《Stigma (Yi Cong Yin)》


 CH 1

    Edited By: Sab


    In the thirty-ninth year of the Fengxing era, the emperor passed away.


    The city was covered in heavy snow, and the whole country was in grief.


    In the middle of the night, the long imperial corridor south of the Chengan Palace Gate was filled with mourning banners that danced in the chaotic snow. Against the backdrop of flickering lights, it resembled the road that led to the Yellow Springs.


    Towards the west, after crossing two long, vacant streets, was a dark, dismal abode. This was the residence of the only prince without the imperial surname. Above the entryway, the plaque read Prince Jing¡¯s Manor.


    A clear set of footprints were left on the snow-covered limestone path, and a man robed in black court dress walked slowly, his clothing dragging behind him in the snow.


    In such heavy snow, he didn¡¯t carry an umbrella, so a heap of snow rested on his shoulders. He held a small sandalwood tray and on top of it was a jade bottle, full of wine. A thin layer of frost had formed on the bottle because of the freezing weather.


    It was already midnight. The gates of the residence were wide open, and from the outside, Prince Jing¡¯s Manor appeared to be grand and majestic. However, the inside was very desolate, full of wilted grass, and it was not much better than the famous haunted houses in the capital.


    As the heavy snow fell from the sky, Song Xian walked through the vestibule, passed through a veranda, and arrived at the residence of the Jing Prince.


    The courtyard of the Jing Prince Sui Yan was small. It had been left untouched for a long time, and wilted grass covered the entire area. There were only a few small kerosene lanterns burning quietly on the promenade.


    Song Xian was expressionless. He stepped in steadily without spilling a drop of the wine from the bottle in his hand. Just as he entered the courtyard, the door on the side suddenly opened.


    Song Xian looked over to see Sui Yan stepping out of the room.


    According to rumors, even though the incompetent, good-for-nothing prince Sui Yan had been confined for a year, he was still incomparably beautiful.


    He was dressed in a purple robe embroidered with begonia flowers. He was extremely gorgeous. Standing in the corridor, he looked as if he had just stepped out of a painting.


    The two had not seen each other for ten years, but Sui Yan still looked like that calm and graceful youth from before.


    Sui Yan¡¯s peach blossom eyes narrowed, and he sauntered towards the bench in the corridor, lazily lying on it as if he was the only person in the room. He stared at the small lantern by his feet and seemed to be in a good mood.


    Song Xian stepped forward and placed the small sandalwood tray on the stone table nearby. He lightly said, ¡°Wanggui, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Sui Yan seemed to be stunned for a moment. He squinted at the person in front of him and finally smiled, saying, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Who are you again?¡±


    Song Xian, ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Song Xian, I used to study with Your Highness and the Third Prince,¡± Song Xian lightly replied, ¡°Your Highness is really forgetful. But thinking about it, in the seven years that His Majesty and I were confined to Canglin Temple, how could Prince Jing, the true master of the court, remember a nobody like me?¡±


    Song Xian?


    Sui Yan blinked, but he couldn¡¯t remember who this was. However, he heard the resentment in the other person¡¯s voice, and he hurriedly replied, ¡°Ohhh, now I remember, Song Xian. Lord Song must be very busy. How would he have the time to come visit me?¡±


    Song Xian didn¡¯t expose him. He glanced indifferently at Sui Yan¡¯s vibrant clothing and the lantern by his feet, and he warned, ¡°The whole nation is in mourning. I¡¯m afraid acting so ostentatiously is inappropriate.¡±


    During the national mourning period, whether it was high-ranking officials or the common people, they had to dress in plain white silk, and all forms of entertainment were forbidden.


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t today the Lantern Festival? What¡¯s inappropriate? Oh, did the emperor pass away?¡±


    Song Xian furrowed his brows.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in this damn place for over a year. Except for the housekeeper who delivers my meals, I haven¡¯t seen a single person. Surprisingly, nobody informed me about such a major event.¡± Sui Yan stood up and untied the purple robe he wore, revealing a thin plain garment inside.


    Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an exquisite mourning robe.


    Song Xian furrowed his brow, ¡°You already knew that the emperor passed away?¡±


    Under such heavy snow, Sui Yan, who was just wearing a thin robe, was already shivering from the cold, but still he smiled, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I have been longing for his death. After so many years, these mourning robes can finally be of use¡ª¡ªSo, Lord Song, why have you come to find me so late at night? Is it to inform me of the will of the new emperor?¡±


    Vbcu Wljc kjr regqglrfv, ¡°Lbk vlv sbe xcbk?¡±


    Vbcu Wljc ifa atf rcbk ojii bc tlw, jcv tf ilutais gfqilfv, ¡°Pa¡¯r cba tjgv ab uefrr. Ccv lo P¡¯w cba wlrajxfc, atf klcf ybaaif lc sbeg tjcv wera yf oliifv klat ¡®Valuwj,¡¯ gluta?¡±


    ¡°Valuwj¡± kjr j rfmgfa wfvlmlcf bo atf qjijmf. Pa kjr erejiis ulnfc ab wfwyfgr bo atf lwqfglji ojwlis ktb kfgf klmxfv. Ycmf atfs vglcx atf klcf, atf vlrugjmf atfs mjerfv atf gbsji ojwlis vlrjqqfjgr. Ktflg ilqr klii yf rfjifv obgfnfg, jcv atfs klii bcis tjnf akb tbegr ifoa ab ilnf.


    Song Xian took a deep breath and said, ¡°The late emperor¡¯s last words were to let His Majesty grant Your Highness this glass of wine.¡±


    In the royal family, the meaning of granting wine was crystal clear.


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He glanced at the exquisite wine bottle, and thought, I plotted so hard for Duan Zhisu for so many years only to die at his hands? Damn it all to hell.


    All these years, Sui Yan did many things to vindicate Duan Zhisu both openly and covertly, yet nobody knew. Even the late emperor thought Sui Yan had been so calculating just to benefit himself.


    No, Sui Yan thought, I have done so much. I can¡¯t hide it anymore, or else I won¡¯t be able to die peacefully.


    Sui Yan held an attitude of ¡°not letting everyone live in peace even after dying.¡± He turned slightly, his blue silk shawl hanging like a waterfall. The corner of his lips curled, and he whispered softly, ¡°Lord Song, do you want to know why the late emperor still fears me even after his death?¡±


    A trace of disgust flashed in Song Xian¡¯s eyes. He clearly knew of Sui Yan¡¯s sins, and he recited, ¡°On the surface, you¡¯re arrogant and willful, and you show indifference for the happenings in court. However, you rallied many court officials in secret. In the three years that you were in court, if any virtuous and loyal ministers¡¯ political views differed from yours, they would not escape from tragedy and death. Even the people were furious, and their complaints about you can be piled into a mountain.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes curled. He looked like a wealthy young master without a care for the world. An outsider wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine that he had done all of these cruel and ridiculous things.


    This man was beautiful, but deep down, he was very cold-hearted and cruel.


    Sui Yan smiled, ¡°If someone like you, who just returned to the capital, can see everything clearly, then the late emperor must have known of all the things that I have done. But do you know why he only kept me in confinement after everything I¡¯ve done?¡±


    Song Xian was silent.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t feel like he was performing a one-man show, and he said to himself, ¡°He didn¡¯t kill me or free me. He feared me and doted upon me, yet he let Duan Zhisu grant me a glass of Stigma before he died. Doesn¡¯t he want me to accompany him in death?¡±


    As he spoke, he felt ridiculous and laughed.


    ¡°But what am I to him, that he wants me to accompany him to die?¡± Sui Yan¡¯s imagination ran wild, ¡°Does my Imperial Uncle also have that kind of dirty thoughts about me?¡±


    Also?


    Song Xian furrowed his brows. He couldn¡¯t understand what Sui Yan meant by ¡°also,¡± but he didn¡¯t think more about it, directly asking, ¡°Why?¡±


    Sui Yan stopped his provocation, and said indifferently, ¡°Because the Second and Fifth Princes, who were doted upon, were all defeated by me.¡±


    Song Xian was shocked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Second and Fifth Princes orchestrated the death of the Crown Prince at the palace banquet seven years ago, and they placed the blame on the Third Prince, Duan Zhisu. As a result, everyone related to Duan Zhisu was punished by the death of a thousand cuts or exile. Even the Third Prince himself was imprisoned at Canglin Temple for seven years. If you are wronged, there¡¯s a debt to be paid back. I just paid the two princes back. They weren¡¯t wronged. Do you agree, Lord Song?¡±


    Song Xian felt that Sui Yan seemed foreign, and his indifferent face was full of shock.


    Sui Yan smiled softly and whispered, ¡°Lord Song, Duan Zhisu and I have known each other since childhood. He didn¡¯t even come to see me one last time. Do you know why?¡±


    Song Xian felt numb as he listened. He couldn¡¯t reconcile the demon in front of him with the graceful, smiling youth in his memories.


    Sui Yan¡¯s voice got even softer, ¡°It¡¯s because the new emperor believes that I only remained unscathed that year because I betrayed him. While everyone related to him was implicated, I was bestowed with the title of prince when the late emperor went to Canglin Temple, becoming the only prince without the imperial surname.¡±


    Song Xian¡¯s eyes darkened, and he murmured, ¡°You really¡­.did that?¡±


    That year he was still in the capital, and he remembered the night before Duan Zhisu had been convicted, Sui Yan had gone to the palace overnight and returned the next day.


    Since then, Duan Zhisu was imprisoned in Canglin Temple for life, while his closest friend, Sui Yan, was only asked to reflect for a few days. Sui Yan had also been granted many treasures and medicinal herbs, and was soon bestowed with the title of prince, becoming a sensation.


    It was precisely because of this that all these years, people in court believed that the reason why Duan Zhisu was imprisoned for so long and remained in exile because Sui Yan sold out his master to protect himself.


    But only Sui Yan knew the truth.


    Sui Yan blinked at him and smiled slyly, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Song Xian didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Sui Yan smiled softly and whispered, ¡°Lord Song, although I have done a great deal of evil all these years, I haven¡¯t changed my original intentions and loyalty to the Third Prince. Oh, he¡¯s now the emperor. Will you tell His Majesty everything I told you today and let him spare me for old times¡¯ sake?¡±


    Song Xian¡¯s expression remained horrified, and he replied, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    If what Sui Yan said was true, then he had no intentions for the throne. He had simply wanted to vindicate Duan Zhisu. If Duan Zhisu learned of the truth after bestowing this cup of poisoned wine, how much regret would he feel?


    Looking at the smiling Sui Yan before him, Song Xian suddenly saw the graceful, luxurious, and pure youth from back then.


    Song Xian was in a daze. Sui Yan still looked like the frivolous, unrestrained youth who leaned on fences and tossed flowers.


    Song Xian moved his lips, ¡°You¡­.why did you do this?¡±


    Sui Yan blinked and replied, ¡°Lord Song¡¯s question is strange. We studied together with the Third Prince back then. When he fell into dire straits, you accompanied him at Canglin Temple for so many years without a single question. Is it strange that I schemed in court to help vindicate him?¡±


    Song Xian was silent.


    He wasn¡¯t the only person who had cared.


    Sui Yan said, ¡°Then Lord Song must remember to go back and report this to His Majesty the new emperor, so Wanggui won¡¯t have any regrets.¡±


    Song Xian responded absentmindedly. Just as he was about to take the ridiculous bottle of ¡°Stigma¡± back to report to the emperor, he heard Sui Yan give a soft ¡°ah.¡±


    He turned to see the thin and handsome man pick up the bottle of ¡°Stigma¡± that had been placed on top of the small tray.


    Before he could react, Sui Yan downed the poisoned wine.


    Song Xian was stunned. He reacted a moment later, aghast, ¡°Sui Wanggui!¡±


    There were still some wine stains on Sui Yan¡¯s lips. His lips were dark red.


    He gently threw the jade bottle onto the ground, and it shattered. Sui Yan softly said, ¡°Lord Song will tell His Majesty, right?¡±


    Lord Song was stunned.


    Sui Yan looked at his expression and seemed to find it funny. He laughed loudly.


    ¡°Lord Song, you must tell the new emperor about how I survived in this dangerous and treacherous court all these years for him. Tell him about how I worked hard to wash away his grievances and how I racked my brains to drag down those two princes. Tell him about how I became such a wicked and scheming person for him.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s tone was full of malice, but his voice was as soft as water.


    ¡°Finally, tell him about my willingness to die for him. Tell him how I was granted death with a glass of ¡®Stigma¡¯ in this desolate courtyard.¡±


    Song Xian couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back.


    After Sui Yan finished speaking, he seemed to have lost all of his strength. He staggered back onto the couch, closing his eyes lightly.


    Song Xian¡¯s lips trembled, ¡°You had to¡­¡±


    Sui Yan snorted and replied, ¡°Yes, I am this kind of person. Even if I die, I won¡¯t let everyone live happily. Of course, you can choose to conceal this matter. But knowing Duan Zhisu¡¯s, he will find out about everything within half a year.¡±


    Song Xian, ¡°You¡­..¡±


    Sui Yan was annoyed. He didn¡¯t want to waste time talking to Song Xian. He quietly said, ¡°Lord Song, you have been here for too long. Go back.¡±


    Song Xian was shooed away. He left muddle headed, only reacting once he reached the door of the manor. He froze for a while before hurriedly walking towards the palace.


    Sui Yan was still lying on the soft couch lazily. His lips were very red.


    He seemed to be unaware of his imminent death. He hummed an unknown tune, but it was so off-key that he couldn¡¯t bear to listen to it anymore.


    The snow fell harder and drifted onto him from the open corridor. Soon, half of his body was covered by a thin layer of snow.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t notice it. Upon closer inspection, his eyes had lost their brilliance long ago. He was still humming slowly.


    Footsteps sounded nearby. Sui Yan didn¡¯t open his eyes, lazily asking, ¡°You came to see me off?¡±


    A man dressed in red stood beside him, a red cloak draped over his shoulder, blocking the raging wind and snow.


    The man was as pretty as a beauty. There was a seductive cinnabar dot between his brows, and his eyes drooped, filled with coldness. Seeing the miserable condition that Sui Yan was in, there wasn¡¯t the slightest ripple in his eyes, and he coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m here to collect your corpse.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Sui Yan laughed. He opened his long, narrow eyes and said, ¡°Yuejian-ah, you are even willing to collect the corpse of someone like me. Seems like you really value the old relationship between us.¡±


    Yuejian coldly replied, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t come to collect your corpse, all of your enemies in the capital would whip your corpse before throwing it into a mass grave to feed wild beasts. Prince Jing, who used to be so powerful, could die in such a way. Aren¡¯t you afraid of becoming a lonely ghost?¡±


    Sui Yan replied thoughtfully, ¡°Dying like this is not bad.¡±


    Yuejian was silent.


    The two of them waited quietly. The wind whistled by, bringing snow with it. Sui Yan¡¯s body was soon covered with a layer of white snow, making his face seem even paler.


    After a long time, Yuejian softly said, ¡°Sui Yan?¡±


    Nobody responded.


    Yuejian said, ¡°Wanggui?¡±


    He tilted his head and saw Sui Yan, who was lying on the soft couch. His eyes had been closed for a while, and a layer of frost had formed on his long lashes.


    Yuejian leaned over and stretched out a slender hand to wipe a trace of blood from Sui Yan¡¯s lips. After a while, he whispered, ¡°You are too tired.¡±


    He untied his red cloak and laid it upon Sui Yan¡¯s cold body. He smiled as if the person in front of him was just sleeping.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    The courtyard was full of lanterns, and the snow fell, sparkling like crystals.


    After the heavy snow, everything was covered in silver.


    A new emperor rose to power, and a new dynasty began.

 CH 2

    Water rushed towards him from every direction.


    In the chaos, Sui Yan felt muddleheaded. He suddenly began to suffocate. His instincts made him reach out to grab at something, and he felt a hand pull him up.


    Air rushed into his lungs, and he panted hard. He struggled to open his eyes to glance at the person in front of him, and he froze.


    A drenched youth stood before him, glaring, ¡°Sui Wanggui! Are you seeking to die? So close to the shore, it serves you right to drown!¡±


    Sui Yan was stunned, and he belatedly realized that things didn¡¯t seem right.


    Hadn¡¯t he just been poisoned to death by the bottle of wine in Prince Jing¡¯s Manor?


    How was he still alive?


    The youth in front of him became increasingly familiar. When he began to speak, Sui Yan recognized that this was Song Xian.


    He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen. He was immature, and he was panting angrily.


    When he saw Sui Yan staring at him without blinking, he became even more furious.


    ¡°What are you looking at? I was almost killed by you just now, Little Young Master. If you want to die, please find a quiet place to jump into the river, don¡¯t drag me along.¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him expressionlessly. He stood up and jumped into the river again without hesitating.


    There was a loud splash.


    Song Xian, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ever since the Third Prince Duan Zhisu fell from favor, Sui Yan kept a low profile in the capital. He lurked for three years before returning to court.


    He then proceeded to do everything he could, both openly and covertly, to drag down every prince who had the potential to become the crown prince. The emperor was terrified, and on his deathbed, he instructed the Third Prince to grant Sui Yan poisoned wine. Thus, Sui Yan met his tragic end in a deserted courtyard.


    When he plotted for the death of the first person, Sui Yan already knew of the consequences. He understood that once the emperor passed away, he would soon follow, so he didn¡¯t hate the Third Prince, who had granted him the glass of Stigma. Instead, he was grateful for the glass of poisoned wine.


    The words he had said before his death were only to make the arrogant Song Xian feel uncomfortable. He had always been the type of person who would ruin others¡¯ moods when he felt unhappy. That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t been afraid and had talked so boldly with Song Xian.


    For a long time, he had nothing to look forward to, so the glass of Stigma was unnecessary. He was only looking for a justifiable way to die.


    It¡¯s just that Sui Yan had never expected to wake up again, so his first thought when he was rescued by the young Song Xian was that he was hallucinating.


    When he was fifteen, he had wandered in the city with Song Xian and fallen into a cold river by accident. As a result, he became frail and sickly. His condition steadily deteriorated, and he was barely hanging on by the time he was twenty-five.


    Sui Yan was confused. He thought, Even if it¡¯s just a hallucination before death, why should I see the scoundrel Song Xian?


    To make sure this was really a hallucination, he jumped back into the river without any hesitation.


    I don¡¯t have any nostalgia or regrets. It¡¯s better to die quickly. So annoying, Sui Yan thought before jumping.


    It was freezing. Through the murky water, Sui Yan seemed to see someone leap into the water and swim towards him.


    Sui Yan wildly thought, Who is this foolish person? Don¡¯t come. Don¡¯t lose your life to save mine.


    A corner of an ink-colored shirt seemed to float in front of him, but Sui Yan had already lost consciousness.


    Qtfc Vel Tjc gfujlcfv tlr mbcrmlbercfrr, tlr ktbif ybvs ofia iluta, jcv tf rffwfv ab yf oibjalcu. Lf tfjgv j yehhlcu cblrf jr lo tf tjv yffc tla bc atf yjmx bo tlr tfjv.


    Lf lcralcmalnfis kjcafv ab rla eq, yea tf ofia j kjnf bo vlhhlcfrr pera jr tf reqqbgafv tlwrfio eq, jcv tf ofii yjmx bcab atf yfv.


    There seemed to be a crowd arguing in his mind, and he was very annoyed.


    ¡°Third Prince Duan Zhisu, convicted of conspiring to murder his brother, granted death.¡±


    Next, he heard the sound of porcelain shattering.


    ¡°Wanggui, you really want to risk everything and get involved in this dispute? Duan Zhisu has already been sentenced, and you have no chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°Sui Yan! Sui Yan, are you still alive?¡±


    ¡°Prince Jing is really defending his honor, but at times like these, how much is honor worth? You either die or live today. Choose one.¡±


    ¡°When you are close to an unfavored prince, nobody would care even if you were to shamelessly warm a man¡¯s bed.¡±


    ¡°The Third Prince¡­Has already returned to the capital from Canglin Temple. Can you¡­wait?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    There were too many people, and too many voices were clamoring in his ears. Sui Yan felt angry, sad, and desperate. These feelings weighed upon his chest, and he nearly exploded.


    His fever was too high, and he couldn¡¯t even tell what year it was. He vaguely said, ¡°Uncle Zhao¡­¡­¡±


    He heard the sound of shattering porcelain, followed by distant crying.


    Sui Yan felt someone pull open his mouth and feed him a bowl of bitter medicine.


    He was long used to the bitter taste, and Sui Yan swallowed the medicine without protest.


    Someone on the side said, ¡°He finally drank the medicine. He will be fine after a few days.¡±


    Sui Yan was confused. He thought, What type of quack doctor is this? The sickness has been in my bones for many years, and no medicine can cure it. What does he mean by there being no big problems? This is ridiculous.


    However, the medicine prescribed by the quack doctor seemed to have worked. After a while, Sui Yan felt his strength return to him. He weakly opened his eyes. Glancing at his side, he was met with a face that was both familiar and foreign.


    ¡°Haitang?¡±


    The feminine name Haitang actually belonged to an immature boy.


    His face was currently streaked with tears. He leaned on the side of the bed and looked at Sui Yan aggrievedly, ¡°Little Young Master, you have been in a coma for three days. That person surnamed Song is really hateful. He didn¡¯t rescue you and let you stay in that frozen river for so long. Wu¨C if something had really happened to you, I would have asked the Second Young Master to seek an audience with the emperor. This way, that person surnamed Song can be convicted of his crimes. Fortunately, someone saved you in time¡­¡±


    A low, hoarse voice came from the side, ¡°Enough, Haitang. Don¡¯t bother Little Young Master. Go get the medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan turned his head and saw a middle-aged man wearing a butler¡¯s uniform. He froze and said, ¡°Uncle Zhao?¡±


    Li Zhao was calm. He reached over and touched Sui Yan¡¯s forehead, frowning, ¡°It¡¯s still a little hot, are you uncomfortable?¡±


    Sui Yan stared at the two people in front of him blankly as his memories slowly returned to him.


    A moment later, he took a deep breath and fainted again.


    Haitang, Li Zhao, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Help! Young Master fainted again!¡±


    Three days later, Sui Yan woke up dazed from the fever and accepted the fact that he had been reborn.


    Ordinary people would either be frightened or happy when encountering a rebirth. However, Sui Yan was extremely calm, and he even felt cold. He thought blankly, Doing everything all over again, wouldn¡¯t I still die in the end? Why bother?


    He had no intentions of survival to begin with. Thinking about it, he became even more disheartened, and he didn¡¯t even bother to drink the life-saving medicine that Haitang carefully carried over.


    The bitter medicine was covered in white steam. Haitang looked at the sickly Sui Yan, who was resting on the soft bed, and whispered, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s time to drink your medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan lazily responded. He took the bowl and sniffed at its contents. Instantly, his expression changed, and he nearly threw up.


    Haitang rushed over to pat his back, ¡°Young Master?¡±


    In the past, Sui Yan had no choice but to drink medicine to prolong his life. Now that he was too lazy to continue living, why should he bother to drink something this bitter? Wouldn¡¯t he be pointlessly suffering?


    Thinking like this, he put the medicine down and shook his head to indicate that he was alright, ¡°I heard you say that I was saved by someone when I fell into the water. Who was it?¡±


    Haitang hesitated, ¡°He happened to be doing errands outside of the palace¡­¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s heart thumped.


    Haitang mumbled, ¡°¡­¡­It was the Crown Prince.¡±


    Sui Yan was at a loss. In his previous life, Song Xian had frozen in shock, and by the time he reacted to save himself, it was already too late, and Sui Yan remained sickly for the rest of his life.


    In this life, he even jumped into the river twice. Why did the Crown Prince jump in to save him?


    Sui Yan¡¯s head began to hurt as he thought about it, and he gave up on figuring it out.


    Haitang said, ¡°Young Master, drink the medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan absentmindedly replied, ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Haitang urged him again before bowing and leaving.


    Sui Yan slowly got up from the bed and glanced out the window, only to realize it was snowing heavily outside. The floating snow seemed like goose feathers, and it was very dazzling.


    In a daze, he remembered that the sky was also full of snow as he died.


    Sui Yan slowly walked over to the window and opened it halfway. The heavy snow was blown in by the cold wind, and he nearly got a faceful of snow.


    Outside the window, the large manor with its rock garden, pavilions, snow-covered trees, and candlesticks looked the same as the one in his memories.


    Sui Yan lazily leaned by the window. His expression was complex as his gaze swept over the scenery in the courtyard. He carried the bowl of medicine in his hand and neatly poured its contents outside the window.


    The snow outside was dyed black.


    He lowered his gaze and lazily watched as fresh snow covered the snow that had been stained. Then, he closed the window and laid back on the bed, quickly falling asleep again.


    The Sui Family was full of warriors and martyrs. They had guarded the frontiers for generations and fought year-long battles to expand the territory of Beilan.


    But something went wrong with the Sui Family¡¯s Little Young Master. Ever since he was young, he disliked fighting. Instead, he was unruly and careless. Everybody in the capital knew the Sui Family, known for generations of gallant generals, had produced an arrogant and willful Little Young Master.


    When Sui Yan was young, his father and two elder brothers were still alive. The Sui Family didn¡¯t need to rely on him. In addition, the Old Madam pampered Sui Yan because of his weak constitution and didn¡¯t want him to join his father on the battlefield. As a result, Sui Yan simply did whatever he liked.


    It was not until Sui Yan was ten years old that his two elder brothers and General Sui died in battle. The Old Madam soon followed in grief. Sui Yan was forced to leave his hometown for the capital, and he learned to survive in this scheming place fraught with danger.


    In his previous life, he didn¡¯t know how to conceal his abilities and bide for time. He insisted on becoming the right-hand man of the Third Prince, and he schemed for the prince both openly and covertly.


    But in this life, Sui Yan didn¡¯t plan to get involved in such murky waters. It was too annoying.


    Because the Sui Family had been martyred at the southern borders, the emperor took great care of its last remaining member.


    Within hours of his falling into the water, imperial physicians were sent from the palace to treat Sui Yan. However, the expensive medicine they prescribed was poured on the bare osmanthus tree outside by Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan still looked sickly seven days after the accident, and the imperial physicians were all helpless. After much discussion, they nervously proposed to perform acupuncture on the Little Young Master.


    Sui Yan¡¯s lips curled slightly. His features made it seem like he was smiling even when he was expressionless. Not to mention, he had spent ten years cultivating the habit of smiling in front of others in his previous life. He couldn¡¯t change it so quickly.


    He stared at the imperial physician and gently said, ¡°If you poke me with any needles, I will tell my Imperial Uncle that you are injuring innocent people.¡±


    The imperial physicians, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The imperial physicians hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Little Young Master, th- this¡­.¡±


    What kind of words were these?


    Haitang, who was on the side, said, ¡°If the two sirs don¡¯t know, my Young Master is afraid of needles. You should prescribe some more medicine. His condition hasn¡¯t improved after so many days. If you guys don¡¯t put in some more effort, be careful when I report you to the emperor for being so careless.¡±


    The imperial physicians, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Servants really acted in the same way as their masters. This master and servant were clearly acting in collusion.


    The imperial physicians fearfully prescribed some more medicine and gave multiple warnings before slipping away in a hurry.


    In his previous life, Sui Yan hated taking medicine the most. At first, he vomited so hard that he nearly threw up blood, but he forced himself to swallow it to survive. Sometimes, he looked even worse after taking medicine.


    This time, he wouldn¡¯t torture himself anymore. When Haitang carried over medicine to nourish his health, he would accept it. However, as soon as Haitang left, he would go through the familiar process of pouring it outside the window. If the osmanthus tree were still alive, it would probably have lost all of its leaves by now.


    Today¡¯s medicine was filled with many supplements and it smelled a little sweet. Clearly, a lot of thought had been put into it. However, Sui Yan just glanced at the bowl before leaning by the window and pouring it onto the ground.


    When he put the empty bowl on the lattice of the window and lazily glanced up, he spotted a figure nearby. The man looked to be nearing adulthood. He was tall, dressed in an ink-colored cloak. The man looked over with a smile, and it was clear that he had seen Sui Yan¡¯s previous actions.


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 CH 3

    Sui Yan¡¯s skin was very thick, and he even smiled towards the person, thinking, Oh my god, who is this?


    Before he could think things through, Haitang¡¯s voice sounded from outside the door, ¡°Young Master, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are here.¡±


    The door suddenly opened, and Sui Yan was taken aback. He glanced over and saw an apathetic youth rush in, looking as if he wanted to hack someone into pieces.


    Sui Yan blinked.


    Haitang quickly began to complain, saying, ¡°Third Prince can see that my Young Master really hasn¡¯t gotten better.¡±


    Sui Yan immediately acted like he was in poor health. He coughed, saying, ¡°This subject greets the Third Prince.¡±


    The Third Prince Duan Zhisu looked indifferent. His face still held hints of immaturity, but the shadow of his future decisiveness could already be seen.


    Duan Zhisu glanced at Sui Yan and furrowed his brows. Behind him stood Song Xian, who loved to be an onlooker.


    Originally, Song Xian had come to kick Sui Yan when he was down. However, once he saw Sui Yan¡¯s pale face and that he had visibly lost weight, his expression sank. He walked over, blustering, ¡°How did you lose so much weight? You look even weaker than before. What are those imperial physicians doing? What a bunch of trash!¡±


    Haitang had a poor impression of Song Xian. Once he saw that Song Xian was about to put his hands on Sui Yan¡¯s shoulders, Haitang hurried over and guarded Sui Yan, completely disregarding Song Xian. He helped Sui Yan walk over to the bed, blocking him from Song Xian¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°My Young Master is still ill, so it¡¯s better for Young Master Song to not grope him.¡±


    Song Xian, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Song Xian was exasperated, but he couldn¡¯t act up in front of Duan Zhisu, so he snorted and stopped talking.


    Sui Yan gave a dry cough and rebuked, ¡°Haitang, don¡¯t be rude.¡±


    Duan Zhisu kept staring at Sui Yan¡¯s pale face. He saw Sui Yan stand by the bed, unable to sit down out of respect for his identity as a prince. He hurriedly stepped forward to support him onto the bed, coldly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t move around if you are in poor health. What were you doing just now? Standing by the window and enjoying the cold wind? Heh, it serves you right to be sick for so long.¡±


    Duan Zhisu had just been outside, and he was still cold. When he got close, Sui Yan shivered. Duan Zhisu took off his frozen cloak, helped Sui Yan onto the bed, and pulled the quilt up to cover him.


    Sui Yan smiled, ¡°Many thanks to the Third Prince.¡±


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s gaze was heavy. He remained silent because he was scared he couldn¡¯t control himself if he began to speak.


    Because there was nobody else in the Sui Manor, Sui Yan entered the palace at a young age and grew up at the knee of the emperor. Thus, he and Duan Zhisu had a deep friendship. Otherwise, with Sui Yan¡¯s cold nature, he wouldn¡¯t have schemed in court to vindicate Duan Zhisu for so many years.


    Duan Zhisu looked at Sui Yan and saw that he was still smiling shamelessly. He coldly said, ¡°What thanks? Why don¡¯t you tell me why you haven¡¯t gotten better after so long? Isn¡¯t it just a cold?¡±


    Sui Yan innocently replied, ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not an imperial physician. I¡¯ve been drinking all of the medicine that they prescribed.¡±


    A muffled laugh sounded from outside the door just as he said that. The youth dressed in the ink-colored gown stood there, looking at him with a faint smile.


    Sui Yan froze.


    Just now, Haitang said that two guests had arrived. He recognized Duan Zhisu, so this was probably the Crown Prince Duan Mingchong, who had died at a young age.


    Sui Yan hurriedly got up to bow, but Duan Mingchong smiled and said, ¡°Little Young Master, there is no need to be so polite.¡±


    Gejc Itlre aemxfv Vel Tjc yjmx lcab atf delia.


    Duan Mingchong had a good temper, and he looked noble and benevolent. He smiled, ¡°Father Emperor let me come visit Little Young Master. I happened to meet Third Imperial Brother at Chengan Palace Gate, so we came together.¡±


    Eewbg tjv la atja atf Jgbkc Uglcmf kjr meiaegfv, qgevfca, gfolcfv, jcv ojnbgfv ys atf fwqfgbg. Cr ibcu jr tf vlvc¡¯a wjxf jcs ylu wlrajxfr, tf kbeiv vfolclafis yfmbwf atf cfza fwqfgbg. Lbkfnfg, la kjr j qlas atja tf vlfv ogbw j uijrr bo qblrbcfv klcf yfobgf gfjmtlcu jveiatbbv.


    In his previous life, Sui Yan spent all of his time and energy on Duan Zhisu, so he barely noticed Duan Mingchong. In addition, Duan Mingchong had passed away so early. Thus, Sui Yan hadn¡¯t come into much contact with him, so he didn¡¯t recognize him just now.


    Duan Zhisu touched Sui Yan¡¯s forehead, and the gesture was so affectionate that Sui Yan trembled unconsciously.


    To him, the two of them had not seen each other for ten years. Even though they had been close in their childhood, being so close made Sui Yan very uncomfortable.


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Sui Yan nodded, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Very cold. Looking at Third Prince¡¯s face, I¡¯m shivering from the cold.¡±


    Duan Zhisu glared at him, saying, ¡°It will be my birthday in a while. Father Emperor has graciously allowed me to organize the celebratory banquet in the newly built Prince¡¯s Manor outside the palace. You better rest well and recuperate, so that you can attend.¡±


    When Sui Yan heard this, he glanced at Duan Mingchong out of the corner of his eyes.


    If he remembered correctly, Duan Mingchong¡¯s death had been orchestrated by the Second and Fifth princes at this very banquet.


    Duan Zhisu saw that Sui Yan had lost focus, and he coldly said, ¡°If I don¡¯t see you then, I will send people to drag you over.¡±


    Sui Yan immediately begged for forgiveness.


    Even though he died from Duan Zhisu¡¯s poisoned wine in his previous life, he hadn¡¯t seen Duan Zhisu grant it with his own eyes, so everything felt surreal. Sui Yan couldn¡¯t even bring himself to hate Duan Zhisu. Instead, he hated the innocent Song Xian and wanted to beat him up.


    Song Xian inexplicably received Sui Yan¡¯s glare.


    There were many things he had to do in preparation for the banquet, so Duan Zhisu didn¡¯t stay for long. After lecturing Sui Yan for a while, he and Song Xian left.


    Sui Yan breathed a sigh of relief.


    Duan Mingchong had been sitting on a chair gracefully. He held a cup of tea, gazing at Sui Yan with a smile. He seemed to be very curious about Sui Yan.


    The Crown Prince was a year younger than Sui Yan, but he was looking at Sui Yan indulgently as if he were watching a child play around.


    Sui Yan trembled. He smiled, saying, ¡°Your Highness, you have seen everything. Is there anything that you would like to tell Wanggui?¡±


    The Crown Prince told Haitang, ¡°Go make a bowl of medicine for your Young Master.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s face turned green.


    Haitang didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but this was the Crown Prince¡¯s order, so he rushed to do it.


    When Haitang left the room, Sui Yan admitted defeat, saying, ¡°Can Your Highness let me off the hook?¡±


    Duan Mingchong smiled, ¡°I heard that the imperial physicians were helpless regarding Little Young Master¡¯s condition. I was confused, and I wondered if those imperial physicians had neglected Young Master. I didn¡¯t imagine that when I came today, I could have seen such a good show.¡±


    Duan Mingchong always looked gentle. Meanwhile, Sui Yan was thick-skinned, and he acted familiarly with everyone. When he saw that Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t exposed him in front of Duan Zhisu, he felt that Duan Mingchong was very considerate, and his speech became unrestrained.


    ¡°Your Highness wasn¡¯t wrong about me being neglected. The medicines prescribed by those imperial physicians are so bitter that I would pass away if I drank them.¡±


    Duan Mingchong put down the teacup in his hand and softly said, ¡°Good medicine is bitter. With Little Young Master¡¯s precious body, it would be bad to avoid physicians.¡±


    As he spoke, Duan Mingchong seemed to recall something, and his brows furrowed. He suddenly asked, ¡°Is Little Young Master depressed over some matter?¡±


    Sui Yan almost choked on his saliva, ¡°Ah? Ahem¡­¡­what?¡±


    Duan Mingchong was deep in thought, ¡°A few days ago I saw that you had been rescued, but you jumped back into the water without a second thought. Now, your body is unwell, but you refuse to take any medicine¡­¡­¡±


    He spoke methodically, and Sui Yan felt increasingly guilty, even though he had no idea why.


