“Your Majesty, this—”
Upon hearing Yu Yinjiang’s words, Xiao Zhengze felt as though his soul had left his body.
What did “We sympathize with how your Xiao Prince’s Mansion has spent generations exhausting yourselves for the nation” mean?
What did “We are immensely gratified that Your Lordship is willing to marry your most exceptional son to Yu Yi” mean?
What did “An auspicious date shall be chosen immediately for the Xiao Prince’s Mansion’s heir, Xiao Qiang, to marry into the Duan Prince’s Mansion” mean?!
No matter how many scenarios he had run through in his mind, he never could have anticipated this outcome.
Clearly, Xiao Tan had performed splendidly just moments before, and the Emperor had been extremely pleased how could it turn out like this?! Could it truly be that Qi’er was going to be forced to marry a man?!
Xiao Tan was equally dumbfounded.
He had no idea what Yu Yinjiang had done behind the folding screen; right before entering, the Emperor had just praised him, yet upon coming out, he suddenly ordered Xiao Qiang to marry Yu Yi.
Given the degree of Yu Yinjiang’s doting indulgence toward Yu Yi, shouldn’t the candidate for the Prince Consort be as exceptional as possible?
To speak the truth, Xiao Tan had no desire to remain in the Xiao Prince’s Mansion.
Having inexplicably entered this realm and been blessed with a healthy body, he wanted to find something meaningful to do rather than spending every day in idle comfort a lifestyle he had already endured for twenty years back when he was sick.
Yet whether he married Yu Yi or stayed in the Xiao Prince’s Mansion, the tasks ahead would revolve around forming factions, vying for power, and seizing the throne. At least Yu Yi was a thousand times, ten thousand times better than Xiao Zhengze. In the Duan Prince’s Mansion, he wouldn’t need to put on a hypocritical facade with Xiao Zhengze; he would have the freedom to decide his own actions and could genuinely support Yu Yi while treating each other with absolute sincerity.
After all, Xiao Zhengze did not view the original owner as a son, but Yu Yi truly respected the original owner as his rightful prince consort.
With that thought in mind, Xiao Tan decided to take a calculated risk.
Stepping forward, he said, “Your Imperial Majesty, this subject has words to speak.”
“This subject has been sickly since childhood, raised within the confines of deep courtyards where I never had the chance to meet an interesting person or witness an interesting event day after day. Only the Second Prince has ever made this subject feel different.”
Kowtowing, Xiao Tan spoke with earnest conviction and a solemn tone.
“This subject has admired His Highness for more than seventeen years, having originally thought it impossible to fulfill this wish in this lifetime, never expecting such an opportunity to arise.”
“This subject begs Your Imperial Majesty to grant your gracious consent.”
As he finished speaking, unshed tears seemed to glisten in Xiao Tan’s eyes as he bowed deeply and remained prostrated.
“This—”
Yu Yinjiang was completely baffled by Xiao Tan’s “heartfelt words.”
The underlying reasons for his insistence on selecting a spouse for Yu Yi were too complex to summarize in a few sentences and need not be detailed here.
However, his decision to settle on Xiao Qiang as the final choice for the Duan Prince Consort wasn’t solely because of Yu Yi’s remarks behind the folding screen.
Xiao Qiang was the heir and the younger son.
Though Yu Yinjiang was the Son of Heaven, he was also a father; and being a father meant harboring partiality. One glance at Xiao Zhengze’s expression was enough to tell which of the two sons he favored more.
Xiao Tan possessed talent, good character, and a magnificent bearing, yet he shared no deep emotional bond with Xiao Zhengze.
Carrying the awkward status of a discarded eldest son, with a legitimate heir younger brother looming behind him, coupled with a childhood history of chronic illness if he truly married into the Duan Prince’s Mansion, it was doubtful whether Xiao Zhengze would pay any heed to this matrimonial tie. In that case, Yu Yinjiang’s objective would not be fulfilled.
Yet now Xiao Tan was claiming that he had admired Yi’er for a long time. Perhaps he should.
