“If the fifth imperial younger brother is not here, then where is he? I want to see him right now!” Ye Jingchen said coldly.
“Children love to sleep. Jinghe still hasn’t woken up yet. Your Highness might as well follow this consort to the main hall for some pastries. This consort will send someone to summon him.” Consort Shu coaxed him gently.
“In that case, as his older brother, this prince will personally go and wake Jinghe up.” Ye Jingchen said firmly.
“The Crown Prince truly is a good elder brother! Your Highness, this way, please.” After hesitating for a moment, Consort Shu forced a smile and led Ye Jingchen in another direction.
Ye Jingchen took a few steps, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to Fangfei and said, “You take a few people and guard here. Without this prince’s order, no one is allowed to leave, not even one step!”
Consort Shu’s smile froze on her face.
“What do you mean by that, Crown Prince?” she asked darkly.
“Just now, a palace attendant from your palace told me that Jinghe is locked up in there. I naturally do not believe that Consort Shu would dare to lock up an imperial prince. So, for the sake of Consort Shu’s reputation, before I see Jinghe, I will have people guard here. That way, once Jinghe appears, the rumors will naturally be disproved.” Ye Jingchen wore the expression of someone saying, “I’m only doing this for your own good.”
Consort Shu had not expected a child so young to be so difficult to deal with, but Ye Jinghe really was locked up by her. If the people from the Eastern Palace stayed here and refused to leave, where was she supposed to find a Ye Jinghe to produce?
“Crown Prince, to tell you the truth, Jinghe really was locked in the hall by this consort. But this consort had no choice in doing so. I hope the Crown Prince will forgive me!” Consort Shu said with a deeply sorrowful look.
“What kind of ‘no choice’ makes you lock up an imperial prince?” Ye Jingchen mocked.
“Yesterday, Jinghe was frightened in the Imperial Garden. After returning, his emotions had been extremely unstable. This consort summoned the imperial physician, who said he had epilepsy. Last night, Jinghe had an epileptic episode and was causing a terrible scene. This consort truly had no other choice and could only lock him in the hall. Jinghe is this consort’s child, and seeing him like this pains this consort deeply. I was unable to sleep all night!” Consort Shu said as she wiped at her eyes.
She deliberately rubbed her eyes until they were red, but Ye Jingchen did not see a single tear.
“Your Highness, once epilepsy strikes, the person becomes completely irrational and highly destructive. For your safety, it would be best if you do not see Jinghe right now.”
Consort Shu put on an expression of complete sincerity, but Ye Jingchen felt like laughing when he saw it.
“I don’t care about epilepsy or not. I brought so many people with me. Am I supposed to be afraid of being hurt by a little kid like Jinghe? I want to see Jinghe right now and make sure he is safe!” Ye Jingchen said forcefully.
“Your Highness, this is this consort’s Changchun Palace, not your Eastern Palace. This consort is at least your elder. Isn’t your rude and overbearing behavior inappropriate? If His Majesty were to find out–”
Ye Jingchen snorted. “Are you trying to use Imperial Father to pressure me?”
“Consort Shu, are you joking?”
At just over three feet tall, Ye Jingchen somehow still gave off the aura of a three-meter-tall man.
Consort Shu flew into a rage and shouted, “Crown Prince, don’t go too far!”
“I’m here to see my own biological younger brother, but you keep finding excuses and refusing to let me see him. Just who is going too far here?!”
“Since Consort Shu won’t unlock the door, guards, smash it open for this prince!”
At Ye Jingchen’s command, a eunuch immediately stepped forward to ram the door.
“Stop them!” Consort Shu hurriedly ordered the palace attendants of Changchun Palace.
The palace attendants hesitated for a moment before reluctantly stepping forward, but after just a few exchanges, they were all knocked down by the eunuchs Ye Jingchen had brought with him.
If bringing guards to storm a consort’s palace would have gotten him impeached by the ministers at court, Ye Jingchen would definitely have brought the Eastern Palace guards this time.
