Dark clouds hung heavy in the sky, and the north wind whipped the war banners into a frenzy.
Xiao Linye, clad in dark gold heavy armor and wielding a long saber with a beast-head hilt, sat astride his warhorse. His hawk-like eyes fixed on the towering city walls of the imperial capital before him.
This was the final battle.
Born into the Great Qi imperial family as Emperor Fengming’s sixth son, Xiao Linye had never been favored by his father. His mother, Consort Rong, carried foreign blood, making him an outcast from birth.
After Consort Rong’s death, he endured even greater neglect within the palace walls. No concubine would raise him, his siblings mocked him as a half-breed, and even the palace maids and eunuchs refused to treat him as their master.
Perhaps the only mercy Heaven had shown him in his early life was on that afternoon when he was ten years old. While fishing in the lotus pond to stave off hunger, he was caught red-handed by Emperor Fengming, who had come to admire the blossoms.
Mistaking his actions for mere childish mischief, Emperor Fengming severely reprimanded him before ordering him to attend the Hall of Literary Glory, where the imperial princes studied. It was there that he met Pei Lanqing, the Grand Tutor. Pei Lanqing, from a renowned scholarly family, had achieved the Three Primaries upon reaching adulthood and had been exceptionally appointed by Emperor Fengming to tutor the princes at the Hall of Literary Glory.
Pei Lanqing was the only warmth Xiao Linye had ever known within the cold palace walls.
In the Hall of Literary Glory, the other princes scorned him, tormented him, destroyed his books, trampled on his dignity, and drove him from the study. It was Pei Lanqing who braved the torrential rain, searching every corner of the palace gardens until he found him hiding in a grotto behind a rockery.
“Ye’er, no matter what others say, you must never belittle yourself.”
“In my eyes, you are just as much a prince as they are… no, you are far better than them.”
Xiao Linye’s fever raged unabated. The imperial physicians offered only perfunctory treatment, and the palace servants had vanished, shirking their duties. Yet Pei Lanqing remained by his side, unwavering, for three days and three nights, holding his hand without letting go.
“They may not want you, but the Grand Tutor does.”
“Ye’er, get well soon…”
It was this hand that pulled Xiao Linye from the mire of despair.
For the next eight years, Xiao Linye remained at Pei Lanqing’s side, sharing every day and night with him, listening to his lectures and lessons. In the sweltering summer heat, Pei Lanqing would brew refreshing plum soup for him; in the bitter winter cold, he would wrap him in warm cotton robes.
Volume after volume of books were studied, and under Pei Lanqing’s care, Xiao Linye gradually grew into adulthood.
Tragically, the poetry, literature, and rituals Pei Lanqing had so meticulously taught him did not mold Xiao Linye into a virtuous gentleman. Instead, they ignited within him a burning desire to compete and seize power.
He refused to remain a wild grass, trampled by anyone. He craved more power, wealth, and status. He wanted those who had humiliated him to pay dearly. He wanted Pei Lanqing to be his Grand Tutor alone.
At eighteen, seizing the opportunity presented by the Northern Di Slave Tribes’ invasion, he meticulously planned day and night, clinging desperately to that slim chance. He joined the army, marching to the Frontier Pass.
On the day of departure, he had intended to keep his plans secret from Pei Lanqing. But to his surprise, the Grand Tutor, who was no skilled horseman, rode alone forty miles after the army had set out, his palms raw and bleeding from the reins.
Xiao Linye assumed Pei Lanqing had come to stop him, but the Grand Tutor merely handed him a neatly packed bundle.
“This contains wound medicine and extra clothing.”
“The frontier is harsh and cold. Take good care of yourself.”
“I’ve also written letters of introduction to old friends of the Pei Clan stationed at the border. Seek their assistance if you need it.”
“Your Grand Tutor doesn’t expect you to achieve great military glory. I only pray for your safe return…”
Each word of concern cut into Xiao Linye’s heart like a small knife. He thought, if Pei Lanqing had uttered even a single word asking him to stay, he would have abandoned everything and remained.
But how could Pei Lanqing misunderstand the young man he had personally raised? Precisely because he understood, he didn’t stop him.
That day, at their parting, Xiao Linye could no longer restrain himself. He clung fiercely to Pei Lanqing’s body, recklessly pressed his lips to Pei Lanqing’s, and then, too afraid to witness Pei Lanqing’s reaction, immediately leaped onto his horse and galloped toward the main army.
With Xiao Linye’s departure, he became like an Azure Dragon plunging into the sea. Within three years, his fearsome reputation had spread across every battlefield in the northern lands.
Leading his troops deep into the grasslands, he pursued the Di Nu tribes into their heartland. His iron cavalry shattered the walls of the Cangshuo Royal Capital, instilling such terror in the Di Nu people that the mere mention of his name sent shivers down their spines, as if they had heard the voice of a demon.
Yet none of this earned him the favor of Emperor Fengming. Having finally recognized Xiao Linye’s usefulness, the emperor not only failed to reward him with a return to the capital and a noble title but instead treated him like a sharp, expendable blade. Wherever conflict arose, Xiao Linye was dispatched, regardless of the hardships he endured, the risks he faced, or the exhaustion he suffered.
On the desolate plains of Shuobei, Xiao Linye’s iron cavalry trampled over tens of thousands of corpses, turning the battlefield into a hellish purgatory. Countless times, he recalled Pei Lanqing’s face, remembered their parting kiss, yet remained unable to return to the capital and see him again.
It was precisely because of this that Xiao Linye, hidden from Emperor Fengming’s watchful eyes, ruthlessly expanded his influence, secretly consolidating more military power into his own hands.
Just then, an unforeseen event struck: Emperor Fengming, who had always maintained his health meticulously, suddenly succumbed to a critical illness and died abruptly in Changming Hall.
