Chapter 12: CH 10

Yu She calmly sat off to the side, countenance normal as he listened to Zhong Wan read the storybook.

The storybooks among the common people all seemed somewhat rudimentary to the two of them, no matter how well they were written. There were always spots that didn’t make sense or progress smoothly. Originally, Zhong Wan could’ve changed them on the spot as he read, but who knew that Young Prince Yu a photographic memory. He had long since memorized all the words and sentences in the book, so that each time he heard Zhong Wan’s correction, the corners of his lips would slightly curl upwards. 

In comparison, Zhong Wan felt like he was sitting on needles.

The beginning was alright. But near the end, Zhong Wan relied on the fact that he was naturally gifted in literature and skipped several sentences. Then, he flushed out the discrepancies in an attempt to fool Yu She.

What a pity that he couldn’t.

Yu She sipped at his tea and interrupted, “You left out a phrase… Go back and read it again.” 

Zhong Wan: “…”

“Only to see that the undergarment was as thin as the frost on a late-autumn leaf, simply a translucent layer. Official Zhong finally couldn’t take it anymore. He…” Zhong Wan closed his eyes and calmed himself down. He opened his eyes to continue, “Official Zhong he… he…”

Yu She gazed at Zhong Wan with great composure. There was a hint of jest in his eyes.

Zhong Wan finally couldn’t keep it in any longer. He threw the book onto the table. “He doesn’t want to read this anymore!” 

Yu She couldn’t hold himself back. He burst into muffled laughter

Zhong Wan’s ears were slightly red. He turned his head to look outside the window and ground his teeth together. “In the past you… clearly didn’t understand anything…”

“Eventually, I understood everything.” Yu She finally stopped laughing after a long time. “But what a pity, you had already left.”

Zhong Wan didn’t understand. “What… was a pity?” 

“Nothing.” Yu She picked up the book and smoothed out the bent marks that had appeared on the cover because Zhong Wan had thrown it. “Was it good?”

Zhong Wan clenched his teeth together. “Very. Good.”

Yu She smiled. “Then I’ll give you some more later.”

Zhong Wan’s voice trembled, “You… have many more?” 

Yu She nodded. “Naturally. In the study of Prince Yu’s estate, there are a dozen or so shelves containing books regarding you and me. There are several much better than this one.”

Zhong Wan: “…”

Something flashed in Yu She’s eyes. “There are also several… much more rated than this one.”

“Prince Yu…” Zhong Wan looked at Yu She in disbelief. “Does he know that the study in his own estate is filled with storybooks about his son and another random man?” 

Yu She nodded, expression pleased. “Naturally.”

Zhong Wan very difficulty responded, “He didn’t… beat you to death?”

Yu She shook his head. “He has never raised a hand to me.”

Zhong Wan refused to give up. “What about Princess? The emperor?” 

Yu She smiled. “No one can control me.”

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Zhong Wan thought to himself, for example, asking Emperor Chongan to remove your position as heir. Or requesting to bring troops to Beijiang, making the relationship between Prince Yu’s estate and Emperor Chongan both complicated and tense. 

Zhong Wan stared at Yu She, expression conflicted. He really wanted to know what had actually happened in these past few years.

“Can’t you…” Zhong Wan couldn’t help but ask, “Be good?”

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Yu She lifted his gaze to look at Zhong Wan. He smiled, “No.”

Before Zhong Wan could ask anything else, he continued, “I said before… I just want everyone to be miserable. 

“I’m giving you this book.” Yu She suddenly ordered for him to leave. “You can go.”

But Zhong Wan wasn’t in a rush anymore. He slowly organized Old Imperial Preceptor Shi’s handwritten documents and wrapped them up carefully; then, he picked them up. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Imperial Preceptor Shi…”

Yu She looked at Zhong Wan.

Zhong Wan said, “The Old Imperial Preceptor… once spoke to me about you.” 

Yu She cocked an eyebrow. “That old thing didn’t actually like me… He never encouraged me in any way. What did he say about me?”

Zhong Wan lowered his gaze. “Ziyou is not the same as Prince Yu. He is good and kind by nature.”

Yu She seemed quite unimpressed. “When did he say that?”

It had been when Zhong Wan had stayed at the Shi estate for a brief period of time before the spring exams. He had unintentionally started talking about Yu She with Shi Jin and Shi Jin had brought this up. 

Zhong Wan hid the truth. He was extremely nervous as he took a chance and said, “During the first year after I had left for Qian An. The Imperial Preceptor mentioned it in a letter.”

