The commotion in the tent, after quieting down for a bit, started up again.

Fang Chen wrapped himself in a blanket like a burrito, buried his head, and sobbed. It was too humiliating. He was a prince, after all, yet he had been held down and spanked.

Just as Seth pulled him out to comfort him, the young man bit him on the neck. He said helplessly, “Go ahead and bite. It’s good for you to vent your anger.” The man’s muscles were rock hard; he couldn’t even make a dent. Fang Chen felt like crying again.

Seth held him and was about to pull down his pants again, which scared Fang Chen into a frenzy of flailing. “You’re hitting me! You’re still hitting me! Why don’t you just beat me to death!”

The man struggled to hold him down. “What hitting? I’m looking at your injury. I need to apply some medicine.”

Fang Chen muttered and grumbled, “I knew you were waiting for this. Just because I’m a hostage from Great Ling, you bully me…” The more he spoke, the more outrageous he became.

Seth’s face darkened, and he raised his hand to strike again. This scared Fang Chen into closing his eyes tightly. His small, snow-white face was stained with tears, looking pitiful. In the end, the man couldn’t bring himself to do it. He gritted his teeth in frustration. “Why did I hit you? So you got a beating for nothing and didn’t learn a thing.”

Fang Chen pouted and fell silent.

Seth held him down and applied the medicine. Seeing Fang Chen’s red, swollen eyes from crying, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. “What were you in such a hurry for? It would have been the same if you waited for me to come back to go riding. Alright, what was that sweet crispy pancake you mentioned yesterday? I had someone make it. It’s been chilled. Would Your Little Highness deign to try some?”

Fang Chen had already mostly calmed down. He knew he was in the wrong this time. Being coaxed by Seth and hearing there was something to eat, his eyes lit up. He reached out to push the man. “Go get it for me. Don’t let anyone else in.” He had yelled so loudly when he was being spanked; the people outside must have heard everything. He was too embarrassed to face anyone.

Seth said with amusement, “Are you treating me like a servant?”

Fang Chen kicked him with his foot. “Are you going or not!”

“I’m going! I’m happy to serve you.”

As he stepped out of the tent, the man’s smiling face instantly turned cold. Outside the royal tent, the servants were kneeling on the ground. Seth gave them a faint glance. “Your salary will be docked for half a year. If you dare to accompany the little highness in his foolishness again, the punishment will be doubled.”

The servants quietly acknowledged the order, then watched as their king personally went to bring back a bowl of sweet crispy pancakes.

Fang Chen was still huddled in the blanket. Seth, afraid he would suffocate, forcibly dug him out and held him in his arms, avoiding his medicated bottom. He coaxed him, “Have a little taste, baby.”

Fang Chen was about to say “don’t call me that, it sounds weird,” but the next moment, a spoonful was brought to his lips. Smelling the sweet aroma, Fang Chen couldn’t resist the temptation and leaned over to eat it obediently.

He was fed spoonful by spoonful by Seth until the whole bowl was gone. Fang Chen craned his neck to look, seeming to want more. Seth casually put the bowl aside and coaxed him in a low voice, “This is cold. You can’t eat too much. Didn’t you want to eat food from your hometown? I had someone find a chef from Great Ling. You can eat whatever you want. In a few days, when we return to the capital for our wedding…”

“Wait a minute…” Fang Chen looked back at him. “Who said anything about marrying you?”

“…”

Fang Chen remembered. “Oh, you did say a bunch of sweet things just now, but I didn’t agree. Who proposes marriage right after beating someone up?”

Seth was almost laughing with anger. He held it in and said, “Then, baby, how can I get you to agree?”

Fang Chen said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “You have to coax me. If I’m happy, I might agree. After all, I’m quite happy here. Oh, not counting the beating just now.”

Seth was both angry and amused. He held the person’s face, lowered his head until their noses were touching. “Coax you? When have I not been coaxing you, my little ancestor?”

The young man thought for a moment and quickly added another condition. “And you can’t hit me anymore in the future.”

At the mention of this, the man’s expression became faint. “We’ll see how you behave.”

Fang Chen angrily punched him. “Do you still want to have a wedding with me or not?”