“Your Imperial Majesty—”
Before Yu Yinjiang could finish pondering, a guard on duty in the grand hall burst inside without even pausing to ask for permission. Collapsing to his knees, he shouted, “Your Imperial Majesty, an explosion occurred at the Huayu Pavilion in the West Market! The Crown Prince, his, his legs—”
“The Crown Prince’s leg has been blown off!” The guard knelt on the floor, trembling as if on the verge of fainting.
For the heir apparent of a nation to become a cripple and to become a cripple while whoring in a brothel how absurd was that?!
“What?!” Yu Yinjiang’s complexion shifted drastically. The Crown Prince had always maintained pristine personal conduct and upright morals, never frequenting places of ill repute; how could he suddenly have his leg blown off inside a brothel?!
Not daring to answer, cold sweat poured continuously from the guard’s forehead. Anyone with eyes could see that the Crown Prince’s injury this time was deliberately engineered by malicious actors, and it was hard to say whether the initial intent wasn’t aimed straight at taking his life.
Fearing that after today, another storm of blood and slaughter would churn across the capital.
“Imperial Father,” Yu Yi stepped out from behind the folding screen, a trace of precisely measured concern in his eyes.
Seeing him emerge, Yu Yinjiang steadied his state of mind and instructed someone to fetch his own fox-fur cloak brought as tribute from the Western Regions to drape over Yu Yi.
“Yi’er, come with Us to the Eastern Palace to see your Eldest Imperial Brother.”
Yu Yi acknowledged the order, casting an unnoticeable glance toward Xiao Tan. This guy’s skill at fabricating falsehoods was growing more impressive by the day all that talk about “deep devotion” and “never meeting an interesting person day after day” was used to deceive him in his past life, and now he was pulling the exact same act right before the Emperor himself.
He had no idea what kind of lucrative bait Xiao Zhengze had dangled before him to make him go this far.
Even if it were an offer of heavenly wealth, could he, Yu Yi, not afford to give it?
“Xiao Zhengze.”
“Your Imperial Majesty,” Xiao Zhengze scrambled to his feet and knelt back down, knowing full well that upon hearing such monumental news today, he probably wouldn’t be stepping out of the palace gates anytime soon. Yet their people hadn’t arranged to make a move; he had no clue who was pushing the pieces behind the scenes this time.
“The three of you will temporarily reside within the palace; you may leave only after matters have settled down.”
Not daring to object, Xiao Zhengze kept silent. Yu Yinjiang was currently fuming with rage, and every word he uttered felt steeped in powdered glass.
The crown prince of a nation had turned into a disabled person overnight; was someone plotting against the Crown Prince, or were they openly challenging Yu Yinjiang’s imperial majesty?!
Prostrated on the floor, a jolt of shock ran through Xiao Tan; he didn’t even have time to consider whether Yu Yi had heard his previous speech.
How could it happen this fast?
This Huayu Pavilion explosion case was precisely the catalyst that began the rift between Yu Yi and Yu Yinjiang!
“His Imperial Majesty has arrived—”
At the sharp, prolonged proclamation of Li Fuquan, the guards and palace maids on duty in the Eastern Palace dropped to their knees in unison.
Every single person held their breath, not daring to let out a sound.
Striding rapidly to the bedside, Yu Yinjiang demanded, “How is the Crown Prince?”
Lowering his head, the head physician of the Imperial Medical Academy laid aside his gauze bandages and replied, “Reporting to Your Imperial Majesty, the Crown Prince, he…”
“The Crown Prince is temporarily out of danger; we have already stanched the bleeding for His Highness,” a junior physician blurted out in a rush.
The head physician felt his heart skip a beat, a cold sweat instantly breaking across his spine as he responded with a tremble: “Y-Yes, indeed! We subjects will certainly exhaust all efforts to treat the Crown Prince.”
“Mm.”
Closing his eyes for a moment, Yu Yinjiang walked out to the antechamber and sat down.
“Yi’er, go inside and check on your Imperial Brother.”
“Yes.”
Pressing his lips together, Yu Yi maneuvered his wheelchair inside himself, emerging moments later in the exact same manner, his complexion even paler than before.
