I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 137

Chapter 137

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【Main Mission 2, Mission 3: Help the male lead complete the Spring Plowing Ceremony plan】

When Chu Lishu explained the situation, Lin Qingyang immediately thought of this mission. It seemed like Chu Lishu was up to something again.

The Spring Plowing Ceremony was the grandest event every spring, requiring the royal family to leave the palace and head to the outskirts to sow some crops, symbolizing the wish for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

This kind of event only required the Emperor to bring the Crown Prince along, and the unspoken rule was also convenient for ordinary people to catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince.

Chu Lishu intended to intervene in this matter, and he had made some arrangements while they were resting after leaving the palace.

On this day, they were in the midst of martial arts training, with Assistant Huo teaching them to strengthen their bodies. This type of training naturally led to sweating profusely, but with the vigorous movement, they weren’t too concerned about the cold.

Chu Lishu, being physically weak, had initially requested not to participate. The Fourth Prince, due to his limited stamina, couldn’t keep up with the training intensity of the others. Consequently, he practiced for a while and was then allowed to rest by Assistant Huo.

Since the Fourth Prince was younger and somewhat bored, he suggested playing the hand-throwing ball game they had invented, pulling Chu Lishu along to join in.

As they played, it quickly attracted the attention of everyone.

Assistant Huo, recalling Yue Chen’s instructions, suggested, “Since everyone wants to play, how about having a direct competition?”

This was much more enjoyable than the martial arts training.

Everyone was enthusiastic, especially about a competition. Those who had suffered losses on the ceju field during their previous match at the Imperial Academy were particularly eager for a rematch. After quickly understanding the rules, they all practiced for a while. Each prince enlisted the help of a guard to act as a team member, and, of course, they themselves joined the game.

Soon, one match after another began.

Since the rules were based on a ten-point system, with the first team to reach ten points winning, the matches progressed quickly. It was a back-and-forth affair, with everyone experiencing both victories and defeats.

When everyone was getting tired, the Crown Prince’s team and the Fourth Prince’s team finally faced off again.

In this match, Chu Lishu unexpectedly joined the game. He mentioned that after watching for so long, he also wanted to play a round.

Lin Qingyang naturally stayed on the field to cooperate. The plan was simple—when everyone was exhausted from playing, it was normal for someone to accidentally fall or twist their ankle.

What they wanted was for Yuan Ye to get injured.

Just as the match was about to begin, a eunuch suddenly announced loudly.

Shortly after, the sound of the Emperor’s arrival was heard.

Everyone immediately knelt in greeting.

The Emperor smiled and asked, “I heard you’re currently playing a very interesting game. I happen to be interested in watching. Who is competing against whom right now?”

Assistant Huo promptly stepped forward to respond.

The Emperor directly took a seat and said, “Continue.”

At this moment, the Third Prince was very good at seizing opportunities. He stepped forward and said, “Father, this competition employs a completely new format and rules. Allow your son to explain how it works?”

By the time the Eldest Prince realized it, the Emperor had already beckoned to the Third Prince. It had to be said that the Eldest Prince was less favored because he couldn’t manage to please his father like the Third Prince.

The competition was about to begin, but at this moment, Huo Luo passed by Chu Lishu and whispered something to him.

Chu Lishu’s expression changed slightly. Lin Qingyang stood at a distance, curious and observant.

The competition started shortly after. Lin Qingyang was anticipating Chu Lishu’s intervention, but as the match progressed, Yuan Ye remained unharmed.

Breathing heavily, Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu in confusion.

Chu Lishu only gave him a look of patience.

Soon, they approached the Emperor to await his judgment.

Chu Lishu had an opportunity to explain the situation to Lin Qingyang as they headed towards the Imperial Garden for a banquet celebrating the upcoming Spring Plowing Ceremony.

Wearing their outer garments, Chu Lishu finally had a chance to clarify the situation with Lin Qingyang.

Earlier, Huo Luo had whispered a few words to Chu Lishu.

“The Emperor has skilled individuals around him. Don’t act recklessly.”

