I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Character Chapter 111

“The patient’s fainting was caused by extreme fright. I will prescribe a calming and soothing medicine. Take it daily, and once the condition improves, there will be no need to continue.”

After sending the imperial physician away, He Xulan turned his gaze to the bed. The young man lying there was still unconscious. When He Xulan had left earlier, Xueya’s face had been rosy, but now it was deathly pale.

“Repeat what happened earlier.”

At He Xulan’s command, the two eunuchs who had accompanied Xueya to the backyard fell to their knees with a thud. “We followed the master to the backyard. First, the master ate a few peach blossoms, and then he suddenly said there was a ghost. He started running back, but fainted after only a few steps.”

“Did either of you see a ghost?” He Xulan clearly didn’t believe in such nonsense, and hearing this absurd story, he frowned slightly.

The two eunuchs shook their heads frantically. Then, exchanging a glance, one of them whispered, “Your Majesty, perhaps the master can see things we ordinary people cannot?”

At these words, He Xulan’s eyes narrowed slightly. His face, which usually carried the air of a gentleman, changed the moment his expression turned cold, making him seem like a completely different person.

When the eunuchs noticed the murderous intent in He Xulan’s eyes, they began kowtowing desperately. “Your Majesty, we spoke out of turn! We deserve death!”

He Xulan glanced at the eunuchs with disdain. “Get out.”

Once the terrified eunuchs had left, He Xulan gently held Xueya’s hand. Most of the servants who used to take care of him were now gone, and the remaining ones were all former officials from the Lichao dynasty. It would take some time before he could select trustworthy attendants for Xueya.

***

Xueya gradually woke up; it was already midday. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw He Xulan sitting by the bed, eyes half-lidded as he dozed off. He Xulan was leaning against the bed, his long lashes casting small shadows over his eyes. Xueya stared at his face for a while, then quietly pressed his own face against He Xulan’s leg.

This gentle nudge stirred He Xulan from his light nap. Seeing the boy nestled against him, He Xulan reached out to feel Xueya’s forehead. Finding it cool, he relaxed slightly.

Just as He Xulan was about to withdraw his hand, Xueya grabbed it, gazing at him with sleepy, longing eyes—so pitiful and adorable.

Xueya was even clingier than the day before, and noticing this, He Xulan’s mind shifted. He picked Xueya up from the bed. “Let’s get you washed up and have a meal. After that, come with me to the study. I’ll have a screen set up there, and you can stay behind it and play, okay?”

Hearing this, Xueya visibly brightened, rubbing his face against He Xulan’s affectionately.

In the days that followed, Xueya stuck to He Xulan’s side no matter where he went. He hardly left him at all. Even though He Xulan was busy, he would always take time to slip behind the screen and talk to Xueya. Spoiled by this attention, Xueya no longer wanted to bring up the ghostly incident from that night.

That night, after eating the flowers, Xueya had seen the vines and mistaken them for a figure. The silver moonlight cast eerie shadows on the flower-covered walls, and in his panic, he thought he saw a ghostly face. Terrified, he passed out. The next day, as he recalled the incident more clearly, he realized it had been a mistake on his part, but he was too embarrassed to admit it. Now that he was spending every day with He Xulan and enjoying the closeness, he didn’t want to mention it. He feared that if he did, He Xulan wouldn’t stay with him anymore.

So, when He Xulan finally brought up the ghost story a few days later, Xueya immediately clutched his forehead, claiming he didn’t feel well, and then snuggled into He Xulan’s arms, saying he was scared. His exaggerated antics were an attempt to brush off the topic, but every time he lied, his eyes would blink rapidly, and he’d subconsciously hold his breath, clearly afraid that others wouldn’t notice he was lying.

He Xulan stared at Xueya for a moment but, in the end, said nothing. A few days later, He Xulan brought up the matter again, and once more, Xueya claimed to be scared and unwell, asking to be held. He Xulan obliged, pulling him closer, while his hand slipped inside Xueya’s clothes.

Before long, Xueya was panting, his eyes misty as he clutched He Xulan’s clothing, his lips slightly parted. But just as things were heating up, He Xulan suddenly stopped.

Xueya was taken aback. Seeing He Xulan halt, he moved closer, trying to entice him, but no matter how much he pouted or rubbed against him, He Xulan remained still, as if he were a saint untouched by desire. Frustrated, Xueya bit He Xulan.

“Brother!”

Despite his fondness for acting spoiled, Xueya had a temper, and when he got upset, he bit people.

