The steward led Lu Yunzheng to Xie Anci’s room. Xie Anci was still unconscious, and Xie You was tending to him by his side.
Hearing that Lu Yunzheng had arrived, Xie You hurriedly rose to his feet.
“Lord Chancellor.”
“Mm. What happened to the Regent Prince?” Lu Yunzheng nodded and walked to the bedside.
When he saw Xie Anci lying pale and unconscious, his brow furrowed at once.
“What happened here?”
Who could possibly injure Xie Anci?
“It’s nothing serious. Last night my adoptive father ran into some bandits and was unfortunately a little injured.” Naturally, Xie You could not tell Lu Yunzheng the truth, it concerned his adoptive father’s reputation.
“Who could be so bold as to dare injure the Regent Prince?” Lu Yunzheng clenched his fists, his face full of fury. If he ever caught those bandits, he would flay them alive!
“They’re already dead. My adoptive father should wake up soon.” Xie You tucked in the corner of Xie Anci’s blanket.
Xie Anci excelled in both letters and swordsmanship, and his health had always been excellent, he should recover quickly.
Toward the young man before him, Xie You felt both admiration and jealousy.
He envied that Lu Yunzheng could help his adoptive father; he was jealous of the relationship between the two, part mentor and part friend.
“Mm…” Xie Anci let out a soft moan and slowly awoke.
Pain spread through his entire body not just his back; his waist ached, and his legs ached too.
It had been a long time since he had last felt pain.
“Adoptive father!”
“Regent Prince! You’re awake!”
The two of them hurriedly crowded around him.
Seeing two handsome faces enlarged before him, Xie Anci pushed them away.
Realizing they had overstepped, the two quickly stepped back several paces.
Xie Anci struggled to sit up, but his whole body felt as if it had fallen apart, he couldn’t muster any strength.
Xie You hurriedly helped him up, tucking a small cushion behind his back.
Merely sitting up had exhausted all of Xie Anci’s strength. He let out a long breath.
Then he remembered that he seemed to have fallen unconscious in the carriage last night, and the thing inside his body had not yet been washed out.
Xie Anci’s face went white. He was now clean and dry all over, was it Xie You?
Did he know?
“You may leave first. I have matters to discuss with the Chancellor.” Xie Anci said coldly to Xie You.
“Yes.” Xie You paused, bit his lower lip, and left with great reluctance.
Adoptive father’s mood just now seemed off could it be that what he did last night was too much?
But he couldn’t just watch his adoptive father keep burning with fever, nor could he bear to leave Li Jinchen’s filth inside his adoptive father’s body.
With his thoughts in disarray, Xie You returned to his own room.
Watching the expressions the two had worn just now, Lu Yunzheng felt that things were not so simple.
“What time is it now?” Xie Anci asked, his voice somewhat hoarse.
“A quarter past noon.” Lu Yunzheng replied.
Xie Anci nodded. Seeing that Lu Yunzheng was still wearing his court robes, he knew the man had come straight after court adjourned.
“Regent Prince, are you all right?” Lu Yunzheng asked with concern.
Hadn’t Xie You said the Regent Prince had run into bandits? Then why was the Regent Prince’s voice so hoarse, as if his throat had been injured?
“I’m fine. Did anything happen at court today?” Xie Anci knew Lu Yunzheng was clever, as long as he didn’t wish to speak of something, Lu Yunzheng would not press.
“Nothing much. His Majesty seemed to be in a rather poor mood today.”
“Left Chancellor wanted His Majesty to hold a consort selection, but His Majesty actually suppressed it.”
Lu Yunzheng said this hoping to cheer Xie Anci up a little it meant there was still a possibility between His Majesty and the Regent Prince, didn’t it?
At these words, Xie Anci gave a soft laugh. He knew Li Jinchen despised all the men and women of the harem.
With him holding things down before, Li Jinchen had been happy to take it easy.
