Chapter 156 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth (10)

Yu Shiqing was taken aback and turned to look at Ye Zangxing: "Brother Ye, why do you ask this?"

Ye Cangxing paused, his dark blue eyes slightly raised, his gaze clear, as if a few fallen leaves were passing through his eyes.

“It’s a… indescribable feeling,” he murmured. “Although there are no people in the painting, and what is being burned is just a blurry image, there is a vague sense that the artist is both imprinting memories and sewing together tender reminiscences and love.”

"Could it be that I guessed wrong?" Ye Zangxing and Yu Shiqing looked at each other.

Ye Zangxing may seem carefree and unrestrained, but he is actually quite perceptive. He saw through certain emotions in the painting, which did not surprise Yu Shiqing. However, this question was a bit difficult to answer. So, he turned around and handed the painting to the people in the painting academy to help dry it, saying, "It is right, and it is wrong."

Ye Zangxing blinked.

But Yu Shiqing didn't explain further, only smiled gently: "Brother Ye, there's no need to be curious. When the time comes, even if you don't ask, I will tell you. As for now, I am indeed all alone and have not yet found someone to spend my life with, so Brother Ye, there's no need to worry."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zangxing felt a mix of emotions, sometimes tense and sometimes relaxed, unable to make a clear judgment, but the inexplicable sense of unease disappeared.

He crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow slightly in response to Yu Shiqing's words, and said, "Worried? What do I have to worry about? Worried that you'll ask me to act as your matchmaker and arrange for you to become the consort of my two imperial sisters?"

"Princess, you are blessed with good fortune, but I dare not accept that." Yu Shiqing laughed.

Ye Zangxing glanced at him, then walked around the painting table with him and headed out of the courtyard. "So... Brother Yu, you don't mind that I concealed my identity from you before, and just now I took it upon myself to say those things on your behalf?"

“Brother Ye… no, why does Your Highness think I would mind?” Yu Shiqing’s gaze was gentle and his voice was light. “As a prince of the current dynasty, you are connected to the fate of the country. If you casually meet someone who blocks your way and tries to make friends, you have to reveal your true identity, as if you are afraid that someone with ulterior motives will not come to assassinate you. That is what I should really mind.”

"As for what happened just now, how could it be considered acting on my own initiative? It was clearly you who saw my hesitation and embarrassment, and spoke up for me, saving me from being blamed by the Prince and Princess. Brother Ye is very understanding, and I am grateful. How could I blame you?"

Ginkgo leaves fall, carpeting the ground with golden snow; each step leaves a soft, resounding sound.

Ye Zangxing gazed at the refined and handsome face before him, and listened to the clear and melodious voice like the flowing water of an ancient zither, his expression slightly dazed.

After a moment, he suddenly said, "Brother Yu, this is the second time we've met. Aren't we friends now?"

“Of course,” Yu Shiqing replied.

“Then you can call me Xuan Shu from now on,” Ye Cangxing said, his eyes crinkling as his hair ribbon fluttered. “The Sixth Prince is too high up, and Brother Ye is too far away. If Cangxing calls you that, you’re more likely to get a beating. Xuan Shu is better.”

From now on, you can call me by my courtesy name, which my father gave me when I was sixteen. I'll also call you Danzhi, okay...?

I thought we were quite close, not distant at all. Neither Your Highness nor Brother Ye are well…

Yu Shiqing met Ye Cangxing's bright eyes, which were not yet filled with too much sorrow, and memories surged, stirring in his heart.

At that time, due to various concerns, he refused him, calling him from Brother Ye to the Sixth Prince, then to His Majesty, and finally, he became the late Emperor.

But now.

“Okay,” Yu Shiqing said with a smile. “My courtesy name is Danzhi, Xuan Shu should know that, right? You can call me that from now on, or you can call me Shiqing, I don’t mind, whatever you like.”

Ye Zangxing tilted his head: "Then how about I call you Qingqing?"

He lost his footing for a split second, and the falling leaves made a crisp cracking sound.

Even though Yu Shiqing knew that the Qingqing Ye Cangxing was referring to was not the Qingqing he was talking about, for a moment, Yu Shiqing's mind still wavered.

“...That’s fine too,” he said, “whatever you like.”

Ye Zangxing broke into an even bigger smile and put his arm around Yu Shiqing's shoulder. "From now on, we're friends! Come on, your friend will show you around the academy, and then we'll go down the mountain for a drink!"

"good."

"Hey, can you drink?"

"It's alright, I guess."

"Then let's drink until we drop! But that's a bit difficult, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk..."

A century-old academy, with its black walls and green tiles, crabapple blossoms and golden chrysanthemums, under the clear blue sky and bright sun, fallen leaves and withered willows sway and gradually obscure the departing figures of two young people, one laughing and the other listening.

"Xuan Shu and this Scholar Yu get along very well."

Upstairs in the library, Princess Yong leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance, and chuckled softly.

“Friends from a past life, ruler and subject, how could we not get along?” Then, the voice of the Prince of Yong came, shrouded in the shadows of the carved window.

