Chapter 110 Afterword (Part One)
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In recent days, there have been rumors in the palace about Chu Zhangyin being fond of males, stemming from the frequent sightings of him drinking with Qi Sui, who became the top scholar over two years ago.
To understand this, we need to go back two or three years.
Since Jiang Yanchi became the crown prince three years ago, in this second chance at life, Chu Xie no longer wants Jiang Yanchi to follow the path of his previous life.
As for those treacherous officials, they need to be slowly eliminated.
As for those excellent generals, they need to be gradually brought in.
Qi Sui, as a person, was too upright, not interested in women and did not indulge in entertainment. He lived every day like a gourd. If there was one hobby, it was drinking.
In this lifetime, Chu Xie didn’t know if his own symptoms had improved or for some other reason.
His relationship with Jiang Yanchi was very relaxed—almost too much, with Jiang Yanchi being overly obedient.
Being obedient at thirteen or fourteen was forgivable, but being obedient at sixteen or seventeen was quite something.
If he asked him to read, he read; if he asked him to memorize, he memorized. In just a few years, he caught up on all the subjects he had missed before.
Yesterday, after jointly inspecting his scholarly achievements with Zhao Xuan, who also served as the Prince’s Grand Tutor, and assigning him an essay on legal insights, he spent the whole day buried in his East Palace, diligently studying.
As if afraid of disappointing someone.
It seems that communication was truly poor in the previous life.
What a good child.
In these three years, Jiang Yanchi treated him like a father, stuffing all kinds of good things into his mansion—even though he didn’t really need them.
But thanks to his careful care, he occasionally took Chu Xie outside, teaching him archery and horseback riding. In these years, his body was much better than in his previous life.
At least the alcohol that he could hardly touch in the beginning, he could now handle with a few sips.
He really missed the feeling of being pleasantly drunk.
Chu Xie lifted his alcohol cup and clinked it with Qi Sui.
After a few sips, Qi Sui began to talk incessantly, “So, as I wrote in the palace exam two years ago, our dynasty’s laws are indeed too strict, especially in various states, private rules still exist, and the penalties are based on status. This is unacceptable… throughout history, there has never been such a precedent. Although Great Wei did unite the north and south, and there were various languages and customs, it has been over a hundred years since the founding of the country. The private laws in the border states should have been abolished long ago…”
I know.
You want to loosen the laws a bit, balance the differences in penalties between various states and counties.
These were things that Jiang Yanchi, who had been on the throne for ten years, or rather, about six or seven years, could implement.
There was no need to act as if his lofty ambitions were unfulfilled, as if there was no hope of accomplishing them in this lifetime.
Chu Xie understood this very well, but still went along with him, saying, “Your words make sense, very reasonable. I have always thought that Ah Sui is talented. In the future, when you have the opportunity, you will surely fulfill your aspirations and benefit the people. Come, bottoms up.”
Warming up the peach blossom alcohol again, pouring it full, the two raised their cups, nodded, and drank it all.
“Refreshing!” Qi Sui patted his mouth, eyes slightly intoxicated, looking at Chu Xie’s face, more peach blossom-colored than the alcohol in his hand. He smiled and said, “No wonder Zhao Xuan insisted on finding you as a study companion back then. If only your body wasn’t…”
Chu Xie raised an eyebrow, noticing that Qi Sui seemed to be avoiding a painful topic halfway through his words. He laughed heartily and asked, “So, what’s the matter?”
“You must also be a top scholar!”
Qi Sui, not very good at comforting people and somewhat proud, blurted out this sentence and raised the alcohol pot again to warm it.
“What’s so great about being a top scholar? I’d rather be the Zhangyin.”
“Why?”
Chu Xie rubbed the edge of the alcohol cup with his fingertip. The sweet fragrance of peach blossom alcohol slowly spread as the small fire heated it, becoming intoxicating.
“As the close attendant to the emperor, Zhangyin means holding the power, and it’s not just a jade seal.” Chu Xie placed his hand on the alcohol pot, feeling it, and said, “Ah, just right.”
