Chapter 5: Chapter 4
Chen took a moment to calm his helpless mood and regain his voice. he felt that the best way to carry out his plan was to be blunt and open. the worst that could happen is the demon next to him will kill him, or he gets sent to the cold palace.
" Huángdì, this consorts begs to be put down. it is improper for the Huángdì to carry a common consort on his lap."
As Yu Chen said these words, his gaze was down on the ground, not looking anywhere. in this way, he did not see the calculating gaze that the emperor cast his way.
" When has it been improper for Zhen to show favour to Zhen's consort? or could it be that my Chen'er is aware of the many eyes around?"
Yu Chen: ahhh I didn't say that. don't put words in my mouth. The last thing I want is to be alone with you. At this moment the ever-helpful brain supplied images of the emperor's bedroom battles with the original. the Huángdì seeing yu Chen slowly turning into a red apple. picked him up in his arms and walked towards his chambers.
" leave and close the gates. No one should enter," he said as he flicked his sleeves. By the time they arrived in the bed-chamber, the whole courtyard was empty, not a single soul was in sight. Meanwhile, in Yu Chen's head, the great and powerful emperor was being called all the bad names imaginable to man. Some new combinations were even created along the way. In the chamber Yu Chen was placed on the day bed, the emperor moved away silently taking off the dragon robe. he laid it neatly on the bed. Yu Chen had no time to think about why the pervert started undressing when the cold blade was pressed to his neck. he took in a shocked gasp as he looked up into the steel eyes of the emperor.
" Who are you?" it was a simple question, but the voice it was uttered with sent cold shivers down yu Chen's spine. how? how dd he know? how did he find out? was he going to kill him? if so then why did he send everyone out? these questions in his head, yu Chen's face, however, was that of a fool. he looked confused and wronged. the Huángdì couldn't help the laugh that burst out.
Yu Chen who had been scared to an inch of his life couldn't help but feel a wave of rising anger. "Bastard, why are you laughing, you think it easy to see your life flash before your eyes. Give I your ancestor the sword and see if I don't turn you to a eunuch."
As the words left his mouth the emperor's face steadily more terrifying until he was shaking with rage. He grabbed yu Chen by the neck cutting off the onslaughts of insults pinning, him to the arm of the daybed with him on top.
Yu Chen: (;'༎ຶД༎ຶ') ahhh I'm dead. mom, dad, it been a while but your son is coming to meet you soon.
" Say it again, who are you going to turn to a eunuch?"
"Not you ahh. You, can't you take a joke. How could I, a small consort ever say such to the esteemed majesty? This consorts life is too small. I don't dare."
"it seems zhen has been too lenient with you. We should have cut you down the moment we discovered an imposter."
Yu Chen froze, the pressure on his throat making his breathing shallow. His mind scrambled for a solution, an excuse, anything that could save his life. His hands instinctively came up, gripping the emperor's wrist, though the action seemed feeble against the strength of the man pinning him down.
"Imposter?" Yu Chen wheezed out, his eyes wide, shimmering with feigned innocence. "This consort does not understand what His Majesty means. If His Majesty wishes to dispose of me, then please—do so. But allow me to die knowing what crime I committed!" His voice cracked dramatically, leaning into the fragility expected of a concubine in such a dire situation.
The emperor's narrowed eyes didn't soften, but his grip on Yu Chen's neck loosened ever so slightly. His other hand still held the blade, its edge gleaming ominously in the dim light of the chamber.
"You claim ignorance, yet your mannerisms, your tone—they betray you," the emperor said coldly. "The Chen'er I knew could never utter such insolence. Who are you? If you are in league with my enemies, you will wish I had killed you swiftly."
Yu Chen's mind raced. He couldn't reveal the truth—who would believe he'd transmigrated from another world into this body? Yet playing the original's meek and submissive role was no longer an option either; he'd already overstepped those bounds.
"This consort... This consort has been reborn!" he blurted out, grasping desperately at the first idea that came to mind. "The poison—it killed me, Huángdì. But Heaven, in its mercy, has returned me to life! I am not the same Chen'er you once knew because death has changed me."
The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint sound of Yu Chen's laboured breathing. The emperor studied him, his expression unreadable. For the first time, Yu Chen dared to meet his gaze directly, his heart pounding against his ribs like a trapped bird.
"Reborn?" The emperor's voice was low, dangerous, as though testing the word. He leaned in closer, so near Yu Chen could feel his breath on his cheek. "Do you take me for a fool? Do you truly believe Zhen would accept such nonsense?"
Yu Chen's throat tightened, but he pressed on. "It's the truth, Huángdì! How else could this consort explain surviving when the imperial physicians had declared me beyond saving? Or my sudden... uncharacteristic behaviour? Death changes a person, Huángdì. Heaven must have given me this second chance for a reason!"
For a moment, the emperor said nothing, the tension thick enough to strangle the air from the room. Then, he released Yu Chen's neck abruptly, standing with an almost regal grace despite the ferocity of the moment before.
"You speak boldly for someone who values their life so little," he said, sheathing the blade in a swift, fluid motion. "If what you say is true, then prove it. Show me that this so-called 'rebirth' has made you worthy of Zhen's favour—or your survival."
Yu Chen gaped, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Prove it? H-how would this consort—?"
The emperor smirked, a glimmer of dark amusement in his eyes. "You claim Heaven sent you back with purpose. Then find a way to earn your place at my side. Convince me, Chen'er, that you are not a threat—but an asset. Fail, and Zhen will not show mercy again."
As the emperor turned to leave, his dragon robes swirling around him like storm clouds, Yu Chen slumped against the daybed, his body trembling with both relief and dread.
Yu Chen: Heaven, if you're watching, what kind of twisted mission is this?!
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Author corner-
hi everyone . I'm feeling a whole lot better now. I'm hoping to return to a normal posting schedule, however don't expect anything as there is still a lot I need to catch up on IRl
Huángdì-imperial emperor. Day bed-https://images.app.goo.gl/8CCkzvkVQXGw2Ujx5 Dragon robe- https://images.app.goo.gl/36nL8JXJSoaNcz3DA
Zhen,Us,We - this is how the emperor refers to himself, they are the pronouns that he uses.