The Daily Life of a Depressed Salted Fish Chapter 56

Yin Wuzhi didn’t take Jiang Wu far, just to a small hill behind the palace.

There was wind, and as Yin Wuzhi helped Jiang Wu out of the carriage, he wrapped him tighter in the cloak.

After disembarking, Jiang Wu noticed something standing on the slope.

Yin Wuzhi hesitated. “Your Majesty, have you seen one of these before?”

Jiang Wu had lived long enough to have seen everything.

“Although it’s not that special, I made it myself.” Initially, Yin Wuzhi thought the sight would amaze Jiang Wu, but as they traveled, his confidence wavered.

Now, seeing Jiang Wu’s lack of reaction, a deep sense of defeat welled up inside him.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Wu’s eyes flickered.

Since Yin Wuzhi made it himself, wouldn’t that mean it might not be sturdy?

“I like it.”

Yin Wuzhi’s heart soared and sank with Jiang Wu’s words. “Let me take Your Majesty up.”

To Jiang Wu, it wasn’t anything remarkable. It was a gigantic kite, and if a modern person saw it, they would instantly recognize it as a glider.

But judging from the reactions of those around, Yin Wuzhi must have put in considerable effort. After all, he might be the first person in the world to make a two-person glider.

“I originally wanted to bring Your Majesty here earlier and glide down from here. We could’ve landed right on the moat. Back then, the ice on the river was thick, and we could’ve gone ice skating.”

The wind whistled past his ears, and Jiang Wu heard a voice tinged with a sigh: “But now the ice has melted.”

He was tied to a large kite and turned his face to look at Yin Wuzhi. The latter’s long hair was blown into disarray by the wind, and his profile, stunning and unmatched, appeared somewhat forlorn.

Jiang Wu looked away and said calmly, “It’s fun.”

Yin Wuzhi was taken aback.

“It’s just not high enough,” Jiang Wu added. “It would’ve been better if we could go to a deep cliff.”

Yin Wuzhi’s eyes lit up. “I know of a cliff near the hunting grounds, but the temperature at the bottom is too low right now. Once the weather warms up a bit, I’ll take Your Majesty there.”

“Alright.”

“It’s a promise.”

“Mm.”

Hearing Jiang Wu agree so readily, Yin Wuzhi’s entire face lit up. He continued, “This winter, I’d like to take Your Majesty ice skating.”

There was still a year until winter, and Jiang Wu wasn’t sure if he’d live that long. He said, “No.”

Yin Wuzhi’s foot lightly touched a treetop as they glided forward, his mood clearly deflating.

Jiang Wu said nothing more.

No one could stop him from pursuing his path of self-destruction.

Although that strange dream last night had left him confused, he had still decided to follow the history he knew. In the end, Yin Wuzhi was destined to be a great emperor, and there was no mistake in that. Jiang Wu was determined to personally place him on that throne.

It was the fate Yin Wuzhi deserved.

The glide went smoothly without any incidents, which left Jiang Wu a little disappointed. He felt the urge to tease Yin Wuzhi again.

But Yin Wuzhi had completely relaxed. While untying Jiang Wu from the kite, he said, “Luckily, there were no accidents. My craftsmanship still holds up.”

He paused, looked at Jiang Wu, his eyes shining like stars, as if waiting for praise: “Hmm?”

Jiang Wu: “…Hmm.”

Actually, it wasn’t that disappointing.

“By the way,” Yin Wuzhi continued untying him, “Did Your Majesty dream last night?”

“No.”

“I had quite a few dreams,” Yin Wuzhi said as he finally untied the last rope and supported Jiang Wu’s waist. “But unfortunately, I forgot them all when I woke up.”

The dream must have been incredibly beautiful, but upon waking, it left only a vague, fleeting feeling. He couldn’t remember who he dreamed of or what happened.

He had initially thought it might have something to do with the incense from Qiu Wuchen, but since the emperor didn’t dream after smelling it, it must have just been a coincidence.

Though the ice on the moat had mostly melted, some large chunks of floating ice could still be seen occasionally. Yin Wuzhi, carrying Jiang Wu on his back, suddenly noticed a dark shadow in the ice. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a mouse frozen inside.

“How interesting,” Yin Wuzhi remarked. “This mouse was swimming in the middle of winter and ended up frozen here.”

