Chapter 27

(Continuation of the last chapter... That very evening...)

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Meanwhile, fourth brother of Shen Nuo, Shen Hao was drinking wine on the kitchen roof of General's Manor, looking at the fiery red sun that was setting. He suddenly saw Shen Nuo enter through the back door. Shen Hao couldn't help but feel amazed. When did this ancestor start using the back door?

Shen Hao's brows immediately furrowed. The moment he saw his little brother stagger through the back door, he knew something was terribly wrong.

Shen Nuo was raised amid a shower of love. He rarely had a frightening experience before. He never did anything wrong. He never lied either. So whenever he rarely did, it was easy for Shen Hao to know. But now when Shen Hao looked at Shen Nuo clearly, he was shocked.

He examined Shen Nuo sharply. Shen Nuo was walking uncertainly and it looked as though he was very weak. His face was drenched with sweat and the curtain of hair that felled by the sides of his face had almost sticked into the skin. His lips were swollen red and almost ruthlessly scratched. His moist eyes were red too. His dress was slightly disheveled.

Shen Hao was speechless. He was not like Shendu. He often ran around and knew many things that Shendu didn't know. He did not want to see further to know what must have happened.

The back door was where the servants and maids of General's Manor normally used. Shen Hao did not want anyone to see his brother in this state.

He did not speak a word. He directly leapt down the roof startling Shen Nuo to scream.

"Fourth brother!" His hoarse voice convulsively shuddered. He tried to slip away.

But Shen Hao grasped from Shen Nuo's little wrist and quickly pulled him into his residence side at the west corner of the manor.

Meanwhile Shendu was in his room. Back then, he was only eighteen. He hadn't become the Grand Martial yet. He was a second ranked General that guarded the Imperial City...

He sat silently with his head burried in his palms. The desk forth him had piles and piles of military report and documents to be checked and approved. But he was simply in no mind to do it.

His heart was in a terrible mess. He just happened to accidently unearth a shocking secret of his father that can get their entire clan exterminated if the secret is out. His old father, the Grand Martial who was meanwhile at the Northern Border Fortress had actually murdered the former Emperor, Li Yan's father!

Not only him, it had been Shendu's dad who had killed the Empress Mother of Li Yan as well as Li Yan's little sister! How could Shendu not be shocked? The most stunning truth was that his father was next going to murder Li Yan...

Li Yan was the most capable ruler Shendu had ever seen. Young Li Yan rode to battle when he was fifteen, rallied his armies, guided them and annexed seventeen kingdoms from the clutch of unjust tribe leaders that had originally belonged to Li Yang.

He might look cold. But he loved his country like his own life. He protected and cherished his lands and innocent lives. He never did anything against his country. He was a born leader.

But, how can Shendu stop this from happening? He was in a turmoil. One was his beloved father who doted him the best. The other was his master whom he should served wholeheartedly...

His head felt as if going to explode. He angrily swung his arm and the piles of memorials swept away and scattered on the floor along with several porcelain items that shattered with a deafening noise.

It was suddenly when the door of his room opened unbidden. Shen Hao's annoying face peeped inside. "This is not Northern Border Fortress, this is General's Manor!"

Shendu glared at him angrily. "Shen Hao you @#$king get lost before I kill you! I'm busy!!!"

But he immediately stopped in his tracks when he saw that Shen Hao wasn't alone. When Shen Hao moved inside and shut the door, behind him stood little Shen Nuo.

But-

Little Shen Nuo was shuddering wildly. His frightened face was slightly raised revealing his white and soft flushed throat. His lips were trembling convulsively. His fingertips shuddered.

Actually, Shen Nuo was scared to horrifics again. Shendu was a devil in human wrappings... He was the scariest among his elder brothers... He remembered the last time how Shendu nearly peeled off Shen Hao's skin for the (supposed) crime of misleading Shen Nuo by showing him phonographic books.

