Chapter 23 [VIP]
Lu Xuejin: "Brother, you are no longer a child. You should not joke about your health anymore. If you fall ill, what will the court officials do?"
The air fell silent, and the imperial physician knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe. Lu Xuejin helped the physician up and said to him, "Write down the prescription and give it to me later. You can go back now."
"...This." The imperial physician was flattered. "Yes, the prescription has already been written. Please trouble Lord Lu. Make sure His Majesty takes the medicine properly." The physician spoke the last sentence very softly.
Lu Xuejin glanced at the prescription; it contained only calming and mood-lifting herbs, nothing wrong with it. He handed it to a guard, instructing him to brew a bowl of it fresh from the side of the hall.
As he spoke with his guards, he noticed a gaze from behind him. Xue Yi was watching him from the bedside. After giving instructions to the guards, he turned around and met Xue Yi's eyes.
“I have already had the guards prepare the medicine. I will return after my brother has finished drinking it. His Highness the Ninth Prince is still recovering from his injuries and needs someone to take care of him.” Lu Xuejin sat down naturally by the bedside.
He didn't get angry at Xue Yi. Under Xue Yi's increasingly deep gaze, he calmly found a book on the bookshelf, and slowly flipped through it while listening to the sound of the guards brewing medicine.
Even if there were only a pile of bones in front of him, he would remain unharmed. He would only need to wait for the bone demon to finish the medicinal soup before he could leave.
Xue Yi was slender, his brows and eyes growing increasingly somber, his chest rising and falling quietly, his pupils reflecting his features, when he suddenly laughed. A low chuckle came from beside him, a soft laugh that seemed to emerge from a crack in the ground.
"Why bother with all this trouble, Changyou? Just go now. I promise I won't kill him. Is that satisfactory, Changyou?"
Lu Xuejin looked up and met a calm face. Xue Yi's face was even paler, his chest heaving, and his eyes and brows were unusually dark. This person was saying some angry words while ill; it seemed he really cared about this matter.
He didn't bother arguing with the patient and sighed inwardly.
“If you don’t want to listen to me, then I won’t say anything. I don’t want to argue with you.”
He turned slightly to the side, causing the person on the bed to move instinctively. He glanced over and saw Xue Yi coughing softly again. Seeing that blood had come out, he quickly put down the book he was holding and took tea and a handkerchief to Xue Yi.
Neither of them spoke, and Lu Xuejin was unaware that his feigned concern was genuine. He looked at the man and wiped Xue Yi's fingers clean one by one with a handkerchief. Xue Yi's scent wafted over, carrying the bitter fragrance of the Golden Palace. His dark eyes watched his movements, and his breathing gradually calmed down.
"Is the blood very dirty?" Xue Yi asked him, his voice coming from above his head.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin looked over. Since the two of them were so close, he let go of her hand. "When we were young, I never complained about the dirt, but now I've developed a germaphobia. If you don't want to see blood again, you should take your medicine properly."
As soon as he let go, Xue Yi immediately gripped his finger bones. His ten fingers were tightly wrapped and sweaty in Xue Yi's palm. Xue Yi stared at him, his expression becoming much calmer, and then leaned closer, pressing his head against his shoulder.
Xue Yi: "Changyou. I'm asking you. Only you don't think that blood is dirty."
Lu Xuejin's shoulder suddenly felt heavy as Xue Yi pressed down on him. Xue Yi had snapped out of his previous state and was now like a cluster of alluring, vibrant peonies. He didn't know what he had done to cause Xue Yi to become so capricious.
He said quietly, "Thank you for reminding me, brother. I need to change my clothes when I get back, so as not to be infected by you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his head to the side. Xue Yi was clinging to him. Hearing this, she pulled him into her arms. The bitter fragrance enveloped him. Xue Yi whispered in his ear, "It's good that you've caught it. Changyou always takes care of me. When will I take care of Changyou for once?"
He felt as if he were holding a bouquet of peonies, the overwhelming fragrance making it hard to breathe. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he noticed that Xue Yi's face had regained some color, and his eyes seemed to show a glimmer of life when he held him. He let himself be held until the medicine was ready, at which point he spoke softly.
"Xue Yi, get up and take your medicine." He spoke, but there was no response.
He looked over and saw Xue Yi with his eyes closed, breathing very lightly, asleep leaning against him.