“Now that the emperor is seriously ill, the crown prince will sooner or later take control,” Qi Sui said as he poured the alcohol, watching the cup gradually fill up, the surface of the alcohol calming down, imprinting his deep expression. “Our crown prince is good in every way, but his temperament is too soft. He always feels not strong enough.”
After saying this, he sighed again and finished the alcohol in his hand in one gulp.
Ah, a soft temperament.
Chu Xie silently refilled the cup and concurred, “Yes, he’s soft.” Not sure what came to his mind, he added, “Being a bit softer is better, much better than being too strong.”
“It’s not that being soft is bad, but he lacks ideas and insight. He’s crossed over into seventeen now, and it’s not sure when the emperor will… sigh, it’s hard for Lord Chu, with keen ears and sharp eyes, to plan for him. Fortunately, the court is still stable for now.” Qi Sui shook his head, raised his hand to signal for another small jug of alcohol, but Chu Xie waved to the waiter at the restaurant to retreat.
Drinking too much harms the body, a small sip is enough.
The waiter understood and just stepped out when the bamboo door was opened again.
Qi Sui was a bit dissatisfied, “Didn’t we agree that it’s settled?”
Without getting an answer, he looked up and was shocked.
The person who entered was the “overly soft” Crown Prince.
He was holding a bamboo scroll, presumably containing several sheets of paper. First, he glanced at Qi Sui, who had his back to the door, then leisurely turned his gaze to Chu Xie, who was facing him. “Brother Chu…”
With a slight sound, Chu Xie placed the cup in his hand on the table, saying, “Your Highness, I’ve said it many times, call me Lord Chu.”
“Lord Chu.” The Crown Prince squeezed in, not forgetting to close the door, and raised the bamboo scroll in his hand. “I finished writing. I couldn’t find you at your mansion, so I found out you were out drinking.”
Squeezing in on Qi Sui’s left side, he blocked the view of the two.
Without looking for a cushion, he sat directly and looked at the warm alcohol on the table. “Lord Chu likes alcohol, why not instruct someone to buy some for your mansion?”
No need to ask.
If he brought the alcohol back home, he would be nagged by Tao Li before he could even drink it.
Chu Xie didn’t answer, just looked at the bamboo scroll in his hand, “Is it finished?”
The Crown Prince nodded, about to open the bamboo scroll when Chu Xie pressed his hand. The Crown Prince lifted his eyelids slightly, looking at Chu Xie just as he casually turned the bamboo scroll in another direction, facing Qi Sui. “Let Lord Qi take a look.”
“But this is meant for…”
“Lord Qi is the top scholar in the palace exam. In terms of knowledge, he’s not inferior to Zhao Shizi.”
Qi Sui was pleasantly surprised, instantly sobering up. Given such trust and compliment, he felt overjoyed. He modestly bowed to Jiang Yanchi and then flipped through a few pages.
While the Crown Prince had a soft temperament, his pen had a sharp edge.
His insights were also very unique. Qi Sui was quite surprised.
Looking back at Jiang Yanchi, he admired, “Your Highness has made great progress in your studies.”
Chu Xie smiled, “It’s not progress; he was already quite good.”
Qi Sui only now understood that Chu Xie was implying that the Crown Prince was a promising talent. He wasn’t the person he had complained about earlier, someone lacking ideas and insight.
Suppressing his smile, Qi Sui respectfully bowed his hands together and returned the bamboo scroll to the Crown Prince. But the waiter in the tavern, seeing another person arriving, and knowing that Chu Xie and Qi Sui were regular customers, smiled and opened the door, asking proactively, “Lord Chu, Lord Qi, would you like some more alcohol?”
The alcohol itself was almost finished.
However, before Chu Xie could answer, Jiang Yanchi politely declined, “No need.” His tone was warm, but his intention was firm.
The waiter didn’t recognize Jiang Yanchi, but seeing his luxurious attire, he must have had some influence. Glancing at Chu Xie, who had also nodded, the waiter draped a square towel over his shoulder, saying, “Alright, should I call a sedan for you? You’ve probably had quite a bit to drink today…”
Jiang Yanchi glanced at the table.