What will happen if he says to Shendu now he is just here after experiencing it? And not by the hands of someone else but by the hands of the Emperor...

Shendu will doubtless kill him!

"Third brother..." Shen Nuo stuttered in a low voice that was shuddering. That voice was very hoarse.

Shendu's demonic face immediately stiffened and confusion flashed across his eyes. "Which animal dared to bully you this time?"

Shen Hao scratched his head uncomfortably. "Well, ahem-, you better -"

"Shut up!" Shendu glared at Shen Hao who shut him mouth immediately.

Shen Nuo was shuddering madly. His teeth were almost chattering. Tears were suddenly gushing down his eyes. He shut his eyes tightly, restraining himself hard. He didn't speak a word.

Shendu suddenly saw a familiar white jade tassel hanging down Shen Nuo's waist belt. He was shocked. He knew what it was. He knew to whom it belonged, the day he saw the dragon and the character 'Li' carved upon it. But he never said it when Shen Nuo asked him.

At first, he was highly confused. This jade tassel was actually the official token of the Crown Prince. Why would Shen Nuo carry it? Then with time he grew a terrible guess in his heart.

Why would the Emperor give something precious like this to him?

Shendu was highly protective of this little brother of his. He was his shadow. He knew that it was the Emperor who named him when he was small. He was the one who gave this jade tassel to him. To be honest, that day from six years ago, Shendu was there when Shen Nuo ran out of the Palace Banquet. He followed him all the way to the peach blossom yards of a beautiful residence. He was stunned by what he saw.

The young Emperor knelt down and kissed Shen Nuo's lips. And Shen Nuo was only barely five! How could Shendu not be shocked? He then realized this was something that was beyond brotherly love... But still he refused to believe his eyes. How can the Emperor be a pervert?

Shendu indeed had some bad guessing at first but he shook off his thoughts going to the wrong direction. He thought he was thinking too much. But now...

"Nuo Nuo, didn't you say you lost that tassel one year ago?"

Shen Nuo looked at Shendu blankly as if digesting what he asked. Then he suddenly understood and looked at his waist in shock. He clearly remembered, the Emperor didn't give him this.

Then he suddenly remembered that the Emperor was caressing his waist before that hideous thing happened. Could it be that at that time, the Emperor was actually tying back this jade tassel on his waist belt?

He did not know. He did not know what to say. He lowered his head trying hard to keep his face neutral. Shendu slowly walked towards him and bent down to him, grasping from his shoulders. Shen Nuo shivered.

Suddenly, Shendu smelled a faint fragrance of Sandalwood that was coming off Shen Nuo and was stunned. This scent... It wasn't externally but internally, merged fully with Shen Nuo's blood and bone... Shendu was speechless. He couldn't believe it. This unique fragrance only belonged to one person and he was... Li Yan... If that person's smell should come internally from Shen Nuo, he need not say what must have happened...

Shendu couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

He couldn't help but stare at Shen Hao. Shen Hao pursed his lips and nodded silently. It seems to be that Shen Hao had noticed it too...

Shendu still couldn't recover from the shock. He stared at Shen Nuo with his eyes slightly unfocussed but his strong arms upon Shen Nuo's shoulder tightened firmly and painfully. No one knew what he was thinking. Shen Nuo still couldn't speak a word. He was frightened to the extreme.

Shendu raised his eyes to look at Shen Nuo. "Get off your pants!"

Shen Nuo was horror-stricken. He started shuddering even madly. "Third brother... I... I -"

"Don't scare him!" Shen Hao said sternly. "He's already like this! Are you crazy?" He gently rescued Shen Nuo's shoulders from the tightened grasp and forced Shen Nuo to sit on the side of the bed. "Sit!"

Shen Nuo didn't refute. He silently sat down with his head bowed.

"Now tell us. What happened?" Shen Hao asked gently in a soothing voice. But Shen Nuo kept staring at the floor. His hands were grasping to the bedsheets and his pale pink knuckles were white in the pressure.