"Did he not want to take his medicine and time it all down so he fell asleep?" he wondered, gently helping the person to his side. A guard beside him was still holding the medicine. He said to the guard, "Tell me when His Majesty wakes up. I'm in Fangze Palace."
The guard responded, and Lu Xuejin had just walked out of Xiyuan Hall when the guard came out again to chase after him, telling him that Xue Yi was having a nightmare, so he had to go back.
"Ninth Prince?" Ziyan saw the person outside the palace and was slightly surprised.
"Your Highness, your injuries are not yet healed. You should take good care of yourself. The young master has gone out today. Your Highness should return home soon."
Murong Yue had been standing outside the hall for quite some time. That person had brought him back and taken care of him for dozens of days; he must have been very tired, and he shouldn't bother him any longer. But his thoughts had unknowingly led him here, so he decided to wait outside, wanting to catch a glimpse of the person.
“My brother isn’t in the palace…where did he go?” he asked.
"His Majesty summoned the young master," Ziyan said. "The young master went to His Majesty's place."
"Your Majesty?" Murong Yue repeated, Xue Yi's image flashing in his mind. A sudden pain shot through his heart as the memory of that day resurfaced, causing cold sweat to break out on his palms.
His expression remained unchanged as he asked, "I'll wait here for Brother Changyou to come back. Ziyan, you don't need to worry, I'll leave as soon as he gets back."
“This…” Ziyan looked somewhat embarrassed and said to him, “Young Master may not be coming back today. It’s cold outside, Ninth Prince, you don’t need to wait.”
He understood the unspoken meaning in Zi Yan's words and stopped in his tracks. What could they be discussing that required staying out all night? Perhaps Xue Yi had put him in a difficult position. He hadn't shown himself yet and didn't know what had happened on Lu Xuejin's side.
"I understand, Sister Ziyan, thank you," he said.
He turned back, not to his own side courtyard, but to the Shangjing Hall, and went to the back gate to see his third uncle. An old man with white hair, sweeping the floor, opened the door for him and shakily took out a box. Inside the box was a letter.
"Did your uncle send this?" he asked.
The old man nodded and gestured to him. He opened the box; the letter inside was addressed to 'Aqlü Khan'. His uncle's letters were mostly admonitions. He also took out a small package from his pocket, containing an item wrapped in a handkerchief—something his third uncle had asked him to find. He had found it and brought it over.
"Third Uncle, this is for you. There's something else I'd like to ask you... about the person who saved me. I heard he was summoned by Xue Yi, and I wonder if he's in danger."
The old man took the handkerchief, inside which were two emerald green hairpins. They were engraved with the reign title, relics of a previous dynasty. These were originally the hairpins of palace maids; he had learned a little about them when he inquired—they belonged to the mistress his third uncle had served. He watched as his third uncle gripped the hairpins tightly, a few bloodshot veins appearing in his cloudy eyes.
“Third Uncle, if you need anything else, just tell me. You like to eat fish… I didn’t know how to cook it before, but recently a palace maid came to my place and she’s very good at cooking. I’ll personally bring it to you tomorrow. You must try the fish she makes.” Murong Yue said in a low voice, speaking slowly because he was worried that the old man couldn’t hear him.
The old man was getting on in years and his eyesight and hearing were failing. He tried his best to hear him, patted his hand, and shook his head, meaning that he should take care of himself.
Before leaving, the old man also slipped him a handkerchief. He opened it only after he stepped out of the palace gate, and inside were a few taels of loose silver.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
For several days in a row, the servants in the palace kept their heads down, and a gloomy atmosphere enveloped the Golden Palace. Song Zhao hurried past with his guards, and the spring breeze blew through the willows by the palace wall, causing the willow leaves to flutter to the side.
"Recently, rumors have been spreading throughout the city. Among the people, there are rumors that His Majesty is extremely tyrannical in the palace, that he executed three court officials due to political disagreements, and that he mistreated the widow of the late Emperor... I have investigated the sources of these articles. The writing is intense and extremely inflammatory, which is typical of Cui Ruhao's style," Song Zhao reported.
Song Zhao took some of the articles, written in black and white. Xue Yi, with Lu Xuejin watching over him and having taken medicine for several days, was now somewhat calmer and read the articles on the paper.
This man has a fiery temper and is skilled at manipulating words. He has a knack for turning black into white, and if he weren't the emperor, he might even believe it.
"And then?" Xue Yi asked quietly.