Initially, Chu Lishu had considered taking a risk, but Huo Luo’s warning about skilled individuals near the Emperor made him reconsider. If he acted, it would likely be detected. Therefore, he had to wait for a real clash during the competition. Even if he injured the Crown Prince and faced punishment, it would be acceptable. However, Yuan Ye, being cautious and afraid of getting hurt, remained protected by others throughout the match. As a result, Chu Lishu never had the opportunity to act.

“After that, was there anything else…”

Chu Lishu shook his head, “Almost nothing. When we arrived at the Imperial Garden, we had to follow the Fourth Prince. It was impossible to get close to the Crown Prince. Even if we wanted to make a mistake, it was difficult. We can only see if there is a way for an expert to infiltrate the Eastern Palace tonight, but…”

Lin Qingyang understood Chu Lishu’s meaning. The risk in doing so was too great, and the purpose was too obvious.

Chu Lishu’s designs were always focused on leaving no trace, allowing everything to happen naturally. This way, others wouldn’t point fingers at the Fourth Prince. It was acceptable if something unexpected happened to Yuan Ye, but deliberately arranging for someone to harm him was not feasible. It would be easy to trace and more likely to fail, especially when dealing with someone as important as the Crown Prince – there was no way they wouldn’t have any precautions.

Facing such a situation, Lin Qingyang couldn’t think of a better solution. Although he wasn’t extremely afraid of the mission failing right now, the potential loss of points from a mission failure could be devastating. It would be great if there were other options.

As everyone headed to the Imperial Garden to prepare to change into palace attire, they happened to pass by a bridge.

The bridge was long and narrow. The Third Prince and Fourth Prince arrived first, so when Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu were already on the bridge, Yuan Ye and the Eldest Prince were just getting on.

This created an issue of precedence. In theory, the Crown Prince should go first, but the Eldest Prince and the Third Prince were unwilling to yield.

Everyone had a stiff expression, stubbornly squeezing through, refusing to give way to each other.

This was practically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seeing the situation, Lin Qingyang realized that it would be a waste not to take advantage of it. He looked at Chu Lishu, only to find that Chu Lishu’s expression had also changed. Clearly, he had thought of the same thing. Unfortunately, Chu Lishu’s position was not advantageous at all and couldn’t make a move on Yuan Ye’s side.

On the other hand, Lin Qingyang had a good position. He exchanged a glance with Chu Lishu, who instantly caught on and reached out to stop Lin Qingyang, evidently trying to prevent something.

However, Lin Qingyang had already understood Chu Lishu’s thoughts. Chu Lishu knew that Lin Qingyang had the best position, but he was unwilling to let him take the risk. This situation frustrated Lin Qingyang; after all, he was just a toolman, and a toolman’s role was to sacrifice oneself to help the male lead.

Even though Lin Qingyang didn’t want to sacrifice himself, wasn’t there no other way now? Moreover, this was related to his own mission!

Lin Qingyang tried to break free from Chu Lishu’s grasp, but Chu Lishu refused to let go. His gaze became more intense.

Seeing that time was running out, Lin Qingyang seized the perfect moment, shook off Chu Lishu, and threw the Fourteenth Prince directly forward, shouting, “Be careful, Your Highness!”

Fourth Prince was thrown into Chu Lishu’s arms, and Lin Qingyang himself fell backward, colliding with Cheng Yi, who was yelling in front. Cheng Yi was in front of the Crown Prince and was instantly hit. Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Qingyang struggled and performed, successfully dragging two people down into the water.

Suddenly, there was a commotion, water splashing below, and chaos above as people continuously jumped into the water to rescue them.

The pool wasn’t shallow, but Lin Qingyang was good at swimming. He knew that merely soaking for a while wouldn’t guarantee how Yuan Ye would fare, so he had exchanged for a self-heating pill.

Self-heating pill: 20

I never thought this seemingly useless item could be used so cleverly by me.

So Lin Qingyang pretended to rescue Yuan Ye, affectionately holding his chin and bringing him to the surface. In fact, Lin Qingyang had already given him a pill when Yuan Ye was drinking water. The pill dissolved quickly, and in the chaos, Yuan Ye didn’t notice.

Soon, everyone was pulled out of the water. Chu Lishu held Lin Qingyang, patting his back, remaining silent. It was Chu Lishu who had jumped into the water to pull him up.