Princess Yong paused slightly, withdrew her gaze, and turned to walk into the room.

This is the third floor of the Weiwen Academy's library. Prince Yong loved books and recently, having nothing to do, he accompanied Qiu Jingsong to visit the Weiwen Academy, hoping to escape to a few days of leisure and browse its collection of books.

"Afu... does Your Highness truly believe your heartfelt words?"

Princess Yong walked to the desk, picked up the teapot and poured tea. The room was quiet, and everyone else had already been dismissed.

Prince Yong, holding a scroll, sat upright. Upon hearing this, he slightly lowered the scroll, raised his eyes, and said, "This matter is either true or false, and it has nothing to do with whether I believe it or not. After learning about this matter, I went to ask Afu for information and verified it with one or two recent events."

"The groom had an upset stomach, which nearly startled the horse. Yu Shiqing went to Weiwen Academy, but not to enroll as everyone thought; he was just a temporary student. He didn't plan to spend three years studying; he wanted to take the provincial examination next year directly. And then there's my headache, which I've never mentioned to her..."

"All the tests, verifications, and clues show that this is indeed the case, and what Ah Fu said about the future is true."

"She went through such a past life, died at the age of ten, and returned to her childhood, and came to the present."

Princess Yong put down the teapot; the water in the teacup had overflowed and spilled down the edge of the desk.

“In her past life…” Princess Yong lowered her eyes, her lips moving with difficulty, “When she left, she was just a ten-year-old child. What could she understand? I heard her inner voice, and her knowledge of many things in the outside world was also limited. I… I can’t imagine what kind of desperate situation would make me lose all hope and take Afu with me to the grave…”

She gritted her teeth, but still managed to keep that word to herself.

“Even if they rebel, according to the laws of the Great Qi, they would only be demoted to commoners, imprisoned, or exiled. Although life would be difficult, at least they could live. How could I let Afu... she is still so young..."

Princess Yong's hand pressed against the edge of the table, trembling.

Seeing this, Prince Yong quickly put down his book and grasped the princess's hands in both of his: "Rong'er..."

“Your Highness,” Princess Consort Yong raised her eyes and looked directly at Prince Yong, “No matter what, we can never end up like that, no matter who ascends the throne. Xuan Shu is someone we’ve practically watched grow up; he’s not that kind of person, and you would never turn your sword against your own brother for that position.”

"Even if Afu's true feelings are genuine, the so-called 'Rebellion of Prince Yong' is definitely not what she knows..."

Prince Yong sighed: "Nothing is absolute. That position can change people's hearts, as has been the lesson throughout history..."

"Ye Boyang!"

Princess Yong, angrily rebuked him, and grabbed his hand that was holding hers. "Yes, people's hearts are fickle, but nothing has changed yet, and you're already going to change because of your 'heart's voice' and 'future'?"

"If that's the case, I'm afraid you're the root of the problem, with such a strong sense of paranoia!"

Princess Consort Yong was the daughter of a military family. When Prince Yong was caught, he immediately lost all his composure, baring his teeth and grimacing, "Oh dear, my good Rong'er, how could I dare? I was just saying, just saying."

“Look at that Yu Shiqing, Afu has been praising him so much, as if as long as he’s alive and I’m not one of my people, I’ll definitely get my throat slit by him. I saw him today and he seemed fine, so I didn’t do anything to him… You know me, I just like to overthink things, otherwise why would I have this headache problem?”

Seeing Prince Yong plead for mercy, Princess Yong's expression softened slightly, "You said you had a headache, yet you insisted on reading by the window, unaware of the chill of the autumn wind..."

She glanced at Prince Yong, released him, and went to close the window on her own.

Prince Yong gazed at her slender silhouette in the sunlight streaming through the window, and suddenly spoke, "Rong'er, don't worry, no matter what, I will not let anyone hurt you. Afu, Awang, and Xuanshu will all be alright..."

Princess Yong leaned against the window frame, tilted her head slightly, and remained silent.

The only sound the young girl's heartbeat could be heard by the whole family; her almost bizarre rebirth and her tragic past life.

Zhao Rong also knew that Ye Boyang, as the Prince of Yong in the "Rebellion of Prince Yong," which seemed to have ruined everything, would only be more confused, more in pain, and more worried than she was. But whether it was fate or a trap, they would have to face it eventually.

She sighed silently, closed the window, and heard a clear cry from the distant sky—a wild goose flying south.

...

Huai'an is a scenic spot in Jiangnan, known for its "wind-blown green curtains and 100,000 households scattered about". When outsiders mention it, they often mention three wonders: the beauty of the Huai River, the flourishing literary culture, and the endless supply of fine wine.

Huai'an is known as the "City of Wine" in Jiangnan. Literati and poets who pass through the area will always enjoy a pot of wine while taking in the beautiful scenery, as this is considered a worthwhile trip.

