How To Survive as a Villain

When Xiao YuAn arrived at the main hall, the old General was there dressed in armor and a blood-stained robe.

At first glance, he seemed to come with a decisive decision.

Seeing Xiao YuAn, the old General with silver hair knelt down, lifted his cape and held his fist in one knee. “Your Majesty!”, he shouted.

How could Xiao YuAn withstand such worship? He knelt in front of the old General with a plop: “Right!!! General, you’re right! I’ll listen to you!”

Old General: “…Your Majesty, I haven’t said anything… “

Huh? Haven’t said anything yet? I cried out with tears just now,I thought I was starting to persuade him after the complaint began.

Xiao YuAn knelt down and reached out to help the old General: “Speak, speak.”

The old General didn’t get up and bowed again: “Your Majesty! The late Emperor fought for several years in exchange for this Land’s peace, you should beg for your ancestors mercy.”

Xiao YuAn hurriedly said, “Yes! You’re right! I’m going to beg for their forgiveness!.”

The old General bowed again: “Now the treasury is nearing empty, but you’re still holding banquets feasts every day, indulge in eating, drinking, and playing. You don’t even ask about the state’s affairs. This is a clear sign of the destruction of the country!”

Xiao YuAn once again paid his respects: “Yes! You’re right! Old General, you’re absolutely right! I’ll change! I’ll change everything”

Old General: “…?

What happened? Why is his Majesty so obedient! Am I too old to be this confused?!

Xiao YuAn picked up the old General with a silly face and sat down with him: “General Sun, don’t kneel, sit here, I’ll stand and listen to your scolding.”

Old General: “???”

Despite being caught off guard by Xiao YuAn’s attitude, the old General calmed down and started to scold him.

Even if he really scolded him for half an hour, Xiao YuAn responded with just three sentences: You’re right! What you said makes sense! I’ll listen to you!

Although these three sentences seemed extremely perfunctory, Xiao YuAn’s attitude was very meticulous. Not only did he accept the advice of the old General of withdrawing all the banquets, but also started to deal with the government affairs every day.

The old General was moved to tears: the late Emperor appeared!

Xiao YuAn: Pull it down! Don’t show me that spirit! Wasn’t the adultery that the young Monarch inherited from the late Emperor!

With Xiao YuAn acting like this, the old General naturally didn’t want to leave. After a period of turmoil, Xiao YuAn would no longer waste his time anymore, and the national treasure will gradually turn from loss to full.

But not everyone was happy. With Xiao YuAn being in power all day long, there were some people with a gloomy aura inside the palace.

That was in the Jing Yang Palace, where the young Monarch’s male lovers lived.

Although the young Monarch couldn’t help but to like men, he never had a concubine; even if his male lovers were his concubines, they were inferior in status and couldn’t be compared with female concubines. If the young Monarch ignored them and didn’t give them rewards and love, their status would be the same as the lowest slave.

In Jing Yang Palace, people mourned and sighed everywhere, but there was also the common people.

Although it was the beginning of winter, the Northern Kingdom froze for thousands and thousands of miles, and the snow could be seen everywhere.

The cold inevitably spreaded through every corner of the imperial Palace.

Xiao Fengyue got up early, he wrapped himself with a thick coat and outer robe, then he swept the snow outside the door of his room.

Although Xiao Fengyue was born in the Southern Yan Kingdom, since childhood he had never witnessed such a snowy scene. However, the fascination had already disappeared, replaced by the fear of cold.

Xiao Fengyue was originally a Qin player¹ in the Southern Yan Kingdom. After the fall of the state, he was captured by the Northern Kingdom, and because of his good temperament and handsome appearance, he was selected by Hong Xiu and appointed in the Jing Yang Palace. Fortunately, the young Monarch likes the soft and flirtatious ones, so he never showed interest in him.

Xiao Fengyue’s life in Jing Yang Palace could be described as monotonous.

Xiao Fengyue swept away the snow in front of the door, and while entering his room with red hands, he felt someone suddenly covered his eyes behind him.

Xiao Fengyue smiled and reached out to touch the hand that was covering his eyes: “LiuAn.”

“Ah, you recognized me again.” Yang LiuAn withdrew his hand and scratched his head embarrassedly.

“Come in, don’t let anyone see you.” Xiao Fengyue quickly pulled Yang LiuAn inside the room, closing the door behind him.

“Your hands are so cold.” Yang LiuAn held Xiao Fengyue’s cold red hands and rubbed them until they got warm.

“It doesn’t matter.” Xiao Fengyue looked down, but in his tone he couldn’t hide his smile.

“Anyway, his Majesty gave me some osmanthus cake a while ago. I bought them for you to have a taste.” Yang LiuAn drew out an oil paper bag from his arms, carefully opened it and picking up a small piece, he fed it to Xiao Fengyue’s mouth: “Is it delicious?”

Xiao Fengyue nodded and smiled gently: “It’s delicious, by the way, I played the Guqin in the pavilion for you before, but I was heard…”

“Oh, it was his Majesty.” Seeing Xiao Fengyue’s face turning white, Yang LiuAn quickly waved his hand. “Don’t panic, his Majesty hasn’t inquired about it.”

Xiao Fengyue whispered with fear: “That’s good. But, how can you come here while you’re on duty?”

“I can accompany you all day, because his Majesty doesn’t want the imperial guards and maidservants following him today.” Yang LiuAn replied.

Xiao Fengyue was puzzled: “Huh? Why’s that?”

“His Majesty said it to me, but I couldn’t understand it.” Yang LiuAn sighed. The Emperor has become more and more amiable recently, but his words became stranger day by day. “Why? What did his Majesty say?”

“He said he was going to peek at the meeting between the male lead and the goddess.”

Footnotes:

Footnotes

1. 琴师 qín shī; Player of a stringed instrument.