was hard enough being in a country he didn't know all by himself, but it was harder still when that country threw thick-headed imbeciles at you. Liu Qingyuan looked away uninterestedly and turned to leave. He was done in this room. The others could loiter all day if they wanted. "Hey! I'm not done!" Da He snagged the back of Liu Qingyuan's tunic. Liu Qingyuan spun, lashing out and sending Da He sprawling onto the floor. Da He roared in anger, shoving up off his friends and lunging for Liu Qingyuan.
Liu Qingyuan caught his arm, twisting it away and slamming Da He down by the collar. He leaned over him, anger and disgust in his eyes. "Don't. Touch. Me," he hissed. Da He tried to get up, hatred on his face but Liu Qingyuan slammed him back down, his lithe frame surprisingly overpowering Da He's stocky, powerful build.
"That's quite enough," an authoritative female voice called out from the doorway. Liu Qingyuan turned his head, brow furrowing at the older woman swathed in gold.
Her imperial yellow robe had prominent shoulders, hair pinned up with extravagant pins and a glittering headdress. Gold dripped from her ears and her pursed lips were painted red. For a brief moment, Liu Qingyuan wondered what woman would come uninvited into a man's quarters, especially the quarters of soldiers. Then, Eunuch Shuang rushed in, looking completely flustered.
"Queen Dowager..." The...Dowager...
All the men in the room rushed to bow. Liu Qingyuan let go of Da He, reluctantly sinking into a bow. "Now," her voice commanded with the force of a dragon and the prowess of a phoenix, "Who is Liu Qingyuan?"
Liu Qingyuan reluctantly raised his head, gaze guarded as he stood. "I am, your majesty."
"Hmm," She flicked her eyes over him. "Needs work on the manners but it'll do." Her tone took on a more official air. "From this moment on, you will work for the king. You will protect him diligently. If under your watch he is hurt, I will destroy three generations of your family. Do you accept?" It wasn't a question, it was an order. Liu Qingyuan bowed his head.
"I understand your majesty." The Dowager turned to Eunuch Shuang. "Get him to his new quarters."
"Yes, your majesty." The Dowager turned without another word and swept out the door. There was silence in the room. Most of them were friends and none of them knew Liu Qingyuan, so they didn't give their congratulations.
"This way, Liu gongzhi." Liu Qingyuan got up slowly, swiftly collecting his things and stepping around the men that were avoiding his gaze. Da He didn't though. He stared right at Liu Qingyuan with jealousy in his eyes.
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The next morning, Liu Qingyuan reported bright and early, standing like a shadow as the king attended his morning assembly and moved to his study to work for most of the morning. It'd been a couple hours since and Liu Qingyuan stood stoically outside the doors in his new uniform. It was black, with subtle silver embroidery at the shoulders and down the arms and bold gold at the throat. Flanked by two regular guards adorned in red, Liu Qingyuan stared ahead, ambitiously ignoring the curious stares of the guards. His gloomy aura even kept the bugs away.
"Liu Qingyuan?" The king called from within his study. Liu Qingyuan turned, shoving down the irritation at the informality of Jiang Zhilan's speech but entered the study anyways.
"Yes, your majesty. Do you need anything?" He asked monotonously, although the sudden coolness felt like heaven compared to the sun's heat. Jiang Zhilan looked up momentarily and smiled, putting down his brush and stretching his arms.
"Come here." Liu Qingyuan hesitated for a split second and approached him. He stopped before his desk. "Closer." The king waved his hand. Liu Qingyuan rounded the edge of the desk, watching warily as Jiang Zhilan got up, eyes scrutinizing Liu Qingyuan's face. "It must be hot out there, right? Have some water." Liu Qingyuan stepped back.
"No thank you, your majesty. I'm fine."
"At least let me..." Jiang Zhilan leaned forward to dab the sweat from his forehead. Liu Qingyuan stepped back again startled.
