The entire body grew rigid at the sight and Yecao Cao started to sweat as he realized he just had stumbled upon an assassination attempt on the Emperor. How could he escape this? Call for help? Would help reach the Emperor on time? Would people heed his call? The darkly dressed assassins had currently almost reached the Emperor. He had no choice. He rushed out of the bushes with a fearful yell.

Confusion erupted among the guests while the black-dressed figures rushed frantically towards the Emperor who had turned around. Yecao Cao now cursed every time he had to run away from the guards because unfortunately, he reached the Emperor before the assassins did. He released a piteous moan when metal gleamed in front of his eyes and burning pain rushed through his frail body when he felt the dagger pierce his abdomen.

Is this how he shall die? For an Emperor who did not know or cared about him. Will his siblings grieve? His brother will without a doubt be angry. All that wealth he used on his younger brother, wasted. The Yecao family would, with certainty, not grieve but fight for his assets. Not that there was much of them. These miserable thoughts rushed through Yecao Cao while he listened to the swarm of concerned people who allegedly came rushing to defend their ruler while he himself had fallen to the ground. Someone had seized him and held him close to their chest in an attempt to support him. Yecao Ji?

But he could hear his brother’s shrill voice in a distance, shouting his name. It could not be him. Who? Curiosity prevailed and with a ghastly grimace in unspeakable agony, Yecao Cao forced open his eyelids to see who had caught him. His glance met two callous and angry eyes. His gaze promptly moved to the conspicuous object in the man’s hair. The imperial crown which was held up by a jade hairpin.

Yecao Cao released a quelled wail when he realized the person who held him was the Emperor himself. The Emperor who could execute him for the slightest insult or make sure neither he nor his family could ever acquire work again. That Emperor perused Yecao Cao’s pale face like he wanted to determine if he was fatally injured.

Apparently, the Emperor determined he must be so as he promptly shifted his gaze toward a close-by guard.

“Summon a doctor! The boy is barely breathing.”

Yecao Cao released a pitiful whimper which captured the Emperor’s attention again. Something Yecao Cao did not want, in fact he was unable to breathe as he was too frightened of aggrieving the man who held the entire nation’s fate in the palm of his hand.

“My beloved little brother, look at what they have done to you. You are so aggrievedly injured!” Yecao Ji exclaimed with an overdramatic voice which echoed over the buzz of other voices. Yecao Cao grimaced at his brother. He was far from seriously hurt.

“I feel fi…”

Yecao Cao’s hoarse voice was interrupted when his brother convulsively grabbed onto his sore wound. An anguished wail echoed as considerable pain erupted from his wound in ruthless waves.

“Where is the doctor?” roared the Emperor furiously.

Yecao Cao glared at his brother who released a few anxious wails. He had done that on purpose! Yecao Ji met his brother’s baleful glare and rolled his eyes while the Emperor was distracted.

“My poor brother, how could he ever work again with his wounds? All because he wanted to serve the Emperor,” wailed Yecao Ji and fixed his eyes on his brother. Yecao Cao lit up when he grasped what his brother was after. He immediately started to whimper and winced in overdramatic gestured to depict his unbearable torment.

“Don’t worry, I will take care of your brother,“ the Emperor said bitterly but with conviction in his eyes. The guard took a few trembling steps towards the Emperor. He straightened, but Yecao Cao foreboded ominous news for the Emperor. The guard promptly fell to his knees and allowed the forehead to rest upon the ground like he feared the Emperor’s harsh reaction.

“The assassins got away, honored Huángdi!”

Yecao Cao could instantly feel the Emperor’s iron grip shudder of what he could merely assume was rage. He could have given anything to be able to crawl away from the scene but their exaggerated performance earlier had prevented him from doing other than playing allegedly dying.

“You incompetent fools! I have used a fortune on your education, and you aren’t even able to perform your one duty,” snapped the Emperor and Yecao Cao winced. He desperately tried ignoring the seriousness of the situation to make himself feel better but all he could feel was disturbed.

Yecao Cao looked down upon his sore chest as he felt the wetness spread across his stomache only to pale at the dreadful sight. His entire upper body was covered in a dark spot which slowly spread along his lower part.

“I’m bleeding!” wailed Yecao Cao with eyes gone wide and waved franticly his arms around.

“Naturally you are bleeding, fool! You are wounded,” muttered Yecao Ji but was not able to soothe his wounded brother who now was in full panic.

The guards breathe in relief when the Emperor directed his attention towards Yecao Cao. Yecao Cao was somewhere in between panic and paralyzed when he overheard someone utter that if he continued losing this much blood he would inevitably die. That was the last thing he heard before sinking into the abysmal darkness which came with unconsciousness.