Seth took the opportunity to catch his hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it, coaxing him. “I do. But if you do something so dangerous again, I will still hit you. Fang Chen, your life is your own. You have to learn to cherish it.”

Fang Chen said softly, “I didn’t… okay, okay, I’ll remember.”

Seth held Fang Chen and lay on the couch for a while, then said, “I punished the servants who went to the stables with you today.” Halfway through his sentence, he saw Fang Chen glaring at him. He chuckled and pinched his ear. “You can compensate them later. That way, they’ll all remember your kindness.”

Fang Chen frowned. “What are you doing? Winning over people for me?”

Seth didn’t explain, just pulled him back into his arms. “Be good. You woke up too early this morning. Lie with me for a while longer.”

---

The conflict between Great Ling and Northern Di subsided, and trade resumed at the border. The common people, who had suffered from the war, could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Fang Chen’s activities were mostly near the royal tent. Sometimes Seth would accompany him, sometimes it was the royal guards. In short, he was not allowed to move around alone. In the past, he was confined to the four walls of the palace, a small and narrow world. It was so stuffy every day. Now that he had come to the great grasslands, he should have been able to run free, but Seth kept a close watch on him.

Knowing that a market had opened up outside, Fang Chen pestered Seth every day to go. Now that matters here were mostly settled and the royal army was about to return to the capital, Seth thought it would be good to take Fang Chen for a stroll before leaving.

Early in the morning, it was rare for Fang Chen to wake up so early. Still drowsy himself, he went over and pulled the man awake.

Seth, with his eyes closed, pulled him into his arms with one hand. “What’s the fuss? It’s still early. Sleep a little longer.”

Fang Chen was not happy. “You promised me. If we delay any longer, there will be too many people.”

Seth held him with one arm. Fang Chen struggled to get up, his body twisting and rubbing against Seth. It was early morning, a time when passions were high, not to mention that Fang Chen was the little lamb Seth had been eyeing day after day. The wolf was already green with hunger; how could he withstand such a great temptation?

At first, Fang Chen didn’t think much of it, until… his body stiffened for a moment. Instantly, his face and ears turned crimson. He opened his mouth to curse, “Seth! What are you doing so early in the morning! You’re shameless!”

In contrast, the man was lazy, speaking nonchalantly, “What did I do? You said it yourself, it’s early in the morning. Isn’t this normal?”

Fang Chen’s lips trembled with anger, but he couldn’t find the words to curse him! He had grown up in the palace, where etiquette and shame were practically engraved on his forehead. It was nothing like the open culture of the Northern Di.

Now, Fang Chen didn’t dare to move. He spoke softly, his voice like a mosquito’s buzz, “Then let me go.”

Seth narrowed his eyes, staring at Fang Chen’s ears, which were red enough to drip blood. He was inexplicably in a great mood and didn’t continue to make things difficult for him. He let him go and called for servants to bring water.

The moment he was released, Fang Chen scurried away like a rabbit. He didn’t even dare to get dressed in front of Seth, hiding behind a screen to do so, as if guarding against a thief. Seth looked at the indistinct figure behind the screen and snorted with laughter. Little coward.

After getting ready, the two went to the market. Fang Chen had recently taken a liking to wearing Northern Di clothes. He could wear braids, and his body was adorned with various silver ornaments that jingled with every step. He bought things all along the way, and the two guards following him were piled high with his purchases. Things were one matter, but Fang Chen insisted on buying any food he saw. After buying it, he couldn’t finish it, so he would taste a bite and then toss it to Seth, saying not to waste it and telling Seth to eat it all.

Halfway through the shopping trip, Seth felt like he was about to burst. He quickly stopped Fang Chen, who was about to buy something else, and gritted his teeth. “Little ancestor, that’s enough.”

Fang Chen looked back at him. For some reason, he suddenly burst out laughing. When the young man smiled, his two eyes curved into crescents, and if you looked closely, you could see faint dimples on his cheeks. Seth was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but smile along with him. He was truly defeated by him. Now, let alone eating his leftovers, if he were to feed Seth a mouthful of poison, the man would eat it without a change in expression.

He thought Fang Chen had another mischievous idea. Who would have thought the young man would suddenly say, “This is really nice.”

