“Stupider.”
Young Master Lian had returned.
The people of Chu went around spreading the news to others and discussing it. They were all making guesses as to why Young Master Lian would suddenly return during this madness.
No one expected the day when Young Master Lian returned after he was sent to the country of Qin as a hostage prince last year. When two armies waged war, no doubt the hostage would get the short end of the stick. The country of Chu took advantage of the country of Qin’s moment of weakness and launched a war against them regardless of Wei Lian’s safety.
In the palace, Wei Yan clapped and cheered, “That Wei Lian was very pleased with earning the King of Qin’s favor last time. I wonder if the King of Qin will continue to spoil him now that we are at war? I bet he would be the first one to make an example by being sacrificed to the war flag!”
A well-dressed woman comforted her son, “This mother did say that he would be disciplined by the King of Qin sooner or later. Silly Yan-er, this isn’t him getting what he deserved?”
When Consort Yan adopted Wei Lian at the beginning, it was for her plan, so naturally, she would not devote too much sincerity. Later, having her own son drive a wedge between her and Wei Lian, she began to dislike Wei Lian more.
When Wei Lian went to the country of Qin as a hostage prince, she was somewhat guilt-ridden. Putting everything aside, he was still someone she had been raising under her for so long, even a bond would form from raising a dog. Wei Lian went to the country of Qin clearly to die, so Consort Yan shouldn’t have lingering feelings for a condemned person.
But she did not expect Wei Yan to bring back news of Wei Lian after the state banquet. Wei Lian was prospering in the country of Qin, how he was petty-minded and held past grudges from trivial matters. Using his position to bully Wei Yan by complaining to the King of Qin and getting him thirty strokes.
Wei Yan, who had no one to look after him in the country of Qin and had no one to complain about his grievances, retold the story to Yan Fei with additional accusations as soon as he returned. Being an overly doting mother, she was so angry that she reproached, “This mother really did raise a white-eyed wolf. If I hadn’t raised that illegitimate child in my palace, how would he live so comfortably for so many years?”
However, Wei Lian was far away in the country of Qin, so she could not avenge her son. She could only coax him, “It’s never good being in a tiger-like ruler’s company. How long could he last serving the man on the bed when he could not conceive? Just let time take its course, he will surely be rejected with a horrible end.”
Wei Yan looked forward to that day, and finally, the long-awaited war between the two countries was finally here. In ancient times, hostages were the first to die in wartime. Even if the King of Qin doted on Wei Lian in the past, there was no way he would not see Wei Lian as an eyesore now.
At the thought of Wei Lian’s rough life now, or he might not even be alive, Wei Yan felt a burst of joy in his heart and immediately ran to Consort Yan to report the good news.
However, when the mother and the son finished talking, a cold voice penetrated the hall, “Oh? I did not know that mother and my younger brother wanted me to die so much.”
Wei Yan’s body stiffened.
He turned around slowly and saw a young man in white with an elegant posture. He looked as if he saw a ghost.
“Wh-why are yo-you doing here?!” He took a big step back from fright.
“Visiting because this one was homesick and was about to pay a visit to father. However, I was more concerned about mother and younger brother, so I stopped by here first.” Wei Lian raised his eyes, “It’s just that mother and younger brother don’t seem to welcome me very much.”
Consort Yan was bewildered. “Nonsense! Why did you come back? Did the King of Qin free you? Or did you sneak back without permission?”
Wei Lian stared at her. “What is mother so afraid of?”
Consort Yan flung her fingers towards the door and responded, “Get out! I was extremely benevolent in raising you for so many years, but you came back now while harboring malicious intentions? Don’t implicate us!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The gears were turning quickly in her head. Now that Qin and Chu were at war again, Wei Lian was bound to be unwelcome in the country of Qin, so he had no choice but to return to the country of Chu. It was hard not to figure out what his motives would be.
Qfl Oljc’r qbrlalbc lc atf mbecags bo Jte kjr jirb jkxkjgv—ktb xcfk lo tf kjr j aegcfv rqs rfca ys atf mbecags bo Hlc? Po Qfl Oljc kjr gfjiis jc lcrlvfg rfca yjmx ys atf mbecags bo Hlc, atf Blcu bo Jte kbeiv yf atf olgra ab afjg tfg eq. Po tf rcfjxfv yjmx ab atf mbecags bo Hlc, la kbeiv jirb yf j ylu qgbyifw, yfmjerf rtf kbeiv cba vjgf ab yf atf obmer bo atf Blcu bo Hlc’r kgjat.