*****

Deep breaths resonated in his ears and Yecao Cao could feel himself slowly coming back to the reality. He opened his eyes to be met by the sight of a bedroom filled with vivid colored silk and furniture of the most expensive wooden kind on the market. Every corner was decorated with soothing images of the Imperial Palace and each furniture carved with fair patterns in soft shapes.

This was not his home. His brother would never throw away so much money on his siblings. At least not for such mundane things like textiles and furniture. Yecao Cao groaned when the soreness rush through his left side as he tried to rise from the bed. Someone rushed into the room at the sound of his whining and Yecao Cao met his brother's eyes.

“My beloved brother, I’ve been so worried!” wailed Yecao Ji and Yecao Cao was just about to ask who he put on an act for when the Emperor and another man followed his brother into the room. Yecao Ji immediately bowed his head and Yecao Cao did the same albeit with stiffer movements.

“Honored Huángdi, this Tóng is grateful for your benevolence!” said Yecao Ji solemnly and Yecao Coa tried not to grimace at his brother’s dramatic voice. The Emperor did a gesture to signal to the two of them to relax. Yecao Ji promptly turned around and Yecao Cao was met by a slap over the head.

“If you are going to rescue someone at least learn to disarm your opponent. I almost lost my entire investment,” huffed Yecao Ji and ignored the Emperor’s astonished expression. The man beside the Emperor, a tremendously fair man with skin like porcelain and an honorable face, came to the defense of Yecao Cao.

“Your brother did the entire nation a favor by being willing to sacrifice his life for our glorious Huángdi.”

The mans voice was gentle and soft like a summer breeze. Not needing more, Yecao cao could determine that this was the illustrious Lin Hai. The Emperor’s Shaofu, Minister Steward, and the country’s most sought after bachelor.

“It was not the deed I rebuked, highly esteemed Shaofu. It was the way he decided to do the deed, “ Yecao Ji replied casually and Yecao Cao grimaced as yet another strike landed over his head.

“Regardless of how he did it, I still am indebted to your brother,” the Emperor said and Yecao Cao could see how his brother’s eyes gleamed in bliss by the mention of the word debt.

“It is our eternal honor to-“

“Am I dying?” Yecao Cao suddenly asked. All turned towards him and Yecao Ji stared at him like he had asked if the sky was yellow.

“What do you mean, little Cao?” said Yecao Ji with a voice only reserved for the times Yecao Cao was in trouble.

“The last thing I remember was that I had lost a lot of blood,” Yecao Cao muttered and winced agitatedly when he remembered the sight of himself covered in blood. His brother cocked an eyebrow and with a rattle had he taken a tray with cakes and put them on the table beside Yecao Cao.

“Next time, don’t fill your attire with cakes,” Yecao Ji replied with a sweet voice and Yecao Cao moaned when he realized what had actually happened. The Emperor picked up one of the cakes and seemed to observe him.

“I remember you, Yecao Cao. You did not do well at the exam,” said the Emperor and Yecao Cao did everything in his power to avoid his gaze.

Yecao Cao remembered it as well, he had stood in front of the Emperor and answered this one’s questions. He had received the question, what was the most important for the people of this nation? Yecao Cao had answered honestly and said food, sleep, and security. All went silent while the Emperor stared at him. He repeated the question but Yecao Cao gave him the same answer again. The Emperor had then called upon another student and asked him the same question. The student had immediately answer that the Emperor was the most important to the people of the nation.

“I find it interesting that the person who considered food, sleep, and security more important than the Emperor was still the one who came to his defense when his life was in peril,” said the Emperor and took a bite of the cake. “It makes me reconsider the questions in the exam.”

The Emperor turned to his steward after observing Yecao Cao with a piercing gaze. “Send a message to the Ministry of the Royal Court. Yecao Cao shall be upgraded from a Tóng to a Yin and give him a Ling position in the Ministry of Ceremonies,” The Emperor proclaimed and left no room for arguments. Yecao Ji bowed eagerly to thank the Emperor who had left the room with the steward at his heels.

Yecao Cao looked like he had been struck by lightning. Yin… He had just received an aristocratic title and with the position Ling, he had been upgraded from official to Prefect. But it wasn’t either of these he felt joy of. No, it was the position in the Ministry of Ceremonies. They were renowned for not having much work. The ministry handle two religious ceremonies a year and could relax the rest of the year.

“I will never have to work again!” hollered Yecao Cao and Yecao Ji gave him a deep glare.

“You do realize you just have become a nobleman, right? With it comes a responsibility to continue your lineage. The Emperor can force you to marry in order to have children.”

With Yecao Ji’s words, Yecao Cao’s cry of joy turned into a wail of anguish. Why did all fortune come with grievances?