SGT CH144: The Past Between Shadow One and Me

◎ For as long as Mousse was bedridden, Shadow One was tied up in his room. ◎

Experiences of being secretly harmed by palace servants several times in his childhood made Mousse mistrust everyone.

It was Shadow One’s protection and care, risking his life time and time again, that gradually opened his heart.

But it only made Mousse accept him alone.

Aside from Shadow One, he didn’t let any palace servants get close.

This also greatly increased the difficulty for various princes to plant spies around him or make a move on him.

As the princes gradually came of age, the struggle for the crown prince position reached its most intense moment.

To win over various forces, most princes had wives early on, and some even had children running around.

At this time, the solitary First Prince Mousse was particularly conspicuous.

For so many years, there had been no one by the First Prince’s side, not even palace servants to teach him about human relations.

Everyone inevitably had conjectures in their hearts.

Driven by people with ulterior motives, rumors about the First Prince having a hidden illness quietly spread.

Now, court officials who wanted to side with the First Prince inevitably had to think more.

The crown prince is the future emperor. It doesn’t matter if the emperor is a bit absurd or fatuous, but if he cannot extend his lineage and leaves no successor, that would be terrible.

Mousse was well aware of the rumors outside but didn’t care.

The struggle for the crown prince, or rather the struggle for the throne, had reached a fever pitch.

The remaining princes were fewer than the fingers on one hand.

And as the princes grew up day by day, the old emperor also became increasingly aged.

The princes had become accustomed to the previous competition for the heir apparent, only seeing other princes in their eyes.

But Mousse saw the old dragon sitting on the dragon chair, full of decay.

An old dragon about to enter the earth, looking at a group of young and strong young dragons, would not feel pride but fear.

The competition mode and target of this throne struggle had long changed.

The old emperor, who originally sat high on the dragon chair, held the power of life and death, and watched the “Gu worms” fight.

Under the erosion of time, he became increasingly frail, suspicious, and irritable.

No longer having the calmness of sitting firmly on the fishing platform.

When the other princes were unaware, the old emperor had already entered the game and joined this slaughter.

If the princes continued to reveal their abilities and show their strength at this time, it would only attract the old emperor’s suspicion and murderous intent.

A lean camel is bigger than a horse, and an old dragon about to die of old age is the same principle.

The old emperor was a perverted madman capable of using princes to raise Gu.

Mousse could hardly imagine what crazy things he would do in the final stage of his life.

The wise thing to do at this time was to hide one’s light and retreat behind others.

As the eldest prince, he naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Even if Mousse wanted to retreat, it was difficult to find a suitable reason to do so.

And this rumor was the best opportunity.

It was simply someone sending a pillow when he was sleepy.

Mousse thanked his brothers who helped spread the rumors in his heart.

And did not intend to clarify anything.

So, when the Second Prince came to his door, under the banner of caring for his elder brother, wanting to stuff people around him, with words full of sarcasm inside and out, he unhesitatingly let Shadow One kick the people out.

However, when Shadow One returned, his brows were tightly knit, his expression was a bit wrong, and he was frequently distracted around him.

Mousse was always suspicious.

Guessed that the Second Prince failed to stuff people around him and planned to poach him directly.

He didn’t believe the Second Prince could promise Shadow One anything better than him.

Even though the uneasiness in his heart made him anxious, Mousse still chose to believe in Shadow One and waited for Shadow One to explain to him.

That night, Mousse lay on the inner side of the bed as usual, flipping through a book while waiting for Shadow One to get into bed.

Shadow One came later than usual, with obvious moisture on his body, seemingly having soaked in water for a long time.

Mousse closed the book and waited for Shadow One to come forward.

Shadow One did come forward, but not to lie down beside him, but to get on top of him.

Trust in Shadow One prevented Mousse from stopping him immediately.

Or rather, when Shadow One took off all his clothes, he was already stunned.

By the time he reacted, Shadow One had already swallowed him.

Under such circumstances, it was difficult for Mousse to maintain his rationality.

What’s more, that was completely unfamiliar territory to him.

He instinctively trusted the person he was familiar with and relied on—Shadow One.

Under Shadow One’s guidance, he favored him.

The rumors about the First Prince having a hidden illness collapsed on their own.

