Chapter 169 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth 23.

Could the two storylines—the Empress Dowager's rebellion and the seemingly reborn young princess—be the path that would allow him to uncover the truth behind the Yong Prince's rebellion and the emperor's assassination in his past life? Yu Shiqing was uncertain.

But at least, there's some progress. That makes his second chance worthwhile.

As evening approached, the two finished discussing their business and didn't linger any longer.

Knowing that Ye Zangxing had been busy lately, Yu Shiqing had just taken a closer look at him and noticed that his eyes were dark and swollen. Wanting him to return home early, Yu Shiqing declined his offer to see him off. Ye Zangxing had no choice but to whistle, signaling someone to bring his horse.

"Its name is Jinglan. It's gentle and has been with me since it was a cub. It's here to see you off on my behalf today, so please treat it well. I'll be passing through Yushan in a couple of days, and I'll come back to pick it up again," Ye Cangxing gently stroked the horse's neck and gave it his instructions.

Jinglan was a fine horse presented as tribute from the Western Regions. It had followed Ye Zangxing for many years and ultimately died for its master in the northern desert. Yu Shiqing recognized it; it was a fine horse.

"Don't worry, even if I suffer a loss, it won't suffer a loss. However, you don't need to go up Yushan to pick it up. I won't be returning to the academy tonight; I'll just stay at the post station in the north of the city," Yu Shiqing said.

"Not going back to the academy?" Ye Zangxing asked in surprise.

“I’ve been receiving my salary for more than half a month without actually teaching any students. Now that I have a two-day break, I should at least go and teach them,” Yu Shiqing said.

Ye Cangxing's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Then why stay at an inn? Why not just stay at a villa? Or, if all else fails, stay at Huailiu Residence. It's close by, and we can all go together."

“I booked an inn because I didn’t want to stay there,” Yu Shiqing said. “After all, I’m from Huai’an, and I have connections in all sorts of places. You might not know, but I’ll have to go and see for myself. But don’t worry, I don’t go to any filthy places, and I’ll take care of my own life. After all, I’ll be going to another courtyard tomorrow.”

"Besides... it's not good to live so close to you."

He glanced meaningfully at Ye Zangxing's left sleeve.

Ye Zangxing's expression froze, his brows furrowed slightly, and he coughed softly, "Nonsense..."

Yu Shiqing smiled, patted the horse's head, and mounted the horse directly.

"Wait a minute..." Ye Zangxing was startled. He wanted to calm the horse down a little longer to prevent it from becoming agitated. Although Jinglan was docile, it was also wary of strangers.

However, Ye Zangxing soon realized that his worries seemed unnecessary.

After Yu Shiqing mounted his horse, Jinglan showed no resistance to him and even stomped her hooves happily.

Ye Zangxing was surprised. He glanced at Yu Shiqing's smiling face, then turned his head to secretly glare at the horse's big, watery eyes.

"He's also bewitched!" he muttered.

Jinglan snorted and disdainfully turned his horse's head to the side.

"What?" Yu Shiqing lowered his head.

Ye Zangxing withdrew his gaze, looked up at the person on horseback, and smiled: "It's nothing. It's getting late, I'll have Xile and the others take you home, go back quickly."

“You too, it’s not easy to get back early today, so you should rest early,” Yu Shiqing said.

"Mm," Ye Zangxing replied.

The two men, one on horseback and one on foot, held the same reins. When their words were finished, neither of them let go first.

After waiting a while, Yu Shiqing sighed softly, his hand sliding down the reins to grasp Ye Cangxing's fingertips. "Go get some sleep," he said.

Ye Zangxing's ears burned and his fingertips felt hot, as if he had been coaxed.

He flicked his wrist and released the reins: "Jinglan, let's go!"

Upon hearing its master's voice, the horse neighed, lightly trotted off with its front hooves.

Yu Shiqing glanced back, then was quickly carried away by Jinglan and disappeared into the dark night.

Ye Zangxing stood still, watching the man and horse disappear into the distance until their silhouettes were too thin to see clearly. Only then did his expression soften slightly, and he made a gesture towards the shadows.

The leader of the secret guards appeared silently from the corner.

"Uncle Zhong, even if Father Emperor asks about today's events, we must not utter a single word, understand?"

Ye Zangxing's voice was deep.

The princes had already taken control of their own secret guards, and his was no exception. So he wasn't worried about anything being leaked. Giving an extra order was just a precaution. He wasn't afraid of any punishment, but Yu Shiqing's future shouldn't be delayed because of him.