Lin Qingyang took the opportunity to wink at him.

Chu Lishu, however, had a cold expression. Well, it seemed that his disobedience had annoyed someone again.

As the Emperor was not far away, he quickly arrived upon hearing the news and ordered everyone to change their clothes. It was still chilly in spring, and they had just finished martial arts training, sweating and dressed lightly. Several people felt uncomfortable.

After changing clothes, they were given herbal soup and waited for the imperial physician.

The Emperor waited in the main hall for updates.

Soon, those who changed clothes returned. The imperial physician checked them one by one.

The Emperor began to inquire about what had happened.

Cheng Yi, frightened, was the first to kneel and pointed directly at Lin Qingyang, saying, “He pushed me, causing me to collide with the Crown Prince. It was deliberate on Lin Qingyang’s part.”

Lin Qingyang also quickly knelt down, trembling as he spoke, “Your Majesty, this subject is guilty. It was indeed this subject’s carelessness that caused the subsequent situation. Please punish this subject.”

Lin Qingyang immediately admitted guilt, and the Emperor was about to get angry. However, the Fourth Prince knelt down and said, “Father, it’s not like that. When we were all crowded on the bridge, I seemed to be pushed by someone, maybe about to fall off the bridge. Lin Qingyang, eager to protect me, pushed me towards Chu Lishu and then fell down himself, colliding with Cheng Yi. Lin Qingyang would never intentionally harm the Crown Prince. It was an accident.”

The Emperor furrowed his brows slightly, “Did anyone witness this?”

Everyone spoke at once, and soon there was a unanimous answer. They indeed heard Lin Qingyang shout, and it seemed like the Fourth Prince was in danger, leading to a series of accidents.

The cause of this accident was the insistence of the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince on squeezing onto the bridge together; otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened.

The Eldest Prince was annoyed, saying, “I was the first to step onto the bridge. What’s wrong with walking ahead?” Implicitly, he blamed the Crown Prince for insisting on squeezing.

They had been competing with each other for several years, and small disputes were common. The Emperor, somewhat headache-ridden, sighed and considered this incident as an accident.

However, causing the Crown Prince to fall into the water could not be easily overlooked. Even if there were reasons, punishment was still necessary. As a result, Lin Qingyang and Cheng Yi each received ten lashes.

When Lin Qingyang was dragged out, he overheard the imperial physician saying that the Crown Prince’s body temperature was abnormal, possibly indicating a fever. Hearing about the Crown Prince falling ill, Lin Qingyang’s expression immediately changed.

The Emperor asked, “Will it affect tomorrow’s Spring Plowing Ceremony?”

Yuan Ye promptly assured that he was fine.

The imperial physician could only say they would have to wait and see how things developed tomorrow.

Although the Emperor appeared displeased, he had no choice but to order the physician to intensify treatment. Yuan Ye immediately returned to the Eastern Palace, actively cooperating and fearing that if he fell ill, he would miss the Spring Plowing Ceremony the next day.

At this moment, Lin Qingyang was already being held down and receiving his punishment.

Originally, he had only heard that a beating of forty heavy strokes could almost cripple a person, making them bedridden for at least half a year.

Lin Qingyang thought that the mistakes he and Cheng Yi had made this time were not too serious. The guards should be aware that the Emperor usually handed down light punishments for minor offenses. Therefore, even if there was no chance to use the medicinal pill, it shouldn’t matter much.

However, he never expected that after the first stroke, Lin Qingyang almost had the wind knocked out of him. He gasped for breath, and when he looked up, he was about to cry out, but seeing the expression on Chu Lishu’s face in front of him, he swallowed the scream.

Lin Qingyang suddenly felt an inexplicable impulse. As a man, he couldn’t afford to lose face in front of familiar faces.

For the next nine strokes, Cheng Yi, who was beside him, was about to shout out a melody, but Lin Qingyang remained silent, astonishing the onlookers. Little did they know that Lin Qingyang’s teeth were about to shatter. He really wanted to scream out loud, wondering why he suddenly felt burdened with an idol’s image. Perhaps he didn’t want Chu Lishu to hear his miserable screams.

