Xie Shiguan dreamt of Shen Que.

In the bustling marketplace, he saw a dark and skinny boy, dressed in tattered clothes, with messy black hair. Only his pair of almond-shaped eyes were bright and shiny, like some kind of small animal. 

He looked very thirsty, his lips were dry, and his wrists were tied behind his back. Probably tired from standing, he was helplessly squatting by a pillar to rest.

Xie Shiguan walked over to him and squatted down, curiously observing him.

The human trafficker, seeing someone approach, noticed Xie Shiguan’s silk and satin attire and the many servants accompanying him, all dressed in fine materials, and couldn’t help but feel delighted.

The trafficker immediately greeted him obsequiously, “Young master, is there anyone you fancy?”

Xie Shiguan didn’t speak, so the trafficker continued, “This little slave is obedient and honest, and he’s in good health. If you buy him as a playmate, whether to ride him like a horse or use him as a target, I guarantee he won’t make a sound.”

“If you want him as a little servant, he’s capable too. A child doesn’t eat much, just a couple of leftover grains can sustain him, and he can do as much work as an adult.”

Xie Shiguan didn’t know if he was listening, but he reached out and touched the child’s fluffy eyelashes, and the child immediately closed his eyes.

“What’s your name?” A childish voice asked.

At that time, he wasn’t yet the future Regent King who could overturn the heavens with a single hand; he was just an ignorant child, as tall as the timid child squatting on the ground.

The child, hearing him speak, was initially stunned, then shook his head.

The trafficker immediately said, “Young master, he’s a mute. Although he can’t speak, he’s very clever. If you’re sincere about buying him, I can give you a half-price discount. How about five taels of silver?”

At this moment, Shen Xiangzhi also spoke, “A mute?”

“Yes, mute but not deaf!” The trafficker quickly explained, “He can hear but can’t speak, so he won’t gossip about the nobles behind their backs. In a prestigious family like yours, he might be even more useful than a healthy person!”

Hearing them talk, the little slave opened his eyes again. He was extremely hungry, staring timidly at the paper bag of snacks in Xie Shiguan’s hand, his throat moving as if secretly swallowing saliva.

Xie Shiguan noticed and generously handed the paper bag forward, “Want some?”

The little mute nodded timidly.

“Here.” Xie Shiguan had just bought it from a stall, tasted a bite out of curiosity, and didn’t want to eat more, so he gave it generously.

The little mute took one but returned the paper bag to him.

Xie Shiguan didn’t take it, just stood up, looking down at him, and casually said, “From now on, you’ll be called Xie Mute.”

Shen Xiangzhi was alarmed, “Little Prince, Xie is the imperial surname, it can’t be given lightly.”

Xie Shiguan frowned impatiently, “Then take your surname, call him Shen…”

“Shen Que.”

“Shen Que, Shen Que,” Xie Shiguan repeated twice, feeling the name was well-chosen, easy to pronounce, and his mood improved, “Come with me, and from now on, you’ll have as much food as you want.”

*

The second time Xie Shiguan ran into him was in the Chongtai Courtyard where the guards lived. A group of kids was pressing a little person to the ground, noisily trying to strip his clothes.

Someone suddenly shouted “Little Prince,” and the group of kids stood up in unison. The dirty boy on the ground immediately broke free and hurriedly hid behind him.

“What are you doing?”

A sturdy-looking child stepped forward and replied, “Your Highness, he doesn’t like to be clean!”

Xie Shiguan didn’t have to go to school today, so he didn’t have to go to the palace, and he patiently listened to the child explain the whole story.

It turned out that the kids liked to go to the bathhouse together after meals, but the little mute didn’t fit in. At night, when the kids slept on a big bed, this kid wouldn’t go to bed, instead hugging his bedding and sleeping on the floor alone.

The kids thought he was acting strange and shy, and wondered if he was a girl, so they started to make a fuss, trying to strip his clothes to determine his gender.

After hearing this, Xie Shiguan couldn’t help but find it amusing. He turned to look at the dirty child and asked, “Little Mute, why won’t you join them?”

