“Ha…” The newly appointed crown prince tutor Su Yan covered his mouth and nose with his wide sleeves, stifling a yawn, while shifting his stiffened spine.
Recently, he had been leaving early and returning late, spending his days accompanying reading at Wenhua Hall and being pulled by the Crown Prince to the East Palace for idle chatter and entertainment. He would have dinner there and be released only after the palace gates were locked. Consequently, his nights were often spent sneaking into Rouge Alley for alcohol, music, and dance, resting only in the early hours of the morning. This inevitably left him somewhat fatigued the next day.
Scholar Yan on the podium continued to read the Four Books and Five Classics, speaking for an entire hour without even taking a sip of water, embodying the ideal of dedication to his work.
Recalling Zhu Helin’s comment, Su Yan couldn’t help but sigh: Scholar Yan’s lessons weren’t just dull; they were extremely dull. Typically, he would read a sentence from the sage, and everyone else would repeat it five or ten times, almost without any annotation or explanation, faithfully adhering to the principle of “reading a book a hundred times to see its meaning.”
Fortunately, this was the reason his own shortcomings hadn’t been exposed.
He pressed his fingertip to the damp corner of his eye and glanced around. He saw seven or eight Hanlin Academy tutors sitting upright and attentive, while two or three other tutors were focused on writing, presumably preparing for their next lecture.
The Crown Prince, amid the crowd, was tilting his head, propped up on his hand, striking a pose of deep contemplation, although his eyes were restlessly darting around.
Noticing Su Yan’s glance, the Crown Prince’s eyes suddenly lit up. He raised his eyebrows and made exaggerated lip movements to silently convey a message.
Su Yan carefully read his lips and seemed to decipher “thinking of finding a way to sneak out of the palace this afternoon,” immediately shaking his head.
Although he had seen Zhu Helin twice outside the palace before, thanks to the dramas he had watched in his previous life, he knew that if the Crown Prince went out in disguise and the Emperor found out, the Crown Prince might only face a scolding, but his accompanying staff could be in serious trouble. Being accused of “encouraging the Crown Prince’s indulgence” or “failing to dissuade him” could result in punishment or even death. Agreeing to such a plan was asking for trouble.
Seeing Su Yan’s refusal, Zhu Helin’s face darkened immediately, and he showed his teeth in a threatening manner.
Having spent some time with the Crown Prince, Su Yan was used to this level of anger and didn’t take it too seriously. He lazily rolled his eyes toward the ceiling.
Zhu Helin was fuming, his forehead veins bulging, looking as if he wanted to pounce and strangle Su Yan. However, Scholar Yan noticed and called on him for questioning.
Fortunately, he was quick-witted and had a good grasp of his studies. He managed to handle a segment on Confucius and Mencius and passed the questioning, though his face grew even darker, glaring at Su Yan as if he wanted to tear him apart.
Su Yan sighed inwardly, thinking that besides accompanying the Crown Prince for reading and play, he would now also need to keep the Crown Prince entertained, feeling he was advancing further along the path of becoming the royal family’s dedicated nanny.
With no other choice, he smiled at Zhu Helin in a gesture of appeasement, silently mouthing: “I bought a box of shadow puppets at the market yesterday. I’ll arrange for a performance this afternoon.”
Zhu Helin, who had been furious, was suddenly taken aback by Su Yan’s charming smile, as if the anger was extinguished by a stream of calming water.
Seeing that Zhu Helin was still stunned, Su Yan mouthed the message again.
Zhu Helin lifted his chin arrogantly, his mouth pressed down, signaling that he begrudgingly accepted Su Yan’s offer. Unfortunately, his youthful appearance made the gesture seem less imposing.
Su Yan couldn’t help but smirk and turned his face away after casting a sidelong glance.
Thus, feeling slighted, the Crown Prince spent the entire morning in a restless, irritated state. Once school was over and he exited Wenhua Hall, he approached Su Yan with a stern expression.
Seeing his angry demeanor, Su Yan guessed that the little overlord’s temper was flaring up again. He quickly mentally prepared some sweet words to use as a soothing balm.
Before the crown prince could act, an inner servant hurriedly approached, breathless, and reported, “Your Highness, the Emperor has summoned you to Qianqing Palace immediately.”