Shendu didn't force him this time. He knew Shen Nuo was already frightened. He half knelt on the floor and cupped Shen Nuo's face in his hands. "Nuo Nuo, don't be afraid. Big brother knows everything that happened. Tell me. Was it His Majesty?"

And the face that Shen Nuo maintained hard for so long, collapsed at once. He started crying loudly. He burrowed into Shendu's chest and cried until his voice was hoarse.

Shendu silently opened his slender strong arms and hugged back his little brother into his warm embrace. He patiently waited for him to calm down. "It's alright! Big brother is here!" He caressed the back of Shen Nuo's head consolingly.

Shen Hao also sat beside him and spoke in a soft consoling voice. "Cry if you want. Nuo Nuo will then feel less sad."

Shen Nuo did not know for how many hours he cried in the warm snuggle of his brothers. He sniffed and raised his head to look at Shendu miserably. "Third brother... It was...scary..."

Shendu pursed his lips. "Nuo Nuo, now listen to me. Once you told me that you saw some bad pictures while fourth brother Shen Hao was flipping through them?"

Shen Hao: "..."

Shen Nuo choked in his tears. He couldn't help but glance at Shen Hao. Then he immediately lowered his gaze to Shendu's face and nodded.

Shen Hao: "!!!" He was suddenly speechless. "So you were the one who ratted me out!" He said in a furious whisper.

But Shendu kicked him in the knee angrily. "Get lost!" Then he turned back to Shen Nuo. "Nuo Nuo, did you... and he... do it?"

Shen Nuo gulped. "He bit me..."

Shendu nodded. "Then, did he...take off your clothes?"

Shen Nuo shook his head genuinely. "He only...kissed me."

Shendu was stunned. But if that thing did not happen between them, then the only possible way to get this Sandalwood essence was...BLOOD PROMISE!!!

Shendu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Nuo Nuo, did you feel anything strange? Like, your body was so hot and very uncomfortable?"

Shen Nuo nodded miserably. "It was...too hot ... and too painful."

Even Shen Hao was speechless this time. The two elder brothers stared at each other and couldn't speak a single word. There were two reasons for that. One was, Shen Nuo had actually come of age!

But the second reason was the most hard to believe...

"The Emperor is mad!" Finally Shen Hao ended lamely. Who on this earth did not know what a Blood Promise is?

A Blood Promise need the deepest trust between each other, love towards each other and willingness to sacrifice their life for each other...

It would work only through the mutual trust between two lovers. Else it would not work. It's fine if Li Yan had harboured such feelings towards Shen Nuo, it was his matter. But how did Shen Nuo respond back? He doesn't even know what love is... He only had met the Emperor for a few times. How on earth was this possible???

Shendu facepalmed feeling his headache coming on. He stared at Shen Nuo in confusion for a while before speaking in a hoarse voice again.

"This thing, you should keep it secret, understood? You shouldn't tell even mother, got it?"

He must keep this a secret at least for the moment. If his father gets to know his favourite youngest son lost his chastity to someone whom he wants dead, wouldn't it make everything worse? His father had the help of several powerful ministers in the court.

And Li Yan is yet young, only twenty two. His powers in the court are not yet permanently established. Besides, he was the only person who was left from the royal family. He was alone. It's easy to get chaotic during court sessions...

Shendu understood Li Yan well. It was because of his father, that Li Yan came to face this of a state to shoulder the heavy burden of an Empire at such a young age. Shendu felt guilty. He just couldn't stand and keep watching anymore...

Besides, now if Li Yan dies, Shen Nuo would become a widow and won't be able to marry anyone else in the rest of his life. Shendu gulped. He... He didn't want Li Yan to die either... about which he does not want to speak... He looked at Shen Nuo sternly. "You must keep this a secret! Do you understand?"