Even if the First Prince favored a man, the courtiers accepted it well.

His Highness was still young, it was normal to like something fresh, and he wouldn’t be like this after he settled down.

Even if he liked men all the time, it wasn’t a big deal.

Compared to having a hidden illness, nothing else mattered.

Anyway, there were the Divine Tree and Pregnancy Fruit as guarantees for the continuation of the royal lineage.

The Pregnancy Fruit was a divine object, even if a man took it, he could get pregnant.

…

When Mousse came back to his senses from his memories, Shadow One had stopped and was pursing his lips looking at the contaminated thing in front of him, as if not knowing how to deal with it.

Mousse just thought of the Pregnancy Fruit, looked down and saw Shadow One’s full chest and the things stained on it, couldn’t help but hallucinate something else, his brain short-circuited for a moment.

Soon, Mousse reacted, holding his forehead to drive those thoughts that shouldn’t appear out of his brain.

Ordered Shadow One who was still stunned in place:

“Go clean it up.”

Mousse meant for him to go wash it clean.

But Shadow One had been the Emperor’s dog for a year.

The “clean up” in the Emperor’s words often meant for him to use his mouth.

Seeing the Emperor holding his forehead, seemingly not wanting to see him.

Shadow One bowed and retreated to the inner room to clean up.

After a while, Shadow One came out from the inner room, having cleaned himself up and dressed neatly.

Mousse propped his head, heard the movement, looked up at him, thinking it was quite fast.

Thought he wiped it clean with a cloth.

Didn’t think much.

Beckoned him to come over.

Shadow One walked to the Emperor’s knees, wanted to kneel, remembered His Majesty ordered him not to kneel again, so reluctantly changed to squatting halfway.

Mousse habitually put his hand on Shadow One’s head and rubbed it.

Then realized this action was too much like teasing a dog.

Mousse frowned, wanted to withdraw his hand.

But when meeting Shadow One’s quiet and silent eyes, he paused again.

He liked being watched by Shadow One.

Even if there was no longer the brilliance of the past in these eyes.

He also wanted to force it, to let these eyes stay on him forever.

Back then, Shadow One obeyed the Second Prince’s order to devote himself to him.

He was both sad and angry.

Angry that Shadow One’s bias in his heart was so obvious, even if forced to bind with him, he still thought about the Second Prince he wanted to follow in his heart, secretly working for the Second Prince.

Although very angry, Mousse did not puncture it.

Instead, pretended not to know, maintaining superficial calm.

He couldn’t bear the price of Shadow One leaving him completely.

As long as Shadow One stayed by his side, he could ignore that Shadow One still thought about another master in his heart and worked for others.

Actually, he minded terribly.

So, when the rumors disappeared and he needed to do something self-destructive to temporarily withdraw from the core struggle circle, he unhesitatingly chose to frame the Second Prince.

Not really framing.

The Second Prince indeed poisoned his wine, he just triggered the toxicity in advance and made the scene a bit more tragic.

It was at a palace banquet, the First Prince was poisoned and vomited blood, all fingers pointed at the Second Prince who was in the limelight at that time.

Even without direct evidence, it was enough to drive the old emperor, who was already frightened and uneasy because his status was threatened, crazy.

Since the Second Prince dared to attack his elder brother at the palace banquet, was it possible for him to attack his aged father emperor?

The Second Prince was immediately thrown into the imperial prison.

It’s just that the Second Prince had deep power in the court.

And the First Prince was poisoned and dying. If the Second Prince also fell completely, there would be even fewer princes left.

The closer to his twilight years, the more the old emperor resisted establishing a crown prince.

The nature of the original Gu-raising game had long changed, he didn’t hope for the birth of a real Gu King.

For him, the best state was for several princes to continue fighting, and no one could kill anyone completely.

The old emperor did not kill the Second Prince.

Just entered the imperial prison, and with the emperor’s suspicion and fear, the Second Prince would have to shed a layer of skin even if he didn’t die.

All this was within Mousse’s expectations.

The only thing he didn’t expect was that Shadow One was so loyal to the Second Prince that he wanted to break into the imperial prison alone with a sword.

And it was when he was poisoned and “dying.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t really unconscious and dying.