In the dead of winter, even the finest fox-fur cloak couldn’t ward off the biting chill. Duan Fangzhu had not entered the palace, and the attendants assigned by Yu Yinjiang lacked experience and knew nothing of caring for him.
Yu Yi had been thoroughly frozen through, suffering a splitting headache from the draft, leaving him looking thoroughly listless and drained.
Noticing this, Yu Yinjiang felt his mind ease somewhat.
There was no familial affection in the imperial family. Yu Yi’s emotional ties with the other imperial brothers were loose at best; showing excessive grief would only invite suspicion.
Yu Yinjiang’s own throne had been seized amidst seas of blood and fire, so he naturally understood these struggles for succession inside and out.
Winning was winning, losing was losing. While he possessed a ruthless core and was willing to let his sons vie against one another, thorough investigations would still be conducted when due, and penalties would be meted out without the slightest omission.
As long as Yu Yi remained uninvolved, Yu Yinjiang was simply a “good father” who distributed his affection evenly a competent Emperor who clearly separated public duty from personal matters.
“Li Fuquan, tidy up a room for the Duan Prince and have the imperial physicians check on him.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” Li Fuquan bowed in compliance, personally leading attendants to lay out the bedding for Yu Yi.
Matters concerning the Second Prince were never treated as trivialities.
Even though the Crown Prince was missing a leg and lying unconscious inside, the Second Prince remained the very first person on His Imperial Majesty’s mind.
“Imperial Father, attending to the Crown Prince’s injuries takes precedence; this child will simply sit right here for a bit, it’s no trouble.”
Looking toward Yu Yinjiang, Yu Yi maintained his address toward the Crown Prince, acting as if he were entirely oblivious to the shift in the Emperor’s attitude though given how things had progressed, the Crown Prince could no longer possibly remain the Crown Prince.
Yu Yinjiang felt even more gratified.
His pampering of Yu Yi stemmed precisely from his desire to shield him from all filth, hypocrisy, and treacherous deceit; he would pave every single path for Yu Yi himself.
“Your Imperial Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress has arrived,” a palace maid whispered softly against Yu Yinjiang’s ear.
“Mm,” Yu Yinjiang closed his eyes in irritation.
Before the words could fully fade, a disheveled woman rushed through the entrance. Her phoenix robes were loosely draped across her body with a few jade hairpins skewing aslant amidst her locks, stumbling frantically as she dashed straight into the inner chamber.
“My Crown Prince, my Crown Prince—”
Screaming, the Empress threw herself beside the bed, eyes rolling back as she threatened to faint upon beholding the Crown Prince’s miserable state.
“Empress!”
Yu Yinjiang barked in a deep voice.
Startled violently, the Empress choked back her wails and knelt on the floor, not daring to howl aloud any longer.
In the presence of the Son of Heaven, such unseemly loss of decorum was intolerable.
Observing coldly from the sidelines, Yu Yi fought down a wave of dizziness growing increasingly intense with every passing second, quietly waiting.
According to the trajectory of his past life, moments from now, someone would break in to report newly uncovered evidence.
He had agreed to accompany Yu Yinjiang to observe the competition among the Xiao family sons today not merely to cast Xiao Tan aside.
“Your Imperial Majesty, the chambers have been prepared,” Li Fuquan announced upon returning, bowing as he reported.
“Mm, Yu Yi, go down and rest first; We will have someone escort you home later.” Yu Yinjiang’s expression softened slightly.
“Yes, Imperial Father.”
Li Fuquan stepped forward, pushing Yu Yi’s wheelchair toward the inner chambers.
Acting as if she had just noticed someone else was in the room, upon seeing Yu Yi about to leave, the Empress shrieked shrilly, “Your Imperial Majesty, the Crown Prince is still lying right inside, and the culprit hasn’t been caught yet is the Second Prince in such a rush to leave?!”
“What is the meaning of this? Are you implying Yu Yi did this?!” Yu Yinjiang flew into a towering rage. “Li Fuquan, hurry and escort the Duan Prince away to rest!”
“Yes, sir.” Lowering his gaze, Li Fuquan guided the wheelchair smoothly past the Empress, keeping it steady so as not to jar Yu Yi by even a fraction.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Yu Yinjiang felt a headache coming on. His own son was still unconscious, yet she was already rushing to pin blame on others; what an utter lack of decorum his Empress possessed.