Before the last stroke, Cheng Yi had already passed out, and Lin Qingyang, after enduring the final blow, felt his whole body burning up. The newly changed clothes were already soaked with sweat.

The guards withdrew, and everyone quickly approached. Chu Lishu swiftly caught Lin Qingyang as he slid down.

Lin Qingyang could no longer scream in pain. He opened his eyes and looked at Chu Lishu, noticing a hint of redness in his eyes. Lin Qingyang was moved for a moment.

“To be honest… it doesn’t hurt that much.”

Chu Lishu stared at him in a daze, watching Lin Qingyang slowly close his eyes, almost crying from the pain. He wanted to kiss him, but now was not the right time.

Chu Lishu quickly carried Lin Qingyang on his back and hurriedly took him back. The Fourth Prince also brought the imperial physician to assist, thinking that everything was because of him. When they returned, he complained to the concubine mother about the emperor’s cruelty. Concubine Mei, who was aware of their plan, felt grateful upon hearing about the changes. She became more convinced that Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu were loyal to the Fourth Prince, hoping that everything would go smoothly.

When Lin Qingyang woke up, he felt a chilly sensation around his buttocks.

Instinctively, he wanted to reach out and check if his pants were still there, but his hand was immediately grabbed by someone.

Opening his eyes in confusion, Lin Qingyang saw Chu Lishu sitting beside him.

“Don’t move. I just applied some medicine; you need to let it air out.”

Medicine? Airing out?

Buttocks.

Lin Qingyang took a sharp breath, was shocked, and quickly tried to get up, only to be firmly pressed down by Chu Lishu.

“I told you not to move. Why don’t you ever listen? You got injured at the back, so you have to lie down.” Chu Lishu’s voice was a bit hoarse, but his tone was stern.

Lin Qingyang calmed down, looking at Chu Lishu awkwardly, “I… I don’t want to expose my buttocks to others.”

“Since everyone has seen it all night, what’s the difference if only I saw it?” Chu Lishu said casually while turning to get medicine for Lin Qingyang to drink.

Lin Qingyang, however, was bewildered by this bold statement.

Watched all night? The male lead watched his buttocks all night.

Why did it suddenly feel so peculiar?

【Main Mission 2, Mission 3: Help the male lead complete the Spring Plowing Ceremony plan】

When Chu Lishu explained the situation, Lin Qingyang immediately thought of this mission. It seemed like Chu Lishu was up to something again.

The Spring Plowing Ceremony was the grandest event every spring, requiring the royal family to leave the palace and head to the outskirts to sow some crops, symbolizing the wish for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

This kind of event only required the Emperor to bring the Crown Prince along, and the unspoken rule was also convenient for ordinary people to catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince.

Chu Lishu intended to intervene in this matter, and he had made some arrangements while they were resting after leaving the palace.

On this day, they were in the midst of martial arts training, with Assistant Huo teaching them to strengthen their bodies. This type of training naturally led to sweating profusely, but with the vigorous movement, they weren’t too concerned about the cold.

Chu Lishu, being physically weak, had initially requested not to participate. The Fourth Prince, due to his limited stamina, couldn’t keep up with the training intensity of the others. Consequently, he practiced for a while and was then allowed to rest by Assistant Huo.

Since the Fourth Prince was younger and somewhat bored, he suggested playing the hand-throwing ball game they had invented, pulling Chu Lishu along to join in.

As they played, it quickly attracted the attention of everyone.

Assistant Huo, recalling Yue Chen’s instructions, suggested, “Since everyone wants to play, how about having a direct competition?”

This was much more enjoyable than the martial arts training.

Everyone was enthusiastic, especially about a competition. Those who had suffered losses on the ceju field during their previous match at the Imperial Academy were particularly eager for a rematch. After quickly understanding the rules, they all practiced for a while. Each prince enlisted the help of a guard to act as a team member, and, of course, they themselves joined the game.

Soon, one match after another began.

Since the rules were based on a ten-point system, with the first team to reach ten points winning, the matches progressed quickly. It was a back-and-forth affair, with everyone experiencing both victories and defeats.

When everyone was getting tired, the Crown Prince’s team and the Fourth Prince’s team finally faced off again.

In this match, Chu Lishu unexpectedly joined the game. He mentioned that after watching for so long, he also wanted to play a round.

