When Shu Fuyan woke up, it felt as though his entire frame was falling apart.
The tearing sensation below was unmistakable, and even the slightest movement tugged at every muscle in his body, leaving him aching as if he had been run over by a carriage.
“You’re awake.”
Xiao Yi pushed the door open, carrying a basin of water.
Shu Fuyan lifted the quilt, intending to get out of bed, but the moment he moved his upper body, his face twisted in a change of expression.
“Don’t move, let me do it.” Heartbroken, Xiao Yi stepped forward to support Shu Fuyan’s back.
Shu Fuyan still remembered how Xiao Yi had stubbornly refused to pull out last night, holding on persistently to the very end. Waking up in the morning without his beloved coaxing him, resentment inevitably simmered in his heart.
Pushing Xiao Yi’s hand away, Shu Fuyan refused to look at him or speak to him.
“What, don’t you like me anymore?” Xiao Yi chuckled with doting fondness, sliding his palm right beneath the blanket straight toward his hot, little treasure.
“You!” Shocked, Shu Fuyan flushed—indulging in passion in broad daylight hardly seemed appropriate.
“Don’t worry, I won’t touch you.” Leaning his head against Shu Fuyan’s shoulder, Xiao Yi repeatedly stroked and tapped with feverish fingertips.
Shu Fuyan’s face grew redder by the second, moisture welling up at the corners of his eyes. Catching Xiao Yi’s hand, he pleaded, “General Xiao, it’ll… break.”
Sighing softly, Xiao Yi withdrew his hand from beneath the quilt and brought it to his lips to kiss.
Shu Fuyan paused slightly, his cheeks flushed crimson, finding it hard to believe that the person acting so dissolute before him was actually Xiao Yi.
“I know, that’s why I didn’t go all the way in,” Xiao Yi stated righteously.
Shu Fuyan was left speechless. He had been the one to beg for him, and he had been the one to seduce him into intimacy. Yet when all was said and done, the first one to reach his limit had been himself.
Lowering his gaze, Shu Fuyan silently berated himself for being useless.
He was too embarrassed to look at Xiao Yi anymore.
Chuckling lightly, Xiao Yi picked up the water basin to wipe Shu Fuyan’s face.
After wiping his face with the dampened cloth, he moved on to his arms, and then down to the inner thighs.
Shu Fuyan’s heart skipped a beat as he pressed his legs together.
Fixating his gaze on that expanse of whiteness, Xiao Yi felt desire surge within him as he spoke with an undeniable tone: “Open them.”
Feeling a trace of fear—the madness of the previous night was something he truly didn’t dare experience again—Shu Fuyan stammered, “General Xiao, …I really…”
Before Shu Fuyan could finish, Xiao Yi forcefully parted his legs.
The rough treatment he imagined never arrived. Instead, a cooling, sticky ointment melted against the source of his pain.
Biting his lip, Shu Fuyan finally realized that Xiao Yi was applying medicine for him.
“General Xiao, how can I trouble you with such a thing? This humble person can do it himself.” Meeting Xiao Yi’s tender gaze, the corners of Shu Fuyan’s mouth curved upward slightly.
Intentionally brushing against his sore spot, Xiao Yi leaned in close to his jaw and murmured, “You are my person, and you can boldly ride on my head and do as you please. Now that I’ve hurt you, I should fulfill my duty as a good husband and take good care of my wife.”
Someone as proud as Xiao Yi, a youthful renowned general and a member of the imperial nobility who had galloped across battlefields for years, had just spoken so casually about serving him.
Shu Fuyan thought he was suffering from auditory hallucinations.
Xiao Yi did not miss the shock and panic hidden in the depths of Shu Fuyan’s eyes.
From the very beginning, Xiao Yi had known that whenever Shu Fuyan faced him, he always cast himself in a subordinate position.
Putting down the ointment, Xiao Yi used the cloth he had used to wipe Shu Fuyan’s body to clean his hands.
Lifting his head to look earnestly at Shu Fuyan, he said solemnly, “Fuyan, starting today, I want you to understand.”
“When facing me, you don’t need to act submissively, nor do you need to use medicine to keep me by your side.”
“I am willingly willing to bow before you as a subject.”