    Sui Yan smiled drily, ¡°That time, ohhh, that time. Many thanks to Your Highness for saving my life. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing, and I jumped into the river in a daze. About drinking the medicine¡­..Uh¡­¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Haitang brought over the medicine that had been heated in a stove outside. He put it down lightly and left.


    Duan Mingchong carried the bowl over to Sui Yan¡¯s bed. Sui Yan quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ve troubled Your Highness. I can do this myself.¡±


    Duan Mingchong handed the medicine over with a smile.


    Sui Yan felt uncomfortable, so he could only take a sip of the medicine. He swallowed it with difficulty.


    Before Duan Mingchong could relax, he saw Sui Yan pale and vomit the medicine he had just drunk.


    The bowl in Sui Yan¡¯s hand fell, spilling the medicine onto the quilt.


    He leaned on the bed, coughing violently. It sounded terrible, as if he were about to cough his lungs up.


    Duan Mingchong was startled, and he rushed forward to pat Sui Yan¡¯s back.


    After a long time, Sui Yan finally stopped coughing. He collapsed.


    Duan Mingchong was horrified, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan had coughed so much that he tasted blood. He forced a smile, saying, ¡°It¡¯s an old problem. I¡¯m used to it. Sorry for letting Your Highness see this. I hope Your Highness does not tell the emperor of this, so that Imperial Uncle does not worry about me.¡±


    Even as the Crown Prince, Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t put on any airs. He picked up a napkin and helped Sui Yan wipe off the stains on his lips without any hesitation.


    He finally realized that the person in front of him wasn¡¯t spoiled or arrogant, and that he wasn¡¯t longing for death. He really couldn¡¯t drink the medicine.


    Duan Mingchong looked at his pale face full of sweat, and he frowned, saying, ¡°How long has it been like this?¡±


    Sui Yan faintly replied, ¡°Half a month.¡±


    Duan Mingchong frowned harder. Sui Yan was so sick, and he hadn¡¯t taken his medicine for half a month. How could his body stand it?


    No wonder Sui Yan¡¯s wrists were so thin.


    Sui Yan looked at the youth in front of him. Duan Mingchong was younger than him, but he still acted like an adult. Sui Yan couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Duan Mingchong asked, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Sui Yan shook his head, saying, ¡°Is Your Highness going to the Third Prince¡¯s birthday banquet?¡±


    Duan Mingchong was confused, ¡°Third Imperial Brother already sent an invitation to the East Palace, so I am naturally going to go. Why did Little Young Master ask this?¡±


    Sui Yan thought, I can¡¯t tell you that you¡¯ll die there, right? If I really say something like that, Duan Mingchong would think I¡¯ve gone crazy.


    With Sui Yan¡¯s cold nature, just mentioning this was already his limit. When he saw that Duan Mingchong had no intention of listening to him, he stopped talking.


    Duan Mingchong usually remained in the East Palace and rarely came out. After spending an hour at Sui Yan¡¯s residence, he got up and left.


    Sui Yan forced himself to stand up and send the prince out. He withdrew his gaze when Duan Mingchong turned around the corner.


    Li Zhao came out and put a cloak on Sui Yan as he disapprovingly said, ¡°Little Young Master, it¡¯s freezing outside. Go back and rest.¡±


    Sui Yan weakly shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s too stuffy inside. I came out to get a breath of fresh air. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Li Zhao wanted to say something, but when he saw how worried Sui Yan looked, he left.


    Sui Yan lowered his eyes. Leaning on a pillar, he gazed at the knee-deep snow in the corridor, listlessly kicking at the fallen snow.


    This seems a little crazy. Sui Yan boredly thought, Getting depressed over some matter? I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯ve seen through everything that I find this world too boring.


    Sui Yan quietly sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Then he closed his eyes, stepped out of the corridor, and fell into the snow. His whole body was buried in a cold blanket of snow.


    There weren¡¯t many servants in his manor, so nobody noticed that Sui Yan had fallen into the snow. He looked at the gloomy horizon and felt at ease.


    It¡¯s so cold. Sui Yan thought. Then he changed his mind. Death had always seemed to be this cold. He felt relieved.


    The cold slowly crept into his body, and just when Sui Yan thought he could finally sleep forever, a hand reached into the snow and pulled him out.


    Sui Yan¡¯s body was weak, to begin with, not to mention he was caught off guard by someone dragging him out of his resting place. His eyes felt frozen, and he could only vaguely see something dark in front of him.


    In the moment between waking and dreaming, he heard Duan Mingchong¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Sui Wanggui!¡±

 CH 4

    ¡°Sui Yan, the case is closed.¡±


    Sui Yan weakly opened his eyes, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the sentence?¡±


    Song Xian furrowed his brow, ¡°In the past few days, the Second and Fifth Princes enlisted all of the court officials to ask the emperor to heavily punish the Crown Prince¡¯s murderer. The Third Prince has been sentenced to¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Canglin Temple.¡±


    Sui Yan shakily let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Canglin Temple¡­¡­Canglin¡­¡­¡± Sui Yan murmured, ¡°Although Yong City is barren, it¡¯s still pretty good. At least he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Song Xian was irritable by nature. When he heard this, he impatiently said, ¡°What kind of good place can Yong City be? Canglin Temple is at the edge of a vast desert. How could a person stay there? His Highness has been pampered all his life. He definitely won¡¯t be accustomed to a place like that. If anything happens¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan asked, ¡°Then is staying in the capital any better?¡±


    Song Xian froze.


    ¡°This time, the emperor wanted to get rid of the Third Prince. If not for¡­¡­¡± Sui Yan took a deep breath and changed the subject, ¡°Even if he suffers at Yong City, at least he is still alive. In the capital, if he makes the emperor unhappy, he might even lose his life.¡±


    Sui Yan rubbed his eyebrows, looking at the confused Song Xian. He helplessly said, ¡°Do you understand that murdering the Crown Prince is a large crime? The emperor is already granting him a large favor by letting him live.¡±


    Song Xian had always been simple-minded, and he often spoke without a filter. When he realized the seriousness of the matter, he panicked, ¡°Then, then what should we do?¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°This is the only way.¡±


    Song Xian shook his head, ¡°No, no! How could he go to such a damned place alone? His Highness has offended so many people. Who knows how many of them will humiliate him? No¡­¡­¡±


    He kept saying no, before suddenly asking, ¡°Are you going to accompany His Highness to Yong City?¡±


    Sui Yan froze, shaking his head. With his current condition, if he went with Duan Zhisu to Yong City, he might die halfway.


    Song Xian was incredulous. He stared at him, ¡°You clearly know that he might die if he goes to Yong City. Aren¡¯t you concerned?¡±


    Sui Yan was silent.


    Song Xian kept staring at him, but to no avail. Sui Yan ignored him.


    Song Xian said, ¡°Sui Yan, you¡­¡­¡±


    A drop of water quietly fell into a puddle on the ground.


    Song Xian¡¯s helpless and disappointed voice seemed to come from a distance, ¡°¡­¡­Do you have a heart?¡±


    A cold cloth was placed on his forehead. Sui Yan felt that it was very comfortable. In a daze, he tried to rub his head against it.


    The person next to him seemed to notice that he was conscious and quickly left. He soon returned, bringing along a medicinal fragrance.


    Even though he was asleep, Sui Yan frowned.


    Lf vjhfvis tfjgv rbwfbcf rjs, ¡°Llr afwqfgjaegf lr abb tlut. Xlnf tlw atf wfvlmlcf, jcv vbc¡¯a ifa tlw atgbk eq.¡±


    Ktfc, rbwfbcf qlcmtfv tlr mtlc, obgmlcu tlw ab rkjiibk j ybki bo vlrueralcuis ylaafg wfvlmlcf.


    Vel Tjc bglulcjiis tjv atf ragfcuat ab kjxf eq. Lbkfnfg, atlr wfvlmlcf cfjgis wjvf tlw qjrr jkjs.


    Sui Yan even saw the road to the Yellow Springs. He struggled for a while before he opened his eyes.


    When Haitang saw that he was awake, he began to cry. If somebody didn¡¯t know what had happened, they would have thought Sui Yan had just died.


    Sui Yan swallowed his question of, ¡°Which shameless person forced me to drink that medicine?¡± and weakly said, ¡°Why are you crying? I¡¯m not dead yet.¡±


    Haitang immediately spat, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t talk about those inauspicious things. Amitabha, children¡¯s words carry no harm.¡±


    Sui Yan was very amused.


    Haitang¡¯s eyes were full of tears, ¡°After Young Master fell into the snow, you were unconscious for two days. The imperial physicians came many times, and they nearly lost you. Fortunately, Imperial Physician Meng used acupuncture and brought you back from death¡¯s door.¡±


    Sui Yan nodded perfunctorily, thinking, This person surnamed Meng is so nosy, I have to find a chance to beat him up.


    Perhaps Imperial Physician Meng was a brilliant doctor. After Sui Yan woke up, he felt a lot better, and his fever quickly broke. However, he still couldn¡¯t drink medicine.


    Li Zhao and Haitang were very anxious. Every time they fed Sui Yan medicine, he would vomit. No matter how strong his body originally was, this could make anybody ill. After much consideration, they could only let the kitchen send some sweet medicinal cuisine over.


    Sui Yan loved to eat sweets, and he could drink many cups of honey water at a time. When he was young, Li Zhao always used sweets to trick him into taking medicine.


    The sweet medicinal cuisine was quickly made and sent over. Sui Yan glanced at the sweet porridge in the small cup and was speechless. He asked, ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m a kid?¡±


    Li Zhao stirred the sweet porridge with a spoon, coaxing, ¡°No, no. Taste it, Young Master. It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    Sui Yan tried to endure, but he soon gave in. He frowned and took a bite, and he was nearly driven crazy by the sweetness and bitterness that were intertwined.


    Sui Yan adored sweets. When he was a child, even if a piece of candy fell on the ground, he would pick it up, pat off the dust, and eat it. Sui Yan ignored what others said about how dirty that was. However, he also hated eating medicine. When he tasted this sweet and bitter porridge, he didn¡¯t know whether he should swallow it or spit it out.


    Li Zhao encouraged him, ¡°Swallow it.¡±


    Sui Yan was so angry with his coaxing tone that he nearly spat the medicine out. He took a long time before he swallowed it.


    When Li Zhao saw that he had really drunk the medicine, he nearly cried tears of joy.


    Even though Sui Yan was thick-skinned, he felt ashamed to be treated like a child, so he obediently drank the rest of the medicine.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know whether it was because of the sweets or the medicine, but he felt much better after taking it.


    Haitang ran in holding a box of food, ¡°Young Master, this is a box of sweet buns from Wanfeng Tower to help with the bitterness.¡±


    Sui Yan was in a daze.


    Before Duan Zhisu was sentenced, Sui Yan lived luxuriously. He lazed around and enjoyed life. Every day, he would instruct his servants to buy him sweets from all corners of the capital, and everyone in the capital knew that the Sui Family had a Young Master with a sweet tooth.


    But ever since Duan Zhisu went to Canglin Temple, he hadn¡¯t instructed anyone to buy him sweets.


    If it weren¡¯t for Haitang¡¯s reminder, he would have forgotten that he had been so unrestrained before.


    Sui Yan took the container from Haitang¡¯s hands and opened it gently. He found that the sweet buns inside were cold.


    It took an hour to get from Wanfeng Tower to the General¡¯s Manor. It was so cold outside, so it made sense for the buns to have cooled.


    Sui Yan sighed, poking at the rabbit-shaped buns, ¡°It¡¯s cold, take it away.¡±


    Haitang quietly said yes.


    Sui Yan said, ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. The sweets from Wanfeng Tower taste better when they¡¯re fresh. I¡¯ll go there to eat them another day.¡±


    Haitang ran away happily.


    Perhaps the sweet buns from Wanfeng Restaurant had finally cured his boredom. Sui Yan obediently drank his medicine for many days, and he was nearly recovered by Little New Year.


    On the day of Little New Year, Imperial Physician Meng was ordered to take Sui Yan¡¯s pulse. Dressed in a cloak, he met Duan Mingchong, who was holding a bamboo umbrella, at the Chengan Palace Gate.


    Imperial Physician Meng hurriedly bowed.


    Duan Mingchong waved his hand, saying, ¡°Is Imperial Physician Meng going to the General¡¯s Manor to take the Little Young Master¡¯s pulse?¡±


    Imperial Physician Meng replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Duan Mingchong smiled, saying, ¡°It just so happened that I want to visit him too. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t put on any airs in court and acted with integrity in front of everyone. Imperial Physician Meng didn¡¯t feel reserved, so he followed Duan Mingchong, chatting about Sui Yan¡¯s conditions. They soon arrived at the General¡¯s Manor.


    Li Zhao nervously rushed out to greet the Crown Prince.


    ¡°This subject welcomes Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong closed the umbrella, saying, ¡°I came to visit the Little Young Master. How is he doing?¡±


    Li Zhao looked embarrassed, ¡°This¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong was very considerate, and he helplessly said, ¡°Is it because he can¡¯t drink the medicine?¡±


    Li Zhao lowered his head, quietly saying, ¡°Your Highness, please forgive us. Coincidentally, my Young Master¡­¡­isn¡¯t in the manor today.¡±


    Duan Mingchong frowned, ¡°He is still ill. What is he doing outside? Didn¡¯t you stop him?¡±


    Who can stop him from leaving!?! Li Zhao complained, ¡°Little Young Master has always been arrogant and unrestrained, so much so that nobody in the manor can control him. Just now, when we didn¡¯t notice, he¡­.he¡­¡­¡±


    Imperial Physician Meng said, ¡°Young Master¡¯s body is still weak. It¡¯s not good for him to go out in such cold weather.¡±


    Li Zhao replied, ¡°Yes, yes, I have already sent people to look for him.¡±


    Duan Mingchong suddenly asked, ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    Li Zhao stammered, ¡°This¡­¡­This¡­¡­.¡±


    Duan Mingchong said, ¡°Just say it directly. Don¡¯t stutter.¡±


    Li Zhao quietly said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.Wan-Wanhua Tower¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong grew up reading holy books in the East Palace and didn¡¯t know anything about the red-light districts in the capital. He heard the name and wondered, ¡°What place is that?¡±


    Li Zhao¡¯s face turned red.


    Imperial Physician Meng covered his mouth and smiled, whispering, ¡°Your Highness, Wanhua Tower¡­¡­Is an establishment for people to have fun and seek pleasure.¡±


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s expression changed, and he was shocked, ¡°Him? How old is he? Going to places like that?¡±


    Li Zhao saw that he had misunderstood and tried to explain. However, Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t listen to him. He ordered a few bodyguards, saying, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The bodyguards were at a loss, but they had to follow the Crown Prince¡¯s order, so they hurried after him.


    Li Zhao was taken aback, and he quickly said, ¡°Your Highness! You¨C What are you going to do?¡±


    Duan Mingchong coldly replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to invite the Little Young Master to come back.¡±


    Li Zhao, ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Duan Mingchong was very swift and decisive, and he majestically led a group of bodyguards towards Wanfeng Tower. However, it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to invite someone, but that he wanted to arrest a fugitive.


    At the same time, the Little Young Master had overcome many difficulties and finally purchased all twenty servings of sweet buns that Wanhua Tower had made that day. He was full of sweat.


    He elegantly sat in the center of the lobby and under the shocked gazes of the brothel¡¯s patrons¡­¡­.


    ¡ª¡ªHe played with the ears of the rabbit-shaped buns.


    Although Wanhua Tower was a brothel, it had delightful pastries. Every day, the steamed buns they made were in the shape of cute animals, and they were extremely lifelike.


    The table was piled with boxes of food, and white steam was rising off of them. In the midst of this, Sui Yan sat like an immortal, smiling as he played around with the soft ears of the rabbit-shaped buns.


    It¡¯s so soft. Sui Yan thought as he took a bite from a pig-shaped bun. He tasted the honey inside and he felt like he was going to melt from all the sugar.


    ¡°So sweet.¡±


    For the first time since his rebirth, Sui Yan felt that being alive seemed pretty good.

 CH 5

    However, Sui Yan¡¯s good mood didn¡¯t last for very long. A moment later, there was a clamor at the entrance of Wanhua Tower, and a young man dressed in brocade clothes entered, surrounded by a group of people.


    The owner of the establishment smiled in satisfaction. It looked like this person was very wealthy.


    Sui Yan continued to play with the rabbit-shaped bun¡¯s ears as he sadly looked at the table full of sweets.


    He had impulsively purchased so much food and spent so much effort moving it onto the table, but he had overestimated his newly recovered body, and he felt full after eating two sweet buns.


    He was worrying about what to do with the rest of the food when someone rudely sat in front of him.


    Sui Yan was confused. He looked at the scowling youth before him and said, ¡°This Young Master¡­¡­¡±


    The youth glared at him, ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb! Weren¡¯t you at the edge of death? How come you¡¯re so lively now?¡±


    Sui Yan was at a loss.


    The youth slapped the table, shouting, ¡°I know! You must be here to fight with me over the beauties here! Sui Yan, why are you so shameless? Are you going to fight with me over everything that I want!?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan came to eat his sweet buns, but he was scolded by a stranger for no reason. His mood was completely ruined.


    Sui Yan impatiently said, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The youth was full of disbelief, ¡°Did you go crazy after falling into the water? You can¡¯t even recognize me?¡±


    This sounded familiar. Sui Yan frowned and thought for a long time before he finally figured out who this was.


    This brocade-wearing youth was named Jiang Enhe. He was fourteen, the youngest son of Jiang Zhiyuan, the military affairs commissioner.


    When Sui Yan was young, he was willful and arrogant, and he provoked a lot of people in the capital using his identity. He had become enemies with all of the sons of nobles and officials and he had the greatest enmity with Little Young Master Jiang.


    Sui Yan couldn¡¯t remember what had started it, but whenever he met Jiang Enhe, there would always be a big fight.


    Sui Yan narrowed his eyes and lazily said, ¡°Oh, so it turned out to be Young Master Jiang. What? After getting a mad dog, did you get rabies too?¡±


    Jiang Enhe nearly exploded, ¡°You!¡±


    When Sui Yan saw this, he suddenly remembered that they had become enemies over a teacup dog.


    Sui Yan suddenly laughed, thinking that he had really been shameful when he was young. No wonder all of his peers had avoided him.


    Just as Jiang Enhe was about to flip the table out of anger, guqin music drifted from the second floor, breaking their confrontation.


    Jiang Enhe immediately straightened his posture and looked towards the figure covered by a beaded curtain on the second floor. There was no sign of his previous anger.


    Vel Tjc kjr regqglrfv. Zjsyf Aljcu Sctf gfjiis uba gjylfr?


    Vel Tjc kjr oeii, jcv tf tjv jirb afjrfv rbwfbcf. Pc j ubbv wbbv, tf obiibkfv Aljcu Sctf¡¯r ujhf jcv ibbxfv abkjgvr atf rfmbcv oibbg.


    Ktf wfibvlber jcv yfjealoei rbecv mbcalcefv. Olrafclcu ab la, Vel Tjc ofia ilxf tf kjr lc j qjgjvlrf kjamtlcu rcbk vjcmf atgbeut qiew yibrrbwr gjatfg atjc j gfv-iluta frajyilrtwfca.


    Sui Yan¡¯s expression became odd.


    After the song ended, the patrons of the establishment began to applaud.


    Jiang Enhe was clapping so hard that it seemed like his hands would become swollen. His face was flushed, and he even elbowed Sui Yan, saying, ¡°Hey! It sounds good, right? This was played by the top beauty here. You usually can¡¯t even listen to it. You have such good luck!¡±


    Sui Yan thought, If my luck was good, I wouldn¡¯t have met you today. He avoided Jiang Enhe¡¯s elbow, saying, ¡°What are you here for? The courtesans? Tsk, that seems about right. Somebody your age should be getting some experience.¡±


    Jiang Enhe¡¯s face became even redder, and he slapped the table, ¡°Don¡¯t compare the two of us! I¡¯m here to listen to music, not to visit the beauties.¡±


    Sui Yan mocked, ¡°Coming to a red-light establishment just to listen to music? Little Young Master Jiang has such refined tastes.¡±


    Jiang Enhe glanced at the table full of sweet buns as he retorted, ¡°Then what did you come to do? Eat sweet buns?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of someone so immature, so he bluffed, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m eating the sweet buns to try something new. I came for the top beauty.¡±


    Jiang Enhe glared at him, ¡°See? I was just saying that you came here to fight with me over the beauties!¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan was speechless, ¡°The one who played the guqin just now is the top beauty here?¡±


    Jiang Enhe, ¡°En!¡±


    When he saw Sui Yan¡¯s expression contort, Jiang Enhe thought he had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, ¡°Yuejian sells her skills, not her body. She¡¯s not like the others here!¡±


    Sui Yan held back a smile, ¡°En, I know.¡±


    Jiang Enhe frowned, ¡°Why does it sound like you¡¯re taunting her?¡±


    Sui Yan coughed, saying, ¡°No, why would I do that? The song just now sounded very nice. I don¡¯t know if Little Young Master Jiang has a good relationship with him.


    Youths don¡¯t hold grudges for very long, so when Jiang Enhe heard Sui Yan praise Yuejian, his eyes lit up. He grabbed Sui Yan¡¯s hand and ran upstairs.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think an idiot like you would have such good taste,¡± Jiang Enhe exclaimed, ¡°Not only can Yuejian play guqin, she¡¯s also good at chess and painting.¡±


    Sui Yan was dragged upstairs before he could think things through.


    Jiang Enhe greeted the person behind the beaded curtain, ¡°Miss Yuejian!¡±


    Yuejian¡¯s gentle voice came from behind the beaded curtain, ¡°Young Master Jiang, please come in.¡±


    Jiang Enhe lifted the curtains and brought Sui Yan inside.


    The legendary top beauty at Wanfeng Tower sat next to a guqin. Yue Jian was dressed in a long red dress with his hair pulled into a complicated updo. His makeup made him seem even more gorgeous.


    Sui Yan looked strangely at Yuejian.


    Yuejian was really very beautiful, so much so that Jiang Enhe¡¯s gaze stuck to him, following his every move. However, Sui Yan seemed to see something. He tilted his head and bit his lips, but he still couldn¡¯t hold back his laugh.


    Jiang Enhe was in the middle of reminiscing with Yuejian and he stomped on Sui Yan¡¯s foot, warning, ¡°Don¡¯t be this rude to beauties!¡±


    When Yuejian heard the word ¡°beauties,¡± his expression stiffened, but he still managed to keep a gentle smile on his face.


    Sui Yan resisted the urge to laugh, saying, ¡°Sorry, that was rude of me¡­¡­pfft.¡±


    Jiang Enhe was going crazy, ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    Sui Yan coughed, saying, ¡°Nothing, nothing, it was my bad. My apologies to Miss¡­¡­Yuejian.¡±


    He picked up a small glass of wine and calmly raised a toast towards Yuejian.


    Yue Jian felt that Sui Yan was looking at him very oddly, but he couldn¡¯t detect any malicious intent, so he could only smile and drink as well.


    Yuejian was two years older than them, and his every move was elegant. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Jiang Enhe had become so enamored with Yuejian.


    Sui Yan rested on his chin on his hand and glanced at Jiang Enhe, who was acting like a male peacock and strutting around Yuejian, fanning his tail. He wanted to laugh, but he didn¡¯t dare to.


    Yuejian frowned as he watched Sui Yan, but he couldn¡¯t chase him away. After thinking about it, he suggested, ¡°Chatting is boring. Why don¡¯t I play the xiao for these two distinguished guests?¡±


    Jiang Enhe¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Sui Yan coughed, saying, ¡°That¡­¡­that¡¯s not too good, in front of everyone.¡±


    Jiang Enhe was oblivious, but Yuejian heard Sui Yan¡¯s hidden meaning. He struggled to maintain his fake smile, glaring at Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan laughed.


    Yuejian didn¡¯t bother to look at him any longer and asked someone to fetch his jade xiao.


    The xiao was very valuable, and it seemed to be a gift from a high-ranking official. Yuejian¡¯s pale, slender fingers lifted the cyan xiao towards his lips. Suddenly, Sui Yan said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Jiang Enhe was taken aback as he watched Sui Yan stand up and walk over to snatch the jade xiao from Yuejian.


    Jiang Enhe, ¡°Sui Yan!¡±


    Sui Yan ignored his shout and gently wiped the xiao. He found a layer of fine powder on it.


    When Yuejian saw it, his face instantly paled.


    Sui Yan sighed and quietly said, ¡°You have so many enemies. Even after you fell into such a humble place, they still want you to die.¡±


    Yuejian looked at him in amazement.


    As one sat and the other stood, Sui Yan suddenly said two words to Yuejian when Jiang Enhe wasn¡¯t watching.


    At the same time, there was a sudden commotion downstairs, covering his voice.


    However, Yuejian seemed to have heard what Sui Yan had said, but he couldn¡¯t believe his own ears.


    Sui Yan frowned, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk here. I will come to find you another day.¡±


    He put down poison-laced xiao and turned to leave, but Yuejian hurriedly grabbed his hand, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Sui Yan was caught off guard. He stumbled and unexpectedly fell backward onto Yuejian¡¯s lap.


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Jiang Enhe, ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Duan Mingchong, who had just lifted the curtains to look for someone, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Sui Yan, ¡°I can explain this!!!!!¡±

 CH 6

    Duan Mingchong quickly lowered the curtains so that the bodyguards outside wouldn¡¯t see the shameful scene of Sui Yan lying in a woman¡¯s arms.


    Sui Yan blushed, struggling to get off of Yuejian. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Yuejian, but Yuejian clung to his hand.


    Sui Yan whispered, ¡°When are you going to let go of me?¡±


    Yuejian didn¡¯t seem to notice the people nearby, and he murmured, ¡°You just said¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong coldly walked towards them and grabbed Sui Yan away from Yuejian. He said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any shame?¡±


    The Crown Prince usually had a gentle and benevolent appearance. Now that his face had darkened from anger, Sui Yan was shocked.


    Jiang Enhe finally reacted, and he hurriedly bowed, ¡°This subject greets Your Highness.¡±


    Just as Sui Yan was about to bow as well, Duan Mingchong grabbed his wrist and left without saying a word, leaving a shocked Jiang Enhe and an absent-minded Yuejian behind.


    The Crown Prince brought such a grand retinue of attendants to Wanhua Tower. The officials who had come to patron the brothel were all terrified. In moments, the previously crowded lobby was empty.


    Sui Yan felt inexplicably guilty as he was dragged away by Duan Mingchong.


    Once they were downstairs, Sui Yan saw his sweets on the table and quickly said, ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness!¡±


    Duan Mingchong replied without looking back at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with you about it here, so you don¡¯t need to say anything. Once we get back to the palace, I will tell Father Emperor about this and let him discipline you.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan felt that he wouldn¡¯t get to celebrate Little New Year today. After Duan Mingchong reports this to the emperor, he might have to celebrate Qingming Festival instead.


    ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness!¡± Sui Yan repeatedly said, ¡°I came here to eat sweet buns. Sweet buns! Look! The ones on that table are all mine!¡±


    Duan Mingchong paused, saying, ¡°Keep on fabricating lies.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan weakly said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can¡­¡­¡±


    Just as he was about to tell Duan Mingchong to ask the waiters at Wanhua Tower, Jiang Enhe poked his head out from the beaded curtain on the second floor and yelled, ¡°Sui Yan, you¡¯re talking nonsense again! Didn¡¯t you just tell me you came for Yuejian?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± I want to kill you!


    Sui Yan¡¯s face paled, and he tried to explain, ¡°Your Highness is brilliant and definitely won¡¯t listen to such villainous slander. Everybody knows that person surnamed Jiang and I hate one another. He doesn¡¯t have many abilities, but he¡¯s talented at slandering people. He ruined my reputation like this today. I will surely¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong interrupted him, ¡°You came to eat sweet buns. If you can end up on somebody¡¯s lap while eating, that¡¯s a skill too.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    When he was presented with such irrefutable evidence, Sui Yan was speechless.


    Duan Mingchong ordered, ¡°Return.¡±


    Vel Tjc rjlv, ¡°Vkffa yecr. Ejyyla-rtjqfv yecr.¡±


    Gejc Zlcumtbcu, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Lf geyyfv tlr ygbkr jcv abiv atf ybvsuejgvr ab qjmx atf rkffar lcab obbv ybzfr obg Vel Tjc. Ycis atfc vlv Vel Tjc obiibk tlw yjmx klatbea jcs mbwqijlcar.


    Yc atf kjs yjmx, Vel Tjc kjr rmjgfv ab ajix. Lf obiibkfv Gejc Zlcumtbcu yjmx ab atf Xfcfgji¡¯r Zjcbg ilxf j dejli.


    Li Zhao was waiting by the door worriedly. When he saw Sui Yan escorted back by the bodyguards, he hurriedly bowed, ¡°Your Highness, Young Master.¡±


    Sui Yan walked behind Duan Mingchong and mouthed towards Li Zhao, Why didn¡¯t you stop him?


    Li Zhao pretended he didn¡¯t see anything and respectfully welcomed the Crown Prince into the manor.


    Imperial Physician Meng was still waiting in the manor, and when he saw Sui Yan walking in like a quail, he wanted to laugh but didn¡¯t dare to. He rushed forward and bowed, ¡°Greetings to Young Master. This lowly official has been waiting here for a while.¡±


    Sui Yan smiled, thinking, Next time, don¡¯t even think about coming inside.


    There was a basin of charcoal burning in the room, and Haitang helped Sui Yan take off his large cloak. Sui Yan instructed, ¡°Help me heat up a few of those rabbit-shaped buns. Later¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong said, ¡°Get your pulse taken first.¡±


    Sui Yan was angry, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything, so he could only sit in front of Imperial Physician Meng with his head lowered and hold out his slender wrist.


    As he sat there, Sui Yan finally came back to his senses and realized that something was wrong. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t seem like someone who would act familiarly with others. Why did he care so much about what Sui Yan was doing? He was also a year younger than himself, so why was he afraid of the Crown Prince?


    In his previous life, after Duan Zhisu had been convicted, Sui Yan was bestowed with the title of Prince, but he was still placed under house arrest for three years. After he finally got out of the palace, he colluded with Yuejian to make trouble in the capital. Back then, he held a lot of power in court, so nobody dared to control him. Even the emperor dealt with him perfunctorily, with an attitude that could be described as ¡°a dead mouse feels no cold.¡±


    Counting his previous life, he was already over twenty years old, but he was actually afraid of such a little boy. Sui Yan felt that after living so relaxedly for a while, he had regressed so much.


    Isn¡¯t it just a crown prince? Sui Yan thought, I¡¯m not even afraid of the emperor. Why would I be scared of some crown prince?


    As he thought of that, he looked up, smiling at Duan Mingchong as he began to lecture, ¡°Your Highness is so busy¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong said, ¡°Silence.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s mentality collapsed. My god, I¡¯m terrified.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know how such a little kid could exert such an aura when angered. Thinking carefully, he recalled that when he was fourteen in his previous life, he was still fighting with Jiang Enhe. He had been unruly and rebellious, and he would roast whoever he felt was unpleasant to the eye.


    When he compared his past self to Duan Mingchong, Sui Yan felt very ashamed. If he wasn¡¯t so thick-skinned, he would have blushed from the embarrassment.


    A moment later, Imperial Physician Meng withdrew his hand, asking, ¡°Is Little Young Master still taking medicine?¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°I am.¡±


    Duan Mingchong glanced at him, and Sui Yan quickly corrected, ¡°I¡¯ve been taking medicinal cuisine every meal. What, is it ineffective?¡±


    Imperial Physician Meng replied, ¡°Although medicinal cuisine is useful, it is not as effective as decocted medicine. Little Young Master¡¯s body has always been weak. Now that you are ill, it would be better to not go out into the cold if it isn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    Sui Yan nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Imperial Physician Meng wrote a new prescription and gave it to Li Zhao. After nagging for a while, he got up, bowed, and left.


    Duan Mingchong, who had not spoken all this time, suddenly said, ¡°Imperial Physician Meng, what happened today¡­¡­¡±


    Anyone who could stay in the palace for so many years was very shrewd. Duan Mingchong only had to start talking when Imperial Physician Meng smiled and said, ¡°This lowly official only came to take Little Young Master¡¯s pulse. I don¡¯t know about anything else.¡±


    Duan Mingchong nodded, and Li Zhao escorted Imperial Physician Meng out.


    When the door opened, a cold breeze blew in, and Sui Yan shivered. He moved towards the charcoal basin to stay warm.


    Duan Mingchong saw that he had huddled up by the basin and laughed with anger, ¡°You can feel cold too?¡±


    Sui Yan raised his head and blinked, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Duan Mingchong replied, ¡°Since you know it¡¯s cold, why did you jump into that pile of snow a few days ago?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­Uh.¡±


    It seemed like he hadn¡¯t been hallucinating when he had heard Duan Mingchong¡¯s voice before fainting.


    Sui Yan argued, ¡°I¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    Duan Mingchong laughed, but his eyes were cold. He clearly didn¡¯t believe a single word of Sui Yan¡¯s nonsense.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t understand why Duan Mingchong was mad at him, so he tentatively said, ¡°Your Highness, why did you come today?¡±


    Duan Mingchong sighed, saying, ¡°Father Emperor let me come check on your condition.¡±


    Sui Yan smiled and said, ¡°I have troubled His Majesty.¡±


    Duan Mingchong looked at how heartlessly Sui Yan was acting, and he suddenly sighed, saying, ¡°Little Young Master, after the new year, you will have to go to court. How will you gain a foothold in court if you are this indolent?¡±


    The smile on Sui Yan¡¯s face disappeared.


    Duan Mingchong said, ¡°The Sui Family have been generals for three generations, and their military merits have been slowly accumulated. The Old Master spent his life in service to win his title. You better not¡­¡­¡±


    Not what?


    Not ruin the reputation of the Sui Manor?


    Not frivolously enjoy life and ruin himself?


    Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t finished speaking, but Sui Yan knew what he meant to say. He chuckled and thought, If I don¡¯t act like this, should I scheme as I did in my previous life and calculate before everything I do? No matter who I am loyal to, I will still suffer from a miserable end. In that case, why should I do so much just to make myself unhappy?


    When he thought about it, the little bit of excitement that Sui Yan had mustered earlier instantly vanished.


    Sui Yan lowered his gaze, looking at the red charcoal in the charcoal basin, ¡°I know.¡±


    Seeing his appearance, Duan Mingchong thought for a while and still persuaded, ¡°You grew up in the palace with Third Imperial Brother. Your tutors praised you for being clever, and Father Emperor also wanted you to listen in court many times. If you work a little harder, you will be able to get a stable foothold in court.¡±


    Sui Yan pursed his lips and suddenly said, ¡°Is Your Highness worried that I won¡¯t be able to live until I inherit the title of Baron?¡±


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s expression changed.


    Sui Yan continued, ¡°I know that Your Highness means well, but I have already decided how the Sui Manor should gain a foothold in court. I¡¯ve troubled you to tell me so much.¡±


    Everyone praised the crown prince for being temperate and gentle, treating people courteously, and his ability to deal with things. Sui Yan hadn¡¯t previously taken these praises to heart, but now he suddenly realized they weren¡¯t groundless.


    Sui Yan smiled softly. Duan Mingchong can give such earnest and well-meaning advice to persuade someone he had met just a few times. It seemed like this crown prince was really nosy, but he was also a gentleman.


    If others had tried to persuade him like this, he would surely have spouted a bunch of nonsense and not taken things seriously. But the person telling him had to be Duan Mingchong.


    Sly and calculating people are often most afraid of people with pure minds like him.


    Duan Mingchong saw his sickly expression and also seemed to see his impatience, so he turned and left without saying anything. Sui Yan didn¡¯t even send him off.


    Sui Yan sat on the ground, staring at the scalding charcoal basin in front of him. He didn¡¯t know what he was thinking of, but he began to inch towards the charcoal fire.


    Just as he was about to dazedly touch the charcoal basin, Haitang suddenly ran over.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Sui Yan shuddered and returned to his senses.