Today he wasn’t around, so Xie Anci would have to hold things down himself.
Still, the Left Chancellor was really something, how could a man his age have such enormous ambition?
“Your Highness the Regent, at court right now the Left Chancellor Nangong Boyu is maneuvering behind the scenes, and I hear General Gu the Younger has been summoned back to the capital by the Emperor tomorrow.”
“The Emperor summoning him back now, he’s probably planning to move against you.” Lu Yunzheng was somewhat worried; the Regent’s position might not be secure for much longer.
“Tomorrow?” Xie Anci pondered a moment. How quickly the days passed.
The “General Gu the Younger” Lu Yunzheng mentioned was Gu Lingyu, the legitimate son of the Gu family, whose entire household was stationed at the border.
Not long ago, Gu Lingyu had led his men to destroy a bandit stronghold and had also uncovered enemy spies within the army.
The Emperor was overjoyed and directly granted Gu Lingyu the title of general.
Xie Anci pressed his lips together in a faint smile. Li Jinchen and Gu Lingyu had grown up together; those two deeds were merely a pretext, the promotion of Gu Lingyu would have come sooner or later anyway.
Now that Gu Lingyu was entering the capital, the two of them would surely join forces to move against him. Of that there was no doubt.
Xie Anci sighed. How much longer could he remain in this position?
How much longer could he keep Li Jinchen suppressed?
Once Li Jinchen gained power, he would probably kill him, wouldn’t he?
Xie Anci smiled bitterly. More than a decade of feelings was nothing but a joke, something he had forced upon himself. It was time, perhaps.
“Indeed. But rest assured, Your Highness, I will keep a constant watch on their movements.” Lu Yunzheng knew Xie Anci was also worried about the Emperor seizing power.
Once the Emperor took control, their fate would likely be a single word: death.
Lu Yunzheng did not fear death. If not for Xie Anci, he would have died once already.
No matter what, he would protect Xie Anci, even at the cost of his own life.
Lu Yunzheng silently made his resolve.
“It doesn’t matter. People must grow eventually. I’d like to see how my own story ends.” Xie Anci shook his head lightly, his tone carrying a sense of release.
“Your Highness.” Lu Yunzheng hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
“I will attend court tomorrow. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Gu Lingyu anyway, a good chance to welcome him.” Xie Anci said with a smile, as if greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in years.
“But your health please rest another day.” Lu Yunzheng had seen how much effort it took Xie Anci just to rise earlier; his injuries must be severe.
“It’s fine. You may go. How is your mother faring?” Xie Anci asked casually.
“All is well. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.” Lu Yunzheng bowed.
“Mm, go on then.” Xie Anci waved his hand, clearly wishing to say no more.
“As you wish. Take care, Your Highness.” Lu Yunzheng knew that once Xie Anci had made up his mind, no one could dissuade him, so he offered no further argument and withdrew.
After Lu Yunzheng left, Xie Anci, his face cold, called in the servant waiting outside.
“Go summon Xie You.” A layer of frost covered Xie Anci’s strikingly beautiful face.
The servant trembled slightly and replied respectfully, “Yes.”
The pain in his body reminded him of just how absurd a thing he had done, but he did not regret it.
Li Jinchen would be his sooner or later, he would be his, without fail.
When Xie You learned that Xie Anci had summoned him, he felt both delight and unease.
He had no idea what his adoptive father was thinking.
With a complicated expression, Xie You arrived at Xie Anci’s bedchamber.
He knocked softly, and from within came a hoarse voice tinged with frost.
“Come in.”
Xie You kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look directly at Xie Anci, and bowed respectfully.
“Father.”
“Mm, get up.” Xie Anci stared fixedly at Xie You.
That scorching gaze was impossible to ignore, and cold sweat trickled down Xie You’s handsome face.
Xie You’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he raised his eyes, only to meet Xie Anci’s gaze, which held a hint of a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.