Lin Qingyang naturally stayed on the field to cooperate. The plan was simple—when everyone was exhausted from playing, it was normal for someone to accidentally fall or twist their ankle.

What they wanted was for Yuan Ye to get injured.

Just as the match was about to begin, a eunuch suddenly announced loudly.

Shortly after, the sound of the Emperor’s arrival was heard.

Everyone immediately knelt in greeting.

The Emperor smiled and asked, “I heard you’re currently playing a very interesting game. I happen to be interested in watching. Who is competing against whom right now?”

Assistant Huo promptly stepped forward to respond.

The Emperor directly took a seat and said, “Continue.”

At this moment, the Third Prince was very good at seizing opportunities. He stepped forward and said, “Father, this competition employs a completely new format and rules. Allow your son to explain how it works?”

By the time the Eldest Prince realized it, the Emperor had already beckoned to the Third Prince. It had to be said that the Eldest Prince was less favored because he couldn’t manage to please his father like the Third Prince.

The competition was about to begin, but at this moment, Huo Luo passed by Chu Lishu and whispered something to him.

Chu Lishu’s expression changed slightly. Lin Qingyang stood at a distance, curious and observant.

The competition started shortly after. Lin Qingyang was anticipating Chu Lishu’s intervention, but as the match progressed, Yuan Ye remained unharmed.

Breathing heavily, Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu in confusion.

Chu Lishu only gave him a look of patience.

Soon, they approached the Emperor to await his judgment.

Chu Lishu had an opportunity to explain the situation to Lin Qingyang as they headed towards the Imperial Garden for a banquet celebrating the upcoming Spring Plowing Ceremony.

Wearing their outer garments, Chu Lishu finally had a chance to clarify the situation with Lin Qingyang.

Earlier, Huo Luo had whispered a few words to Chu Lishu.

“The Emperor has skilled individuals around him. Don’t act recklessly.”

Initially, Chu Lishu had considered taking a risk, but Huo Luo’s warning about skilled individuals near the Emperor made him reconsider. If he acted, it would likely be detected. Therefore, he had to wait for a real clash during the competition. Even if he injured the Crown Prince and faced punishment, it would be acceptable. However, Yuan Ye, being cautious and afraid of getting hurt, remained protected by others throughout the match. As a result, Chu Lishu never had the opportunity to act.

“After that, was there anything else…”

Chu Lishu shook his head, “Almost nothing. When we arrived at the Imperial Garden, we had to follow the Fourth Prince. It was impossible to get close to the Crown Prince. Even if we wanted to make a mistake, it was difficult. We can only see if there is a way for an expert to infiltrate the Eastern Palace tonight, but…”

Lin Qingyang understood Chu Lishu’s meaning. The risk in doing so was too great, and the purpose was too obvious.

Chu Lishu’s designs were always focused on leaving no trace, allowing everything to happen naturally. This way, others wouldn’t point fingers at the Fourth Prince. It was acceptable if something unexpected happened to Yuan Ye, but deliberately arranging for someone to harm him was not feasible. It would be easy to trace and more likely to fail, especially when dealing with someone as important as the Crown Prince – there was no way they wouldn’t have any precautions.

Facing such a situation, Lin Qingyang couldn’t think of a better solution. Although he wasn’t extremely afraid of the mission failing right now, the potential loss of points from a mission failure could be devastating. It would be great if there were other options.

As everyone headed to the Imperial Garden to prepare to change into palace attire, they happened to pass by a bridge.

The bridge was long and narrow. The Third Prince and Fourth Prince arrived first, so when Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu were already on the bridge, Yuan Ye and the Eldest Prince were just getting on.

This created an issue of precedence. In theory, the Crown Prince should go first, but the Eldest Prince and the Third Prince were unwilling to yield.

Everyone had a stiff expression, stubbornly squeezing through, refusing to give way to each other.

This was practically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seeing the situation, Lin Qingyang realized that it would be a waste not to take advantage of it. He looked at Chu Lishu, only to find that Chu Lishu’s expression had also changed. Clearly, he had thought of the same thing. Unfortunately, Chu Lishu’s position was not advantageous at all and couldn’t make a move on Yuan Ye’s side.