Song Zhao: "The first to incite this were the students of the academies in the capital. They wrote articles and caused trouble, demanding an explanation from His Majesty. First, regarding the deaths of three court officials, I have already gone to handle this matter. I issued a proclamation, stating the entire case in its original form, proving that this matter has nothing to do with His Majesty. Second, regarding the Ninth Prince. They are now seizing on this and making a big fuss about it... echoing others' opinions and defaming His Majesty for mistreating the Ninth Prince."
"..." Xue Yi glanced sideways. "He's quite good at writing. But have you found out where he is?"
“I suspect it’s with Miss Wei,” Song Zhao said. “I’ve sent people to keep an eye on things, but haven’t found anything unusual yet. However… there have been other discoveries.”
Seeing that Song Zhao hesitated to speak, Xue Yi said, "Just speak frankly. If even you are unwilling to tell me the truth, how am I supposed to deal with them?"
Song Zhao: "Miss Wei has recently been holding a ceremony, which has brought together the female relatives of almost half of the powerful and influential families in the capital. At the ceremony, she read many articles by the Eldest Princess and Young Master Lu."
“In that case,” Xue Yi said, “it might not be long before court officials come to me to impeach her.”
“Cui Ruhao. If we find his whereabouts, we should deal with him directly and leave no survivors.”
As soon as Xue Yi finished speaking, a guard entered from outside the door and said, "Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince is requesting an audience."
Upon hearing this, Xue Yi and Song Zhao exchanged glances. Xue Yi raised an eyebrow; he hadn't even gone to arrest the person yet, and the person had delivered himself to his doorstep. He looked at Song Zhao and said, "You've come at the right time. Today, let's watch together and see what kind of show he's going to put on."
"Where's Changyou? Tell him to come over."
The guards went to fetch Lu Xuejin. When Lu Xuejin arrived at the Golden Palace, he found Xue Yi and Song Zhao both there. He looked at them quietly, and when his eyes met Xue Yi's, the palace doors creaked open.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." A clear, youthful voice rang out, and the figure of a young man appeared behind the door. After more than half a month, his injuries had barely healed, and the young man had lost some weight. He looked up towards the main hall.
Xue Yi sat in the main seat, his expression unreadable. The shadows from the corridor obscured the faces of the other two. Lu Xuejin and Song Zhao stood on either side of Xue Yi, their expressions contrasting.
"Get up. I heard you were injured a couple of days ago, are you healed now?" Xue Yi asked.
When Lu Xuejin saw Murong Yue, he noticed the boy's slender figure. He had been busy dealing with Xue Yi these past few days and hadn't seen the Ninth Prince. Now, seeing him from afar, the way he was addressed was strangely jarring. He suppressed his emotions and noticed that the boy was holding a white tiger skin in his hand.
When they met eyes, Murong Yue paused for a moment, then realized what was happening, composed himself, and stopped looking at him, pretending that he didn't exist.
"Greetings, Lord Lu, Lord Song," Murong Yue bowed, looking at the tiger skin in his palm with a sincere expression. "My injuries are much better now. A few days ago, I was hunting and didn't notice the arrow that came flying at me, and I almost lost my life. I was lucky to escape with my life. This is the white tiger skin I obtained at the hunting ground that day. Now that my injuries have improved, seeing this divine beast reminded me of Your Majesty, so I came here to present this white tiger skin."
"I had never seen such a divine beast before. Your subject is ignorant and lost his mind after seeing the white tiger. He only wanted to hunt it down and present it to Father."
Murong Yue's expression was innocent, revealing his naivety under everyone's gaze. His eyes were sincere and clear as he carefully stroked the tiger skin in his palm.
Every word fell clearly into his ears. Lu Xuejin listened quietly, staring at the boy in the center of the hall. There were still people beside him, and he almost lost his composure. The shadows of Xue Yi and Song Zhao stretched to the center of the hall, as if they could devour the boy in the center. This fool... doesn't he know that the murderer who wants to kill him is right in front of him.
"The White Tiger is indeed hard to find. It's surprising that you have this intention. Didn't you see who did it that day?" Xue Yi asked, his deep black pupils reflecting Murong Yue's figure and taking in every subtle expression of the young man.
"Your subject..." Murong Yue hesitated for a moment upon hearing this before replying, "Your subject only saw a shadow that day. It should have been a man, and it seems there was more than one. It's a pity that your subject didn't see the face. If I find the real culprit, I will naturally tell Father and ask Father to seek justice for me."