In short, everything smelled fishy. It was better to cleanly cut ties with Wei Lian.
Her life was at stake, and she did not want to play the part of a long-reunited mother and son. She ordered the other to leave with no trace of politeness, pretty much showing her strong intention of denying Wei Lian as her son.
That was right. Wei Yan had always been her only son.
How could she ask Wei Lian whether he had a good time in the country of Qin, if he had suffered, and how he came back from that dangerous place. She did not say a word of greeting. She just drove him away. All she cared about was Wei Lian not dragging her down.
“Implicate?” Wei Lian’s eyes seemed to show mockery, but it appeared in a flash and was soon returned to calm.
“I know, this one will have nothing to do with you from now on.” He chuckled, “Imperial Consort Yan.”
Wei Lian turned and left without hesitation.
He was really a soft-hearted person. If the other had shown the smallest sign of kindness, he could remember it for many years. Just then in the hall, even if Consort Yan would ask after him about his recent situation, he would have protected this pair of mother and son.
But that idea was gone.
When he stepped out of the palace, he gazed up at the sky. The sun was dazzling. He raised his hand to block the sunlight from his eyes, squinting slightly to see the bright light between his fingers, but he could not feel the sun’s warmth.
People often say that the sky in one’s hometown is always the best looking. Why did he think it was inferior to the country of Qin?
His childhood memory of Consort Yan holding him on her lap to tell a story had faded away, replaced with Ji Yue hugging him on the daybed and saying between his laughter, “Wei Xiao Lian, you are such a precious treasure. They do not cherish you; we hate to let you go.”
Wei Lian chuckled in silence.
His heart no longer resided in the country of Chu.
His nineteen years of concealment was the same as hiding in the depth of a cold pool. It fell short of Ji Yue’s single year of passion towards him.
_
The Grand Palace Hall.
The King of Chu had long received the news. He learned that Young Master Lian had appeared at the city gate today. For a moment, he could not figure out the situation and could only wait for this son of his to seek an audience with him in the hall.
On his side sat Madam Li and Concubine Wu, as well as Wei Jiao, who came after hearing the news.
Madam Li is the biological mother of Wei Jiao, the Crown Prince. She was promoted from consort to madam because of her son. However, she gradually fell out of favor as years passed by. Now, if it wasn’t for her pre-existing status, she wouldn’t even earn a concubine’s position.
However, with the Crown Prince on her side, no one dared to laugh at her. She couldn’t be a queen now, but once the Crown Prince takes the throne, she would gain that title.
Wei Jiao was the third son of the King of Chu, out of seventeen. He was able to become the Crown Prince not because he was smart and capable, but because he was more rational than other competitors.
When the country of Chu arrived in this generation, the King of Chu had very few good seedlings. Some of them were killed, leaving only the crooked ones. With the juniors imitating their senior’s voices, all the sons were mediocre with plenty of bad habits, while lacking outstanding talent having a father who indulged in comfort and despised laboring.
Wei Jiao was the only one who was born with a brain.
But his intelligence was still nothing to write home about.
In Wei Lian’s eyes, there was no difference between inferior to him by a large gap or by an infinite gap.
_
The King of Chu passed his fifties while Madam Li was in her forties. No matter how careful she was with her skincare, it was difficult to hide the fine lines in the corners of her eyes. Concubine Wu, however, was only a sixteen-year-old girl. She was younger than Wei Lian, still tender and beautiful. No wonder the King of Chu was willing to spend a fortune to build a golden lotus platform for her.
When Wei Lian went to the Qin, Concubine Wu had not yet entered the palace, so she was not interested in the hostage prince who had returned from the country of Qin—she had met all the King of Chu’s sons, and they were all hopeless. How could this one sent to be a hostage be any better?
As the King of Chu’s current interest, she had been taken everywhere he went, that was how she got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of this Seventh Prince.
Concubine Wu peered around in boredom. Suddenly, she heard a burst of clinging. When she raised her eyes to meet the person who had entered the hall, she was stupefied.