A timely rescue. Su Yan sighed in relief and thought about leaving the palace quickly to avoid being caught in the Crown Prince’s volatile anger.
Zhu Helin, seemingly guessing Su Yan’s thoughts, stepped forward, pointing a menacing finger at his chest. “Stay in the East Palace and wait for my return. If you dare to leave without permission, I’ll deal with you!”
***
Su Yan sat in the Duanben Palace for a while, feeling utterly bored. The sun was shining outside, and spring flowers were beginning to bloom. He thought of taking a walk by the flower beds and willow pond, enjoying the scenery and fresh air. After instructing the palace servants briefly, he left the East Palace alone.
The inner palace gardens were indeed in full bloom, vibrant with colors. Su Yan strolled leisurely, savoring the fragrance of the leaves carried by the gentle breeze, feeling quite content.
As he relaxed, fatigue began to set in. Looking around and finding no one nearby, he slipped into a clean, shaded grove, laid down on the soft grass, and plucked a tender blade of grass to chew on. Before long, he drifted into a drowsy sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps and voices drifted through the trees, waking him up.
Su Yan stretched lazily, still feeling a bit drowsy, and decided to stay on the grass until the people passed by.
Unfortunately, the footsteps stopped right outside the grove.
The voice of an elegant man said, “Lan Xi, what kind of flower is that? It’s blooming nicely.”
The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Could it be… the Emperor? Su Yan jolted awake, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him. His drowsiness vanished immediately, and he sprang up from the grass.
Another softer voice replied, “Your Majesty, that’s the hujihua from the Java Nation tribute. It indeed looks beautiful, with its pink and purple hues, like butterflies.”
Emperor Jinglong continued, “Send a few of these to the East Palace later, and tell the Crown Prince that it’s a reward from me for his diligence in his studies. This child likes rare things but has no consistency; he’s always fascinated by new things and quickly loses interest.”
Lan Xi responded, “Yes, Your Majesty. Also, the Supervisory Court and the Six Departments of the Ministry have sent petitions. I saw you talking with the young master, so I left them on the table.”
“It’s fine. Zhen knows what those officials will say. It’s just to plead for Li Chengfeng. How many days has he been in custody?”
“Five days.”
“It’s about time to release him; otherwise, the petitions will come pouring in like hailstones, which is quite annoying.”
“What about Marquis Fengan…”
“Release him too. Otherwise, Consort Gui will make a scene as soon as she sees me. However, Wei Jun has committed serious offenses, so he shouldn’t be let off lightly. He should have his salary suspended for six months and be placed under house arrest for two months to reflect on his actions and write a self-criticism.”
Lan Xi said respectfully, “Your Majesty is truly insightful. The decree about ‘relatives disrupting the law, speaking frankly’ has really made Li Gelao stir up trouble for Marquis Fengan, eventually provoking him into a violent outburst. Beating and expelling people from the palace is a serious crime. The Consort will certainly not be disturbed by it, and Marquis Fengan will not be able to claim real power anymore.”
Emperor Jinglong chuckled lightly, “Among all the officials and nobles, you understand me the best. How should Zhen reward you?”
Lan Xi’s voice quivered slightly, “I don’t dare to ask for a reward. I only wish to serve Your Majesty for the rest of my life, running errands and being a loyal servant.”
Emperor Jinglong replied indifferently, “You’ve been with Zhen for many years. Zhen knows your little thoughts. As long as you don’t form factions or act insincerely, being clever and perceptive isn’t a bad thing.”
Lan Xi quickly said, “This servant will be even more cautious and prudent in the future.”
Su Yan held his breath, feeling a cold breeze on the back of his neck. It turned out that the grand scene in the Jinluan Hall was actually directed by the Emperor himself. The entire court, including the officials and Imperial Concubine Wei, were merely actors, and even the leading actor, the old shangshu Li Chengfeng, might be completely unaware, regretting taking the Emperor’s words seriously.
On the surface, it seemed like both sides were being punished equally, but in reality, in the struggle between the civil officials and the imperial relatives, the latter had no real power and suffered more.
The ruler, seated in the highest court, watched the various factions in the court spar and plot against each other, occasionally adding some weight to one side to maintain the overall balance and stability.