After discovering that Shadow One left with a sword to break into the imperial prison, he ordered people to take Shadow One down.

After so many years, he had long had more than just Shadow One as a follower by his side.

It’s just that a group of guards combined couldn’t beat Shadow One alone.

Truly useless things.

Mousse had to force himself to get up from the bed and personally come forward to bring Shadow One back tied up.

For as long as Mousse recuperated in bed, Shadow One was tied up in his room.

To prevent Shadow One from having the energy to find the Second Prince, and also to punish Shadow One, Mousse used quite a few torturous tools on him.

Making him wear them all the time, making walking difficult.

Even excretion and release were controlled by him.

After ascending the throne, when Shadow One resigned, forcing him to stay and raising him like a dog by his side was just another form of control.

Mousse occasionally regretted treating Shadow One so excessively and tried to let go.

But if the end of letting go was Shadow One dying for another.

Then Shadow One should continue to be controlled by him.

Mousse stroked Shadow One’s head and said slowly:

“Since your body has largely recovered, starting tomorrow, come to the Imperial Study to serve.”

Shadow One’s eyelashes trembled, and he responded in a low voice.

“Yes.”

Still that dull and wooden look.

Like a shell with a soul gradually falling silent.

But it didn’t matter, Mousse knew what to do to fuck those souls out.

He had given Shadow One enough recovery time.

Now the wounds on this strong body were largely healed and could continue to accommodate him.

The only thing Mousse worried about was this light screen.

Mousse still hadn’t figured out the logic of the light screen.

It seemed to want him to treat Shadow One well, but sometimes accepted him treating Shadow One badly.

Making Shadow One kneel by the bed at night would increase the Scum Gong Value.

But letting Shadow One curl up under the imperial desk and lean against his boots to sleep, clearly similar treatment, reduced the Scum Gong Value instead.

Mousse needed to try more.

Test the bottom line of the light screen.

At least he needed to know to what extent the light screen allowed him to treat Shadow One.

·

The next day, when Mousse returned from the morning court, Shadow One was waiting outside the Imperial Study early.

It seemed he remembered his order not to kneel and waited standing.

Mousse appreciated Shadow One standing at the door waiting for a while.

Felt his posture was straight and he stood very beautifully.

Also thought that he was injured before and standing for a long time wasn’t good.

So he secretly glanced at the attending eunuch.

Thing with no discernment, didn’t know to arrange a chair for him.

Chief Steward Li: “…”

Who knew your attitude changes every day!

“Follow.”

Mousse said when passing by Shadow One and walked into the Imperial Study.

Walking behind the desk and sitting down, Mousse picked up a memorial.

Thinking of something, he looked up at Shadow One who walked closer and tossed the memorial to him.

He himself sprawled on the couch without sitting properly and lazily ordered:

“Read.”

Shadow One unfolded the memorial and read it in a flat tone.

Mousse disliked him standing too far away, voice unclear, and asked him to sit on the couch to read.

Then leaned on Shadow One.

Shadow One’s voice paused, quickly adjusted, and continued reading.

After Mousse picked out the ministers who loved to write nonsense and beat them with boards, the courtiers’ memorials became much more concise.

Mousse lay on Shadow One’s lap. Shadow One read one, he took the red brush to draw circles or crosses to approve one, very efficient.

This is the life an emperor should live.

Mousse thought while resting on Shadow One’s thigh.

“…Your Majesty has been on the throne for over a year, yet the harem is empty, having no children under the knees, the foundation of the country is unstable. I implore Your Majesty to widely select show girls to fill the six palaces…”

Mousse didn’t know how many such selection memorials he had rejected, all with similar rhetoric, calluses grew in his ears hearing these words.

Before Shadow One finished reading, he snatched the memorial, preparing to draw a cross.

Just as the brush was about to fall, Mousse noticed a secret gaze from beside him.

He looked up in confusion and caught Shadow One’s gaze which he didn’t have time to withdraw.

Shadow One hurried lowered his eyes, looking at his nose, nose at his heart, not looking sideways.

Mousse looked at the memorial in his hand, then at Shadow One, a conjecture rising in his heart.

He leaned close, grabbed Shadow One’s lapel, leaned on his chest, half testing half teasing.

“Shadow One, what do you think about the selection of concubines?”

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