Song Zhao suddenly spoke up from the side: "Did you really kill this white tiger with your own hands?"
“Indeed. Lord Song… I used to hang out with the blacksmiths in the knife shop when I was in Lidu. I don’t like reading, but I enjoy competing with the blacksmiths in strength. A few days ago, I was lucky enough to encounter a white tiger, and I already know how to deal with such a strange beast. If I encounter it again next time, I might be able to bring back a whole tiger skin.” Murong Yue said, his tone tinged with smugness.
The young man in the hall, with a boastful air, recounted in detail how he hunted the wild beast. His description was so vivid, even more exaggerated than what Xue Yi and Song Zhao had witnessed firsthand. In his account, Murong Yue concealed the perilous situation of his near-death experience, focusing only on his own bravery and divine might.
Anyone who looked at him could only see vulgarity and baseness. It was as if his high spirits when facing the tiger that day were just a moment of triumph and pleasure, and that his rough nature was the true nature of a young man.
"You've really put your heart into this. I should reward you for bringing back the tiger skin after all the trouble..." Xue Yi pondered, "Why don't you tell me what reward you'd like?"
"Your subject..." Upon hearing the word "reward," Murong Yue's face immediately lit up with joy, which he quickly concealed, and he said in a low voice, "Your subject's injuries have not yet healed, and I have heard that the deaths of the three court officials may be related to your subject. Your subject will certainly assist Lord Song in finding the true culprit. However, your subject does not wish to go to the criminal trial court... It is not that your subject is unwilling to go, but I have heard that the food there is of poor quality, and your subject would rather stay in the palace."
Gluttony, dullness, emptiness, arrogance, lack of ambition, servility, and obsequiousness—the boy now displays these qualities to the fullest extent.
Even with his benefactor right in front of the palace, he made no mention of Lu Xuejin saving him, only trying to claim credit from Xue Yi. Song Zhao took in the boy's demeanor. If it was true, keeping this person around was pointless, only bringing shame to the previous dynasty's royal family. If it was false, this person absolutely could not be kept, as he might become a catastrophic threat in the future.
"Changyou, what do you think?" Xue Yi asked, turning his gaze to the person beside him.
"This child doesn't want to go to the criminal trial committee, but if he stays at your place every day... it's not a solution. Judging from his appearance, he might have potential. How about sending him to the army?"
"..." Lu Xuejin said, "Sending him to the military camp is not appropriate. He will likely cause trouble for General Xiao. Since the deaths of the three court officials are related to the Ninth Prince, let the Ninth Prince stay by Lord Song's side and work with him to investigate the matter. This way, His Highness's innocence can be cleared."
He mentioned Song Zhao, who looked at him from a distance. His eyes reflected Song Zhao's, who had crescent-shaped eyes, clear and bright. Hearing his suggestion, Song Zhao remained silent for a long while.
Xue Yi: "Song Zhao, what do you think? Are you confident in handling this matter?"
"I will do my best," Song Zhao replied.
Lu Xuejin's gaze fell on the young man in the hall. He vaguely heard what Xue Yi and Song Zhao had said. He noticed the young man had been kneeling, the floor cold. From the moment he entered until now, the young man had only glanced at him once, pretending not to recognize him. An indescribable emotion welled up within him.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave," Xue Yi said.
Seeing Murong Yue take his leave, Lu Xuejin watched him leave. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Xue Yi staring at him and spoke before he could.
Xue Yi: "Changyou, how about staying and playing a game of chess with me?"
“…” He responded and said to Xue Yi, “Brother, drink your medicine first today. I came here for this very reason. Since you found the medicine bitter, I had the guards put some candied fruit in it today.”
The guard brought over the medicine, and with him watching, Xue Yi obediently finished it. Xue Yi stared at the candied fruit in the soup bowl before putting it back.
“You seem very concerned about his affairs,” Xue Yi stared at him, his dark eyes rolling across his face, as if casually mentioning it.
“He is the widow of the late emperor, so I should care about him,” Lu Xuejin replied, then asked, “Don’t I care about my brother?”
“I was just saying, I didn’t blame you,” Xue Yi said, placing his palm over the back of his hand. “You were staring at him the whole time, and I don’t want you to look at other people. He’s vulgar and unworthy of anything… Changyou should stop wasting his time on such a useless person.”
