Chapter 5: CH 4.1

For a moment, Zhong Wan thought that he hadn’t woken from his dream yet.

Yu Ziyou had gotten a lot taller. The angle of his eyebrows and the look in his eyes had gotten harsher too. The worry that had plagued his expression in youth now transformed into anger, adding a gloomy aura to this handsome face. 

Zhong Wan thought to himself, am I awake or not? If I’m awake, why would I see Yu Ziyou? If I’m dreaming…how am I able to see him so clearly?

Zhong Wan’s fever made his ears ring. His brain was a pile of mush. He struggled to get up, but his frozen hands and feet felt like they were filled with lead. He took a slight breather, then rested his weight against the palanquin to stand. Still, he lost his balance because he couldn’t use his legs. They gave out under him and he fell straight forward.

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Zhong Wan kneeled in the snow, staring at Yu Ziyou’s dark boots. He thought he was dreaming again.

The dream was set ten years in the past, right after Zhong Wan had entered the palace to be a reading partner. 

At the time, there were only four people under the Imperial Preceptor’s instruction and around the same age: Zhong Wan, Yu She, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince.

Among the four of them, though Zhong Wan was only a reading partner, he always had the best essays and literary talents, outperforming all the royal children by a great margin. Not only did the Imperial Preceptor adore his essays, but even Emperor Chongan would lavish praise upon him when he occasionally tested them. Back then, Emperor Chongan had even asked Zhong Wan in jest if he was interested in entering the Secretariat.

Entering the Secretariat to be the emperor’s secretary would mean that he would take on the role of drafting the official royal edicts.

Zhong Wan had been young and reckless then, not yet understanding the benefits of hiding his talents. He said he didn’t dare to receive special treatment from the emperor, because it would cause others to look down on Prince Ning’s estate. But he also asked the emperor to keep a seat for him in the Secretariat; as soon as they reached the year of the exams, he would naturally be able to enter Zichen Hall officially through his own abilities. 

Though Emperor Chongan wasn’t sure if Zhongwan really could pass the exams at such a young age, he liked how vibrant this spirited youth was, so laughed and agreed to his request. He said he would tell Prince Ning to make a chair and send it to the Secretariat in wait for Zhong Wan tomorrow. This angered Fourth and Fifth Prince so much that their teeth itched.

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Fifth Prince Xuan Qiong was jealous of Zhong Wan but only made things difficult for him in secret. In person, he still maintained a polite countenance with Zhong Wan. Fourth Prince Xuan Jing had a terrible temper and was quite straightforward. He made it very obvious when he was displeased. At their banquet later that day, he kept goading Zhong Wan, eventually getting the other drunk because he knew he could hold his alcohol better.

Zhong Wan didn’t lose his manners because he was drunk. He only became a bit confused. On the way out of the palace, he got lost. His head was dizzy, so he took a break and sat down in a gazebo.

That day, Zhong Wan ran into Yu She. 

Perhaps because nephews resembled their uncles, Yu She bore a slight likeness to Prince Ning. Zhong Wan was drunk out of his mind, so thought that Prince Ning had come looking for him.

Zhong Wan felt that he was being unmannerly. With a smile, he knelt properly to greet “Prince Ning.”

Young Yu She couldn’t understand what Zhong Wan was muttering, so softly asked him what was wrong. Zhong Wan thought that Prince Ning was scolding him. Because he knew Prince Ning spoiled him, he gently latched onto the corner of “Prince Ning’s” robes from where he was kneeling on the ground and shamelessly acknowledged, “I’ll never drink again. Father forgive me… just this once.”

Yu She: “…” 

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Zhong Wan shivered from where he knelt in the snow. He thought wildly in his head, what had happened in the end back then? Could it be that Yu Ziyou had picked him up and carried him home?

Then what was the situation now? Was this a dream or not? 

“Zhong Wan.” Yu She stared motionlessly at Zhong Wan. He lightly asked, “Where’s my osmanthus cake?”

Zhong Wan felt like someone had suddenly stabbed a knife into his chest, cutting into his heart and organs, causing immense pain. He instantly regained his wits.

This wasn’t a dream.

Zhong Wan understood now that he had walked right into a trap. 

This palanquin and its bearer both belonged to Yu She.

Yu She waited a while. Upon seeing that Zhong Wan wasn’t going to respond, he asked, “Can you get up?”

This wasn’t ten years ago anymore. Prince Ning wouldn’t come looking for him again. Today, it didn’t seem like Yu She planned on helping him up. Zhong Wan ground his teeth together and slowly stood. The fever made his entire body hurt. He barely managed to get out, “Greetings to Young Prince Yu.”

Yu She’s expression alternated between being stormy and clear. A moment later, he said, “Come in.” 

Zhong Wan hadn’t brought anyone with him. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to escape from Yu She’s grasp anyways, so could only follow him inside.

Zhong Wan walked behind Yu She, scanning their surroundings with his peripheral vision. He could tell that this was the side courtyard of Prince Yu’s estate.

Back then, he had fallen into slavery and was bought by Yu She. The other brought him back and kept him in here.