Seth was stunned. “What?”

“No fighting, no war. This is really nice.” Fang Chen said softly, “On my way from Great Ling, I saw everything from pavilions and towers to broken walls and ruins. I also saw many refugees. Some were from Great Ling, some were from Northern Di. But in the end, they are just ordinary people.”

“Isn’t this great? With open trade, everyone can profit. The people have rice to eat, they don’t have to be displaced, and they can live a peaceful and stable life.”

Seth seemed not to have expected Fang Chen to say such things. It was as if his heart was shaken. He looked at him deeply for a while, then hummed in agreement and stepped forward to hug him.

“Then for such a stable life…”

“When is the Seventh Prince planning to marry me?”

Fang Chen: “…” The conversation had circled back to this again!

---

The day before returning to the capital, Fang Chen found a small dog on the grassland. It was unclear where it had come from. It wagged its tail and circled around Fang Chen’s feet. Fang Chen’s heart softened, and he kept it.

That night, when Seth returned from his meeting, he tentatively brought it up. The man’s tone was natural. “If you like it, keep it. Just one thing, don’t let it sleep on the bed.” The dog couldn’t take his spot!

Fang Chen blinked, surprised. “I can have a dog?”

Seth glanced at him. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Back in the imperial palace, my father forbade it. So I was afraid that after we return to the royal city, I wouldn’t be able to keep it.”

Seth frowned, walked to Fang Chen’s side, and pulled him into his arms. “Baby, I don’t want you to think of the royal city as a cage. It’s our home. You can do whatever you want. You are also the master of this home.”

Fang Chen was slightly stunned.

Seth lowered his head and kissed him. “What’s wrong? Are you particularly moved?”

“No, I was just wondering if I missed something. How does it seem like I’ve already agreed to marry you?”

“…”

In the end, when they returned to the royal city, there was an extra golden retriever puppy in the carriage. Seth was reading a book, and Fang Chen was nestled in his arms, using his body as a backrest. Although it was a bit hard, it was still quite comfortable.

Fang Chen yawned. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard Seth speak. “In a few days, an envoy from Great Ling will be coming to court.”

Fang Chen was drowsy. “Oh, let them come. What for? To take me back?”

As soon as he said it, Fang Chen instantly sobered up. He opened his eyes and saw the man staring at him menacingly. Fang Chen quickly said, “No, no, I was talking in my sleep. What were we saying? Oh, right, the envoy. Who’s coming?”

Seth’s expression was still not good, his tone cold. “The Ninth Prince, Ling.”

Fang Chen was stunned for a moment. “Him?”

Seeing Fang Chen’s expression was off, Seth forgot his own anger and held him tighter. “What’s wrong?”

“His mother is the Imperial Consort. The Imperial Consort also raised me. But he has always looked down on me and always bullied me in the palace.” Fang Chen’s voice was muffled. “Actually, this time, he was supposed to be the one to come as a hostage. But the Imperial Consort didn’t want him to go, so she pushed me out.”

At this point, Fang Chen, afraid that this petty man would get angry again, quickly looked up at him. “But I don’t regret it. I’ve really liked it here since I came.”

Seth held back a smile and deliberately pretended to be hurt. “Do you like it here, or do you like me?”

He was just teasing Fang Chen and didn’t expect him to say anything. Unexpectedly, the young man’s bright black eyes looked straight at him. “I like it here, I like the Northern Di, and I like you.”

Seth’s throat tightened.

Fang Chen proactively leaned over and rested his head on Seth’s chest, closing his eyes slightly. “Great King, are you satisfied now?” He wasn’t blind or stupid. He could see how well Seth treated him. Saving his life at the stables at the critical moment, finding him a chef from Great Ling, having many Great Ling-style clothes made for him just to make him happy…

Seth held him tighter. “Of course I’m happy, baby. You have no idea how happy I am that you said that.”

Fang Chen snorted. “Then if I say I agree to marry you, are you going to be so happy you jump out of the carriage?”

After he said this, the carriage fell silent for a moment. Huh? What’s going on? Fang Chen opened one eye to peek.

The next moment, the man suddenly scooped him up and made him straddle his lap, face to face, staring at him intently.

