Di Xúe walked over the garden. The peach tree’s were filled with sweet, round fruit and the lake glittered beautifully under the moonlight. The air had started to become colder as autumn had arrived but it was still comfortable enough to take a nightly stroll. It did not take long before he had arrived at his destination.

The two Imperial guards, An Dan and An Xi, straighten their back as he came closer but he ignored them as he entered the home of his Zhiji. The room was dark and Di Xúe frowned as he lit a candle almost to drop it when he turned and an old face looked back at him.

The face was wrinkled like a raisin and the eyes watched Di Xúe with suspicion. Di Xúe cocked an eyebrow and waited for the old servant to recognize him. Suddenly, the old man’s went wide and he threw himself to the floor.

“Glorious Huángdi!”

The shout echoed in the room and a loud thud followed suit. Di Xúe ignored the trembling old servant and his eyes fell towards the table. The little plum released a large amount of foul words from his mouth as he clawed himself up from the floor with unruly hair and one of his cheeks red.

“Slept well, Xiao Mei?” asked Di Xúe sweetly and held back a laughter as the little plum glared at him with unfocused eyes.

“Why the hell are you here?”

Di Xúe narrowed his eyes at the rude little plum.

“Most honored Huángdi…” The little plum added reluctantly.

Di Xúe was satisfied with that and sat down opposite of the little plum who yawned. Di Xúe threw a glare at the old servant who still hadn’t moved.

“What are you still-“

A squeak interrupted Di Xúe who seriously wanted to whip someone. A young girl had burst into the room and looked ecstatic as she gazed upon his face. “What is with these two? I have never seen such incompetence!”

“Get me and my Zhiji some food,” Di Xúe said coldly and both the servant rushed out to obey him. “Why have you kept those two but thrown out all other servants?”

“The other servants were rude. Especially that damn steward Mu Bai. He kept insulting me the whole time he was here. He served me cold food. Never meat, said something about me being too fat and even suggested for me to only survive on water! He ignored my orders and when I heard him gossiping about me behind my back, telling the servants that I should kill myself…”

Di Xúe’s expression did not change but he took a mental note of the name, Mu Bai. Lin Hai had suggested Mu Bai as he had been one of the most loyal stewards in the palace but it seems like the man needed to know his place. A slap on the face of the Zhiji was also a slap onto the Emperor’s face.

“Well, you need to lose weight. How else are you supposed to outrun assassins?”

Yecao Cao huffed,” I seemed to do fairly well when you were being targeted. Otherwise, you would have been dead.”

“Yes, and I have no idea how you succeeded in running past the assailants,” muttered Di Xúe. He had been in utter shock at the speed of the little plum even back then. It was ridiculous how such a round thing could run so fast.

“I got a lot of practice running away from the Imperial guards,” the little plum said proudly.

“Do I even want to know why you were running away from the palace guards?”

“Apparently, it is not appreciated when random people are sleeping in the Imperial garden.”

“Why aren’t I surprised?”

The servants were back with food. Di Xúe tried to ignore the open gawking of the girl but it became increasingly hard as she was so close. The little plum seemed to be amused by his discomfort but at least had the decency to dismiss the two servants.

“You need better servants. I’ll send for some new ones.”

“I like them. Stupidity has its place. They are too simple to have grand ambitions,” the little plum argued and took a bit of the food. He looked delighted as he immediately took another. The man seemed to only care for food and sleep…

“Fine, but I will still send some competent ones. I do not trust them to keep this place in shape,” muttered Di Xúe.

The room fell into silence as they ate. It wasn’t until they finished and the little plum leaned back with a satisfied sigh that the silence was broken by the little plum.

“Still, what are you doing here?”

Di Xúe gave him a sweet smile. “I came to sleep with you.”

The little plum almost fell off the chair as he heard the words and Di Xúe held back his chuckle.

“What?”

“No need to look so panicked. It is only natural that I will need to spend the night at your home if you are to pose as my Zhiji.”

The plum’s eyes narrowed at him with apparent suspicion. “Where are you supposed to sleep?”