Lu Xuejin thought to himself that the Ninth Prince was not a hopeless case, so he remained silent and did not argue with Xue Yi. He said, "It's my turn, brother. Brother, please don't bring this up again. Let's play chess properly."
He was preoccupied and didn't pay much attention to the game. Xue Yi's black pieces surrounded him, and he lost three games in a row.
Xue Yi put the chess piece aside, her fair face regained its lifelessness, and she looked at him with a lively expression, though her eyebrows and eyes were still dark and heavy, and a small mole under her eye was faintly visible.
"Changyou. You want me to play chess properly, but your mind isn't on it."
"Do you still remember the rules we had when we lost a game of chess? I need to think carefully about how to punish you."
Lu Xuejin snapped out of his reverie, his pupils reflecting Xue Yi's expression. This man had immediately concealed his emotions after recovering from his illness, becoming impenetrable and unfathomable. His outward demeanor during his illness a couple of days ago seemed like an illusion.
“Brother, we didn’t mention any stakes if we lost before we started playing,” he said quietly.
“Changyou is right,” Xue Yi said thoughtfully. “How about we play two more rounds? Or does Changyou want to go back now?”
Lu Xuejin had a bad feeling about him, a feeling that had started when Xue Yi mentioned the military camp. He felt that Xue Yi's words had a hidden meaning. He then remembered some trivial matters.
In their youth, they were inseparable. Whenever he made a new friend, Xue Yi would fall ill. If he went out while Xue Yi was sick, whoever he met would inevitably suffer misfortune. Wei Ning had several such misfortunes: once he broke his front tooth, once he got his forehead shaved while drinking, and another time he almost broke his leg.
Now that he suddenly realized it, he didn't want this bad luck to affect the Ninth Prince.
"..." Lu Xuejin put the chess piece aside and said, "What punishment do you want, brother? Just tell me. I admit defeat."
Upon hearing this, Xue Yi looked at him, slightly turned his head, narrowed his slender eyes, and scrutinized him, a fleeting emotion passing through his eyes.
"How could I bear to punish you? I just want Changyou to stay a little longer... If you're really annoyed, you can go back sooner."
Lu Xuejin had already seen that the person had finished drinking the medicine, so he had nothing to worry about. Before leaving, he told Xue Yi not to get angry and to rest well. When he went out, he ran into Song Zhao. The two stopped at the same time, then walked past each other.
As he walked from the Golden Palace to the Fangze Palace, he caught sight of Murong Yue outside the palace, and all the chaotic emotions in his heart dissipated at that moment.
"Ninth Prince?" Lu Xuejin called out, and the young man's eyes lit up when he heard the noise and saw her.
"Brother Changyou." Murong Yue rushed towards him, and he instinctively caught him, having already developed a habit of doing so. Worried about touching the boy's wounds, he quickly held the boy down.
"Your Highness, don't rush, be careful of your injury," he said.
"Brother...did I look stupid in the palace just now? Are you alright? Did he make things difficult for you?" Murong Yue looked him up and down, his worried eyes revealing his restraint.
He took in the boy's expression, and his heart softened. He couldn't help but sigh softly.
"I'm fine. Your Highness, you don't need to worry about me."
He leaned down slightly to meet Murong Yue's gaze, and said solemnly, "In my opinion, Your Highness is not stupid at all. Your Highness did very well just now... A gentleman conceals his shortcomings in front of others; this is a wise move."
"I think it's amazing that you can behave so naturally in front of others. When I was Your Highness's age, I would never have had such composure."
His words caused the boy's expression to change. Murong Yue's fan-shaped eyes widened slightly, revealing a variety of emotions. The boy gritted his teeth, revealing his canine teeth, and looked at him, saying, "Brother Changyou, aren't you worried... that I might actually be this kind of person? Maybe I'm just putting on an act in front of you."
"Perhaps I am just a coward who is afraid of death and flatters those in power, not what Brother Changyou thinks..."
Before the boy could finish speaking, Lu Xuejin pressed his thumb down to seal the boy's lips, saying quietly, "Your Highness, why must you slander yourself like this? I am not as easily deceived as Your Highness thinks. In my opinion, Your Highness is a good child. Your Highness is intelligent, sensible, tenacious, and has an extraordinary will. Ninth Prince is a person worthy of respect and love."
“I came to find you because I was worried that you might have doubts if you met me. Your Highness need not worry. If you stay in the palace, I will naturally respect your choice,” Lu Xuejin said.
