The Night Before Leaving the Palace, Reduced to the Tyrant's Plaything - chapter 1

Da Ye Dynasty, fifth year of Shenghe, winter.

Night had fallen. Qianqing Palace was ablaze with lights, fragrant mist curling in the air.

Jiang Wanyu stood before the dragon bed, teaching the newly arrived Palace Maids how to prepare the Emperor’s bed.

She had held the position of Sleeping Attendant for five years now; every movement she made was graceful and practiced, flowing as smoothly as water. She could do it perfectly even with her eyes closed.

But she had reached the age to leave the palace. In just three days, she would return home, and before leaving, she had to teach the newcomers everything they needed to know.

A few Palace Maids watched her in fascination. One of them sighed, “Gugu Wanyu is so beautiful, and she does her work so well. It’s such a pity for her to leave.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” another quickly retorted. “Leaving the palace is a good thing. The world outside is vast; marrying a good husband and living a happy life is so much better than staying here.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right! Gugu finally made it through. We should congratulate her.”

The girls crowded around to offer their congratulations, saying that if she married a worthy man in the future, she shouldn’t forget to send word back so they could all share in her happiness.

A worthy husband, huh?

A vivid image flashed through Wanyu’s mind-a spirited youth, handsome and full of vitality. For once, a faint smile appeared on her usually calm face.

But before the smile could spread, she caught sight of the corner of a bright yellow robe out of the corner of her eye.

Wanyu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly suppressed her smile and knelt by the bed.

The Palace Maids were also startled, dropping to their knees in a row.

“Leave!”

Qi Rang stood with hands behind his back in full dragon robes, the majesty of the Son of Heaven filling the palace with an oppressive, suffocating air.

The Palace Maids barely dared to breathe as they trembled and hurried out.

Wanyu remained kneeling.

She knew that order didn’t include her.

Because the Emperor hadn’t humiliated her yet.

Every night, humiliating her was an indispensable part of the Emperor’s bedtime routine.

Only after he had humiliated her enough could the Emperor sleep soundly.

She knelt, head bowed, silently waiting.

Qi Rang stepped in front of her, looking down from above. His tall figure completely blocked the light, casting a deep shadow over her.

For a long moment, he suddenly bent down and seized her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.

“You’re leaving the palace?”

Five simple words, the tone calm yet cold-just like the Emperor’s heart.

Her chin ached where it was pressed by the cold jade thumb ring on his finger. Wanyu blinked in response.

“Have you been dreaming of this day?” Qi Rang pressed further.

Wanyu glanced up at him, silent as ever.

Not getting an answer, Qi Rang tightened his grip a little more.

“Speak! Have you gone Mute?”

With those words, he sneered. “I forgot-you really are a Mute.”

Wanyu’s long lashes trembled. She seemed long used to being called Mute, her expression unchanged.

Qi Rang hated that air of indifference, as if she didn’t care about life or death. Suddenly, he felt an urge to shatter her calm.

With that thought, he acted, scooping her up by the waist and tossing her onto the dragon bed.

Footnote:
1. Gugu(姑姑): “Gugu,” which literally means “aunt” (father’s sister), was also used as a term of respect for senior female palace staff in ancient Chinese imperial courts.
“You’ve warmed my bed for five years, and I never touched you. Tonight, I’ll make an exception-reward you with a night’s sleep on the dragon bed.”

Wanyu felt a dizzy spell wash over her; her frail body looked pitiful on the wide, luxurious dragon bed.

Like a dying fish.

As the man leaned over her, those eyes of hers-clear as lake water-finally showed a look of panic.

She couldn’t speak, so she pressed her palms together, silently pleading with Qi Rang through her gaze.

Begging him to spare her.

She had already spent five years here atoning for her family’s crimes. In three days, she would be leaving the palace.

If she was favored by the Emperor now, she’d never get to leave.

A woman who has been favored by the Emperor must die within the palace walls.

Qi Rang finally got his wish-seeing her composure crack. He propped himself up on either side of her, those deep phoenix eyes staring straight into hers, recalling the words of the Palace Maids when he entered, and remembering the first smile he had ever seen on her face in five years.

She had smiled so beautifully.

She must be impatient by now, right?

Eager to leave the palace and marry the man of her dreams?

Heh!

His long, cold fingers brushed over her bloodless lips, grinding against them: “Five years, and the first time you beg me, it’s to leave the palace.”

“Do you want to go that badly?”

“What exactly have I done wrong, that all of you want to leave me?”

“Speak!”

His anger received no answer. Looking at the woman trembling beneath him like a frightened rabbit, he suddenly bent down and kissed her fiercely.

The kiss was invasive, laced with the scent of alcohol. No wonder the ever-cold and indifferent Qi Rang was acting so out of character-he’d been drinking.

Wanyu’s pain brought tears to her eyes; a whimper escaped her throat.

But this sound didn’t awaken Qi Rang’s sympathy. Instead, mingled with the alcohol, it provoked the beast hidden within him.

He treated her cherry lips as prey, as a delicacy within his grasp, biting and grinding wantonly until the taste of blood filled his mouth.

After a long time, he finally stopped. Gazing at the girl’s swollen, bleeding lips, a complicated light flickered in the abyss of his eyes.

“Beg me-just utter a single word, and I’ll let you go.”

Wanyu lay on the bed, her chest rising and falling. Her tear-filled eyes looked at him with sorrow-not with hatred, but with a trace of pity.

Was she pitying him?

Pitying him for being so alone?

She was in such a state herself-what right did she have to pity him?

Qi Rang’s expression darkened, as if suffering a great humiliation. With a tearing sound, he ripped open her outer robe, exposing snow-white skin and a pale pink undergarment embroidered with peach blossoms.

Beneath the undergarment were gently rising curves.

Wanyu felt a shame she had never known before; her slender body trembled uncontrollably in the cold air.

Qi Rang’s gaze lingered on her snow-white skin, his eyes growing darker, like a stormy sea beneath the night.

“They say the third Miss of the Jiang family has skin like ice and bones like jade, lovelier than any flower. These past years, I’ve truly wasted such beauty.”

His tone was mocking, his pale, slender fingers pinching the pink undergarment. With just a bit more force, he could rip away her last shred of modesty.