Jiang Wu yawned and rested his head softly on Yin Wuzhi’s shoulder. “Sleepy.”

In the following days, Yin Wuzhi often requested that Jiang Wu leave the palace to have some fun. But Jiang Wu’s energy was limited. Whenever he went out, it took him three days to recover, and if there were court matters, it took an additional two days.

Jiang Wu hardly needed to worry about matters in the imperial study anymore. Yin Wuzhi could almost manage everything on his own, and Chen Ziyan was there to assist as well.

Chen Ziyan noticed that Yin Wuzhi was very busy. How busy? Not only did he handle the daily reports sent to him, but he also took the time to study old historical records. He was so energetic that he seemed tireless.

“The former crown prince was shot dead in the ancestral temple for treason. At the time, the previous emperor was also present. Later, it was clarified that the crown prince had received an imperial edict, thinking someone was going to harm the emperor, so he brought soldiers to protect him,” Chen Ziyan explained. “This matter was thoroughly investigated back then. Why are you still looking into it?”

“When the previous emperor struck the crown prince, did he hesitate at all?”

“According to my father, the context was that King Qi had uprooted the Zhao spies in Guanjing and captured the leader of the Zhao spies, who is now Zhao Crown Prince Zhao Cheng. You probably haven’t interacted with him.”

“No,” Yin Wuzhi admitted, “but I know he was once the King Wen Shizi. King Wen feigned illness for over a decade in Zhao, and it turns out he was enduring it all for a comeback.”

Chen Ziyan sighed at the mention of this person. “I heard he was betrothed to the daughter of the He family. The couple was deeply in love, and they had Zhao Cheng a year after their marriage. But later, the emperor of Zhao forcibly took her away. His wife hanged herself in Zhao Palace in grief, and King Wen never recovered from his illness after that. At the time, many people mocked him, but who could have known?”

Yin Wuzhi was deeply moved. “It’s a pity for that woman.”

“Yes,” Chen Ziyan shook his head with regret. “We never had the chance to meet such a beauty.”

Yin Wuzhi disagreed. “I believe there’s a rare beauty in the palace now.”

“You mean His Majesty…”

Yin Wuzhi pressed his lips together slightly. Chen Ziyan said, “That’s true. Though she has no power or influence, the late emperor cherished her deeply, and no one dares to touch her to this day.”

“…” Forget it. Yin Wuzhi said. “Continue with the story about King Wen Shizi.”

“Right, King Wen Shizi, now Zhao’s crown prince, was captured alive by King Qi back then. It was during that time that a coup occurred in Zhao, and King Wen succeeded in usurping the throne, turning his son into Zhao’s crown prince. King Qi expected Zhao spies to stop at nothing to protect Zhao Cheng, and all the movements in Guanjing pointed to this. On that day, the previous emperor secretly took Zhao Cheng to the ancestral temple, intending to use his blood to sacrifice to the ancestors. They were waiting for Zhao’s soldiers to arrive so they could capture them all in one go. But instead of the spies, the former crown prince appeared.”

“Did the soldiers not recognize the crown prince?”

“The order to shoot came from a subordinate of King Qi. After realizing they had killed the wrong person, he committed suicide in front of the emperor,” Chen Ziyan recounted. “First, they killed the crown prince, then he took his own life to protect King Qi. After an investigation, it was confirmed that the edict given to the crown prince came from King Qi’s mansion. There’s no doubt that it was all King Qi’s plan to have the crown prince killed.”

“So the previous emperor crippled King Qi’s legs?”

“Exactly.”

Yin Wuzhi recalled the image of King Qi seated in his wheelchair and sighed, “This whole affair is truly shrouded in mystery.”

“All the evidence points to King Qi. What more is there to investigate?” Yin Wuzhi rubbed his forehead. “Still, something feels off. How did Zhao Cheng manage to escape afterward?”

“They say he held King Ning hostage and escaped himself.”

“Was King Ning also present at the ancestral ceremony?”

“No, King Ning wasn’t there. The former emperor didn’t kill Zhao Cheng during the ceremony, even though it would have been easy. Zhao Cheng was more valuable alive, so they locked him in the palace dungeon under heavy guard. King Ning somehow learned of this and, knowing that the poison afflicting him was created by King Wen, believed Zhao Cheng would know the antidote. So, despite his own frailty, he went to confront Zhao Cheng, leading to the events that followed.”

