That night, after his wave of shame and embarrassment, Lord Su slept soundly in the carriage—no dreams, just deep rest until daylight fully broke. It wasn’t until the carriage started moving again that the shaking woke him up.
As the capital drew closer and closer, Su Yan frequently lifted the curtain to glance outside. All the thoughts he had deliberately pushed down during his time away—the ones buried deep due to the long distance—now came bubbling back to the surface, one after another:
Once he returned to the capital, he’d have to enter the palace to report his service.
What would His Majesty say when he saw him?
Would he praise his work in Shaanxi? Or would he scold him for risking himself so recklessly, wasting military strength and resources in the process?
The Crown Prince was at that age where boys sprouted up overnight—changing by the day. It had been half a year since they last met; who knew how much taller he’d gotten?
Had he been keeping up with his studies?
Shen Qi, that guy, got injured last night while fighting with Ah Zhui. I wonder how bad his wounds are and whether he has seen a doctor.
And his courtyard—before I left the capital, Wei Jun secretly sent bandits to ransack the place, smashing all the furniture to bits. Once I return, I’ll have to clean it up, or I’ll be stuck staying at an inn again.
What about the Heavenly Works Academy? Is construction progressing well? Will it be ready in time for the spring admissions after the new year? Hopefully, it’s not a complete mess. If that b*stard Yu Wang dares to ruin my hard work—ugh, I better not think about it. Just the thought of him brings that infuriating letter to mind. Delete, delete!
By midday, the Wuli Relay Station at the outskirts of the capital was finally in sight. Su Yan felt a mix of excitement and an inexplicable apprehension about returning home. He ordered the carriage to stop at the capital’s boundary marker—he needed some fresh air.
“Hey, look at this boundary stone—why is a corner missing, and there’s such a large crack running through it?” He circled the massive granite stele in curiosity. “I remember it was perfectly fine when I left the capital. Why hasn’t the relay station repaired it?”
Gao Shuo replied, “I’m not sure either. Commander Long, do you know anything about it?”
Long Quan shook his head, though his expression suggested he did but was unwilling to explain.
Jinghong Zhui, however, focused intently on the crack for a moment before stating with certainty, “It was struck by a whip.”
Su Yan was surprised. “A whip?”
“Yes, and not a steel whip, but a flexible one. One lash strong enough to shatter stone—whoever did this possesses immense inner strength. However, they seemed to hold back, only breaking off a corner rather than destroying the entire marker.”
Su Yan was merely curious and had no intention of investigating further. He clicked his tongue twice in amazement and let the matter drop.
At the Wuli Relay Station, while verifying their travel credentials, Su Yan couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. He had expected that, given Zhu Helin’s personality—how he had insisted on personally seeing him off at the relay station when he left—he would have come to welcome him back as well.
It wasn’t about vanity or entitlement; he simply prided himself on understanding Zhu Helin’s little habits quite well. Now that his guess had been proven wrong, it caught him off guard.
Su Yan asked the station master, “Has His Highness the Crown Prince been here recently?”
The station master still remembered how the crown prince had visited in disguise to see off this now-famous imperial censor. Their bond seemed deep, so he answered carefully, “He has not, Lord Su. Do you have a message for him?”
Su Yan shook his head. “No, just asking.”
At the same time, he mused privately: The little crown prince has grown up. He now understands that he must abide by protocol and can’t act too familiarly with his ministers. That’s a good thing.
—But somehow, he still felt a tiny bit dejected.
It was like raising a clingy little puppy, only to return home after half a year and find that it no longer ran up to him for food.
How to describe it? A… faint, sour feeling.
Turning back toward the carriage, Su Yan instructed his bodyguards, “Inform the Embroidered Uniform Guard resting nearby—it’s time to move out. We’re entering the capital.”
—
At the grand city gates, a long procession approached from the distance. Imperial guards clad in round-collared armor surrounded the central carriage, quickly passing through the security checkpoint and entering the imperial capital of Great Ming.
After escorting Su Yan to his residence, Long Quan and Chu Yuan bid farewell and returned to the palace to report. Gao Shuo hesitated briefly before following them.
This left Su Yan with only one personal guard and two young attendants. He smiled and said, “We’re home.”
That single word, “we,” stirred something in Jinghong Zhui. His expression remained stoic, but a flicker of contentment could be seen in his eyes.
“The manor has been empty for too long. It must be covered in dust and overgrown with weeds. Allow me to go in and clean it up first, my lord. Please bear with the carriage a little longer.”
“Brother Zhui, I’ll go with you!” Su Xiaojing volunteered eagerly.
Having spent the journey together through thick and thin, he and Su Xiaobei had grown fond of Jinghong Zhui, treating him like family. They now called him “Brother Zhui” without hesitation.
Since Xiaobei was the more steady of the two, he stayed behind to keep Su Yan company in the carriage.
Still worried, Jinghong Zhui reminded Su Yan at the door, “If anything happens, just call out. I’ll hear you.”
Su Yan chuckled. “The main hall is only a few steps away. What could possibly happen? Go on, stop treating me like a helpless child.”
No sooner had Jinghong Zhui and Su Xiaojing stepped inside than a round-faced youth at a nearby wonton stall looked up, eyes lighting with joy. He immediately abandoned his coins and rushed over to the carriage.
“Lord Su!”
Su Yan recognized the voice at once and lifted the curtain. “Fubao!” He quickly stepped down and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“The young master sent me out of the palace, saying that Lord Su would return soon. He ordered me to wait outside your residence—no matter what, I had to see you before going back. If I failed, he told me not to bother returning at all!”
