SGT CH136: I Like Being Served by the Shadow Guard

◎ The Shadow Guard was my initiator, teaching me the ways of intimacy. ◎

When the princes reached the age of five and obtained their exclusive shadow guards, the already relatively peaceful struggle escalated again.

Under the indulgence of the old Emperor, various poisonings and assassinations emerged one after another.

All the princes and the forces behind them completely tore off their masks.

All kinds of conspiracies, overt and covert struggles appeared together; every day was a brush with death.

However, for the first time, Mousse could sleep peacefully.

His exclusive shadow guard stood guard outside his bed, blocking all dangers.

Mousse had become accustomed to falling asleep under Shadow One’s protection.

A shadow guard is a blade, a weapon, but also a human being of flesh and blood; they get weary and tired.

Mousse felt sorry for Shadow One guarding him day and night without rest, so he would forcibly pull Shadow One onto the bed to let him rest.

Over time, he developed a habit where he could only sleep peacefully if Shadow One was lying beside him.

·

When he woke up from his dream, Mousse was still a bit dazed.

Beside him was the familiar shadow guard.

He smelled cool and aloof.

Like the cool breeze at night, without any unique fragrance, his presence was very low and hard to detect, just like every night Shadow One hid in the shadows to protect him.

But holding him was unexpectedly warm.

Probably because he was a martial artist.

Years of practicing martial arts and training the body resulted in abundant qi and blood, making his body temperature seem slightly higher than ordinary people.

It felt very comfortable to hold him in his arms.

Mousse rubbed against Shadow One’s uninjured left shoulder, rarely staying in bed for a while.

It wasn’t until the sound of palace servants walking outside came that he slowly got up.

Just as he propped himself up, he met the eyes of the person beside him who hadn’t had time to withdraw his gaze.

The other party quickly lowered his eyes submissively.

But Mousse still saw the redness in his eyes.

It looked like he had kept his eyes open all night, not resting at all.

Mousse paused slightly in getting up, opened his mouth, and wanted to say something.

But the other party had already rolled out of bed and knelt silently on the floor.

Like a stone statue without any breath of life or ability to communicate.

Mousse closed his parted lips, swallowed the concern on the tip of his tongue, and lost the desire to communicate.

Chief Steward Li led the palace servants inside to serve the Emperor in changing clothes and washing up.

Everyone looked at their noses, noses at their hearts, doing the tasks in their hands.

No one cast their gaze on the unclothed man kneeling by the dragon bed.

As if they had long been accustomed to this and formed a tacit understanding.

Mousse spread his arms, allowing the palace servants to dress him in his court attire, but his peripheral vision involuntarily fell on Shadow One.

The Scum Gong Value that increased last night had dropped back.

It dropped to 94 points again.

The light screen was still dark, with only a few sporadic words rolling past occasionally.

Mostly discussing the Scum Gong Value jumping back and forth last night, and why it hadn’t ended yet after so long, still on “black screen.”

[How long has it been, still not over?]

[Brother X is still seriously injured, won’t be killed by the Emperor in bed, right?]

Is he that kind of person?

Even if his style in bed couldn’t be called gentle, it was definitely not tyrannical.

At least he wouldn’t forcibly abuse others regardless of their injuries.

Otherwise, Shadow One wouldn’t have been able to leave the palace in one piece after being tormented by him for a year.

Moreover… he was practically taught by Shadow One hand in hand.

What he was like, and whether he could take it, Shadow One as the initiator knew best.

As for the reason for the black screen, Mousse also had a guess.

Last night, the light screen went dark when Shadow One came out of the quilt naked.

Now, Shadow One still didn’t have any clothes on.

Only some bandages seeping blood could barely serve as cover.

Over the past year, Mousse almost raised Shadow One as a dog.

Shadow One didn’t have many opportunities to wear clothes.

Mousse was also used to Shadow One kneeling naked in the hall, letting him trample and play with him.

Even the palace servants learned to remain silent and turn a blind eye to this.

It wasn’t until seeing the light screen deliberately go black for this that Mousse vaguely realized something.

This practice should also be within the prohibition range of the light screen, right?

It’s just that the light screen doesn’t increase the Scum Gong Value right from the start.

Last night too, Shadow One knelt by the bed for a long time, so long that he almost fell asleep, before the light screen suddenly issued a warning.

Oh no!

