Being a Reading Companion in Ancient Times

During the struggle among the eight princes for the throne, Jiang Zhuchi died when the tyrant ascended to power. He was the eldest legitimate son of the Minister of Revenue, handsome and born into a distinguished family. He returned to the age of eighteen, when he was a study companion to the Eighth Prince. He admired the Eighth Prince, but in the end, the prince wasn't the one who became emperor. In Jiang Zhuchi's eyes, only the Eighth Prince was destined to rule, and he was determined to help him win the succession.

Later, he became the tyrant's beloved.

Jiang Zhuchi couldn't stand the tyrant. Because of his status as a prince, all Jiang Zhuchi could do was cause trouble for him in secret. Every attempt failed, and the tyrant came looking for him each time.

The Fifth Prince bullied the tyrant, and Jiang Zhuchi jumped in to cheer him on. The Fifth Prince held back on his plan because Jiang Zhuchi was there.

The First Prince planned to kill the tyrant's personal nanny. The Eighth Prince was there too, and Jiang Zhuchi rushed in to stop it, worried that it might affect the Eighth Prince. The nanny survived, and the Eighth Prince gained an enemy.

When the Crown Prince ran into assassins, he grabbed the tyrant to take a sword blow for him. Jiang Zhuchi slipped and took the blow for the tyrant instead. All seven of the tyrant's brothers suspected he was on the tyrant's side.

Whenever Jiang Zhuchi saw the tyrant, a trace of fear slipped through. Gu Jingxue noticed it. Gu Jingxue's study companions had either been injured or killed, and now he had no one to accompany him. So Gu Jingxue had a eunuch carry his bookcase for him, perfectly at ease.

The Eighth Prince said gently, "Zhuchi, Sixth Brother has a bad temper. Don't provoke him."

Jiang Zhuchi immediately put as much distance as possible between himself and Gu Jingxue.

Gu Jingxue: "..."

Gu Jingxue gritted his teeth. That night, he went to knock on Jiang Zhuchi's window.

Gu Jingxue understood that Jiang Zhuchi didn't like him. Of course, not everyone liked him. But Jiang Zhuchi couldn't even pretend. Later, Gu Jingxue realized that Jiang Zhuchi had developed a little genuine affection for him. The Eighth Prince he supported was obviously petty and acted like a smiling tiger, so why wouldn't Jiang Zhuchi come over to his side? It was enough to infuriate him.

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Gu Jingxue: With the nation on the brink of collapse and the late emperor's trust placed in him, he resolutely ascended the throne. He opened the imperial gates and welcomed the righteous army into the city, then burned himself alive, asking only that the city's people be safe. The history books record him as a ruler chosen by Heaven, but born at the wrong time. -- The Old Zhao

Gu Jingxue: A treacherous usurper. -- The New Zhao

Theme: The white moonlight and the cinnabar mole are both parts of the self.