DCPRT Chapter 50

Xie Tan, upon hearing that You Fengyun wanted to send You Yusui to fight a bear, immediately spoke up to dissuade him. “The Crown Prince has a weak constitution. This assassination attempt must have given him quite a fright — he may well fall ill from it.”

At those words, You Fengyun abandoned the idea. The Crown Prince’s health was indeed far too fragile to withstand such an ordeal. He feared that even handing the boy a small bear cub would be more than he could hold.

“Then let the matter drop.” You Fengyun let out a sigh.

For a moment, he felt that among all his princes, not a single one truly resembled him. The Crown Prince did have ability, and after his grave illness his character had grown more resolute — yet his birth into a great aristocratic clan remained his greatest flaw, and on top of that he was perpetually sickly. He feared that once he ascended the throne, he would be at the mercy of whatever faction chose to seize hold of him.

“Have the Imperial Medical Courtyard send an imperial physician to the Eastern Palace to examine him. The Crown Prince was also given a fright today,” You Fengyun instructed.

“Yes, this old servant will see to it at once.” Upon hearing this, Eunuch An Hai promptly sent a young eunuch to summon an imperial physician.

You Fengyun then began to discuss with Xie Tan the assassination case that had occurred before Juxian Pavilion earlier that day. You Fengyun asked, “Has anything been found by way of clues?”

“I have examined the bodies — there was nothing on them that could establish their identities,” Xie Tan replied. “Not a single identifying token.”

You Fengyun clicked his tongue and said, “Quite meticulously done.”

Xie Tan lowered his gaze and said, “I believe we might trace their origins through the clothing on the assassins’ bodies, as well as the poison they carried in their mouths.”

You Fengyun nodded, then said, “Those who wish to assassinate me are no more than a few people. The imperial family of the former dynasty was wiped out entirely when I ascended the throne — only the Tujue in the north remain, and those vassal kings.”

When You Fengyun finished speaking, his phoenix eyes lowered slightly. If it was a vassal king behind the assassination, then he would need to resolve any potential vassal rebellion before sending troops to campaign against the Tujue — lest he commit all his forces to fighting the Tujue and find Chang’an undefended in the meantime.

Xie Tan watched You Fengyun’s eyes lower gently, and understood in his heart that it no longer mattered much whether the case was solved — for You Fengyun had already formed his own intentions.

“This minister shall withdraw first.” Xie Tan cupped his hands in salute.

“Mm.” The emperor, seated behind his writing desk, responded with a soft sound.

Xie Tan then departed, and the great doors of Xuande Hall swung shut behind him with a heavy thud, dimming the light within.

You Fengyun’s posture instantly became languid. He casually pulled off the crown atop his head and tossed it to the floor, then reclined sideways in his chair and looked toward An Hai, who stood not far away. “Tell me — if something were to happen to Zhen, to whom could this empire be entrusted?”

“Your Majesty is in the prime of your years — how can you speak such words?” Eunuch An Hai said with a smile, not daring to lift his head, for fear that if he did, he would see the aging of this lord of empire.

Past forty already — no longer young. By the standards of an ordinary household, it was the age for bouncing grandchildren on one’s knee.

“Massage Zhen’s head.” You Fengyun said.

Eunuch An Hai immediately took small steps around to You Fengyun’s back and began massaging his temples — and in doing so, he inadvertently caught sight of the silver strands hidden among the emperor’s dark hair.

You Fengyun clearly felt An Hai’s hands pause, and asked, “You saw Zhen’s white hairs, didn’t you?”

“What white hairs?” An Hai thought, preparing to pluck the offending strand.

“Don’t pull it!” You Fengyun said hurriedly. “Zhen only has so much hair — if every white one gets plucked out by you, will Zhen even be able to wear his crown anymore?”

Seeing that You Fengyun had no intention of reproaching him, Eunuch An Hai could only let out a couple of dry laughs to ease the awkwardness.

“Your Majesty, it is nearly time for the evening meal — shall this servant have the Imperial Kitchen send the dishes here?” An Hai asked softly.

“Very well. Tell the Imperial Kitchen to send over two large braised pork knuckles,” You Fengyun instructed, eyes half-lidded.

“Ah?” Eunuch An Hai was taken aback. He had already gnawed through three knuckles over at the Crown Prince’s — and still wasn’t tired of them?

“Mm?” The half-dozing emperor let out a puzzled sound.

“Yes, this servant will go at once and have the Imperial Kitchen prepare them.”

****

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, You Yusui was so anxious that he was on the verge of stripping Huo Xiling bare to inspect him for wounds.

“Your Highness, I’m fine — truly fine!” Huo Xiling hastily raised his hands in surrender.

