Chapter 14 - 1#
Castration (Revised) You Think I Don’t Dare Castrate You?#
In an instant, a wild wind rose and struck head-on.
Hearing that incredibly familiar voice, Yanzhi whirled around and came face-to-face with the man’s enraged countenance.
He instinctively forgot to struggle, his entire body freezing in place, his eyes wide and filled with utter disbelief.
Xiao Cuan gripped his arm and hoisted it high, with such force that he almost lifted him off the ground entirely.
Xiao Cuan’s face was taut and ashen. Because of his extreme rage, his face instead bore no expression at all.
The moment their eyes met, Xiao Cuan, like a hunting beast, frowned and narrowed his eyes. A dark light flashed in his pitch-black pupils, brewing a monstrous fury.
Yanzhi forgot to struggle and forgot the pain in his arm, merely staring blankly at Xiao Cuan.
He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but no sound came out.
How could His Majesty be here?
Wasn’t His Majesty meeting with ministers in the Taiji Hall?
How could His Majesty…
The wild wind blew past, messing up Yanzhi’s hair and sending his thoughts into a chaotic whirl.
Xiao Cuan gripped his arm and yanked him closer, locking him in place with an icy, freezing gaze.
He gritted his teeth, his voice low and raspy, pronouncing each word with heavy emphasis: “Yan… zhi—”
Xiao Cuan usually called him “idiot” or “puppy.”
This was the first time Xiao Cuan had ever called him by his name.
With a heavy thud, Yanzhi’s heart sank along with it.
The chaotic thoughts from a moment ago vanished instantly. He no longer wondered how His Majesty could have appeared here, nor did he think about how His Majesty would deal with him.
Only one thought remained in his heart—
He was going to die.
He would only live until today.
His Majesty was truly going to kill him.
Dazed, Yanzhi called out, “Your Majesty…”
Xiao Cuan, however, gave him no chance to explain, pulling him even closer.
The two were very close, almost toe-to-toe, chest-to-heart.
It was only because Yanzhi was afraid that he kept trying to shrink back.
Xiao Cuan advanced, gripping him tightly and refusing to let him escape.
The monstrous fury almost drowned Yanzhi, suffocating him.
Xiao Cuan lowered his eyes, looked at the sugar cakes fallen on the ground, and said in a low voice, “Tanggao?”
Yanzhi’s eyes were red, not daring to speak.
Xiao Cuan asked again, “Sent by Xie Yi?”
Yanzhi dared not answer even more.
Finally, Xiao Cuan asked, “The dog’s name?”
Yanzhi was so frightened he couldn’t speak, which in Xiao Cuan’s eyes was taken as a silent admission.
Xiao Cuan stopped asking him any questions, instead shifting his gaze to look sinisterly at Xie Yi behind Yanzhi.
Xie Yi had been kicked heavily by him and fallen to the ground. The accompanying ministers and palace servants stayed far away, none daring to step forward to help him up.
Finally, he clutched his chest, leaned against the wall, and scrambled to his feet on his own.
Following Xiao Cuan’s gaze, Yanzhi looked back and finally regained his senses, breaking through his fear.
“Your Majesty… Your Majesty!”
Trembling, Yanzhi called out to get Xiao Cuan’s attention.
“It’s my fault!”
Xiao Cuan turned to look at him, his expression icy and silent.
“I was greedy and wanted to eat the sugar cakes from outside the palace, so I asked Young… Young Master Xie to help buy some for me…”
“I… I gave Young Master Xie money. I was afraid it would violate palace rules, which is why I pulled Young Master Xie into the corner…”
“It’s my fault! It’s all my fault. I’m stupid, foolish, and greedy, that’s why…”
But this time, the Emperor, who always called him an “idiot,” acted contrary to his usual self and actually said to him—
“It’s not your fault.”
“It’s my fault,” Yanzhi repeated. “It’s my fault…”
Xiao Cuan raised his hand, cupped his face, and wiped away the teardrops on his cheek with his thumb.
With a cold face and a solemn tone, he said, “It’s not your fault; it’s his.”
Yanzhi naturally wouldn’t accept this and shook his head vigorously. “No, this matter has nothing to do with Young Master Xie. I beg Your Majesty to spare him…”
Before he could finish, as soon as Xiao Cuan heard the words “Young Master Xie,” he covered Yanzhi’s mouth and pressed him into his embrace.
Yanzhi used all his strength to struggle, but was held firmly by Xiao Cuan, unable to move.
Xiao Cuan raised a foot and kicked the sugar cakes on the ground, along with the lotus leaf, toward Xie Yi.
Xie Yi had finally managed to stand up, but quickly leaned against the wall and knelt again. “Your Majesty, this was due to my lack of consideration; it has nothing to do with Young Master Yanzhi…”
Xiao Cuan ignored him, instead turning his head and calling out, “Liu Xun.”
A minister named Liu Xun stepped forward, trembling, bowing low and not daring to look up. “Your Majesty.”