Fang Chen was startled and pushed him. “What are you doing!”

“Baby, say it again.” The man’s voice sounded a bit hoarse, as if he was nervous. Having almost never seen Seth like this, Fang Chen found it amusing and deliberately turned his face away. “No, why should I?”

Seth begged him, “Say it again, my sweet treasure.”

“No. Let me go. I want to lie down. It’s uncomfortable being bounced around like this.”

“If you don’t say it, I won’t let go.”

“I’ll let them all see what their king is really like behind closed doors.”

“Let them see. So what if I beg the person I like?”

“…Shameless.”

The sound of their laughter and conversation drifted out of the carriage window. The people outside were not surprised. Ever since this little highness from Great Ling had arrived, the king seemed to have become a different person—gentler, more prone to smiling, and with a better temper. Of course, that was reserved only for the little highness.

---

Fang Ling was about to go crazy. The long carriage ride had almost broken his back. If it weren’t for his reputation at court, why would he suffer this ordeal? But the thought that, at this very moment, Fang Chen was being humiliated in the Northern Di, brought Fang Ling a sense of satisfaction.

He had disliked this brother since they were young. Just because he was born with a good face, their father favored him a little more. On what grounds? He was just a thing fostered under his own mother’s care, without a mother of his own.

Fang Ling had heard some things. The lives of hostages were mostly miserable, especially in a place like the Northern Di. The King of the Northern Di was also said to be notoriously violent. It was likely that Fang Chen was now barely alive, just hanging on by a thread. At this thought, Fang Ling’s brows relaxed, and his mood improved.

Suddenly, the carriage jolted and came to a sharp stop.

Fang Ling frowned and shouted, “What are you doing? Don’t you know how to drive?” He lifted the curtain, about to scold them further, when he suddenly froze. They had already reached the city gate and were stopped by a team of guards.

A team of Northern Di guards in black iron armor looked intimidating. Fang Ling quickly forced a smile. “This prince is the Ninth Prince of Great Ling. I am here this time for the sake of our two nations…”

Before he could finish, the leading general interrupted impatiently, “Get out of the carriage. Search!”

Fang Ling looked at him in shock. “Did you not hear this prince? This prince is a prince of Great Ling!”

The general drew his sword and pointed it at him, his tone cold. “Get out! Everyone entering the royal city must be searched!”

Northern Di barbarians! They don’t understand any etiquette at all! Fang Ling was fuming, but with the cold glint of the sword in front of him, he could only swallow his anger and get out of the carriage. Even the carriages of the two accompanying ministers behind him were searched thoroughly. After confirming there was no danger, the man walked up to Fang Ling again, his face cold. “No offense. Body search!”

“What?! How dare you!”

After a chaotic scene, Fang Ling was humiliatingly searched. He clenched his fists, his lips trembling. When had he ever suffered such humiliation?

After it was finally over, the general, as if showing great mercy, waved his hand. “Pass. Next.” The young attendant next to him, seeing that Fang Ling looked like he was about to kill himself from anger, quickly helped him back into the carriage.

After the carriages had driven far away, the general finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to ask his men, “How was my performance just now?”

A subordinate affirmed, “Fierce and menacing, a living Yama.”

“…” The general nodded. “This was personally ordered by the king. We can’t let these people have an easy time.”

The subordinate asked curiously, “Is it because they are from Great Ling? But the queen is also from Great Ling.”

“Stupid. Of course, it’s because he offended the queen. The king is venting the queen’s anger for him.”

Humiliated and frustrated, Fang Ling finally entered the city. He had wanted to go straight to the palace but was told to stay at the post station first and wait to be summoned by the king. Fang Ling understood. This was the Northern Di’s way of asserting dominance. But there was nothing he could do. Who asked Great Ling to be the one suing for peace this time? But on second thought, if he was being humiliated like this, what about Fang Chen? Who knows what kind of torture he was enduring. Comparing himself to that, Fang Ling felt better again.

In the royal palace not far away, the “humiliated” Fang Chen was standing on the bed with his hands on his hips, fuming. “Seth! You’re shameless!”

The man smiled placatingly. “Yes, I’ve always been shameless.”