    Haitang said, ¡°Young Master, the Third Prince is here.¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him blankly and finally reacted, ¡°Oh, okay, welcome.¡±


    Soon, Duan Zhisu pushed open the door and entered. He saw Sui Yan sit on the ground absent-mindedly and pulled him up, saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t it cold on the ground?¡±


    Sui Yan was dragged up. He forced a smile, bowing, ¡°This subject greets Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Zhisu waved his hand, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy these past few days and didn¡¯t even know that you got sick again. What did the imperial physician say when he came?¡±


    Duan Zhisu stretched out his hand and put it on Sui Yan¡¯s forehead, ¡°Your temperature is still pretty high. Go lie down.¡±


    Sui Yan smiled, ¡°I was leaning too close to the charcoal basin just now. I don¡¯t have a fever. How come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Sui Yan heard the sound of attendants moving things around outside the door. Duan Zhisu said, ¡°This year¡¯s imperial offerings from Rong City arrived. I told people to bring a few boxes of the oranges over so you could try them.¡±

 CH 7

    Duan Zhisu was very sincere towards Sui Yan. Duan Zhisu¡¯s maternal family had no power or influence, and as a result, he wasn¡¯t favored by the emperor. It was hard for him to get any good things, but he would always give most of them to Sui Yan.


    The Sui Manor was always empty, and Sui Yan¡¯s unrestrained nature caused him to have few playmates. Youths are most easily touched. Even if Sui Yan was a rock, Duan Zhisu¡¯s warmth and friendship all these years would have warmed him.


    Duan Zhisu dragged him over to sit on the soft couch and tossed a piece of charcoal into the charcoal basin, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve been sick for over half a month now. Our tutor is so mad that he¡¯s been complaining to the emperor every day and scolding you for your lack of effort and the bad example you¡¯re setting. At today¡¯s family banquet, you better apologize to Father Emperor.¡±


    The old scholarly tutor had such a clear impression of Sui Yan¡¯s frivolous nature that when he was actually sick, the tutor believed Sui Yan was lying and slacking off. After all, Sui Yan had been leaping and frisking about the day before he fell into the water, and there was no sign of his frailness.


    Sui Yan innocently said, ¡°I¡¯m really sick. When he scolded me, didn¡¯t you help me explain?¡±


    ¡°Song Xian spoke up for you, and he was scolded along with you. He¡¯s still in the palace copying books.¡± Duan Zhisu helplessly replied, ¡°You seem to be in a better condition today. What did Imperial Physician Meng say when he came?¡±


    Sui Yan repeated what the quack doctor had told him, ¡°I followed the physician¡¯s advice and stayed in the manor to recuperate. I haven¡¯t even left the door all this time.¡±


    Duan Zhisu glanced at him and lightly said, ¡°Then why did I hear that you appeared at Wanhua Tower today?¡±


    Sui Yan froze.


    It seemed like Duan Zhisu hadn¡¯t come to give him oranges but to scold him.


    Sui Yan was desperate, and he hopelessly explained, ¡°To eat sweet buns.¡±


    Duan Zhisu frowned, but his expression eased, ¡°You, when you say something like this, only I will believe it. Anyone else would think you¡¯re saying nonsense and that you don¡¯t even have the sincerity to lie about it.¡±


    When he saw that Duan Zhisu believed him, Sui Yan replied, ¡°Who told you that? Jiang Enhe?¡±


    Duan Zhisu nodded, ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you should avoid going to places like that. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to ask a chef to come over and make what you want to eat? Recently because of fifth brother, all the young masters have been afraid and avoided places like that. Why are you acting so contrary?¡±


    Since his rebirth, Sui Yan had either been sick or in the process of getting sick. His manor was in a complete mess, and he had no time or energy to care about affairs like that. Sui Yan calmly asked, ¡°What did the Fifth Prince do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Duan Zhisu said, ¡°Some time ago, the Deputy Minister of Health was imprisoned for corruption and bribery. It¡¯s such a coincidence¡­¡­¡±


    The Ministry of Health had taken many bribes from the common people, and it raked in massive profits every year. Although it was managed and concealed very well, there were bound to be some errors. After the emperor found out that the deputy minister had been embezzling funds, he was furious and ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation. Within a few days, many officials were found to be involved. None of these officials were willing to bear the blame alone, and they snitched on others. In the end, the Fifth Prince was also implicated in this scandal.


    The emperor favored the Fifth Prince. Although he had confined the prince over this matter, there wasn¡¯t any substantial punishment. Instead, he had severely punished the Minister of Health for inappropriately managing his ministry.


    What was so coincidental was that the innocent and hard-working Yin Lingfeng, who had just been promoted from the rank of Provincial Governor, hadn¡¯t even been in office for a year before he suffered from this ordeal. Within two weeks, he was crushed by many unwarranted charges, and his possessions were confiscated. The dust settled in three months, and his fate was sealed.


    Duan Zhisu quietly sighed, saying, ¡°Fifth brother was the culprit this time. Yin Lingfeng took the blame, and he¡¯s now destitute. Meanwhile, after being confined for a few months, fifth brother acted as if nothing had happened, and he even swaggered into the red-light district right after he was released. It seems like he fancied a woman there¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know where he heard it from, but he murmured, ¡°That woman sold her skills, not her body. To preserve her chastity, she was forced to jump from a balcony on the fourth floor¡­..¡±


    Duan Zhisu was surprised, ¡°You¡¯ve heard about it?¡±


    Sui Yan put a hand on his chest and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard someone talk about it.¡±


    Gejc Itlre gfqilfv, ¡°Ktlr wjaafg mjerfv j iba bo agbeyif, jcv Mjatfg Swqfgbg tfjgv jybea la. Mloat ygbatfg kjr qeclrtfv, yea la kjr pera jcbatfg aglnlji qeclrtwfca.¡±


    Vel Tjc qea qgfrregf bc tlr mtfra jcv rcffgfv, ¡°Cr ibcu jr tf vbfrc¡¯a mbwwla agfjrbc, atf fwqfgbg kbc¡¯a vb jcsatlcu ab tlw.¡±


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s expression turned cold, and he said in a low voice, ¡°Wanggui, watch your mouth.¡±


    Sui Yan lowered his head.


    Duan Zhisu saw that his complexion looked poor, and he reached out to touch Sui Yan¡¯s forehead. He frowned and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever. Do you still feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Sui Yan shook his head and answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Isn¡¯t there a family banquet today? Can you tell the emperor that I cannot attend?¡±


    Duan Zhisu said, ¡°What nonsense. Imperial Physician Meng told Father Emperor that your condition isn¡¯t too serious when he returned to the palace today. Everyone in the royal household has to attend the banquet today, and there¡¯s no way to avoid it.¡±


    Sui Yan reluctantly smiled and asked, ¡°But before he left, didn¡¯t Imperial Physician Meng tell me to not go outside if it wasn¡¯t necessary?¡±


    ¡°The emperor is hosting a banquet. Do you think this is a trivial matter?¡± Duan Zhisu walked over to the cabinet on the side and rummaged through before pulling out a set of court robes and tossing it towards Sui Yan. ¡°Put this on. I¡¯ll enter the palace with you.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s head hurt. He lied in bed and dawdled, but he was still dragged up by Duan Zhisu. Sui Yan could only put on the thick robes.


    Duan Zhisu didn¡¯t put on any airs, and when he saw that Sui Yan¡¯s collar was crooked, he got up to help him straighten it. Duan Zhisu joked, ¡°How could you possibly live alone like this?¡¯


    Sui Yan¡¯s hands shook as he tied his sash. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn¡¯t. He really wanted to raise his head and tell the youth in front of him, Nobody was by my side in my previous life, yet I still managed to gain a firm foothold in the treacherous court.


    He wanted to say, To avenge you, I gave those two scums a taste of their own medicine. You won¡¯t believe how ridiculous they looked when they were defeated.


    I even made you the emperor¡­¡­


    All these things¡­¡­Did you know?


    When he didn¡¯t hear an answer, Duan Zhisu raised his head just in time to see Sui Yan take a deep breath. He helplessly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan, who had forcibly restrained those painful emotions, smiled. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and he replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡­¡±


    He paused and suddenly felt suffocated. He clutched onto the exquisite, silver-lined sash in his hands.


    Duan Zhisu, ¡°En?¡±


    Sui Yan stared at him blankly before making up his mind. He asked, ¡°If¡­¡­one day, you have to exchange my life for something extremely important, will you¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan raised his head, and his lips trembled.


    ¡°¡­¡­do it?¡±


    When he was young, Sui Yan would always joke and act improperly. This was the first time Duan Zhisu had seen him so serious. He thought about it and earnestly replied, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Sui Yan breathed a sigh of relief, his expression wavering between laughing and crying, ¡°Really?¡±


    Duan Zhisu said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Sui Yan thought, If the extremely important thing was the throne, would you still be this decisive?


    When he thought of that, Sui Yan realized how laughable his question was. In his previous life, hadn¡¯t Duan Zhisu already made his choice?


    That glass of Stigma was the best evidence.


    Sui Yan gently waved off the hand that Duan Zhisu had placed on his neck, turned around, and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t need to trouble yourself. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Duan Zhisu frowned. Just as he was about to say something, Haitang knocked on the door and entered, carefully carrying a bowl of medicine.


    Sui Yan quickly composed himself, tied on his sash, and wiped his eyes.


    Haitang said, ¡°This subject greets Your Highness¡ª¡ªYoung Master, Imperial Physician Meng left a prescription earlier and instructed us to watch you drink it. He told us not to make it into medicinal cuisine¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan absentmindedly acquiesced. His hands shook as he accepted the dark-colored medicine, and he seemed preoccupied.


    Duan Zhisu felt like something was wrong. He stepped forward and said, ¡°Wanggui?¡±


    Sui Yan raised his head to look at him.


    What Duan Zhisu wanted to say wouldn¡¯t come out of his mouth, so he could only coax, ¡°Drink your medicine first. Once you¡¯re done, we will enter the palace. Be good. It¡¯s not bitter.¡±


    Sui Yan absentmindedly took a sip and suddenly said, ¡°Liar.¡±


    You lied.


    You still granted that glass of wine.


    Duan Zhisu frowned. He leaned over and took a sip of the medicine before saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not bitter. How did I lie to you?¡±


    Sui Yan stared at him blankly.


    Duan Zhisu was at a loss, so he could only instruct Haitang, ¡°Go get your Young Master some sweets.¡±


    Haitang got up, but Sui Yan stopped him, picked up the bowl of medicine, and downed its contents. He immediately covered his mouth and retched.


    In the past, Sui Yan didn¡¯t vomit whenever he drank medicine. Duan Zhisu was alarmed, and he immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it really very bitter?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes shimmered, and he forced himself to swallow the nauseating medicine. When he replied, it sounded like he was about to cry, ¡°En¡­¡­It¡¯s very bitter¡­¡­Does that quack doctor have a grudge against me?¡±


    Duan Zhisu quickly patted him on the back. He didn¡¯t know whether he should laugh or cry, ¡°No matter how bitter it is, it shouldn¡¯t be to the point of shedding tears. Why do you cry so easily?¡±


    Sui Yan blinked away his tears and forced a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll be fine in a while. I will¡­¡­be alright.¡±


    Duan Zhisu waited for him to recover. When Sui Yan looked better, they went on a carriage and headed towards the palace.


    Every year, the emperor would hold a family banquet in the palace on Little New Year. When he was young, Sui Yan treated the banquet as a place to eat, drink, and ask for rewards. It wasn¡¯t until he grew up that he realized how turbulent the undercurrents were beneath this merry surface.


    It took an hour to get from the Sui Manor to the palace. When the horse-drawn carriage arrived at Chengan Gate, the guards asked the two to get off. Duan Zhisu opened the curtains and said, ¡°Little Young Master isn¡¯t feeling that well, and he shouldn¡¯t be exposed to the cold. I asked that Father Emperor grant permission for the carriage to enter Taihe Palace.¡±


    When the guards saw how pale and sickly Sui Yan was, they didn¡¯t dare to block the carriage and quickly let it in.


    The carriage soon arrived at the entrance to Taihe Palace. Sui Yan got off, wrapped in a thick cloak. A cold wind passed through, and the gold tassels on his guan tinkled in the wind.


    Duan Zhisu said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone in the imperial clan is pretty much here.¡±


    Sui Yan stretched out his hand, and a snowflake fell onto his palm before quickly melting.


    He murmured, ¡°It¡¯s snowing.¡±


    Snowflakes filled the air. A person ran over, and before he arrived in front of them, he shouted, ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Duan Zhisu looked over. It was Song Xian who seemed to have completed his punishment.


    Sui Yan retracted his hand and put the frozen hand into his robe. After Duan Zhisu and Song Xian talked for a while, his hand was still so cold that it hurt.


    Sui Yan sighed.


    Just then, a palanquin slowly came to a halt, and a youth dressed in ink-colored robes came out. It was Duan Mingchong.


    When Sui Yan saw him, he hurriedly stepped back towards the wall. Just as he was about to bow, Duan Mingchong walked over and stood in front of him, gently pulling his hands out of his robe.


    Sui Yan was dazed.


    Duan Mingchong quickly stuffed a hand warmer embroidered with begonias into Sui Yan¡¯s hands, turned, and ran away without saying anything.

 CH 8

    Sui Yan dazedly held onto the hot hand warmer and only reacted when Duan Zhisu brought him into Taihe Palace.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know whether he should laugh or cry. What was this?


    He couldn¡¯t understand what young people nowadays were thinking, so Sui Yan shook his head and followed Duan Zhisu to take a seat.


    Since the emperor was holding a banquet, all the members of the royal family came, and they were already seated. Maids served countless exquisite snacks. Sui Yan glanced at them, En, no sweets. Boring.


    Since the emperor hadn¡¯t yet arrived, those in attendance didn¡¯t need to care about their etiquette. Those who were close toasted each other, saying things that others wouldn¡¯t understand. Naturally, people with grievances didn¡¯t settle them during such an occasion.


    Such as Jiang Enhe, who was sitting across from Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan rested his chin on the back of his chair and lazily glanced at Jiang Enhe, wondering, Why is this idiot here?


    Not to be outdone, Jiang Enhe gave him a death glare, clearly conveying, Why haven¡¯t you died yet?


    Sui Yan burst into laughter, thinking, Why am I regressing? What is there to argue about with a child?


    When he thought of this, he retracted his gaze.


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s seat was relatively far from his, and there was an empty seat between them. Sui Yan didn¡¯t know who it belonged to.


    But he soon found out.


    Right before the emperor arrived, Duan Mingchong walked towards the seat and sat down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sui Yan staring at him and glanced at him awkwardly before quickly looking away.


    Sui Yan was confused. What was going on?


    Just then, the emperor of Beilan walked out from a side hall. Everyone hurriedly stood up and cried, ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡±


    The emperor was in the prime of his life, and his solemn face made him seem stern and dignified. After he sat down, he raised his hand, and with an expression that could barely be considered gentle, he said, ¡°This is a family banquet. Everyone doesn¡¯t need to be so polite.¡±


    Everyone quickly responded and returned to their seats.


    Sui Yan kept his head down and didn¡¯t dare to look up. After he sat down and faced the lavish meal, he felt hopeless.


    At this time, dancers dressed in red filed into the hall and began to dance as music sounded from behind a beaded curtain.


    Sui Yan wasn¡¯t interested in watching these beauties, and his mind was full of thoughts about when he could go back home. Just as he fell into a daze, Duan Mingchong suddenly kicked him under the table.


    Sui Yan came back to his senses and blankly gazed at Duan Mingchong. Only then did he realize that everyone was staring at him.


    Sui Yan was startled and quickly looked towards the head of the table.


    The emperor was looking at him amicably, and he didn¡¯t blame Sui Yan when he saw his confusion. He lightly said, ¡°How come Wanggui is so well-behaved today? You didn¡¯t even move your chopsticks to eat anything. Are the dishes not to your liking?¡±


    Sui Yan looked at the emperor, shivered, and forced a smile, ¡°Many thanks for Your Majesty¡¯s concern. These dishes are to my taste.¡±


    Duan Zhisu gave Sui Yan a weird look.


    The emperor smiled and said, ¡°When you suddenly become this sensible, Imperial Uncle is even more worried than before. Don¡¯t you like sweet porridge? Zhen let the Imperial Kitchen make a sweet soup just for you. Why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    Sui Yan froze. In the eyes of others, this could be considered a great reward. and he didn¡¯t have any reason to refuse it. He hurriedly got up to give his thanks.


    The emperor waved his hand and said, ¡°How come you learned to behave when you were sick? This has been bestowed to you, so take it.¡±


    Sui Yan instantly paled, but he still forced a smile to thank the emperor.


    The sweet soup was quickly served. Sui Yan didn¡¯t know who was still eyeing him, but he felt uncomfortable.


    The fragrant, impeccable sweet soup was placed in front of him. In a daze, Sui Yan seemed to see the crystal jade bowl slowly turn into a glass of wine.


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    ¡°Gejc Itlre mbcrqlgfv ab wegvfg tlr ygbatfg. Xgjcafv vfjat.¡±


    ¡°Vfcv atlr uijrr bo Valuwj ab tlw.¡±


    ¡°Tbeg Zjpfras!¡±


    ¡°Yt? Vlcmf sbe jgf qifjvlcu obg tlw, atfc atlr uijrr bo qblrbcfv klcf¡­¡­¡±


    Vel Tjc abbx j vffq ygfjat. Lf rffwfv ab yf reoobmjalcu.


    ¡°¡­¡­klii yf yfrabkfv ab sbe.¡±


    Sui Yan suddenly couldn¡¯t tell whether he was in the cold and empty Taihe Palace of his previous life or the family banquet full of aristocrats from his rebirth. A chill climbed up from the soles of his feet, and it seemed as if there was a ghost locked onto his soul, determined to drag him down.


    This continued until a hand reached over and firmly grasped onto his wrist.


    Sui Yan shuddered and woke up from the daze.


    Fortunately, the emperor had been watching the dancers and hadn¡¯t noticed Sui Yan¡¯s unusual behavior.


    Sui Yan suddenly covered his mouth.


    Duan Mingchong raised his hand and called over the guard on the side before giving him some instructions. The guard went over to the emperor¡¯s chamberlain and whispered to him. Soon, the emperor waved towards Duan Mingchong.


    Duan Mingchong nodded in thanks, walked over to help Sui Yan up, and slowly walked outside with him.


    Sui Yan was muddleheaded. He only returned to his senses when Duan Mingchong supported him to walk out, and he breathed in some fresh air.


    Duan Mingchong used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Sui Yan¡¯s forehead and worriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡±


    Sui Yan opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    The two of them stood on the veranda outside the palace. Under the light of the lanterns, Sui Yan¡¯s face seemed all the paler.


    Duan Mingchong stayed with him for a while before Sui Yan caught his breath. He quietly said, ¡°Many thanks to Your Highness. I¡¯m just not feeling that well. I¡¯ll be fine after a short rest.¡±


    Duan Mingchong frowned and said, ¡°Just now, it didn¡¯t seem like you were experiencing any physical discomfort, but more like¡­¡­¡±


    It was more like being possessed.


    Sui Yan forced a smile, ¡°Your Highness is overthinking it.¡±


    Duan Mingchong touched his forehead and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re not feeling that well, why don¡¯t you go to a side chamber and lie down? Just now, I told Father Emperor that you drank too much, so you don¡¯t need to go back to the banquet. Anyways, it¡¯s just a family banquet. Nothing important will happen.¡±


    Sui Yan shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be so inconvenient. I¡¯ll be fine after staying here for a bit.¡±


    Since his rebirth, Sui Yan had felt that after seeing through everything, he had become completely fearless, whether it was about Duan Zhisu, who had granted him the glass of poisoned wine, or the emperor, who had made him suffer all kinds of misery.


    But today, a casual sentence from the emperor had brought out the most unbearable scene from the depths of his mind.


    ¡°This has been bestowed to you.¡±


    Then came the sharp pain that seemed to have shredded his throat.


    Terror.


    This type of terror was rooted so deeply, as if it had been carved into his bones.


    Even after so many years, he was still shaking in fear when he thought about it.


    If Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t sensed that something was wrong and brought him outside, Sui Yan might¡¯ve done something disgraceful in front of all those people.


    Duan Mingchong worriedly looked at him before he silently turned and left.


    Sui Yan stood alone on the veranda, wearing a cloak, blankly staring at the raging wind and snow. He couldn¡¯t control his own body and was forced to watch as he slowly walked towards the steps leading up to the veranda.


    Below the step was a clear lake.


    There seemed to be a voice whispering in the darkness.


    ¡°Come over. You won¡¯t feel fear anymore once you¡¯ve come.¡±


    Sui Yan was frightened, and he dazedly wanted to walk towards where the sound was coming from.


    It was just that when he took the first step, he heard the sound of something crashing before Duan Mingchong, who had just returned, pulled him back.


    Sui Yan was caught off guard, and he stumbled. His back slammed into a carved wooden door.


    There was a bang.


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s usually gentle face was uncharacteristically dark, and he coldly asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him blankly and said in a daze, ¡°Someone is calling me to go over there.¡±


    Once he heard this, Duan Mingchong broke out into a cold sweat.


    He took a deep breath and went straight to the point, ¡°Were you trying to die again?¡±


    Sui Yan was stunned, and it took him a long time to answer. He evaded the earlier question, ¡°What did you do just now?¡±


    It was disrespectful for him not to use the formal ¡°you¡± when talking to the Crown Prince, but Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t mind and answered, ¡°I went to get you your sweet soup.¡±


    Sui Yan let out an ¡°ah,¡± and despondently said, ¡°I heard the sound of the bowl breaking.  Was the soup spilled¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong was so angry that he laughed. He let go of Sui Yan¡¯s shoulder, rubbed his eyebrows, and helplessly said, ¡°Is now the time to be talking about this?¡±


    Sui Yan murmured, ¡°The soup¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong was completely helpless, and he said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let someone make you another bowl of soup later.¡±


    Only then did Sui Yan nod.


    Since Sui Yan still seemed to be in a trance, Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t dare to ask him about his previous suicidal actions. He sat with Sui Yan for a while before leaving.


    However, before he left, he ordered many people to guard Sui Yan out of fear that he would feel depressed and try to jump into the lake and commit suicide.


    The banquet quickly ended. Sui Yan held onto the hand warmer and stayed in the veranda with Duan Mingchong for a while before he was escorted out of the palace by a servant.


    After he entered his carriage, Sui Yan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.


    He rubbed his eyebrows, thinking that the Crown Prince was so hard to deal with. If he hadn¡¯t played dumb, this matter might not have been resolved so easily.


    Sui Yan began to think. The emperor was a decisive man, so why was his son this indecisive? The two of them weren¡¯t familiar at all, yet Duan Mingchong cared so much about him.


    However¡­..


    Sui Yan lightly touched his wrist before he smiled.


    However, he didn¡¯t hate this feeling.


    As he thought about Duan Mingchong¡¯s somewhat childish face, Sui Yan confusedly felt that the terror he felt when seeing the emperor had slightly faded.


    It¡¯s not a big deal, Sui Yan thought, I¡¯m not afraid of him. I won¡¯t provoke him in this life, so even if he wanted to make me drink poisoned wine, he won¡¯t have the opportunity to do so.


    As he thought of this, Sui Yan calmed down.


    But even so, he had been frightened earlier, and he had a high fever by the time he returned to his manor.


    Haitang and Li Zhao were busy all night taking care of him and feeding him medicine, and the fever finally broke late at night.


    The next morning, Sui Yan held onto the small hand warmer and basked in the sun. There were peeled oranges on the small table next to him.


    Before noon, Haitang entered the Weeping Flower Gate, followed by someone from the palace.


    Sui Yan looked up.


    Haitang led the person over and said, ¡°Young Master, the Crown Prince sent someone to give you something.¡±


    Sui Yan looked sickly, and he lazily rested his head on his hands. He replied, ¡°He sent me something? Let me take a look.¡±


    The palace servant respectfully stepped forward, holding onto a small wooden box. He saluted before half-kneeling on the ground and unlatching the small door on the box.


    Soon, a rabbit with snow-white fur jumped out.


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Sui Yan couldn¡¯t express what he felt as he looked at the hopping rabbit. He asked, ¡°Did His Highness really ask you to send that to me?¡±


    The servant hurriedly explained, ¡°Yes. His Highness said Little Young Master likes cute things and sent me to the morning market to buy something cute. It took a long time to find this.¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy or worried.


    The palace servant respectfully asked, ¡°Little Young Master, what do you think?¡±


    Sui Yan stared at the rabbit for a while before his lips curved up, and he smiled, ¡°I think it¡¯s great.¡±


    Before the servant could sigh in relief, he heard the Little Young Master add with a gentle smile.


    ¡°It must taste delicious when it¡¯s roasted.¡±


    The servant, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Rabbit: QAQ!


    Bunny is so cute. Why do you want to eat bunny?!

 CH 9

    After Haitang saw the servant off, he came back in time to see Sui Yan holding the rabbit and trying to feed it oranges. He hurriedly went up to stop him.


    ¡°Young Master! Rabbits can¡¯t eat this.¡±


    Sui Yan asked, ¡°Then what can they eat?¡±


    He played with the rabbit¡¯s ears and smiled, ¡°Can they eat meat?¡±


    Haitang¡¯s face turned green, ¡°They also can¡¯t eat that.¡±


    ¡°What about snacks?¡±


    ¡°They¡­¡­they also can¡¯t eat that.¡±


    Sui Yan had been very enthusiastic, but when he found that rabbits didn¡¯t eat any of the things he mentioned, he became impatient.


    He put the rabbit on the ground, ¡°It doesn¡¯t eat anything. It¡¯s so picky, I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    Haitang, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Haitang persuaded, ¡°Young Master, this is a gift from the Crown Prince. You really can¡¯t roast it.¡±


    Sui Yan responded noncommittally, and it was unclear whether he had taken this advice to heart. He continued to bask in the sun until Li Zhao led someone dressed in the robes of an attendant over.


    The attendant knelt on one knee and said, ¡°This subject greets Little Young Master.¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t even open his eyes as he indifferently spoke, ¡°I have a task for you. Do it for me by tomorrow, and do it cleanly.¡±


    Before he left for the borders, Sui Yan¡¯s father had secretly handed Sui Yan a group of subordinates to prevent any mishaps from occurring. It was a pity that Sui Yan had been young and frivolous and hadn¡¯t taken them seriously. He had felt that as long as he held the emperor¡¯s favor, nothing could threaten his life.


    In his previous life, the emperor had secretly disposed of these subordinates. When Duan Zhisu got into trouble, Sui Yan had frantically rushed to find them, only to find that there was nobody that he could trust.


    The attendant looked fierce, and it was apparent that he was a general who fought year-round on the battlefield.


    Sui Yan gave him orders in a quiet voice. The attendant hesitated for a moment before he left to follow them.


    Li Zhao, who was standing on the side, frowned and said, ¡°Young Master, a courtesan¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan motioned for him to leave.


    Li Zhao felt like the Little Young Master¡¯s temperament seemed to have changed after recovering from the illness. He didn¡¯t try to persuade Sui Yan anymore and bowed before leaving.


    After Li Zhao left, Sui Yan let his servant get his cloak. He wrapped it around his body and planned to go out.


    However, the guard in the courtyard seemed to have gotten some instructions from Li Zhao. He hurriedly stopped Sui Yan and said, ¡°Young Master hasn¡¯t completely recovered yet, so you shouldn¡¯t go out into the cold.¡±


    Sui Yan angrily returned to the courtyard. He thought for a while before deciding that he should still go visit Yue Jian.


    At noon, Haitang brought a bowl of medicine into Sui Yan¡¯s courtyard. He looked around and couldn¡¯t find Sui Yan. The rabbit was sleeping on the ground, and a pile of orange peels was scattered near it.


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    Haitang put down the bowl of medicine and looked around the room, but he still couldn¡¯t find Sui Yan. He suddenly heard some sounds coming from the rear courtyard. He quickly ran over, only to see that Sui Yan had climbed onto the wall some time ago and was debating whether he should jump down.


    The walls of the Sui Manor were seven or eight chi high. Sui Yan had wanted to jump down and escape, but after using all of his energy to climb up the wall, he felt scared and hesitated for a long time.


    Haitang was extremely frightened, ¡°Young Master! Young Master, what are you trying to do? Th-Th-This is too dangerous!¡±


    Vel Tjc kjr jirb gfugfaalcu tlr jmalbcr. Lf ofia jkxkjgv rlaalcu bc abq bo atf kjii, rb tf mbeutfv jcv rjlv, ¡°Dglcu wf j ijvvfg. P¡¯ii mbwf vbkc.¡±


    Ljlajcu afjgoeiis wbylilhfv qfbqif ab ibbx obg j ijvvfg. Lf rabbv lc j mbgcfg jcv rajgfv ja Vel Tjc, jogjlv atja tf kbeiv ibrf tlr yjijcmf jcv ojii vbkc.


    Sui Yan smiled, ¡°What are you afraid of? I won¡¯t fall down. In fact, the scenery here is pretty good. I¡¯ll have people build a¡­¡­¡±


    As he carelessly talked, Sui Yan shifted his hand to get into a more comfortable position. Suddenly, the brick under his hand loosened, and he fell down, accompanied by Haitang¡¯s scream.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Sui Yan felt weightless as he fell down. He instinctively panicked, and his mind was filled with incoherent thoughts.


    Now that I have been reborn, what is my purpose?


    A moment later, a pair of hands reached out and caught him right before he reached the ground.


    Sui Yan was in shock. He slowly opened his eyes and met a deep gaze.


    Li Zhao ran over and anxiously said, ¡°Young Master! Is Young Master alright?!¡±


    Sui Yan blankly stared at the stranger in front of him before replying, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The man put Sui Yan down and glanced at him indifferently before leaving.


    Sui Yan stood on the ground, his legs still feeling weak. After the man turned around, Sui Yan saw the dark armor he wore and the sword he carried. He looked very majestic.


    Oh my god, who is this person? Why does it seem like they know me?


    Li Zhao helped Sui Yan back into the courtyard. Haitang was crying, but Sui Yan didn¡¯t pay any attention to him and asked, ¡°Who was that?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Li Zhao was shocked, and Haitang even stopped crying.


    Sui Yan, ¡°What?¡±


    Li Zhao carefully replied, ¡®Young Master, that was Second Young Master. You¡­¡­don¡¯t recognize him anymore?¡±


    Sui Yan was shocked.


    Sui Yan had two elder brothers, but they were both martyred at the southern border with their father when Sui Yan was ten years old.


    That year, when the bodies of his elder brothers were transported back from the borders, the ten-year-old Sui Yan had received them in front of the manor. He had lost all of his relatives in a single night and was so frightened that he didn¡¯t even know how to cry.


    During that time, people in the capital scolded Sui Yan for being so ruthless that he didn¡¯t show any sorrow when his relatives passed away. These rumors only died when Sui Yan passed out after kneeling in front of the coffins for seven days.


    Thinking back, Sui Yan hadn¡¯t seen his brothers in over ten years. He had felt that the man looked familiar, but his childhood memories only came back to him once Li Zhao had said that.


    Sui Yan was a little lost, and he froze before saying, ¡°He¡­..He came back¡­¡­¡±


    Li Zhao cautiously replied, ¡°Second Young Master stayed at the borders for two years. It just so happened that there weren¡¯t any battles this year, so he came back to the palace to give a report. I, I thought Young Master knew.¡±


    How could Sui Yan know that? In his previous life, Sui Xun was also killed in that war.


    Sui Yan suddenly realized that in his rebirth, everything seemed to be different from his previous life.


    Sui Yan froze for a long time before rushing out. He ignored Li Zhao and Haitang¡¯s shouts and ran across a verandah towards Sui Xun¡¯s courtyard.


    Sui Xun had arrived at the capital early in the morning and settled the army he had brought outside the city gates. He only had the time to take a look at the Sui Manor before he entered the palace.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t see his brother, so he waited by the door.


    However, he ended up waiting there for half a day.


    Sui Xun didn¡¯t return from the palace until it was dark.


    The manor was brightly lit, and snowflakes were drifting in the air.


    As soon as Sui Xun entered the manor, Li Zhao, who held an umbrella, anxiously greeted him, ¡°Second Young Master, you are finally back.¡±


    Sui Xun was twenty. He and Sui Yan looked alike, but because he grew up in the army, his handsome face looked fierce. He frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Li Zhao wiped off his sweat and replied, ¡°You should quickly go and take a look. Little Young Master has been standing in front of your courtyard since noon, waiting for you to come home. Nobody can persuade him to go back.¡±


    Sui Xun frowned even harder, ¡°What trouble is he making this time?¡±


    Li Zhao replied, ¡°It seems like he has something important to tell you. Little Young Master hasn¡¯t been feeling well since he fell into the water a few days ago. Now that it¡¯s snowing, he might get sick again if he stands there any longer.¡±


    Sui Xun gave a sound of acknowledgment and quickly walked back to his courtyard.


    Sure enough, there was a youth dressed in purple standing by the entrance to his side room. Snow was falling from the sky. He held an umbrella, dreamily staring off into the distance, deep in thought.


    Sui Xun rushed forward and coldly asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Sui Yan was stunned and blankly stared at Sui Xun.


    As a child, Sui Yan was too disgraceful, and he wasn¡¯t good at literature or martial arts. He spent all of his time acting frivolously. Sui Yan¡¯s eldest brother was mild-tempered, and their relationship was alright. However, his second brother Sui Xun was cold and stern, and he clearly expressed his dislike for Sui Yan. He rarely spoke to Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan was a scoundrel who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Whenever he encountered Sui Xun, he would be so terrified that he didn¡¯t dare make any trouble.


    This was the first time Sui Yan had looked at his stern second brother seriously.


    Sui Xun said, ¡°I asked you something.¡±


    Sui Yan shivered and forced a smile as he replied, ¡°I was waiting¡­¡­for elder brother to return.¡±


    Sui Xun asked, ¡°Why are you waiting for me? Is something wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan froze before he shook his head, ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡±


    Sui Xun glanced at him and said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing in particular, go back.¡±


    As he said this, Sui Xun opened the door and entered his courtyard.


    Sui Yan was taken aback and hurriedly tried to stop him, but Sui Yan had stood for too long, and his knees had gone soft. Before he could lift his legs, he staggered and knelt on the snow.


    There was a muffled sound.


    Sui Xun frowned and stopped. He impatiently looked back at Sui Yan, ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡±


    Sui Yan used his arm to support himself up. He had no idea what he wanted to say to Sui Xun. When he finally came back to his senses, he only felt confusion.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t speaking, Sui Xun didn¡¯t want to waste time with him, so he turned around and slammed the door shut.


    Sui Yan stood in the snow for a long time, only to be found by Li Zhao and dragged back to his room to drink his medicine.


    He had been busy all day and was exhausted. Just when he fell asleep, Sui Yan heard someone knock on his door.


    He struggled to sit up and said, ¡°Enter.¡±


    However, the attendant he had given orders to earlier that day entered through his window and saluted, ¡°Young Master, the matter has been resolved. The woman has been settled in one of Sui Family¡¯s manors, and nobody knows of it.¡±


    Sui Yan nodded. He got out of bed, walked to his desk, and picked up a brush to write a letter. He then waved the paper to dry the ink, folded the letter in half, and handed it to the attendant.


    The attendant said, ¡°This¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°Have you ever been to a red-light establishment?¡±


    The attendant, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The attendant¡¯s face purpled, but he forced out a reply, ¡°This subject hasn¡¯t.¡±


    Sui Yan rubbed his hands and said, ¡°Excellent. Today, I am willing to grant you permission to visit one. While you¡¯re there, hand this letter to Yuejian from Banhua Tower. Make sure he opens it.¡±


    The attendant, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The attendant really didn¡¯t want this permission, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He kneeled and soundlessly left through the window.


    Sui Yan sat on the side of his bed and sighed before he wrapped himself up with a quilt and fell back asleep.


    Sui Yan wasn¡¯t feeling that well. Added onto his exhaustion, he felt tired even after falling asleep. While he was sleeping, he seemed to feel someone sit by his bed and reach a hand out to touch his forehead.


    Sui Yan wanted to open his eyes to see who it was, but he couldn¡¯t wake up no matter how hard he tried.


    That person sat by his bed for a while before Sui Yan heard a quiet sigh.


    It was Sui Xun.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know if he was dreaming. If this wasn¡¯t a dream, how could Sui Xun, who seemed to view him as filth, come into his room in the middle of the night to see him?


    Sui Yan felt tears coming to his eyes.


    Didn¡¯t Sui Xun¡­¡­hate him the most?

 CH 10.1

    When Sui Yan woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.


    Sui Xun had returned from court and was dressed in a single layer, practicing his sword forms. The sharp blade pierced through the wind. The snow on the ground was stirred up, and it danced in the wind.


    Wrapped in a thick cloak, Sui Yan held the rabbit in his arms and secretly watched his brother from the corridor.