“Repeat what you just told me.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Repeat it.”
“Yes.” Lord Liu lowered his head even further. “I advised that since Your Majesty is holding a selection for both men and women, to avoid chaos in the harem after the newcomers enter the palace, it would be best for the concubines to live separately, or to renovate the palace chambers to house…”
“No need for such trouble,” Xiao Cuan interrupted him flatly.
Yanzhi suddenly felt an unprecedented chill.
He tentatively raised his head and looked at the Emperor.
His Majesty’s expression was blank and extremely calm, but the more Yanzhi looked, the more uneasy and frightened he became.
Sure enough, in the next moment, he heard the Emperor say—
“Someone, take him away and castrate him.”
There was a “boom” in Yanzhi’s ears. He could no longer care for anything else. Drawing strength from some unknown source, he broke free from Xiao Cuan’s restraint and shielded Xie Yi.
“Your Majesty!”
Xie Yi didn’t know the Emperor’s temper and had never imagined things would turn out this way; he was already stunned in place.
Only Yanzhi reacted, crying and pleading for him: “Your Majesty…”
Xiao Cuan felt his arms go empty. Seeing Yanzhi run away, the fury in his heart grew even stronger.
In a low voice, he commanded, “Yanzhi, come here.”
Yanzhi only shook his head. “I beg Your Majesty to spare Young Master Xie. This truly had everything to do with—”
“I told you to come here!”
Xiao Cuan could no longer maintain his composure. He strode forward, gripped Yanzhi’s shoulders with both hands, lifted him from the ground, and stared intently at him.
“Fine if he’s not castrated—I’ll castrate you instead. Choose one.”
Yanzhi froze in place, thinking for a moment. Finally, with trembling lips, he whispered—
“Me…”
Xie Yi could not be castrated.
Xie Yi was his friend, the friend he had just acknowledged.
He was the one who had personally led Xie Yi into the palace; Xie’s father had personally entrusted him into his hands.
Xie Yi was involved because of him; he was the one who had harmed Xie Yi.
No, Xie Yi absolutely could not be castrated.
Making up his mind and gathering his courage, Yanzhi whispered, “Please, Your Majesty… castrate me…”
As he made his choice, Xiao Cuan became even more enraged, questioning sharply, “You think I won’t touch you?”
“I don’t…” Yanzhi lowered his eyes, his tears falling onto the back of Xiao Cuan’s hand.
In any case, he was always staying in the palace.
In any case, His Majesty always said he would castrate him.
In any case… his parts were of no use anyway.
The most important thing now was to protect Xie Yi and not let him be dragged down because of him.
Just then, Xie Yi also finally regained his senses and hurriedly said, “Please, Your Majesty, judge clearly. Young Master Yanzhi and I…”
“Good, very good.” Xiao Cuan still ignored him, laughing in extreme anger at Yanzhi. “To protect him, you’ve even made up your mind to become a little eunuch. What a pair of ill-fated lovers, what deep and heavy affection.”
Xiao Cuan gripped Yanzhi’s shoulders with both hands, as if he were about to crush him.
“Yanzhi, did you really think that when I said I would castrate you, it was just teasing you in bed? Did you really think that because I pamper you, I wouldn’t dare touch you?”
The next moment, he grabbed Yanzhi around the waist, hoisted him directly onto his shoulder, and strode toward the end of the palace path.
As he walked, he deliberately crushed the sugar cakes on the ground underfoot.
Yanzhi didn’t resist anymore, lying obediently on his shoulder.
It’s okay, it’s okay if he’s castrated, as long as His Majesty spares Xie Yi…
But immediately after, he heard His Majesty command: “Drag Xie Yi to the purification room.”
Yanzhi snapped his head up, looking back at him in disbelief. “Your Majesty…”
Xiao Cuan ignored him, his face taut and silent, as he strode forward.
“Your Majesty promised me!” Yanzhi finally realized something was wrong and began to struggle. “Your Majesty promised me not to touch Young Master Xie…”
Xiao Cuan still didn’t answer, only tightening his grip and holding him firmly.
*
“Your Majesty promised me! Your Majesty cannot go back on your word! Your Majesty…”
Yanzhi struggled all the way, questioning all the way, but received no response.
Finally, he could no longer hold it in and shouted, “Xiao Cuan!”
Xiao Cuan’s footsteps paused, and he turned to look at him.
Yanzhi thrashed his feet, tugged at his clothes, and pounded on his back with his fists. “You promised me… you promised me… don’t castrate Xie Yi, don’t castrate him… I beg you…”
The accompanying palace servants dared not look, all hiding in the distance.
Carrying him, Xiao Cuan stepped onto the stone stairs of the purification room.
Arriving at the door of the purification room, Xiao Cuan kicked the door open and, carrying him, walked through the cold, damp corridor and past several narrow, dark cubicles.
Upon entering this place, even Yanzhi’s crying quieted down.