Chapter 58: An Unexpected Reveal of the Truth (Coming Out)
The days following Lou Jin's departure have been unprecedentedly busy for Ye Xunyang.
The young General Ye, who once rode a spirited horse in the capital, seemed to have been forced to grow up overnight.
The entire network of secret guards in the King of Jin's mansion, as well as the investigation into those matters, almost all fell on his shoulders.
He shuttled back and forth between the Prince Jin's mansion and the General's mansion every day.
Inside the General's Mansion, Father Ye Qing was still unconscious, but thanks to the joint efforts of the imperial physician and Anar, his condition had finally stabilized. He had stopped vomiting blood, and the alarming ashen complexion had faded, though he remained weak, as if in a deep sleep.
Ye Xunyang would check on his father's condition and keep his mother company every day, also serving as a deterrent to those in the household who were tempted to cause trouble.
After returning to the palace, he needed to process the various intelligence reports gathered by Shan Lan. Sitting in Lou Jin's usual study, he learned to handle affairs in Lou Jin's manner, which was a unique way of reminiscing for him.
Lou Yi's residence appeared peaceful, but his secret guards discovered that several of his seemingly insignificant stewards had been very active recently, maintaining close contact with some merchants from complex backgrounds.
The "Shadow Snake" line in the southwest was of utmost importance to him.
Five days after Lou Jin left, Ye Xunyang had just returned to the Prince's Mansion when a secret guard appeared silently outside the study.
"Your Highness, we have been monitoring that fur trading company in the south of the city day and night for five days and have figured out the general pattern of its people coming and going."
"The warehouse was heavily guarded. Our men managed to sneak in once and found that, in addition to some normal leather goods, there was a hidden compartment containing some items that we could not identify."
"It resembled some kind of special mineral, along with some plants we'd never seen before, and several sealed earthenware jars, all emanating a strange aura. The brothers dared not make any rash moves, lest they alert the enemy."
Ye Xunyang frowned.
It seems I need to find Anar to identify these strange objects from the southwest. Perhaps only she, who grew up there, could recognize them.
He immediately got up and returned to the general's mansion, where he found Anar, who was helping to prepare medicine in the pharmacy.
After listening to Ye Xunyang's description, Anar wiped the water off her hands and her expression became serious: "I can't be sure about these things just from the description. But if they are really related to the 'Shadow Serpent' as you say, then they are definitely not ordinary things."
"It could be raw materials they use to make special weapons or poisons, or it could be... something related to certain village rituals or witchcraft."
She looked at Ye Xunyang, her eyes clear and firm: "I need to see those things with my own eyes to make a judgment. But the place is heavily guarded, and it's too dangerous to go there directly."
Ye Xunyang also knew that this matter could not be rushed, and he could not let Anar take any risks.
"It's alright. Just tell me, if our people can manage to obtain a small number of samples, can you identify them?"
“Yes!” Anar nodded firmly. “I can smell or tell the general idea with just a tiny bit. But we must be very careful when taking samples, as some things may contain highly poisonous or strange insects.”
"I understand." Ye Xunyang felt a little more at ease. "I will have them find a way to take samples. This matter needs to be carefully considered and must be handled prudently."
Ye Xunqin also returned from outside, looking travel-worn.
In the past few days, he took over the reorganization of the General's Mansion. He acted swiftly and decisively, using his father's poisoning as an excuse to thoroughly investigate the entire mansion. Sure enough, he found several servants who had been bribed by outsiders.
Ye Xunqin showed no mercy, immediately tying the man up and sending him, along with his initial confession, to the Jingzhao Yin's office.
"They're all just greedy fools or people who've been tricked into revealing their secrets. The real big fish are hiding deep inside." Ye Xunqin gulped down a large mouthful of cold tea, his tone weary and stern.
The two brothers were discussing their respective progress when, unexpectedly, Wang Quan personally came to the General's Mansion.
"Your Highness, someone from the palace has arrived. It's Granny Gui, who serves the Empress Dowager. She conveys the Empress Dowager's decree, saying that she wishes to see you and requests that you come to the palace tomorrow afternoon."
The Empress Dowager wants to see him?
Ye Xunyang's heart sank. Lou Jin had just left when the Empress Dowager suddenly summoned him. The reason for this was almost self-evident.
Ye Xunqin also heard this and looked at Ye Xunyang, his eyes showing worry.
Ye Xunyang's hands, resting on his knees, tightened slightly, his fingertips digging into his palms. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. What was bound to happen would happen.
He stood up, straightened his robes which were slightly wrinkled from his journey, and the slight panic on his face quickly faded, replaced by a calm and resolute expression.
"Second brother, please take good care of Father and Mother here. I'll go back and make some preparations." He looked at his elder brother, his voice steady.
Just then, Madam Ye came in carrying the medicine and overheard their conversation, which further confirmed her suspicions.
“Yang’er, our family has a distinguished military record. Although we have never been ennobled, our family of four generals is still respected by the people.”
“Even if the Empress Dowager wants to punish you, your father is currently in a coma, and the Emperor feels somewhat guilty towards our family. He will not let this go unpunished.”
Ye Xunyang was taken aback when he heard this. The Empress Dowager wanted to punish him? Why?
As Mrs. Ye spoke, she became more and more distressed, hugging her son and crying incessantly: "Even if... the worst outcome is a divorce, it will be just what we want. When you come back or go back to your hometown, your mother will find you a gentle and sensible daughter-in-law."