"I don't-"
"Ai, stay still." He grabbed Liu Qingyuan's arm, tugging him closer in a sharp burst and dabbing his sleeve on his face. Shocked, Liu Qingyuan slapped his hand away.
"What-what are you doing?" The king slowly lowered his hand, the confusion on his face turning into an interested look. Slowly, he circled him; Liu Qingyuan watched, feeling flustered. Satisfied, he smiled brightly and skipped back into his seat.
"You can stand there," he dismissed, waving to the spot beside him. Liu Qingyuan shook himself out of his trance and moved into the spot, watching the king write for a moment before facing forward and resuming his stone cold expression. It was naught a couple minutes before Liu Qingyuan let his mind wander. He thought about what had just happened. The softness of Jiang Zhilan's sleeve and the gentle way he'd patted his face.
Liu Qingyuan felt a little breathless. He cleared his throat and banished all thought from his mind, trying to recite the lessons his master had taught him, in order to pass the time.
It wasn't until Liu Qingyuan's feet felt numb when Jiang Zhilan finally set down the latest scroll he'd been reading and stretched in his chair. "I don't want to do this anymore," he said to no one, rubbing his tired eyes. He turned to Liu Qingyuan when there was no response. "How about we play a game?" Liu Qingyuan spared him half a glance.
The king suddenly popped up into Liu Qingyuan's field of vision and he refrained from startling back. "Do you want to...gamble?" The king held up a wooden stick, smiling expectantly, but Liu Qingyuan only glanced at him.
"I'm afraid that isn't appropriate, your majesty." Who knew such a kind, poised and diligent king could actually have a frivolous side?
Jiang Zhilan didn't take any offense from the rejection, instead, he leaned back, assessing Liu Qingyuan with a pleased smile on his lips. "I see. A man that does not indulge in flippant activities." He spun around to the other side of the desk. "How about...xiàngqí1?" Liu Qingyuan shifted a little, sparing him another half glance.
"Pardon, your majesty, but I am here to protect you. I cannot be sidetracked by...other tasks. Lest your safety is compromised."
Jiang Zhilan raised an eyebrow. "And if I ordered it?" Liu Qingyuan looked away. No matter how much he hated it, he couldn't disobey the king's order, unless he wanted his head detached from his body. Jiang Zhilan moved back in front of him. Liu Qingyuan's eyes flickered down before he forced himself to stare over the top of the king's head. He was wearing that pretty flower pin again.
Jiang Zhilan's fist flew towards Liu Qingyuan's chest, abruptly. Quicker than lightning, he snatched his hand. The former's mouth shaped into an impressed 'O'. Liu Qingyuan stared down at him with narrowed eyes. What was he doing?
The king coughed and Liu Qingyuan realized he was still gripping his hand. He let go quickly, stepping back and inclining his head. "Forgive me, your majesty. It was...a reflex." Jiang Zhilan moved around him, reaching up to pat him on the shoulder.
"You have very good reflexes." Now on the other side of him, he persisted in his pestering. "If you don't feel like playing a game, do you want to go for a walk?"
Before Liu Qingyuan could even think about replying, the doors to the study slid open and in entered the broad-built, cruel cut man from the banquet. Immediately, Liu Qingyuan noticed the king become visibly guarded, face closing off completely
"Playing? Who knew your majesty could find the time to play, especially with the assassins running around."
"Is that the way to greet your king?" Jiang Zhilan grit out, still standing stiffly beside Liu Qingyuan. The man smirked.
"Eldest prince greets your majesty," he said, bowing low. Jiang Zhilan stared hard at him, before sweeping back his seat. The man rose, despite the fact his greeting was not received.
"What brings you here?" He asked stiffly, picking up a scroll. Liu Qingyuan knew he wasn't really reading it. Not if his white-knuckled grip said anything.
"I've come to report. I didn't get the chance last night because of all the commotion." The eldest prince glanced at Liu Qingyuan. The silence that followed had Jiang Zhilan looking up. He caught on.