Among the many scenic spots and drinking areas in Huai'an, Wangxing Tower stands out as the premier one. Ye Cangxing, who enjoys wine and gazing into the distance, invited him here for a night of drinking, which was exactly what Yu Shiqing had expected. However…

"Xuan Shu, this is the last cup. You can't drink anymore. It's getting late. I'll take you home."

In the private room on the top floor, on the spacious viewing platform, the autumn wind was blowing and frost was approaching. Yu Shiqing pressed down on the wine jar on the table, trying to reason with the drunkard in front of him.

The drunkard reclined casually in his chair, one hand supporting his cheek, the other holding a wine jug, and uttered a phrase that all drunkards have loved to say throughout the ages: "I'm not drunk, I can still drink..."

Helpless, Yu Shiqing moved the wine jar off the table and placed it on a chair to the side.

I put it down, but then felt it wasn't right, so I picked it up, got up, and moved it to a cabinet further away.

He had underestimated Ye Zangxing. He moved the wine jar to the chair, thinking that Ye Zangxing wouldn't drink it because he couldn't reach it. But in the short time it took him to ask for a bowl of hangover soup, Ye Zangxing moved to his chair, picked up the wine jar, and gulped down a bellyful of wine.

Before drinking, he was only slightly tipsy; after drinking, he was completely drunk.

How could Ye Zangxing not know his alcohol tolerance?

It's impossible to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but getting drunk after just one cup is too exaggerated. Whether it's seventeen-year-old Ye Zangxing or twenty-four-year-old Ye Zangxing, his alcohol tolerance is just that of an average person. But strangely, he seems to have no idea about his true abilities.

"Although wine is good, drinking too much is harmful and will only damage your health." After drinking the same amount of wine, Yu Shiqing's eyes were still clear and his hands and feet were nimble. He put down the wine, came to Ye Cangxing, and took the wine pot from his hand. "Didn't you just say that you wanted to ride the northern desert and conquer the southern Yue in the future, and become the most powerful general of the Great Qi? If you damage your health, how can you still do that?"

"Be good, don't drink anymore, let's go home."

“Oh right, General… I want to be a general,” Ye Zangxing replied slowly, raising his head to look at Yu Shiqing. “I’m not drinking anymore. I’m going home to listen to… listen to Qingqing.”

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Yu Shiqing's shoulder and back, trying to stand up.

Yu Shiqing was pulled forward by him, and hurriedly pressed one hand on the table while the other hand subconsciously wrapped around the waist wrapped in the thin satin dress.

Her waist trembled suddenly, as if it had been scalded.

As if afraid that someone would fall, Yu Shiqing immediately spread his slender fingers and, under the cover of the wide sleeve on the other side, tightened his grip on the slightly undulating waist.

Ye Zangxing let out a very soft groan and wrapped one arm around Yu Shiqing's neck.

"Qingqing," he opened his mouth, his lips pouting, moistened by the wine, making them red and soft, his breath carrying the mellow flavor of a century-old vintage, "Are you sick? You're so hot... I brought the imperial physician, to give you..."

No, it's not just the lips.

Her cheeks, neck, and even her waist and abdomen seemed to have turned red, soft, and translucent...

Yu Shiqing suddenly felt extremely thirsty.

He swallowed hard, glanced away, and saw half a glass of wine left on the table. He immediately picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

Ye Zangxing, clinging to him, immediately glared at him like he'd caught a thief, his misty eyes wide, "You... you stole wine! You wouldn't let me drink, so you stole some!"

Yu Shiqing slammed down his wine glass, his expression unchanged, and said in a low voice, "You've mistaken me for someone else."

Ye Zangxing was stunned, seemingly a little confused: "Did I see wrong?"

“Yes,” Yu Shiqing gestured in a certain direction, indicating that the accompanying guards did not need to reveal themselves, then half-supported, half-carried the person towards the door. “You’ve drunk too much; your eyes are blurry. It’s alright this time, but you can’t drink this much in the future. If no one cares, things will really get out of control…”

Yu Shiqing had a large capacity for alcohol and wasn't exactly drunk, but the evening breeze from the observation deck made him a little tipsy. Although he tried to control his speech, he was still influenced by his past life and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Halfway through his recitation, a voice suddenly rang in his ears: "No, I didn't see it wrong..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Shiqing pressed a heavy kiss to his lips.

A pale finger, smeared with the scent of wine, pressed down without warning. Due to poor aim and considerable force, it forced open Yu Shiqing's lips and pressed against his teeth.

Yu Shiqing tasted a bit of bitterness.

Almost simultaneously, that blushing, almost bewitching face tilted up, drew closer, brought it to her fingertips, and inhaled deeply with her burning breath.

"I caught you! You did drink it, and you haven't even finished swallowing the wine..."

The boy glared at him, condemning him, his lips slightly parted, revealing white teeth and a red tongue.

Yu Shiqing's dark eyes paused, and his chest heaved uncontrollably.

Author's Note:

Didi everyone, daily updates resume!

This period of working a lousy job and searching for an apartment has driven the author crazy, but I've made it through and learned my lesson. I'll definitely have more chapters saved up before starting my next book [laughing and crying emoji]