Yu She led him into the warmroom. Zhong Wan was already frozen from head to toe. Suddenly entering such a warm area caused his entire body to tremble slightly. 

Yu She sat down. A servant brought him a hot cup of tea. He picked it up and slowly tasted it.

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Zhong Wan stood there, silently staring at Yu She.

Yu She’s appearance hadn’t changed that much, but the air around him had changed drastically, almost as if he had become a different person altogether.

Yu She ignored Zhong Wan for around five minutes, then said, “You’re wearing quite a bit. You even have a fur coat on. How come you’re so cold after only being in the winter wind for such a short time?” 

Yu She slightly narrowed his eyes. “I remember that you used to have great health.”

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Zhong Wan thought for a moment, then carefully picked a tone of voice. “After going to Qian An, I wasn’t able to immediately acclimate to the new environment and fell ill. Since then, I’ve become somewhat frail…Sorry to have caused a spectacle before you, Prince.”

Yu She put his tea cup on the table and lightly said, “That’s not the truth.”

Zhong Wan brushed off the immense pain from his headache and struggled to say, “My lowly body is not worth the Prince’s concern.” 

Yu She became silent for a moment more, then asked, “Is it related to me?”

Zhong Wan’s head hurt and his vision was blurry. He shook his head. “No.”

Yu She scoffed, as if he knew Zhong Wan was lying. But ultimately, he didn’t say anything, sipping his tea again instead.

Zhong Wan thought to himself, if you want to ask something, then hurry and ask. Otherwise, I’m going to pass out in a bit and you won’t even be able to get a lie out of me. 

Yu She enjoyed his tea by himself, as if he had forgotten Zhong Wan was present. Zhong Wan slowly moved his fingers. He knew that he should focus all his energy on Yu She at this time, but he couldn’t help but let his mind wander.

As expected, Yu She had really changed a lot.

All these years, what had happened to him?

In his youth, Zhong Wan had spent time both inside and outside the palace. He had once heard a secret. 

According to rumors, Yu She wasn’t Prince Yu’s biological son at all, but actually Emperor Chongan’s bastard child.

Of course, to start a rumor like this, there had to be some basis.

For example, the extraordinary adoration Emperor Chongan had for Yu She. In comparison, Fourth and Fifth Prince, who were around the same age, had to get in the back of the line.

Another example was that Emperor Chongan couldn’t keep his sons alive previously. His first and second sons had both died young, and his third son was sickly. If Yu She really was Emperor Chongan’s biological son, in order of age, he would be fourth. Perhaps the emperor had also believed the prophet’s words, acknowledging that his throne had come from suspicious origins and that this would hurt his luck with descendants. After witnessing his first three sons either dying or becoming ill, he was scared that his fourth son wouldn’t survive either, so possibly sent him to his biological younger sister, Princess Royal Anguo, to raise? 

Similar proof was plentiful, but Zhong Wan hadn’t believed these rumors when he had first heard them many years ago.

First off, Zhong Wan had once worked through the timeline backwards from Yu She’s day and time of birth. He had discovered that none of Emperor Chongan’s concubines could have given birth to Yu She that year.

Of course, it was possible that Yu She could’ve been born secretly by someone with no name or surname in the palace. However, he had been given the title of heir at the age of one. If he really was Emperor Chongan’s biological son and the emperor had sent his own son to Prince Yu’s estate to be the heir, that was the equivalent of the emperor forcing Prince Yu to revolt.

It wasn’t like Prince Yu was incapable of having children. He had several illegitimate sons already. Why would he allow himself to be forced to give someone else’s son the title of heir, to blindly give away the rank and power that his father and grandfather had worked so hard to attain? 

Zhong Wan didn’t believe that Prince Yu could be loyal to the degree of raising someone else’s son for them and also gifting them his own ancestral legacy.

But…

Zhong Wan gently furrowed his brows. Emperor Chongan doted on Yu She so much, so why wasn’t he willing to give him a princess? Getting married to a relative would ensure the security of kinship, and would also strengthen the relationship between the royal family and the Prince of the First Rank with a different surname. Where was the downside?

Fourth Princess was honestly too young, but Third Princess was the right age for Yu She. Yet, Emperor Chongan hadn’t ordered a marriage between them. 

And when Yu She had asked to marry Fourth Princess, he had become truly angry, which was rare.

Zhong Wan’s head felt like it was splitting open. He didn’t have the energy to worry about the situation he was in right now, entirely occupied with concern over Yu She.

The emperor’s sons and grandsons kept dying young, which was why he had started becoming suspicious of Xuan Rui and Xuan Yu and felt the need to personally see them. Wouldn’t others be able to notice his distrust?

Wouldn’t Fourth Prince Xuan Jing and Fifth Prince Xuan Qiong be able to tell? 

They were even wary of Prince Ning’s two sons. How would they view Yu She?

Emperor Chongan knew very clearly what Yu She’s true background was, but Xuan Jing and Xuan Qiong didn’t.

Zhong Wan suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. Did these two princes already view and act against Yu She like he was the emperor’s son too?

Was Emperor Chongan actually spoiling Yu She or using him as a target…

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