Shadow One is kneeling again!

Mousse reacted and quickly glanced at the light screen.

Fortunately, the value hadn’t changed.

Just like before, the light screen needed some reaction time.

Or perhaps it deliberately left him some time to realize and change by himself.

Five points added for kneeling once, continue adding for not wearing clothes.

With his current Scum Gong Value of ninety-four points, just adding a bit more would make him drop dead directly.

Can’t let Shadow One go on like this anymore.

Time is urgent; where to get clothes for Shadow One now?

Shadow One is currently neither a shadow guard nor a palace servant.

He has no status in the palace.

Truth be told, his last identity was the Emperor’s “dog.”

Dogs naturally don’t have specialized residences and clothes.

Mousse’s gaze swept over the clothes on the tray held by the palace servant.

Aren’t these ready-made clothes?

It’s just that the Emperor’s clothes have special shapes and patterns, not for others to wear; this is the crime of overstepping one’s rank.

Among these clothes, the only one without iconic patterns was…

Mousse’s gaze swept quickly over the clothes and finally stopped on the inner garment he had just changed out of.

The weather wasn’t hot now, and his clothes were changed daily, still relatively fresh and clean.

Besides, there was no better choice.

Mousse threw the clothes onto Shadow One, covering his large expanse of naked skin.

“Put it on,” Mousse said.

The Chief Steward Eunuch looked like he wanted to say something but stopped, then wanted to stop but speak.

“Shut up.” Mousse interrupted before he could speak.

Oh.

Li Defu covered his mouth and fell silent.

Shadow One was half a beat slow before picking up the white inner garment covering him, carrying a familiar incense scent and faintly retaining the Emperor’s body heat.

Raising his eyes to meet the Emperor’s forceful gaze, Shadow One silently put the clothes on.

He could put on the upper garment while kneeling, but he had to get up for the trousers.

Shadow One lowered his head, finished dressing quickly, and was about to kneel again when he heard the Emperor’s command again.

“Come here and serve.”

Such commands had been given before; Shadow One was not unfamiliar with them.

He had served as His Majesty’s table and chair, as a footrest, and naturally served His Majesty in changing clothes and washing up.

Shadow One stepped forward, took the cloth from the palace servant, and wiped His Majesty’s fingers.

His Majesty’s fingers were slender, fair as jade.

Even more delicate and precious than the best mutton-fat jade.

He always felt the cloth in his hand wasn’t soft enough, and his hands with calluses left from martial arts practice were even rougher.

A little heaviness would blemish this perfect white jade.

Shadow One frowned, his movements meticulous and careful.

Mousse liked being served by Shadow One.

There was a feeling of returning to the Prince’s palace back then, being carefully cared for and protected by the other party.

At the beginning, Mousse was also surrounded by many people taking care of him.

They each had their own thoughts and calculations; no one sincerely cared for him.

Ignoring him was already the best situation.

Situations where they were bribed to harm him were also common.

They didn’t even need to truly drug or attack him.

He was physically weak; just adding some nuts he couldn’t eat to his food, or opening the window when he was sick and couldn’t stand the wind…

Some casual actions that could easily shirk responsibility could nearly cost him his life.

After Shadow One came to his side, having detected additives in his food and needles in his clothes several times, he took on the responsibility of caring for him alone, taking charge of his clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Those people gradually left or scattered.

Those without other connections or who stubbornly stayed also lost the chance to approach him.

Shadow One lived with him behind closed doors.

Shadow One at that time didn’t look much like a shadow guard.

No shadow guard needed to do so many miscellaneous chores.

Taking care of a sickly prince, unskillfully cooking for him, mending clothes, decocting medicine…

Even teaching him to read and write, fanning him to drive away mosquitoes.

In the end, he even personally taught him the ways of intimacy.

A long time had passed since then.

Mousse grew up at a fast speed, walked to the end in the Gu-raising-like struggle for the heir apparent, personally ended the old Emperor, and ascended the throne.

Now, he was constantly surrounded by many, many people.

All these people depended on him, relied on him, their entire lives and fortunes tied to him alone, thinking of ways to please him.

Mousse only found them noisy.

Only Shadow One was different.

…He would rather they be the same.

Mousse lowered his eyes.

Watching Shadow One squatting in front of him tying a jade pendant sachet to his waist.

Without saying a word.

