A Failure to Teach

"A scheming prince sets a honey trap, and his straight-laced imperial father walks right into the executioner's block."

Ning Ye, the third prince who had been lost outside the palace, was brought back. Rumors spread throughout the court and beyond. The bloodline of the Jin dynasty's imperial family was dwindling, and no one knew whether this recovered heir was genuine.

Yet the Emperor was said to dote on him so much that he even kept him by his side to teach him personally.

In truth, Ning Ye was not only outrageously beautiful and frivolous, but also sharp-tongued and extreme in temperament. He held grudges against his blood-related brothers and treated the descendants of meritorious officials like slaves beneath his feet.

An elderly minister, well past seventy, knelt before the Emperor, weeping and pleading as he described how the third prince had tormented his young grandson, the sole heir to seven generations. He begged the Emperor for mercy and asked him to leave his family an heir.

The Ning family ruled the realm through virtue. Never had there been such a perverse and cruel prince.

To appease the ministers, Ning Qizhao summoned Ning Ye to the palace to lecture him.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Ning Qizhao looked at the frail boy kneeling below the throne, pretending to put on a show. In a cold voice, he said, "Raise your head and answer me."

Ning Ye straightened up and roughly rubbed his reddened eyes with his sleeve. A red mole flashed on his wrist. "They spoke obscenely about me, saying that because of my delicate, feminine looks, I should submit to men for their pleasure. How could I not teach them a lesson?"

He even dared to complain, "They all say Your Majesty has few heirs because you prefer men, and now your son has to suffer for it too!"

The traces of anger on Ning Qizhao's face were wiped away by Ning Ye's kittenish tears. After a long silence, he laughed. "What's the big deal? You gave them a good beating, and you're still acting so wronged."

He was only fourteen, after all, and didn't know any better. If they hadn't found him, he might still be acting spoiled in some ordinary household.

Never mind.

Ning Qizhao made Ning Ye crown prince, keeping him close so he could watch over him. "The youngest was lonely as a child and has a bad temper. I'll personally keep him in line from now on."

Lucky Ning Ye had a loving father. The Emperor taught him patiently and never dealt harshly with him, and his sharp edges softened as he grew more spoiled.

Taken in by Ning Ye's feigned obedience and clever flattery, Ning Qizhao personally saw to everything concerning him. If Ning Ye ate too many sweet pastries, Ning Qizhao would even send the imperial physician with a sour digestive soup, lest his stomach hurt and he take it out on the palace servants.

Later, Ning Ye asked for the position of crown prince, but Ning Qizhao hesitated to grant it.

Taking advantage of Ning Qizhao's affection, Ning Ye brazenly climbed into the Emperor's bed.

Ning Qizhao was furious and resentful.

Heartlessly, Ning Ye pointed to the fading red mole on his wrist, his eyes full of triumphant mischief. In an innocent yet cruel tone, he said, "Father, my virginity mark is gone. You took my first time, so you have to take responsibility for me."

The top and bottom are unrelated by blood, both are sexually inexperienced.

A sharp-tongued, scheming prince as the bottom × an old-school, domineering Emperor as the top.

Theme: Our souls guide us to love.