Chu Xie followed his gaze and counted the alcohol jars on the table, exactly six. They usually only drank four.
Most of it was consumed by Qi Sui, he was fine.
As for the sedan, it was always prepared in advance. Chu Xie would get dizzy with just a little bit of alcohol and couldn’t walk. The waiter apparently knew this and quickly called the young lady who brewed the alcohol in the tavern to help him. The strong scent of powder immediately covered the faint cypress fragrance on Chu Xie.
Jiang Yanchi’s brows furrowed imperceptibly. “I’ll do it.” He reached out to steady Chu Xie, but unexpectedly, Chu Xie resisted.
His brows furrowed even deeper, then quickly relaxed. He asked with a hint of grievance, “Brother Chu?”
“Call me Lord Chu!”
Chu Xie’s tone became somewhat rigid. He glanced at Qi Sui and then stared at Jiang Yanchi, a bit sternly. “You need to be aware of your status. Stop acting so coy. You should conduct yourself with dignity!”
After saying this, he glanced at Qi Sui out of the corner of his eye.
However, the Crown Prince sniffed, appearing even more aggrieved. “I just saw you were unsteady on your feet.”
“If I can’t stand steady, I don’t need you to support me. What’s your identity, Jiang Yanchi? You are the Crown Prince of the nation, yet you spend your days idly and don’t engage in any real work. You even follow along just for a drink. If you can’t find me, can’t you go to Yueguo Mansion and find Zhao Xuan? Do you have to keep an eye on me?” Chu Xie said, letting the young lady support him down the stairs. “Can’t you be more independent? Everyone else…”
People already find you too soft-spoken.
You don’t need to act coy and playfully come to me.
Can’t you be affectionate in private?
It’s embarrassing.
Qi Sui hadn’t seen Jiang Yanchi much in private. Chu Xie was afraid of leaving a bad impression on him, so he never let the Crown Prince support him from start to finish. He stumbled into the sedan chair, leaning against it, the scent of alcohol clinging to him mixed with the fragrance of powder, rich and alluring.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yanchi quickly climbed into the sedan chair.
“Hey, this is a sedan chair carried by two people.” Chu Xie knocked on the wall, barely wider than his arm. “It can’t accommodate two people.”
“But we used to…”
Chu Xie frowned, looking at the teenager who was almost as tall as him, “Used to? How old were you before, and how old are you now?”
He didn’t leave.
Even under his angry gaze, he boldly squeezed beside him and sat down as if it were his rightful place.
Chu Xie lifted the curtain and saw the Qi Mansion’s sedan chair moving away. Then he gave in, “Just sit steadily, this is the last time.”
The sedan chair swayed a bit when lifted, and Chu Xie didn’t sit firmly for a moment. A hand rested on his shoulder, holding him against the chest.
The fragrance of sandalwood incense permeated from his clothes. Chu Xie struggled for a moment, and the hand immediately let go.
He vaguely sensed something but when he turned his head, Jiang Yanchi was just lowering his head to fiddle with the bamboo tube in his hand, not meeting his gaze.
“Brother Chu.”
After a while, Jiang Yanchi leaned in again and tentatively said, “Drink less in the future.”
This Jiang Yanchi in this life was very different from the previous one. He was well-behaved, obedient, and showed no signs of turning dark.
However, like Tao Li, he was fond of managing him.
At the age of thirteen or fourteen, he often came to Chu Mansion with a small pillow, urging him to go to bed early and wake up early, and have three meals a day.
As he grew older, Chu Xie found it uncomfortable to be held by him, so he forbade him from getting on the bed.
He had the bookshelf in the outer room removed and had a small bed laid out.
Taking advantage of Chu Mansion’s central location in the capital, he came to sleep at Chu Mansion every three to five days.
“Whether I drink or not is none of your business.” Chu Xie assumed the air of an elder. “Also, remember what I just told you. Don’t stick to me like glutinous rice cake all the time. You are destined to be the ruler of a country in the future. You…”
“But I like you.”