He Xulan raised an eyebrow. “Guan Guan, did you really see a ghost that night?”

As he spoke the last two words, his hand moved slightly, causing Xueya’s toes to curl in response. His already flushed face deepened in color. Though Xueya had intended to keep quiet, his resolve quickly crumbled, and he confessed everything. After confessing, he clung to He Xulan, worried. “Brother, I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I… I wasn’t really lying. I was frightened that night. Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. I’m just wondering why you didn’t tell me right away.”

Xueya carefully observed He Xulan’s expression. Seeing no signs of anger, he finally spoke, “If I told you, then you wouldn’t stay with me. And now, you’re already not spending time with me. If you take more concubines in the future, you’ll have even less time for me.” His eyes reddened as he spoke.

He Xulan had long known Xueya was hiding the truth and had even guessed the reason why. But hearing it from Xueya’s mouth made him fall silent.

To Xueya, this silence seemed like tacit agreement. He didn’t want He Xulan to see him crying again—after all, he was already nineteen and shouldn’t be crying so often—but his heart ached too much. He struggled to get out of He Xulan’s arms.

After just a couple of attempts, He Xulan pulled him back in. Kicking aside the silk handkerchief he had used earlier, He Xulan turned Xueya’s face toward him. “Even if I told you I won’t take any concubines, would you believe me?”

“No emperor goes without taking concubines,” Xueya replied. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe He Xulan; it was just that, historically, emperors always had large harems.

He Xulan looked at Xueya’s still somewhat childlike face and smirked. “Then I won’t be emperor. If I’m not emperor, I won’t have to take concubines, right?”

Xueya hadn’t expected He Xulan to say this, and after a moment of stunned silence, he quickly shook his head. “No, no! If you’re not the emperor, who will protect us if we’re bullied again?”

Only if He Xulan remained emperor would they be safe.

“Guan Guan, didn’t you want to be someone important? If you were emperor, no one would dare bully us.”

At these words, Xueya was utterly dumbfounded.

By the time he regained his senses, they were in the study, and in front of him lay the imperial seal.

He Xulan guided Xueya’s hand toward the seal. “Guan Guan, from now on, this seal is yours.”

The cold jade of the seal pressed into Xueya’s palm, and he could feel the intricate patterns on its surface. He tried to pull his hand away, but He Xulan wouldn’t let him.

“Brother, how could I be emperor? Stop teasing me.”

From behind, He Xulan embraced Xueya, resting his head gently on Xueya’s shoulder. “Even Cui Lingjing could be emperor. You’re much smarter than him. Why couldn’t you? And more importantly, if you become emperor, you won’t have to worry about me taking concubines. Guan Guan, I hope you can always trust me.”

Though Xueya heard He Xulan’s words, he still lacked confidence. But that afternoon, all the palace attendants began addressing him as “Your Majesty.” Xueya had never been called that before, and the title made him feel light-headed. This sense of elation peaked when he saw Huang Gonggong enter, carrying a dragon robe.

“Huang Gonggong! When did you return?” Xueya asked excitedly.

Several months earlier, Cui Lingjing had discovered the relationship between Xueya and He Xulan and had ordered He Xulan to relocate to the Qingchang Palace. He Xulan had already decided to defy the imperial decree and couldn’t bring Huang Gonggong with him. Instead, he had instructed Yi Yefeng’s confidants to take Huang Gonggong to a safe place. Unfortunately, the two disciples responsible for protecting Huang Gonggong had both died.

After winning the battle, He Xulan had sent people to bring back Huang Gonggong, which was why Xueya was seeing him that day.

Huang Gonggong lifted the tray carrying the dragon robe higher. “This servant arrived last night. After half a day of rest to recover, I finally had the energy to come serve Your Majesty. Shall we see if the robe fits?”

Xueya gazed at the dragon robe, which exuded luxury and authority, and reached out to touch it carefully. After a moment, he nodded and allowed Huang Gonggong to help him dress.

The robe was quite large and would need alterations. Resting his chin on his hand, Xueya watched as Huang Gonggong neatly folded the robe again. “Huang Gonggong, do you really think I can be a good emperor?” he asked.

“Young Master will help Your Majesty, won’t he?” replied Huang Gonggong, though in his heart, he sighed at Xueya’s naivety. Throughout history, no new emperor’s dragon robe was ever ill-fitting. The only reason this one didn’t fit was that it hadn’t been made to Xueya’s measurements.