"Understood, Your Highness." The head of the secret guards replied swiftly without asking any further questions.

Ye Cangxing lowered his eyes, about to wave his hand to dismiss him, but then suddenly remembered something, paused, and said, "I remember that a while ago, Master Shouxin's disciple left the capital to travel around and was going to Jiangnan first. You should immediately send someone to find out where he is now. If he is in Jiangnan, invite him to Huai'an and tell him that I have some old matters to ask him."

"Your subordinate obeys."

The leader of the secret guards withdrew.

Ye Zangxing also remained silent.

Beside the Jade Belt Bridge, in a secluded alley, only the autumn and winter night wind blows. The tall ginkgo trees rustle, and the last few golden leaves drift away from the branches, scattering light and shadow on the water, a scene of exquisite beauty.

The boy turned around, looking up at the tree and down at the ground. The image of a pair of people almost entwined in a kiss flashed through his mind. His brow furrowed and his lips trembled slightly.

That's insane.

Ye Zangxing thought to himself, belatedly realizing that he felt a little regretful.

It wasn't that she was annoyed by Shi Qing's hand, nor was she ashamed that she had opened her sleeve; rather, she regretted that she shouldn't have let the guards follow her so closely on this trip. Otherwise... behind the ginkgo tree, in the dim candlelight, she probably would have touched more than just his arm.

but.

There will always be a next time.

Next time, he also has something to say to Yu Shiqing.

Ginkgo leaves flutter down, the Huai River flows gently, and Ye Cangxing slowly walks away, stepping into the increasingly desolate night wind.

On the vast, empty painted boat where the singing and dancing had just begun, the pipa played a clear, melodious tune, and the faint, indistinct lyrics swayed in the wind:

The north wind howls, the river is empty and cold, smoke curls and golden osmanthus blooms sadly. My soul scatters like fireflies, my spirit drifts like duckweed. You are the unburnt paper, and I too am reborn as a butterfly. The inscription weeps, the wild grass falls. At the bottom of Meng Po's bowl, in Jingwei's beak. Past lives and present lives, oh, fate, fate!

Is it an illusion or reality?

The melody drifted away with the waves, and no one answered.

...

Yu Shiqing was unaware of his young emperor's worries, but at this moment, his thoughts were also in a state of confusion.

Originally, he didn't want to say anything to Ye Zangxing too soon.

Yes, he wanted to make changes, but the most important thing was that Ye Zangxing lived a long and healthy life, and that the Great Qi prospered. Whether he himself could achieve his wishes was not important.

Perhaps it was truly insatiable greed and the driving force of desire that led him to meet again and again. He could not suppress the feelings in his heart, and Ye Zangxing, strangely, was not quite the same as in his previous life. It was as if he had been led astray by him, easily blurring the once clear boundaries between friends, and swaying gently, she fell into his heart.

When he went to hold that hand today, he was still thinking that if Ye Cangxing pushed him, he would not think too much about it for the time being, and would accompany him year after year, just like in his previous life.

If he is enlightened and willing, he would gladly defy the world and deceive the emperor once. If he is not enlightened and unwilling, he would have no complaints about his lifelong friends and his relationship with his sovereign.

But.

He did not reject him.

He even lay on that towering ginkgo tree, as if he had landed on a bed, as if he had fallen into the wilderness, his lips parted, his waist and abdomen exposed, gazing at him with tender affection and longing, saying, "It's so cool..."

He really wanted to eat him whole!

Yu Shiqing had no idea how much effort he had put in to only manage to squeeze through that sleeve and get his arm to the ground.

"Don't use me as the seventeen-year-old Yu Danzhi from my previous life," Yu Shiqing said to himself.

In his previous life, the seventeen-year-old Yu Danzhi had not tossed and turned on the cold iron bed for more than seven thousand painful nights. Therefore, he was a gentleman who upheld propriety. Even when he embraced a drunken emperor and rested his head on a warm and soft shoulder, he was able to restrain his evil thoughts and not touch him in the slightest.

But I'm different now.

This time, I see it clearly.

What secondary, what waiting, what detachment—that's not me anymore. I am an insatiable glutton; if you yield even a fraction, I will demand a thousandfold more.

Clutching that hand, caressing its thin, soft skin, the beast that had been imprisoned within Yu Shiqing for years suddenly broke free of its chains and roared forth. If the willow-green hair ribbon hadn't obscured his vision, he would have surely frightened Ye Cangxing.