    In the past, when his elder brothers were practicing their sword forms, Sui Yan would avoid them so that he wouldn¡¯t anger them.


    Haitang stood behind him and carefully said, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s really windy here. Why don¡¯t we go inside and rest?¡±


    Sui Yan shook his head, staring at Sui Xun, and asked, ¡°How long is Elder Brother staying this time? He won¡¯t be going back right after the New Year, right?¡±


    Haitang replied, ¡°There isn¡¯t anything going on at the borders right now, so Second Young Master probably won¡¯t return until after the Lantern Festival.¡±


    Sui Yan thought there was still more than half a month to get along with his brother and relaxed.


    Sui Yan gazed at his brother intently. When Sui Xun stopped to get a drink of water, Sui Yan called Haitang and instructed, ¡°Bring a cloak over. Elder Brother is wearing so little. What if he catches a cold?¡±


    Sui Yan was afraid of the cold, so he thought everyone was just as scared of it as he was.


    Haitang helplessly replied, ¡°Young Master, how will Second Young Master practice his sword forms if he is dressed in a cloak?¡±


    Vel Tjc revvfcis gfjilhfv tbk rliis tf tjv yffc jcv wewyifv, ¡°Ktfc¡­¡­atfc tf rtbeiv ralii kfjg wbgf. Pa¡¯r rb mbiv abvjs¡­¡­¡±


    Ljlajcu qfgrejvfv, ¡°Vfmbcv Tbecu Zjrafg ugfk eq lc atf jgws jcv lr ragbcu. Lf kbc¡¯a ojii rlmx atja fjrlis.¡±


    Vel Tjc mbeiv bcis wbnf bc ogbw atf abqlm, fnfc atbeut tf kjr ralii mbcmfgcfv.


    They stood like this for a while when the attendant from the previous day rushed over. Sui Yan glanced at him and said, ¡°Haitang, go get me a hand warmer.¡±


    Haitang immediately went to do so.


    The attendant knelt down, bowed, and said, ¡°Little Young Master, that¡­¡­Miss Yuejian wrote back, saying that she wants to meet you.¡±


    Sui Yan played with the rabbit¡¯s ears and lazily replied, ¡°En, I see. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Not even Elder Brother.¡±


    The attendant raised his head and hesitantly said, ¡°This subject will do as you have bid.¡±


    ¡°What happened? You can¡¯t even tell me about it?¡±


    Sui Yan was surprised when Sui Xun¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind him. He tripped and fell towards the railing before he found himself in Sui Xun¡¯s arms again.


    Sui Xun had put away his sword and walked onto the corridor some time ago. He was still sweating. He frowned and steadied Sui Yan before asking, ¡°What did you do this time for you to have such a guilty conscience?¡±


    Sui Yan hurriedly sat up and mumbled, ¡°Greetings to Elder Brother, I¡­¡­I only wanted him to help me sneak out so that I could go play¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun felt that Sui Yan¡¯s playfulness was shameless, but he didn¡¯t scold Sui Yan and only said, ¡°Why do you have to sneak out if you¡¯re going to play? Is someone watching you?¡±


    Sui Yan seized this opportunity and complained in a low voice, ¡°Uncle Zhao said that I haven¡¯t fully recovered, so I need to follow the doctor¡¯s advice and stay inside. I feel much better now, but he still won¡¯t let me go out.¡±


    Sui Xun looked cold and directly said, ¡°You are the Young Master of the Sui Family. When nobody else is home, you are the master of the house. If you want to play, then play. You don¡¯t need to listen to anyone else.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately said, ¡°Many thanks to Elder Brother.¡±


    Sui Xun was quiet as he turned around and continued to practice his sword forms. Afterward, he seemed to have told Li Zhao something, but the old butler stopped watching over Sui Yan.


    As soon as Sui Yan regained his freedom, he ran outside, holding onto his hand warmer. However, Sui Yan ran into Jiang Enhe as soon as he left his manor.


    To put it nicely, Jiang Enhe was innocent and childlike. In other words, he was a complete idiot. Maybe it was because they had gotten along a few days ago, but Jiang Enhe wasn¡¯t as hostile towards Sui Yan as before.


    He glanced at Sui Yan and leaned over without noticing Sui Yan¡¯s rejection and disgust.


    ¡°What a coincidence, Little Young Master! You¡¯ve also come out for a walk!¡± Jiang Enhe put his hand around Sui Yan¡¯s neck, acting like they were very close, ¡°I was just going to visit Xiangguo Temple. One of their high monks just returned from his studies abroad, and everyone is rushing to meet him. Would you like to come with me?¡±


    Sui Yan was tempted to smash the hand warmer in his hands onto Jiang Enhe¡¯s head.  He held himself back when he thought about how the hand warmer was from Duan Mingchong.  ¡°Young Master Jiang should go by himself. I have something to do, so I won¡¯t accompany you.¡±


    Sui Yan shook off Jiang Enhe¡¯s hand and turned to leave. Jiang Enhe quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. It¡¯s said that the high monk is so powerful that he can even see people¡¯s past lives. The emperor may even invite him into the palace on New Year¡¯s Eve. Hey! Sui Wanggui!¡±


    Sui Yan paused and asked, ¡°What is that high monk called?¡±


    ¡°His religious name seems to be Gengxue.¡±


    Sui Yan took a deep breath and replied, ¡°I see. I will visit him another day. I really have something urgent to do, so I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    As he spoke, he rushed to leave.

 CH 10.2

    Sui Yan left in a hurry to find Yuejian.


    If he remembered correctly, the Fifth Prince would visit Banhua Tower today and fall for Yuejian¡¯s beauty. He would buy Yuejian and bring him back to his manor. In his past life, Yuejian¡¯s suffering had started from there.


    Sui Yan held onto his cloak and quickly passed the downtown area, entering Wanhua Tower. The owner had a deep impression of the young master who visited the red-light establishment for their sweet buns and not the girls. When she saw Sui Yan, she didn¡¯t even bother to greet him.


    Sui Yan grabbed a servant and instructed, ¡°I want to see Yuejian.¡±


    The servant froze and murmured, ¡°Miss Yuejian has a customer right now. Young Master might have to wait¡­..¡±


    Sui Yan frowned, ¡°How long do I have to wait?¡±


    The servant smiled, ¡°Around two hours.¡±


    Sui Yan took a deep breath and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He thought for a bit and said, ¡°Bring me some sweet buns.¡±


    The servant, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The corner of the servant¡¯s lips twitched as he replied, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Sui Yan began to chew on his sweet buns. After four hours, the servant finally brought Sui Yan upstairs to see Yuejian.


    Yuejian¡¯s room was filled with the scent of wine, along with a hint of the fragrance of evening primrose.


    Yuejian sat on a small couch near the window, dressed in bright red robes. He looked down at the streets below with a cold gaze.


    When Sui Yan entered, the servant closed the door behind him.


    Yuejian turned his head slightly to glance at Sui Yan.


    Vel Tjc ragfamtfv bea j tjcv ab qijs klat atf yfjvfv megajlc jcv ijhlis jrxfv, ¡°Glv sbe wjxf eq sbeg wlcv?¡±


    Tefpljc¡¯r fsfr oilmxfgfv, jcv tf ibbxfv algfv, ¡°Qts vb sbe xcbk jii bo atlr?¡±


    Vel Tjc tfiv bcab j yfjv jcv ilutais gfqilfv, ¡°Qtja jgf sbe gfofgglcu ab? Ktja P xcbk atja sbe¡¯gf atf Sivfra Tbecu Zjrafg bo atf Tlc Mjwlis, jcv atja sbe kfgf obgmfv ab tlvf lc j gfv-iluta frajyilrtwfca joafg atf vfofja bo sbeg ojwlis, bg atja atf qfgrbc ktb kjr pera klat sbe lr atf Mloat Uglcmf?¡±


    Yuejian trembled and instantly stopped pretending to be a woman. Even though his face was full of makeup, it couldn¡¯t cover that he was a man.


    Sui Yan tsked. In his previous life, Yuejian had already recovered his identity as a man when the two of them first met. Even though Sui Yan knew that Yuejian had once disguised himself as a woman, he couldn¡¯t imagine what it looked like.


    In this life, he was able to see Yuejian act as a woman. Using just his eyes and actions, Yuejian could completely conceal his gender and identity. It was terrifying.


    If he hadn¡¯t known that this was Yuejian, Sui Yan would probably have believed that he was a woman.


    Yuejian looked at him coldly.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t move. He held onto his hand warmer and lightly said, ¡°You still have half a day to think about whether you¡¯re going to follow the Fifth Prince or me. But I can tell you right now, if you go to the Fifth Prince¡¯s Manor, your life is going to be ruined.¡±


    You will be forced to become a courtesan. You will not have any measure of freedom or independence, and nothing will go as you have hoped.


    Yuejian¡¯s lips moved.


    Sui Yan continued, ¡°I know you want to enter the Fifth Prince¡¯s Manor to avenge your father, but have you ever thought about the power of wealth? No matter how well you conceal yourself, as long as there is enough money, your true identity will be uncovered one day.¡±


    Sui Yan walked over and looked at Yuejian condescendingly. His lips curled as he gently lifted Yuejian¡¯s chin, ¡°First of all, once you enter the Fifth Prince¡¯s Manor, you won¡¯t be able to conceal the fact that you are a man.¡±


    Yuejian closed his eyes, looking humiliated.


    Sui Yan smiled meaningfully, ¡°The Fifth Prince doesn¡¯t discriminate against men or women. If a beauty like you is exposed, he probably won¡¯t even be mad. He will just¡­..¡±


    He leaned towards Yuejian¡¯s ear and whispered something provocatively. Yuejian suddenly waved Sui Yan¡¯s hand away and sharply said, ¡°Enough!¡±


    Sui Yan smiled, ¡°If you pick him, you will definitely experience these things. What? You are allowed to do all of this, but you won¡¯t let me talk about it? What sort of reasoning is this?¡±


    Yuejian was infuriated, and he took a few deep breaths before he replied, ¡°I am a courtesan. Even if I say that I sell my skills and not my body, I am still a courtesan. Aren¡¯t courtesans bought just to do these things?¡±


    He paused and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do the same thing?¡±


    Sui Yan froze.


    Yuejian mistakenly thought that Sui Yan had a guilty conscience and coldly laughed, ¡°Everyone in the capital knows that even though Little Young Master is arrogant and mischievous, he is still honest and pure, and that he comes to Banhua Tower just to eat sweet buns. Who could have imagined¡­..Hah!¡±


    Yuejian¡¯s laugh made Sui Yan¡¯s face pale. He didn¡¯t know what to say, ¡°No, what did my attendant say that makes you think that I am interested in you?¡±


    Yuejian gritted his teeth and enunciated each word, ¡°He told me to be obedient and serve Little Young Master well so that I wouldn¡¯t suffer in the future.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    What sort of people had his father left for him? They couldn¡¯t even pass on a message.


    Sui Yan felt desperate, ¡°Then did you see the letter that I sent you?¡±


    Yuejian nodded, ¡°I did. It was absurd and licentious.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Even skeptics don¡¯t act like this!


    Sui Yan was so angry that he couldn¡¯t think clearly. It took him a moment before he replied, ¡°I¡¯m only¡­¡­fifteen.¡±


    Yuejian said, ¡°Thirteen to fifteen-year-olds are driven by strong urges.¡±


    In his previous life, Yuejian¡¯s mouth had been full of barbed words, and he often caused Sui Yan to be at a loss for words. Unexpectedly, Yuejian had been like this even before experiencing all of those hardships.


    Sui Yan clutched his chest, feeling like he was going to die of anger.


    It took him a while to catch his breath. When Sui Yan saw Yuejian¡¯s beastly expression, his anger suddenly rose, and he coldly said, ¡°Your younger sister is in my hands.¡±


    Yuejian, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It was Yuejian¡¯s turn to be furious.


    Sui Yan had finally released his anger, and he said, ¡°Have you made up your mind yet? Are you going to leave with me?¡±


    Yuejian gritted his teeth, glaring at him. It looked like he wanted to bite Sui Yan to death.


    A while later, he glared at Sui Yan in humiliation and defeat and said, ¡°I¡­¡­I will go with you. Don¡¯t touch my sister.¡±


    Sui Yan raised his brows, overjoyed at having recovered lost ground.


    The author has something to say:


    The rookies are pecking at each other.

 CH 11

    Yuejian was the top act at Banhua Tower, which meant that he couldn¡¯t be purchased with just a few hundred taels of silver. The owner of the establishment shakily held up five fingers and said, ¡°This, this amount.¡±


    Sui Yan directly replied, ¡°Deal, I will send someone to bring the money over later.¡±


    Yuejian stood in a slight curtsey behind Sui Yan. There was a smile on his face, and his gaze towards Sui Yan was filled with gratitude.


    The owner clutched her chest, feeling faint. She hurriedly exclaimed, ¡°Yuejian must have been extremely blessed to have gained Little Young Master¡¯s interest!¡±


    Yuejian forced a smile and nodded, ¡°Yes, many thanks to Little Young Master!¡±


    Sui Yan was amused by the sight of Yuejian suppressing his anger. He stepped forward and held Yuejian¡¯s waist ambiguously as he smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Since it¡¯s your blessing, you will naturally experience what¡¯s yours. Be good and wait for a while. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up later.¡±


    At that moment, Yuejian¡¯s gaze could murder.


    Sui Yan laughed and walked out of Wanhua Tower, leaving behind a crowd who stared at Yuejian enviously.


    Sui Yan was in a good mood, but just as he stepped out of Banhua Tower, he ran into Duan Mingchong, who was carrying a small cage.


    Sui Yan¡¯s smile stiffened, and his arrogant aura instantly vanished.


    Duan Mingchong seemed to have just gotten off his carriage. He glanced at Sui Yan coldly while the coachman behind him looked embarrassed.


    Sui Yan¡¯s smile turned even stiffer. He clearly knew that his actions had nothing to do with Duan Mingchong and that Duan Mingchong couldn¡¯t control him, but as long as he saw this gentle and kind crown prince, Sui Yan couldn¡¯t stop himself from turning into a quail.


    The quail scurried over and bowed, ¡°This subject greets Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong indifferently asked, ¡°What are you doing here? Did you come to eat steamed buns again?¡±


    Sui Yan nodded, ¡°Y-yes¡±


    Duan Mingchong replied, ¡°You ate for six hours?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t want to embarrass Sui Yan in front of the bustling entrance of Wanhua Tower, so he didn¡¯t chastise him. He only said, ¡°Come in, I¡¯ll send you back to your manor.¡±


    Sui Yan mentally cursed, but he had no choice but to follow Duan Mingchong and climb onto the carriage.


    The carriage moved slowly. Duan Mingchong lifted the curtain and looked outside carelessly, ignoring Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan pondered for a while and felt that he had to explain what had happened.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong looked over and lightly said, ¡°You finished coming up with your excuse?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Can tricking people be considered an excuse?


    Vel Tjc tfiqifrris jrxfv, ¡°Qts vlv Tbeg Llutcfrr mbwf tfgf?¡±


    Gejc Zlcumtbcu gfqilfv, ¡°P kjr bgvfgfv ab ub ab Wljcuueb Kfwqif ab nlrla Zjrafg Xfcuzef. P tjqqfcfv ab qjrr ys jcv rff j ybvsuejgv ogbw atf Vel Zjcbg, rb P rabqqfv ab rff ktja kjr ublcu bc.¡±


    Vel Tjc cbvvfv. Aera jr tf kjr jybea ab rjs rbwfatlcu, tf tfjgv j cblrf mbwlcu ogbw atf mjuf Gejc Zlcumtbcu tjv qijmfv bc atf ajyif fjgilfg. Lf kbcvfgfv, ¡°Qtja lr lcrlvf?¡±


    Duan Mingchong stiffened and hurriedly covered the cage with a red cloth. He unnaturally replied, ¡°No-Nothing.¡±


    Sui Yan had always had a restless temperament. The more Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t want him to see something, the more curious he was, so he put down the hand warmer in his hands and moved over to see what was inside the cage.


    The cloth didn¡¯t completely cover the cage, and through the wooden bars, a small brown creature could be seen shivering in a corner. The little bun looked like a mouse and was extremely cute.


    Sui Yan was filled with excitement, ¡°Your Highness, what is this?¡±


    Duan Mingchong could only pull off the red cloth and say, ¡°This was a gift from Master Gengxue. It¡¯s a hamster, and it is said to be very popular in the Jiangnan area. It looked cute and pitiful, so I asked for it¡­..¡±


    It seemed like Duan Mingchong wanted to say something else, but he hesitated. Sui Yan grinned and shamelessly asked, ¡°Is it for me?¡±


    In an instant, Duan Mingchong¡¯s face was filled with a pale red blush. He reached out for the cage and hugged it as he said, ¡°¡­..No, I don¡¯t want to give it to you now.¡±


    Sui Yan felt that this crown prince was not as gentle and elegant as everyone claimed. But it made sense. No matter how high his status or how respected he was, the crown prince was still a child.


    Sui Yan saw Duan Mingchong¡¯s ducked head and red ears and felt a sense of happiness.


    They soon arrived at the Sui Manor, and Sui Yan bowed to Duan Mingchong. Just as he was about to leave, he thought of something. His smile stiffened and he hurriedly sat back down.


    Duan Mingchong gave him a weird look, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s face was pale as he answered, ¡°Your Highness just sai¡­¡­said that you saw one of Sui Manor¡¯s bodyguards at Wanhua Tower¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan clearly remembered that he hadn¡¯t brought any bodyguards with him on this excursion.


    Duan Mingchong was confused, ¡°I did. He said General Sui was worried about your safety, so he sent someone to watch over you.¡±


    Sui Yan nearly collapsed.


    Sui Xun didn¡¯t like how wantonly he played, to begin with. Usually, if Sui Yan argued with Jiang Enhe on the streets, he would be glared at. This time, Sui Yan had even gone to a red-light establishment right under his brother¡¯s nose and stayed there for most of the day. Sui Xun would definitely butcher him.


    The more he thought about it, the more Sui Yan felt terrified. He trembled and looked towards Duan Mingchong, quietly begging, ¡°Your Highness, save me.¡±


    Duan Mingchong was so angry that he wanted to laugh, ¡°You can still feel fear? I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of anything.¡±


    Sui Yan carefully laughed along, ¡°Wanggui is just a nobody, so of course, I¡¯m afraid. Your Highness is kind and generous, so please help me this time. I will definitely repay you in the future.¡±


    Duan Mingchong looked at him helplessly. He seemed to have been scared by Sui Yan, and he waved his hand, saying, ¡°Get off.¡±


    Sui Yan thought that he had been rejected, and he immediately threw down any semblance of shame, holding onto Duan Mingchong¡¯s waist with all of his strength.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Your Highness! If you don¡¯t help me this time, I¡¯m afraid you will never see me again in the future.¡±


    Duan Mingchong had been in the East Palace for many years. Although his temperament was gentle, nobody had ever been presumptuous enough to hug his waist like this because of his status. He stiffened and looked at Sui Yan in disbelief.


    Sui Yan looked up pitifully in his arms and begged, ¡°Save me, Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After a while, Duan Mingchong entered the Sui Manor, his ears bright red. He was followed by Sui Yan, whose head was down, looking like a quail.


    When his subordinate reported that Sui Yan had returned, Sui Xun walked out of the study indifferently. He froze for a second when he saw Duan Mingchong before he cupped his fists and bowed.


    Duan Mingchong smiled gently and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite. I happened to meet Little Young Master on the road, so I gave him a ride.¡±


    Sui Xun¡¯s brows furrowed, and he glared at Sui Yan, his eyes visibly burning with rage.


    Sui Yan quickly hid behind Duan Mingchong.


    Sui Xun said, ¡°I have troubled Your Highness to send my brother back.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he coldly told Sui Yan, ¡°Come over here!¡±


    Sui Yan was so frightened that he trembled. He gently tugged at Duan Mingchong¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s smile did not falter as he said, ¡°Little Young Master is unrestrained by nature, and he is also at the age to be playful. Today he only forgot about the time while playing, so I hope the general isn¡¯t too strict about it.¡±


    Since the Crown Prince had already said this much, Sui Xun could not scold Sui Yan right in front of him. He forced the corners of his lips up as he replied, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Sui Yan finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Sui Xun continued to exchange trivialities with Duan Mingchong, who pleaded for Sui Yan to receive a lighter punishment. Duan Mingchong did not leave until it was sunset.


    Sui Xun respectfully escorted Duan Mingchong. As soon as the carriage disappeared, he turned around, his expression as fierce as that of a vengeful spirit.


    ¡°Sui Wanggui!¡±


    Sui Yan had wanted to escape to his own courtyard, but he had instantly been caught. Trembling, he turned around and laughed drily, ¡°Second Brother¡­..¡±


    Sui Xun coldly glared at him and angrily shouted, ¡°You are so courageous! At such a young age, you even went to visit a red-light establishment. What? Have you gotten bored of all of your usual pastimes?! Did you want to try something new?¡±


    Sui Yan pitifully replied, ¡°Second Brother, just now His Highness said¡­..¡±


    Sui Xun laughed frigidly, ¡°Heh, your wings have really hardened. You even know to use the Crown Prince to suppress me. No matter how high his position is, can he manage the affairs of a minister¡¯s house? What is wrong with you? Sui Wanggui, do you really think that if the Crown Prince intercedes on your behalf, you can escape your punishment?¡±


    Sui Yan panicked, ¡°No, n-no!¡±


    Sui Yan had gotten ahead of himself. He had planned everything out, but Sui Xun hadn¡¯t acted according to common sense. As soon as the Crown Prince left, he became ferocious. He held Sui Yan down in the Ancestral Hall and violently whipped him three times before ordering him to copy the Four Books and Five Classics while kneeling. Sui Yan could not eat until he had completed ten copies.


    Sui Yan had been beaten so hard that he was in tears. He was used to being pampered and couldn¡¯t bear any pain. Even though Sui Xun had been concerned about his condition and had not used much force, Sui Yan had still screamed from the pain.


    The Ancestral Hall was brightly lit. Li Zhao stood next to him, tending to the charcoal basin. He frowned, his face full of worry, and said, ¡°Young Master, what were you trying to accomplish? That red-light establishment is not a good place to be. If you went once or twice when Second Young Master isn¡¯t home, nobody would care, but now that Second Young Master is back¡­..¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s hand shook as he copied, and his voice was full of anguish, ¡°Uncle Zhao, can you stop talking about it? I, I know I was wrong.¡±


    Li Zhao was silent, but he still sighed.


    Sui Yan knelt on the futon, his hands shaking as he copied the books, mentally cursing Yuejian with each word. Sui Yan only finished when it was late at night.


    Even though it was so late, the lamp in the study was still on. Sui Yan¡¯s legs trembled as he knocked on the door and called, ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    Sui Xun said, ¡°Enter.¡±


    Sui Yan pushed open the door and walked inside. Sui Xun was reading a book under the lamp, and he did not even glance at Sui Yan as he entered.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t dare to cause any trouble. He held the copied book in his hands and placed it on the desk, whispering, ¡°I, I finished copying.¡±


    Sui Xun made a noise of acknowledgement and replied, ¡°Go back and rest. Continue kneeling tomorrow.¡±


    Sui Yan froze, ¡°What? I still have to kneel?¡±


    Sui Xun lifted his head and coldly gazed at him. Sui Yan immediately responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sui Yan bowed, his heart like ashes. Just as Sui Yan was about to leave, Sui Xun curled his fingers and rapped on the red sandalwood desk.


    Sui Yan paused and blankly looked back.


    Under the light, Sui Xun¡¯s fierceness had faded, and his expression felt inexplicably warm. He stared at Sui Yan, deep in thought, before he suddenly let out a quiet sigh.


    Sui Yan murmured, ¡°Second Brother¡­..¡±


    Sui Xun seemed helpless and worried as he asked, ¡°Wanggui, have you ever thought about how you would support the entire manor if I also die in battle one day and you are left alone as the last member of the Sui Family?¡±


    Sui Yan froze.


    ¡°And how would you live a life without any worries?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    The Crown Prince is a real winner in life.

 CH 12

    In the middle of the night, the red-light district was brightly lit. Yuejian watched gloomily as a servant from the Sui Manor and the owner of Wanhua Tower talked, thinking, That Little Young Master was really spending this much money to redeem him. Were youths nowadays all so extravagant just for beauties?


    If Sui Yan had heard these words, he would definitely have cursed at Yuejian.


    Soon, the steward from the Sui Manor settled everything. He ordered people to move Yuejian¡¯s belongings onto a carriage before respectfully helping Yuejian in.


    Yuejian nodded and bowed to the owner of the establishment before he entered.


    The carriage slowly began to move forward, and without stopping to rest, they exited the city.


    As the seat beneath him began to jolt, Yuejian felt a strong sense of unease. He pulled open the curtain and found that he was already outside of the city.


    He was taken aback and hurriedly lifted the divider to speak with the driver, ¡°Sir, where are we going? This doesn¡¯t seem to be the route to the Sui Manor.¡±


    The attendant was clothed in black robes. He expressionlessly replied, ¡°We will stay outside the city for one night and enter again tomorrow.¡±


    Yuejian was confused. Soon, the carriage stopped in the wilderness. The attendant lit a lantern and retrieved a small package from the bottom of the carriage before he handed it to Yuejian and said, ¡°Young Master, change into these clothes. We will return to the manor after dawn.¡±


    Yuejian was at a loss. He let go of the dividing curtain and opened the small package. There was only a worn blue robe, travel papers, and a household registration booklet inside.


    The same name was written on the travel papers and the household registration booklet.


    ¡ª¡ªJun Jingxing.


    Yuejian suddenly realized that Sui Yan had prepared a new identity for him.


    He looked at the name, stroking the characters with his hand as he nearly burst into laughter.


    Jun? Jingxing?


    What exactly did he have to do with that name? Only someone like Sui Yan would do something this taboo.


    The carriage stayed in the wilderness all night.


    At the break of dawn, the attendant, who hadn¡¯t slept all night, drove the carriage back into the city. Yuejian registered the travel papers and household registration booklet at the city gate and entered the city under the identity of Jun Jingxing.


    The carriage drove for a while before it stopped in front of Sui Manor.


    Li Zhao had received Sui Yan¡¯s orders and was waiting at the door to greet him. When he saw a young master dressed in blue robes exiting a carriage, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°This gentleman must be Genius Doctor Jun. I have been looking forward to your arrival.¡±


    Jun Jingxing held his hands in his sleeves and expressionlessly thought, Genius Doctor? Has Sui Yan gone crazy? How could he arrange such an identity for a courtesan?


    The attendant cupped his hands and replied, ¡°Genius Doctor came all the way from Jiangnan. I am afraid he might be tired right now, so could I trouble Butler to arrange a place for him to rest? I will go report to Little Young Master.¡±


    Li Zhao hurriedly nodded and led Jun Jingxing into the manor.


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    Of course, this was all nonsense, but Li Zhao and Haitang, who were worried about Sui Yan¡¯s health, agreed without any hesitation.


    Li Zhao led Jun Jingxing to a side courtyard next to Sui Yan¡¯s, chattering as he walked, ¡°Young Master Jun really came at an opportune time. My Young Master has had fevers these past few nights. The Imperial Doctors visited many times and said it wasn¡¯t anything major, but after taking so much herbal medicine, he hasn¡¯t gotten any better.¡±


    The old butler sighed, holding back his urge to curse those quack doctors.


    Jun Jingxing looked on coolly without commenting.


    Li Zhao thought all genius doctors had strange temperaments, and he didn¡¯t feel like he was performing a monodrama. After helping Jun Jingxing settle in, he left.


    Once Li Zhao left, Jun Jingxing let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at the layout of this side courtyard. There was rockery and flowing water, and the pavilion was even connected to the plum forest in the rear courtyard. Overall, the scenery was delightful.


    He had stayed up all night, confused and deep in thought. Now that he could finally relax, he felt a little tired, so he lay down on the couch to rest for a bit.


    Four hours later, someone came over to call him, saying that the Little Young Master had requested his presence.


    Jun Jingxing sneered, thinking, It had come.


    He straightened his clothes and expressionlessly followed the servant through the manor until they arrived at an ancestral hall.


    The ancestral hall was brightly lit with white lamps and incense, even during the day.


    Jun Jingxing muddleheadedly entered, and the door was slowly closed behind him.


    Jun Jingxing glanced around before he turned his head and looked forward.


    In the ancestral hall, there were the tablets of the members of three generations of the Sui Family. Among the curls of white smoke in the room, a youth dressed in purple knelt on a futon with a small table in front of him. He was writing something.


    Jun Jingxing furrowed his brows.


    Sui Yan weakly turned around when he heard the sound of the door closing, only to see Jun Jingxing blankly standing behind him. He greeted, ¡°What are you doing in a daze? Come here.¡±


    Jun Jingxing tentatively took two steps forward before he stopped vigilantly.


    Sui Yan held a brush in his mouth and looked at him in confusion.


    Jun Jingxing hesitated for a long time before he replied, his face dark, ¡°Even if you¡­¡­you don¡¯t need to do that thing in front of your ancestors.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan was expressionless. The brush fell from his mouth, and his clothes were all stained with ink.


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s gaze looked like he was watching a disgraceful beast.


    Sui Yan exploded and shouted, ¡°Why are your thoughts so dirty!? You¡¯re always thinking about that thing! I called you here to copy books for me! What nonsense are you thinking about?!¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The two of them stared at each other for a long time before Jun Jingxing hesitantly walked up and knelt on the futon.


    Sui Yan furiously moved the table in front of Jun Jingxing and shoved the brush into his hands. He pointed at the unfinished copy and ordered, ¡°Just start copying from here. I¡¯ve already copied this four times, and you¡¯ll complete the remaining six copies for me.¡±


    Jun Jingxing held onto the pen, frozen. In disbelief, he said, ¡°Why?!¡±


    Sui Yan angrily replied, ¡°You still have the face to say that?! If you hadn¡¯t hesitated for so long in Wanhua Tower yesterday, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed there for so long, and my brother wouldn¡¯t have made me copy books! It¡¯s all your fault! You were the one who was so hesitant, and now you still have the face to ask me why?¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing was a little confused, and he couldn¡¯t figure out what this Little Young Master wanted to do.


    But before he could ask, Sui Yan picked up the other futons and put them together. He spread his cloak as a blanket on top and contentedly laid down, looking like he was going to take a nap.


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­Hey!¡±


    Sui Yan had been dragged up by Sui Xun to copy books early in the morning and hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep. When Jun Jingxing spoke, he impatiently kicked him and vaguely replied, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me, just quickly finish copying.¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing was going to be angered to death.


    Sui Yan continued, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see your younger sister after you finish.¡±


    Jun Jingxing paused for a moment. He stared at the paper for a long time before he reluctantly held onto the brush and started copying. As he wrote each character, he cursed Sui Yan in his heart.


    Sui Yan was exhausted. He slept for six hours, making Jun Jingxing worried that he wasn¡¯t going to wake up at all. Just as he was about to wake Sui Yan up, Sui Yan blearily opened his eyes.


    Jun Jingxing patted the paper on the small table and said, ¡°I finished copying. Can you take me to see my sister now?¡±


    Perhaps Sui Yan had slept so much that he was confused. He got up and stared at Jun Jingxing blankly before asking, ¡°Did you bury me properly in the Sui Ancestral Graveyard?¡±


    His gaze was dark and heavy, and Jun Jingxing had goosebumps after hearing his question.


    Jun Jingxing tentatively called, ¡°Little Young Master?¡±


    Sui Yan dazedly stared at him. After a bit, he suddenly shook and then gradually recovered.


    He crawled to Jun Jingxing¡¯s side and peered at the completed copies on the table. His eyes shone as he exclaimed, ¡°Woah, the handwriting is the same as mine. I found someone to copy books for me in the future.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was speechless, ¡°You can copy it yourself.¡±


    Sui Yan ignored him, stretched, folded the copies, and stuffed them into his sleeve before he stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to sweets for dinner.¡±


    Jun Jingxing couldn¡¯t tell if this Little Young Master had really gone stupid or if he was just acting.


    Sui Yan happily gave the copied book to Sui Xun to look over. After he was released from his punishment, Sui Yan was overjoyed. He came out and tugged Jun Jingxing into his own courtyard.


    On the way back, Jun Jingxing wanted to ask about his sister, but when he saw Sui Yan¡¯s mischievous appearance, he was scared that he had been played, so he held the question in.


    Sui Yan pushed open the gate of his courtyard. Before he had entered, he suddenly exclaimed, ¡°My God, you can¡¯t play with that!¡±


    Jun Jingxing wondered who he was talking to. Once he stepped into the courtyard, he saw a waist-high snowman in the center. A child who looked seven or eight years old was holding a rabbit and trying to stuff it into the snowman.


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan quickly ran over and rescued the rabbit from the child¡¯s evil claws. Filled with distress, he held the trembling rabbit and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡±


    The child gazed at him and blinked without any fear. She then saw Jun Jingxing, who stood at the gate, and froze for a moment before she leaped with joy.


    ¡°Elder Brother!¡±


    The little girl rushed towards Jun Jingxing, jumped up, hung on his neck before he could react, kissed him on the cheek, and giggled, ¡°Brother, you really came? I thought Sui Yan gege was lying to me.¡±


    Jun Jingxing reacted after he felt the gentle touch in his arms. He stretched his hands out to hug her and muttered, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    After Yin Lingfeng was convicted, Jun Jingxing and his two younger sisters were also affected. Jun Jingxing was sent to Qianzhou, while his sisters Yin Shenqiu and Yin Yuewu were sold as courtesans. Somehow, Jun Jingxing had been able to escape from the government surveillance. He dressed as a woman and entered Wanhua Tower in an attempt to save his two sisters, who were in a place fraught with danger.¡±


    Except before he could rescue Yin Yuewu, she had been forced to leap down from a wooden building by the Fifth Prince, leaving Yin Shenqiu, who was only eight, behind.


    Yin Shenqiu had been sheltered by her elder sister and didn¡¯t understand anything that occurred in the red-light establishment. After Yin Yuewu passed away, Jun Jingxing protected her until Sui Yan had snuck her into the Sui Manor a few days ago.


    Yin Shenqiu was full of naivete, and she pointed to Sui Yan when she heard the question, ¡°That brother brought me here. He said I could come see Elder Brother¡±


    Jun Jingxing froze before he looked at Sui Yan with a complicated expression.


    Sui Yan was tenderly brushing the snow off of the rabbit. When he noticed Jun Jingxing staring at him, he immediately waved at him.


    ¡°You know medicine, right? Can you take a look at this rabbit? It looks really feeble.¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 CH 13.1

    Jun Jingxing thought that his identity as a genius doctor was just a cover. It wasn¡¯t until they ate dinner that he realized this Little Young Master really wasn¡¯t in good health.


    Sui Yan held onto a bowl of sweet soup, furrowing his brows as he sipped it. His expression made it look like he was drinking poison rather than sweet soup.


    As Haitang arranged the dishes, he said, ¡°The medicine for the prescription that Imperial Physician Meng left a few days ago will be delivered this evening. Young Master should be sure to take it.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s face turned green when he heard this, ¡°How long will I be taking it?¡±


    Haitang thought for a bit and answered, ¡°Until after the New Year.¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t even want to drink his medicinal cuisine now.


    Jun Jingxing frowned beside him. He looked at the sweet porridge in Sui Yan¡¯s bowl and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You have to cook your medicine into sweet porridge and take it as medicinal cuisine?¡±


    Sui Yan had been coaxed by Haitang into taking another sip of his medicine, and he didn¡¯t want to talk.


    Haitang responded familiarly, ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s just the medicine, Young Master can¡¯t even swallow it, so it can only be made into sweet soup.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was shocked, ¡°Then how long will it take for him to get better?¡±


    Haitang also felt that this method wouldn¡¯t work, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do, so he had no choice but to laugh.


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    Sui Yan curled his lips. Feeling bored, he untied the large cloak that he was wearing and threw it aside. Then, he took a small bottle from a small cabinet and began to untie his shirt lapels.


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing was horrified, and he shouted, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Sui Yan paused his unbuttoning to stare at Jun Jingxing in disbelief, his expression even more horrified.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a physician?¡± Sui Yan asked, ¡°You know how to apply medicine, right?¡±


    Amid his confusion, Jun Jingxing saw Sui Yan remove the clothes from his upper body, grab a pillow, and lay on the couch. He patted the bedside table and ordered, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was so angry that his ears rang, and he felt dizzy. He took a deep breath before he noticed the red wounds on Sui Yan¡¯s back.