Yu She was unbothered. He stated carelessly, “Is that so… If he were to still be alive now, he probably wouldn’t think that anymore.”

Zhong Wan could now confirm that it was in the first year after he had left the capital that something had happened to Yu She.

When they left the library, Xuan Congxin had just been led out by the servant. The two of them returned to Prince Qian An’s estate together. 

In the study, Zhong Wan squeezed the storybook, brows tightly furrowed.

The first year that he had left, everything had clearly been normal in the capital. What situation could Yu She have encountered that could’ve changed his personality so much?

Or… did he learn about something?

Could it be that the rumors regarding his identity being fishy were true and he coincidentally managed to learn the truth at this time? 

But this didn’t make sense either. Even if he really was the bastard son of Emperor Chongan, why would this force him into this state?

The Yu She now didn’t want anyone to have it easy when he went into a rampage. This “anyone” included Prince Yu.

Prince Yu treated him like his biological son. Raising someone else’s son for them was unfortunate enough. Why did he also have to withstand Yu She’s vengeance?

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Zhong Wan remembered very clearly. The Yu She of seven years ago very clearly respected his own father. He had also been very filial to Princess Anguo. 

Zhong Wan flipped through the book. He felt like his heart was in knots.

A perfectly fine Ziyou… What had actually happened?

“Back then I had tested his limits so much, but failed to make him lose control…” Zhong Wan muttered to himself. “A person like that… what kind of situation could’ve caused him to completely break down back then, to not even want to live anymore, to eat cold-food powder…?”

At the same time, in the side courtyard of Prince Yu’s estate, Yu She leaned against the chaise lounge by the window and softly whistled, teasing the bird hanging in a cage along the hallway. 

“Heir.” Steward Feng carried a fox skin blanket in and helped Yu She place it over his legs. “It’s cold outside. Maybe close the windows in a bit?”

“No rush,” Yu She ordered. “Bring two books over for me. From the shelf. Whichever ones.”

Steward Feng’s teeth hurt just thinking about those books on the shelf, but he still obediently went over to retrieve them.

Shortly after, he brought them back. Yu She lifted a hand to grab them and said, “I met Zhong Wan again in the palace.” 

Steward Feng’s expression changed. To him, the two words “Zhong Wan” were the equivalent of evil and insanity.

Yu She lifted his head and glanced at him. He smiled. “Don’t worry… he’s much better behaved than before.”

Yu She gently caressed the cover of the book in his hand. “He is quite principled and recognizes the importance of the greater good. I harassed him for a long time… To not insult me, he actually bore it.”

Steward Feng pretended to be deaf and disregarded the word “harassed”. He carefully said, “Isn’t that good? You’re all grown now, so obviously can’t behave in the same manner as you did in youth.” 

Steward Feng tried to read Yu She’s mind. He added, “But… speaking of this, his flaunting and arrogant personality when young was much more likeable. If he really no longer has a temper, then… he wouldn’t be interesting anymore.”

“Not so.” Yu She didn’t think this way at all. “He’s just as interesting.”

Steward Feng murmured to himself, Young Master Zhong, I’ve already tried to help you.

Yu She whistled, causing the bird outside the window to imitate him. After a bit more teasing, he said, “Around the time that Zhong Wan had arrived at our estate for half a year, I made a bet with him and lost… You know, back then, I didn’t know anything, didn’t understand anything. Whatever we interacted, I would be incessantly tricked by him. I lost, so allowed him to go outside to get some fresh air.” 

Yu She stared at the deep snow outside the window. He drawled out, “We went to the precious gems shop in the western side of the city and coincidentally ran into Old Imperial Preceptor Shi’s youngest son. The one that’s even more by-the-books than his father: Young Master Shi, Shi Hong.”

“Shi Hong looked at Zhong Wan. His nose didn’t seem like a nose, his eyes didn’t seem like eyes. He harshly interrogated him…

“You clearly already had honor to your name after the exams and could speak to the emperor. Yet, you failed to provide the evidence to reverse the verdict on Prince Ning’s case. This is considered incompetence.

“As Prince Ning’s adopted son, you received the kindness of upbringing from Prince Ning, but are not wearing mourning attire after his death. There isn’t even a hint of sadness on your face. This is considered disloyalty and a lack of filial piety. 

“Now, Prince Ning’s orphans are in a constant state of anxiety. But as their godbrother, you aren’t helping them at all. This is considered forgetting others’ good deeds and being ungrateful.

