Absorb essence?
Li Yu was a bit uncertain and said very slowly: “Your highness, what does this mean?”
When Jing-wang wrote this note before, it was in order to vent his mood. He never thought it’d be snatched away by Li Yu. Seeing his own unmentionable thoughts completely exposed in front of Xiao Yu, he was even more worried that Xiao Yu would realize from this that he had already known about the demon carp’s identity. Heart pounding, Jing-wang instinctively stiffened his expression and silently shook his head.
As long as he refuses to admit it, it’ll be fine.
Li Yu: “……”
Li Yu made a fist with his hand and placed it against his mouth, giving a light cough: “What your highness means is, you also don’t know and that this has nothing to do with you?”
Jing-wang hesitated for a moment and then nodded his head firmly.
Li Yu laughed secretly. He had already read plenty of stories with Jing-wang before and knew that in those romance novels, all of the demons wanted to absorb essence. Even more so, it meant that they wanted to do the unspeakable things to the scholars. So what Jing-wang meant was…… he also wanted to do that with Li Yu?
The big scoundrel was full of dirty thoughts. Even after being caught, he still dared to deny it. Who would have thought Jing-wang would have such a juvenile side to him.
On one hand, Li Yu silently complained that Jing-wang was a scoundrel, on the other hand, he smiled and said purposely: “Was this really not written by you? But this is clearly your handwriting, your highness.”
Jing-wang: “…….”
Jing-wang panicked: It’s really not me!
“Okay okay, I understand. It’s not you.” Li Yu had to do his best to not laugh out loud. Eyeballs turning, he continued to tease Jing-wang: “Then does your highness know what absorbing essence means?”
Li Yu howled with laughter internally: Who let you eat my tofu before. Is the tofu burning your mouth now? Ha!
Jing-wang: “………..”
Jing-wang begged for mercy. With a smile, he pulled out a small fish made from pure gold from his sleeve and silently placed it in Li Yu’s hand.
Xiao Yu liked gold and silver. In order to make the fish happy, he drew this small gold fish himself and then had it made recently.
“This fish is so cute! Is it for me?” Li Yu was instantly attracted to the gold and shiny small fish, looking at it repeated in his hands in pleasant surprise.
The little gold fish was cute and charming. Its tail was even curled into a circle. For some reason, Li Yu thought it really looked like his fish self. There’s a part on the fish’s back where a hanging rope was attached. It was also the water grass green color that Li Yu liked.
Li Yu fondled the string lovingly and asked a question that he knew the answer to: “Where does this tie to?”
Jing-wang embraced him with a smile and hung the little gold fish on the multicolored silk belt around Li Yu’s waist.
Li Yu fiddled with the fish on his waist for a while before turning his bright and shiny eyes back onto Jing-wang: “Your highness, don’t change the subject now. Tell me what absorbing essence means~”
Jing-wang: “……”
Xiao Yu was somewhat difficult to deal with. Jing-wang was troubled, but also liked it.
Li Yu persisted. Jing-wang was just frustrating over what excuse to use to escape when Wang Xi, who was standing outside the room, carefully knocked quietly.
Actually Wang-gonggong didn’t want to interrupt at this time either. The master had instructed before that he wanted to spend time alone with Li-gongzi at this moment. However, the 6th Prince had arrived and had been waiting for quite some time at Ninghui Hall. Wang Xi knew that the 6th Prince tried to hurt his master before and didn’t give the 6th Prince any face at all. However, the 6th Prince said that before he arrived at the Jing Estate, he saw the Emperor prior. Therefore, Wang Xi couldn’t leave the 6th Prince to dry for too long.
“Your highness, the 6th Prince came over from the Emperor, saying he came to bring you gifts and apologize.” Wang Xi said full of apologies. He accidentally disturbed his master and Li-gongzi again.
Last time, Li-gongzi and his master had a huge disagreement. Wang Xi and many of the other servants all felt pretty worried. Later, everything finally passed. Wang Xi practically wished the two people’s relationship became even better.
But did master and Li-gongzi finally get together or what?
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.
According to Wang Xi’s silent observation before, his master and Li-gongzi had laid in bed together once. Not to mention, they were always pulling and tugging each other physically. Wang Xi thought they must have gotten together.
Dea ijafg, Qjcu Wl rjk Ol-ubcuhl jcv tlr wjrafg bcis ajixlcu abufatfg, gfjvlcu ybbxr, jcv kglalcu. Ktf akb qfbqif kfgf qgfaas mbegafber ab fjmt batfg. Qjcu Wl atbeuta, qfgtjqr cba.
