Yun Luoqing understood the hint in his sister’s eyes; she wanted him to get lost immediately.
He glanced at the man standing beside her. Dressed in fine silk and a jade crown, with a magnificent robe and deer-hide boots, the man was undeniably handsome. However, his face bore a sickly pallor, making him look quite frail.
Sensing his gaze, the man looked over. His clear, cold, dark pupils made Yun Luoqing instantly retract his eyes and walk away without looking back.
A man like that was clearly not someone to be trifled with. Better to slip away.
“Young Master Ling?” Yun Qiya noticed the sickly man had sensed her brother’s presence. “That was my elder brother.”
“Your brother is refined and of extraordinary bearing.” Ling Yanhuai’s gaze returned to Yun Qiya. Her brother’s features bore a slight resemblance to hers.
Yun Qiya smiled but said nothing. Her brother’s public image was indeed quite imposing, but unfortunately, she had seen him at his most disheveled and disgusting.
“There is a stone bridge ahead.” She pointed forward. “There seem to be many beautiful lanterns in the water. Shall we go take a look?”
Ling Yanhuai did not refuse.
Flower lanterns drifted across the water from time to time, carrying the wishes and blessings of countless people.
Ling Yanhuai stood on the bridge, his expression cold and detached. These lanterns were merely drifting with the current, destined to be submerged by the river at any moment. How could they possibly bear the weight of one desire after another?
Yet, he said nothing in the end, accompanying Yun Qiya as she walked back and forth across the bridge three or four times. The winding river and the candlelight glowing in the darkness were a sight to behold in their own right.
As they walked and paused, the gates of the Chengping Marquisate Manor came into view.
“Thank you, Young Master Ling, for lending me such a precious glazed palace lantern to enjoy.” Yun Qiya prepared to return the lantern to him. “It is very beautiful.”
Ling Yanhuai did not insist on giving it to her again. He looked at her, waiting for what she would say next.
Suddenly, a small stream of silver light poured out as Yun Qiya lifted the glazed lantern, illuminating his face.
“I wish for Young Master Ling to be healthy and successful. May you find joy every year and have all your wishes fulfilled.”
This was an old custom from the south. During the Lantern Festival, one would cross a stone bridge, walk a hundred paces, and illuminate their face with a lamp, symbolizing the dispelling of all illnesses.
However, this custom had long been replaced by the floating of flower lanterns; almost no one in the capital practiced it anymore.
Ling Yanhuai was stunned. The candlelight rushed into his eyes, so bright it made his vision blur. Through the haze, he saw the young girl’s face full of smiles.
“Thank you for walking me home, Young Master Ling.” Yun Qiya placed the lantern back into his hand. “I shall take my leave.”
Ling Yanhuai held the lantern and closed his eyes; stars seemed to be flickering behind his eyelids.
When he opened them again, he saw the girl’s retreating figure. She was light, lively, and brimming with vitality.
***
As soon as Yun Qiya entered the main gates, she was grabbed by the back of her collar by Yun Luoqing.
“Brother, don’t ruin my clothes!” Yun Qiya cried out. “This is made of Yun Brocade!”
“Confess honestly, who was that man you were with just now?” Yun Luoqing released his grip and guiltily patted the place he had wrinkled. Seeing that his sister no longer had the glazed palace lantern, he felt much more at ease.
“A member of the royal clan.” Yun Qiya distressedly touched the back of her collar and glared at her brother. Then, she snatched his purse and plucked the silver from inside.
“Yun Qiya, have some shame! I didn’t have much money to begin with!” Yun Luoqing clutched his purse in pain. “Seeing how you were smiling at him so sycophantically, I guessed his status must be extraordinary.”
They knew each other too well.
“He can enter the Zongzheng Temple Prison and has a deep-seated hatred for the Deposed Prince.” Yun Qiya didn’t care about Yun Luoqing’s plight and stuffed the silver into her own pocket. “So, I just gave him a little suggestion on how to ‘look after’ the Deposed Prince.”
“Look after?” Yun Luoqing grew thoughtful. “You want to use his hand to make life miserable for the Deposed Prince?”