…Who was this charming, aloof, handsome, peerless immortal figure?
Young Master Lian?
Wu Ji glanced at the oversized King of Chu beside her. She could not believe this was the father.
She glanced at the Crown Prince with an ordinary appearance on the side. She could not believe they had the same father.
“Father.” Wei Lian walked into the hall, bowed slightly, and got up without waiting for the King of Chu’s words.
Concubine Wu felt like her ears were pregnant from the other’s voice.
This young master has a nice voice, good-looking, and spotless temperament. Was the King of Chu blinded by lard to send such a person out!
On second thought, maybe because only this man could handle it…
Before the King of Chu could utter ‘raise’, his face turned gloomy when he saw Wei Lian raised without prompt.
When he saw Wei Lian capture his new favorite concubine’s attention, his face sank more.
He did not like this son. With that many royal heirs, Wei Lian had no sense of presence at all. However, before he left for Qin, Wei Lian disgracefully called him by his name and verbally attacked his incompetence as a ruler. This made a deep impression on the King of Chu.
No one had ever dared to act so presumptuous in front of him.
But Wei Lian was a gift to the King of Qin at that time, so the King of Chu could not lay a hand on him. But now the rebellious son came back with his tail between his legs…
Wei Jiao saw the gloom on the King of Chu’s face and immediately tried to get on his father’s good side. “Insolent! How dared you raise without father’s permission? Did my seventh brother forget proper etiquette during his time in the country of Qin?”
Wei Lian lowered his eyes and said, “Never remember them.”
“You—” Wei Jiao was shocked.
How dare this brother speak like that in front of father?!
One of the reasons why Wei Jiao became the Crown Prince was that he was the best at pleasing the King of Chu while his other brothers caused trouble daily which annoyed their father. As long as he kept quiet and did not cause trouble by doing nothing, a score of zero was still a full grade. It was better than his other brothers.
All thanks to his other siblings.
Wei Jiao, who knew flattering the King of Chu was the only means to gain power, could not imagine that there were still people in the world who dared to be so rampant towards their father.
Wei Jiao wanted to scold the other in the King of Chu’s place, but Wei Lian’s counter made the King of Chu angrier—this rebellious son had not changed at all. He was still undisciplined!
The King of Chu held his anger back. “Who allowed you to come back?”
Madam Li whispered in his ear, “Your Majesty, according to this one’s humble opinion, the Seventh Prince should have been driven away by the King of Qin.” The Seventh Prince was originally sent for peace between the two countries. Now that they were at war, it was only reasonable to be sent back?
Wei Lian showed a plastic smile. “So stupid.”
Madam Li shuddered.
How could Young Master Lian hear her whisper from so far away?
Wei Lian always kept a low profile in the country of Chu. He knew how to hide his strength and bide his time when he was young. Later when Shifu made a foresight, Wei Lian continued to hide his blade. Very few people in the country of Chu knew of his true power.
Now that the prophecy had been solved, he was confident, and naturally disinclined to feign civility.
Madam Li had been deep in the palace for more than twenty years. As this was her only field of vision, her thoughts were naturally simple. Totally oblivious that it would be impossible for the hostage to be sent back if the two countries were at war, unless it was only their heads.
Wei Jiao saw that his mother was made fun of, and his tone turned deep, “Seventh brother, you have really become unreasonable. Father, I’m afraid that if my seventh brother is this impolite, his heart is on the side of Qin and does not put us in his eyes. Now that he is back, he is probably a traitorous spy. He should be taken down and put in prison for strict interrogation!”
The King of Chu nodded. “Jiao-er is right…” No matter the reason, he would not tolerate this son of his who had committed crimes repeatedly.
Wei Lian scoffed softly and said the next word in a low voice.
“Stupider.”
Which spy dared to be as arrogant as him?
He was here to seize the throne, got that?
Ohoho, our bubu is on roll! (๑♡o♡๑)
Thank You for the new chapter -ω(´•ω•｀)♡
will he give it to his husband after that? 🤭
Typo
… he took a big step back from freight [fright] …
… he raised his hand to black [block] the sunlight …
… him hiding deep in the cold pool [palace?] …
Corrected/edited. Thanks!