Ktfc joafg atja Ol-ubcuhl kjr eckliilcu ab riffq klat Alcu-kjcu jcv gjc jkjs. Ktf wjrafg bgvfgfv atf kjiir ab yf megnfv oeii bo kbgvr atja Qjcu Wl ofia abb fwyjggjrrfv ab ibbx ja. Ol-ubcuhl olcjiis jiibkfv wjrafg ab ufa mibrf. Vb cbk atfs wera yf abufatfg gluta?
But every time his master saw Li-gongzi, Jing-wang always had to take a cold bath afterwards. Li-gongzi didn’t know, but as the personal servant, Wang Xi was pretty aware of this. If they were together, how could this be possible?
Therefore, in terms of the relationship between his master and Li-gongzi, Wang-gonggong can only use “hard to explain, barely discernible” to describe it.
Wang Xi was afraid of disturbing Jing-wang’s happy occasion, but after bracing himself to interrupt, Wang Xi seemed to feel Jing-wang let out a breath of relief.
Wang Xi: “……”
Jing-wang patted Li Yu’s hand and decided to go chase away the 6th prince first. Actually, he was also afraid Xiao Yu would continue to ask nonstop. He was really feeling awkward and didn’t know how to answer. Therefore, he was using the 6th Prince to hide out for a while. Xiao Yu loved to play, perhaps when he came back in a bit, the other would stop asking by then.
“Your highness, you, you’re going to see the 6th Prince?!” As soon as Li Yu heard the 6th Prince’s title, his original teasing expression immediately turned nervous. He unconsciously grabbed Jing-wang’s sleeve.
The 6th Prince…… in the original story, he was Jing-wang’s biggest opponent. After the 2nd and 3rd Prince failed, the 6th Prince all of the sudden entered the Emperor’s eyes. This person has been hiding behind the 3rd Prince this whole time, full of malicious deceit and merciless schemes. Jing-wang suffered quite a bit of losses to the 6th Prince and almost died in the 6th Prince’s hands because of Chu YanYu. The 6th Prince caused a lot of trouble to Jing-wang before he completely retreated in defeat.
Even if the plot had changed until nothing remained now, the 6th Prince’s character setting shouldn’t have changed much, right?
Li Yu knew inside information regarding the 6th prince, but he didn’t know how to warn Jing-wang.
Before when Ye QingHuan was being plotted against, Li Yu said he unexpectedly received the information. Perfect lies were very hard to make. Good thing Jing-wang believed him and didn’t ask much.
If he said it was unexpected again, it’d seem too fake.
Furrowing his brows, Li Yu attempted to think of a reason to tell Jing-wang to guard against the 6th Prince.
Jing-wang saw Li Yu furrow his brows in deep thought. Reaching his hand over, he used his slightly chilled fingertip to smooth out the wrinkles on Li Yu’s forehead.
“Your highness, if I want you to guard against the 6th Prince……”
Jing-wang was so gentle, Li Yu immediately blurted it all out.
Jing-wang gave him a look and nodded. Okay.
Li Yu: “……”
“Are you not going to ask why, your highness?” Li Yu asked back.
Jing-wang pointed at the wall. Next to a portrait of fish, hung the three basic rules that they had signed.
Jing-wang was afraid he’d forget his agreement with Xiao Yu, so he specifically hung it up on the wall to remind himself from time to time.
Li Yu understood his meaning. He was saying, according to the rules of their agreement, Jing-wang believed him. If Li Yu didn’t want to say, then Jing-wang also wouldn’t ask.
But the agreement clearly only required Jing-wang to not ask about Li Yu’s whereabouts. Who would have thought Jing-wang would also apply this to everything Li Yu was unwilling to say.
…… Wasn’t this a good thing?
Yes. It was very good. Extremely. Nothing was better than this.
Reconciling internally, Li Yu still found an excuse and advised to the best of his abilities: “Your highness, the 6th Prince hurt you before. You can’t trust him at all.”
Li Yu actually didn’t know why the 6th Prince was here, but caution was always a good idea.
Jing-wang nodded his head. He touched Li Yu’s cheek with a smile, wanting the other to relax.
Jing-wang left with Wang Xi. First, Li Yu didn’t really want to show face in front of the 6th Prince. Second, he was also afraid that there wasn’t enough time left for his transformation. Therefore, he decided to stay inside the room and wait for Jing-wang.
The notes that Jing-wang wrote were still here. The “evidence” wasn’t actually taken away. By himself, Li Yu looked at the bold calligraphy words above.
They were both men. He could understand Jing-wang’s feelings. Although Jing-wang had thoughts towards him, because of the three rules they agreed on, he didn’t really do anything to Li Yu. At most, he was only venting his passion on paper for a bit.