Di Xúe looked at him innocently. “In your bed.”

Di Xúe tried to hold a straight face as he watched the little plum’s face change from pale as snow to red as lychee fruit.

“No, you’re not!”

Di Xúe cocked an eyebrow.

“Honored Huángdi…”

Di Xúe was satisfied with the respectful title even if it was an afterthought and went straight to the little plum’s bed. He gave him a teasing smile and lifted his arms.

“Are you going to help me undress?”

The little plum slammed the door shut and Di Xúe chuckled at his outraged expression. He would never get bored of teasing the little plum as long as the little plum always supplied him with such amusing reactions.

*****

Yecao Cao hmphed and threw himself at the servant’s bed which was in no way as comfortable as his own. The bed creaked everytime he turned to find a snug position to sleep in which only annoyed him more. “That impudent bastard! How dare he steal my bed?”

Yecao Cao groaned and wanted to storm back into his room and kick that cheeky bastard. The only thing stopping him was common sense and his love for his head attached to his neck.

It was a sleepless night for him and when he arrived back to the table the servants kept looking strangely at him. Yecao Cao grimaced as he realized why. The Emperor sat opposite of him and looked radiant. He was practically glowing with vigor while Yecao Cao looked like a pale ghost with bags under his eyes. Any intelligent person would think that the couple had been busy throughout the night.

Hu Ning leaned over to whisper in to Yecao Cao’s ear. “Did you use my gift, Zhiji?”

Yecao Cao frowned and looked up at the old servant before registering what he meant. The old man’s eyes were twinkling and Yecao Cao could only rub his temples as a reply to the old matchmaking man. It wasn’t unnatural for servants of concubines to try to help their mistresses to seduce their husbands. After all, the higher status a mistress had, the better the servant’s life would be but it was still a bother to Yecao Cao.

“No need, the Huángdi came prepared,” Yecao Cao replied vaguely and the old servant looked beyond surprised.

“Really, such an unusual man. You must be really loved.”

Yecao Cao snorted and got some peculiar looks from the two servants but Yecao Cao merely cleared his throat and ignored them as he turned his eyes to the Emperor who has just been sitting there sipping his tea.

“Slept well, my dear Huángdi?”

“Well enough, my lovable Zhiji. You sure know how to keep this Emperor occupied all night,” the Emperor said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes and Yecao Cao rolled his eyes when he heard the gasp of Hu Xia. The Emperor most likely wanted to enforce their image as a lovable couple and he knew that servants gossip. There is no way that these two would not tell the entire palace of this incident.

“Happy to be of service, most magnificent Huángdi. May I ask, what is your agenda for the day?”

“You may not.”

“…”

The Emperor slurped his tea while grinning under Yecao Cao’s piercing glare. Yecao Cao took a deep breath and gave the Emperor his sweetest smile.

“Well, whatever it is. You will have to handle it yourself. I fear that your most glorious highness was a bit too eager last night and I will have a hard time moving because of the pain,” Yecao Cao said dramatically and pulled out his fan to hide his grievous face. He hid a smirk when he saw the Emperor choking on the tea while all the people, even the two guards, send him some chiding glances.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I will most likely not be able to work for a few days.”

“My poor Xiao Mei. This considerable endowed Emperor was reckless. I will send the royal physician to take a look at your fragile Chrysanthemum!”

“…”

Yecao Cao glared at the Emperor who stared back with a clear challenge.

“You would not dare send a doctor to look at this bottom! I’ll strangle you in your sleep.” Yecao Cao forced himself to smile. “No need, just some rest will be enough. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Oh, my delicious little plum. You would never be a bother. Do rest up well for I will be back again tonight for another taste,” The Emperor said with a wink that made both servant blush while Yecao Cao turned red and held back the impulse to throw the teacup at him as he left the room.

*****

Di Xúe walked along the yard of the Imperial Garden along with Lin Hai. The sun was high in the heavens and he could hear the maids gossip about his visit. Lin Hai frowned as he listened at the scandalous rumor and for a second his eyes went wide before he closed them to hide his shock.