    Only then did Jun Jingxing relax. He tentatively stepped forward, only to find that the fair back seemed to have been whipped, with three crossing wounds that looked horrible.


    Sui Yan laid on the pillow and dully said, ¡°Be careful. I¡¯m afraid of pain.¡±


    Jun Jingxing facepalmed.


    Sui Yan had sent someone to obtain the small bottle of medicine. When the stopper was opened, a medicinal fragrance filled the air. Jun Jingxing expressionlessly poured out some medicinal powder and gently sprinkled it on the three wounds.


    As the powder fell, Sui Yan¡¯s thin body abruptly trembled. He bit the pillow and let out an excruciatingly painful sob, looking extremely pitiful.


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s eyes flickered as if he was moved, and then he¡­¡­


    sprinkled it more enthusiastically.


    When Jun Jingxing was finished, Sui Yan was in a cold sweat, and he kept gasping. It was clear that he was in a lot of pain.


    Jun Jingxing carefully wiped off the medicinal powder on the edges of the wounds with a handkerchief and lightly remarked, ¡°What did you do wrong to be beaten like this? This is too cruel.¡±


    When he heard this, Sui Yan immediately turned his head and glared at Jun Jingxing, ¡°It was because of you! Even now, my brother still thinks that I went to Wanhua Tower that time to have fun. I suffered through this whipping because of you, so what are you gloating over?!¡±


    Jun Jingxing suddenly felt guilty and quickly coaxed, ¡°Alright, alright, alright. It was my fault. I¡¯ll copy books for you tomorrow.¡±


    As soon as his voice fell, he reacted. The two of them hadn¡¯t known each other for very long, so why were they acting so familiarly? It was like they were good friends who had known each other for many years.


    Did this Little Young Master act so familiarly with everyone?


    Sui Yan continued to lay on the couch as he dejectedly replied, ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you. Tomorrow is the Third Prince¡¯s birthday, so I will probably be out all day. You can live in the side courtyard. If you need anything, just go to Uncle Zhao.¡±


    Jun Jingxing nodded in response before he paused and suddenly asked, ¡°Why¡­¡­did you save me?¡±


    Sui Yan was sleepy after having lain for so long. ¡°Ah,¡± he dazedly opened his eyes and vaguely said, ¡°Save¡­¡­save you? You were the one who saved me.¡±


    Jun Jingxing rubbed his forehead, thinking, This Little Young Master seems to love saying nonsense when he¡¯s sleepy. When he saw how listless Sui Yan was, Jun Jingxing knew he couldn¡¯t get any answers, so he could only say, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, go to sleep.¡±


    Sui Yan answered, ¡°Oh,¡± lay back down on the soft pillow, and soon fell asleep.


    Because of his back injury, he couldn¡¯t lie on his back, so he could only curl up aggrievedly and bury his head in his blankets. There were tears in the corners of his eyes because of the pain.


    Jun Jingxing watched him for a long while before he sighed quietly.


    ¡°He¡¯s still a child,¡± he murmured before gently pulling Sui Yan¡¯s untied shirt up and covering him with a blanket. After thinking about it, he put out a charcoal basin and then quietly left.

 CH 13.2

    Early the next morning, Sui Yan was dragged out of his blankets by Sui Xun.


    Sui Yan thought Sui Xun was here to make him copy books, so he hugged the blankets and dazedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll copy, I¡¯ll copy! I¡¯ll go copy right away! Let me sleep for a bit longer, just a¡­¡­bit longer¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun was so angry that he nearly laughed. He turned around and opened a nearby window.


    Outside, it was snowing heavily. The cold wind rushed in, blowing straight into Sui Yan¡¯s face.


    He shivered and completely woke up.


    A while later, wrapped in six layers of brocade robes, he held onto the small hand warmer that had been filled with charcoal and followed Sui Xun into a carriage.


    Ever since he had gotten sick, Sui Yan had felt that eight hours of sleep weren¡¯t enough. As soon as he got on the carriage, he rested his head on a small table and fell asleep.


    Sui Xun was so angry that he ran out of rage. Afraid of Sui Yan catching a cold, Sui Xun hugged him and wrapped him in a large cloak to keep him warm.


    Sui Yan slept even more comfortably.


    An hour later, the carriage slowly stopped at the Third Prince¡¯s Manor on the South Street of the capital city.


    It was still early, and there weren¡¯t many guests at the Third Prince¡¯s Manor. A servant was waiting at the entrance. When he saw Sui Yan and Sui Xun step off of a carriage, he held an umbrella and rushed over to welcome them.


    Sui Yan had wrapped himself in so many layers that he looked like a ball, but he still shivered after getting off of the carriage. His lips were pale blue, and as he walked towards the manor, he asked, ¡°Is anyone here?¡±


    The servant hurriedly answered, ¡°Young Master Song and Young Master Jiang arrived just now. They¡¯re in a side courtyard drinking tea.


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°Oh, what about the Third Prince?¡±


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    ¡°Ktlr kjs, qifjrf.¡±


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    ¡°Greetings to General Sui, Little Young Master.¡±


    Sui Xun waved his hands, indicating that they didn¡¯t need to be so polite.


    Sui Yan hopped twice to shake off the snow on the boots before grabbing a stool and running over to sit by the charcoal basin, ignoring them.


    Sui Xun was sitting there drinking tea, so Song Xian and Jiang Enhe didn¡¯t dare to be too blatant and could only secretly glare at Sui Yan.


    After a bit, Sui Yan had warmed up, so he raised his head and asked Jiang Enhe, ¡°You went to Xiangguo Temple yesterday. Did you see Master Gengxue?¡±


    As soon as Sui Yan mentioned this, Jiang Enhe instantly stopped glaring at him. He pulled a stool over and sat down, intending to chatter endlessly with Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan stretched out a finger to stop him, ¡°Don¡¯t gossip. Just tell me the main points.¡±


    Jiang Enhe, ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Why hadn¡¯t such a dense person been beaten up yet?


    Jiang Enhe speechlessly asked, ¡°Do you want to hear it or not?¡±


    Sui Yan could only compromise, ¡°Fine, fine, you tell me, and I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    Jiang Enhe really began to chatter endlessly. He started with how a few crows flew overhead when he had set out, and he spent half an hour talking about his trip to the temple alone. Nonsense and spit filled the air.


    In the end, even Song Xian couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He frowned, ¡°Can you get to the point? Who wants to hear about how many girls you met along the way? Who¡¯s teaching you? I want to visit the genius that can teach someone to be like this.¡±


    Jiang Enhe¡¯s face immediately flushed, and he stammered, ¡°I¡­¡­ I was just about to get to it. Don¡¯t rush me!¡±


    Song Xian couldn¡¯t resist the urge to roll his eyes.


    Although Jiang Enhe had said that he would immediately get to the point, he babbled on for a quarter of an hour before getting to Xiangguo Temple.


    Jiang Enhe remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see Master Gengxue.¡±


    Song Xian nearly spat out a mouthful of water. Sui Yan also glanced at Jiang Enhe speechlessly as he quietly said, ¡°Are you playing with us?¡±


    Jiang Enhe¡¯s face was flushed. He glared at both of them before conspiratorially whispering to Sui Yan, ¡°But I saw the Second Prince.¡±


    Sui Yan was stunned for a moment before his enthusiasm was renewed.


    The culprit who had poisoned Duan Mingchong in his previous life was the Second Prince, Duan Ruwang.


    Jiang Enhe glanced outside, pulled his stool closer to Sui Yan, and lowered his voice, ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for the Second Prince to show up in Xiangguo Temple since everyone in the capital wants to use this opportunity to get acquainted with Master Gengxue. It¡¯s just that I found out that the person he met with was another Master from Xiangguo Temple who had previously stayed in the palace for some time.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes twitched, ¡°Did you hear what they were saying?¡±


    Jiang Enhe answered, ¡°How could I? I was lost, and I had been wandering around Xiangguo Temple. When I saw those two acting mysteriously, how could I have dared to approach? I immediately slipped away.¡±


    Sui Yan said, ¡°Aiyah,¡± hating iron for not becoming steel, ¡°Then what do I need you for?¡±


    Jiang Enhe glared at him. He thought for a bit, unresigned, before he added, ¡°But just before I left, I caught a glimpse of the Master giving something to the Second Prince. It was a small square paper bag. I didn¡¯t know what was inside.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s breathing paused.


    Stigma was a secret palace medicine. Even princes and key ministers usually wouldn¡¯t be able to come into contact with any. If the Second Prince intended to use Stigma to murder Duan Mingchong, then what he asked the Master from Xiangguo Temple for might have been its medicinal powder.


    Stigma was colorless and tasteless. Its toxicity was similar to that of a famed poisoned wine. Stigma was valuable because the Emperor granted it to those who committed serious crimes. Once they drank it and died, it meant that they bore the stigma of committing a great evil against the royal family.


    Duan Mingchong grew up in the East Palace and had been brought up by the Emperor. The Emperor would be merciless against whoever murdered the heir he had personally raised with a glass of Stigma.


    Thus, after the Crown Prince had been poisoned by a glass of Stigma in his past life, the Emperor had been so furious that he wanted Duan Zhisu to be buried along with his heir. If it had been another poison, the Emperor might have spared Duan Zhisu¡¯s life.


    After Sui Yan thought things through, he felt that the Second Prince was shrewd. He used a single move to kill the two princes most likely to inherit the throne and smoothly raised himself above the rest.


    Sui Yan took a deep breath, looked down at the begonia embroidery on the small hand warmer in his arms, lost in thought.


    Then¡­¡­in the Third Prince¡¯s Manor, who could secretly poison Duan Mingchong?

 CH 14

    Song Xian leaned over and frowned, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°Who is responsible for the wine at the banquet tonight?¡±


    Song Xian pointed at himself, ¡°I am.¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Why is a guest like you doing this? Are all of the servants in the Third Prince¡¯s Manor useless?¡±


    Song Xian said, ¡°I came here early and was bored, so I found something to do. What? Did you need something?¡±


    Sui Yan blinked at him and whispered, ¡°Then can you secretly switch my wine with peach nectar?¡±


    Song Xian, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Enhe heartlessly added, ¡°Me too! Me too! Can you switch mine with ginseng soup?¡±


    Song Xian, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Song Xian stared at the two fools speechlessly. After a while, he asked, ¡°Are you here to crash the banquet?¡±


    Sui Yan laughed and didn¡¯t tease him again.


    Duan Zhisu soon returned. Perhaps it was because there were too many guests that he had to greet, but he didn¡¯t stay in the side courtyard for very long before dragging Song Xian away. Jiang Enhe seemed to think it was fun, and he followed them out.


    Before they left, Sui Yan held onto his small hand warmer and called, ¡°Your Highness, do you need my help?¡±


    Even though he had said this, it was clear that he didn¡¯t have any intention to get up. Duan Zhisu was so angry that he laughed, ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside. Just stay here. I¡¯ll be happy if you don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    Now that Sui Yan had an excuse to be lazy, he beamed.


    Maybe it was because he was too bored, but Sui Xun had found a book from who knows where and was reading it.


    Since the Sui Family was full of military ministers, they refused to curry favor with anyone, so they weren¡¯t close with any of the ministers in court.


    Because Sui Yan and Duan Zhisu were childhood playmates, the Sui Family had a close relationship with the Third Prince. Others secretly remarked that the unfavored Third Prince was blessed to have gained a backer as powerful as the Sui Family. With the Sui Family¡¯s support, Duan Zhisu had a bargaining chip to fight for the throne.


    But Sui Yan was the only one who knew that the reason why his family and Duan Zhisu were so close wasn¡¯t that his family wanted to help the prince gain power, but purely because he and Duan Zhisu were friends.


    If Sui Xun had still been alive in his previous life, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have allowed Sui Yan to get caught up in the fight for the throne.


    Even right now, with Sui Xun¡¯s identity, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have come to a prince¡¯s birthday banquet if it weren¡¯t for how good Sui Yan and Duan Zhisu¡¯s relationship was.


    There seemed to be many guests in the prince¡¯s manor, and the sound of their voices could distantly be heard.


    Sui Xun glanced outside and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go out to join in on the fun?¡±


    Sui Yan was at the age where he enjoyed the excitement.


    However, Sui Yan shook his head. He took a sip of tea and calmly replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m getting older, and it¡¯s better for me to hold a cup of tea and watch the young people make trouble.¡±


    He grabbed onto a servant and instructed, ¡°Do you have goji berries? Use goji berries to make a new pot of tea for me.¡±


    The servant hurriedly left to do so.


    Sui Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun put his book down, walked over to feel Sui Yan¡¯s forehead, and frowned, ¡°Did your sickness make you stupid?¡±


    Sui Xun rarely acted this intimately. When he got close, Sui Yan froze. He held onto his tea and looked at Sui Xun blankly.


    Sui Xun asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan put down the tea and shook his head. Just as Sui Xun was about to go back, Sui Yan grabbed the corner of his clothes.


    ¡°Elder Brother,¡± Sui Yan whispered, ¡°After the New Year, can you¡­¡­not go back to the border?¡±


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    As he spoke, he felt that he had been too harsh. He coughed drily and spoke more gently, ¡°Don¡¯t fool around.¡±


    Sui Yan held onto the corner of Sui Xun¡¯s clothing, shook it gently, and mournfully whined, ¡°Elder Brother¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun was so used to seeing Sui Yan willfully make trouble that when Sui Yan suddenly started acting spoiled, he felt that it was unfamiliar. He looked at Sui Yan uncomfortably and didn¡¯t know whether to shake his hand away or not.


    When Sui Yan saw that he had gotten an inch, he wanted a mile. He immediately moved to hug Sui Xun¡¯s waist, buried his face in his arms, and dully said, ¡°Even if¡­¡­even if you want to go, can you go back a little later? Just this once. Can you promise Wanggui? Elder Brother.¡±


    Sui Xun¡¯s lips moved slightly, ¡°You¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan raised his head and looked at him anxiously, ¡°When I was young, I was willful and mischievous, but now that I¡¯ve grown up, I want to spend more time with Elder Brother.¡±


    The usually iron-blooded and indifferent general was at a loss. He could only say, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t act spoiled.¡±


    When Sui Yan saw that it was working, he became even more vigorous, ¡°Second Brother, Gege, once you leave, you won¡¯t come back for years. Nobody will stand up for me when I get bullied here in the capital¡­¡­¡±


    When he heard this, Sui Xun raised a brow and coldly asked, ¡°Who bullied you?¡±


    Sui Yan was about to use this opportunity to complain when a chuckle sounded. He turned his head to take a look.


    ¡ª¡ªDuan Mingchong, dressed in ink-colored robes, stood at the entrance, looking at him as he smiled.


    Sui Yan froze for a moment before his face flushed, and he let go of his brother at a loss.


    Sui Xun quickly returned to his senses, turned around, and bowed, ¡°This subject greets Your Highness.¡±


    Sui Yan sat on the side with his head lowered. Sui Xun pulled him up and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be disrespectful.¡±


    Sui Yan hurriedly bowed as well, ¡°This subject pays respect to Your Highness.¡±


    When nobody was around, he could shamelessly act spoiled in front of his brother. Even if it was embarrassing, he was just embarrassing himself in front of his family. However, he had not expected that Duan Mingchong would have seen it.


    Sui Yan wanted to dig a hole to hide in. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to die.


    Duan Mingchong kept smiling as he replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite. Little Young Master and General have such a good relationship.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s face was bright red as he quietly said, ¡°I¡­¡­I¡¯ll go see if the Third Prince needs my help, so I won¡¯t accompany you any longer.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even wait for Duan Mingchong¡¯s reply before he wrapped himself in a large cloak and ran out.


    As Sui Yan ran into the heavy snow, he heard the sound of wind and snow whistling by, as well as a faint echo of Duan Mingchong¡¯s chuckle.


    Sui Yan despaired, Ah, I don¡¯t know how to say it. Anyways, it¡¯s just¡­¡­I want to die.


    Immediately after his rebirth, he felt like he had seen through everything. Filled with apathy, he had wanted to die. But now, it was because of his feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment. He had the urge to fall into the snow and smother himself to death.


    Why was Duan Mingchong there every time he did something awkward or embarrassing?


    Sui Yan almost collapsed.


    He was so panicked that he didn¡¯t even think about where he was going. He walked down the veranda, his hair dusted with white snow. At the end of the corridor, he made a few turns before arriving at the main hall of the Third Prince¡¯s manor.


    It was snowing, and many people had come to give their gifts or well-wishes. Sui Yan glanced inside and found that most of them were civil officials, who were chatting in groups.


    Duan Zhisu was conversing with a man dressed in black robes. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Sui Yan standing outside the entrance. He froze for a moment before he said something to that person and walked towards Sui Yan.


    Duan Zhisu pulled him in, wiped off the snow that hadn¡¯t yet melted from his hair, and frowned, ¡°Weren¡¯t you drinking tea in the side courtyard? What are you doing standing here? Are you cold?¡±


    Sui Yan was so cold that his teeth chattered. He shivered, ¡°The Crown Prince is talking with my, my brother. I didn¡¯t want to disturb them¡­¡­so, so I came out.¡±


    Duan Zhisu frowned even more. He gave the nearby Song Xian some instructions before leading Sui Yan to a bedroom in the rear courtyard.


    A charcoal basin was in the bedroom. Soon after Sui Yan entered, he felt the snow in his hair melt and drip down. Duan Zhisu helped him take off his large cloak and softly said, ¡°I still have many things to do today. Your body isn¡¯t that well, so don¡¯t go outside and make trouble. Just stay here and sleep for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up in the evening when the banquet begins.¡±


    Sui Yan nodded.


    Duan Zhisu asked, ¡°What happened? I saw that you were yawning a lot just now. Did you sleep well last night?¡±


    Sui Yan took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and sat there, holding a blanket. He quietly replied, ¡°Yesterday, my brother punished me and had me copy books, so I didn¡¯t rest well.¡±


    Duan Zhisu put soothing incense into the small incense burner, and white smoke soon curled up.


    ¡°Copying books? What did you do this time?¡±


    Sui Yan shook his head. Duan Zhisu was helping him remove his guan and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t move around. If I pull your hair out, you¡¯ll be the one in pain.¡±


    Sui Yan could only stop moving as he answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, I just visited Banhua Tower.¡±


    Duan Zhisu paused as he frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that Banhua Tower isn¡¯t a good place to be? You can¡¯t go even if you¡¯re craving their sweets. When you went, how did you get caught by your brother? Didn¡¯t he beat you to death?¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t want to talk about it, so he ran his hand through his hair before lying down on the soft pillows.


    When Sui Yan was young, the Sui Manor was always empty. Ever since Duan Zhisu had gotten his own manor, Sui Yan would visit for meals and for a bed to sleep on. Over time, they had gotten used to this arrangement.


    Duan Zhisu didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He sent for a bowl of hot ginger soup. After watching Sui Yan drink it, he turned and left.


    Sui Yan lay on the bed on his side, sniffing the costus root scent spreading throughout the room. His mind wandered. For a while, he wondered who could secretly poison the wine, then he thought about whether Sui Xun could return after leaving for the southern borders. Soon after, the incense soothed his racing mind, and he fell asleep muddleheadedly.


    He faintly heard the sounds of wind and snow outside, and Sui Yan dreamed of a snowy winter night where it felt like cold, sharp blades were falling down upon him.


    Wearing a cloak, he knelt outside Taihe Palace. The heavy snow whistled by his ears, and the cold dug into his bones.


    The old eunuch who served the emperor held an umbrella and bent down beside him, whispering, ¡°Little Young Master, the emperor is furious right now and won¡¯t see you. It is so cold, you should go back.¡±


    The young Sui Wanggui shook his head. His voice was blown away by the cold wind, ¡°I must see the emperor today. Please help me pass the message again.¡±


    The old eunuch anxiously replied, ¡°The emperor is about to retire for the evening. Little Young Master, if you keep kneeling here and something happens¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Wanggui smiled lightly, speaking nonsense as he shivered, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not cold.¡±


    The old eunuch had watched Sui Wanggui, who was always joyful and energetic, grow up. He had never seen him laugh this sullenly, and he was taken aback. He placed the umbrella by Sui Wanggui¡¯s side to block the wind and snow and returned to Taihe Palace to try and persuade the emperor again.


    Except as soon as he entered, he saw the emperor reach a hand out and gently knock on the table before instructing, ¡°Go and pour a glass of wine to send to Duan Zhisu.¡±


    The old eunuch was extremely frightened. His face pale, he tentatively said, ¡°Your Majesty, Little Young Master Sui is still kneeling outside. It is snowing heavily, and he has always been frail¡­¡­¡±


    The emperor frowned and replied, ¡°Allow him to enter.¡±


    The old eunuch was overjoyed, and he quickly took a few steps backward and walked outside.


    Soon after, Sui Wanggui entered, covered in snow. When he saw the emperor, he immediately knelt down with a thud. His forehead touched the ground, and his voice trembled as he pleaded, ¡°This subject begs Your Majesty to show mercy.¡±


    The old eunuch was standing to the side, holding a glass of wine. When he saw this, he held his breath and felt nervous for Sui Wanggui.


    The emperor looked at him indifferently and asked, ¡°Who do you want zhen to grant mercy to? How should zhen grant it?¡±


    Sui Wanggui hoarsely answered, ¡°Even if the Third Prince has committed an unforgivable sin, he is still Your Majesty¡¯s flesh and blood. I hope you will spare him based on¡­¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the emperor angrily swept down the pile of memorials on the table with a sleeve, ¡°You still dare to beg for mercy on his behalf?! Look at these! These are records of all of the civil and military officials¡¯ participation in this scheme. Someone who can even poison the Crown Prince and form secret alliances for underhanded dealings is really zhen¡¯s good son!¡±


    Sui Wanggui continued to kowtow, ¡°The Third Prince is not someone who would conspire to murder his younger brother. Someone must have framed him¡­¡­¡±


    The young Sui Yan had been naive. He did everything in his power to clear Duan Zhisu¡¯s name, but he clearly hadn¡¯t thought about his words before he spoke.


    ¡°There is ironclad evidence! How do you know that someone is framing him?¡± The emperor was so enraged that he picked up an inkstone and smashed it. It hit Sui Wanggui¡¯s left shoulder, and ink stains bloomed all over his clothing.


    The old eunuch immediately kneeled, ¡°Your Majesty, calm down.¡±


    The emperor took a deep breath before he wondered out loud, ¡°Sui Wanggui. Everybody else rushed to avoid him after seeing him fall into such a situation. Why are you thoughtlessly involving yourself with this matter?¡±


    Sui Wanggui had nothing to say.


    The emperor maliciously glared at the shivering Sui Wanggui who knelt on the ground before he finally proclaimed, ¡°Duan Zhisu, convicted of conspiring to murder his brother, granted death. Send this glass of Stigma to the Third Prince¡¯s Manor.¡±


    The old eunuch was startled, ¡°Your Majesty, this¡­¡­¡±


    At the same time, Sui Wanggui suddenly raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you to spare his life for the sake of the father-son relationship between the two of you!¡±


    The emperor coldly gazed at Sui Yan, whose forehead was still pressed onto the ground. Perhaps it was because he had used too much force, but his skin had broken, and there was a trace of blood slowly trickling down.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    The emperor slowly stood up, supporting himself with the desk in front of him. He looked down at Sui Yan condescendingly before he suddenly spoke, ¡°Since you are pleading on his behalf, then this glass of poisoned wine will be granted to you.¡±


    Sui Wanggui was taken aback. He then slowly raised his head and looked at the emperor blankly.


    The emperor ordered the old eunuch, ¡°Go.¡±


    The old eunuch was trembling, but he didn¡¯t dare to defy the emperor¡¯s orders. He slowly walked towards Sui Wanggui and bent down in front of him. The jade wine bottle on the wooden tray in his hands shimmered, reflecting broken fragments of light.


    Sui Wanggui dazedly stared at the wine bottle in front of him. A moment later, he reached out and picked it up with a trembling hand, gazing down at the liquid inside.


    The emperor watched him trembling in fear before he sneered. As he was about to speak, he saw Sui Wanggui shakingly raise the wine bottle to his lips and down the poisoned wine.


    The emperor was shocked, and he raged, ¡°You!¡±


    The old eunuch was so frightened that he knelt down as well, ¡°Little Young Master!¡±


    The jade bottle fell onto the ground and shattered.


    After he swallowed, the poisonous wine flowed down his throat, and he felt a bit of warmth in the bitter cold. He was clearly terrified and in despair, but he still pressed his forehead onto the ground. His voice trembled, ¡°This subject begs Your Majesty to spare the Third Prince¡¯s life.¡±


    The emperor stared at him for a long time in a daze before he swept the candlesticks off the table. He raged, ¡°Why are you standing there so stupidly!? Go summon the imperial physicians!¡±


    The old eunuch ran out in a hurry.


    Sui Wanggui kept kneeling on the ground. He shivered as softly repeated, ¡°This subject begs Your Majesty¡­¡­¡±


    This subject begs Your Majesty¡­¡­


    Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his forehead. The cold touch instantly woke Sui Yan up.


    Sui Yan slowly opened his eyes. Duan Zhisu was sitting at his bedside and frowning at him. He asked, ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    Sui Yan couldn¡¯t discern whether he was in a dream or reality, and he could only blankly stare at Duan Zhisu.


    Duan Zhisu felt his forehead and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever. You must be confused from sleep.¡±


    He patted Sui Yan¡¯s small, pale face and coaxed, ¡°Wanggui, do you still recognize me? The banquet is about to start. You can¡¯t sleep anymore.¡±

 CH 15

    Sui Yan dazedly allowed the servants to dress him. He only woke up after stepping outside the door and into the cold wind.


    Duan Zhisu held an umbrella and walked side by side with him to the front hall.


    As the heavy snow roared, Sui Yan vaguely remembered that it had snowed just as heavily on Duan Zhisu¡¯s birthday in his previous life. That youth had stood in the center of the crowded main hall, his lips pale and his eyes filled with disappointment.


    And then he said¡­..


    What had he said? Sui Yan suddenly couldn¡¯t recall.


    While he was deep in thought, the two of them had crossed the veranda and entered the main hall, which was filled with guests.


    Although Duan Zhisu wasn¡¯t favored by the emperor, he had good relationships with many princes and young masters. As a result, the room was filled with youths dressed in luxurious robes. Since there weren¡¯t any adults present to rein them in, their behavior was unbridled.


    When Sui Yan was led to his seat by a servant, Song Xian and Jiang Enhe kept winking at him. He ignored their gazes and sat down, only to find that he was seated next to Duan Mingchong.


    When he saw Duan Mingchong¡¯s gentle face, Sui Yan recalled how embarrassing he had been just now, and his face immediately flushed. He had the urge to bury his head on the table.


    It was just a birthday banquet, so there was no such thing as a seat of honor. Seated with a few youths, Duan Zhisu raised his glass and said, ¡°Thank you all for coming to this banquet. This is only a small gathering, so don¡¯t be restrained. I¡¯ll start by toasting everyone.¡±


    The youths in the room quickly raised their glasses and downed their contents.


    Then, the revelry began.


    In his previous life, Sui Yan still had the energy to play with them, but he no longer had that inclination. He held his glass and took a sip but was surprised to find that it had actually been filled with peach nectar.


    Sui Yan looked up. Song Xian, who sat across from him, smiled and mouthed, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Sui Yan laughed.


    The hall was extremely lively with the group of youths playing together and Duan Zhisu¡¯s permissiveness, but Sui Yan only yawned as he sat and watched.


    Duan Mingchong, who sat by his side, saw that he was yawning so hard that he teared up. He chuckled, ¡°I heard that you slept in Third Imperial Brother¡¯s room all day. Why are you still so tired?¡±


    Sui Yan was so embarrassed when he saw Duan Mingchong that he had blushed, but when Sui Yan noticed that Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t intend to bring up the shameful things he had done, he gradually felt reassured.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I need to hibernate,¡± Sui Yan seriously replied.


    Duan Mingchong was so amused that he laughed, ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know where you get all these ideas from.¡±


    Sui Yan smiled at him, his eyes curving as he glanced at Duan Mingchong¡¯s table.


    For some reason, there wasn¡¯t a wine glass in front of Duan Zhisu. There was only a translucent porcelain bowl that seemed to be filled with ginseng soup.


    Sui Yan tentatively asked, ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you going to drink?¡±


    Duan Mingchong said, ¡°I hurt my right arm while practicing swordsmanship with the martial arts master this morning. The imperial physician applied medicine and instructed me not to drink any alcohol for three days.¡±


    Sui Yan let out an ¡°Oh,¡± but he was confused. In his previous life, he had also heard about this injury. So how had the crown prince been poisoned? Was the poison mixed into the ginseng soup?¡±


    Just as Sui Yan was pondering, a servant standing outside the door suddenly reported that the Second Prince had arrived.


    Duan Zhisu hurriedly stood up and instructed a servant to welcome the Second Prince.


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    The Second Prince Duan Ruwang had a weird temperament. In the court, he was very shrewd. In the eyes of the emperor and officials, he showed a lot of promise. However, in the eyes of his peers, he was cold and disagreeable. Coupled with the rumor that he tortured and killed many people, he became even more frightening. Every time someone spoke of him, their faces would be full of terror.


    Thus, when he arrived, even Jiang Enhe lowered his head and did not dare to speak.


    Duan Ruwang swept his gaze over the crowd, and everyone hurriedly bowed.


    He gave an insipid smile and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be this polite. I originally wanted to come earlier to celebrate Third Imperial Brother¡¯s birthday, but Father Emperor wanted me to stay a bit longer at the cabinet. I hope I¡¯m not too late.¡±


    Duan Zhisu laughed and replied, ¡°Zhisu is already flattered that Second Imperial Brother is willing to come here today. How could there be any mention of lateness?¡±


    Duan Zhisu led Duan Ruwang to his seat, and the two seemed to have a lively conversation.


    Sui Yan sat in his seat and drank his peach nectar absent-mindedly as he kept glancing at Duan Ruwang. Perhaps he was acting too blatantly, but the nearby Duan Mingchong chuckled, ¡°After the New Year,  you have to go to court and come into contact with the Second Prince. Did you want to take this opportunity to get acquainted with him?¡±


    Sui Yan immediately shook his head, thinking, I don¡¯t want to deal with such a weird person. I¡¯m only looking at him to stop him from playing any dirty tricks.


    Duan Zhisu and Duan Ruwang were still discussing something together. Sui Yan had already drunk several glasses of peach nectar. Even though he liked sweets, he couldn¡¯t help but be a little sick of the drink.


    Just as Sui Yan was starting to feel impatient, Duan Ruwang stood up.


    Out of those present, Duan Ruwang¡¯s position was the highest, so when he stood up, nobody dared to stay seated, and they all hurriedly followed.


    Duan Ruwang raised a glass of wine and lightly said, ¡°There are still some important matters that I need to deal with in the cabinet, so I won¡¯t stay any longer. I¡¯ll toast everyone and leave first.¡±


    Everyone quickly raised their wine glasses.


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s brows furrowed. If Duan Zhisu had raised the toast, he could calmly replace the wine with tea. However, Duan Ruwang¡¯s status in the court was extremely special, and they often clashed because of their opposing political views. Duan Mingchong couldn¡¯t allow Duan Ruwang to use this against himself in the future, so he quietly gave some instructions to the servant behind him.


    Soon, the servant poured him a glass of wine.


    Sui Yan¡¯s pupils shrunk.


    It seemed like Duan Mingchong would only be drinking a single glass of wine during the entire banquet, and it would be this glass. Thus, the Stigma should have been mixed inside.


    Sui Yan coldly glanced at the servant, only to find that this was Duan Zhisu¡¯s personal servant.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know what he thought of, but his face suddenly paled.


    Duan Ruwang had already downed his glass of wine. The nearby Duan Mingchong held the wine, frowning as he moved to drink it.


    Sui Yan took a breath before he suddenly leaped towards Duan Mingchong.


    Duan Mingchong was taken aback, and he immediately reached an arm out to support Sui Yan. However, even after he pulled Sui Yan into his arms, the hand holding the wine hadn¡¯t budged.


    Sui Yan buried his head in Duan Mingchong¡¯s arms and secretly gritted his teeth. If the wine had spilled when he pounced, everything would have been fine. However, Duan Mingchong practiced martial arts, and unexpectedly, not a single drop of wine had been spilled.


    Sui Yan mentally wailed, If your arm is injured, don¡¯t hold things so steadily, okay? Doesn¡¯t it hurt?


    Sui Yan had been too loud, and everyone in the main hall was now looking over.


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s face turned red, ¡°Little Young Master?¡±


    Sui Yan thought, Since I¡¯ve completely embarrassed myself, there¡¯s nothing left to lose. He whined and pressed down hard on Duan Mingchong¡¯s right arm.


    Duan Mingchong let out a hiss. He was in so much pain that he shivered, yet his right hand still held onto the wine glass steadily.


    Out of desperation, Sui Yan nearly knocked the glass down.


    Duan Ruwang glanced over indifferently and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Little Young Master?¡±


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s face flushed, and he whispered, ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s drunk.¡±


    The nearby Song Xian¡¯s eyes widened. Drunk? Drunk from peach nectar?


    Meanwhile, Sui Xun¡¯s face darkened. He lowered his voice, ¡°Sui Wanggui!¡±


    Sui Yan shivered, but he was already in too deep.  With Duan Ruwang¡¯s personality, even if his toast was interrupted, he would definitely find another reason to make Duan Mingchong drink this glass of wine.


    He didn¡¯t know how Duan Mingchong had grown up in the vicious court, but he wasn¡¯t wary of his siblings at all.


    Sui Yan hated iron for not becoming steel and struggled to pounce on the wine again. Duan Mingchong¡¯s left hand wrapped around his shoulder, trapping Sui Yan in his arms.


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m going to chop your arm off!


    Duan Mingchong whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble. We¡¯re in front of the Second Prince. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will tell Father Emperor that you are rude and reckless?¡±


    Sui Yan was so angry that his chest hurt, and he internally howled, Laozi is saving you!


    Duan Mingchong seemed to want to carry Sui Yan back to his seat. Just as Duan Mingchong was about to put the wine glass down, Sui Yan suddenly felt hot, and there was a humming in his ears.


    In a daze, he watched himself struggle and throw himself on Duan Mingchong¡¯s arm.


    His vision flashed, dancing with dots that spiraled like snowflakes. The ghostly voice rang in his ears again.


    At the lake outside the imperial banquet on Little New Year, that voice had crooned, Come over. You won¡¯t be afraid anymore once you¡¯ve come.


    And only a few days later, at this birthday banquet full of people, that voice sounded again, Snatch it over, snatch it over. Once you drink it, you won¡¯t feel any more pain.


    Sui Yan stared at the wine glass in Duan Mingchong¡¯s hand, possessed. Duan Mingchong¡¯s voice sounded unintelligible, like it was coming from far away.


    In a daze, he listened to that sound that echoed in his ears. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed ¨C maybe it was a day, or maybe it was a moment ¨C before he came to a sudden realization.


    ¡ª¡ªEver since his rebirth, the voice in his ears that had told him to seek his death had actually been his own.


    No, that voice had existed even earlier, in his previous life when he was alone and unattached.


    As if in a dream, he watched himself snatch the wine glass from Duan Mingchong¡¯s hand, hold it up to his lips, and down the entire glass.


    Duan Mingchong was taken aback, and he immediately moved to help Sui Yan up, asking, ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡­you¡¯re really drunk?¡±


    Meanwhile, Song Xian, who was standing nearby, suddenly paled. Duan Zhisu¡¯s hand shook, and he spilled his wine all over himself. Even Duan Ruwang¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed.


    Sui Yan¡¯s body didn¡¯t seem to obey his commands, and he stared at the wine glass in his hand.


    Seeing his pale face, Duan Mingchong hurriedly helped Sui Yan back onto his seat.


    The wine glass in Sui Yan¡¯s hand fell onto the ground, and he felt limp. He fell onto the table, motionless.


    Everyone present saw Sui Yan making trouble, and they were ready to see him make a fool of himself. Jiang Enhe¡¯s eyes shone, and he felt that he had something he could use against Sui Yan. In the future, Jiang Enhe would definitely use this to make fun of Sui Yan.


    Since Sui Yan had already drunk that glass of wine, Duan Mingchong sighed and ordered a servant to bring another glass of wine. He toasted the distant Duan Ruwang and downed it to return the toast from earlier.


    Sui Yan buried his head in his arms and closed his eyes. Upon a closer inspection, his whole body was trembling.