“To live ignobly, you are submitting to your enemy’s son. This is considered being shameless.”

Hong Shi’s loud and seemingly righteous accusations still seemed to ring in his ear. “A person like you…still has the face to live in this world!”

Steward Feng hadn’t known about these events. He was so angry he started shaking. “How dare he speak like that?! Back then Young Master Zhong had only been barely out of childhood, so what could he have done?! Ram his head into a hard surface to kill himself in prison or carry a knife and try to storm the Meridian Gate?! Living ignobly? If he didn’t live ignobly, how would Prince Ning’s children survive until today? That Hong Shi…” 

“At the time, I too was so angry that my whole body shook…” Yu She glanced outside the window. “But Zhong Wan didn’t refute him at all. Instead, he reminded Hong Shi that Imperial Preceptor Shi was old now. Older people had weaker bones and weren’t as stable on their feet. He should be more careful in these snow-filled days.”

Steward Feng stared at Yu She in disbelief.

“Only later did I learn that he had left that day to find out information on Prince Ning’s children.” Yu She gazed outside the window. “You see… He’s just like this.”

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A person like this was one who was too ashamed to openly display his emotions to the world. 

“Pretending to be obedient, pretending to not care… that’s only his old habit kicking in again. Or perhaps he’s already gotten so used to faking that he can’t return to normal.”

Yu She opened the book and muttered to himself, “How did he change? He clearly didn’t. You see… even though I let him go eventually, didn’t he still leave me something to amuse myself with?”

Steward Feng looked at the “Those Things Between Me and the Heir” in Yu She’s hand. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; he couldn’t help but be reminded of that incident from six years ago.

Six years ago, also in this side courtyard, a young Yu She had locked himself in his room after learning the truth about the past. He had gone three days without eating or drinking. His hair was unkempt, his eyes bloodshot. He wanted to die. 

At the time, Steward Feng had truly thought that his young master would leave himself for dead in his room.

But coincidentally, the servant that young Yu She had sent to Qian An to find information on Zhong Wan two months ago returned.

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Steward Feng knocked on the door of Yu She’s bedroom for a whole hour before a Yu She who barely looked alive finally undid the lock and opened the door a sliver.

Young Yu She’s face was as pale as paper. Blood specks dotted his lips. His voice was hoarse. “How… is he?” 

Steward Feng hurriedly yanked the disheveled servant over.

The servant didn’t know anything. Upon seeing Yu She’s ghost-like appearance, he became so frightened that he couldn’t even say a word.

Young Yu She scoffed. He wasn’t interested in hearing the report anymore and turned around, preparing to close the door. Steward Feng smacked the servant’s head harshly in agitation. “Hurry and say what you need to!”

The servant shook like a leaf. He stumbled out, “Didn’t… didn’t manage to see Young Master Zhong, but… but I heard- heard a rumor regarding Young Master Zhong. I heard- heard people say that in Qian An, Young Master Zhong will tell anyone he sees that- that- that…” 

Steward Feng hated how useless he was. He kicked the servant. “What did Young Master Zhong say?!”

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The servant fell on the ground after being kicked. He decided to speak without regard. He kowtowed and cried loudly, “Young Master Zhong said! A heartless Yu Ziyou abandoned me after starting a relationship! He couldn’t get me completely so threw me out!”

Young Yu She’s eyes widened so much he almost tore the skin surrounding them. A few deep breaths later, he spat out the blood that had been stuck in his throat for several days.

Steward Feng heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly helped pat his back. He placated, “Heir, we can’t have anything happening to you. If something happens to you, you-you-you… Your relationship with Young Master Zhong will never be cleared! He might even wear mourning apparel for you! And sing The Young Widow Visits the Grave for himself! Use the title of not-yet-deceased to stick to you for life!” 

Young Yu She panted for a long time. His voice shook as he said, “He… he really…”

The servant kowtowed. “Really!”

“Pei!” Steward Feng belatedly slapped himself across the face. “What was I saying?! Heir, you’ll definitely be fine! Even if solely for the purpose of cleaning this crap up, you have to stay alive and well!”

“He… he…” 

Young Yu She he’d for a long time but didn’t say anything meaningful. Suddenly, he started laughing loudly while still gasping for air. He seemed crazy.

That day, young Yu She started eating food and taking his medicine. Half a month later, he completely recovered. But his personality slowly, gradually, started changing.

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