Chapter 241
After Yu Suoxi left, Chu Lishu did indeed investigate the so-called “Snake” for a while, but without any leads, the matter remained buried deep in his heart.
However, he was particularly intrigued by the prophecy mentioned by Yu Suoxi.
This prophecy was not mentioned in the original plot, which meant that the male lead might be completely unaware of it from beginning to end. Three prophecies, of which only one was known, yet they foretold the true future, causing even Lin Qingyang to worry.
Since he had heard about it now and knew that the prophecy had influenced many things, Chu Lishu decided to investigate further.
The former Imperial Tutor, Mr. Cao, only started instructing Chu Lishu after his initiation, so he was unaware of previous events.
Even Gu Jing’s investigation at the Qintian Observatory yielded no leads, only fantastical legends about how the former supervisor was able to calculate without error.
As for Chief Steward Hai, he was equally clueless. Even after discreetly consulting with the elderly in the palace, all they could offer were a bunch of prophecies, clearly just sensationalized rumors with no discernible truth.
Yue Chen and Huo Luo also consulted their family elders, who confirmed that there were indeed calculations made and a prophecy written on a talisman. However, the details were kept tightly under wraps by the royal family, and it seemed that some palace attendants even died as a result of this secrecy. Therefore, only members of the royal family would likely be aware of the specifics.
The Empress Dowager, the Emperor, Empress Cheng, and perhaps even Prince Yuan Ye might hold key information, but finding the right opportunity to extract it from them would require further planning.
For now, the matter of the prophecy had to be temporarily set aside.
After the Longevity Festival, the Emperor became noticeably more suspicious. In the original plot, this was when Zhao Cheng was supposed to be given a reason by the Emperor and directly sent away from the capital. However, Qi Ci’s and Ning Ziheng’s fates weighed heavily on his mind, preventing him from fully aligning with Chu Lishu’s desired outcome regarding Zhao Cheng and Huo Luo. Therefore, Zhao Cheng remained in the capital, cautiously conducting himself as the Grand General. Lin Qingyang could only be thankful that the system only judged their internal conflicts; otherwise, the mission would have been at risk of failure.
Chu Lishu wasn’t in a rush. With his responsibility as a palace guard secured, he awaited Huo Luo’s gradual summoning of his trusted subordinates to fully control the Imperial Guard. This, too, required time. Besides, the matters concerning Zhao Cheng and Concubine Mei had already caught the Emperor’s attention. The Emperor was bound to react negatively to him and Concubine Mei sooner or later, given the right opportunity.
Even though Concubine Mei and Zhao Cheng had been actively avoiding being in the Emperor’s presence together, the perfect opportunity presented itself just a few days after Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu returned to the palace.
This was because the Fourth Prince had performed exceptionally well during the Longevity Festival, garnering even more attention from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. When the Grand Tutor suggested that the Fourth Prince should learn military strategy, the Emperor hesitated for a moment before designating Zhao Cheng to instruct the Fourth Prince.
So Zhao Cheng had to frequently enter the palace, and he even specifically chose an open space to set up a huge sand table for demonstrations to the Fourth Prince.
Upon learning this, Lin Qingyang was amazed at the Emperor’s magnanimity, while Chu Lishu remarked that it was because the Emperor hadn’t completely given up on Zhao Cheng yet and still hoped that his trusted subordinate would remain loyal. However, deep down, he resented the situation and subconsciously wanted to create opportunities to see if the two would betray him.
When Concubine Mei found out, her face turned unpleasant for several days. Even in the presence of Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang, she warned the Fourth Prince not to get too close to Zhao Cheng, her disgust evident in her eyes.
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but feel sorry for General Zhao. To secretly love someone, never coveting them, only to be utilized and then scorned by them, and still having to provide for their beloved and their family – it was the pinnacle of being a devoted follower.
Unfortunately, even though Zhao Cheng knew he shouldn’t show any affection, he still risked himself when Concubine Mei encountered danger.
On this particular day, Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang were supposed to be with the Fourth Prince, but they used the timing of Concubine Mei’s arrival as an excuse to leave and hid nearby, waiting.
Before long, Concubine Mei arrived. Since the Empress Dowager preferred tranquility and didn’t require the concubines to pay frequent respects, they only needed to attend the monthly banquet on the fifteenth day of each month. Concubine Mei happened to be on her way to escort the Fourth Prince to the Empress Dowager’s place.