He saw himself reflected in Murong Yue's eyes, and a hint of something unspeakable surfaced in the young man's gaze. Under the moonlight, this obscurity became an ineffable metaphor.
"Brother." His clothes were suddenly grabbed, and Murong Yue's knuckles curled, causing the crane pattern on the corner to twist and clench tightly. The boy's head rested against his neck, and he whispered to him, "Brother Changyou, you are the one who..."
Lu Xuejin: "Alright. Ninth Prince, did you hear what His Highness said? You are to go with Song Zhao to find out the murderer. Song Zhao is not easy to deal with, but he is better than the one in the military camp."
“If Your Highness wishes to visit Fangze Palace in the future, you are welcome to come anytime,” Lu Xuejin suggested. In truth, he was still worried about people and hoped that Murong Yue would come on his own initiative. He was always anxious now that he couldn’t see anyone.
“I understand, brother,” Murong Yue said to him.
He suddenly felt a touch on his fingertips; their index fingers touched briefly before separating. He looked up and saw the boy's brows twitching and his ears turning red. He paused slightly, suddenly remembering the kiss on his neck that day.
“Your Highness, there is one more thing,” Lu Xuejin said after thinking for a moment, “I asked Ziyan, and a few palace maids want to go to Your Highness’s quarters. Your Highness is not young anymore… If you feel that the side hall is lonely, how about letting those palace maids go there?”
"..." The reason for sending the palace maid over is self-evident.
After he made the suggestion, Murong Yue looked at him and asked, "Brother, when you were my age, did you always rely on palace maids to take care of things?"
Lu Xuejin was stumped by the question. He recalled, "I was just making a suggestion. I rarely had contact with women when I was young."
He had the most contact with Wei Ning. Back then, they always discussed how they would live together in the future. He wanted to live with both Xue Yi and Wei Ning, but he couldn't marry Wei Ning at the same time as Xue Yi. Wei Ning declared that he would marry both of them at the same time, and that would solve the problem. He even thought about it for a while because Wei Ning wanted him to be the first wife, and when he was young, he really thought it was a feasible idea.
"Does Brother think I need palace maids?" Murong Yue asked.
“Your Highness,” Lu Xuejin sighed, “pretend I never said anything about this.”
An emotion flashed in Murong Yue's eyes, and his canine tooth flashed as he smiled. "I will seriously consider it. Thank you, Brother Changyou."
Inside the Golden Palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," Song Zhao said, bowing.
Xue Yi: "No need for formalities. Have you found any results?"
Song Zhao: "The results are in. Your Majesty, I have interrogated all the palace servants and reviewed the roster for the past three months. There are about three suspicious individuals. Two of them have been cleared of suspicion. The remaining one is an old servant who was left over from the previous dynasty. This palace servant's surname is Weng and her given name is San. She is nearly sixty years old this year. She served Consort Li in the previous dynasty and now does some cleaning work in the backyard."
“Consort Li,” Xue Yi’s dark eyes narrowed, and he tapped his finger lightly on the table, “I haven’t heard this name in a long time.”
"What does Your Majesty intend to do?" Song Zhao asked.
Xue Yi: "Since it's related to Consort Li, and he just came a couple of days ago, let him handle it."
Song Zhao responded with a "Yes," and was about to take his leave when Xue Yi called his name.
The young emperor's face was hidden under the beams, as if he were sighing softly, asking him, "I want to move the marriage forward. Can you help me? None of the ministers agree to this... but I still want to do it."
Song Zhao stood still and replied, "Of course. Since it is His Majesty's wish, I will do my best to fulfill it."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured."
In the side hall, Tengluo was humming a little tune as she worked when the door creaked open. She knew the Ninth Prince had returned. Ever since he was able to get out of bed, His Highness had been running around everywhere. Although he seemed to be alright, she couldn't help but chime in.
"Your Highness, you must be careful of your injury. You've been running around since you got out of bed. What if your wound reopens?" Tengluo said.
Murong Yue ignored her, glanced at her, and tossed her two fish.
The fish were taken from the kitchen as I passed by; the two bass swishing their tails startled Tengluo. She quickly caught them.
"Your Highness...would you like fish tonight?"
“If you don’t want to eat it, then you can cook it. I’m going to give this fish away. Braise one, and make the other into a soft fish soup, the finer the better,” Murong Yue said.