Throughout the entire assassination attempt, every drop of blood on his body had belonged to the assassins — he himself had not sustained a single injury, not even a scratch. Only a few unfortunate guards of the Eastern Palace had been wounded by the assassins’ weapons; they had all since had their injuries dressed and been given several days of rest.

“As long as you’re unharmed.” You Yusui looked at Huo Xiling, who had been stripped down to nothing but his inner shirt and trousers.

Just at that moment, Cui Yan was led inside by a servant. He entered and immediately took in the scene before him, startled. “What are you two doing?”

“Checking for wounds,” You Yusui told him with complete seriousness.

Cui Yan shot a cool glance at Huo Xiling standing to one side. Their relationship — did he really not understand it? Checking for wounds? Who were they trying to fool? Checking out his abdominal muscles was more like it.

“What brings you here?” You Yusui set down the medicinal ointment in his hand and looked at Cui Yan, who had arrived with his medicine chest on his back.

“His Majesty was concerned that you might have been frightened, and specifically sent me to examine you.” Cui Yan set down his medicine chest and began taking You Yusui’s pulse. “If your cousin hadn’t dragged me off to examine some poison, I could have arrived even earlier.”

Cui Yan thought to himself that these two cousins were truly tiresome — they came to him with everything.

“How is His Highness’s pulse?” Huo Xiling, now dressed, asked from one side.

Cui Yan inwardly rolled his eyes. Given the Crown Prince’s constitution, hauling him off to fight a bear might not even end in the bear’s favour.

Then Cui Yan lifted his fingers from You Yusui’s wrist and spoke, “His Highness has had a mild fright. I’ll prescribe a calming draught — that should be sufficient.”

“That’s a relief.” Huo Xiling relaxed.

You Yusui then asked, “How goes the investigation into the identities of those assassins?”

“I’ve identified the composition of the poison,” Cui Yan said, writing out the prescription as he spoke. “One of the medicinal ingredients is native to the Kingdom of Lu.”

One of the poison’s ingredients was a specialty of Lu — which gave one no choice but to suspect the assassins had been dispatched by the King of Lu.

Upon hearing this, You Yusui’s memories from more than ten lifetimes slowly began to resurface. He suddenly recalled that in several of those lifetimes, the vassal kings had risen in rebellion and led armies to attack Chang’an. Had the signs already been there from this very moment?

Yet in those ten-odd lifetimes, You Fengyun had never gone out of the palace with so small an entourage — and so this assassination attempt was one You Fengyun had never encountered before.

In almost an instant, You Yusui guessed what You Fengyun intended to do.

“Father Emperor wishes to reduce the power of the vassal kings.” You Yusui said it with near certainty, then looked over at Huo Xiling with a smile. “Your opportunity has come.”

“I know.” Huo Xiling smiled back at You Yusui. He had to seize every opportunity that came his way — only then would he have the power to change the ending he had dreamed of.

And yet You Yusui was reluctant to send Huo Xiling to the battlefield. He feared he would be wounded. He feared he would die. If it were possible, You Yusui would have kept Huo Xiling by his side always.

But You Yusui had long understood that though Huo Xiling behaved like an obedient little dog in his presence, his true nature was that of a wolf. To prevent a strong man from growing stronger was a cruel thing.

What was more, Huo Xiling needed those military merits to protect himself — and so however unwilling You Yusui was in his heart, he had no desire to let it show.

“The preparations that need to be made should be started early.” You Yusui sighed.

“Your Highness need not worry.” Huo Xiling took his hand.

From across the room, Cui Yan let out a cold laugh. “The campaign to strip the vassal kings of their fiefs won’t begin until at least after the Qianqiu Banquet — and that’s still a whole summer and half an autumn away. You two are being rather—”

He never got to finish. You Yusui threw him out before he could.

Cui Yan stood in the middle of the courtyard, his expression perfectly blank as he stared at the closed doors of the Crown Prince’s bedchamber. He was nothing but a tool to these people.

“Imperial Physician Cui, this old servant will see you back to the Imperial Medical Courtyard,” said Eunuch Fubao, smiling benevolently at Cui Yan.

Cui Yan drew a long breath. “There’s no need. I can find my own way back.”

Besides, the Crown Prince won’t be laughing for long. Tomorrow, the tutor from his childhood would be arriving at the Eastern Palace — and that man was an insufferable old stick-in-the-mud.

With that thought bringing a smile to his face, Cui Yan picked up his lantern and left, still smiling.

****

The following morning, You Yusui lay sprawled against Huo Xiling’s chest, still reluctant to get up.

Suddenly, a young eunuch came to report from outside. “Your Highness! Your Highness! Tutor Xu has arrived!”

At those words, You Yusui shot bolt upright in bed.