Su Yan wondered if he, as a mere passerby, was also factored into the Emperor’s calculations, or perhaps, the Emperor’s glance at him was assessing whether he could be a small but useful pawn.
Thinking this, Su Yan broke into a cold sweat, eager to leave this dangerous place quickly. If the Emperor discovered him eavesdropping, he would likely not even get a chance to explain and would be directly handed over to the executioner at Wumen.
Just as he was trying to sneak away quietly, he accidentally caught his clothing on a small branch. The bushes rustled slightly, and he heard Emperor Jinglong’s deep voice say, “Who’s there?”
Su Yan was startled, feeling a chill run through his body, and thought to himself that his life might be in danger!
A hand parted the dense foliage, revealing a half-exposed face. When the eyes met his, they widened in surprise. The eyes flickered with a dark light before quickly disappearing behind the trees.
“Your Majesty, it was just a big white cat. It ran away suddenly. It might be raised by one of the Niangniangs. I’ll have someone catch it and send it to the harem later.”
Emperor Jinglong grunted in response.
As Su Yan heard their footsteps gradually receding, he leaned against the tree trunk and took a few deep breaths, realizing his back was drenched with cold sweat.
Why did Lan Xi, who was a stranger to him, risk the crime of deceiving the Emperor to cover for him?
He puzzled over this but eventually shook his head, deciding to be grateful next time he had the chance to meet Lan Xi, as he owed the man a great favor.
Looking up at the setting sun, Su Yan suddenly remembered that the Crown Prince had asked him to wait in the East Palace. If the little demon returned and found him missing, he would likely throw another tantrum. He hurriedly headed back to the East Palace.
Entering Duanben Palace, Zhu Helin was indeed sitting with a sullen face in a high-backed chair. Seeing Su Yan enter, he didn’t wait for a greeting and immediately grabbed him, fuming, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the East Palace? How dare you defy the order?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Su Yan said with a forced smile. “I was just feeling a bit stuffy and saw the garden was beautiful with spring in full bloom. I wanted to get some fresh air but got lost and ended up wandering around.”
Zhu Helin’s expression softened considerably, and he released Su Yan’s collar. “Getting lost in the garden? You’re so foolish. Next time, make sure to bring Fu Bao along. By the way, didn’t you say you bought a box of shadow puppets? Let’s go see a performance.”
As they took a few steps, Zhu Helin suddenly stopped, scrutinizing Su Yan. “Are you hot? Your forehead is covered in sweat.”
Su Yan wiped his hand across his forehead, which was damp. Feeling somewhat disoriented, he said, “It’s a bit warm…”
“It’s still spring, how could it be warm?”
Zhu Helin frowned, noticing Su Yan’s cheeks were unnaturally flushed and his breathing was heavy. He immediately placed his hand on Su Yan’s forehead and exclaimed, “So hot!” Then he turned to the inner servant and shouted, “Why are you standing there? Hurry up and call the imperial physician!”
His loud voice made Su Yan’s already foggy head ache even more. He forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing. I might have caught a bit of a chill. It’s not serious.”
Zhu Helin glared at him and had him assisted to lie down on the rosewood Luohan bed covered with goose creek silk. He then sat beside the bed, watching a maid wring a towel to wipe Su Yan’s sweat.
“You were fine this morning. How did you catch a chill?”
Su Yan thought for a moment and speculated that he might have caught a chill from lying on the grass without a cover and then being startled by the Emperor’s presence, which made him break out in a cold sweat. He didn’t dare to tell the whole truth and said, “I’m not sure. It might have been due to the wind last night, which only now has manifested.”
Zhu Helin snorted, “Did your family starve or freeze you? Your constitution is so weak. I’ll have the physician prescribe some nourishing medicine for you to recuperate properly.”
Su Yan was feeling frustrated, thinking that it wasn’t his choice. In his past life, his body was in great shape—running ten kilometers was a piece of cake. Now, having been given this frail body, he felt quite aggrieved.
Seeing Su Yan’s downcast expression, Zhu Helin assumed he was too uncomfortable to speak and turned to say, “Why is it taking so long for the physician? Cheng Sheng, go hurry them up and get them here quickly!”
