On the Edge: Dugu Shang (Part One)
In the royal palace of Ning Yue Kingdom, at five in the morning one day, the sound of a woman’s anguished cries was heard. However, there was no sound of a baby crying. The anxious emperor (more accurately, the former emperor) heard that the queen had given birth and burst into the room, kicking the door open with force.
He snatched his beloved son from the midwife’s arms, exclaiming, “Why isn’t this child crying? My darling, cry a little, cry!” But the baby showed no response, merely opening his eyes slightly, giving his father a cold glance. The emperor suddenly burst into laughter, “Haha! This is indeed a cold disposition! Excellent! This is the demeanor of an emperor!”
The baby gave his father another look, snorted in contempt, and then turned away. The room fell into an eerie silence as everyone experienced his coldness for the first time.
A few days later, the emperor, along with officials and the queen, discussed naming the newborn prince.
The queen suggested, “The little prince is so icy; how about naming him Shuang?” The emperor shook his head, “That name sounds too feminine; the prince’s name should reflect royal dignity!”
The officials began to argue heatedly, proposing numerous names, but none satisfied the emperor.
Finally, someone suggested writing all the names on paper and letting the little prince choose for himself. The emperor agreed enthusiastically and went personally to fetch the prince.
However, the moment he picked up the prince, the child slapped his hand and pulled out a handful of beard, maintaining a cold gaze.
After much struggle, they brought the prince to the main hall. Placing him on a cushion surrounded by characters, they handed him a board, expecting him to choose.
The indifferent prince, seemingly dissatisfied, casually threw the board. It flew towards a pillar, bouncing back and slapping the Emperor’s face, causing him to fall spectacularly.
The board landed on a character. When the paper was removed, it revealed one word: Shang.
And so, the little prince was named Dugu Shang – and that prince was me.
…
Because, I no longer know how to confide.
One day, under the advice of my ministers, I held a martial arts competition where the victor would become my personal bodyguard. During the contest, Li Gong’gong informed me that someone had signed up at the last minute, claiming to be General Ling’s son, named Ling Han. I found it amusing, knowing General Ling only had a daughter.
I wanted to see what General Ling’s daughter was really like.
When the judging official called her name, she leaped onto the arena, graceful as an immortal descending from heaven. A playful smile hung at the corner of her mouth, and her lightness and agility were rare among women.
I began to pay attention to her, constantly drawn by her presence. During her fight, our eyes met. Her large, spirited eyes were crystal clear, revealing her thoughts.
She seemed to enjoy looking at me, almost forgetting she was in a fight. When her opponent swung a knife at her, my heart tightened. I wanted to warn her but dared not speak. A hint of displeasure crossed her eyes as she deflected the knife, which flew towards me. She shouted, “Your Majesty, be careful!” I felt relieved; I would rather be injured myself than see her hurt. I caught the knife between my fingers.
She sighed with relief, but the empress wanted her executed. I intervened, stopping the empress – the first time I had defied her orders, all for her.
She became my personal bodyguard, never distancing herself from me and often asking, “Your Majesty, would you like to try some?” If she liked something, she would ask me to buy it for her. She disliked the palace’s rigid rules and was always undisciplined in front of me. Her only flaw was that she always called me “Your Majesty.”
She was special.
Unlike other bodyguards who stood silent and motionless, she liked wandering around the study, eating, and particularly enjoyed polishing the gold ingots from her bag, sometimes even kissing them. Whenever she did this, I wanted to laugh. I had never seen a girl behave like this, but I liked it.
After working for a few days, she seemed bored with being a bodyguard, her gaze often drifting to the scenery outside. So I put down my pen and took the initiative to walk with her in the royal garden. When I was lost in thought looking at the horizon, she called, “Your Majesty?” I ordered her to call me by my name, forbidding “Your Majesty.” She was surprised but obediently agreed.
After learning my name, she curiously said, “Shang? Isn’t this an unlucky name?” Seeing her innocent curiosity, I couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe… that’s really the case.”
“Your Majesty! Born! Born!” A eunuch ran and knelt before the emperor, exclaiming with joy. The emperor, my father, kicked the eunuch away, “Who exactly was born? Have you figured it out? When did I give birth?!”
On that day, I was born, after the crown prince Ning Yi’an. According to birth order, my brother was the eldest prince, and I was the second prince.
However, because my brother was naive, mischievous, and uninterested in studying, I surpassed him in every aspect.
Thus, our parents and everyone in the palace favored me, while treating my brother differently. I might well be the happiest prince in the palace, including among princes from other nations.
No one could imagine that my brother and I would share such harmonious and joyful times…
“Mo’er! Do you want your brother to take you out to play?” My brother jumped out from behind me, his face full of a joyful smile as he extended an inviting hand. I gladly agreed, preferring to play with my brother rather than stay with boring books.
My brother led me, avoiding all the eunuchs and maids, sneaking off to a secluded spot. Unconsciously, he let go of my hand and ran off joyfully. I tried to keep up, but from childhood, my brother was always healthier and faster than me. Unable to match his pace, I tripped over a stone and fell to the ground.
“Uhhuhuhu~” I sat on the ground crying. My brother rushed over immediately, wiping away my tears with his clean, fragrant sleeve, gently hugging me, and patting my back. “Mo’er, don’t cry, be good. Your brother’s here.”
I nodded, still sobbing. “Mo’er, look!” With the breeze, I looked up to see dandelion seeds dancing in the air. “Wow~” I marveled. My brother laughed with pride, “Cool, right? I discovered this on my adventure!” I clapped my hands obediently.
We played so late that when we returned to the palace, we were caught by our father. However, he didn’t scold me; instead, he continuously criticized my brother. Late at night, I secretly took a plate of snacks from the kitchen and brought it to my brother’s courtyard.
Under the moonlight, my brother was still bearing the punishment of holding a basin of water. “Brother, you must be hungry. Look, I brought your favorite osmanthus cakes!” I offered the treats like a treasure, but my brother glared at me fiercely and turned away.
Since then, our relationship has remained in that state. Despite having no ill will towards him, he always compared himself to me, putting me in a difficult position. Our bond grew more distant, and the gap between us widened.
To numb myself and no longer dwell on the matters between my brother and me, I studied even harder. In reality, I had two dreams since childhood: one was to become a competent emperor, ensuring the happiness and well-being of the people; the other was to spend my life with the woman I love the most.
I don’t need a harem of three thousand beauties; I only hope for one soulmate. I don’t require her to be well-educated; I just hope she has a pure heart. I don’t need her to possess exceptional beauty; I just hope she can bring joy and color to my otherwise dull life.