Although he could not bring guards, the eunuchs Ye Jingchen had brought were all somewhat skilled, and there were many of them. The palace attendants in Changchun Palace simply could not stop them.
Before long, the hall door was smashed open.
Ye Jinghe naturally heard the commotion outside the door while he was inside the hall, but he did not know what was happening, so he cautiously approached the door to listen. When the eunuch broke the door open, he nearly got hit.
He had been locked up for most of the day. It was pitch-dark inside the hall, with no light at all. When the door was broken open, daylight poured in and stung his eyes.
He covered his eyes and, through the gaps between his fingers, saw someone walking toward him through the light.
“Jinghe, little brother, don’t be afraid. I’m here to save you!” Ye Jingchen was the first to step into the hall and immediately hugged the child, who seemed frozen in fear.
This time, the child did not back away, and he did not struggle either.
When Ye Jingchen picked up Ye Jinghe, he only felt how light he was. The child’s body was nothing but bones, so much so that he even felt sharp against the hand.
“Is this the epilepsy you were talking about? Consort Shu, I’m taking Jinghe with me. I will also report truthfully to Imperial Father. Take care of yourself!” After saying that, Ye Jingchen carried Ye Jinghe and left Changchun Palace with a group of people.
Consort Shu staggered and almost fainted from anger.
But she did not dare faint now. She had to go to the Emperor to complain and plead her case before the Crown Prince’s people reported to him.
Ye Jinghe was extremely light, with almost no flesh to be felt. At first, Ye Jingchen felt fine carrying him, but after carrying him for a long time, he started to feel tired.
Fangfei was especially quick-witted. With just one glance, she understood what he meant. She opened her arms toward Ye Jinghe and said, “Fifth Imperial Prince, why don’t I carry you instead?”
Ever since being picked up by Ye Jingchen, Ye Jinghe had been dazed and silent, only clinging to Ye Jingchen’s neck with his small hands. Now, after hearing Fangfei’s words, his body trembled. His hands tightened around Ye Jingchen’s neck, and he shook his head slightly.
Seeing how resistant Ye Jinghe was, Ye Jingchen could not bear to force him and yielded. “It’s fine. I’ll still carry him.”
After walking for a while longer, Ye Jingchen felt his arms growing increasingly sore, and the child in his arms felt heavier and heavier. But that was not even the most painful part. What was most suffocating for Ye Jingchen was that Ye Jinghe’s hands around his neck had been tightening unconsciously the entire way. The child’s grip was not strong, but the neck was a vulnerable and sensitive spot, and it still made Ye Jingchen feel like he could not breathe.
Ye Jingchen had no choice but to stop and put Ye Jinghe down.
As if afraid of being left behind, Ye Jinghe kept a tight grip on Ye Jingchen’s sleeve.
“Jinghe, little brother, don’t be afraid. I’m not abandoning you. I’m just too tired and need to rest for a bit.” Ye Jingchen comforted him.
But Ye Jinghe still would not let go of his sleeve, and his small body stayed pressed tightly against him.
“Your Highness, why not let this servant carry the Fifth Imperial Prince instead?” Fangfei asked again.
Ye Jinghe seemed to understand. In an instant, he slipped behind Ye Jingchen and gripped him even tighter.
Carrying a child was indeed exhausting, but being depended on by this child felt very good too.
Now was the perfect time to raise Affection Level, so Ye Jingchen gritted his teeth and decided to take charge personally.
And so, Ye Jingchen walked and rested along the way, taking a very long time before finally carrying Ye Jinghe back to the Eastern Palace.
The moment he set the child down, he felt like his arms were about to go limp.
Ye Jinghe was no better off.
By the end, Ye Jingchen had almost no strength left. Although he was still holding Ye Jinghe, he no longer had the energy to care whether the child was uncomfortable. When he was finally set down, the child’s face was deathly pale, and his clothes were so wrinkled they were almost unrecognizable, making him look like a poor little dog that had been thoroughly ravaged.