His scheme exposed, Shu Fuyan panicked visibly. “Xiao Yi, let me explain.”
Catching his fingertips, Xiao Yi gently kissed them. “I’m not blaming you.”
The tension in Shu Fuyan’s heart melted away at those words.
“I just want you to have fewer misgivings and love me a little more,” Xiao Yi said with affectionate pity. “If I hadn’t come last night, what would you have done?”
Shu Fuyan had expected Xiao Yi to fly into a towering rage, yet Xiao Yi simply held him, gently sighing as he asked what he would have done.
Pulling his waist closer, Shu Fuyan replied in a low voice, “I knew that General Xiao would come; the General could never bear to abandon me.”
Burying his face in the crook of Shu Fuyan’s neck, Xiao Yi softened his tone. “I will never abandon you.”
Feeling beneath the pillows and mattress, Shu Fuyan fished out a pair of interlocking heart jade pendants.
“What is this?” Xiao Yi asked, staring at the jade pendant tied around his waist.
Guiding Xiao Yi’s hand to cover the warm, lustrous texture of the jade, Shu Fuyan said, “This is a pair of interlocking heart jade pendants I carved myself. I hope General Xiao won’t despise them.”
Touching the carved patterns of the jade, Xiao Yi felt every uneven groove reflect his beloved’s deep devotion.
A sour ache bloomed in Xiao Yi’s heart, but it was overwhelmingly eclipsed by a tender pity.
When you fall in love with someone, you feel an extraordinary heartache for them.
“I will wear this jade pendant every single day and never part with it,” Xiao Yi swore.
Shu Fuyan didn’t expect Xiao Yi to wear it every day; as long as he kept him in his thoughts at all times, that was enough. Of course, he kept those thoughts to himself, simply holding Xiao Yi close as he whispered his thanks.
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Yi teased, “What are you thanking me for?”
Biting down playfully on Xiao Yi’s jaw, Shu Fuyan gave a muffled, indistinct reply, “The betrothal gifts.”
Smiling without a word, Xiao Yi knew that from the very moment Shu Fuyan laid bare their relationship, he had left himself no path of retreat.
What was his was Shu Fuyan’s.
What was Shu Fuyan’s remained Shu Fuyan’s.
Since he had no idea when death might claim him, he would cherish everything he had right now to the utmost.
Failing to give Shu Fuyan an official title, he had dumped everything he possibly could into Bamboo Retreat, solely to win a smile from his beloved.
Pulling Shu Fuyan back into his embrace, Xiao Yi murmured softly, “Don’t use medicine next time. If you ruin your body, my heart will ache.”
Spouting seductive nonsense without batting an eye, Xiao Yi made Shu Fuyan flush scarlet. Pulling the quilt tight around himself, he whispered a soft agreement.
After lingering affectionately for quite some time, the two finally climbed out of bed.
Shu Fuyan took Xiao Yi to inspect the betrothal gifts; the side rooms were packed so full they could barely hold any more, and the excess had all been stored away inside the secret passageway.
Though Shu Fuyan was greedy for power, he cared little for mere wealth. He suggested to Xiao Yi that they return the surplus betrothal gifts back to the Northern Suppression estate.
Unsurprisingly, Xiao Yi rejected the idea.
There was simply no precedent for taking back betrothal gifts once they had been sent out.
The two spent their day in Bamboo Retreat sipping tea and playing a game of Go.
Throughout the entire day, Bamboo Retreat echoed with joyous laughter.
The following morning, Xiao Yi departed for court as usual.
Considering that Shu Fuyan had not fully recovered, Xiao Yi had risen early to head into the kitchen and prepare morning meal.
He left a note on the desk so Shu Fuyan would see it the moment he woke up.
At the third quarter of the late morning, the sun climbed high, casting a brilliant golden glow both inside and outside the eaves.
Shu Fuyan woke up.
Glancing at the desk, he saw words written in a bold, sweeping, and powerful cursive hand.
At a single glance, Shu Fuyan knew who had written it.
He silently scolded himself for being weak-willed; aside from himself, the only person left in Bamboo Retreat was Xiao Yi.
There was no one else.
Do not forget your morning meal.