Yin Wuzhi furrowed his brow as he flipped through old documents and medical records. “There’s definitely something sinister going on in this palace.”

That night, in the Ziyun Hall.

Yao Ji cradled a cat and gently placed it into a large cage.

The big white cat, seemingly accustomed to being confined, meowed softly and nuzzled her hand with its nose.

After soothing the cat, Yao Ji asked, “Are you certain? The Great Empress Dowager really hasn’t stationed anyone to guard the Taiji Hall?”

The maid responded, “I’ve observed for several days, and it’s true. It seems she believes you’ve been subdued by her and doesn’t expect you to take any action.”

“Ridiculous,” Yao Ji said coldly. “I can’t even see my own son. How absurd.”

“So, Empress Dowager, will you go check on His Majesty? I’ve heard that Yin Shizi has been wanting to take His Majesty out for fun these past few days, and His Majesty actually agreed.”

“That Yin Wuzhi!” Yao Ji’s tone instantly turned venomous. “That vile creature dares to seduce the emperor. And the Great Empress Dowager does nothing about it! What is she planning by letting this fox remain by the emperor’s side?”

“This Yin Shizi is no ordinary seducer,” the maid said bitterly. “He’s very cunning.”

Yao Ji shot her a glance and scolded, “Such a pretty face, yet you can’t even outdo a man!”

The maid replied reluctantly, “…I haven’t been able to get close to the emperor.”

“What about your little brother?”

“Yi Rener has visited a few times, but the emperor… clearly isn’t interested in him. In fact, he was nearly strangled to death by the shizi.”

“Does Qin Chuan know that the two of you are siblings?”

“Of course not. We didn’t enter the palace together, and we’ve been careful not to interact.”

“Good. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to see the emperor. You must convince him to keep you around.”

“…But the emperor’s quarters don’t lack for palace maids.”

“I’ll make sure there’s a vacancy,” Yao Ji said with confidence.

The maid’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Empress Dowager.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Wu sneezed, and Yin Wuzhi, who was crouching nearby, looked up at him. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Wu glanced at his feet soaking in a wooden tub, then at Yin Wuzhi’s hands also submerged in the water. “Tired.”

“I’m crouching, and I’m not tired.” Yin Wuzhi chuckled. “Soak a little longer. It’ll help you sleep better.”

“I already sleep well.”

“I know, but this will make it even better.”

“I want to sit down.”

Yin Wuzhi smiled. “Yes, but you should sit up straight for a bit. It’s good for your back. You can’t always be slouching.”

Jiang Wu swayed slightly in his seat, restless. “I want to lie down.”

“Just a little longer. After soaking, you can lie down. Sleeping while soaking isn’t good.”

Jiang Wu, fearing a poor night’s sleep, said, “Enough.”

“Almost, almost.”

Jiang Wu was too lazy to move his feet, so after a couple more ‘almosts,’ he said, “Enough.”

“Not yet.” Yin Wuzhi pressed down on his feet, which had turned pink from the hot water. Amused by their appearance, Yin Wuzhi commented, “Your feet look so good, Your Majesty.”

Jiang Wu returned the compliment: “Your hands, too.”

“Does Your Majesty find my hands appealing?” Yin Wuzhi teased. “Do you like it when I touch you?”

Jiang Wu didn’t answer.

He wasn’t sure if he liked it, but he didn’t dislike it either.

When they finally finished soaking, Yin Wuzhi dried Jiang Wu’s feet, and Jiang Wu immediately flopped onto the bed. Amused, Yin Wuzhi pulled him closer, tucked him in, and then leaned over him. “Your Majesty, look, my hands have turned red.”

Jiang Wu looked.

“…Yes, my hands are red, and your feet are red.”

Jiang Wu: “?”

“We truly are a perfect match.”

Jiang Wu: “…”

He gave Yin Wuzhi a look.

Yin Wuzhi blinked, startled. “Your Majesty…”

“Your Majesty, were you just disgusted by me?”

Jiang Wu wondered if he should offer some comfort—

“Oh my, His Majesty has graced the shizi with a look of disdain! The shizi is truly blessed,” Qi Hanmiao suddenly exclaimed with excitement as he peeked in. “Your Majesty, might this humble servant also have the honor of being met with your disdain, even if just a glance?”