    Have I gone crazy? What am I doing? Sui Yan shuddered, My brother is still alive, my brother is still alive. I don¡¯t want to die anymore. Since I want to live, why did I drink that glass of wine in his place? Wasn¡¯t that year¡¯s lesson enough?


    He didn¡¯t know if it was his misperception, but when he swallowed the wine, his throat suddenly started hurting and itching. He even had the urge to rip his throat open.


    Sui Wanggui Sui Wanggui!


    He silently recited his own name. His mind felt hazy. He couldn¡¯t even tell whether he had willingly drunk that glass of poisoned wine because he didn¡¯t want the disastrous events of his previous life to reoccur or because he didn¡¯t want Duan Mingchong to be murdered.


    Absent-mindedly, he thought of what he had told Duan Mingchong a few days ago.


    ¡°Your highness is kind and generous, so please help me this time. I will definitely repay you in the future.¡±


    Sui Yan thought about it and suddenly gave a muffled laugh. He thought, It seems like you really can¡¯t casually owe others favors. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll end up repaying it with your life.


    It¡¯s such a loss, he commented.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t pay attention to anything after that. He forced himself to stay there until Duan Ruwang left. Then, he staggered to his feet and turned to leave without saying a single word.


    Sui Xun frowned and grabbed him, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s face was pale as he whimpered, ¡°I, I want to go home.¡±


    Sui Xun replied, ¡°If you want to go back, you should let the Third Prince know. If you leave without saying a word, that¡¯s too disrespectful¡­..¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s lips quivered, and he mumbled, ¡°Elder brother can go tell him. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked into the heavy snow outside without even bothering to put on his cloak.


    The author has something to say:


    Sui Yan: Nobody is better than me when it comes to tasting poisoned wine.

 CH 16

    Thank you so much Breeko and Inanari for the kofis! Merry Christmas! Wish you guys happy holidays!


    Soon after, Sui Yan was rushed home by his servants.


    After Stigma is consumed, it usually takes two hours to take effect. However, in the forty-five minutes that it took to get back to the Sui Manor, Sui Yan had started to feel dizzy. When he jumped off the carriage, Sui Yan staggered and nearly fell into the snow.


    Haitang was hanging new lanterns outside. When he saw Sui Yan, he quickly came over to greet him, surprised, ¡°Young Master, why did you come back so early?¡±


    Sui Yan was only wearing a wide-sleeved robe that made him seem even thinner. The cold wind carried the snow right into his sleeves. He did not know if it was because he was cold or something else, but he was trembling. He slowly shook his head and hoarsely answered, ¡°There was nothing to do.¡±


    Haitang saw that Sui Yan¡¯s face was unnaturally pale and wanted to help him up, but Sui Yan waved his hand away.


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    Sui Yan lowered his gaze and walked towards his own courtyard, ¡°You don¡¯t need to follow me.¡±


    Haitang was about to say something, but Sui Yan had already walked into the red plum forest that led to his courtyard. A gust of wind and snow blew by, obscuring his vision. When it cleared, Sui Yan had disappeared.


    The snow in the red plum forest was already ankle-high. Sui Yan panted as he staggered through it.


    While he was in a daze, his face was suddenly scratched by a plum blossom. As he tried to duck away, Sui Yan tripped and fell into the snow.


    He had not put on a cloak, and his thinly clad figure was planted in a pile of snow. Sui Yan slowly sat up, placing his hands on the snow to support himself. He stared blankly as a jade pendant fell out of his sleeve.


    ¡ª¡ª He had planned to give this to Duan Zhisu as his birthday present.


    In his previous life, Sui Yan had prepared an identical jade pendant but he had never been able to give it to Duan Zhisu because of Duan Mingchong¡¯s murder. In this life, he wanted to make up for this regret, but he could not have imagined that he would become the biggest joke.


    The more he looked at it, the more sad and ridiculous Sui Yan felt.


    He had designed the jade pendant and commissioned someone to carve it before he was reborn. The owner of the jade shop told him that the engravings on jade pendants usually consisted of auspicious things like magpies, goldfish, sacred lilies, laurel trees, peonies, and the three companions of winter.


    The previous Sui Wanggui had felt that these engravings were too generic, so he thought of adding several felicitous flowers into the design. He had ended up drawing an unrecognizable mess, but it had still been carved into the jade pendant.


    However, the next time he visited that jade shop, the owner refused to serve him no matter what, making Sui Yan extremely confused.


    Sui Yan blankly stared at the jade pendant on the ground. As if possessed, he clenched his fist and slammed it into the pendant.


    With a muffled bang, the jade pendant was smashed into the snow. It had not broken, so Sui Yan knelt on the floor and punched it twice.


    Cracks formed in the pendant, and it shattered into several pieces. The broken jade shards cut into his frozen hands, and blood dripped down.


    Sui Yan¡¯s gaze was unfocused as he gazed at the shattered pendant, and he blankly wondered, How on earth did I¡­¡­make myself into a living joke?


    When he drank the wine, he had seen Song Xian and Duan Zhisu¡¯s expressions clearly. However, that view had chilled his heart.


    Sui Yan¡¯s first reaction was, ¡°Ah, turns out they knew from the start.¡±


    I was the only one that did not know.


    After a moment of confusion, Sui Yan¡¯s mentality collapsed.


    Sui Yan could not understand why Duan Zhisu would collude with Duan Ruwang to murder Duan Mingchong on an occasion like this. Even if he had many alibis, the fact that Duan Mingchong had died at his birthday banquet would have made him the primary suspect.


    Vlcmf Gejc Itlre mbeiv regnlnf lc atf mbega obg wjcs sfjgr, tf mifjgis kjr cba raeqlv. Vb kts tjv tf vbcf rbwfatlcu ilxf atlr?


    Po Vel Tjc tjv xcbkc atlr lc tlr qgfnlber ilof, tf kbeiv tjnf lwwfvljafis tfiqfv Gejc Itlre mbcrlvfg atf bnfgjii rlaejalbc.


    But now, Sui Yan did not want to think about anything. He did not want to see the two¡¯s dignified expressions, and he definitely did not want to stay at that disgusting banquet for a moment longer.


    Vel Tjc mbnfgfv tlr wbeat. Llr wfcajilas tjv mbiijqrfv ilxf jc jnjijcmtf, vfragbslcu jii atf yfilfor atja tf tjv tfiv lc tlr qjra jcv meggfca ilnfr, ifjnlcu yftlcv geyyif jcv jrtfr.


    There was no way he could pick himself back up.


    Sui Yan felt desperate and aggrieved. He could not tell whether he wanted to laugh or cry. His lips curled up, but he could not bring himself to laugh. His eyes burned, but tears would not come out. There was a dull pain in his chest, and he trembled with pain.


    In a daze, Sui Yan recalled how he had thrown away his dignity and honor to scheme for so many years in the court in his previous life. He had turned himself into a treacherous and murderous villain, so much so that he had hated himself at times, just to avenge Duan Zhisu. However, after he was reborn, he suddenly realized that all of his previous beliefs and efforts had been futile and that¡­¡­he had just fallen into a scam.


    Utterly ridiculous.


    ¡°Is there anyone in this world who is more stupid than me?¡± Sui Yan murmured, before answering his own question, ¡°No, there must be none.¡±


    Sui Yan knelt in the snow as the frenzied emotions in his eyes gradually dissipated.


    ¡°I can not die yet,¡± He staggered to his feet, supporting himself on a nearby plum tree. His eyes were glazed as he muttered, ¡°I did not get reborn just to let myself die in such a cowardly way.¡±


    Jun Jingxing had taken a bath, and he was now reading medical books under a lamp. In the silence of the snowy night, a faint knock suddenly sounded on the door. He frowned and put on his coat to open the door.


    As he opened the door, a person barrelled into him before he could react. Jun Jingxing instinctively reached out to help the person up before he noticed that it was a snow-covered Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan blearily clutched onto Jun Jingxing¡¯s sleeves, forced his eyes open, and said brokenly, ¡°Poison¡­¡­You know how to cure¡­¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Jun Jingxing was taken aback, and he hurriedly carried Sui Yan into the room.


    The whole time, Sui Yan gripped onto Jun Jingxing¡¯s arm. He was already delirious, ¡°Yue, Yuejian¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing was scared senseless when he saw that Sui Yan wouldn¡¯t stop vomiting blood. He stripped off Sui Yan¡¯s snow-covered clothes, stuffed him into a warm quilt, and anxiously asked, ¡°What happened? Did you get poisoned?¡±


    Jun Jingxing was about to call servants over, but Sui Yan grabbed him. Even though the pain in his throat was unbearable, Sui Yan weakly urged, ¡°Don¡¯t tell, other people¡­..¡±


    After struggling to say this sentence, Sui Yan felt that he must be very cheap. He was even trying to protect Duan Zhisu at a time like this.


    Sui Wanggui, serves you right to die! Sui Yan thought.


    Soon, the Stigma began to take effect. A chill and a blazing heat swept through Sui Yan¡¯s body, making him feel completely muddleheaded. He was in so much pain that he wanted to roll off the bed.


    Ah, right.


    Before he lost consciousness, Sui Yan suddenly thought of something that Duan Zhisu had said to him in the past.


    He had asked, ¡°Wanggui, are you willing to believe in me?¡±


    That year, Duan Zhisu had looked lost as he blankly gazed at Sui Yan. His frightened appearance had made him seem frail and desperate.


    The young Sui Wanggui had never seen Duan Zhisu like this, and without any hesitation, he nodded.


    ¡°Of course I believe in you.¡±


    Of course¡­.


    I believe in you.


    But what have you done with my trust?


    It snowed heavily for many days, and by New Year¡¯s Eve, icicles were hanging off the building¡¯s eaves. Under the bright sunlight, the sparkling snow that had collected on the roof started to melt, and it slowly dripped down the crystal-clear icicles.


    Early in the morning, Sui Xun tied his cloak around his shoulders, adjusted his collar, frowned, and turned his head to ask, ¡°He still is not awake?¡±


    Haitang¡¯s face was full of worry, ¡°Yes, Genius Doctor Jun said that Little Young Master caught a cold when he came back that night and that it will take a while for him to get better. Little Young Master also needs to be taken care of for a few days before he wakes up.¡±


    After Duan Zhisu¡¯s birthday banquet, Sui Xun had been busy handling the end-of-year affairs in the military. He had come home to take Sui Yan into the palace but was surprised to find that Sui Yan was still sick.


    Sui Xun waved away the hand Haitang stretched out to adjust his girdle and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me that he was this sick? Let the carriage wait for a bit. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Haitang hurriedly acquiesced.


    Sui Xun quickly walked towards Sui Yan¡¯s eastern courtyard. Before entering the door, he could already smell a bloody medicinal scent. He pushed open the door and entered, only to crash into someone.


    Jun Jingxing took a few steps back. When he saw that it was Sui Xun, he hurriedly bowed.


    Sui Xun knew that Sui Yan had found a traveling doctor to stay with him, and he did not mind Jun Jingxing¡¯s presence. However, once he looked down at the blood-stained handkerchief in Jun Jingxing¡¯s hand, Sui Xun¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he¡¯s just sick? Why is he bleeding?¡±


    Jun Jingxing hurriedly explained, ¡°This is just the clotted blood that was spat out. It is not a big problem.¡±


    Sui Xun glared at this quack doctor.


    Jun Jingxing rushed to carry a water basin out of the room to draw some fresh water.


    Sui Xun ignored him, thinking that he would invite an imperial physician to take a look at Sui Yan later today. As he thought about this, he walked towards the bed in the inner room and was taken aback when he saw Sui Yan¡¯s pale face.


    He had only been sick for a few days, but Sui Yan was already emaciated. His eyebrows were furrowed as he rested on a soft pillow. His face was deathly pale, yet his lips were an unnatural shade of dark red.


    Sui Xun quietly sat at the edge of the bed, used his hand to feel Sui Yan¡¯s forehead, and called, ¡°Wanggui?¡±


    Sui Yan whined. His lips moved as he said something in his sleep.


    Just then, Jun Jingxing entered the room with the hot water he had drawn and looked at Sui Xun in embarrassment.


    Sui Xun frowned and soaked his handkerchief in the water before using it to gently wipe off Sui Yan¡¯s sweat. He asked, ¡°When will he wake up?¡±


    Jun Jingxing thought about it and answered, ¡°In two more days.¡±


    ¡°Two days¡­¡­¡± Sui Xun rubbed his forehead, agitated, ¡°Can it be any faster?¡±


    Jun Jingxing had the urge to roll his eyes, thinking, Your brother did not get an ordinary disease. He was poisoned, and he is blessed just to survive. Do you still want it to be faster? If you want him to die faster, I can definitely do that.


    But Sui Yan had urged him not to tell others before losing consciousness. Jun Jingxing had uncharacteristically listened, and he had told everyone that came to visit Sui Yan that it was just a cold.


    It was getting late, and Sui Xun was in a rush to enter the palace. He couldn¡¯t stay for much longer, so he spoke to Jun Jingxing before he left, his heart full of worry.


    It was New Year¡¯s Eve and the Heaven Worship Ceremony.


    Traditionally, this ceremony was held on New Year¡¯s Eve. A ceremonial altar would be constructed in the palace, upon which red candles would be placed. Sky lanterns would be hung over the southwest part of the altar. In the late morning, the emperor and the crown prince would climb onto the altar to burn wooden tablets carved with auspicious sayings and pray for timely snow and bountiful harvests in the coming year.


    Along with hundreds of civil and military officials, Sui Xun watched the emperor burn incense and worship his ancestors. However, his mind was full of thoughts about how Sui Yan¡¯s illness was much more severe than he had imagined.


    As he moved to kowtow towards the emperor, Sui Xun absentmindedly misstepped. Duan Mingchong, who had just stepped down from the altar, looked at him weirdly before whispering, ¡°General, return to your position.¡±


    Sui Xun finally came back to his senses and frowned as he returned to his ceremonial position and knelt.


    He seemed so preoccupied that even Duan Zhisu, who knelt far away, noticed. When the Taihe Bell rang, Duan Zhisu couldn¡¯t resist the urge to ask Song Xian, ¡°Is Wanggui still sick?¡±


    Song Xian lowered his voice, ¡°Your Highness, you have to be silent during the ceremony.¡±


    Duan Zhisu could only sit back down.


    The tedious ceremony lasted for most of the day and only ended at noon.


    Sui Xun was in a rush to visit Sui Yan, and after speaking with a few colleagues, he briskly walked out of the palace.


    As he exited Chengan Palace Gate, Duan Zhisu suddenly stopped him.


    Sui Xun turned around and saw Duan Zhisu, so he bowed.


    Duan Zhisu seemed awkward as he spoke, ¡°Is Wanggui sick? He didn¡¯t even come to the ceremony today.¡±


    Sui Xun answered, ¡°Yes, he caught a cold because he forgot to put on his cloak when he left the banquet that day. The doctor said it is not serious and that he will wake up in a couple of days.¡±


    Duan Zhisu let out a sigh of relief and forced a smile, ¡°That is good. I will visit him in a few days.¡±


    Sui Xun acquiesced, bid his farewell, and left.


    Song Xian walked out from behind, looked at Sui Xun¡¯s hurried steps, and frowned, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Duan Zhisu said, ¡°He just got a cold.¡±


    Song Xian hesitated.


    The two walked side by side back to Duan Zhisu¡¯s manor. Halfway along, Song Xian could not resist the urge to comment, ¡°Your Highness, why do you think Sui Wanggui drank that glass of wine for the crown prince? As far as I know, he and the crown prince do not know each other that well. Do you think he knew something?¡±


    Duan Zhisu froze.


    Song Xian continued, ¡°You and I both know what was mixed into that wine. Although we don¡¯t know which deadly poison it was, but according to Sui Wanggui¡¯s intentions¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Zhisu lowered his voice, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Song Xian fell into silence, but the anger in his eyes did not fade.


    Duan Zhisu took a deep breath and said, ¡°This matter was caused by my poor consideration. I will visit him in a few days and explain everything to him. Don¡¯t tell him any nonsense. Sui Wanggui seems clever and transparent, but his thoughts are deep. If you say something that you should not, he might end up hating us.¡±

 CH 17

    Thank you so much Lulith for the kofis! We have reached our kofi release goal for the first time, so please enjoy this bonus chapter! Thank you for the support!


    Happy New Year!


    It was the third day of the New Year.


    Early in the morning, a constant stream of people came to the Sui Manor to give New Year¡¯s greetings. Sui Xun was so busy that he did not have a moment of rest. He had been used to staying in the army. After half a day of dealing with these hypocritical civil officials, he felt he had lost half his life.


    He sent away another smiling official. Before Sui Xun could let out a sigh of relief, Li Zhao rushed in, ¡°Second Young Master, the Third Prince is here.¡±


    Sui Xun had not even been able to take a sip of tea. He reluctantly put down the cup and stood up to greet the guest when Li Zhao added, ¡°But after he put down his greeting gifts, he went to the Little Young Master¡¯s courtyard. Little Young Master Song also followed. What do you think¡­..¡±


    Sui Xun frowned and asked, ¡°Did Wanggui wake up?¡±


    Li Zhao answered, ¡°He just woke up at dawn. Haitang is serving him right now.¡±


    Sui Xun said, ¡°Then we don¡¯t need to worry about it. Young people don¡¯t need to be too disciplined in their friendships. Go to the kitchen and instruct them to prepare some sweet porridge and snacks to send over.¡±


    Li Zhao nodded and turned to do so.


    In the side courtyard of the manor, Duan Zhisu and Song Xian were stopped from visiting Sui Yan for the first time. Song Xian had already been dissatisfied with Sui Yan, and when he saw this, he laughed coldly, ¡°He just started to rely on the crown prince. Does he already think he is such a big deal?¡±


    Duan Zhisu shouted, ¡°Song Xian!¡±


    Song Xian could only close his mouth reluctantly.


    Haitang smiled awkwardly, ¡°Young Master just woke up this morning. Maybe he has been sick for so long that he feels uncomfortable, but he lost his temper. Your Highness and Little Young Master, please wait here for a bit. I will let Little Young Master know that you are here.¡±


    Duan Zhisu said, ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Haitang hurriedly said that he didn¡¯t dare accept the thanks before he bowed and left.


    Just then, servants from the kitchen brought over the freshly prepared sweet porridge and snacks. Haitang rushed to take them and picked out the pastries, ¡°Young Master is still unwell. Send these pastries to the front hall.¡±


    Haitang walked up to the door and knocked gently, ¡°Young Master?¡±


    He waited for a while before Sui Yan¡¯s voice sounded from inside, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Maybe it was because he had been sick for so long, but Sui Yan¡¯s voice was very faint and hoarse.


    Haitang said, ¡°The Third Prince and Little Young Master Song Xian are waiting in the front hall. They said they are here to visit you. Can they¡­¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a crash sounded against the carved wooden door, as if it had been hit by something. A moment later, he heard the sound of shattering porcelain.


    Sui Yan sharply said, ¡°Tell them to get lost!¡±


    This was followed by a violent coughing fit, as if the person inside were hacking up their lungs.


    Haitang was frightened, and he hurriedly explained, ¡°Young Master, this is the Third Prince, not some outsider. Are you¡­¡­¡±


    Are you so sick that you''ve gotten confused?


    Ccbatfg mijaafg rbecvfv lc atf gbbw, jcv la rbecvfv ilxf wjcs atlcur tjv pera yffc atgbkc bcab atf ugbecv.


    ¡°Xfa ibra! Snfgsbcf, ufa ibra!¡±


    When Sui Yan was sick before, he never had the habit of throwing things. Haitang was so scared that he could hear his heart pounding. He didn¡¯t dare to persuade Sui Yan and instead chose to whisper, ¡°Then¡­¡­Young Master, the kitchen made some sweet soup. Would you like to drink some?¡±


    Ktfgf kjr j wbwfca bo rlifcmf yfobgf Vel Tjc¡¯r tbjgrf nblmf rbecvfv jujlc, ¡°Xfa ibra¡­..¡±


    Ljlajcu vlv cba vjgf ab rajs jcs ibcufg. Lf tfiv bcab atf ybki bo rbeq jcv gjc jkjs.


    Inside the room, Sui Yan had collapsed next to the bed. He struggled to breathe as he leaned on the edge of the bed.


    He had been so furious that he had rolled off the bed while smashing the things on his table.


    He had been sick for so long that his limbs were too weak, and he couldn¡¯t climb back onto the bed. He tried to move, but his body hurt so much that he trembled, and he could only lean against the bed and try to catch his breath.


    Soon after, the door of the room opened. Jun Jingxing carried a bowl of medicine that he had just cooked and stepped in, only to see the mess covering the entire room.


    Sui Yan looked up at him weakly.


    Jun Jingxing rubbed his forehead, put down the medicine, and helplessly came over to help Sui Yan up, ¡°Little Young Master is so sick, but still has the strength to turn the room into such a mess. Heroes really come from the youth.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened.


    Jun Jingxing was extremely frightened, and he coaxed, ¡°Okay, okay, okay, I won¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll just stop talking. Don¡¯t¡­..¡±


    Don¡¯t cry.


    Sui Yan couldn¡¯t cry. No matter how red his eyes were or how sore his heart was, tears would not form in his eyes.


    Sui Yan took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, tilted his head, and hoarsely said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    He had been sick for so long that he had visibly lost weight. Even his face was deathly pale. His lips were dark red, making him look very weird.


    Only Jun Jingxing knew that this was the sequelae of taking Stigma. With Sui Yan¡¯s frail body, even if the poison was resolved, it would be impossible for him to go back to how he was before.


    He will be entangled with illness and pain for the rest of his life, and he could no longer be as frivolous or unrestrained as other youths.


    Jun Jingxing sadly thought, He¡¯s only fifteen.


    It should be the most beautiful moment in his life.


    Jun Jingxing brought the medicine over and calmly said, ¡°Drink your medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan pursed his lips.


    Jun Jingxing raised a brow and asked, ¡°What, do you want me to feed you?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s expression froze before he reached out a shaking hand to take the bowl. He stared at the dark-colored liquid inside. After a long time, he finally said, ¡°I want to eat candy.¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing felt helpless, and he could only coax, ¡°Okay, after you finish drinking this, I¡¯ll get you some candy.¡±


    Only then did Sui Yan nod his head, hold onto the spoon weakly, and finish the medicine, taking small bites.


    Jun Jingxing took a small box out of a nearby cabinet, rummaged through, and pulled out some candied fruit that he had previously bought.


    As soon as Sui Yan saw the sweets, his eyes lit up. He handed his bowl back to Jun Jingxing, ¡°I finished the medicine.¡±


    Jun Jingxing absent-mindedly counted the candied fruit and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t act like a baby. Finish all of the medicine inside.¡±


    Sui Yan could only stare at those fruits. He furrowed his brows as he drank the remaining medicine.


    As soon as he put his spoon down, Jun Jingxing stood up and shoved a piece of sugarcoated candied fruit into Sui Yan¡¯s mouth. He smiled, ¡°Is it sweet?¡±


    Sui Yan kept the candied fruit in his mouth while he licked off the sugar on his lips. He blankly nodded, ¡°En!¡±


    Jun Jingxing said, ¡°You can only have five of these every day.¡±


    As he spoke, he put four pieces of candy into a palm-sized box, which he placed on the bedside table, within Sui Yan¡¯s reach.


    Sui Yan stopped licking the candied fruit in his mouth and looked at Jun Jingxing incredulously, ¡°Why?¡±


    Jun Jingxing answered, ¡°Eating too many sweets is not good for your body. If you are well-behaved, I¡¯ll let you drink half a bowl of sweet soup after it gets warmer.¡±


    In other words, Sui Yan could not even drink sweet soup anymore.


    Sui Yan was so shocked that he turned even paler. He clung onto his last hope, ¡°Wh¡­¡­why?¡±


    Jun Jingxing replied, ¡°I took a look at the sweet soup that your kitchen makes. The base of the soup is ginseng. Your body is in such a bad condition, and you still have the guts to drink ginseng soup? Are you scared that you won¡¯t die fast enough?¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What?¡±


    Sui Yan was so sick that he felt confused, and he didn¡¯t have the energy to think about these things.


    Jun Jingxing reached out to touch Sui Yan¡¯s forehead as he explained, ¡°Besides how sick people should avoid ginseng soup, there is still some poison in your lungs, even though we resolved most of it. Ginseng soup is a great tonic, but if you drink too much, you can trigger the latent poison in your bones.¡±


    Sui Yan couldn¡¯t think straight, so he could only nod, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Jun Jinxing continued, ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t drink much ginseng soup at the banquet, or you might have passed away within a few hours of consuming that poison.¡±


    Sui Yan continued to nod. He seemed to have thought of something, but because his body was still too weak, he could not figure out what it was. The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.


    Jun Jingxing pressed Sui Yan¡¯s shoulder so that he would lie down and said, ¡°You can sleep for a bit. I¡¯ll wake you up later to take your medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan had already been exhausted, so he readily closed his eyes and fell asleep.


    Meanwhile, in the front hall of the side courtyard, Duan Zhisu had already drunk two cups of tea but still had not seen Sui Yan.


    Haitang was repeatedly apologizing, his face full of cold sweat, ¡°Young Master is unwell. He just fell asleep.¡±


    Song Xian nearly smashed the cup in his hands. He raged, ¡°What does he mean by this? We have already been waiting here for an hour, and all he does is pretend to be sick and send a servant to deal with us!¡±


    Duan Zhisu thought about it and felt that something was wrong. Although Sui Yan was stubborn, he had never acted this presumptuously. Moreover, the two of them had always had a good relationship, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense for Sui Yan to make up such nonsense just to avoid him.


    Duan Zhisu put on his cloak and stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    As he spoke, he began to walk towards the inner room in the rear courtyard.


    Haitang rushed to stop him, ¡°Your Highness, please stop! Young Master is really sick, and he can¡¯t see any guests¡­¡­¡±


    Song Xian grabbed the frantic youth. His face darkened as he threatened, ¡°If you say any more nonsense, I¡¯ll have people beat you up!¡±


    Haitang was so scared that his eyes were full of tears, but he still whimpered, ¡°Young Master really¡­..cannot see¡­¡­¡±


    Song Xian shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Duan Zhisu ignored the two tussling behind him. He walked up to Sui Yan¡¯s room and entered, completely not regarding himself as an outsider.


    To hide that Sui Yan had been poisoned, Jun Jingxing had driven away all of the servants these past few days. He had only allowed Haitang to enter the room to deliver food and medicine. Thus, when Duan Zhisu walked in, nobody stopped him.


    As soon as Duan Zhisu stepped inside, he smelt a medicinal fragrance and frowned.


    Was Sui Yan really this sick? He hadn¡¯t gotten better after this long?


    ¡°Wanggui?¡±


    The bead curtains at the entrance of the inner room swayed, tinkling as the jade beads collided. Just as Duan Zhisu was about to walk through, a hand lifted the curtain from the inside.


    Jun Jingxing had been cleaning up the mess on the ground. He stepped out to take a look when the door opened, only to see Duan Zhisu.


    Duan Zhisu frowned, ¡°You are¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing bowed and lightly said, ¡°This subject greets His Highness the Third Prince. Little Young Master has already fallen asleep.¡±


    Over the past few days, Jun Jingxing had already figured out where Sui Yan had gotten poisoned, so he felt unhappy when he saw the Third Prince. Although he didn¡¯t know why Sui Yan had gotten poisoned, he knew it had something to do with the person in front of him.


    Duan Zhisu replied, ¡°I just want to take a look at him.¡±


    Jun Jingxing sneered in his heart and stepped aside to let Duan Zhisu through.


    Duan Zhisu directly lifted the bead curtain and walked through.


    Sure enough, he found that Sui Yan had already fallen asleep, just like what Haitang and Jun Jingxing had said. His hair was scattered over the pillow, and the only color on his face was on his lips, making him seem terrifying.


    Duan Zhisu froze and stared at Sui Yan, scared to step any closer.


    Sui Yan quietly lay there, and he seemed to be dead.

 CH 18.1

    When Sui Yan woke up again, it was already past noon.


    The weather was sublime, and Jun Jingxing was sitting by a half-opened window, reading. When he heard the sound of Sui Yan¡¯s movements, he turned around.


    As soon as Sui Yan woke up, he blearily reached out to fumble for the candied fruits in the small box on his bedside table without even opening his eyes.


    Jun Jingxing was so amused by this sight that he laughed. He placed his book down and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat it yet. You can have one after you finish your medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan finally opened his eyes. His hand shrank back under the blanket, and he looked at the half-opened window as he complained, ¡°It¡¯s cold, the wind is coming in.¡±


    Jun Jingxing handed over the medicine that had been heated on a small stove and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t act so pretentious. There are five or six charcoal basins in the room. If anyone else was here, they would have long died of heat. Keeping the window open can also air out the room. If you really think it¡¯s cold, I¡¯ll close it for you in a bit.¡±


    Sui Yan weakly nodded and held onto the bowl as he took small bites of his medicine.


    Jun Jingxing looked at his lowered eyelashes and suddenly said, ¡°The Third Prince came to see you when you were asleep.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s hands shook, and he nearly spilled his medicine.


    Jun Jingxing stretched out his hand and firmly held onto Sui Yan¡¯s wrist as he lightly remarked, ¡°Why are you smashing things every time he is brought up? I spent a long time making this medicine, so finish it before you smash the bowl.¡±


    Sui Yan froze. He still couldn¡¯t think, so he obediently finished the medicine before fiercely hurling the bowl onto the ground.


    The sound of shattering porcelain filled the room.


    Sui Yan said, ¡°Next time he comes, beat him up until he leaves.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was calm and unruffled in the midst of this chaos. He watched Sui Yan, feeling amused.


    When he first came to the Sui Manor, Jun Jingxing had believed that this Little Young Master was a promiscuous youth enamored with beauties. He had felt terrified and contemptuous towards Sui Yan. However, after staying with him for the past few days, Jun Jingxing¡¯s views had drastically changed.


    How was this a licentious young master? This was clearly a child that hadn¡¯t grown up yet.


    All he thought about was playing around and eating sweets. Perhaps he didn¡¯t even know what a courtesan is.


    After Sui Yan gave those instructions, he waited for a long time but didn¡¯t hear any response. He glanced up and was horrified to find that Jun Jingxing was staring at him with a strange gaze. Instead of the usual contempt, Jun Jingxing¡¯s gaze was filled with benevolence, as if he was indulging a mischievous child.


    Sui Yan had seen this look in his father¡¯s eyes when he was younger.


    Sui Yan shivered and vigilantly asked, ¡°What¡­¡­what are you thinking about?¡±


    Jun Jingxing shook his head, ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m thinking about you.¡±


    As he spoke, he casually stuffed another piece of candied fruit into Sui Yan¡¯s mouth.


    Sui Yan felt even more alarmed. In his previous life, he and Yuejian had been so busy causing trouble in the capital that they hadn¡¯t had any time for relationships. However, he had noticed that Yuejian had always looked at him strangely.


    Snfc lc atf ijra sfjg bo tlr ilof, ktfc tf kjr mbcolcfv lc tlr wjcbg, Tefpljc tjv nlrlafv tlw fnfgs vjs klatbea ojli.


    Vel Tjc mbnfgfv tlwrfio klat tlr yijcxfa jcv delfais rjlv, ¡°P¡­¡­P gfwfwyfg afiilcu sbe atja P gfjiis tjnf cb lcafgfra lc wfc atf olgra vjs sbe kfgf tfgf.¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing gritted his teeth and glared at Sui Yan as he thought, Was I blind just now to think that he was innocent and harmless?


    Sui Yan looked down at his wrists. They were so thin that they could be circled with two fingers. He silently sighed and continued, ¡°Many thanks for saving me.¡±


    In his previous life, Sui Yan hadn¡¯t had many years left to live after drinking that glass of Stigma. Three years after taking the poison, he coincidentally met Yuejian at the Fifth Prince¡¯s Manor. Following that encounter, Yuejian took care of Sui Yan¡¯s health. However, the poison had already entered his bones. No matter how good Yuejian¡¯s medical skills were, Sui Yan could barely survive for another four years.


    Sui Yan was thanking him so earnestly that Jun Jingxing felt uncomfortable. As he cursed himself for acting so cheap, he pretended to be calm as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My father practiced medicine for many years, and he even spent some time at the Ministry of Health. Although I can¡¯t completely detoxify the poison, I can ensure that you survive for eight to ten years.¡±


    Sui Yan nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else emotional. He stretched his hand out and instructed, ¡°Here, bring the rabbit over.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was unaccustomed to how Sui Yan liked sweets and soft things. He frowned as he grabbed the rabbit that had been nestling by the charcoal basin by its ears and tossed it towards Sui Yan, ¡°Why do you like things like this? As far as I know, only little girls like these kinds of small animals and eating sweets¡­¡­Hey! Don¡¯t let him into the blanket! Aren¡¯t you afraid of it being dirty? What if there are bugs on it?¡±


    Sui Yan played with the rabbit¡¯s ears as he suggested, ¡°We should give it a name.¡±


    Jun Jingxing felt depressed, ¡°Listen to me!¡±


    Sui Yan continued, ¡°Let¡¯s call it Yuejian, since you don¡¯t use this name anymore.¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished, Sui Yan called, ¡°Yuejian. Come, Yuejian. Come into my arms.¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing was so furious that he nearly dragged the rabbit out of the room and roasted it.


    At night, Sui Xun was finally able to come and see Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan weakly leaned on the bed and looked at Sui Xun, aggrieved, ¡°Brother.¡±


    Sui Xun looked at how Sui Yan had visibly lost weight and felt angry and distressed. He scolded, ¡°You ran around outside without a cloak on such a cold day. What in the world were you thinking? Does being this sick feel comfortable?¡±


    Sui Yan stretched out a hand, feeling wronged, ¡°Second brother, give me a hug, okay?¡±


    Sui Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun started to question his hearing.


    Ever since Sui Xun had returned before the New Year, Sui Yan, who had always been stubborn and mischievous, had acted very obediently. Now, Sui Yan even dared to blatantly act spoiled in front of him.


    Was this person¡­¡­still a little kid?


    Sui Xun looked at him vigilantly as he asked, ¡°Did you get into trouble again?¡±


    Sui Yan took a deep breath and struggled to maintain his smile as he continued to act spoiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t. Hug me, just once.¡±


    Sui Xun was still worried, ¡°Or did you provoke the Third Prince today?¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°No, are you going to hug me?¡±


    Sui Xun continued, ¡°Wait¡­¡­Did you smash something that the emperor bestowed¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him expressionlessly as he said, ¡°Elder Brother, I feel tired. Why don¡¯t you go back first?¡±


    Sui Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun finally believed that Sui Yan had only wanted to act spoiled. He thought for a bit before he awkwardly answered, ¡°You¡¯re not a little kid anymore, so don¡¯t always act spoiled. Ahem¡­¡­Since you¡¯re still sick, then I¡¯ll¡­¡­then I¡¯ll hug you.¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be hugged any more. Respectfully seeing Elder Brother off.¡±


    As he spoke, he expressionlessly turned around, wrapped himself in his blanket, and fell silent.


    Sui Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Xun¡¯s face was gloomy as he left.


    Jun Jingxing walked in and patted the blanket as he said, ¡°He already left. Get up to take your medicine.¡±


    Sui Yan lifted the blanket, his eyes red.


    Jun Jingxing asked, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan shook his head. He accepted the bowl of medicine and took a sip. These past few days, he had drunk so much of this ridiculously bitter medicine that he had gradually gotten accustomed to its taste. Even though he still hated it, he could drink it.


    When he finished the bowl of medicine that was so bitter his face had scrunched up and reached out to take a candied fruit, Sui Yan had a flash of inspiration. He suddenly thought of something, and his hand shook as the spoon he held clattered into the bowl.


    Jun Jingxing looked at him, full of confusion, and stuffed a candied fruit into Sui Yan¡¯s mouth.


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes widened, and he stared at Jun Jingxing as he painfully asked, ¡°What did you tell me this morning?¡±


    Jun Jingxing had no idea, ¡°This morning? What did I say?¡±


    Sui Yan murmured, ¡°You said ginseng soup¡­¡­will cause Stigma¡¯s toxicity to act up¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s severe, it can take a life within moments.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s pupils trembled as he seemed to figure something out.


    In his previous life, he had sat far away from Duan Mingchong and didn¡¯t know what he had eaten that night. However, Duan Mingchong seemed to have died within thirty minutes of Duan Ruwang¡¯s toast.


    It turned out that the bowl of ginseng soup was why the poison had taken effect so soon.