His highness was really very good.
There’s no way he’d let off the prince who treats him so well.
Li Yu thought, lips curving mischievously again.
The 6th Prince waited for a long time before Jing-wang was finally willing to come out to see him.
Mu TianXiao(6) stepped forth and wanted to say some conventional greetings. Jing-wang only glanced at the stuff he brought over and coldly nodded his head. He didn’t even gesture for the 6th Prince to sit for a while, pretty much equivalent to driving away his guest.
Mu TianXiao(6) rubbed his nose and said warmly: “Many apologies for what happened previously. I hope you will forgive me, elder brother.” Mu TianXiao(6) didn’t mention the 3rd Prince at all. He originally only came for himself anyways.
The 6th Prince apologized to Jing-wang and gave gifts in compensation. The 3rd Prince didn’t. Who was high and who was low, it was obvious with a glance.
Mu TianXiao(6) already wanted to be rid of the 3rd Prince as soon as possible. The biggest hindrance to him obtaining the throne was never the highly arrogant 2nd Prince, nor was it the 3rd Prince whom he played like a fiddle.
“5th elder brother, before I was blinded by villains and almost misunderstood you and your fish.” Mu TianXiao(6)’s conversation turned: “I hear 5th elder brother pampers this fish a lot and brings it around all over the place. How come I don’t see it now?”
Mu TianXiao(6) also felt Jing-wang’s fish was somewhat strange and wanted to take the opportunity to have a look.
With a tight face, Jing-wang gave Wang Xi a glance. Wang-gonggong immediately said: “5th Prince. His highness’s fish is quite delicate and doesn’t like to see irrelevant people.”
Mu TianXiao(6), who was randomly smacked in the face by a fish: “…….”
Mu TianXiao(6) still wanted to ask some more. Jing-wang had no patience to listen to him ramble. Since he came to apologize and bring gifts: leave the stuff behind, you can leave now?
The 6th Prince didn’t even get a cup of hot tea to drink. Jing-wang gave Wang Xi a look, directly indicating for Wang Xi to send the guest off.
Mu TianXiao(6): “……”
Mu TianXiao said his goodbye and left Ninghui Hall. He was practically one step out of the estate when a person with disheveled hair ran over to him.
“Your highness, you highness!” As this person wailed, he attempted to dive into Mu TianXiao(6)’s arms.
Mu TianXiao(6) vigilantly pushed this person away, thinking Jing-wang was scheming against him here. When this person raised his head and revealed his tearstained face, Mu TianXiao(6) received a huge shock.
“Don’t you recognize me, your highness?” This person said tearfully.
“You…… you’re Yu-er?” Mu TianXiao practically couldn’t believe it. This person before him, with a gray dejected complexion and eyes swollen like walnuts, was the once elegant and lofty Chu YanYu. If the other’s appearance didn’t still look faintly similar, the 6th Prince definitely wouldn’t have recognized him.
“Yan-er, how did you get like this?” It wasn’t easy for Mu TianXiao(6) to contact Chu YanYu before. Sending letters into the Jing Estate became harder and harder after each attempt. Chu YanYu only vaguely mentioned that he wasn’t really favored in the letters. How could Mu TianXiao have imagined it was like this.
Chu YanYu could only bite his lips and cry. How was he supposed to tell the 6th Prince that Jing-wang never even looked at him properly before? He also failed to drug Jing-wang, causing himself to be drugged in the end.
No one tarnished him. He was tied up, unable to move. After losing his intelligence, he cried and wailed hysterically, desperately attempting to twist and turn his body, acting utterly shameful.
He was tied for three entire days before the drug finally wore off, but his body had already broken down from the torment.
But what was even more unbearable was to follow. It seemed like everyone at QingXi courtyard heard his cries during his unintelligible state. The looks they gave towards him were full of bare naked disdain!
Chu YanYu pulled out of his unbearable memories and knelt down on both knees before the 6th Prince.
“Your highness, I really can’t stay in Jing estate any longer. Please take me away!” Chu YanYu didn’t want to stay in QingXi courtyard, didn’t want to stay in Jing estate, and didn’t want to see Jing-wang ever again.
Now that the 6th Prince was here, he liked the 6th Prince, and the 6th Prince also liked him. He still wanted to be together with the 6th Prince!
A beauty was begging with tears in front of him. If it was before, Mu TianXiao(6) would have definitely comforted him with soft words. However, he was at the Jing Estate right now. Mu TianXiao(6) was afraid this was one of Jing-wang’s schemes.