Shu Fuyan smiled slightly by this hour, it was practically time for lunch.
Rising from the bed, Shu Fuyan found that the pain where the medicine had been applied had subsided considerably, though his lower back still ached dully.
It was his first time truly realizing the extent of Xiao Yi’s stamina.
If not for the secret medicinal paste bewitching him, he might not have actually survived Xiao Yi’s aggressive onslaught.
Not long after Xiao Yi’s departure, his mind began drifting to scenes that made his face burn red.
Closing his eyes, Shu Fuyan forced the seductive images to scatter.
He had promised Xizhe that he would report to the Prince of Ji’s estate.
Daring not delay, Shu Fuyan hastily ate his breakfast and departed from Bamboo Retreat.
Along the way, Shu Fuyan felt unsettled. His twitching nerves seemed to warn him that a major event was about to happen.
Passing through Zhuque Avenue, a crowd of imperial guards wielding heavy broadswords shuttled back and forth along the road.
As they crossed the official thoroughfare, several soldiers blocked the path of passing pedestrians.
“General Xiao has issued an order to arrest a high-ranking criminal of the imperial court. Anyone who sights this person and reports it will be handsomely rewarded,” declared the leading soldier in a booming voice, holding up a portrait of a wanted prisoner.
The man in the portrait was around forty years old, with prominent cheekbones and a black mole at the corner of his mouth. Looking shrewd like a merchant, he wore a tall hat on his head, clearly revealing him to be a court official.
Without changing his expression, Shu Fuyan walked off in another direction.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the man in the portrait was a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince.
Cai Yan, Vice Minister of the Court of Finance.
The Court of Finance managed state finances, allocating funds, grain tax revenues, and expenditures. Although his official rank wasn’t exceptionally high, his core strategic position was self-evident.
Once Cai Yan was captured, the Eastern Palace would plunge into internal chaos.
The Crown Prince was going to have his hands full.
Shu Fuyan smiled with thinly veiled contempt; he would systematically eliminate every single stumbling block in his path.
Upon arriving at the Prince of Ji’s estate, the servants recognized Shu Fuyan and respectfully greeted, “Master Shu.”
As Shu Fuyan stepped inside and walked inward, Xizhe suddenly materialized after taking only a few steps, blocking his path.
“Master Shu.” Xizhe’s complexion looked poor, as though he had something heavy on his mind.
“What is it?” Shu Fuyan asked.
Moving his lips and hesitating for a few seconds, Xizhe finally drooped his ears and said, “Never mind. Once you see the Prince, you’ll understand.”
Speaking in riddles, Xizhe left Shu Fuyan guessing in his heart.
Anything capable of distressing Xizhe, aside from his freedom, would be a close friend falling into hardship.
However, since Xizhe had only recently returned to the capital, the person he could call a friend seemed to be… only him.
Shu Fuyan’s breathing suddenly grew heavy. Perhaps Xizhe had perceived the Prince of Ji’s dissatisfaction toward him and purposely stepped out to offer a word of warning.
Nodding to Xizhe, Shu Fuyan walked straight toward the depths of the residence.
Inside the study, several people stood in confrontation.
The atmosphere was heavy, with no one willing to yield an inch.
Shu Fuyan had arrived at an inopportune moment. Standing outside the door, he respectfully announced, “This humble one, Shu Fuyan, has come to pay respects to the Prince.”
The young page guarding the door recognized Shu Fuyan, but didn’t dare open the door without authorization.
Inside the room, upon hearing that Shu Fuyan had arrived, the three individuals froze as the atmosphere solidified, several gazes clashing in mid-air.
After a moment, the Prince of Ji made a move to break the deadlock.
“Come in.”
Pushing open the door, Shu Fuyan discovered two unfamiliar faces added to the study.
Liu Zhao, Minister of Personnel, who managed the centralized finance, household registration, taxation, and land of the Great Yu dynasty.
Wang Li, a garrison military general of the Imperial Guards.
Offering a knowing smile, Shu Fuyan greeted, “Your Highness.”
Casting a cold, detached glance his way, the Prince of Ji stated coldly, “Mr. Shu is busier than anyone else; what wind blew you here today?”