The Zongzheng Temple governed the imperial clan; even their Eldest Aunt couldn’t easily enter.
“Though His Majesty has few children, there are many members of the Ling clan.” Yun Luoqing led his sister toward the inner courtyard. “Even if he is a royal relative, he might not necessarily be able to help us vent our anger on the Deposed Prince.”
“Better to do it first and talk later, lest we miss the chance. He was able to fish in the lotus pond of Princess Rongshan’s Villa, and the Empress even bestowed upon him the glazed lantern originally intended for Prince Luo. This shows his status in the royal family is not low.”
Yun Qiya stopped walking. “What if it works?” It wouldn’t hurt to try.
Years ago, she and her brother had accidentally discovered the Deposed Prince torturing others and drinking the blood of young children. While escaping, one of the Deposed Prince’s attendants had caught a glimpse of their faces.
At that time, the Deposed Prince was deeply favored by the Former Emperor and was at the height of his power. To save their lives, their father and mother—fearing they would be discovered and unwilling to let them hide in the Marquis’s residence for the rest of their lives—could only take them out of the capital under assumed names to avoid disaster.
“The Deposed Prince was tyrannical and reckless, harming the loyal and upright, yet the Former Emperor allowed him to run wild.” Yun Luoqing sneered. The Deposed Prince dared to do those things, treating others like cattle, precisely because of the Former Emperor’s indulgence.
Fortunately, the Former Emperor died suddenly without even leaving a final edict, giving the current Emperor the chance to ascend the throne.
The Former Emperor and the Deposed Prince had left the court in shambles. The current Emperor had to patch the holes left by his predecessor, contend with court officials of varying motives, and suppress the Deposed Prince’s remaining forces. These past few years must have been quite busy for him.
“Be careful in your actions and don’t let others find out,” Yun Luoqing said. “If there are still remnants of the Deposed Prince’s power out there, they might target you.”
“I know, I know,” Yun Qiya nodded.
After all, back then, whether in the eyes of the Deposed Prince or anyone else, it appeared that her father had simply gotten drunk and accidentally offended a guest of the Deposed Prince’s mansion. Fearing retribution, he had scurried away from the capital with his wife and children. It had nothing to be with the two siblings.
It was all the fault of that subhuman beast, the Deposed Prince, who forced their family of four to wander and endure the elements, changing residences seven or eight times in ten years!
***
“Your Majesty.”
As soon as the Emperor finished the court session, the Minister of the Zongzheng Temple came to find him.
The Minister’s hair was white; by seniority, the Emperor had to call him Old Uncle-Ancestor.
Seeing the Old County Prince take the initiative to find him, the Emperor was quite surprised. The Old County Prince was a low-profile man. Any member of the royal clan who could survive the reign of the Former Emperor possessed a certain level of resilience—commonly known as being thick-skinned and broad-minded.
Those who weren’t had long since died at the hands of the Former Emperor and the Deposed Prince.
“No need for such ceremony, Uncle-Ancestor.” The Emperor personally helped the Old County Prince up, who thanked him profusely in a state of trepidation.
It wasn’t that the Old County Prince was cowardly; it was simply that the royal family had a history of so many outrageous actions that he still felt a lingering fear even toward this seemingly normal Emperor.
The Former Emperor had also been quite normal in his early years, but as his reign went on, he began to suffer from madness. The Old County Prince truly feared that this lunacy might be hereditary.
“Your Majesty,” he said, cupping his hands with a tremble, “this old subject has a matter to report.”
“Please speak, Uncle-Ancestor,” the Emperor said genially.
“Early this morning, His Highness Prince Ruining went to the Zongzheng Temple Prison to see the Deposed Prince.” Recalling what Prince Ruining had done, the Old County Prince dared not stop him, yet dared not hide it either. He could only come to the Emperor.
“Who did you say?” The Emperor thought his ears were playing tricks on him.
“P-Prince Ruining.” Seeing the Emperor’s face change, the Old County Prince felt a bit of dread.
“My son is physically weak; how could he go to such a place?” the Emperor said anxiously. “Did the Deposed Prince show any disrespect to my son?”
Old County Prince: “…”
Wasn’t the point that Prince Ruining had interrogated a high-profile prisoner without an imperial decree?