He quickly scanned the vicinity and felt like there were eyes all over. Chu YanYu’s appearance gave him a big shock. Mu TianXiao(6) was afraid Jing-wang was deliberately creating a scene where he and Chu YanYu seemed to be having an affair. He just gained the opportunity for the Emperor to finally consider him properly. He definitely can’t have Chu YanYu ruin his reputation like this. He needed to sever all relations with Chu YanYu immediately!
“Chu-gongzi, you and I only met a few times before. Since you entered elder brother’s estate, you belong to the 5th Prince. Why say these words to me!” Mu TianXiao(6) purposely reprimanded in a loud voice and pretended to push away Chu YanYu angrily.
“If Chu-gongzi continues to pester me, don’t blame me for being impolite!” Becoming vicious, the 6th Prince slapped Chu YanYu across the cheek and then left in a huff.
After Chu YanYu learned that the 6th Prince came to Jing Estate, he escaped out here with great difficulty in order to meet with the 6th Prince. Who would have thought that the 6th Prince, who had loved and pampered him the most before, would actually hit him. After this slap, Chu YanYu completely became dumbfounded. One can even hear the sound of his heart breaking.
Concealed afar, Jing-wang watched all of this indifferently.
“Your highness, this…this……”
Wang Xi didn’t dare to speak. His highness never cared about Chu YanYu’s life or death. So why would he order Wang Xi to secretly lead Chu YanYu to the 6th Prince’s side at this time?
However, Wang Xi can also tell. Although the 6th Prince hit Chu YanYu, Chu YanYu’s reaction…… These two people probably knew each other previously!
Jing-wang gave him a look. Wang Xi understood that his master wanted him to continue with the next step of his instructions. Wang Xi nodded and went to do his business.
Because of this little thing, Jing-wang felt like it delayed his return to see Xiao Yu and hastily headed back.
The room was already dark. Most of the candles that were lit before had already been extinguished, leaving only a dim yellow light from the lantern on the table next to the bed. In front of the bed, in the room, was no one.
Xiao Yu probably changed back. Jing-wang was very frustrated. Perhaps he shouldn’t have gone to verify Chu YanYu and the 6th Prince’s relationship.
When he saw the 6th Prince slap Chu YanYu, Jing-wang felt an inexplicable strangeness in his heart.
He didn’t know why he would have this kind of feeling, but he actually felt faintly pleased to see Chu YanYu get hit.
However, because of this, he didn’t manage to see Xiao Yu again. How regrettable. He will probably have to wait until the next day to see the other now.
Jing-wang was just thinking this when the tightly closed bed curtains suddenly pulled open. Xiao Yu poked his head out from inside and rubbed his eyes drowsily.
Jing-wang: “……”
“Your highness, how come you just came back? I was almost about to fall asleep.” Li Yu said with a grin.
Jing-wang was both surprised and elated at the same time, staring at Li Yu unblinkingly.
The youth draped clothes over himself and got up, lighting up an oil lamp at the head of the bed, also lighting up the only warm light in Jing-wang’s heart.
“Your highness, you……”
With a reddened face, Li Yu said bashfully with a hint of craftiness: “You still haven’t told me… what absorbing essence means.”
Jing-wang: “…….”
Translator note:
Li Yu is a fearless little fish and I love it. You gotta have confidence to be a future empress and boy does he have it in spades
thanks for the chapter!
Thank You for the chapter ( ˘ ³˘)❤
Persistence wins the day! Hahahahaha! Thanks for the update ❤️🐟
before you let him eat ur Tufo pls tell him first that u r his pet fish😁….
maybe he felt something? bcs he was his beloved in his previous life right??😐
I don’t like Chu YanYu but that was kinda sad tbh, getting slapped by the person you love? And you thought they loved you back 😭 anyway thanks for the chapter ❤️
True. I also kinda felt bad for him too.
This two hahahha 😂😆😂😆
I really feel sad for yanyu. He had to do all that for his lover and in the end that lover didn’t even accept or recognise him. That’s do sad and I wish he has a good ending if he changes his ways.
Honestly I don’t like chu yanyu but I do pity him. I pity him for falling in love with the wrong person. But it doesn’t excuse the things he did. And whether he changes or not is now up to him.
SUCH a cheeky fish!!
Honestamente siento algo de pena por Chu YanYu, aun siendo él uno de los villanos de la historia. Me gustaría que a partir de este capítulo,comience a haber un desarrollo con respecto a su personaje, aunque lo dudo mucho. De todas formas (y aunque sé que la novela ya está completamente traducida) ¡Gracias por el capítulo! ❤️