    Sui Yan felt frightened as he thought about it. He pressed down on his chest as he gasped for breath. He felt like his lungs had been punctured by tiny needles, and black spots danced in his vision.


    Duan Zhisu¡­¡­


    Perhaps Duan Zhisu hadn¡¯t known what poison was in the wine. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have prepared a bowl of ginseng soup for Duan Mingchong, since he would not gain any benefits if the crown prince died at his banquet.


    But even if Duan Zhisu hadn¡¯t known that the poison was Stigma, the glass of poisoned wine must have had something to do with him.


    ¡°Asking a tiger for its skin¡­..¡± Sui Yan gritted his teeth, ¡°Did you even know how you died?¡±


    Jun Jingxing frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan breathed lightly so that he wouldn¡¯t faint from the pain. He was so angry that he couldn¡¯t think clearly, ¡°Go¡­..go to the side courtyard and call one of the attendants over.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was observant, so he didn¡¯t say anything when he heard those instructions. He quickly went outside and brought someone over, knowing that Sui Yan had something important to say. He then left the inner room and waited in the outer hall.


    Sui Yan leaned on the edge of the bed and whispered, ¡°Go investigate where Duan Zhisu¡¯s poison came from, then check how many strangers have been in contact with him recently. In three days, let me know about everything you discover.¡±


    The attendant froze and didn¡¯t react, ¡°Investigate¡­¡­the Third Prince?¡±


    He remembered that Sui Yan seemed to have a good relationship with the Third Prince, so why was he suddenly secretly investigating these private matters?


    Sui Yan slapped the edge of the bed and gritted his teeth, ¡°Investigate him!¡±


    The attendant didn¡¯t dare ask anything else, so he accepted the order and left.

 CH 18.2

    After the attendant left, Jun Jingxing gathered his sleeves and entered the inner room.


    Sui Yan glanced up at him but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Jun Jingxing put some soothing incense into the small incense burner. The two of them were silent, and the sound of the crackling flame in the charcoal basin filled the room.


    After a while, a servant came to bring fresh charcoal, and Sui Yan felt much better. He silently let out a sigh of relief.


    Jun Jingxing stood up to close the window. Sui Yan kept staring at him, and when Jun Jingxing sat back down, Sui Yan asked, ¡°I heard you were exiled to the borders after Lord Yin was convicted of that crime. How did you escape?¡±


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s hand shook. He raised his head, and his lips curled into a smile, ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡±


    Sui Yan answered, ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡±


    In his previous life, no matter how much Sui Yan badgered him, Yuejian had never answered this question.


    Jun Jingxing smiled as he replied, ¡°It was simple. I committed suicide.¡±


    Sui Yan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± How was this simple?!


    Even criminals sent to prison usually had their hands and feet bound and could not move, much less those sent into exile. The only way in which they could commit suicide was to bite their tongues, but with how glib Jun Jingxing¡¯s tongue was, he didn¡¯t seem like someone who had used this method to commit suicide.


    Sui Yan became increasingly curious.


    Jun Jingxing fiddled with the ashes in the small incense burner and lightly remarked, ¡°In the backstreets near Chenghuang Temple¡­¡­Oh, nobility like you would not know, but there are slums full of desperate people who would do anything for money. Children, adults, women, the elderly. You name it.¡±


    Vel Tjc jrxfv, ¡°Vb?¡±


    Aec Alcuzlcu mbcalcefv, ¡°Qtfc P xcfk atja atf Tlc Mjwlis kjr vbbwfv, P kfca atfgf jcv tlgfv rbwf qfbqif. P lcragemafv atfw ab¡­¡­¡±


    Cr tf rqbxf, tf rwlifv rilutais, ¡°¡­¡­xlii wf yfobgf P kjr rfca bearlvf bo atf mlas.¡±


    Vel Tjc kjr ajxfc jyjmx, ¡°Tbe jigfjvs xcfk atja sbe kbeiv yf fzlifv? Po atf fwqfgbg kjr jcugs, kbeivc¡¯a sbe yf rfcafcmfv ab vfjat jr kfii?¡±


    Jun Jingxing spoke apathetically, as if he were talking about someone else. His lips curled, ¡°If my father was sentenced to death, I would have been the only male left in the family. Moreover, the emperor knew that my father was innocent, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t have gotten rid of our entire family. I would have been an eyesore if I stayed in the capital, so naturally, he wanted to send me as far away as possible.¡±


    Sui Yan was surprised. He thought, If a man like this had been born into a prince¡¯s family rather than a household as powerless as the Yin Family, he definitely would have become powerful.


    Jun Jingxing brushed a hand through his unbound hair and carelessly said, ¡°I hired a few children to act like beggars and mix into the crowd before I left the city. In the chaos, they stabbed my chest with a dagger.


    Sui Yan was so shocked that even though he knew Jun Jingxing had ultimately survived, he still felt cold sweat.


    Jun Jingxing saw Sui Yan¡¯s pale face and smiled lightly, ¡°I followed my father and learned to practice medicine from a young age, so naturally, I knew how to avoid any deadly locations. As long as I didn¡¯t die, it was fine.


    Sui Yan asked, ¡°So you escaped just like that?¡±


    Jun Jingxing laughed at how idealistic he was, ¡°How could it have been that easy? I took a potion to fake my death ahead of time. Even though the dagger didn¡¯t hit any vital points, I was still stabbed.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was badly injured, and blood dripped all over his body. The soldiers escorting him took a look and directly threw him onto a cart carrying rations, letting him bleed all the way out of the city.


    So many of the exiled criminals died along the way that the men escorting them had long become used to this sight.


    After two hours, a timid soldier carefully put his hand under Jun Jingxing¡¯s nose. He was horrified, and he immediately shouted, ¡°My lord! My lord, this person isn¡¯t breathing anymore.¡±


    The soldier driving in front casually replied, ¡°This must be your first time escorting criminals. Don¡¯t make such a big fuss. Even though we are currently escorting dozens of people, how many of them can really survive the journey to the frontier? Get used to it. If he¡¯s not breathing anymore, just toss him off. Don¡¯t waste space¡­..Tsk, he¡¯s quite heavy.¡±


    The young soldier was so scared that his face paled. As he looked at Jun Jingxing¡¯s ashen gray face, he put his palms together and silently recited ¡°Amitabha¡± before he threw Jun Jingxing off of the cart with shaking hands.


    The cart was still moving. The injured Jun Jingxing was directly thrown off, and he tumbled on the ground for a while before stopping.


    Because of this, the effects of the fake death potion wore off, allowing him to wake up.


    However, Jun Jingxing had already lost too much blood, and he nearly passed away.


    Sui Yan was frightened. He sat on his bed and hugged his blanket as he stared at Jun Jingxing with wide eyes.


    Jun Jingxing shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s it. Anyways, it was easy.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± Which part of it was easy?


    Sui Yan suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°You were only saved after leaving the city. Then what about the tattoo? You didn¡¯t have to get it?¡±


    Jun Jingxing froze before he looked down.


    Sui Yan noticed that he had misspoken and quickly added, ¡°I seem to have asked too much.¡±


    Jun Jingxing smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    He lifted his sleeve and placed it over the hot charcoal basin for a while. When the cloth was burning hot, he used it to gently wipe at the left side of his face.


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s face was originally pale, but as he moved, his skin tone became increasingly weird. When he put his sleeves back down, there was an ink-black mark on his face¡ª¡ªit was the tattoo carved on the faces of those who were sent into exile.


    Someone seemed to have slashed at the mark several times so that it was impossible to see what words they formed.


    Jun Jingxing dusted the rouge powder from his sleeve and smiled, his eyes curling, ¡°Look, I even know how to apply disguises.¡±


    He smiled gently, as if the one who had experienced all of that tragic suffering wasn¡¯t him.


    The author has something to say:


    Jun Jingxing: I killed myself.

 CH 19

    Sui Yan was frail, and he was only allowed to get out of bed and move around on the seventh day of the New Year after being stuffed with medicines by Jun Jingxing for many days.


    Most of the snow in the courtyard had already melted. Sui Yan sat in a reclining chair with his rabbit and basked in the sun. He felt drowsy as he listened to the sound of water dripping from the icicles under the eaves.


    Soon after, Haitang ran into the courtyard. Before he came to a stop, he shouted, ¡°Young Master, Young Master, the Crown Prince is here!¡±


    When he heard about Duan Mingchong, Sui Yan felt angry and hateful. If Duan Mingchong had not been so careless and insensitive, Sui Yan would not have gotten poisoned, and he would not have been stopped from drinking his sweet soup.


    Sui Yan opened his eyes and unhappily asked, ¡°What is he doing here?¡±


    As he spoke, Sui Yan held down the rabbit and forcefully rubbed its ears. When he finally let go, his hands were full of rabbit fur. The rabbit couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and jumped off Sui Yan¡¯s lap.


    Haitang replied, ¡°He seems to be here to issue an imperial decree, and Second Young Master is currently greeting him in the front hall.¡±


    An imperial decree?


    Sui Yan frowned. What sort of decree could be issued from the palace now? Could it be that something happened at the borders, and Sui Xun was being sent back there?


    Sui Yan felt increasingly concerned. After a moment of restlessness, he decided to go take a look.


    Before he went out, Jun Jingxing, who was drying medicine in the courtyard, didn¡¯t even lift his head as he chastised, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to put on thicker clothes.¡±


    Sui Yan came back dejectedly, put on a frayed cloak, and darted out.


    Sui Yan had guessed it. Last night, there was news that the bandits were starting to make trouble at the borders and seemed to be waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. This time, the emperor specifically let Duan Mingchong issue the imperial decree, which ordered Sui Xun to return to the borders ahead of time.


    When Sui Yan arrived, Sui Xun had already accepted the decree and was asking Duan Mingchong about the bandits¡¯ movements.


    Seeing him, Sui Xun waved Sui Yan over and said, ¡°Come here.¡±


    When Sui Yan saw the orders in his brother¡¯s hands, his eyes reddened. He ran over and threw himself into Sui Xun¡¯s arms as he spoke in a muffled voice, ¡°Elder brother, are you going to leave?¡±


    Sui Xun was a little embarrassed, but he couldn¡¯t push Sui Yan away, so he patted him on the back and whispered, ¡°How many times have I told you this? Don¡¯t act spoiled. The crown prince is still here.¡±


    Sui Yan finally reacted. He wiped his eyes and got out of Sui Xun¡¯s arms. He had been so used to embarrassing himself in front of Duan Mingchong that he didn¡¯t even blush this time.


    He bowed, ¡°This subject greets the crown prince.¡±


    When he saw Sui Yan¡¯s aggrieved appearance, Duan Mingchong suddenly felt like he was separating a pair of mandarin ducks by coming to issue this imperial decree. He smiled and replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite.¡±


    After Sui Xun accepted the orders to return to the borders, he didn¡¯t stay in the manor any longer. After a few words with Sui Yan, he hurriedly went to the military camp to arrange his return.


    Since Sui Xun had left, Sui Yan couldn¡¯t return to his courtyard, so he could only bite the bullet and receive Duan Mingchong.


    Gejc Zlcumtbcu vlvc¡¯a rffw ab qijc bc ifjnlcu jcsalwf rbbc. Lf iflregfis rajsfv lc atf ogbca tjii jcv vgjcx j meq bo afj yfobgf lcragemalcu j rfgnjca ab mjggs bnfg j rwjii ybz.


    Vel Tjc ibbxfv bnfg jcv rjk atf tjwrafg ogbw j ofk vjsr jub lcrlvf.


    Ktf tjwrafg kjr jvbgjyif. Pa kjr qjiw-rlhfv jcv mbnfgfv lc ktlaf oeg, klat vjgx, rqlglafv fsfr.


    Duan Mingchong opened the box, and the hamster tentatively climbed out. It seemed wary.


    Duan Mingchong reached out a slender finger and poked the tiny creature¡¯s head as he said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The hamster seemed to have received an order. It suddenly rushed forward and climbed up Sui Yan¡¯s arm. When it reached his shoulder, the hamster finally stopped and sat down.


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan tilted his head and awkwardly stared at the tiny creature. After a while, he whispered, ¡°Your Highness, your pet¡­..seems to have poor eyesight?¡±


    Duan Mingchong smiled, ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    Sui Yan asked, ¡°What? But before, didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t give it to me?¡±


    When he heard this, Duan Mingchong¡¯s ears turned red, and he mumbled, ¡°I¡­¡­heard this hamster likes to bite people, and I was scared it would hurt someone before it grew up, so I brought it back and took care of it for a few days¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan blinked.


    Duan Mingchong continued, ¡°Ahem¡­¡­it¡¯s been very well-behaved these past few days, but I¡¯ve gotten tired of it. Since I don¡¯t like it anymore, I¡¯ll¡­¡­I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    The hamster raised its front paws, patted Sui Yan¡¯s neck twice, and endearingly chirped twice.


    Sui Yan understood what Duan Mingchong meant: I originally wanted to give it to you, but I was scared it would bite, so I took it home to raise for a few days. When I realized that it doesn¡¯t hurt people, I could feel at ease giving it to you.


    Sui Yan thought, Aiyah, this isn¡¯t good. How can this crown prince¡¯s temperament be cuter than this hamster?


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t say this out loud. Otherwise, even with how gentle Duan Mingchong¡¯s temperament was, Sui Yan would definitely be punished.


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s ears turned even redder as Sui Yan stared at him. He picked up the cup and took another sip of tea before he pretended to be calm and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    Sui Yan tilted his head and reached out to tease the tiny creature. When he found that it really didn¡¯t bite, he smiled, ¡°No, I like it very much. Many thanks to Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thought for a moment, and seriously said, ¡°If you like something cute, you can have your servants find it for you. The red-light district is such a messy place. With your noble status, it¡¯s better to avoid going there.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s lips twitched. Since his rebirth, he had only been to the red-light establishment twice, but this naive prince already had the impression that he likes to misbehave and run amok.


    When Duan Mingchong saw Sui Yan¡¯s expression stiffen, he thought he had spoken too harshly, so he added, ¡°Of course, if the servants in your manor can¡¯t find what you want, you can look for me. No matter what it is, I can find it for you.¡±


    Sui Yan thought, Like I need your help.


    Sui Yan had felt dissatisfied with Duan Mingchong, but seeing how well Duan Mingchong was treating him, the resentment in his heart dissipated. In fact, the more Sui Yan looked at him, the cuter he seemed, so much so that Sui Yan lost interest in teasing the hamster he had just gotten.


    Sui Yan unconsciously wondered what would have happened if Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t died in his previous life. The crown prince would have stood opposed to Duan Zhisu, but as Duan Zhisu¡¯s strategist, Sui Yan most likely wouldn¡¯t have had the heart to plot against Duan Mingchong.


    A person as pure as this should be protected from any worldly disturbances.


    But Sui Yan knew that this was impossible. In the imperial family, being weak and kind was a sin. This youth will not always be this upright and pure.


    Sui Yan smiled and said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll thank Your Highness in advance.¡±


    Duan Mingchong finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked Sui Yan up and down before asking, ¡°You seem to have lost a lot of weight these past few days. Have you gotten sick again?¡±


    Sui Yan had drunk so much medicine these past few days that a medicinal smell was all over his body. Just by smelling the scent, Duan Mingchong felt unpleasant, so he could only imagine how much medicine Sui Yan had taken.


    Sui Yan answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t wear thick clothes when I came home that day and got a cold, but I feel much better now. I¡¯ve troubled Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong sighed, ¡°How can you get sick so easily at such a young age? What did the imperial physicians say?¡±


    Sui Yan thought of what Jun Jingxing had said and answered, ¡°He said I wouldn¡¯t die.¡±


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Which imperial physician said something this shameful?¡±


    Sui Yan laughed so hard that he couldn¡¯t even hold his teacup firmly, ¡°A traveling doctor. Even though his character isn¡¯t that great, he has a lot of medical expertise. Your Highness doesn¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Duan Mingchong thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you have any important plans for the next few days?¡±


    Sui Yan was teasing the hamster on his shoulder, and he was confused, ¡°I¡¯ve always been lazing around, and I don¡¯t have anything important to do. Does Your Highness need me to do something?¡±


    Duan Mingchong replied, ¡°In a few days, I will go visit Master Gengxue on behalf of Father Emperor and bring copies of the Buddhist scriptures from the palace as an offering. If you have nothing to do, you can come with me.¡±


    Sui Yan blinked and asked, ¡°What? Me?¡±


    Duan Mingchong looked at him worriedly and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­¡­visit Master Gengxue and let him see¡­¡­¡±


    Let him see if you¡¯ve been cursed.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know that the crown prince was this superstitious, and he couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter, ¡°Your Highness, do you think I¡¯ve been possessed by a ghost?¡±


    Duan Mingchong was embarrassed by how straightforwardly Sui Yan exposed him, but he seriously answered, ¡°At the palace banquet before the New Year, something seemed to be wrong with you, like¡­¡­.you were possessed. In addition, you¡¯ve been so sickly since you fell into the water last time. En, you should take precautions before anything happens. What, does Little Young Master not believe in Buddhism?¡±


    Sui Yan hadn¡¯t believed in it before, but after his rebirth, he felt like he should believe in this sort of thing. Maybe the monsters, ghosts, gods, and demons that appeared in plays really existed.


    ¡°Okay, then when Your Highness goes, send someone to let me know.¡± Sui Yan readily agreed, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet the high monk Master Gengxue. I can also ask for an amulet to protect my elder brother.¡±


    Duan Mingchong smiled and replied, ¡°General Sui Xun will leave for the borders on the tenth day of the New Year. Let¡¯s leave early in the morning the day after tomorrow. One day should be enough for the round trip.¡±


    Sui Yan said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    The two chatted for a while before Sui Yan respectfully sent Duan Mingchong out.


    With a hamster sitting on his shoulder, Sui Yan leisurely returned to his side courtyard. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a black-robed attendant waiting in the long corridor.


    After ordering him to do so many things, Sui Yan finally remembered to ask for his name a few days ago. The black-clothed attendant was called ¡°Wushi.¡± The name sounded very casual, and it seemed to have been given by Sui Yan¡¯s father.


    Sui Yan was speechless when he heard this name. He asked, ¡°What about the others? What are they called? Wufang? Wubing?¡±


    Wushi cupped his fists and resolutely answered, ¡°Wuwei, Wuduan, Wuzhi, Wu¡­¡­¡±


    Just as he was about to list out the names of all of his comrades, Sui Yan interrupted him, his head in pain. He decided to start talking about business¡ª¡ªif he had let Wushi continue, Sui Yan would refuse to recognize the character ¡°wu.¡±


    When Wushi saw Sui Yan, he bowed before reporting, ¡°Young Master, I investigated it.¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°En,¡± before he sat back on the reclining chair and covered himself with a blanket. He even closed his eyes comfortably, as if he was going to talk about it here.


    Usually, Sui Yan would be very secretive every time he saw Wushi. Jun Jingxing, who was reading medical books by the medicine basket nearby, frowned and moved to leave.


    Sui Yan said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave.¡±


    Jun Jingxing froze. Did Sui Yan¡­¡­trust him?


    Sui Yan ignored him and directly ordered, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Wushi took out a stack of papers from his sleeves and offered it to Sui Yan with both his hands as he quietly spoke, ¡°The poison that the Third Prince ordered his servants to put in the wine wasn¡¯t the Stigma that you spoke of. It was medicine with strong side effects that causes colds.¡±


    Sui Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

 CH 20

    Wushi reported, ¡°And in the past month, only Little Young Master Song Xian has frequently visited the Third Prince¡¯s Manor.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Then who gave the medicine to the Third Prince?¡±


    Just as Wushi was about to respond, Jun Jingxing, listening to the side, couldn¡¯t help but cut in. He gently kicked away the rabbit lying on his feet, walked over, and said, ¡°Wait a minute, what medicine with strong side effects are you talking about? Little Young Master was clearly poisoned with Stigma. Are you questioning my medical skills?¡±


    Although Wushi didn¡¯t know who this was, the fact that this person could stay here while he was reporting about something like this meant this person held a place in Sui Yan¡¯s heart. Thus, Wushi acted very respectfully towards him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend this Young Master, but that was what I found in the Third Prince¡¯s Manor,¡± Wushi cupped his hands towards Jun Jingxing, ¡°This type of medicine can be found in ordinary pharmacies. In such a big city, you only need to visit a few pharmacies before finding some. It isn¡¯t a rare medicine, and it doesn¡¯t cause major harm to the body. It just makes people feel feverish, like they got a cold, but it doesn¡¯t threaten their lives.¡±


    With a sullen expression, Sui Yan glanced at the prescription that Wushi was holding and threw it to Jun Jingxing without even looking up, ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s medical skills were superb. He took the prescription and skimmed over it, only to find that it was really an ordinary medicine that could cause symptoms of colds.


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s brows tightly furrowed.


    Sui Yan held onto his small hand warmer and said, ¡°It seems like Duan Zhisu is being used.¡±


    From this conversation, Jun Jingxing knew the gist of what had happened. He asked, ¡°Then who can poison someone in the Third Prince¡¯s Manor? It¡¯s even a life-threatening poison, with the crown prince as the target.¡±


    In his previous life, after Duan Mingchong¡¯s death, Duan Zhisu¡¯s personal attendant knelt down and begged for mercy. He testified that Duan Zhisu had ordered him to put medicinal powder in the wine. The evidence was solid, and Duan Zhisu was unable to defend himself.


    Thinking back, if that attendant hadn¡¯t been bought over by Duan Ruwang, it was likely that he had no idea why there would be poison in the wine. As a result, he thought Duan Mingchong¡¯s death was caused by the cold-inducing medicine that Duan Zhisu had given him.


    Sui Yan took the prescription, folded the paper twice, and lightly ordered, ¡°Go investigate Duan Ruwang.¡±


    Wushi froze but didn¡¯t dare to question the instructions. Just as he was about to accept the orders, Sui Yan stopped him.


    Sui Yan handed the prescription back to Wushi, leaned forward, and whispered, ¡°Oh, right, remember to inform Duan Zhisu about this. The Third Prince¡¯s Manor was recently built, but there are already rats inside. It¡¯s about time for him to clean it up. Otherwise, he won¡¯t even know how he died.¡±


    Wushi was shocked.


    Sui Yan¡¯s lips hooked into a smile, the dark red shade making it seem sinister.


    Jun Jingxing, who stood behind him, smacked him on the back of his head, displeased, ¡°Don¡¯t smile like this at such a young age.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan originally had a cold and stern aura. After being interrupted, he covered his head and fiercely glared at Jun Jingxing, abruptly returning to the demeanor he should have at this age.


    Sui Yan angrily waved his hands and said, ¡°Go, do it well.¡±


    Wushi finally left.


    Aec Alcuzlcu jrxfv, ¡°P vbc¡¯a ecvfgrajcv. Pr Gejc Itlre agslcu ab tega sbe bg atf mgbkc qglcmf?¡±


    Vel Tjc ibbxfv vbkc ja atf gjyyla ktbrf ogbca qjkr kfgf bc tlr offa jcv kjr oealifis agslcu ab milwy eq. Lf ilutais jcrkfgfv, ¡°Zf? P pera ijhf jgbecv. Qts kbeiv jcsbcf qiba jujlcra wf?¡±


    As he spoke, he lightly kicked the rabbit and scolded, ¡°Go away. Just now, you wouldn¡¯t let me touch you. Now that I have the hamster, I won¡¯t pet you even if you ask for it.¡±


    Sui Yan reached a hand out to poke the hamster¡¯s chin and said, ¡°You¡¯re the best, so I¡¯ll give you a name. How about Yuejian?¡±


    Jun Jingxing, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing was speechless, ¡°Isn¡¯t that rabbit called Yuejian?¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°It fell out of favor. Now my favorite is this one. Look, it¡¯s so cute.¡±


    Jun Jingxing ignored him so that he wouldn¡¯t vomit blood out of anger.


    Wushi was very efficient. Within a day, everything that Sui Yan had investigated had reached Duan Zhisu¡¯s ears.


    Although Sui Yan had ruined his plans, Duan Zhisu only thought Sui Yan was young, frivolous, and didn¡¯t understand anything, unlike Song Xian, who suspected that Sui Yan had noticed something and decided to support the crown prince. As a result, he let the matter pass and didn¡¯t send anyone to investigate.


    When Wushi¡¯s news reached Duan Zhisu¡¯s ears in the middle of the night, he nearly smashed his cup. The housekeeper ran over when he heard the noises and almost crashed into Duan Zhisu.


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s eyes were red as he quietly ordered, ¡°Prepare the horses, I¡¯m going to the Sui Manor.¡±


    The housekeeper hurriedly persuaded, ¡°Your Highness can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s almost curfew, so it isn¡¯t a good time to go out.¡±


    Duan Zhisu sternly said, ¡°I¡¯m going right now!¡±


    The housekeeper had never seen Duan Zhisu act this coldly and sternly before, so he didn¡¯t dare to persuade him anymore and hurriedly instructed servants to prepare the carriage.


    In the Sui Manor, Sui Yan had long fallen asleep. He was woken up by the sound of someone pounding against the door.


    It was the middle of the night, and a cold wind blew outside. Sui Yan was too lazy to get up, so he called towards the side room, ¡°Yuejian, go open the door.¡±


    Before Sui Yan¡¯s poison had been detoxified, he would cough up blood in the middle of the night. Jun Jingxing didn¡¯t dare to let others wait on Sui Yan, so he always stayed in the side room. These past few days, he was afraid the poison would act up again, so he hadn¡¯t left.


    Jun Jingxing angrily put his clothes on and got up, ¡°Are you expecting that mouse to open the door for you?¡±


    Sui Yan patted his pillow twice, stretched his neck out, and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s not a mouse! It¡¯s a hamster!¡±


    Jun Jingxing had already stepped into the courtyard, and his complaint could be heard from a distance, ¡°It¡¯s a prettier name, but isn¡¯t it the same as a mouse?¡±


    The cold wind blew through the night and the snowflakes on the eaves that hadn¡¯t yet melted danced in the air as they were blown away.


    Holding a lantern, Jun Jingxing opened the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    As soon as he opened the door, he saw Li Zhao holding another lantern.


    Since Haitang usually served the side courtyard, Li Zhao rarely came over. At this time, his face was full of embarrassment as he helplessly requested, ¡°Young Master Jun, I¡¯m troubling you to let the Young Master get up.¡±


    Jun Jingxing replied, ¡°It¡¯s so late. Did something happen?¡±


    Li Zhao awkwardly answered, ¡°The Third Prince suddenly came to visit. Second Young Master is staying at the military camp tonight and can¡¯t come back, and nobody else in the manor can serve as a host, so¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing¡¯s brows furrowed, but he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get him.¡±


    A quarter of an hour later, a dazed Sui Yan put on his clothes and yawned as he followed Jun Jingxing outside.


    Jun Jingxing reminded him, ¡°Just have a few words with him. You still have to go to Xiangguo Temple early tomorrow morning, and sleeping too late isn¡¯t good for your body.¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t even open his eyes as he mumbled, ¡°Oh.¡±


    The two of them soon arrived at the front courtyard. The hall was brightly lit, and bodyguards from the Third Prince¡¯s Manor were standing outside. When they saw Sui Yan, they rushed to greet him.


    Sui Yan entered the hall like a gust of wind.


    Duan Zhisu was standing in front of him, wearing an ink-colored cloak. Perhaps his arrival had been too hasty, but even his hair, which was usually meticulously combed, was messy, with a lock of hair on his forehead. He cut a sorry figure.


    When Sui Yan saw him like this, he knew Duan Zhisu had already heard the information, so he didn¡¯t pay any respects. After he entered, Sui Yan stood quietly, gazing at Duan Zhisu indifferently.


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were chapped. When he saw Sui Yan arrive, he looked flustered. He instinctively wanted to walk towards Sui Yan, but he found that he couldn¡¯t move.


    Sui Yan couldn¡¯t see him like this. His heart finally softened, and he looked away as he quietly said, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s so late. Is something the matter?¡±


    Duan Zhisu stared at him in a daze. A long while later, he finally murmured, ¡°¡­¡­On New Year¡¯s Eve, the matters for the Heaven Worship Ceremony were all handed over to the Crown Prince to manage¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t understand why Duan Mingchong suddenly brought this up. He stayed silent as he looked at the prince.


    Duan Zhisu paused before he continued, ¡°The Crown Prince attends to everything personally and is very meticulous. After the New Year, he will be fifteen. Father Emperor will definitely grant him permission to enter the cabinet a year in advance and participate in government affairs¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan nodded. He understood. Duan Ruwang was scared of the Crown Prince showing his talent in this position. As a result, he set Duan Mingchong up to make a mistake at the Heaven Worship Ceremony that the imperial family attached great importance to. This would cause the emperor and nobility to be dissatisfied, so nobody would bring up the matter of letting the Crown Prince participate in government affairs in advance.


    Sui Yan asked, ¡°So when Duan Ruwang asked you to poison him, you agreed?¡±


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s pupils shook. He seemed to want to defend himself, but he forced himself to stop, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sui Yan gathered up his sleeves and tilted his head to stare at the nearby candles. After a while, he finally said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Duan Zhisu stayed silent.


    Sui Yan laughed self-deprecatingly, ¡°You even told an idiot like Song Xian, but you wouldn¡¯t tell me anything about it. Your Highness, have I¡­¡­done something that has been bothering you recently?¡±


    Duan Zhisu pursed his lips and hoarsely replied, ¡°You haven¡¯t, I only¡­¡­don¡¯t want you to get involved in such muddy waters.¡±


    When he spoke, he even felt that this explanation was weak.


    Sui Yan coldly laughed in his heart.


    Duan Zhisu took a deep breath, and his brows furrowed, ¡°But I never imagined that you would actually choose to risk your own life to save the Crown Prince¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s smile gradually faded.


    When Duan Zhisu finished speaking, he suddenly felt that he sounded like a scum. He rushed to add, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I know you saved the Crown Prince so I wouldn¡¯t be implicated, but you actually did something as dangerous as drinking that glass of poisoned wine. How are you now? What did the imperial physicians say?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s voice was chilly, ¡°He said I wouldn¡¯t die.¡±


    When he had told this to Duan Mingchong, Sui Yan had been smiling, and he had spoken with a half-teasing tone. However, now that he was facing Duan Zhisu, he was filled with disappointment, as if his heart was full of ashes.


    Duan Zhisu looked at this youth whose face still held traces of childishness. Even the thick winter clothes he was dressed in couldn¡¯t hide how emaciated his figure was. He stood in front of the door, and the candlelight shone on half of his face. It was clearly such a warm light, but looking at it, he felt as cold as frost.


    All of a sudden, everything seemed to have changed.


    Sui Yan seemed to be fed up, and he turned around as he spoke, ¡°It¡¯s cold and late at night. Your Highness¡¯s body is precious, so please go back as soon as possible.¡±


    Sui Yan was about to leave. In a daze, Duan Zhisu stared at his back. Suddenly, he felt that if he did nothing this time and let Sui Yan go, the two of them could never return to how they were before.


    Duan Zhisu rushed forward, grabbed Sui Yan¡¯s hand, and dragged him inside.


    Sui Yan was caught off guard, and he looked back at Duan Zhisu furiously, ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡±


    Duan Zhisu hesitated.


    Sui Yan acted fiercely, ¡°Let me go back and sleep. I still have to visit Xiangguo Temple with the Crown Prince tomorrow.¡±

 CH 21

    Sui Yan looked at Duan Zhisu impatiently but couldn¡¯t chase him away because of Duan Mingchong¡¯s status. He could only wait for the prince to speak.


    Duan Zhisu also knew it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to keep someone here for so long in the middle of the night. A while later, he lowered his gaze and softly said, ¡°In the future, if I join the fight for succession, will you help the Crown Prince or me?¡±


    Sui Yan froze and suddenly felt sorrowful.


    If Duan Zhisu had told him everything in his previous life, there wouldn¡¯t have been any question that he would have helped Duan Zhisu gain the throne.


    But Duan Zhisu hadn¡¯t.


    In his previous life, Sui Yan had willingly spent half of his life fighting with others because of one of Duan Zhisu¡¯s lies. In the end, he even lost his own life. In this life, now that he knew everything, he couldn¡¯t make the same mistake again.


    Sui Yan took a deep breath, sucking the cold wind blowing in from the gap in the door into his lungs, making him shiver from the cold.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you know what happened to me after I drank that glass of Stigma?¡± Sui Yan suddenly asked.


    Duan Zhisu blankly stared at him.


    Sui Yan stretched out his wrist. Blue veins could clearly be seen on his thin wrist as he whispered, ¡°I will be weak and sickly for the rest of my life. I don¡¯t even know if I can live until I am twenty-five. In the winter, even if I¡¯m in the cold for a moment, my life will be in danger¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Zhisu¡¯s pupils shrunk. He gazed at Sui Yan like he was in pain. His lips trembled, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Sui Yan murmured, ¡°Do you expect me to get involved in the struggle for succession with this broken body?¡±


    Sui Yan quietly stepped forward, stood on tiptoes, and lowered his voice as he spoke in Duan Zhisu¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you want me to die?¡±


    Duan Zhisu abruptly stepped back and looked at Sui Yan in astonishment.


    When he saw that he had scared Duan Zhisu, Sui Yan wanted to laugh, but as his lips curled, Sui Yan found that he couldn¡¯t force a laugh out.


    Hmm, there really wasn¡¯t anything funny about it.


    This night was nothing more than the point of divergence between the two. They would take completely different paths in the future.


    Duan Zhisu looked flustered, and his eyes were filled with pain, ¡°I¡­¡­I never wanted to hurt you¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting a shadow beneath his eyes, ¡°En, but you didn¡¯t trust me.¡±


    Duan Zhisu immediately replied, ¡°I trust you. I didn¡¯t want to involve you in this matter only because I wanted to protect you.¡±


    Sui Yan stayed silent.


    Duan Zhisu had always valued actions over words. While he regularly brought gifts for Sui Yan, he had never bragged about how precious the gifts were or how difficult they were to obtain. He always said he just wanted to give Sui Yan a small present. Sui Yan knew this, so he couldn¡¯t bear to break off their friendship in an ugly manner.


    However, their relationship couldn¡¯t return to the way it was before.


    Gejc Itlre njuefis ofia atja Vel Tjc kjr ufaalcu oegatfg jkjs ogbw tlw, jcv tf ofia lcfzqilmjyis oierafgfv. Lf afcajalnfis ragfamtfv bea tlr jgw jcv ugjyyfv Vel Tjc¡¯r kglra, agslcu ab xffq tlr nblmf ufcaif jr tf rjlv, ¡°Qjcuuel, Vbcu Wljc lr vloofgfca ogbw sbe. Llr ojwlis tjr tfiv qbkfg lc mbega obg atgff ufcfgjalbcr, jcv tf kbc¡¯a yf rfnfgfis qeclrtfv fnfc lo fnfgsatlcu lr fzqbrfv. Dea sbe jgf vloofgfca¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Zhisu was born in the royal family and became mature at an early age. He never wanted Sui Yan to know about his shrewd calculations, lest it made Sui Yan feel that he was scheming.


    Duan Zhisu held Sui Yan¡¯s icy hand and gently enclosed it in his warm palms as he quietly continued, ¡°Although the Sui Manor seems prosperous and powerful, you alone will be left to support the large manor once General Sui Xun returns to the frontiers. You can do so now by relying on Imperial Father¡¯s favor, but if Imperial Father thinks you are as manipulative as me, how will he treat you? Have you ever thought about that?¡±


    Sui Yan had naturally considered that. If the emperor ever became wary of him, he would throw Sui Yan onto the battlefield to fend for himself, much like he had done to the rest of the Sui Family. With his licentious temperament, Sui Yan couldn¡¯t possibly survive on the battlefield. Sui Yan knew that if he somehow died in battle, it would be all the better for the emperor.


    Sui Yan lightly replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t it my family¡¯s duty to protect the nation?¡±


    When Sui Yan refused to listen to his persuasion, Duan Zhisu¡¯s voice shook, ¡°Sui Wanggui! I¡¯m being serious, don¡¯t treat this with your usual joking manner!¡±


    Sui Yan was unmoved, ¡°I am also being serious.¡±


    Duan Zhisu was so angry that he panted, ¡°How long can you live on the frontiers? Are you¡­¡­throwing away your life like this?¡±


    Sui Yan stayed silent as he struggled to pull his hand back.


    Duan Zhisu rubbed his temples, not knowing what to say to Sui Yan. He watched as Sui Yan shivered under the wind, and suddenly, he couldn¡¯t bear to drag Sui Yan along as he made a fool of himself in the middle of the night.