On the other hand, Lin Qingyang had a good position. He exchanged a glance with Chu Lishu, who instantly caught on and reached out to stop Lin Qingyang, evidently trying to prevent something.

However, Lin Qingyang had already understood Chu Lishu’s thoughts. Chu Lishu knew that Lin Qingyang had the best position, but he was unwilling to let him take the risk. This situation frustrated Lin Qingyang; after all, he was just a toolman, and a toolman’s role was to sacrifice oneself to help the male lead.

Even though Lin Qingyang didn’t want to sacrifice himself, wasn’t there no other way now? Moreover, this was related to his own mission!

Lin Qingyang tried to break free from Chu Lishu’s grasp, but Chu Lishu refused to let go. His gaze became more intense.

Seeing that time was running out, Lin Qingyang seized the perfect moment, shook off Chu Lishu, and threw Fourteenth Prince directly forward, shouting, “Be careful, Your Highness!”

Fourth Prince was thrown into Chu Lishu’s arms, and Lin Qingyang himself fell backward, colliding with Cheng Yi, who was yelling in front. Cheng Yi was in front of the Crown Prince and was instantly hit. Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Qingyang struggled and performed, successfully dragging two people down into the water.

Suddenly, there was a commotion, water splashing below, and chaos above as people continuously jumped into the water to rescue them.

The pool wasn’t shallow, but Lin Qingyang was good at swimming. He knew that merely soaking for a while wouldn’t guarantee how Yuan Ye would fare, so he had exchanged for a self-heating pill.

Self-heating pill: 20

I never thought this seemingly useless item could be used so cleverly by me.

So Lin Qingyang pretended to rescue Yuan Ye, affectionately holding his chin and bringing him to the surface. In fact, Lin Qingyang had already given him a pill when Yuan Ye was drinking water. The pill dissolved quickly, and in the chaos, Yuan Ye didn’t notice.

Soon, everyone was pulled out of the water. Chu Lishu held Lin Qingyang, patting his back, remaining silent. It was Chu Lishu who had jumped into the water to pull him up.

Lin Qingyang took the opportunity to wink at him.

Chu Lishu, however, had a cold expression. Well, it seemed that his disobedience had annoyed someone again.

As the Emperor was not far away, he quickly arrived upon hearing the news and ordered everyone to change their clothes. It was still chilly in spring, and they had just finished martial arts training, sweating and dressed lightly. Several people felt uncomfortable.

After changing clothes, they were given herbal soup and waited for the imperial physician.

The Emperor waited in the main hall for updates.

Soon, those who changed clothes returned. The imperial physician checked them one by one.

The Emperor began to inquire about what had happened.

Cheng Yi, frightened, was the first to kneel and pointed directly at Lin Qingyang, saying, “He pushed me, causing me to collide with the Crown Prince. It was deliberate on Lin Qingyang’s part.”

Lin Qingyang also quickly knelt down, trembling as he spoke, “Your Majesty, this subject is guilty. It was indeed this subject’s carelessness that caused the subsequent situation. Please punish this subject.”

Lin Qingyang immediately admitted guilt, and the Emperor was about to get angry. However, the Fourth Prince knelt down and said, “Father, it’s not like that. When we were all crowded on the bridge, I seemed to be pushed by someone, maybe about to fall off the bridge. Lin Qingyang, eager to protect me, pushed me towards Chu Lishu and then fell down himself, colliding with Cheng Yi. Lin Qingyang would never intentionally harm Crown Prince. It was an accident.”

The Emperor furrowed his brows slightly, “Did anyone witness this?”

Everyone spoke at once, and soon there was a unanimous answer. They indeed heard Lin Qingyang shout, and it seemed like the Fourth Prince was in danger, leading to a series of accidents.

The cause of this accident was the insistence of the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince on squeezing onto the bridge together; otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened.

The Eldest Prince was annoyed, saying, “I was the first to step onto the bridge. What’s wrong with walking ahead?” Implicitly, he blamed the Crown Prince for insisting on squeezing.

They had been competing with each other for several years, and small disputes were common. The Emperor, somewhat headache-ridden, sighed and considered this incident as an accident.