Su Yan instantly recognized the commanding tone and couldn’t help but smile. “How are things in the Eastern Palace?”
“The young master said yesterday that he estimated you’d arrive today and originally planned to welcome you at the relay station himself,” Fubao sighed. “But this morning, after court, His Majesty felt unwell. The young master was worried and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to attend to him. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about Lord Su, so he specifically sent me out of the palace to wait for you.”
Su Yan stiffened, his voice wavering slightly. “His Majesty is ill?”
Fubao quickly reassured him, “It’s nothing serious. His Majesty has suffered from chronic headaches for years. It flared up worse than usual today, that’s all.”
Su Yan pressed further, “Headaches? What kind? What did the imperial physicians say?”
“I’m not sure of the exact symptoms,” Fubao admitted. “But I heard the physicians say it’s a condition caused by excessive strain and exhaustion. Long-term medication hasn’t helped much, so treatment focuses on lifestyle adjustments, massage, and acupuncture. As long as he avoids overexertion and stress, the frequency of attacks can be minimized.”
Su Yan listened intently, recognizing the description—it sounded like migraines or neuralgia from modern medicine. Not a life-threatening illness, but highly debilitating when it flared up.
Apart from taking painkillers, there wasn’t much to be done. Doctors typically advised stress management, rest, and sometimes relaxation therapies for relief.
However, in this era, even relatively safe painkillers were unavailable. Surgeons often used mandrake, which, while effective in pain relief and anesthesia, had significant side effects due to its natural toxicity. If not used properly, it could cause intense hallucinations and temporary mental confusion.
Back then, when Yu Wang had his palm stitched up, he refused Chen Shiyu’s offer of mandrake decoction, choosing instead to endure the pain. Dozens of stitches were sewn, layer upon layer, and he didn’t even frown. Sitting beside him, he could hardly bear to watch, yet he remained composed, even chatting and laughing—truly a remarkable man…
Wait a minute, didn’t I decide to delete this? Why is this b*stard suddenly popping up again? Su Yan interrogated his own overly active, disobedient thoughts and once again pressed the delete button in his mind.
He asked Fubao, “Can I enter the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty? Technically, I should first submit my report to the Ministry of Personnel and wait for His Majesty to summon me, but under these circumstances, I really can’t rest easy…”
Fubao nodded. “That’s exactly what the young master intended. He said that if His Majesty sees you return, his mood will improve, and his headache might ease up. Oh, and he specifically instructed that you’re only to pay respects, not to stay too long so as not to disturb His Majesty’s rest. Afterward, you should go straight to the Eastern Palace.”
Su Yan agreed, turned to give Su Xiaobei a few instructions, and then followed Fubao into the palace.
Meanwhile, Jinghong Zhui and Su Xiaojing finished inspecting the residence’s three courtyards and various rooms. They found that all the smashed furniture had been replaced with brand-new pieces, the garden’s flowers and trees had been meticulously replanted, and not only were there no cobwebs or overgrown weeds, but even the tabletops were spotless, as if they had just been thoroughly cleaned.
After making their rounds, they stepped outside and saw Su Xiaobei standing beside the carriage, deep in thought. Jinghong Zhui, noticing the absence of breathing sounds from within the carriage, frowned and asked, “Where is the lord?”
Xiaobei replied, “He left with Fubao Gonggong. The lord said he was going to pay his respects to His Majesty and the young master and instructed us to settle in first. He also said not to wait for him for dinner since he might not make it back in time.”
Lord Su, always the model of dedication—returning to the capital and rushing straight to see the emperor before even stepping foot into his own home. Jinghong Zhui had nothing to say about that. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll go to the market and buy some food and wine. Whether or not the lord returns, we should be prepared.”
—
Su Yan entered the palace and, under Fubao’s guidance, arrived outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
At a glance, he saw the crown prince pacing under the corridor, hesitant to enter or leave, looking visibly troubled.
Su Yan quickly approached, bowed, and said, “Young master.”
Upon seeing him, Zhu Helin’s entire face lit up, and he immediately grasped Su Yan’s hand. “Qinghe! You’re back…”
Su Yan returned the grip and took a closer look at the crown prince—he had indeed grown taller and stronger. Clearly, his training in horseback riding, wrestling, and swordsmanship over the past six months had been rigorous. His shoulders and chest were beginning to develop the muscle contours of a grown man, like a young tree steadily thickening with each passing day.
Even his facial features had subtly changed—his contours had become sharper, his features more defined, and the youthful innocence in his expression was gradually fading, replaced by the budding dignity befitting a future emperor.
A surge of pride swelled in Su Yan’s chest, like a parent watching their child grow. But he quickly shook off this odd fatherly sentiment and, as a cover, coughed lightly before saying, “Ahem, we can catch up later, young master. How is His Majesty doing now?”
Zhu Helin sighed. “I don’t know at the moment—that’s why I’m so anxious. Royal Father waved me away—” He mimicked a dismissive gesture, fingers facing downward, flicking outward in a firm yet gentle motion, clearly imitating his father’s manner. “Just like that. What else could I do? I had no choice but to step outside.”
“You’ve been attending to His Majesty for hours, haven’t you? Even I can see how tired you are. No wonder His Majesty sent you away,” Su Yan remarked.
Zhu Helin guiltily rubbed his nose, unwilling to admit that his exhaustion came from a sleepless night spent too excited over Su Yan’s return.
Su Yan stretched his neck, peering toward the tightly shut palace doors. Hesitantly, he said, “I’d like to go in and check on him, but I don’t know if His Majesty will see me.”
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