Jiang Yanchi saw Chu Xie’s eyes seem to dodge, as if sinking into some very long memories, and his gaze drifted away, seeming to fall into a kind of painful avoidance. He quickly added in a vague manner, “Being with Brother Chu, I can learn a lot of things.”
When Chu Xie heard the word “like” just now, it immediately triggered some memories from his past life, stunning him in place. Whenever he saw the current Jiang Yanchi, he couldn’t help but think of his past self.
The encounter with this Jiang Yanchi was quite peaceful.
Even sending off his mother from the city was discussed with him, and their interactions along the way were quite harmonious.
This little guy was very clingy, grateful, and extremely considerate.
Although he knew they were the same person, Chu Xie couldn’t help but recall the Jiang Yanchi from his previous life.
Comparatively speaking, he had been too harsh on the “him” in the past.
He didn’t know how that person led his life after Chu Xie’s death in the previous life, and Chu Xie didn’t dare to dwell on it.
Whenever he thought about it, he became a bit more patient and accommodating towards the current Jiang Yanchi.
But he has raised this child to be extremely clingy.
“Brother Chu?” Jiang Yanchi couldn’t hear his response, so he tugged on him, sounding somewhat fearful, “What’s wrong with you? What are you thinking about?”
“You shouldn’t be so clingy.”
Chu Xie dismissed it with a perfunctory remark.
However, the Crown Prince’s eyes turned red, “Did I make you unhappy? You like to drink, then drink a little. Next time, don’t drink so much, okay?”
Hearing that voice filled with grievances, Chu Xie finally came to his senses.
“Okay, I’ll drink less in the future. Isn’t this just a social occasion? I’m doing it all for you. I’ve said it; you must smoothly become a good emperor.”
For the past events, Chu Xie always harbored some regrets.
Even if he could entrust everything securely to the current Jiang Yanchi, the Jiang Yanchi from the previous life, he still owed him.
Because this Jiang Yanchi and that one were two different people.
No matter how good he was to this person, it couldn’t make up for how badly he treated the other one in the past.
“Brother Chu?”
But Jiang Yanchi’s thoughts were elsewhere. Seeing him lost in thought, he approached to nuzzle his cheek. It was a rare intimate gesture, and though Chu Xie instinctively tried to dodge, the cramped space in the sedan chair made it impossible.
Fortunately, he only nuzzled once before sitting back obediently.
“Did I upset you? Then, I apologize.”
“No, I’m not upset because of you.”
Chu Xie immediately explained, “I just remembered some other things.”
Unexpectedly, after this explanation, the little prince’s worried expression didn’t diminish. He continued questioning, “What did you remember?”
“It doesn’t matter, just some past events.”
“But you look troubled.”
Chu Xie felt the effects of the alcohol on his head, causing a headache. He instinctively pressed his temples and sounded a bit impatient, “Well, even if I tell you, you won’t understand.”
The young prince fell silent, pursing his lips, and his eyes seemed somewhat desolate.
The sedan chair swayed through two streets and finally stopped in front of Chu Mansion. Outside, someone reached in to lift the curtain, ready to help Chu Xie and the little prince dismount the carriage.
“Is it something very hard to let go of?”
Jiang Yanchi reached out and held Chu Xie’s hand, not letting go.
Chu Xie, feeling uncomfortable standing bent over inside the carriage, decisively pulled his hand out of the prince’s palm.
He got off the sedan chair first and turned back, only to find that Jiang Yanchi hadn’t followed.
After waiting for a while without any movement, he lifted the curtain and asked the person inside, “What’s going on? Why aren’t you coming down?”
“Oh.”
He seemed a bit sullen.
Chu Xie found that he still couldn’t figure out his thoughts, but at least now he could clearly tell that he must be unhappy about something that happened in the carriage. He could only pat his head like comforting a little girl, saying, “Your Highness, I’ll drink less in the future, okay?”
