This phrase had long been brewing in the Crown Prince’s heart, so much so that it came out with a resounding impact, making it impossible for people to pretend they hadn’t heard it.
“You…”
Hearing it, Xie Jingyuan raised his hand, instinctively wanting to punch him. Still, the courtesy between a prince and his subject, who had been absent for so long and suddenly returned, only allowed him to clench his fist in the air involuntarily before releasing it with resentment.
For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of the wind rustling the branches of the trees.
Chu Xinian waited silently for Xie Jingyuan’s response. Perhaps he too had a hint of curiosity in his heart and wanted to know the reason. However, Xie Jingyuan only grimaced and uttered, “Nonsense!”
At this moment, the advantage of wearing a mask became apparent. His expression, anxious or confused, annoyed or angry, was indiscernible.
The Crown Prince snorted, whether he believed it or not. But he had the good sense not to pursue the matter further. Otherwise, Xie Jingyuan would take action against him.
Chu Xinian felt that the atmosphere was somewhat uncomfortable. To ease the tension, he proactively changed the topic, speaking quietly, “This person has a lot of hidden secrets with Qin Daoyan. It is better not to bring it up rashly before the Emperor until there is conclusive evidence.”
The best way to deal with enemies is to eliminate them in one blow. Jiu Niang’s death and a handwritten letter were not enough to overthrow Qin Daoyan. Only by unearthing the evidence of his treachery and disloyalty can they eradicate him, but now was not the right time.
The Crown Prince was frustrated by Qin Shuang’s attempt to assassinate them and spoke in a disgusted tone, “Are you suggesting that I still have to keep feeding this worthless waste?”
Qin Shuang overheard their conversation and became agitated, apparently wanting to say something, but his jaw was unhinged and all he could utter was a string of meaningless words. The Crown Prince found it unpleasant to listen to and plucked a handful of unidentified weeds from the roadside and stuffed them into his mouth.
Chu Xinian, “Your Highness, if you were to hand him over now, Qin Daoyan would just blame it all on him, present a letter of apology, and the Emperor would, at best, scold or degrade him. Qin Daoyan would still have a chance to reverse the situation.”
The Crown Prince, “Isn’t it enough to demote him? Once demoted, I will have many opportunities to deal with him.”
Chu Xinian replied, “This person is narrow-minded and has been rooted in the Court for many years, with a solid foundation. Moreover, it is a crucial time for recruiting talent on the Court. If he is demoted, there will be no one capable in the Ministry of War, and in three years at the most, he will be readmitted.”
It was clear that he was just a carefree nobleman, but he seemed to have a deep understanding of the situation at Court.
The Crown Prince began to suspect that he was a spy sent by Prince Jin, although Chu Xinian’s words seemed somewhat reasonable. After pondering for a while and being unable to find any loophole, the Crown Prince casually asked, “So, what do you suggest we do?”
Chu Xinian remained silent. He continued to walk forward with Xie Jingyuan on his back, and the Capital’s gate was already visible in the distance. Xie Jingyuan, whether out of embarrassment at being seen in such a state or for some other reason, said hoarsely, “Put me down…”
He was still weak, and Chu Xinian could feel his limbs growing limp, his muscles lacking strength.
“Sending the Buddha westward.” Chu Xinian said, “Not to mention that we are almost there.”
Instead of letting him go, he tightened his grip a little more. Xie Jingyuan did not speak but frowned. He felt a shiver spreading throughout his body, and his consciousness was becoming blurry. He pressed himself closer to Chu Xinian’s back, unconsciously squeezing his neck, seeking some warmth.
Those hands that had killed countless people now held him without causing him any harm. The cold sensation traveled from his fingertips to his neck, something that would normally make anyone shiver with cold, yet Chu Xinian let him be, allowing Xie Jingyuan to rest his hand on his neck.
The Capital’s gate was crowded with people, and it was inconvenient for Xie Jingyuan to be seen in such a condition. Finally, after careful consideration, the Crown Prince instructed them to wait nearby while he fetched the gate guards and ordered them to send someone to the Crown Prince’s Palace to report the situation.