Originally, it wouldn’t have been awkward if Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang were present, but to Concubine Meii’s surprise, only Zhao Cheng and the Fourth Prince were there. If not for the presence of palace attendants, Concubine Mei might not have dared to enter.
Concubine Mei walked along the cobblestone path, intending only to go as far as the end of the path to call out, with no intention of stepping into the open space.
Zhao Cheng hadn’t seen Concubine Mei for a long time, so he was momentarily stunned upon seeing her. However, as soon as he felt the warning in her gaze, he quickly approached and respectfully bowed, not daring to lift his head.
Concubine Mei was about to greet the Fourth Prince and leave when she stepped onto the largest black stone, only to find that it was covered in ice. Concubine Mei slipped with a scream, and the palace maids behind her rushed to assist. But how could they be faster than Zhao Cheng, who was right in front of her?
As a reflex of his formidable martial arts skills and his concern for Concubine Mei, Zhao Cheng immediately reached out and caught her, preventing her from falling.
However, within almost a second, Zhao Cheng realized something and quickly let go. Normally, it wouldn’t be much of a problem, but considering there must be spies from the Emperor around them, they couldn’t risk the news reaching the Emperor’s ears.
Both Zhao Cheng and Concubine Mei’s expressions turned grim. They were about to pretend to be calm, but the next moment, they were dumbfounded.
Because there was already movement behind them. Looking up, they saw the Emperor walking slowly, supporting Concubine Xu as they passed by. In recent days, the Emperor had been spending most of his leisure time with Concubine Xu, who was currently in favor.
They were also heading towards the Empress Dowager’s residence, but they hadn’t expected to run into each other like this.
The Emperor’s face turned immediately green.
Concubine Mei, being clever, quickly spoke up, “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. The ice on this pathway hasn’t been properly cleared, and I just slipped and fell. Your Majesty and Sister Xu should be careful.”
The Emperor’s gaze shifted to Zhao Cheng, remaining silent. Zhao Cheng continued to bow without daring to rise, not even daring to breathe it seemed.
Peeking out from behind a tree in the distance, Lin Qingyang looked on curiously, “Was the Emperor’s appearance also part of your arrangement? Didn’t you say it was enough for the palace servants to see?”
The icy ground was their doing; Chu Lishu knew Concubine Mei would come today to fetch the Fourth Prince, so he intentionally devised a little plan.
“No, it’s just a coincidence,” Chu Lishu’s voice came right next to Lin Qingyang’s ear, his breath tickling Lin Qingyang’s earlobe. Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but scratch his ear, continuing to gaze ahead in a daze.
Whether it was his imagination or not, from their angle, Zhao Cheng, Concubine Mei, and the Fourth Prince formed a picturesque scene that resembled a family portrait. Especially the Fourth Prince, with his gradually developing features, made Lin Qingyang feel less like he resembled the Emperor and more like… General Zhao.
Lin Qingyang was startled by his own thoughts and quickly dismissed them. After all, the original plot didn’t have such melodramatic interpretations, and Concubine Mei clearly didn’t have any interest in General Zhao, who was known for his loyal nature. And how could the Fourth Prince possibly…
I have heard of the concept of couples resembling each other. It’s possible that the Fourth Prince and General Zhao have spent a lot of time together, which is why they appear to have such similarities.
Lin Qingyang’s intermittent frowning and head shaking distracted Chu Lishu to the point that he couldn’t focus on what was happening in the distance anymore. But since they had already exceeded their goals, Chu Lishu didn’t mind letting Lin Qingyang be preoccupied. He was standing right behind Lin Qingyang anyway, and he gently raised his hand to encircle him.
Lin Qingyang was lost in his own bizarre thoughts and didn’t react at first. It wasn’t until he felt the warm, moist softness near his ear that he jolted, snapping back to reality. By then, he found himself held by Chu Lishu, pressed against a tree trunk, with Chu Lishu kissing his earlobe and gently biting it.
Lin Qingyang’s legs instantly turned to jelly. Ignoring the situation in front of them, he tried to evade, lowering his voice, “We’re outside.”
“Mm…” Chu Lishu casually responded.
“Don’t… don’t bite…” Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but shrink his neck, attempting to hide his ear, but he felt the chest holding him tremble lightly with laughter. The vibrations made Lin Qingyang’s heart flutter unstably.
“Huh? How come it’s okay for you to bite me, but when I try to bite you, it’s not allowed? Are you that domineering? Clearly, you like it…” Though Chu Lishu’s deep voice penetrated Lin Qingyang’s ears, his earlobe was already being used as a chew toy by someone.