After saying that, Murong Yue looked at the way Tengluo was holding the fish and added, "If you want to eat it, I will bring the fish back tomorrow."
“Your Highness, there are rumors circulating in the kitchen lately that you took the stolen items,” Tengluo said. She guessed that perhaps Murong Yue had passed by a few times, and that's how the matter was framed.
“Perhaps,” Murong Yue said. “Since they all say so, I’ll confirm it. You don’t need to be polite in the future; just take whatever you want.”
Upon hearing this, Tengluo's eyes widened. She had followed Lu Xuejin since she was young, and Lu Xuejin, with his gentlemanly demeanor, had never taught her such things. Since following the Ninth Prince, her life had been completely different from before. The Ninth Prince did as he pleased, and she always felt that there was a kind of natural evil about him. None of the bad people in the palace were a match for the Ninth Prince.
"Well... alright, I'll try next time." She accepted in a second.
Tengluo prepared the two fish, braising one as instructed by Murong Yue and simmering the other into fish soup. The fish soup was snow-white, with the fish meat inside resembling silver pearls, the fish roe wrapped in lotus root, and the fish head lying perfectly in the center.
She finished and watched as Murong Yue carefully placed the two fish into a thermos. Then she carried the thermos out.
After a few days, things calmed down.
Ziyan: "Recently, rumors have been spreading throughout the capital, and His Majesty is busy dealing with them. I heard that many students from academies have gathered in the city, requesting an audience with His Majesty."
"Is there any news from Wei Ning?" Lu Xuejin asked.
Ziyan: "Miss Wei sent a message telling the young master not to take any action recently. Lord Song has sent many people to guard the Wei residence. She will contact us again when she finds an opportunity."
Lu Xuejin responded, glancing at the article Cui Ruhao had written. This man was a natural storyteller, his writing highly persuasive, simple yet powerful. The article contained the Ninth Prince's name; Xue Yi wanted to present himself as a benevolent ruler to the people, and Cui Ruhao seized upon this to make a big deal out of it, perhaps managing to save Murong Yue's life this time.
As he thought this, he saw the boy's figure through the window. Last time, he said he could come anytime, and he always saw Murong Yue lingering outside his palace. Now, seeing someone knocking on the door, the boy's conflicted look made him watch for a long time.
"Brother Changyou." As the boy knocked on the door, he turned his gaze away.
"Your Highness, please come in." He let the boy in, and the boy stood before him, looking very lively.
"Your Highness... come closer." Lu Xuejin called softly. As soon as he called, Murong Yue obediently walked up to him. He touched the boy's collar, and after thinking for a while, he still wanted to take a look.
The boy has been lively and energetic ever since he was able to get out of bed. Although a month has passed, the memory of that day still makes me worry.
"Your Highness, please let me see how your injuries are. I'm always worried that they haven't fully healed. I'd appreciate it if you could take a look, so I can put my mind at ease," Lu Xuejin said.
"Brother, I'm almost fully recovered," Murong Yue said, while still unbuttoning his clothes to show him his injuries as instructed.
The outer robe was an ordinary round-necked garment, but the crane pattern on the inner robe looked somewhat familiar. Lu Xuejin recognized it as his clothes; perhaps it had been taken by Tengluo. He himself didn't even know where he had kept his clothes from his childhood. The snow-white crane pattern on the boy's neck was faintly visible, giving him a strange feeling.
His inner garment was removed, revealing the young man's body. Murong Yue's body was tall and strong, with long hair flowing down his sides, and a scar running along his left side where his heart was. The scar was clearly visible, and Murong Yue glanced down at it, his sharp eyes showing no emotion, but rather reflecting his own image with a calm and collected expression.
"Brother, feel it, it's fine."
His wrist was then grasped, and the skin on his wrist suddenly became hot. The boy's body temperature was scorching hot, and thin calluses were imprinted on his wrist bones, leading his fingers to touch his chest.
Lu Xuejin's fingers froze instantly when he touched the scar. The young man in front of him smiled, revealing his prominent canine teeth and dazzling eyes. He stroked Lu Xuejin's wrist with his palm and leaned closer, saying, "Thanks to you, brother, I was able to escape with my life."
His pupils reflected Murong Yue's approaching figure; he stared at him for a while before withdrawing his hand.
“Your Highness need not take this to heart. Although it seems to be better... Your Highness should still be careful not to touch the injury,” he said.