Chu Xinian tied Qin Shuang to a tree and looked for a place to sit and wait. Xie Jingyuan’s condition was very bad. When Chu Xinian lowered him to the ground, he coughed up a mouthful of dark blood and his face turned pale as paper.
Chu Xinian noticed the uneasiness in his eyes. Xie Jingyuan sat on the ground, leaning weakly against the tree, and looked down at the barely conscious Qin Shuang with a cold and sinister gaze. He smiled wryly and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t die.”
Sitting there on the ground, feeling exhausted, Chu Xinian slowly rubbed Xie Jingyuan’s cold hands. He thought that this method of sacrificing oneself to kill the enemy was contrary to his ethics, “Seeing these people in life is already torture. Wouldn’t it be even more unpleasant if you see them after death?” Chu Xinian, who rarely felt the urge to reason, and even though he thought it unnecessary to say such things to a ruthless villain, still said, “General, the word ‘revenge’ brings the greatest harm to goodness…”
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.
“If you want them to get their retribution, there are many ways to do it. Killing is only the last desperate resort. But at the moment, you are not at the end of the road…”
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“…”
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[Ding!]
Suddenly, System emitted a faint sound in the silent night, pulling Chu Xinian’s wandering thoughts back.
[The villain’s blackening level has dropped to 87%. Keep up the good work, Host~]
Strictly speaking, Chu Xinian’s progress in the mission was quite good. It was just that it started with too much blackening, making the difficulty slightly higher compared to other hosts.
Chu Xinian didn’t expect Xie Jingyuan’s blackening level to drop this low. He turned his head to look and saw that he was leaning against the tree, unable to support himself, falling towards Chu Xinian’s side. Instinctively he caught him…
Xie Jingyuan had fallen into a state of semi-consciousness at some point.
Chu Xinian reached out to feel Xie Jingyuan’s breathing, weak but fortunately still there. He gently clung to him, silently calculating the time, feeling it pass unusually slowly.
The immediate priority was to find a doctor, but the Crown Prince’s carriage had not yet arrived, so they could only wait on the spot. Chu Xinian kept telling himself not to panic, and to stay calm, for the more critical the situation, the more important it was to keep his sanity.
The General’s Mansion was about 25 km from the eastern gate of the city. A horse-drawn carriage could travel a maximum of 400 km in a day, at an average of 10 km per hour. A round trip took about two hours, or one shichen (two hours).
The Crown Prince had already been there for half a shichen, so the carriage would arrive in another half a shichen at most.
Time went on and on, and after an unknown amount of time, a green-roofed carriage finally approached. The sound of the horses’ hooves came crisp and clear. And the one driving the carriage was the Crown Prince himself.
Chu Xinian immediately looked up, and without waiting for the Crown Prince to speak, he carried Xie Jingyuan horizontally and climbed up into the carriage.
The Crown Prince, instinctively turning his head to look, asked, “What happened to him?”
Chu Xinian replied, “He is unconscious. Head to the General’s Mansion and fetch a doctor.”
The Crown Prince’s eyebrows furrowed tightly upon hearing this, for he was about to return to the Capital. However, he suddenly realized that Qin Shuang was still tied to a tree. He jumped down and pulled him into the carriage. With a loud crack of a whip, accompanied by a short, cracking sound, the carriage rolled away, raising a cloud of dust as it headed towards the Capital.
Perhaps due to the rough ride in the carriage, Xie Jingyuan coughed violently twice and gradually regained consciousness. He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids and found himself hugging someone. He reflexively grabbed the person’s wrist, exerting so much force that it almost crushed his bones.
Chu Xinian did not know if he should praise his stamina for still having the strength to strangle someone at such a critical moment. He looked down and said, “General?”
It was Chu Xinian.
Xie Jingyuan made an effort to open his eyes and realized it was him. Strength suddenly left his fingertips and he lay down again. He covered his eyelids with the back of his hand, evidently aware of his pitiful state. In a hoarse voice with furrowed brows, he said, “Get Wan Jimiao.”
He did not trust any other doctor.
Chu Xinian nodded, “I know.”