After washing and dressing, breakfast had long been laid out in the outer room.

Mousse walked out.

After a few steps, he realized Shadow One hadn’t followed.

Looking back, he saw the other party had retreated to the corner and was preparing to kneel again.

Mousse: “…”

Always suspected Shadow One wanted him dead.

Otherwise, why always do these things that make his Scum Gong Value rise.

“Come here, follow.”

Mousse said coldly, turned around, walked to the table, and sat down.

The table was filled with various dishes, and many palace servants stood by with trays and other dishes, waiting to replace them at any time.

Mousse’s gaze swept across the table and lingered on a certain dish for a moment.

Li Defu immediately understood, bowed, picked up a chopstick full, caught it with a small saucer, and delivered it to the Emperor’s bowl.

Mousse was actually just zoning out for a moment.

He suddenly remembered that Shadow One hadn’t eaten either.

Earlier in the Imperial Study, Shadow One vomited only tea.

Obviously, before that, he hadn’t eaten for a long time.

Just then, new text popped up on the light screen.

[Note! The Shadow Guard has not had food or water for days! Vitality index continues to drop, please provide food for your Shadow Guard immediately!]

Not had food or water for days.

Mousse frowned at the sight.

What exactly has Shadow One been doing these days?

Why didn’t he even eat?

Didn’t he have the palace servants give him silver?

Mousse recalled that when he searched Shadow One earlier, he found nothing.

Those two bottles of medicine, silver, and the forged household registration for him… all were gone.

Shadow One wasn’t a careless character.

He couldn’t possibly have lost all these things, right?

Wait for Shadow Two and Shadow Three to bring back the investigation results; he really wanted to see what Shadow One had done these days.

Shadow One was tormented by him for a whole year, and in the end could walk out of the palace in one piece.

But just three days after leaving the palace, he got himself near death.

The more Mousse thought about it, the angrier he got, but the most important thing now was to make Shadow One eat.

But how to make him eat?

If it were back in the Prince’s palace, he could let Shadow One sit down and eat at the same table with him.

If it were the previous year when he treated Shadow One like a dog… he would put the plate on the floor and let Shadow One eat by his leg.

But now, neither method was suitable.

Seeing His Majesty delay moving his chopsticks, Li Defu thought the dish wasn’t to his liking and was about to ask the young eunuch to remove that dish and replace it with a new one.

Then he heard His Majesty say: “All leave.”

Li Defu bowed and led the palace servants to retreat, closing the door with extremely practiced movements.

Shadow One waited silently aside without moving.

He knew that His Majesty’s “all leave” and “all get out” usually did not include him.

And this often meant that a new round of His Majesty’s teasing of him was about to begin.

Shadow One waited quietly.

Sure enough, he heard His Majesty call him.

“Come here.”

Shadow One lowered his head and stepped forward, walked to His Majesty’s side, and was about to kneel, but was shouted at to stop.

“Not allowed to kneel!” Mousse glared at him.

Was it easy for him to lower that bit of Scum Gong Value?

Mousse tapped the table, signaling him to use the chopsticks.

“Come here and test for poison.”

Food brought before the Emperor had gone through layers of inspection.

The possibility of poison was minimal.

But back in the Prince’s palace, such situations were too common.

Before Shadow One took the initiative to assume the responsibility of cooking for him, such poison testing procedures were mandatory for every meal.

Whether it was him or Shadow One, they were long accustomed to it.

Shadow One didn’t think much, picked up the chopsticks on the side, picked up a portion of shredded meat identical to what was in the Emperor’s bowl, and ate it.

After waiting for a moment, Shadow One nodded: “Pass.”

Meaning it’s edible, not poisonous.

Mousse kept a straight face and said: “Continue testing others.”

When Shadow One hesitantly extended his chopsticks to the nearest spicy dish, Mousse thought of something and stopped him.

“Wait, test this first.”

Mousse pushed a bowl of plain porridge in front of him.

Shadow One hadn’t eaten for too long; suddenly consuming spicy, greasy, or overly nourishing food would be unbearable for his body.

Hearing this, Shadow One obediently switched to a spoon, scooped a spoonful of plain porridge, and drank it quickly.

After waiting for another moment, he spoke: “Pass.”

“Don’t believe it.”

Mousse chose to be roguish.

“The amount is too small, what can you taste? Finish this whole bowl first and show We.”

“…”

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