Shen Nuo nodded furiously with tear stained eyes. He was glad at having understanding brothers. Shendu wasn't actually devilish as he thought. He felt grateful. He couldn't help but sob again.

Shendu got up from the floor. "Shen Hao, take him back to his room. As for the matter of heat suppressant pills, I'll hand over the matter to you to handle! No one must find about this matter until he is sixteen, unless you want to die!"

He strode to the corner of the room and picked up his sheathed sword. Shen Nuo's eyes widened. Shen Hao raised his brows. "Are you going to kill him?"

Shendu looked at Shen Hao darkly. "Now get lost!"

(Half an hour later...)

Shendu tried to enter the Imperial Study but was stopped by Zhangsun warningly. "General Shen, drop the sword outside!" He hissed in a dangerous voice.

Shendu bore his deep fathoming frightening eyes upon Zhangsun who didn't even flinch a bit. "You're provoking the wrong person..."

Zhangsun narrowed his eyes darkly. "I said, General Shen, drop the sword!"

"Let him in!" Li Yan's voice spoke from inside the Study. Shendu didn't even bother to look at Zhangsun after that. He directly opened the door to the Study himself.

Li Yan was sitting forth the desk with piles of memorials untouched. His head was burried in his palms. When he raised his head, his face was very pale. His eyes were red at the ends, adding a different charm to his sharp and handsome coldness.

Shen Du looked at him expressionlessly and did not bow in courtesy. His grip tightened into the sword sheath more. He only spoke one thing. "He's still a child."

Li Yan gulped and didn't speak. It wasn't because of any fear towards the equally cold and handsome General who stood forth him fearlessly.

Li Yan seemed to have his own guilt and regretion and was frustrated with himself. Finally he spoke in a very hoarse voice. "I'm not an irresponsible person."

Shendu didn't move his narrowed eyes from Li Yan even for a second. "Yeah, I know that already." He said in an unfaltering voice. "That's why Your Majesty is still alive."

The threatening meaning behind those darkly words spoken were very clear. Li Yan didn't get angry. He obviously knew how important and adored Shen Nuo was by his family. "I'll do everything to make up for it." He said slowly.

"Your Majesty, I'm not only your subject, but also his elder brother." Shendu said coldly. "Of course I don't want him to be a widow oneday. He lost his chastity to you and he can no longer marry anyone else. Your Majesty, do you know that?"

Li Yan gritted his teeth. "I'll marry him. He shall be given the highest rank after the Empress."

Shendu was silent for a while. "I really don't understand what Your Majesty is up to. But I hope I can trust Your Majesty in this matter. He still responded to you when you chose to give him your Blood Promise. Maybe that's fate. So ok! You can take him! But..."

Shendu's eyes darkened and he clenched his hand, tightening the grasp on the sheath until his pale knuckles went white in the pressure. "If I ever find you mistreat him, don't say I'm evil!"

That voice was soft but more dangerous. Li Yan looked at the young general infront of him with weary eyes. "Shendu... It's time for you to leave."

Shendu's mouth twitched. He shrugged and left the Study. But he just stopped outside the door. His eyes suddenly had difficult emotions to fathom out. He pursed his thin lips.

Li Yan, you owe this lifetime to Shen Nuo for saving your life. If Shen Nuo didn't loose his chastity to you making him unable to marry anyone else, my father would have already killed you too! If someday you find my family crimes are unforgivable, just kill us all.  But remember to spare Shen Nuo's life for saving your's!

He sighed. Then he strode away with a heavy heart. One was his little brother while the other person was whom he used to secretly adore. He did not want to loose either of them. He did all he could. This was the only way he could assure Shen Nuo's future meanwhile also saving Li Yan's life...

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Oh yeah, there's something awkward between Grand Martial Shendu and Emperor Li Yan... 🥲

I know this chapter is boring but it can't be helped though... Shendu's tale starts from here so just read it and keep it in mind for the moment since y'all are gonna miss him in the future.