“You!” Fang Chen held his breath, then angrily threw the piece of cloth in front of him at the man’s face. “If you like it, you wear it. I’m not wearing it!”

Pervert! Shameless! He actually gave him a dudou to wear! And he had even taken advantage of him being a little drunk last night to secretly change him into it. When Fang Chen woke up this morning and saw it, he almost fainted from anger.

The dudou, worn by the young man for a night, carried a fragrant scent. Thrown in Seth’s face like that, it almost made him get an erection on the spot. He clutched the fabric and couldn’t resist taking a deep sniff.

This scene, witnessed by Fang Chen, made him so angry he was about to jump up again. “You! You’re still smelling it!”

Seth quickly took it down. “Don’t be angry, baby, I won’t smell it anymore!”

Fang Chen glared at him. “Go throw it away! No, burn it. Make sure no one ever sees it.”

Seth hesitated, looking very reluctant.

“Are you going or not! If you don’t go, don’t even think about sleeping in this room tonight!”

Hearing this, how could Seth not agree? He quickly nodded. “I’ll listen to you, baby. I’ll listen to everything you say.” He took the dudou and hurried out, stuffing it into his robes the moment he was outside. He wasn’t stupid. How could he throw away such a good thing? Next time Fang Chen kicked him out to sleep in a side hall, he could look at it and think of him.

…

Poor Fang Ling, on the other hand, waited a full three days before he was finally summoned by the busy king. In the grand hall, Fang Ling stood with his head bowed. He was a prince of a nation, after all, but in front of Seth, he couldn’t muster any imposing presence. The man sat lazily, listening to Fang Ling’s nonsense, and then said impatiently, “As long as your Great Ling pays tribute on time and does not actively provoke trouble, this lord will not tear up the treaty at will.”

Fang Ling breathed a sigh of relief. He paused, then said as if unintentionally, “Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince of my Great Ling is a hostage in the Northern Di. I wonder if you would allow my brother and me to meet.”

Seth quirked his lips, his eyes cold. “Oh? You want to see my queen?”

Fang Ling froze. Who? The queen?

“Don’t be anxious. You will naturally see him at the palace banquet tonight.” Seth was not happy about letting Fang Chen meet people from Great Ling alone, especially this brother who had bullied him before. Too lazy to look at Fang Ling again, Seth said coldly, “The envoy may do as he pleases.” He had to hurry back and coax his person. He had been a bit rough last night, and Fang Chen had kicked him out of bed this morning.

Fang Ling was in a daze. He kept thinking he must have misheard. Fang Chen was clearly here as a hostage, how did he become the queen?

It wasn’t until the palace banquet that night that he really saw it—his hated brother, Fang Chen, whom he thought was being brutally tortured in the Northern Di, was dressed in magnificent brocade, albeit in the style of the Northern Di, with his hair in braids and a golden crown on his head. His eyes and brows were full of smiles, wanton and unrestrained, looking a hundred times happier than he ever did in the Great Ling palace.

He was smiling and saying something to the Northern Di monarch beside him. The next moment, he saw that cold monarch also smile, take Fang Chen’s hand, and bring it to his lips for a light kiss.

Fang Chen’s face turned a little red. He quickly pulled his hand back and looked around. As he looked, he caught sight of the stunned Fang Ling. He raised an eyebrow and nonchalantly looked away. Such an insignificant person was not worth another ounce of his emotion.

Since ancient times, when the emperor and empress sat together, the empress’s seat was always lower than the emperor’s. But now, the two seats were next to each other. Throughout the entire night, he didn’t see the Northern Di monarch eat anything, he was too busy serving the person next to him—peeling shrimp, deboning fish, and pouring wine. Looking at the Northern Di ministers below, they all looked as if this was a common sight.

Fang Ling was utterly dejected. What on earth was going on?

Having had a little too much to drink at the banquet, Fang Chen was tipsy and insisted that Seth carry him back. The man never refused his requests. And so he carried Fang Chen all the way back.

Being carried on the man’s back, Fang Chen spread his arms like a little bird. “Quick, say you love me!”

Seth smiled. “I love you.”

“For how long!”

“For all eternity.”