"My prince... my prince."
"Yes?" Prince Liang Chen snapped out of his thoughts, his fingers tightening on his dagger. He glanced around—every eye was on him. Ji Mingyuan sat still, unhurt, and his devilish grin never faded. But no... it was all in his head.
Liang Chen sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Warning: No bloodshed," Xiayue whispered in a solemn voice only Liang Chen could hear.
No blood—weren't they asking for too much? How was he to make it right, to turn his fate, if the man he hated most did not have to bleed under his sword?
Liang Chen's gaze settled on the man before him. He wanted to rip his heart open, tear his flesh, and feed it to the vultures, but even the heavens were protecting him…
A wide smug spread across his lips. He leaned forward, his hands clasped together.
"So, what conditions should this peaceful alliance be sealed on?" Liang Chen asked. Not that he wasn't aware—he remembered every term, every plothole—but this time, he will be sure to make the game turn in his favor.
Ji Mingyuan smirked and leaned forward, his cold gaze sweeping over the others.
"Yelan is ready for peace, provided that the unclaimed land is kept neutral and both parties shall benefit from its resources."
Liang Chen's lips curved.
"Indeed... neutral. But my prince, isn't it unfair to Yunzhou when Yelan comes with hundreds of manpower, ready to reap it all?"
Ji Mingyuan's fist tightened, his gaze flickered, but he remained composed.
"Indeed, it is. However, it is not Yelan's fault... we just have enough spare hands to put to use."
"Spare hands." Liang Chen chuckled bitterly. Of course, they did. Under such conditions, the resources would be gone in a year, and Yelan would harvest ninety percent of them. How could such conditions be fair? But this was not the past.
Prince Liang Chen sat quietly. The ministers awaited his verdict—as the mouth of the emperor, he had to be careful. His words would shape the land and the lives of his people.
Slowly, he stood up and walked over to the giant windows that overlooked the harmonious rooftops of the capital.
"No bloodshed..." The words repeated in his head like an ancient relic.
He needed a way out. Refusing Yelan would bring them back to the same spot—the flood and the ruin of Yunzhou. But accepting such conditions would reduce Yunzhou to Yelan's mercy. They would be taken for granted, used as a stepping stone. There had to be a third option.
Prince Liang Chen turned to the expectant eyes.
"Everyone out... except the prince of Yelan."
"Your Highness..." the ministers murmured, but Liang Chen had long turned his back on them. Reluctantly, they exited the room one after the other.
Prince Ji Mingyuan turned to his people.
"Leave," he ordered, and they followed the others.
The room was huge, but the tension electrifying the air made the space feel too small to breathe.
"Yunzhou needs the support and maybe the protection of Yelan. You should think of the well-being of your people, my prince," Ji Mingyuan muttered softly.
Prince Liang Chen turned, his eyes cold as he stared at the green-eyed devil. He was charming, captivating, maybe... breathtaking. But he did not fall short of such beauty. Why would his betrothed choose such a man over him? His fingers tightened on his dagger.
No action went past the eagle eyes of Ji Mingyuan. He watched with curiosity and great anticipation.
"Last time I heard, Yelan treats their in-laws better than family," Ji Mingyuan smirked.
"Certainly. But then, what is my prince driving at?"
Liang Chen turned and walked back to his seat.
"A marriage alliance, with Your Highness and the royal betrothed," Liang Chen announced.
Ji Mingyuan smirked, his lips curved, and his gaze flickered to the man seated a few feet away.
"Marriage," he chuckled, as if he had not heard the first time.
"Hmm... the bride will be from the most reputable family of Yunzhou, someone befitting of you, my prince," Liang Chen muttered, but Ji Mingyuan was not satisfied.
All his years on the battlefield had taught him patience, thrift, courage, and the art of bargaining. He did not want fish...
"A tempting offer, I must say," he began. "But then why should I settle for a few gold bars when I can have the mine?"
Liang Chen's breath hitched, his body trembling.
"The marriage alliance... I accept," Ji Mingyuan announced, his voice laced with mischief.
Prince Liang Chen sighed in relief, but it was short-lived. His chair was suddenly pulled backwards, and his face came closer to the green-eyed devil.
"But it has to be with the crown of Yunzhou. Male consorts aren't unheard of."
"You... never." Liang Chen's hand landed on the cheek of his opponent, but the man only smirked, as if the slap was enjoyably deserved.
"I will not be your slave," Liang Chen growled.
But Ji Mingyuan was far from over; his fingers slowly grazed the cheek of the man beneath his, his warm temperature a total contrast to his coldness. "I do need a slave… in bed."
"You…" Prince Liang Chen's eyes fired up in rage, his skin curled in contempt, but that coldness… it felt strangely comfortable. like a missing part, his body craved something so forbidden.
"You shall oversee the decision-making of Yunzhou, build your place in my court, and keep the spoils of the unclaimed land. Yelan shall be your second home, and your word shall rule alongside mine. But then..." Ji Mingyuan paused, his lips curled dangerously, his gaze flickering with a strange emotion.
Slowly, he backed away, giving the man in the chair space to breathe and time to process every word, condition, and consequence. To him, an alliance with Yunzhou was a must… the only way out. With his back to his enemy, Ji Mingyuan's words, the final condition, echoed like a death sentence.
"You shall serve my bed."