"The human heart is truly a wicked beast."

Yu Shiqing rode the young man's precious horse slowly forward, silently smiling and sighing. His slightly lowered eyebrows and eyes were handsome and gentle, extremely beautiful.

Passersby who saw him couldn't help but sigh, "What a gentleman, as refined as jade!" No one could imagine that such a gentleman's mind was filled with images of either the emperor's drunken red lips or the snowflake-like skin at the collar of a young man.

The passersby could not discern the truth, yet their joy was different.

He was ordered to escort Yu Shiqing.

This was his first time dealing with Yu Jieyuan, who was so favored by his prince. Xile was also on horseback, half a body length behind, and kept stealing glances at Yu Jieyuan from different angles. The more he glanced, the more he felt that this was truly a well-dressed beast.

If he weren't a beast, how could he have pinned his prince down under the ginkgo tree and taken liberties with him!

He used to think that this Yu Jieyuan was a good person, but now he realized that all those praises were just empty words of flattery uttered by his prince who had been bewitched!

His smirking, horse-riding manner perfectly resembles that of a dissolute scholar after a secret rendezvous.

Xi Le grew angrier the more she looked at him. Although she managed to keep her composure, after walking for a while, she couldn't help but speak up: "Mr. Yu."

Yu Shiqing paused, then turned his head: "Eunuch Xi."

Xi Le smiled casually, as if making small talk: "I've heard that Mr. Yu is only seventeen years old this year, and hasn't come of age yet?"

“Yes,” Yu Shi swept his gaze across Xi Le’s face, “but her birthday is approaching, she’ll be eighteen soon. Years go by so quickly.”

Xi Le asked, "At this age, are there any marriage proposals?"

In his previous life, Eunuch Xi was a powerful figure who held the position of Director of Ceremonial Affairs. But now, at this age, he is just a young boy who can't hide anything. He speaks probingly and bluntly.

Yu Shiqing smiled inwardly, but it was also a sigh.

Xile is Ye Zangxing's companion, his most loyal right-hand man, and his dearest childhood friend.

When Ye Zangxing was assassinated, he lost an eye and a leg while protecting the emperor. Later, he returned to the palace to assist the young emperor, but his health was always poor, and he died before he was forty.

Before he died, Yu Shiqing went to visit him.

At that time, Xile was probably in a daze. He grabbed Yu Shiqing's sleeve and mumbled incoherently, saying that His Majesty's affections were entirely for him, but he was simply a block of wood, completely oblivious, causing His Majesty to misplace his trust. Then he started cursing him, pointing his finger at Chief Minister Yu and yelling at him.

Amidst a chorus of curses, Yu Shiqing saw off this last old friend from the palace.

After that, one less person remembered Ye Zangxing's bright smile.

"Why isn't Mr. Yu answering?" Seeing that Yu Shiqing didn't speak immediately, Xile immediately widened her eyes as if she had caught this heartless scholar red-handed. "Could it be that you've really arranged a marriage, or even gotten married?"

This looks like the expression of someone's family catching their husband cheating...

Yu Shiqing shook his head helplessly and said, "Of course not. If Eunuch Xi doesn't believe me, you can go to Feishui County to inquire. To this day, I have no marriage, no lover, and I am all alone and empty-handed, which is common knowledge."

"Really?" Joy confirmed.

“Of course,” Yu Shiqing said, “I was either studying or observing mourning before, how could I have the mind to do anything else?”

Xi Le coughed lightly, his expression softening slightly, and then asked casually, "What is your opinion, Mr. Yu, on the prevalence of homosexuality in the Great Qi, with its practice of marrying wives, keeping concubines, and raising male prostitutes?"

“If you don’t like it, it’s none of my business,” Yu Shiqing said.

Having said that, without waiting for Xile to ask any further questions, he said directly, "The post station is ahead, so there's no need for Eunuch Xi to see us off or ask any more questions."

He looked at Xile, his gaze calm, "I can tell Eunuch Xi that my feelings for the Sixth Prince are such that if he wants me to live, I will live; if he wants me to die, I will die; if he wants me to wish I were dead, I will accept it willingly. I am but a duckweed in this world, adrift in a body of water."

Xi Le was stunned. Before she could recover, she saw Yu Shiqing cup his hands in greeting, spur his horse, and gallop away.

The following afternoon.

Yu Shiqing stepped onto the stone steps and knocked on the gate of the Yongwang Villa right on time.

Author's Note:

I'm late! I'm almost done with work, I'll come earlier tomorrow!