Of course, He Xulan had already ordered the Bureau of Dressmaking to make sure the robe would be altered and ready for the enthronement ceremony, all to placate Xueya.

Huang Gonggong couldn’t help but think that He Xulan and Xueya were truly a pair made for each other. One was foolish enough to believe he would become emperor, and the other was willing to go to any lengths to make him emperor, even if it was just in name.

Huang Gonggong had once asked He Xulan why he was going through such trouble to make Xueya believe in him, why not only the entire palace had to change the way they addressed Xueya, but even the court officials had to cooperate.

At the time, He Xulan had been busy with preparations for the enthronement. Upon hearing the question, he paused, a complex emotion in his light brown eyes. “If I give him everything, he won’t be afraid anymore.”

Huang Gonggong sighed again, unsure of what to say. Eventually, it was He Xulan who broke the silence. “Yi Yefeng has found a mortician skilled in making up the dead. He’ll be in the palace tomorrow morning, and I want to see his work personally. I’ll leave Guan Guan to you, and the Bureau of Dressmaking will be delivering the dragon robe as well.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master. I know what to do,” Huang Gonggong replied.

***

While Xueya was trying on the dragon robe, He Xulan was covering his nose and mouth with a silk handkerchief, watching an old man apply makeup to the corpse on the wooden bed. Every so often, the man would glance up at the portrait hanging on the wall, carefully working for about an hour before finishing.

Yi Yefeng stepped forward first to examine the body, then turned back to He Xulan and gave a slight nod.

He Xulan approached slowly. Seeing that the corpse now had a face identical to the one in the portrait, he allowed himself a small smirk. “Not bad.”

Silencing palace servants was easy, and silencing the court officials was just as simple. But to silence the whole world was a different story, especially since Cui Lingjing had once had Xueya’s portrait displayed in a temple for all to worship. But it didn’t matter. As long as Cui Lingjing’s body could be disguised as Xueya’s and dressed in women’s clothing, he could be burned publicly under the guise of a demon concubine.

The old mortician had worked tirelessly since morning, preparing two corpses. One of them was freshly dead, a prisoner from the dungeon who had died of a long illness just the day before. He Xulan had decided not only to burn Cui Lingjing’s body but also to have the prisoner, a vile criminal of low status, take his place in the imperial mausoleum.

The new emperor, wishing to appear benevolent, would ensure the former emperor’s body received a proper burial. This “substitution of the prince for a cat” was a trick the world would never uncover.

Once everything was in order, He Xulan bathed and changed before going to see Xueya.

When he returned, Xueya was napping. His cheeks were flushed, and his collar was slightly askew. He Xulan watched for a moment before gently brushing his finger across Xueya’s neck.

Xueya, already half-awake, opened his eyes in a daze. Upon seeing He Xulan sitting by the bed, he instinctively smiled. “Brother.”

“Mm,” He Xulan smiled back. “Did you sleep well?”

Xueya nodded, then grabbed He Xulan’s hand and pressed it to his own cheek. “Brother, when is the enthronement ceremony?”

“Three days from now. It’s an auspicious day.”

***

In the new year of Mingcheng, a certain official surnamed Wen wrote in his personal notes: “On the 10th day of the third month, I was fortunate to attend the enthronement ceremony. On the 11th, the streets were filled with people observing the fire ritual. That same day, the suburban temples were closed.”

Another official, after drinking, complained to his wife, “The previous one? He wasn’t just a foolish emperor; he was a tyrant. But this one—now he’s a true fool! He can barely read a few words, and today he actually fell asleep on the throne!”

His wife, frightened, quickly covered his mouth. “What are you saying? Do you want to lose your head?”

The official snapped out of it and stopped talking. Two years later, while drinking again and humming a tune, his wife, seeing his good mood, asked, “What’s making you so happy today?”

The official replied, “In the past, we had to distribute porridge and aid the disaster-stricken, but this year the world is peaceful, and the country is prosperous. We haven’t seen days this comfortable in years.”

Lowering her voice, his wife teased, “I remember you complaining about *him* last year.”

At the mention of *him*, the official’s face twisted in frustration. “Don’t bring *him* up. He only attended court for a few days and hasn’t shown up since. Everything’s handled by the lord empress, though it’s all attributed to *him*.” After grumbling, he tapped his cup with his chopsticks, muttering to himself.

Curious, his wife leaned in to listen closely and realized the official was going on about how accurate the astrologers were, claiming *he* really was just a lucky charm.

Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Charactere right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)