As they spoke, the carriage had already arrived in front of the General’s Mansion. Chu Xinian took Xie Jingyuan out of the carriage and hurried towards the main courtyard. Jiu Yong, who was standing at the entrance, had a drastic change in his expression. He was about to stop Chu Xinian and ask him about the situation when he heard him say hurriedly, “Go find Doctor Wan.”
The Crown Prince also entered with Qin Shuang on his back. Seeing that Jiu Yong did not move, he waved his hand impatiently and urged him, “Go, go, go. Hurry up and bring the doctor.”
The servants of the General’s Mansion were truly a competition of stupidity, did Chu Xinian eat their brains?
Jiu Yong realized what was going on and hurried to fetch the doctor.
It was still dark when Wan Jimiao was dragged out of bed by Jiu Yong, and one can imagine how angry he was, grumbling with his beard bristling. But as soon as he heard that Xie Jingyuan was unwell, he waved his hand to dismiss everyone else and hurriedly carried his medicine box into the room.
Chu Xinian watched the closed door in silence for a few seconds. Then he lifted his tunic and slowly sat down on the front steps. It was not clear what he was thinking. He felt he could do nothing, so he had Yun Que bring him a book.
The lantern hanging at the entrance swayed in the wind. Chu Xinian held the book and began to read in the dim light. The Crown Prince paced anxiously around the entrance, unable to contain himself, and finally sat down on the steps next to Chu Xinian, saying, “Are you in the mood to read?”
Chu Xinian’s page-turning motion paused for a moment, then resumed as if nothing, remaining calm and unperturbed, “Being anxious won’t help.”
The Crown Prince looked at him skeptically for a good while, then took the book from his hand, turned it over, and handed it back to him, saying, “But you’re holding it upside down.”
Chu Xinian, “…”
#The crown prince is a shameful presence#
Chu Xinian closed the book and stopped reading. He felt something strange on his shoulder and touched it. His fingertips came into contact with a dark red dried bloodstain, which caused him a momentary daze.
Xie Jingyuan knew how to hold his grip.
In the original story and even now with the altered plot, he was still the same. He had been carrying Xie Jingyuan for so long and yet he hadn’t noticed when he had coughed up blood.
Chu Xinian felt an uneasy feeling in his heart. Unconsciously, he crumpled the once neat pages of the book, turning them into a mess like dried pickles.
Qin Shuang had just been taken to a secret room. He had been separated from his parents since childhood and was adopted by Qin Daoyan. Their relationship was very close, and it was difficult to get information out of him.
But there are always loopholes in worldly affairs.
The Crown Prince was somewhat impulsive, which also meant that he was not a patient person. At this moment, he was unusually quiet. Lowering his head, he spoke suddenly, “Whose side are you on, after all?”
He was tactful enough to know that he would not get any information from Chu Xinian directly, so frankness might be the best approach.
Chu Xinian raised an eyebrow slightly, “Which side? What do you mean?”
The Crown Prince said, “You know what I’m talking about.”
“No side.” Chu Xinian rolled up the book in his hand, “The affairs of the world are not simply black and white. Your Highness, why draw sharp boundaries when no one can claim to be entirely virtuous?”
As they spoke, the door suddenly creaked and Wan Jimiao stepped out from inside. Chu Xinian stepped forward and asked, “Doctor, is the General well?”
Wan Jimiao wiped his face wearily, forcing himself to look more awake, “I have administered acupuncture. I have to prepare the medicine. He used his internal energy forcefully, injuring his lungs and depleting his Qi and blood. He is not easy to treat. Have the servants bring charcoal into the room to heat it.”
After speaking, he carried his medicine box and headed for the kitchen with familiarity.
The Crown Prince thought this old man spoke as if he had said nothing. He tried to peek into the room, but Chu Xinian grabbed his shoulder, “It is getting late. I have ordered the servants to prepare water in the guestroom. Your Highness, go and change first. If there is anything, we can discuss it tomorrow.”
Although Chu Xinian’s tone was gentle, it left no room for rejection.
The Crown Prince, after all, had grown up in a privileged position. He touched his soaked clothes, which had been submerged in the well water for most of the night. And he followed nonchalantly after the servant to the guest room to freshen up.