The mute looked at him warily, his bright black eyes staring like a little dog abandoned by the roadside.

Suddenly noticing a piece of dry grass in his hair, Xie Shiguan, who hated untidy and ugly things, felt the grass was tarnishing the little mute’s pretty eyes, so he instinctively reached out to pluck it.

This pluck was a mistake. The little mute, perhaps thinking he was also going to strip his clothes, lunged forward and bit Xie Shiguan’s hand.

Xie Shiguan was stunned, and the little guards around were also dumbfounded.

When they came to their senses, a few older kids immediately rushed forward, pulling the frenzied little mute off Xie Shiguan’s hand.

Xie Shiguan looked down at the bite mark on his hand, a red, stinging wound lying on the back of his hand.

The little guards, one after another, asked him nervously, “Does it hurt? Are you okay?”

Xie Shiguan immediately felt the pain, and his anger surged. No one had ever dared to treat him like this, not even the most favored parrot in the palace dared to do anything but flatter him.

How dare this mute slave?!

Suddenly, Xie Shiguan stepped forward and kicked the little mute in the chest.

The little mute’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted instantly.

Later, Shen Xiangzhi arrived, splashed a basin of water to wake the little mute, and mercilessly whipped him ten times. In less than a quarter of an hour, the boy fainted again.

With his hand bandaged, the pain subsided, and Xie Shiguan’s anger dissipated. He left a message, “If he’s still alive tomorrow, send him to Lan Sheng Courtyard to serve me personally.”

The little mute was tough. After being kicked in the chest and whipped ten times, he fainted for a whole night. But who knew, as soon as the sun rose the next day, he opened his eyes and weakly asked Shen Xiangzhi for water.

From then on, the little mute said goodbye to the big bed in Chongtai Courtyard and had his own small courtyard.

The mute quickly grew up, sprouting like a willow shoot. His clothes and hair were neat and clean, and he wasn’t as dark as he was when he was little. But he was still thin and still liked to keep his head down timidly.

From a prince to a regent king, Xie Shiguan always had Shen Que as his personal guard. In matters of food, clothing, shelter, and even in winning over officials and hosting banquets, Shen Que’s presence was indispensable.

That day, Shen Que brought a soft sedan chair with bells.

In the capital, everyone knew that the current regent king didn’t love warm and soft beauties but preferred the company of young boys with sweet voices.

Many officials tried to send young boys and singers to the prince’s mansion under various pretexts, but the prince had high standards and wasn’t easily pleased. The boys had to be beautiful, obedient, and skilled in the arts.

Even if they met all these criteria, he might not be satisfied. After a few nights of passion, he would tire of them.

He was truly heartless, not keeping boys or taking concubines. He only allowed people into the prince’s mansion when summoned, and they had to leave before dawn, no matter how much they pleased him.

Xie Shiguan didn’t even remember summoning anyone, so when the sedan stopped in front of him, he looked at Shen Que with some confusion.

Shen Que stepped forward and signed, “Your Highness, the person is here.”

“Who is it?” the prince asked.

“Your Highness, see for yourself.”

Xie Shiguan suspiciously walked past him and lifted the sedan curtain—inside, it was empty, with no one there.

He turned back, somewhat angry, “Where is the person?”

Shen Que, uncharacteristically, smiled. The smile was light and teasing, with a crescent-shaped dimple on his left cheek. Then he stepped forward and affectionately embraced him, “Here.”

He rested his chin on the prince’s shoulder and whispered, “Your Highness summoned me today, did you forget?”

“You…” Xie Shiguan took a step back, then grabbed his chin, squeezing hard as if to crush it.

Wait, wasn’t Shen Que a mute?

Xie Shiguan was rarely stunned, then he realized the absurdity of the dream and quietly woke up.

He rarely dreamt, let alone a dream entirely about Shen Que, which was the first time in over ten years.

Even more absurd was that he had developed a desire for this not-so-noticeable mute…