“Mmm.” Jiang Yanchi finally showed a faint smile and explained, “I am not managing you. It’s just that your health isn’t good, and you shouldn’t drink alcohol. Although you stopped taking medicine since last year, after all…”
Once he starts, it won’t end.
“I understand, I understand.”
God knows, the way he and the Crown Prince were inseparable nowadays made it seem like the Crown Prince himself was clingy.
Based on his past influence, although he had restrained himself a lot in recent years, rumors still exaggerated the situation—claiming he controlled the Crown Prince by means or deceived him with sweet words. They said the Crown Prince obediently reported even the smallest matters to the Zhangyin, unable to make decisions on his own.
Chu Xie had long since detached himself from the system, and this world was not afraid of OOC (Out Of Character) at all. The plot had already deviated significantly from the previous life. In these years, his relationships with Zhao Xuan and Qi Sui were excellent.
He didn’t care about these rumors.
Chu Xie, intoxicated, forgot that, according to the original text, they were approaching the Jinhuan Gambling House incident.
He had no defenses whatsoever.
The Crown Prince was going to stay overnight at Chu Mansion again tonight, and Chu Xie couldn’t kick him out. Chu Xie also didn’t have the energy to scold him. Zhu, the doctor, had prepared a sobering soup for him to drink. By midnight, his alcohol breath had lessened, but he felt uncomfortable and sweaty. Thus, he ordered someone to prepare a hot bath.
While untying the inner garment, his shoulder blades, smooth and white as jade, seemed to shimmer in the dim candlelight. Chu Xie pulled the straps, took a step into the bath, but suddenly heard some movement behind him.
The sound of clashing blades echoed, right above his head.
Strange, was the alcohol still not gone?
Chu Xie vigorously shook his head to clear his thoughts, loosened his clothes a bit, but stumbled forward. With a splash, he fell into the pool. He quickly got up, completely sober now.
Once again, the clear sound of blades colliding reached him, even more distinct this time.
A dark figure suddenly flipped into the room from behind. The person was wearing a black mask and seemed slightly injured. Just as he was about to say something, a blade as thin as a cicada’s wing pressed against his neck, and a cold voice hummed, “Chu Xie?”
This voice.
D*mn it, why did it sound like—
Xu Chunmu.
Chu Xie’s head exploded.
He had just remembered that, before the Jinhuan Gambling House incident, Xu Chunmu had identified Chu Xie as the manipulative courtier controlling the court. He had come to Chu Mansion to steal evidence of the Jinhuan Gambling House’s wrongdoing to hand over to Jiang Yanchi, attempting to overthrow Chu Xie.
And he was still drinking.
At this time, why the h*ll was he still drinking?
Although everything in the capital had changed quite a bit due to his interventions, the northern border was still in its original state!
Chu Xie cursed himself for not paying enough attention. It seemed that this world had become too comfortable, making him almost complacent with no sense of crisis.
He didn’t expect this turn of events.
The blade approached again.
“Both of us step back, let me go, and I’ll let you go.” The person behind him pretended to be fierce. Chu Xie, now wearing only a thin inner garment, had lost his belt on the ground. He could only hold onto his clothes tightly, fearing that they would be blown open by the wind.
“Wait, wait, I haven’t finished dressing. You wait for me to tie my belt…” Chu Xie felt a bit awkward and raised his toes to hook the belt on the ground.
Xu Chunmu hesitated for a moment, about to crouch down and pick up the belt. The door was pushed open with a swish, and a strong wind blew in. Chu Xie reached out to grab the belt, but as he did, the wind blew his clothes open slightly, revealing a small section of his slender, white leg.
Oh, this…
What kind of situation was this?
Chu Xie hurriedly tightened his clothes again and looked up at the Crown Prince, who had rushed to the door along with a group of Imperial Guards.
Jiang Yanchi glanced at the black-clothed person behind Chu Xie and the short blade pressed against that person’s neck. His eyes immediately changed. Lifting his chin slightly, his gaze became sharp, and he squeezed the words out between his teeth.
“Let him go.”
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