Lin Qingyang didn’t want to admit that he had a soft spot for Chu Lishu’s ear with a black mole. However, after being caught one or two times, he accepted it. Upon learning that Yuan Ran also had a mole on his ear, Lin Qingyang became even more fond of that spot. But he didn’t expect his own ears to be so sensitive, and Chu Lishu quickly discovered that it brought him joy when they were in private.
Lin Qingyang couldn’t bear it, especially when he felt something amiss with the pressure on his body. He quickly broke free from the embrace and turned around to push Chu Lishu away, preparing to lecture him sternly. However, the next moment, he met Chu Lishu’s eyes, which were already not right. Before Lin Qingyang could speak, he was pinned against the tree by Chu Lishu and kissed.
In the distance, the voices of the Emperor and Concubine Mei could still be heard. Lin Qingyang dared not make too much noise and could only allow Chu Lishu to take advantage of him, anxiously looking around to avoid being seen.
Seriously, what happened to our secret affairs? Is this boldness really okay?
Chu Lishu softened Lin Qingyang’s lips and tongue with his kisses before releasing his hands. However, he didn’t expect Lin Qingyang to still resist, so he simply used one hand to hold his hands above his head while the other hand began to slowly stroke Lin Qingyang’s waist, forcing him to relax his resistance. Through layers of clothing, Chu Lishu also tried to rub against him, as if trying to ease something.
Finally, Lin Qingyang couldn’t resist anymore and gave up, his hands being released and only able to weakly rest on Chu Lishu’s shoulders. His eyes were already misted with tears from the kisses, paying no attention to the surroundings, but there was still some fear in the depths of his eyes.
Chu Lishu kept his eyes slightly narrowed, unwilling to close them completely, always wanting to see Lin Qingyang’s expression. Seeing this, he slightly loosened his grip and a strand of silver appeared briefly in the air. “Don’t be afraid, this is a blind spot in our view. Unless someone comes by, no one will see anything.”
Lin Qingyang breathed weakly, his whole body limp. His hands involuntarily grabbed onto Chu Lishu’s clothes, barely able to support himself against the tree trunk. Originally, with Chu Lishu’s body changing, their heights were almost the same now. But at this moment, due to not being able to stand straight, Lin Qingyang seemed a little shorter than Chu Lishu, and he could only look up and slowly digest what Chu Lishu was saying.
This weak and vulnerable appearance, so easy to take advantage of, unsurprisingly shattered Chu Lishu’s self-control. The redness deepened in his eyes, and his gaze seemed like it wanted to devour Lin Qingyang.
The crowd outside had already dispersed, and Chu Lishu no longer had any reservations. His intense kiss descended once again, much stronger than before. Lin Qingyang felt the force even through their clothes. In that moment, Lin Qingyang finally came to his senses, his heart trembling. Seizing the opportunity while Chu Lishu’s mind was temporarily blank, he suddenly gathered his strength and pushed away, taking the chance to break free.
“Take a moment to calm yourself,” Lin Qingyang left these words and quickly ran out.
Chu Lishu’s face twisted in frustration, wanting to grab him, but Lin Qingyang had already run far away.
With a curse under his breath, Chu Lishu could only obediently try to calm himself down.
After a while, as they walked out, Chu Lishu saw Lin Qingyang’s displeased expression on the palace road outside.
Knowing that Lin Qingyang was upset, Chu Lishu stepped forward and said, “I was in the wrong.”
Lin Qingyang gave Chu Lishu a displeased glare, but seeing his expression, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but feel both sorry and embarrassed.
“Go back and soak in the medicinal bath.”
Chu Lishu obediently complied, going back and soaking in the bath as instructed. However, Lin Qingyang didn’t accompany him, which made him quite unhappy.
“Come in, what if I faint and no one knows?”
Lin Qingyang’s figure was actually behind the screen. “Even like this, you can still find me. Just listen to the physician’s advice and take care of your health.”
Chu Lishu’s face darkened as if ink could drip from it, cursed the physician’s orders.
After escorting Yu Suoxi that day, they were going to enter the palace the next day. So, before going, Lin Qingyang made sure Mu Huichun checked Chu Lishu’s body properly. After all, he had a fever the previous night, and although Lin Qingyang knew the system’s medicine was potent, it only treated the symptoms and not the root cause. Therefore, it was still necessary to have Mu Huichun take a look.
After a careful examination of Chu Lishu’s pulse, Mu Huichun spoke bluntly, “Abstain from indulgence for a month, Senior Brother. It’s not good to indulge in youthful pleasures.”