“Your Imperial Majesty—”
Before the Emperor could vent further, a palace guard rushed in to report that the Grand Secretariat Minister, Zhou Comin, had intercepted crucial clues regarding the case.
“Let them enter! Empress, take your seat at once!”
With a deathly pale face, the Empress reluctantly dragged herself back to sit beside Yu Yinjiang.
“Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty!” Zhou Comin fell to his knees with an elaborate kowtow the moment he entered.
“Rise, rise,” Yu Yinjiang frowned as he commanded, “Where are the clues? Present them for Us to see.”
“Yes!” Inhaling deeply, Zhou Comin pulled a jade pendant from his sleeve. Lifting his head to speak, he caught sight of Yu Yi’s retreating silhouette being pushed away by Li Fuquan.
“I, this subject…” He choked instantly, failing to utter a single syllable for the longest time.
“What is the meaning of this? Speak up! What have you investigated that cannot be spoken of?!” Yu Yinjiang demanded with rising displeasure.
Cold sweat drenching his back, Zhou Comin thought to himself that this indeed could not be spoken of. Hadn’t the messenger promised that the Duan Prince would be visiting the wine pavilions in the West Market today? Why was he inside the palace right now and standing right beside His Imperial Majesty?!
The “evidence” frame-up he had prepared was still clutched in his palm, and this…
“What is that in your hand? Present it.” Yu Yinjiang ordered.
“Your Imperial Majesty, this, this… this is a jade pendant this subject picked up along the way; surely it belongs to some noble person within the palace,” Zhou Comin stammered out.
“Oh? And the clues?”
“This subject… has temporarily uncovered no clues of significant value.”
“…”
Tossing the jade pendant straight at a palace maid, Yu Yinjiang’s fury flared uncontrollably: “Zhou Comin! We tasked you with investigating a case, and you spend your time picking up stray jade pendants?! How can you fail to distinguish priorities between major and minor?!”
“Usually your case-solving moves with blistering speed; what’s wrong this time? Are you terrified? Too cowardly to investigate? If you no longer wish to serve as Minister of the Grand Secretariat, We can find someone to replace you immediately!”
“This… this subject acknowledges his fault.” Burying his forehead against the floor, Zhou Comin could do nothing to stem the relentless flow of cold sweat.
“Your Imperial Majesty… the Second Prince appears to have caught a chill and is suffering from light-headedness,” Li Fuquan seized a timely opening to step out, murmuring softly against Yu Yinjiang’s ear.
“Mm, return to the residence first.” Catching his breath, Yu Yinjiang instructed the Empress to hold down the fort while striding away without looking back, taking Yu Yi with him.
Behind him, Zhou Comin let out a massive sigh of relief, thanking his lucky stars he hadn’t blurted out that the jade pendant was planted evidence; otherwise, not only would the entire plot have blown up in his face, but he would have lost his head on the spot.
Kneeling on the ground, the Empress watched Yu Yinjiang depart.
A bitter smile touched her lips as she once again forced herself to accept a reality she had tried to swallow countless times: the ruthlessness and indifference of the Son of Heaven.
Aside from that short-lived woman and her child, His Majesty loved no one, cared for no one. Over all these years, it wasn’t just clear to her across the entire inner palace, who failed to see it?
Upon exiting the Eastern Palace, Yu Yinjiang originally intended to arrange a carriage to immediately dispatch the imperial physicians and Yu Yi back to their residence.
To his surprise, the moment they reached the palace gates, they spotted Xiao Tan kneeling on the ground.
“Oh my, Young Master Xiao, what are you doing? Hurry and get up.”
Reading Yu Yinjiang’s expression, Li Fuquan hurried forward to help Xiao Tan to his feet.
“Your Imperial Majesty, this subject wishes to accompany His Highness.”
Looking grim, Xiao Tan forced his features into an expression of utmost sincerity.
He had reviewed this specific sequence of events: in the original novel, Yu Yi had been framed, and before even returning to his estate, he was placed under house arrest right within the palace.