Seeing her son's blank expression, Madam Ye was overcome with grief and hugged him, crying incessantly.
"Mother knows, knows you're suffering... That King Jin, he looks respectable, but I never imagined he was such a heartless and ungrateful person!"
"Mother has heard everything. That day, when Prince Jin went to see the Empress Dowager, you didn't even go in. You just waited outside the palace. He had just recovered, and he treated you like this. He summoned you to the palace. Isn't it because he thinks you're useless and wants to kick you aside?"
"Huh?" Ye Xunyang was completely dumbfounded. What was going on here?
As Mrs. Ye spoke, she felt her speculations were more and more reasonable, and her tears fell even more fiercely.
"Besides, he just went off to lead troops into battle. Who knows how long the fighting will last? When he brings back a woman, won't you become even more of a decoration in the Prince's mansion?"
Madam Ye held Ye Xunyang's arm tightly and explained to him, "So, King Jin couldn't come forward to divorce you, fearing that the world would say he was a traitor. So the Empress Dowager played the villain and made way for his grandson's happiness."
"Stop, stop, stop, Mother!" He quickly interrupted his mother's increasingly tragic imagination, explaining with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "What are you thinking! It's not like that!"
He helped his mother sit down and said in a low voice, "The Prince... treats me very well. That day I didn't go into Cining Palace because I felt it was inconvenient to disturb the Empress Dowager's peace, and the Prince even came out to comfort me."
"Before he went to war, he entrusted me with managing the palace's secret guards and many other affairs. What a level of trust that is! How could he possibly be trying to get rid of me?"
Madam Ye looked at him with suspicion: "Really? Then why did he leave in such a hurry as soon as he recovered, leaving you alone in this dangerous place?"
"Mother, the situation in the Northwest is urgent. The Crown Prince's life is uncertain, and Father has been poisoned and is in a coma. There is no one in the court who can take command, so Your Highness has no choice but to go! This is a matter of great importance for the country and the people!" Ye Xunyang said solemnly.
"His decision to keep me in the capital is a sign that he's entrusting me with the most important rear area, and that he believes I can handle things on my own! This isn't disdain, it's a heavy responsibility!"
He paused, a shy blush rising on his face, and his voice lowered even further: "And...and we...have a very good relationship. The Prince...will never betray me."
His original intention was to clarify that Lou Jin was not heartless, but in his haste, he blurted out the words "the relationship is very good".
Madam Ye's crying stopped abruptly. She suddenly raised her head and stared intently at her son, as if she were seeing him for the first time.
A terrifying thought, one she had never dared to contemplate before, slithered into her mind like a venomous snake!
She wasn't ignorant of the ways of the world; she was not unaware of the secret rumors between men.
But she never imagined that such a thing would happen to her own son!
She was with a prince!
"You...you all..."
Madam Ye's finger trembled as she pointed at Ye Xunyang, her face turning deathly pale, her lips quivering, and her voice becoming so sharp it was almost distorted.
"A good relationship? How good?! Ye Xunyang! You...you...you actually did...do such a thing that violates human ethics with him?"
She suddenly raised her hand, wanting to slap Ye Xunyang, but her body went limp due to extreme anger and sadness. Her hand froze in mid-air, her chest heaving violently, and she could barely breathe.
"You...you unfilial son! Our Ye family has a long and distinguished reputation, how could we have produced someone like you? How could you stoop so low as to become...become a male concubine! You're going to kill me, and kill your father!"
"We agreed beforehand that it would be a fake marriage, and that your father would ask Zhihe to divorce him once he recovered. Now you're telling me you're really getting a divorce..."
Madam Ye pounded her chest, tears streaming down her face, her voice filled with despair and heartache.
Ye Xunyang turned pale at his mother's fierce reaction and sharp words. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain that it was not self-degradation, but mutual affection.
But seeing his mother on the verge of collapse, all the words stuck in his throat.
Ye Xunqin, who was standing to the side, was also completely stunned.
He had initially thought, like his mother, that the royal family was heartless, and was even thinking about how to comfort his younger brother later.
Upon hearing his younger brother's words, he suddenly recalled the morning of the day he set off for the expedition. He had seen the prince and his third brother walking out of the palace gates together from afar. Although they were dressed neatly, both of them had indescribable red marks on their necks.
At the time, he thought it was just a mosquito bite and didn't think much of it. But now, considering his younger brother's words and his mother's reaction, that red mark...
Ye Xunqin's mind went blank, and he froze.
Although he was more knowledgeable than Ye Xunyang and had heard about homosexuality, he never thought it would happen to his own younger brother!
This...this is simply...
"Mother! Mother, please calm down!" Ye Xunqin rushed forward and quickly supported Madam Ye, who was on the verge of fainting, pulling and carrying her towards the door.
"Please don't get agitated! Your health is the most important thing! Father still needs your care! As for my third brother... we'll talk about it later, we'll talk about it later!"
While trying to calm his distraught mother, he turned back and gave Ye Xunyang a complicated look, then growled, "What are you standing there for! Go back first! We'll talk after Mother calms down!"
Ye Xunyang watched his mother being forcibly helped out by his second brother. He never imagined that his relationship with Lou Jin would be so unbearable and rebellious in the eyes of his closest relatives.
He took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling in his eyes, turned around, and silently left the general's mansion.
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