He had come to attend the palace banquet. Looking at the sky now, the banquet should be drawing to a close, and as an unmarried male outsider, he ought to take his leave as soon as possible.
“Your Highness, your wound has exposed the bone. How painful must this be? Those scoundrels have such immense audacity! Another day, we must report this to the Emperor so that he can dispense justice for Your Highness!”
Nanny Lin’s brows were tightly knitted together, a thin layer of sweat seeping onto her forehead. While her mouth kept up a stream of indignant mumblings, her hands did not dare slacken in the slightest.
Jun Yichen acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing, his hollow gaze fixed straight ahead.
Just when Nanny Lin thought she wouldn’t receive a response, he spoke again with a hint of coldness: “Nanny Lin, you worry too much. Suffering injuries is merely a matter of course, and to this palace, it is nothing more than an everyday occurrence.”
This chilling tone sent a shiver through Nanny Lin’s entire body, and she finally realized she had spoken out of turn.
She hadn’t been the one to serve the Prince since childhood. During the few years the Prince spent in the cold palace, all the palace attendants who served him had fled, leaving behind only a personal valet who had contracted an illness over the years and spent his days huddled in his room, rarely showing his face.
Although her master usually didn’t resort to arbitrary beatings or punishments and frequently wore a smile, for some reason, he evoked a terror akin to being in the depths of hell.
“Nanny Lin, withdraw.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Nanny Lin tried her best to control the fear in her heart and her trembling legs as she stepped forward and walked out.
“Nanny, about tonight’s events…”
Nanny Lin turned back stiffly to see the Seventh Prince resting his chin on one hand, staring expressionlessly at her as if looking at a dead person.
“Yes, yes, this maid saw nothing.”
Without waiting for a reply, she panicked and hurried out of the inner hall in quick steps.
Jun Yichen stared thoughtfully at the bandaged wound, and the next second, without any warning, he violently ripped off the wrapping gauze.
Following his movement, the fresh blood that had finally stopped flowing suddenly gushed out once more.
Jun Yichen stared fixedly at the continuously flowing blood, an inexplicable surge of indescribable excitement welling up in his heart.
The days in the cold palace had gradually made him fond of this heart-wrenching pain; it was as if only through this could he feel that he was a living, breathing person.
Today was the day the Emperor selected study companions for the several princes.
Rather than calling it choosing study companions for the princes, it was more like forcing Marquis Anguo to choose a side.
Inside the Imperial Study:
The middle-aged man sitting upon the dragon throne possessed sword-like brows, starry eyes, and an unangered majesty. The aura of the Son of Heaven left everyone present holding their breath in silent awe.
The Emperor scanned the princes present, taking in each of their hidden thoughts. As he gently rubbed the thumb ring on his hand, he suddenly spoke softly toward the figures below:
“Ah Ci, you make the choice. See which Prince you wish to become the study companion of.”
Upon hearing this, everyone shifted their gazes in unison toward the youth clad in blue brocade robes standing in the center of the hall.
“Your Majesty, this subordinate chooses the Seventh Prince!”
The youth was poised and proper, completely devoid of any awkwardness or shyness.
As soon as these words were spoken, a hush fell over the crowd. It seemed none of them had expected that Gu Ci would choose an imperial prince who had emerged from the cold palace with zero background or foundation.
Today, the Emperor had ostensibly allowed Marquis Gu’s Heir to choose a prince as a study companion, but behind closed doors, everyone had long since shared a tacit understanding.
As the sole bloodline of Marquis Anguo’s estate, Gu Ci would in the future become a military talent in command of the Northern Suppression Army; whichever prince he chose would gain a major pillar of support.
Rather than choosing other princes and incurring the Emperor’s suspicion, it was far better to choose the Seventh Prince, who possessed zero foundation or background.
“Good, very good! Lao Qi’s temperament is far too gloomy, while Ah Ci is utterly lawless; pairing them together in this manner is quite unconventional.”
Seeing the Dragon Throne beam with great delight, everyone knew that Gu Ci’s move had landed right on the Emperor’s heartstrings.
At this moment, Gu Ci had no inkling of these people’s thoughts. He merely wanted to stay closer to the villainous big shot in order to complete the system’s mission and escape his predetermined miserable, early demise.
Seeing him maintain such a calm and composed demeanor—not resembling a fake act—the crowd couldn’t help but look upon this notorious wastrel Heir of the Gu family with a new level of appraisal.
“Will the Heir please stay a moment.”
Compared to Gu Ci’s composure, Jun Yichen appeared somewhat less calm.
“Your Highness.” Gu Ci gave a slight nod.
Jun Yichen looked at the radiant youth before him, the words of malicious testing hovering on the tip of his tongue, yet he didn’t know how to voice them.
“Your Highness, I chose you because I want to protect you. You saw it too—my martial arts are quite good, and I know many fun places. Also, I am a very interesting person…”
Gu Ci clearly noticed the hesitation and wariness flashing through the depths of the other’s eyes, so he preemptively outputted a string of his own advantages.
Only, his gradually lowering voice betrayed his negligible confidence.
The gloom in Jun Yichen’s heart was instantly swept completely clean by an unnamed emotion.
He carefully appraised the youth before him. The youth looked exceptionally handsome; unlike his own flamboyant beauty, the other was very striking and masculine, carrying a hint of heroism amidst his vigor, yet with a touch of endearing silliness. The entire person felt completely clean, unlike anyone he had ever met before.
“Let’s go.”
Hearing this, Gu Ci thought to himself: It’s over.
His first day officially trying to hug a high-thigh had failed.
Resigning himself to fate, he took a step back, bowed to Jun Yichen, and walked toward the palace gates with a heart as dead as ashes.
“Didn’t the Heir say you know many interesting places? What? Do you not plan to take this palace to experience them?”
“Huh?”
Gu Ci turned back and saw Jun Yichen looking at him with a gentle expression and a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
When he heard clearly what the other had said, Gu Ci hopped and skipped with excitement right to Jun Yichen’s side, grinning with fawning flattery. “Yes, yes, let’s go right now, guaranteed to satisfy Your Highness!”
Inwardly, however, he was plotting his next small schemes.
It seemed he had taken another step closer to saving his own worthless life.
The two stopped in front of a wine restaurant, and Gu Ci led Jun Yichen straight to a private room on the second floor.
The proprietor was even more overjoyed to see Gu Ci than if he had seen the God of Wealth, busily pouring tea and serving water with a flattering demeanor that didn’t lose out to any palace eunuch.
Gu Ci gave a light cough, secretly scanning Jun Yichen across from him to ensure he still showed no trace of gloominess.
Only then did he inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
An external wine restaurant wasn’t as tranquil as the palace, and he worried that the noise might displease the Big Shot.
Gu Ci waved his hand to instruct the proprietor to bring out every single specialty dish the restaurant offered, along with several jars of fine wine.
The proprietor secretly memorized the order, but before heading out the door, he asked with a beaming, smiling face, “Master Heir, would you still like six beautiful maidens to accompany you?”
Gu Ci, who was leisurely sipping his tea, was startled by this abrupt question and spat out his tea.
Followed instantly by a fit of violent coughing.
Jun Yichen froze slightly, a meaningful smile curling up at the corners of his mouth.
Seeing him like this, the proprietor was so frightened that he hurried back in, awkwardly helping to pat him on the back.
When Gu Ci finally finished coughing, the proprietor, completely lacking in situational awareness, repeated the question all over again.