“Don’t worry, Shaofu. The little plum’s chastity is safe,” Di Xúe said with a chuckled. The rumors had spread faster than he had anticipated but that was far from an awful thing as it would cement the pretense of he and the little plum being lovers.

“It is not his chastity I fear for,” muttered Lin Hai. Di Xúe gave his friend a long, pondering gaze before replying to his insinuation.

“Do you fear that he would be harmed?”

“It is far too common for concubines to kill their rival. Show him to much favor and he will be killed before he can act as bait,” Lin Hai argued but Di Xúe was no fool. He could clearly see that his Shaofu was more fearful of the little plum’s safety than that the plan would misfire.

“It would only be a failure if one of the concubines wasn’t the mastermind of the assassination,” Di Xúe said casually but Lin Hai was far from amused by his statement.

“Please, don’t waste life so casually.”

“Be at peace, Shaofu. Though I care little for the plum but I have no intention of sacrificing him if it isn’t absolutely necessary,” said Di Xúe before giving him a sharp glare. ”Though you should remember that he is not here to be cuddle with. The safety of Tian is at stake. I will not have it compromised by your lack of focus.”

Lin Hai bowed to Di Xúe with an expression that told Di Xúe nothing of his true feelings. Something that bothered Di Xúe who had begun to wonder if he could really trust his Shaofu to do what is necessary if it came to that.

“Why do you even like that fool?” asked Di Xúe who could not comprehend how anyone could stand the annoying fool. The man had no ambitions, no courage and no dignity. The name Yecao really suited him but both Lin Hai and his uncle showed such interest in the little plum that it irked him.

“Because he is pure. I see none of the world's malevolence in him. If he just has a place to sleep and eat, he will be happy. The rest of what he owns he grants to others. I have never met a person like him,” Lin Hai said and Di Xúe was able to see that gleam in his eyes. The gleam of awe and tenderness.

“You have hardly spoken to him.”

“No, but I have watched him. Ever since he saved you. I’ve seen how he treats others and how they admire him in return.”

“He is a lazy fool who likes to eat, sleep and bribe others. Of course, they like him. He is no threat to anyone.”

Lin Hai looked over at Di Xúe with a strange look on his face. “Then why do you hate him?”

Di Xúe ignored his question as he had no answer for it. He has no idea why the man irked him so. He had seen lazy people before but they were often spoiled. The little plum was not spoiled. He worked, he just did it with as little effort as possible. He still took the time to help others though. Di Xúe had expected him to fall behind fast in his work but the little plum was preposterous. He did all his works with practically no effort and still hasn’t made even one mistake.

It annoyed Di Xúe who had to fight for scraps ever since he was little. He had been Wang Si, fourth prince, among ten. All wanted the throne and their father encouraged them to compete with each other. He had been poisoned for the first time when he was just five years old. The culprit had been the second prince, Wang Er, who wanted to dispose of all his rivals. He put the blame on his own mother and escaped punishment.

Another attempt by the Wang Qi, seventh prince, killed two of his brothers. He had barely escaped the ambush but the blame was put on his mother. Di Xúe watched his mother be beheaded for a crime she did not commit. That was the starting point for his ascension to the throne as he took an oath to never be powerless again.

All this pain… He could simply not accept someone who seemed to be given so much by the heavens.

A guard suddenly rushed towards Di Xúe and he felt a cold shiver rush through his spine as he saw the man’s distressed expression. The guard threw himself in front of him and slammed his forehead to the ground.

“Speak,” Di Xúe said with a cold expression that made the man tremble.

“I come with ill news from Dongzhou, honored Huángdi.”

Di Xúe’s eyes narrowed. Dongzhou… The city governed by one of the great families, Shu. They were not the most prominent of the three families and only had some low-key minister positions. The little plum had worked for one of them if he didn’t remember incorrectly.

“Well? Speak!”

“The harbor has been attacked by an unknown enemy force!”