However, causing the Crown Prince to fall into the water could not be easily overlooked. Even if there were reasons, punishment was still necessary. As a result, Lin Qingyang and Cheng Yi each received ten lashes.

When Lin Qingyang was dragged out, he overheard the imperial physician saying that the Crown Prince’s body temperature was abnormal, possibly indicating a fever. Hearing about the Crown Prince falling ill, Lin Qingyang’s expression immediately changed.

The Emperor asked, “Will it affect tomorrow’s Spring Plowing Ceremony?”

Yuan Ye promptly assured that he was fine.

The imperial physician could only say they would have to wait and see how things developed tomorrow.

Although the Emperor appeared displeased, he had no choice but to order the physician to intensify treatment. Yuan Ye immediately returned to the Eastern Palace, actively cooperating and fearing that if he fell ill, he would miss the Spring Plowing Ceremony the next day.

At this moment, Lin Qingyang was already being held down and receiving his punishment.

Originally, he had only heard that a beating of forty heavy strokes could almost cripple a person, making them bedridden for at least half a year.

Lin Qingyang thought that the mistakes he and Cheng Yi had made this time were not too serious. The guards should be aware that the Emperor usually handed down light punishments for minor offenses. Therefore, even if there was no chance to use the medicinal pill, it shouldn’t matter much.

However, he never expected that after the first stroke, Lin Qingyang almost had the wind knocked out of him. He gasped for breath, and when he looked up, he was about to cry out, but seeing the expression on Chu Lishu’s face in front of him, he swallowed the scream.

Lin Qingyang suddenly felt an inexplicable impulse. As a man, he couldn’t afford to lose face in front of familiar faces.

For the next nine strokes, Cheng Yi, who was beside him, was about to shout out a melody, but Lin Qingyang remained silent, astonishing the onlookers. Little did they know that Lin Qingyang’s teeth were about to shatter. He really wanted to scream out loud, wondering why he suddenly felt burdened with an idol’s image. Perhaps he didn’t want Chu Lishu to hear his miserable screams.

Before the last stroke, Cheng Yi had already passed out, and Lin Qingyang, after enduring the final blow, felt his whole body burning up. The newly changed clothes were already soaked with sweat.

The guards withdrew, and everyone quickly approached. Chu Lishu swiftly caught Lin Qingyang as he slid down.

Lin Qingyang could no longer scream in pain. He opened his eyes and looked at Chu Lishu, noticing a hint of redness in his eyes. Lin Qingyang was moved for a moment.

“To be honest… it doesn’t hurt that much.”

Chu Lishu stared at him in a daze, watching Lin Qingyang slowly close his eyes, almost crying from the pain. He wanted to kiss him, but now was not the right time.

Chu Lishu quickly carried Lin Qingyang on his back and hurriedly took him back. The Fourth Prince also brought the imperial physician to assist, thinking that everything was because of him. When they returned, he complained to the concubine mother about the emperor’s cruelty. Concubine Mei, who was aware of their plan, felt grateful upon hearing about the changes. She became more convinced that Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu were loyal to the Fourth Prince, hoping that everything would go smoothly.

When Lin Qingyang woke up, he felt a chilly sensation around his buttocks.

Instinctively, he wanted to reach out and check if his pants were still there, but his hand was immediately grabbed by someone.

Opening his eyes in confusion, Lin Qingyang saw Chu Lishu sitting beside him.

“Don’t move. I just applied some medicine; you need to let it air out.”

Medicine? Airing out?

Buttocks.

Lin Qingyang took a sharp breath, shocked, and quickly tried to get up, only to be firmly pressed down by Chu Lishu.

“I told you not to move. Why don’t you ever listen? You got injured at the back, so you have to lie down.” Chu Lishu’s voice was a bit hoarse, but his tone was stern.

Lin Qingyang calmed down, looking at Chu Lishu awkwardly, “I… I don’t want to expose my buttocks to others.”

“Since everyone has seen it all night, what’s the difference if only I saw it?” Chu Lishu said casually while turning to get medicine for Lin Qingyang to drink.

Lin Qingyang, however, was bewildered by this bold statement.

Watched all night? The male lead watched his buttocks all night.

Why did it suddenly feel so peculiar?

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