A Reluctant 'Alliance'

Ren Jidian's hand stopped mid-air. "Kill the Emperor?"

Song Xiu nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes! I'm the best assassin in the Imperial Palace, you can ask just about anyone how I killed all the Emperor's Yang brothers and sisters!"

The scholar frowned, still skeptical. "I thought it was the Emperor that killed his brothers and sisters."

"Well, not all of them. Some are actually difficult to kill even by someone with his strength. And A-Ting's fighting style is pretty crude and simple."

"He's like a ram that just attacks with its horns straight ahead. He has no cunningness to get rid of his smartest and most talented opponents."

Ren Jidian raised an eyebrow. "But you're claiming you have that."

"Indeed, haha!" Song Xiu sat up from the grass. "I am the Emperor's brain because he barely has one. He mostly uses his for thinking about Empress Wei and how to further bully Empress Wei."

"But if you're so good, why didn't you assasinate him already in the first place and take over his throne?" Ren Jidian pointed out.

"Because I am not really next in line until I eliminate all his opponents. I also had to gain a name and respect for myself by helping him win wars."

"I thought that if I accumulated enough favor, that was when I will strike. But I also wanted my ascension to the throne to be a grand one, something worthy of being in the records for thousands of years. Just poisoning him or stabbing him at the back wouldn't do."

He flashed a smile full of sadism to Ren Jidian.

"I wanted to be feared and revered as the King of Shadows. Someone who's mere name would bring people shivers."

Ren Jidian remained unimpressed by his monologue. He just said sarcastically. "Good luck with your dream, then."

Song Xiu chuckled at this, and took the stone from his hand. "It's our dream now. We are after the same goal. I will help you get rid of the only man getting in the way of you and your sweetheart, and I will get to be the Emperor of Great Zau."

"How and when exactly do you plan to do this?"

"Haha, that was when the both of you comes along. Ah-Ting may be as dense as a rock, but his body makes up for his lack of intelligence."

"His quick reflexes and great fighting skills is what's stopping me from just assasinating him." Song Xiu admitted. " That's why I needed a distraction. Something that will slow him down."

"Make him drink poison then." Ren Jidian suggested.

Song Xiu shook his head. "Alas, he has great fear of being assasinated this way and so he developed resistance to most poisons unlike your Empress Wei. Ever since he was a child."

"Tie him up while he's asleep?"

"He easily awakes at the slightest sound or movement."

"Set up a trap that will put him on a pitch full of tar or something."

"That could work, but that also requires a bait. The distraction I'm asking for. And we need to find a way to not get caught while making the trap, especially something like a pit of tar."

Ren Jidian grumbled in frustration. "Then what do you plan to use as distraction?"

"... You would dislike it, but it's the only way." Song Xiu grinned from ear to ear.

"And that is?"

He whispered to his ear, and Ren Jidian immediately had the urge to slam the rock on his stinky face this time.

"Consummation."

"What!?" Ren Jidian pushed him away. "No way!"

"A Yang is most powerful during consummation when it comes to marking its Yin, but it is most vulnerable to outside forces. Its focus and senses will be deterred by the Yin's pheromones."

"There has to be another way!" Ren Jidian shook his head. "I won't allow it!"

"Oh don't be so stubborn, this is for you and the Empress' own good! Unless you have better ideas, that's the only way for me to kill the Emperor with the least amount of risk."

Ren Jidian rubbed his chin. He needed to think. He's not really the smartest kid on the block...

But he happened to watch a lot of true crime videos. For research.

Research on how to kill Cao Hundan.

"What about smoke inhalation? Wei Wangyi would distract him and lure him to a room full of fire and smoke. Then, you can pounce on him, and we can blame his death on the fire."

Song Xiu considered it. "That would put much risk on the one who will set up the fire."

Ren Jidian said with much determination:

"I'm willing to take the risk."

Song Xiu regarded him with a look that was different from his perverted glances.

It was a sort of admiring look, the kind of look that someone would give to a brave hero. He really does finds this Yin man interesting.

"Hah. Are you sure you want to escape? You would not like to stay after my reign and become my Empress?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'd rather meet King Yama in hell that let that happen." Ren Jidian edged away from him.

Song Xiu laughed heartily with his head held back. "It would only be by name! Think about it, you'll get to live a life of luxury! I'll also take Empress Wei as my concubine so you two can just stay in this Palace peacefully together."

"No, thank you." Ren Jidian plainly answered.

"Why not? I'm not even asking for you to bear my next children to the throne."

"It's simply because I do not trust filthy Yang bastards like you to keep your own word when it comes to these things. And I am man, I will not be an empress."

Song Xiu tilted his side. "You truly are something else. You would abandon a peaceful, rich life all for your pride..... That's more like what a Yang would say."

"Well, it's your loss. I could simply chase after the both of you after you escape and take you by force."

Ren Jidian gritted his teeth. Song Xiu found this expression so funny again, it seemed that all the emotions he was ever was capable of were laughing and being perverted.

"I'm just joking, I jest. Then does that mean that we have an alliance now?" He stood up and offered his hand.

Ren Jidian did not take it, only brushing the dirt off his robes. "Yes. Unfortunately."

"Haha, it seems rather fortunate to me. For our stars to align and someone like you to come my way for me to achieve my true destiny as king."

Ren Jidian merely asked with crossed arms. "When will be doing the assassination?"

He grinned, counting something with his fingers.

"Well, the Emperor's 28th birthday is just 20 days away."