Shu Fuyan assessed the two dignitaries. Aside from the Prince of Ji’s outward chill, the other two had argued until their faces turned red, necks stiff.
“Your Highness need not blame me; this humble one operates strictly according to plan,” Shu Fuyan replied unhurriedly and unbendingly. “Xiao Yi has already completely trusted this humble one. I believe that given time, I will certainly assist Your Highness in seizing the military tally.” Shu Fuyan casually revealed the progress of his mission.
Only upon receiving this precise piece of news did the Prince of Ji’s cold expression thaw slightly.
“Master Shu is merely engaging in wishful thinking. The military tally in Xiao Yi’s hands is not something anyone can just touch.”
Shu Fuyan lifted his eyes to look.
He recognized this person—the military general Wang Li. He possessed an impulsive temperament, aimed far too high, and harbored a particular jealousy toward talented military commanders whose martial prowess and strategic writings surpassed his own. For instance, Xiao Yi.
“So it was General Wang speaking. This humble one failed to recognize you for a moment, though your tone happens to resemble the estate’s great hound, Qu Ya, remarkably well,” Shu Fuyan remarked with a half-smile.
Lacking in wits, Wang Li failed to catch the barbed sarcasm in Shu Fuyan’s words.
Demanding loudly, Wang Li asked, “Who on earth is Qu Ya?”
Pressing his lips together, Shu Fuyan glanced toward the Prince of Ji.
Others might not know who Qu Ya was, but how could the Prince of Ji not know? It was simply the massive guard dog kept by the estate’s young master.
By comparing Wang Li to a dog, Shu Fuyan left the Prince of Ji momentarily unsure whether Shu Fuyan was trying to score a petty point or harboring some ulterior motive.
“Enough! All this squabbling is unbefitting of dignity,” the Prince of Ji roared in a voice that shook the room.
Hearing the Prince of Ji’s shout, Wang Li darkened his face and fell silent.
At that moment, the wily Minister of Personnel, Liu Zhao, stepped forward. Cupping his fists, he reported, “Cai Yan holds crucial documents, and the evidence of the Crown Prince’s crimes may very well be among them. Once the Eastern Palace falls into chaos, it will shake half the imperial court. Your Highness must not take this lightly. If we fail to send men to intercept him now, I fear both human and material evidence will be completely destroyed.”
Liu Zhao’s aged, weathered face was covered in wrinkles. As his mouth twitched, the folds on his face collapsed and stacked into deep creases.
Scoffing in disdain, Wang Li smashed his palm down onto the desk, his hot temper flaring up. “I said long ago—we should have just taken a knife, sliced that fellow’s throat, and grabbed the things back!”
Disagreeing entirely, Liu Zhao argued with a red face, “That is the act of a brute, bringing nothing but harm! If His Majesty discovers that the mastermind behind the scenes is Your Highness, how much credibility will the Crown Prince’s criminal evidence retain?”
Unable to match him in debate, Wang Li stared at Liu Zhao’s dark face and cursed angrily, “Old rascal!”
Having served as Minister for many years, aside from the aging Emperor and the Prince of Ji, no one had ever dared curse him to his face as an old rascal. Even the most even-tempered person would be pushed to anger.
Rolling up his sleeves, Liu Zhao prepared to throw a punch. Wang Li refused to show weakness, bracing his sturdy armor to take the blow.
The scene descended into utter chaos. It was Shu Fuyan’s first time encountering such a farcical scene inside the Prince of Ji’s study.
Quietly observing their argument, Shu Fuyan mined their words for information.
Cai Yan held evidence of the Crown Prince forming cliques for private gain and fled in panic, throwing the imperial court into a state of panic.
Not only was the Crown Prince searching for him, but the Prince of Ji also coveted the list in Cai Yan’s possession, intending to deal a heavy blow to the Eastern Palace.
If Cai Yan were found, death would be his inescapable end.
“Mr. Shu, in your view, how should this prince proceed?” The long-silent Prince of Ji finally spoke.
In an instant, the two heatedly arguing men fell silent as cicadas in winter.
With a calm expression and a smiling curve to his lips, Shu Fuyan answered: “Cai Yan must die.”