Yun Que stepped forward as the Crown Prince left and said to Chu Xinian, “Young Master, this servant heard what Doctor Wan said. The General’s condition has stabilized. Your clothes are wet, so please go to bathe and change. It wouldn’t be good for you to catch a cold.”
Without a word, Chu Xinian went to bathe and change his clothes. When he came out, the room was already warm from a coal fire. The temperature had risen and the hot air made him sweat.
Chu Xinian went to the window and opened it slightly before entering the inner room to check Xie Jingyuan’s condition.
Wan Jimiao had already administered acupuncture, and the lifeless blue hue between Xie Jingyuan’s eyebrows had finally faded a little, but his lips were still pale. Despite being covered with a thick blanket, he could not control the slight shivering and cold sweat that covered his body.
His breathing was rapid, his brows furrowed as if he were trapped in an elusive nightmare, muttering unclear words. The silver mask was removed and silently placed next to the pillow.
“Xie Jingyuan.” Chu Xinian called his name softly, but he did not wake up.
The flickering candlelight brightly illuminated Xie Jingyuan’s intact face. With arched eyebrows and slender eyes, he had the appearance of an exceptionally handsome young man. Judging from his appearance alone, one would never think he was a general leading troops into battle.
If he wore white, held a folding fan, and led the world, he would undoubtedly be a peerless young master who would stir the Capital and have a reputation surpassing Chu Jiaoping.
Chu Xinian seemed to sigh, or maybe not. He found a piece of cloth, dipped it into a copper basin, and then wiped the cold sweat from Xie Jingyuan’s forehead. Unexpectedly, Xie Jingyuan grabbed his wrist, and a cold feeling spread.
“Mother…”
Xie Jingyuan’s chapped lips trembled, his expression uneasy, as if he was desperately avoiding something. He gripped Chu Xinian’s wrist tightly, his voice panicked and lost, instinctively burying the right half of his face into the pillow.
“Mother…”
Xie Jingyuan’s voice was full of pain, he wanted to say something, but his mouth remained sealed. He held too many secrets in his heart, even in his confused state, so it was difficult for him to utter a single word.
Chu Xinian allowed him to grasp his hand, while with the other he touched Xie Jingyuan’s cold face. The room inside was warm, but it failed to maintain his body temperature and instead caused him to break out in a cold sweat.
Gradually, Xie Jingyuan stopped screaming. He suddenly fell silent, clutching the thick blanket tightly, desperately trying to attract some warmth. His entire body emanated an icy aura.
Chu Xinian took off his boots, lay down on the bed, and hugged him. Although Xie Jingyuan’s mind was unclear, he quickly let go of the silk quilt and snuggled into the warmer embrace.
“Cold…” He muttered unconsciously, his voice cracking and hoarse.
Chu Xinian furrowed his brows softly and pulled the quilt tighter. He unfastened his robe and removed Xie Jingyuan’s innerwear as well. They cuddled, putting their clothes aside, and their skins touched: one cool, the other warm.
Chu Xinian had no romantic intentions. He rubbed Xie Jingyuan’s shoulders slowly, trying to warm him up. After a while, when his arms began to ache, Xie Jingyuan finally stopped shivering.
Their hearts were still beating, chests rising and falling, synchronizing their beats.
Chu Xinian held that position without moving, contemplating whether to let go of Xie Jingyuan. However, as soon as he stepped back a little, Xie Jingyuan followed closely, leaning in again. So close that not even a trace of air could pass between them.
The red candle illuminated the warm canopy, passing the spring night…
Chu Xinian suddenly felt a sense of helplessness and futility. He did not like the feeling of gradually losing rationality; it made him feel like a fool.
The author has something to say:
# Wise men do not enter the realm of love #
Xie Jingyuan is so precious nghhh and the gentleman that Chu Xinian is! I love them bothhhh aaaaaaa
Thank you so much for the chapters!!
I feel like we’ll be seeing more of the crown prince!! He doesn’t really seem so bad!
And you chu xinian, is no wise man 😜
I don’t know why, but i find them cute. 😭😭😭
Thank you for the update ❤️💯