The guards and maids assigned to watch him, acting under instructions from unknown figures, subjected Yu Yi to overt and covert mistreatment. Given his frail and sickly constitution, within mere days his body was ravaged into a miserable state.
Those individuals were ultimately executed by Yu Yinjiang later on, but the toll taken on Yu Yi’s worsening health could never be reversed.
Now that Yu Yinjiang was escorting Yu Yi out with such an ominous expression, it was evident he intended to place him under virtual house arrest.
Casting a glance toward Yu Yi, and finding the latter unresponsive, Yu Yinjiang looked toward Xiao Tan with inquisitive probing: “You… why would you do this?”
“Since this subject harbors deep affection for His Highness, naturally this subject ought to share woe and weal alongside His Highness through all things.” Bowing deeply, Xiao Tan wore a puzzled expression, as though he couldn’t fathom why Yu Yinjiang would even ask such a question.
Share woe and weal together.
Yu Yinjiang nodded slightly.
The entire reason he intended to select a spouse for Yu Yi was precisely to find someone capable of offering warmth and companionship, someone who could stay by his side and take care of him.
Though Xiao Tan was a man, Yu Yi’s constitution was frail, and an ordinary woman likely couldn’t manage his care properly anyway.
If Yu Yi were conscious at this moment, he undoubtedly would have mocked Xiao Tan’s “hypocrisy” internally once more; unfortunately, he was currently suffering from a splitting head, sinking into a groggy haze where he maintained a facade of outward composure while failing to distinguish even who Yu Yinjiang was talking to.
“Very well, since you possess such sincerity, We shall grant your wish. If any mishap befalls the Second Prince, We shall hold you solely accountable!”
Wait a minute.
Xiao Tan froze entirely.
What was Yu Yinjiang’s attitude toward Yu Yi? Even if he favored Yu Yi, he was currently in a towering rage otherwise, those guards and maids wouldn’t have found an opportunity to inflict harm earlier.
Li Fuquan pushed the wheelchair right in front of Xiao Tan, released his grip, and retreated back behind Yu Yinjiang.
“He is entrusted to your care now. Take the imperial physicians and return to the residence at once!”
With a sweep of his robes, Yu Yinjiang departed in his imperial carriage. Left standing at the spot, Xiao Tan gazed at Yu Yi’s ashen complexion, then turned to look at the awkwardly smiling imperial physician standing nearby.
So his current mission was to accompany Yu Yi back to the Duan Prince’s Mansion, provide round-the-clock personal care, ensure he neither fell ill nor suffered distress, or else face execution by the Emperor?
Xiao Tan twitched his lips in blank dismay.
Usually, Yu Yi wielded immense, intimidating authority, leaving none of the surrounding guards daring to step forward and touch him. The entire party stood frozen right outside the palace gates.
“Young Master Xiao, please, please help assist His Highness into the carriage.” The imperial physician looked at him pleadingly, sweating profusely as if he had just spotted a straw floating in a drowning sea.
If this grand master suffered the slightest mishap, all their heads would roll!
“…Alright.”
Hesitating for a beat, Xiao Tan stepped forward.
Unfurling his cloak to completely shield Yu Yi, he reached down and scooped him up horizontally with movements as gentle, cautious, and slow as humanly possible.
He had never carried anyone before.
Not a man, let alone a woman.
Is everyone this soft when you hold them?
Not daring to exert any force, the person in his arms felt so frail that he worried any careless move might cause injury.
“Your Highness, do not sleep.”
Noticing Yu Yi drifting toward complete unconsciousness, Xiao Tan couldn’t help calling out softly.
“……Mm.”
Yu Yi let out a faint, nasal syllable, shifting his head slightly so that his nose pressed directly against the crook of Xiao Tan’s neck.
As warm breath brushed against his skin, a loud boom erupted in Xiao Tan’s mind, sending his heartbeat hammering against his ribs.
Strange.
He had never experienced this sensation before, nor should he have.
Yet it felt inexplicably, vaguely familiar.
Deep within some forgotten memory, he seemed to have done this exact thing before, all because of a certain person.
A heart fluttering in sudden, breathless love.