"I understand, Changyou-ge." He was hugged again, and the boy became clingy again, as if his previous domineering attitude was an illusion. The burning sensation still lingered in his palm.
“Brother. I’ve thought about your suggestion carefully after I got back… I don’t want to ruin a woman. I’ve been troubled by love lately, brother, please teach me how to handle this,” Murong Yue said in his arms.
Lu Xuejin's attention was focused on his palm, feeling a tingling and burning sensation in it after touching Murong Yue's chest. He hadn't yet discerned the boy's voice, only noticing the boy's canine teeth rubbing against his neck, as if ready to bite him at any moment.
"Brother Changyou," Murong Yue called him softly, "You're not saying anything, does that mean you agree?"
"..." Lu Xuejin came to his senses, touched Murong Yue's nape with his palm, and gently pulled him like a kitten, making the boy keep a little distance from him.
He gently pulled the person away, and the voice of "Taxi driver" kept calling in his ear, almost making him fall for it.
"What did Your Highness just say? Say it again," he asked quietly.
“I said, brother, teach me.” Murong Yue repeated himself, his clear black and white eyes looking at him with sincerity and enthusiasm, and a hint of expectation in them.
Lu Xuejin had felt he shouldn't have brought this up last time; every time he met someone, the boy's body heat was scalding. Now, looking at him expectantly, he couldn't bring himself to refuse Murong Yue's request.
The boy was like a cheerful bouquet of flowers blooming beside me; if he said no, that flower might immediately wither.
"..." He subconsciously touched the boy's tiger teeth, felt the two sharp objects, looked down at them for a moment, and said gently, "If Your Highness is really curious about this matter, you will naturally know what to do when you meet a woman you like. This matter can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words."
“I cannot teach Your Highness,” he sighed.
Hearing this, Murong Yue turned his head, his fan-shaped eyelids drooping slightly, "I hadn't thought about this before. Ever since you brought it up, I've been thinking about it. I can't trust anyone else in this palace, I only want to be with you."
Lu Xuejin: "...Your Highness and I are both men."
He paused, reflecting on whether he had been too concerned about the young man. The Ninth Prince was still young; if he were to go astray because of him, he might have no face to face the late Emperor.
"Brother Changyou." Murong Yue approached him and called him softly, his breath brushing against his ear, still holding him tightly and unwilling to let go.
"Brother. Brother. Brother."
Lu Xuejin recalled the first time his teacher praised him when he was young; the children below the stage all looked at him with starry eyes, and he became uncontrollable under their gazes. The current scene felt like a return to the first time he answered the teacher's question, making him waver.
"Ninth Prince," Lu Xuejin sighed, looking at the man, "what do you intend to do?"
As soon as he relented, a glint of cunning flashed in the boy's eyes, his smile barely concealed, before his face quickly regained its composure. Only his ears remained bright red, like a kitten struggling to hide its tail, slyly waving its paws.
“I want my own brother,” Murong Yue said to him.
Why would you need to inform your relatives beforehand? Lu Xuejin looked at the person and thought that if you did that to someone you liked, they would probably laugh out loud, and there would be no atmosphere at all.
"Your Highness." He spoke, meeting the gaze of the young man before him. Murong Yue opened his fan-shaped eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. When he wasn't smiling, the young man was handsome and aloof, but when he smiled, his expression was sharp and radiant, reminiscent of the brilliance of a gemstone's sharp edges reflecting the sunlight.
The boy turned his nose to the side, his breath close, and he immediately felt a coolness on his earlobe as a gentle kiss landed on the tip. It was a light, fleeting touch, excessively gentle, yet accompanied by a warm, wet sensation, which his canine teeth bit down on.
He recalled the first time he met someone, Murong Yue bit him.
A sharp pain shot through his ear; he could clearly feel where his canine teeth had rubbed against him. He inhaled slightly, and the boy immediately released his grip, feigning composure as he looked at him.
"Brother. Does it hurt?" Murong Yue asked him.
He looked up and paused. The boy's eyes were shining brightly, as if he had found a fun toy; his gaze was deep and intense. The boy's face was as red as a bursting cherry tomato, his entire face flushed.
"..." Lu Xuejin calmed down, temporarily ignoring the pain in his ear. He looked at the person thoughtfully, moved closer to the boy, and gently blew a breath.
Murong Yue's entire body slowly cracked open like a statue, his blood vessels and pores bursting open. Due to excessive excitement, he fainted.
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