"You are dismissed for now." Liu Qingyuan bowed, walking out and feeling the eldest prince' gaze on him the whole way.
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The king had been in a foul mood after his conversation with the eldest prince and he ordered everyone to leave. Liu Qingyuan stayed, adamant in his job as bodyguard. That was, until Jiang Zhilan threw a vase at him. It'd shattered on the wall beside him, leaving a small cut on the back of his ear. Eunuch Shuang had promptly ushered him out and Liu Qingyuan was dismissed for the day.
A moment of contemplating had him deciding that the afternoon could be wasted getting to know the city of his new home. Liu Qingyuan went back to his room to change out of his uniform and don a veiled hat. He had his own rooms now.
Straight through the door was an area for a round table and chairs. The area further in contained a low desk. The area to the right of the reception area contained bookcases filled with a few classics. It was mostly empty, waiting to be filled with books of Liu Qingyuan's taste. In the corner, between the study and "library" was his bed. It was slightly blocked from the view of the reception area but the rooms were a generally open plan.
Liu Qingyuan made his way across the palace and out the gate. The bustling market greeted him not far beyond. He wandered the streets, observing the people and the businesses and the interactions. It was a much lighter place than Gongzhuan. He allowed himself to enjoy a little, smiling at the fragrant scents and fingering through pouches, jewelry, tassels; anything and everything.
Liu Qingyuan eventually ambled into a teahouse, looking around for a moment. The server led him to a seat in the upper balcony. It was more private and allowed him a view of those below. As Liu Qingyuan sat sipping his tea and snacking on the dish of nuts, he noticed a loud voice over the clamour. A downwards glance told him that it was the storyteller; every teahouse had one to provide entertainment for the people. He listened in as he popped another peanut in his mouth.
"Wah, he's a great general, like a demon on the battlefield. Like this, and this, and this." The storyteller made wild gestures with his arms, loud sound effects coming out of his mouth. "He slays his enemies like a wraith!"
"Wait!" Someone interjected. "Isn't he the elder prince? Why didn't he get the throne?"
"Yah!" a woman dressed in coral smacked them. "Are you saying his majesty isn't good enough?!? Why are you bringing this up again?! Are you going to ask every person you meet?! Seriously..."
"No!" There was a chorus of reprimands.
"But," the woman spoke up again, in contrast to her earlier outburst. "I am still curious. The imperial family never said anything about it, even though it's been years. The eldest prince was a good candidate, why didn't he take the throne?"
The storyteller slammed his wood block on his desk to break up the discussion. "Ah, today's your lucky day. The speculation ends here! What if I told you, I know why?"
The woman scoffed. "How would you know?"
"I have connections," the storyteller said, sounding offended. "But it's fine, if you don't want to hear."
There was a chorus of protests from the rest of the crowd and they shot the woman dirty looks. Liu Qingyuan almost laughed. Gossip was as rampant as ever. He turned away, but heard the next words anyways."
"You know, the eldest prince came from the late Noble Consort Ming. Her family got involved with evil and they say the eldest prince...was born without the phoenix mark."
"Didn't Noble Consort Ming die for adultery?"
"Yeah but she was smitten with the late king, didn't you know? I don't think she would have done that."
"What do you know, you hopeless romantic!"
"It's possible, but if he was the late king's child and he actually doesn't have the phoenix mark, isn't that bad luck?" The citizen looked worried. "Does that mean heaven is giving up on our country?"
Another one rolled their eyes and scoffed. "Does the king not have the phoenix mark? Ai, how could you say that? Do you want your head chopped off?!" They made a violent gesture towards the former.
They huddled closer to whisper, the storyteller even going as far as to descend the platform to join them. Liu Qingyuan stopped paying attention then; they spoke too low to hear.
It was interesting. Who knew such a rumor was floating around? How it didn't get out much sooner considering the current king had been ruling for a few years. Liu Qingyuan finished off his cup, standing, and leaving a small chunk of silver on the table. It was time to get back to the palace.