Great Qi was thrown into chaos. Crown Prince Xiao Dexuan hastily assumed control of the situation and soon issued an imperial edict summoning Xiao Linye, who was stationed at the Frontier Pass, to return to the capital for the funeral.
Regardless of how Emperor Fengming had treated him, Xiao Linye had no choice but to return out of filial duty and propriety.
Yet Xiao Linye, who had spent years wading through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, sensed that this journey would be far from simple. Before leaving the Frontier Pass, he made meticulous arrangements to prepare for any contingency.
As expected, everything unfolded as he had anticipated. Xiao Dexuan feigned brotherly affection, claiming to be concerned about Xiao Linye’s fatigue from years of relentless campaigning, while secretly plotting to strip him of his military authority.
Xiao Linye refused to surrender meekly. He engaged in a protracted struggle with Xiao Dexuan, evading countless open attacks and hidden schemes. But he never imagined that the final cup of poisoned wine would be offered to him by Pei Lanqing himself.
The Grand Tutor he had yearned for day and night for five years suddenly appeared at a banquet, wearing his familiar white robes, claiming to be there to welcome him back and wash away the dust of his journey.
At that moment, Xiao Linye felt as if he were in a dream. Completely unguarded, he drank Pei Lanqing’s wine. Instantly, his internal organs burned like fire, and he spat a mouthful of black blood onto Pei Lanqing’s white robes.
Gazing into Pei Lanqing’s eyes, he couldn’t tell whether the pain in his heart or the agony in his body was greater, until darkness completely enveloped him.
The events that followed remained a blur to Xiao Linye. He vaguely remembered being imprisoned in a dungeon, the deadly poison corroding his body as death drew near.
Yet even in his delirium, he couldn’t forget Pei Lanqing. He seemed to hear Pei Lanqing’s voice and feel those familiar hands supporting his body.
“Ye’er!”
“Hold on a little longer! Just a little longer!”
“Don’t be afraid. The Grand Tutor will detoxify you…”
What happened after that? Xiao Linye couldn’t recall. His only remaining memory was of being enveloped in indescribable warmth and tenderness. He embraced that body he had yearned for day and night, possessing it completely with hatred and resentment, leaving no barrier between them.
He had finally obtained the long-cherished dream of his heart, feeling an unparalleled sense of longing and contentment. It was as if there could be no greater paradise in the world, and even if he were to die then, he would have no regrets.
Yet Xiao Linye repeatedly told himself it was all a lie. His Grand Tutor had abandoned him, betrayed him.
Amidst the torment that felt like a thousand cuts, he suddenly regained clarity. The deadly poison in his body vanished without a trace. The secret forces he had pre-arranged within the army arrived in secret, and through a coordinated assault from within and without, they finally rescued him.
Over the next half-year, he gathered all the troops under his command and launched a desperate, all-or-nothing attack on the imperial capital.
“Your Highness, the army is fully assembled and ready to assault the city at any moment,” Deputy General Zhao Pingjin reported, riding up to Xiao Linye on horseback. Xiao Linye cast one last gaze at the towering city walls, as if he could see that figure through the stone.
After a moment, his thin lips parted, and he uttered two cold, authoritative words: “Attack the city.”
The warhorse beneath him reared and neighed, its hooves pounding the earth. In this final battle, Xiao Linye fought like a god of war incarnate, personally leading his elite troops to breach Great Qi’s Dongyuan Gate before sunset. They charged straight toward the imperial palace, their blades gleaming under the fading light.
Emperor Xian’an, Xiao Dexuan, had been on the throne for barely half a year. Realizing his situation was hopeless, he slumped against the Dragon Throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, watching Xiao Linye approach from outside the hall, his golden armor stained crimson with blood.
He erupted into maniacal laughter, so violent that his Dragon Crown tilted precariously on his head. “I knew it… I knew I shouldn’t have spared you that day!”
“Your Majesty certainly had foresight,” Xiao Linye replied, stepping onto the Imperial Steps, each footfall leaving a bloody print. The long saber in his hand gleamed with a cold light, its murderous intent palpable. “It’s just a pity that poisoned wine failed to claim your younger brother’s life.”
“And now, Your Majesty, I’ve come to claim the life you tried to take.”
“Even if you win today, what will it matter?!” Xiao Dexuan, knowing his life was forfeit, hurled curses at Xiao Linye. “You’ll still be that filthy bastard! That unwanted half-breed!”
“Even the Grand Tutor doesn’t want you!”
Before he could finish, Xiao Linye seized him by the throat, lifting him bodily from the Dragon Throne.
Xiao Linye’s eyes burned crimson, his murderous intent palpable as he pressed forward like a vengeful deity. “Grand Tutor, where is he?” he demanded.
Emperor Xian’an, paralyzed by terror, suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes gleaming with perverse triumph. “Where is he? Naturally, I’ve settled him in Phoenix Prosperity Palace.”
“You don’t know, do you? Though the Grand Tutor is a man, he carries my child in his womb. He belongs to me now—”
Xiao Dexuan felt a searing pain in his neck, followed by the suffocating grip of Xiao Linye’s iron-like hand. With a sickening crack, his neck bones snapped. Xiao Dexuan’s eyes widened in agony and asphyxiation before his life finally flickered out.
Xiao Linye tossed Xiao Dexuan’s corpse to the ground like a discarded rag. Without a glance at the imperial throne, he turned and strode out of the hall, heading straight for Phoenix Prosperity Palace.
A prince shunned for his bloodline. A tutor who raised him with warmth. A kiss, a betrayal, and a kingdom soaked in vengeance.
⚔️ “Here is the new series I picked up. Hope you little angels enjoy… kiss” 💌
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damn, this is soo gooodd