With many people present in the room, all eyes turned to Lin Qingyang upon hearing Mu Huichun’s words. Lin Qingyang’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment. To his surprise, Chu Lishu still had a serious expression and asked why it was forbidden, if a little bit was permissible, or if the duration could be shortened.
At that moment, everyone’s gaze towards Lin Qingyang changed, as if his forehead bore the words “Troublesome Little Demon.”
Lin Qingyang felt utterly embarrassed and wished for the ground to swallow him up.
In fact, Mu Huichun wasn’t speaking without reason. After the previous incident, Chu Lishu’s body was indeed troublesome. For instance, the almost imperceptible redness in Chu Lishu’s eyes was still a mystery to Mu Huichun. He suspected it might be related to Chu Lishu’s emotional fluctuations and could only study it slowly. However, one thing was certain: during his current state of health, indulging in pleasure would harm his physical foundation.
Mu Huichun instructed Chu Lishu to continue soaking in medicinal baths for a month before reassessment.
For the sake of Chu Lishu’s health, Lin Qingyang was determined to adhere to Mu Huichun’s advice.
Upon entering the palace, they continued to sleep separately in their own rooms. Apart from the first time when Lin Qingyang almost broke his resolve while watching Chu Lishu soak in the medicinal bath, everything was fine. However, there were times when Chu Lishu seemed visibly agitated, and he would hug Lin Qingyang and kiss him for a while.
Although Lin Qingyang also enjoyed the affection, he didn’t mind too much. After all, in his view, they had just started dating, so slowing down the pace seemed reasonable.
But Chu Lishu was frustrated. He felt that Lin Qingyang’s unawareness of his affections was better than their current situation.
After soaking, Chu Lishu came out wearing only a thin inner garment, with his collar unbuttoned. Lin Qingyang couldn’t stand seeing Chu Lishu with his hair loose and clothes disheveled. It was like having a walking aphrodisiac, constantly challenging his self-control. He could only avert his gaze and express verbal concern for Chu Lishu’s health.
“Whether there’s something wrong with my body, I don’t know, but if we slow down any further this month, I might really go crazy,” Chu Lishu said, his tone filled with resentment.
“It won’t happen. Mu Huichun said that the medicinal bath he gave you already contains ingredients to reduce… cough… impulses,” Lin Qingyang interjected. Indeed, they had already reduced the dosage, so why was Chu Lishu still so easily aroused?
Sighing, Chu Lishu approached and sat down, unable to resist leaning against Lin Qingyang and nudging him. He asked Lin Qingyang to help him comb his hair. “I can refrain from doing anything, but remember our agreement: if you want something, I have to help you. You’re not allowed to do it yourself.”
Lin Qingyang felt Chu Lishu’s hand inching toward a sensitive area and quickly dodged. “If you don’t provoke me, I can keep a clear mind.” At most, he’d indulge in some dreams.
Chu Lishu glanced at Lin Qingyang with a complaining look. “So you don’t want me at all…”
Lin Qingyang, accustomed to such remarks, chuckled awkwardly and didn’t respond, quickly steering the conversation back to business to avoid potential trouble when they were alone together.
This time, the small opportunity had a miraculous effect. Within a few days, as per the original plan, Zhao Cheng was directly dispatched by the Emperor to deal with pirates on the coast of the East Sea. Whether the Emperor intended to kill Zhao Cheng remained uncertain, but observing the gradually changing expression in Chu Lishu’s eyes, Lin Qingyang knew that he had taken action.
There was a moment of hesitation between capturing and killing, but ultimately, Zhao Cheng was captured. Chu Lishu couldn’t bring himself to kill Zhao Cheng outright; his heart harbored a cruel revenge plan. Lin Qingyang was aware of Chu Lishu’s intentions toward Zhao Cheng but didn’t intervene. It was Chu Lishu’s deeply rooted vendetta, and no one could decide the fate of these people on his behalf.
Lin Qingyang had just received a new mission: 【Main Mission 2, Mission 21: Assist the male lead in eliminating General Zhao】
So, when Zhao Cheng set out, the top assassins from the Blood Abyss Pavilion were mobilized for the task.
At this time, it was the New Year period, and there would be a large number of officials heading north to report to the capital. One official named Wu Zhengtao was also on his way.
Chu Lishu initiated his plan targeting the Ministry of Appointments.
【Main Mission 2, Mission 22: Assist the male lead in purging the Ministry of Appointments.】
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