“What’s happened?” Huo Xiling opened his eyes.

“Where is he now?” You Yusui asked in a panic.

“At the gates of the Eastern Palace!” the young eunuch answered.

“Quickly, put away this prince’s birds!” You Yusui said urgently, then reached out to find his clothes — and caught sight of the other person still in the bed.

On instinct, You Yusui kicked Huo Xiling off the bed, then shoved him toward the floor beneath it.

Huo Xiling, now under the bed: ??? Since when was the Crown Prince’s strength this formidable?

“Your Highness — my clothes.” Huo Xiling whispered a reminder.

You Yusui hastily swept Huo Xiling’s clothes and shoes off the clothing rack and kicked them under the bed as well, then began pulling on his own garments.

Unfortunately, he had not yet finished dressing when Tutor Xu walked in.

“Your Highness, the sun is already three poles high and you are still abed — truly, you are a rotten log beyond carving!” Tutor Xu was so vexed his heart ached.

You Yusui looked at Tutor Xu, then looked outside, and for a fleeting moment desperately wanted to simply give up on everything.

“This student failed to go out to receive you when you arrived, Tutor — the fault is entirely mine.” With that, You Yusui broke into a violent fit of coughing.

“Your Highness, Your Highness — are you all right?” The young eunuch beside him rushed forward to support You Yusui.

You Yusui’s complexion had turned pale, and his entire frame looked pitifully thin. Then Tutor Xu heard him say, “This prince is in the midst of illness and truly has no face to see you, Tutor.”

Tutor Xu’s expression shifted dramatically. He suddenly remembered that You Yusui had never fully recovered since falling gravely ill in early spring — he had slipped into unconsciousness several times during that period. Just now, seeing him only now rising from his bed, Tutor Xu must have come in while You Yusui was still struggling to get up upon hearing of his arrival.

Tutor Xu asked with concern, “Is Your Highness feeling any better?”

“More or less the same. However many years this prince can drag on for, so be it.” You Yusui said with a mournful expression. “It is fortunate that my maternal grandfather sent birds to keep me company — spending my days confined to the Eastern Palace is not quite so dreary.”

He then coughed a few times more and added, “This prince only asks that Tutor not hold those birds at fault. They are simply an expression of my grandfather’s loving kindness.”

Tutor Xu replied, “How could this minister be the sort of person who fails to understand such sentiments?”

You are exactly that sort of person, You Yusui thought privately. If this prince hadn’t mentioned that those birds were a gift from his maternal grandfather, you would certainly have pressed him to do away with them.

You Yusui coughed softly again and asked, “What brings Tutor here on this occasion?”

Tutor Xu replied with a furrowed brow, “His Majesty sent me to correct the manner in which Your Highness conducts himself.”

Yet looking around the Eastern Palace, aside from a few birds, there seemed to be nothing out of order — the food, clothing, and furnishings were all befitting the Crown Prince’s station. There was truly nothing here that needed correcting.

You Yusui took hold of Tutor Xu’s hand and said, “Tutor, this prince is one whose days are numbered — how could this prince claim your sole attention?”

“Your Highness must not speak so,” Tutor Xu said, moving to stop him.

“This prince knows his own body better than anyone. Only — Tutor, do you not wish to do something of use with what life remains to you?” You Yusui asked. “This prince knows that teaching and guiding students is the pursuit of your entire life. This prince only asks that Tutor not squander his remaining time on someone as sickly as me.”

“Your Highness…” Tutor Xu did not know what to say. If not for You Fengyun’s imperial edict, he ought at this very moment to be on his way to a friend’s academy to give lectures.

You Yusui held Tutor Xu’s hands and said, “Tutor — do you not wish to give all the scholars of the realm a home?”

Absolutely cannot let Tutor Xu stay in the Eastern Palace — how else would this prince get to spend time with Xiao Huo?

Tutor Xu, his hands clasped in return, said, “This minister will go and speak plainly to His Majesty at once.”

The Crown Prince already had Grand Preceptor Gu, a great Confucian scholar, at his side — he truly had no need of Tutor Xu’s instruction. Indeed, he ought to go and do something more meaningful.

“Whatever it is Tutor wishes to do, go and do it freely — this prince will support Tutor wholeheartedly!” You Yusui said, already making plans in his mind to provide funds for Tutor Xu to build a free academy where scholars from across the realm could come to study.

“Very well.”

****

And so it was that You Fengyun, having just come down from morning court, received word that Tutor Xu intended to leave.

“What’s gotten into him?” You Fengyun asked.

Eunuch An Hai glanced at You Fengyun’s expression before answering, “He says he wishes to give all the scholars of the realm a home.”

You Fengyun, who had been drinking his tea, couldn’t help but spit it out.