    Duan Zhisu quietly sighed, and after a long pause, he finally said with difficulty, ¡°Will the Crown Prince¡­¡­protect you?¡±


    Sui Yan stared at him in shock.


    Duan Zhisu smiled reluctantly, ¡°I know that nothing that I say can fix things. If the Crown Prince can really protect you one day, then¡­¡­¡±


    He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Sui Yan was stunned.


    Duan Zhisu closed his mouth and didn¡¯t say anything else. He only stepped forward to lightly hug Sui Yan and pat him on the back before pushing the door open and walking out into the snow.


    Sui Yan watched that ink-colored figure slowly melt into the darkness as pain surged in his heart.


    He knew that he would part ways or even break off relations with Duan Zhisu in this life, but he had never imagined that it would have happened so peacefully.


    Sui Yan stood there, frozen until Jun Jingxing found him and dragged him back to his room.


    When Sui Yan took off his clothes and was stuffed into the warm blankets by Jun Jingxing, his lashes fluttered as he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t go yet.¡±


    Jun Jingxing could only yawn as he dragged a chair over to sit by the bed. He sounded mentally prepared as he asked, ¡°Alright, what do you want to talk about?¡±


    Sui Yan answered, ¡°Do you think someone like the Crown Prince can live until the end?¡±


    Both of them knew what ¡°the end¡± meant.


    Jun Jingxing was very straightforward, ¡°The Crown Prince is indecisive, and too gentle and kind when dealing with others. He can become a loyal minister but not a wise monarch.


    In other words, someone with a gentle temperament can¡¯t accomplish anything.


    Sui Yan pulled his blanket over his chin, ¡°What about me? Do you think I can live to the end?¡±


    Jun Jingxing calmly replied, ¡°Who are you going to support?¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t answer, ¡°Just tell me if someone like me can live until the end.¡±


    Jun Jingxing said, ¡°It¡¯s difficult. You¡¯d be very fortunate just to live until adulthood.¡±


    Sui Yan, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Jun Jingxing looked at Sui Yan¡¯s speechless expression and wondered, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? You will become a nobleman upon reaching adulthood. Do you really think the emperor will let you smoothly inherit your father¡¯s position?¡±


    Sui Yan had already been in a bad mood and had wanted to talk things through with Jun Jingxing. However, he hadn¡¯t imagined that the more they talked things through, the worse he would feel.


    Sui Yan shooed Jun Jingxing away, ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t stay here and annoy me.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was furious, ¡°You were the one who kept me here!¡±


    Sui Yan replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you here anymore. Go back. I¡¯m going to bed. Remember to wake me up tomorrow morning.¡±


    Jun Jingxing was so angry that he wanted to drag Sui Yan outside and beat him up, but he held back his anger and walked away.


    Sui Yan had thought it would take a long time for him to fall asleep, but not too long after Jun Jingxing left, he felt exhausted and fell asleep a moment later.


    The next morning, it started to snow again.


    Sui Yan woke up early and stood under the veranda, dressed in a cloak and holding an umbrella. Soon after, the Crown Prince¡¯s carriage arrived.


    Duan Mingchong lifted the curtains and saw Sui Yan standing outside. He gently smiled.


    The carriage quickly stopped, and Duan Mingchong stepped off, dressed in a dark green cloak. When he saw Sui Yan bowing, he hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    Sui Yan straightened up. Holding onto his small hand warmer, he eagerly asked, ¡°Then, Your Highness, let¡¯s go?¡±


    Duan Mingchong replied, ¡°It¡¯s too disrespectful if we just go. Is General Sui here? We won¡¯t be late even if I go and tell him that we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Sui Yan said, ¡°Elder Brother has been so busy these past few days that he hasn¡¯t even stopped to rest. He didn¡¯t even come back last night. He probably won¡¯t be back until tonight, so Your Highness won¡¯t be able to see him.¡±


    Duan Mingchong could only change his mind and say, ¡°Then get on.¡±


    Sui Yan rushed to follow Duan Mingchong onto the carriage.


    It wasn¡¯t until the carriage left the long street leading to the Sui Manor that Sui Yan seemed to sigh in relief and open the intricate hand warmer in his hands.


    Duan Mingchong glanced over and realized that the hand warmer was filled with candy wrapped in glazed paper instead of coal.


    Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, ¡°General Sui still won¡¯t let you have candy?¡±


    Sui Yan carefully took out the candy before stuffing the hand warmer into his sleeve. He smiled, ¡°No, it¡¯s the wandering physician staying with me. He said it¡¯s not good for me if I eat candy while I¡¯m sick. Ridiculous.¡±


    Duan Mingchong smiled, his eyes curving, ¡°Oh? How come?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s response was filled with conviction, ¡°When I eat candy, I¡¯ll be in a better mood; if I¡¯m in a good mood, then I¡¯ll get better even quickly. Isn¡¯t this killing two birds with one stone? How is candy bad for my health?¡±


    Duan Mingchong listened to his nonsense before smiling and lifting the lid of the cup that was being kept warm by the charcoal basin under the table. A sweet smell instantly spread out.


    Sui Yan looked over, his eyes brightening.


    Duan Mingchong explained, ¡°I woke you up so early this morning. I thought you probably didn¡¯t have the appetite for breakfast earlier, so I had someone bring sweet porridge and keep it warm. Do you want to have a taste?¡¯


    Sui Yan nodded rapidly, nearly throwing himself into Duan Mingchong¡¯s arms.


    A short while later, Sui Yan finished all of the sweet porridge in the small cup. He sat in front of the small table, filled with satisfaction. He eagerly gazed at Duan Mingchong and whispered, ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s visit Xiangguo Temple again tomorrow.¡±


    Duan Mingchong held back his laugh, ¡°Just to drink sweet porridge?¡±


    Sui Yan nodded, ¡°Okay?¡±


    Duan Mingchong stuffed his own hand warmer into Sui Yan¡¯s arms as he replied, ¡°Nonsense, aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll get sick after going back and forth like this?¡±


    Sui Yan pouted and had no choice but to stop talking about this matter.


    Filled with boredom, Sui Yan inspected the entire carriage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Buddhist scriptures in a red sandalwood case on the small table. He leaned over curiously and asked, ¡°Is this Heart Sutra an offering for the temple?¡±


    Duan Mingchong nodded and answered, ¡°En, if Little Young Master is bored, you can copy it and calm down.¡±


    Sui Yan refused, ¡°No, I think I already am very calm. If I calm down any more, I might become a monk.¡±


    Raw word count: 3407


    English word count: 2101

 CH 22

    An ancient temple deep in the mountains.


    In the time it took to get from the city to Xiangguo Temple, it had already snowed heavily. The sound of the temple¡¯s morning bell rang leisurely through the mountains. When they heard human voices approaching, the chickadees pecking at the snow on snow-laden branches fled into the forest.


    Sui Yan held an umbrella and followed Duan Mingchong up the mountain steps. They weren¡¯t even halfway there when Sui Yan clutched his chest and cried in pain. The attendants behind him stared at one another, not knowing whether they should step forward to help.


    Duan Mingchong waved his hands, motioning for them to step back and watch.


    Sui Yan put a hand on his chest and looked at Duan Mingchong pitifully, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m out of breath.¡±


    Duan Mingchong held onto the red sandalwood case and calmly replied, ¡°Stand firmly. We¡¯re almost there. The gods and Buddhas in Xiangguo Temple are watching. You must have the sincerity to achieve what you want and be safe and sound.¡±


    Sui Yan threw the umbrella aside, put his hands together, and prayed, ¡°I beg the gods and Buddhas to directly bring me into the temple. I¡¯m praying sincerely that I won¡¯t ever have to climb the mountain again.¡±


    Duan Mingchong was so angry that he nearly laughed. However, his heart softened, and he took a few steps down, handed the red sandalwood box to an attendant, and stretched a hand out towards Sui Yan.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll pull you up.¡±


    Sui Yan froze, his face heating up¡ª¡ªThis young man¡¯s words had unintentionally caused the ears of an old demon like himself to redden.


    His eyelashes fluttered as Sui Yan shakily reached out a hand.


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s gaze was pure, and he didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong. He used a bit of force to pull Sui Yan under his umbrella, and Sui Yan nearly fell into Duan Mingchong¡¯s arms.


    Duan Mingchong turned his head and said, ¡°Hold on tight, don¡¯t let go¡ª¡ªwhy are your hands so cold?¡±


    Sui Yan unnaturally turned his face to the side and stopped complaining. He coughed, ¡°It¡¯s no-nothing. Let¡¯s go up. This bell has already been tolling for so long.¡±


    Duan Mingchong thought, If you hadn¡¯t been making a fuss here, we would¡¯ve gotten there a long time ago. However, he was used to being gentle and courteous and couldn¡¯t say something this harsh, so he smiled and half dragged, half hugged Sui Yan to Xiangguo Temple.


    Once he had gotten up the mountain steps and seen that massive plaque embossed with the golden words, ¡°Xiangguo Temple,¡± Sui Yan nearly fell limp.


    Hugging Duan Mingchong¡¯s shoulders, he panted, ¡°I¡¯m never coming here again. Coming up these mountain steps is deadly.¡±


    Duan Mingchong resisted the urge to laugh as he teased, ¡°You won¡¯t come even if there¡¯s sweet porridge?¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s brows furrowed as he thought, ¡°Then I¡¯d have to think about it.¡±


    Duan Mingchong laughed.


    It was snowing heavily, and very few people had come to pay homage to the Buddha. Perhaps it was because Duan Mingchong was a frequent visitor, but the monk sweeping the snow in front of the main hall came over calmly and bowed once he saw the crown prince.


    Duan Mingchong took the red sandalwood box back from the attendant and gently spoke with the monk before turning back to Sui Yan, ¡°Little Young Master, wait here for a little bit. I will place the Heart Sutra in the Buddhist hall before returning.¡±


    Sui Yan said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Duan Mingchong gave the attendants several instructions before leaving with the monk.


    Vel Tjc tjv yffc ab Wljcuueb Kfwqif rfnfgji alwfr, yea atja tjv jii tjqqfcfv lc tlr qgfnlber ilof. Djmx atfc, tf qjrrfv ys klatbea qjslcu wemt jaafcalbc ab atlr jcmlfca afwqif vffq lc atf wbecajlcr.


    Lf tfiv Gejc Zlcumtbcu¡¯r ewygfiij, teuulcu atf rwjii tjcv kjgwfg jr tf kjixfv lc j gjcvbw vlgfmalbc, mbwqifafis obgufaalcu atja Gejc Zlcumtbcu tjv jrxfv tlw ab kjla atfgf.


    The attendants wanted to persuade him to stop but didn¡¯t dare to, so they could only follow Sui Yan in case he got lost.


    The small stone Buddha figures, blue bricks and red tiles, and the ice-covered eaves throughout the temple were shrouded in a layer of white snow.


    Standing in this temple, Sui Yan felt the frustrations that had  haunted him since his rebirth had dissipated. Even his state of mind had improved.


    The ancient temple was filled with the scent of sandalwood incense. Sui Yan took a deep breath and felt his heart calm. Suddenly, he understood why so many princes and nobility in the capital always came to Xiangguo Temple in their free time.


    If it weren¡¯t for the shadows of his past life, he would have wanted to live here.


    Sui Yan wandered around leisurely for another hour before Duan Mingchong found him. Even before he got close, Sui Yan could hear Duan Mingchong¡¯s disapproving tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait there? Now the road is covered with snow and is very slippery. What if you accidentally fell down the mountain?¡±


    Sui Yan was in a good mood, and smilingly replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright as long as I don¡¯t die. I¡¯m lucky.¡±


    Duan Mingchong glared at him, grabbed his hand, and led Sui Yan to the front hall.


    Sui Yan had been walking just now, and the soles of his shoes were covered in frost. When Duan Mingchong pulled him away, he complained, ¡°Your Highness! Hey, Your Highness! Please walk slower. I can¡¯t stand steadily¡­¡­Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, Sui Yan slipped and fell down.


    Duan Mingchong was taken aback. Just as he was going to extend his hand and catch Sui Yan, Sui Yan smashed into him.


    The two of them fell onto the snowy ground with a dull thud.


    Even though Sui Yan was a year older than Duan Mingchong, he was a little shorter than Duan Mingchong because of his frailty. After they fell, Sui Yan¡¯s head was lying on Duan Mingchong¡¯s neck.


    Duan Mingchong lightly sucked in a breath of air.


    Sui Yan was mentally screaming about how sinful this was. He immediately supported himself, but as he was getting up, the side of his face brushed Duan Mingchong¡¯s. One was icy cold, and the other was warm. Even though it was a fleeting touch, the two of them instantly froze.


    Something like this was way too intimate for two men.


    Sui Yan, ¡°Your High¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong was stunned. When he finally came to his senses, he pushed Sui Yan aside and got up, the tips of his ears bright red.


    His hair and clothes were covered in snow. The nearby attendants finally reacted and rushed forward to brush the snow off him.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t have anyone to wait on him, so he could only get up and stomp his feet to get the snow off his knees.


    The two felt very awkward, but Duan Mingchong finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Does¡­¡­does it hurt?¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t know why, but his heart suddenly hurt.


    Duan Mingchong might be as indecisive as Jun Jingxing had said. However, Sui Yan had to admit that he was also one of the few princes who still had emotions in the royal family.


    Duan Mingchong, who grew up in the palace, hadn¡¯t been protected by the emperor, unlike what others had said. Since the Emperor of Beilan wanted to raise him as a successor, he naturally wouldn¡¯t have allowed Duan Mingchong to become a useless person unaware of worldly affairs. Since he had been forced to grow up in a palace full of tigers and wolves, Duan Mingchong must have experienced much more than other people.


    Can a noble background lead to a successful life?


    Can power and authority allow you to sit back and relax?


    However, even though Sui Yan had seen so many intrigues, the gentleness and kindness on Duan Mingchong¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem to be part of a disguise.


    Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t use any insidious tricks, but such a noble and upright person had been the first to die in the fight for the crown in Sui Yan¡¯s previous life.


    Now, someone else had clearly caused him to fall onto the ground, but after getting up, the first thing Duan Mingchong did was gently ask the other person whether they were hurt.


    Sui Yan lightly shook his head and silently bent down to pick up the fallen umbrella and shake the snow off it.


    The two walked towards the front hall of Xiangguo Temple, one after the other. Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t think much of the previous episode and quickly returned to normal. However, Sui Yan¡¯s mind was racing. For a while, he thought about how Duan Mingchong would get killed sooner or later if he continued to be like this. Then he thought about how the Crown Prince¡¯s waist looked like it would be nice to the touch. Finally, his thoughts turned to how nice Duan Mingchong smelled, and he wondered what incense the Crown Prince used before deciding to ask about it another day.


    When they arrived at the front hall of Xiangguo Temple, it was snowing heavily. Duan Mingchong saw that Sui Yan was racked with shivers and rushed forward to raise his cloak and protect Sui Yan from the wind and snow as they walked up the steps and entered the main hall.


    No one had treated him with this much care before, and the more Sui Yan¡¯s thoughts flew, the worse he felt. He quickly suppressed the dangerous thoughts in his mind, feeling guilty.


    In the middle of the front hall of Xiangguo Temple there was a massive golden statue of Buddha whose kind and benevolent eyes seemed lifelike. The incense table in front of it was filled with incense burners and red candles, and tendrils of rising smoke filled the air.


    On the praying mat in front of the incense table, a monk in white robes sat cross-legged with Buddha beads in his hands, his eyes calm and peaceful.


    Duan Mingchong stepped forward, palms together as he greeted, ¡°Master Gengxue.¡±


    Sui Yan was closing his umbrella. He looked up as he heard this.


    The monk had his back to them as his lips moved, and it seemed like he was reciting Buddhist scriptures. Hearing Duan Mingchong¡¯s voice, he abruptly quietened and stopped moving the Buddha beads in his hand.


    Gengxue rose from the praying mat and turned to return the greeting to Duan Mingchong.


    Master Gengxue looked gentle. Perhaps it was because he spent much of the year cultivating outside, but he was thin, with a clear and quiet voice. He seemed filled with zen, so much so that people didn¡¯t dare to offend him.


    His body thin from cultivation, he dresses in a hemp robe.


    Gengxue replied, ¡°This subject greets Your Highness.¡±


    After greeting the Crown Prince, he straightened up and glanced at Sui Yan. Then, his eyes slightly curved, and his voice softened.


    ¡°Little Young Master Sui, long time no see.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s pupils shrunk, and he took half a step back, looking at Gengxue strangely.


    Duan Mingchong curiously asked, ¡°Master Gengxue has met Little Young Master Sui before?¡±


    Gengxue¡¯s smile became even gentler, ¡°Of course we¡¯ve met, Little Young Master, isn¡¯t that¡­¡­right?¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him absent-mindedly as the umbrella in his hand fell onto the ground. His lips slightly moved, ¡°You¡­¡­¡±


    Gengxue looked at him warmly.


    Sui Yan murmured, ¡°When did we¡­¡­meet?¡±


    Gengxue smiled, ¡°Little Young Master is so forgetful. A year ago, you asked this monk a question, but you were in such a hurry that I never had the chance to answer it.¡±


    Sui Yan¡¯s eyes abruptly widened, and he stared at Gengxue in disbelief, his face pale.


    Duan Mingchong noticed something was wrong and rushed to support Sui Yan as he asked, ¡°What happened? You don¡¯t look very well.¡±


    Sui Yan felt faint. Duan Mingchong¡¯s voice seemed to be coming from far away, and he couldn¡¯t hear it very clearly.


    What-What did I ask him¡­¡­ Sui Yan blankly thought.


    Gengxue gently held his Buddha beads and slowly turned them. A soft click sounded in the silence¡ª¡ªthis sound was weak, but it was like an invisible thread, pulling Sui Yan into his memories of the last year before his death.


    That day, it seemed to also have been snowing heavily. A white-robed monk smiled at him from under the statue of Buddha, but his eyes were filled with compassion as he gazed at Sui Yan.


    At that time, Sui Yan was already terminally ill and had no reverence for any gods or Buddhas. Upon seeing the monk, he didn¡¯t even bow before asking¡­¡­


    ¡°Great Master, will the gods and Buddhas impose a heavy punishment on those who commit suicide?¡±


    With a string of Buddha beads around his wrist, Gengxue smiled.


    ¡°That depends on whether this prince believes in my Buddha.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    ¡°His body thin from cultivation, he dresses in a hemp robe¡± comes from the poem ¡°Praising Bird¡¯s Nest Monk¡± by Bai Juyi.

 CH 23

    Sui Yan felt muddle-headed after seeing Gengxue. He nearly bumped his head into an incense burner when asking for a peace amulet, and he would¡¯ve started bleeding if Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t used his hand to cushion the impact.


    On the way back, Duan Mingchong supported a pale Sui Yan, worried that Sui Yan would fall and roll down the mountain steps if he let go.


    Sui Yan¡¯s face was pale, and he barely managed to smile at Duan Mingchong, ¡°Many-Many thanks to Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t respond.


    After a while, the two finally got off the mountain, but Sui Yan didn¡¯t start chattering again. He was so quiet that everyone felt uncomfortable.


    The carriage was waiting at the side of the road.


    Sui Yan paused, turning to look back at that long mountain road. He seemed absentminded as he thought about something.


    Duan Mingchong gently said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Only then did Sui Yan nod and step into the carriage.


    On the way back, Sui Yan closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the carriage sullenly, as if he were taking a nap, in stark contrast to how cheerful he was on the way here. Duan Mingchong wasn¡¯t used to how quiet Sui Yan was.


    There was a small charcoal basin on the carriage, but because they didn¡¯t dare to close the curtains too tightly, cold wind blew in through the crack in the curtains, ruffling Sui Yan¡¯s hair.


    Duan Mingchong was afraid that Sui Yan would get sick again, so he leaned forward and gently pulled Sui Yan over to rest on his shoulder. Duan Mingchong wrapped his arms around Sui Yan and patted him softly as if he were coaxing a child.


    Sui Yan had been awake the whole time, but he didn¡¯t want to open his eyes. He didn¡¯t resist as Duan Mingchong moved him and leaned against the Crown Prince¡¯s shoulder, smelling his unique scent as he thought, If he dies, I might as well accompany him. Anyways, those three princes will fight for the throne again, just like they did in my previous life. It¡¯s so disgusting and boring.


    If there is any difference between his previous life and this one, it would be the Crown Prince sitting in front of him.


    If Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t died, no matter what the other princes did, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to replace him as Crown Prince.


    Sui Yan¡¯s mind wandered before he suddenly said, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong turned to look at him and gently replied, ¡°En? You woke up?¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t move as he murmured, ¡°Why does Your Highness treat me so well?¡±


    Duan Mingchong hadn¡¯t thought that Sui Yan would ask this question and looked at him in surprise.


    Since Sui Yan was well enough to speak, he didn¡¯t have any excuses to lean on someone else anymore, so he sat up and quietly looked at Duan Mingchong as he waited for an answer.


    Duan Mingchong thought for a bit before he smiled, ¡°Probably because of¡­¡­admiration.¡±


    Sui Yan hadn¡¯t expected this reply. He froze and blankly asked, ¡°Admiration? What do you admire about me?¡±


    Duan Mingchong thought for a while before he answered, ¡°I grew up in the palace at Father Emperor¡¯s knees. Since I was a child, I had to behave properly so I wouldn¡¯t be an embarrassment to the title of Crown Prince. Thus, I have always been self-disciplined and never dared to break any rules. The first time I saw you¡­¡­¡±


    Ktf olnf-sfjg-biv ilaaif Jgbkc Uglcmf rja eqgluta lc atf Sjra Ujijmf, tbivlcu bcab j vlhhslcu rmgbii jcv wfwbglhlcu la byfvlfcais. Ktf mlmjvjr bearlvf cblrlis mtlgqfv cbcrabq.


    Ktf ilaaif Jgbkc Uglcmf kjr j ilaaif jccbsfv. Lf qea atf rmgbii vbkc jcv kjr pera jybea ab milwy bcab atf klcvbk ijaalmf ab ibbx bearlvf ktfc atf cfjgys lwqfglji aeabg mtlvfv klatbea fnfc bqfclcu tlr fsfr, ¡°Tbeg Llutcfrr, mjiw vbkc.¡±


    The little Crown Prince pouted, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything, so he sat back down and continued to listen to the cicadas chirp as he memorized that boring book.


    Suddenly, a shout sounded outside the window, and the imperial tutor shot up.


    The little Crown Prince froze, blinking as he gazed outside.


    There was a cherry tree outside his window, and a child dressed in purple was scrambling up the tree. His face was scratched by a branch and he laughed while shouting. He was very lively.


    The imperial tutor saw him and immediately opened the door, walking out angrily.


    ¡°Sui Yan! Get down from there! What kind of behavior is this!?!¡±


    Duan Mingchong clung to the window lattice, his eyes wide as he peered out curiously.


    When little Sui Yan heard the imperial tutor¡¯s voice, he began to climb even quicker. He soon climbed onto a branch, his little hands clinging onto the tree trunk and refusing to let go.


    He laughed as he told the imperial tutor, ¡°Imperial Tutor, reading books is too boring, so I¡¯m catching a cicada to relieve my boredom. Please don¡¯t tell Imperial Uncle.¡±


    The imperial tutor was furious, ¡°Get down from there! Is the East Palace somewhere for you to act so wildly!?!¡±


    Sui Yan was surprised, ¡°Oh! This is the East Palace? I¡¯ve never come here before.¡±


    As he spoke with the imperial tutor, his hand flashed out. He quickly grabbed a cicada from the branch and placed it into a small glass bottle in his sleeve¡ª¡ªthis action was so fluid that it was clear that he had done it frequently before.


    The imperial tutor, ¡°Get down from there!¡±


    Little Sui Yan giggled, holding onto the tree as he slid down. The imperial tutor was about to grab him when Sui Yan suddenly jumped the rest of the way down, his size allowing him to run into the bushes and disappear.


    During one of the hottest days of the summer, the imperial tutor was sweating profusely from anger. Facing the bush, he angrily scolded things like ¡°he¡¯s so little but so mischievous¡± and ¡°he must be the devil incarnate¡± for a long time before returning.


    Duan Mingchong was awestruck. This was the first time he realized someone could make the unperturbed imperial tutor this angry.


    The imperial tutor was drinking water in the outer hall, and Duan Mingchong cautiously held onto the window lattice as he peered at the bush Sui Yan disappeared into. Before he could figure things out, a figure suddenly sprang out from under the window frame and shouted, ¡°Boo!¡±


    Duan Mingchong was so shocked that he nearly fell off the window lattice.


    Once Sui Yan saw that he had startled Duan Mingchong, he giggled. Sui Yan was cute, to begin with, like a porcelain doll carved from jade. When his eyes were curved, he looked even better.


    Duan Mingchong was stunned.


    Sui Yan stood on tiptoes and leaned against the window to face him, a blade of grass in his mouth as he curiously asked, ¡°Are you the Crown Prince?¡±


    Duan Mingchong had never spoken to someone his age, so he froze for a moment before flusteredly replying, ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    ¡°You seem pretty lost.¡± Sui Yan smiled as he placed the small glass bottle in front of Duan Mingchong and said, ¡°Here, you can play with this.¡±


    Duan Mingchong curiously stared at the cicada in the bottle and reached a hand out to poke it as he asked, ¡°How¡­¡­do you play with this?¡±


    Sui Yan shook the glass bottle, and the cicada inside was so scared that it chirped nonstop.


    Sui Yan giggled, ¡°Isn¡¯t this fun?¡±


    Duan Mingchong, ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what was so fun about it. It was noisy.


    But this was the first time Sui Yan talked to him, and the prince didn¡¯t want to ignore Sui Yan¡¯s kindness, so he nodded and answered, ¡°En, it¡¯s fun.¡±


    Sui Yan seemed to have finally found a kindred spirit, so he shook the bottle again. The golden cicada kept chirping, and it was exasperating.


    This sound finally attracted the attention of the imperial tutor sitting in the outer hall. He lifted the bead curtains between the two rooms and saw Sui Yan lying on the windowsill. He immediately yelled, ¡°Sui Yan!¡±


    Sui Yan exclaimed, ¡°Shoot!¡± He kicked his short legs and jumped down. While escaping, he didn¡¯t forget to wave at Duan Mingchong, ¡°I¡¯m leaving! I¡¯ll play with you again when I have time.¡±


    Duan Mingchong widened his eyes and rushed to wave back, ¡°Okay!¡±


    The imperial tutor was furious, ¡°Okay? What¡¯s okay about that? No! Sui Yan isn¡¯t a good student. He never focuses and doesn¡¯t make any progress. Your Highness shouldn¡¯t associate yourself with people like that.¡±


    Duan Mingchong suddenly felt dejected and secretly stuffed the small glass bottle into his sleeve as he murmured okay.


    That was the first time Duan Mingchong knew that someone could live so freely. Sui Yan seemed like a blazing fire, so bright that nobody could stare at it directly.


    Since then, Duan Mingchong kept wondering when Sui Yan would come to play with him, but that bastard was too playful and completely forgot about this encounter within a few days before he found something new to play with.


    When Duan Mingchong saw him again, Sui Yan had become Duan Zhisu¡¯s study companion, and he stuck with Song Xian and the others every day, completely ignoring the Crown Prince.


    Duan Mingchong sadly thought, He forgot about me. He said he was going to play with me¡­¡­


    However, the little Crown Prince was very understanding. He only felt dejected for a while before moving on.


    I¡¯m too boring. The little Crown Prince thought. He won¡¯t have any fun playing with me. Someone as fun as him should play with someone else to be happy.


    Since then, the two only encountered one another in the imperial tutor¡¯s morning class. After a while, Duan Mingchong didn¡¯t feel hurt anymore, but he would sometimes think about the willful child who lied on the window that year and smiled at him.


    Up until once, when Duan Mingchong left the palace on official business and saw a group of people crowded on a bridge, pointing at the river bank below. He inadvertently glanced over, only to see a soaked and panicking Sui Yan, along with Song Xian, who seemed to be shouting at him.


    Duan Mingchong froze before rushing over.


    But before he got there, the youth seemed to have been possessed as he pushed Song Xian away and leaped into the icy river.


    Daun Mingchong was so scared that he immediately jumped in to save Sui Yan.


    Once Duan Mingchong thought about this, he smiled in embarrassment as he said, ¡°I¡¯m very boring, and I¡¯m completely different from you, so¡­¡­my admiration for your willfulness and unyielding behavior is probably only natural.¡±


    Sui Yan choked up, ¡°I¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t remember seeing Duan Mingchong when he was little. When he saw how seriously Duan Mingchong recounted this encounter, he felt embarrassed and murmured, ¡°I¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know anything when I was a child. I¡¯m sorry for offending Your Highness.¡±


    Duan Mingchong seriously replied, ¡°There was nothing to be offended over. I was¡­..very happy.¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him in amazement before realizing that Duan Mingchong had started talking informally.


    Sui Yan murmured, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­¡±


    Duan Mingchong said, ¡°When I saw you in a daze by the river a few days ago, trying to commit suicide, I started to wonder whether you were happy or if something was troubling you¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan finally understood why Duan Mingchong kept visiting Sui Manor afterward and bringing gifts to cheer him up.


    Duan Mingchong looked at him seriously, ¡°If something is troubling you, you can look for me. I¡¯m serious. No matter what, as long as it¡¯s within my capabilities, I will help you.¡±


    Sui Yan looked at him in shock, and suddenly, his nose felt sour. He quietly said, ¡°Then does Your Highness¡­¡­trust me?¡±


    Duan Mingchong replied, ¡°Of course I trust you.¡±


    Duan Mingchong said these words so gently that it sounded like a promise. Sui Yan knew that once someone like Duan Mingchong said this, he would naturally follow through.


    Sui Yan suddenly smiled. His eyes were filled with light as he hoarsely said, ¡°Alright.¡±

 CH 24.1

    The carriage leisurely stopped at the entrance to the Sui Manor, and the attendant had already lowered the steps.


    Sui Yan bowed his head towards Duan Mingchong and was about to leave when Duan Mingchong stopped him.


    Sui Yan, ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    Duan Mingchong¡¯s ears were hot as he pulled Sui Yan¡¯s cloak open, pulled out a sachet embroidered with begonias from his sleeve, and tied it onto Sui Yan¡¯s waistband.


    ¡°This is a peace amulet gifted by Master Gengxue. It¡¯s said to exorcise evil spirits and keep you safe and healthy. You should wear it and make sure never to take it off.¡± Duan Mingchong¡¯s slender fingers flew as he tied the red strings of the amulet onto the jade at Sui Yan¡¯s waist. His eyes lowered as he gently continued, ¡°General Sui will be leaving tomorrow. Your health is so poor that I don¡¯t know if Father Emperor will even let you attend the Imperial Court.¡±


    Sui Yan lowered his eyes and gazed at the side of Duan Mingchong¡¯s face, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°But it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t attend. It¡¯s been snowing heavily this year, and the winter storms have been horrible in the North. All the officials are constantly arguing about this matter, but none do anything. It¡¯s so annoying.¡±


    Duan Mingchong casually tied the peace amulet before straightening up. Once he saw Sui Yan staring at him, his eyes curved as he smiled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sui Yan blinked and quietly asked, ¡°Is Your Highness busy on the day of the Lantern Festival?¡±


    Duan Mingchong thought for a bit before answering, ¡°I might have to deal with political matters with Father Emperor during the Lantern Festival, but I will be free in the evening.¡±


    Sui Yan breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to be calm, ¡°I¡­¡­I heard there¡¯s a night market on the street in front of Chenghuang Temple every year on the day of the Lantern Festival. It¡¯s very lively! May I have the honor of accompanying Your Highness to take a look?¡±


    Duan Mingchong froze and looked at him weirdly.


    Sui Yan coughed dryly, afraid that Duan Mingchong had seen through him, and bluffed, ¡°You-Your Highness, did Wanggui say something wrong?¡±


    Duan Mingchong chuckled, ¡°I was right. You¡¯re always having fun.¡±


    He felt both relief and regret. If Duan Mingchong had gotten to know Sui Yan when he was little, he might not have become so bland.


    And if he had known earlier that Sui Yan was this approachable, Duan Mingchong would have gotten people to find him some playbooks to read, so that he would have things to talk about other than politics. In fact, he even found himself boring, let alone the playful Sui Yan.


    Sui Yan blinked, unsure whether Duan Mingchong was praising or chastising him.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    Duan Mingchong nodded, ¡°Alright, as long as you don¡¯t think I¡¯m boring.¡±


    Sui Yan laughed, ¡°How could Your Highness be boring?¡±


    Duan Mingchong froze, his ears immediately turning red.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t notice. He bowed toward Duan Mingchong again before happily jumping off of the carriage.


    Duan Mingchong rushed to pull open the curtains and look outside.


    Sui Yan stood under the lanterns outside of the Sui Manor, his eyes curving as he waved atDuan Mingchong, ¡°Your Highness, the Lantern Festival, don¡¯t forget about it.¡±


    Duan Mingchong suddenly fell into a trance.


    The youth¡¯s fur-lined cloak had fallen off one shoulder when he got off the carriage, showing purple robes underneath. The left shoulder of his robes was embroidered with begonias, bringing out his beautiful face and making him look¡­..


    Just like light.


    Duan Mingchong was stunned. He didn¡¯t react until the carriage began to move before waving at the figure outside of the carriage.


    The carriage had already left the Sui Manor a while ago. Duan Mingchong blankly stared at the houses passing by, murmuring, ¡°I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    As long as you don¡¯t forget about it, I won¡¯t either.


    Standing at the entrance of the Sui Manor, Sui Yan finally looked away when the carriage turned around the corner and disappeared down the streets. He put his cloak back over his shoulder before cheerily going into the Sui Manor with a bounce in his step.


    Halfway back, he suddenly felt that he was acting too clingy. Thinking back, ¡®tn content=¡±he had already lived for twenty years¡±] he¡¯s referring to his past life. He is currently 15 [/tn]. It was just inviting someone to view lanterns together. Why was he acting like a girl approaching her first crush?


    Sui Yan started walking more humanly. After taking a few steps, he helplessly held onto his forehead and thought, My god, I actually feel happy.


    He had carefully plotted elaborate schemes in his previous life and didn¡¯t have the time for relationships or love. The emperor had previously offered to appoint a marriage for him, but he had directly refused. Why had he done so?


    Sui Yan jumped off the steps and couldn¡¯t resist the urge to laugh. He remembered¡­¡­


    At that time, the emperor privately asked him whether he was interested in the daughter of the Assistant Minister of Rites. Sui Yan didn¡¯t respond, only saying he wanted to think about it before deciding.


    However, on the second day, he dragged a confused Yuejian into the palace, knelt down with a thud, and begged the emperor to allow him to marry Yuejian.


    The emperor, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yuejian, ¡°????¡±


    The emperor was so angry that he yelled at Sui Yan before grounding him for two months to reflect upon his actions.


    Sui Yan didn¡¯t care at all. He happily brought Yuejian back to his manor and prepared to leave for a countryside villa to spend the summer.


    Yuejian had bewilderedly followed Sui Yan into the palace and returned to the manor in a daze. His eyes glowed as he watched Sui Yan cough while packing. He hesitated for a while before probing, ¡°Prince Jing, in the palace you said¡­¡­¡±


    Sui Yan heartlessly replied, ¡°That was all to trick him. I can¡¯t afford to marry the daughter of the Assistant Minister of Rites. Wouldn¡¯t that be like driving a nail into my own eye? Don¡¯t worry about them. It¡¯s fine if we just fool them¡ª¡ªHey, where is the little box I put my candy in? Did you see it?¡±


    Sui Yan had his back to Yuejian as he rummaged through his drawers, and he didn¡¯t see the disappointment and sorrow that flashed through Yuejian¡¯s eyes.


    When Sui Yan didn¡¯t hear a response, he turned around and asked, ¡°Yuejian?¡±


    Yuejian forced a smile and awkwardly looked through the things on the table, ¡°I¡­¡­I saw it last night. It¡¯s probably on this table. You can look for it¡­¡­I-I¡¯ll see if the medicine is done¡­¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he rushed outside and disappeared, not even waiting for Sui Yan¡¯s response.


    Sui Yan was confused, but he could only look for it himself.


    When Sui Yan recalled the shameful thing he did in his previous life, he laughed, his eyes curving as he thought, If the emperor decides to appoint a marriage for me in this life, I¡¯ll just say that I admire the Crown Prince and see how he reacts.