“The Deposed Prince’s vicious nature is difficult to tame. During his imprisonment in the Zongzheng Temple, he has frequently… voiced his grievances.” The Old County Prince didn’t dare mention that the moment the Deposed Prince saw Prince Ruining, his first words were ‘little short-lived ghost.’
Everyone knew that the Emperor was usually normal, but he was prone to going mad whenever it concerned his eldest son.
“How audacious! A man guilty of the most heinous crimes dares to show disrespect to my son!” The Emperor was furious. “Someone, pass my word! The Deposed Prince refuses to repent; give him fifty strokes of the cane!”
Reputation and virtue meant nothing compared to the satisfaction of giving that man a beating.
“Your Majesty.” The Old County Prince closed his eyes, not wanting to see the Emperor’s crazed state. “His Highness said that the Deposed Prince’s refusal to repent is because the punishment hasn’t been forceful enough, so he already had him beaten with forty strokes.”
If they added another fifty, the Deposed Prince could go reunite with the Former Emperor today.
“However, His Highness said that even if the Deposed Prince is to die, he should die before the eyes of the people to appease public anger. Therefore, he ordered that wine be used to wash the Deposed Prince’s wounds to prevent the injuries on his buttocks from ulcerating and swelling.”
“For a criminal as wicked as the Deposed Prince, my son is still willing to use wine to treat his wounds. My son is truly benevolent.” The Emperor’s anger vanished instantly. “His health is poor, yet he is still willing to help me interrogate the Deposed Prince and share my burdens. I am deeply comforted.”
The Old County Prince’s face was full of shock.
*Your Majesty, did you hear the pig-like squeals the Deposed Prince made when that wine was poured onto his open wounds?*
The Emperor ignored him and simply summoned a eunuch, saying he wanted to send rewards to Prince Ruining.
“His Highness’s filial piety is indeed praiseworthy,” the Old County Prince finally conceded.
The members of the royal family each had their own form of lunacy. As long as they didn’t commit evil like the Former Emperor and the Deposed Prince, he could accept it.
Having witnessed the deeds of the previous reign, his capacity for tolerance was as vast as the ocean.
After seeing off the Old County Prince, the Emperor didn’t even bother with his memorials and strode toward the Empress’s Palace.
Huai’er was finally no longer brooding in a lonely corner but had taken the initiative to seek revenge against the Deposed Prince. This was a cause for great celebration!
***
The Deposed Prince had once possessed a fine appearance, but that was in the past. Now, he lay on the filthy ground, looking more wretched than the beggars he once despised most.
Seeing the Deposed Prince wailing in pain on the floor, Ling Yanhuai felt as if he were seeing his younger self.
Being beaten, hiding under the bed like a dog, and then being dragged out to be beaten some more.
*”My father and mother will come to get me.”*
He remembered his mother’s hands were very warm. She and his father would hold his hands and let him swing between them.
*”This fool is dreaming again. Your parents don’t want you; that’s why the drunkard Zeng Gou’er picked you up.”*
*”Fool, did the drunkard beat you again?!”*
*”Your parents definitely don’t want you. You’re filthy and smelly; who would want you?”*
*”That’s right, nobody wants you.”*
“The Deposed Prince is seriously injured; he should not eat too much.” Ling Yanhuai’s tone was calm, his eyes like a deep, waveless pool. He said to the officials of the Zongzheng Temple, “From now on, he is to have only one meal a day. No more is allowed. If anyone objects, tell them to come find this Prince.”
“Yes.” The officials glanced at the Deposed Prince’s miserable state and dared not say more.
Ling Yanhuai walked out of the Zongzheng Temple gates. The streets were crowded with people, yet he felt as if there were an invisible wall between him and the world—no joy, no anger, no sorrow, no happiness.
“Young Master Ling.”
A head popped out from behind the stone lion at the gate. Her eyes were darting left and right, looking exactly like someone planning something bad.
When she saw Ling Yanhuai, she lowered her voice and gave him a small wave. “Hurry, come over here.”
Looking at that round, fuzzy little head, Ling Yanhuai suddenly smiled.