In ancient times, people used to be superstitious. When faced with great catastrophes, they would build altars to offer sacrifices to heavens, praying for rain and asking for the blessing of the gods. Throughout the four seasons, they made offerings continuously. This reflected their inherent reverence for spirits and deities.
On the day Qin Daoyan was beheaded, blood splattered a meter away, and it was said that the spirit of that person would return as a vengeful ghost to haunt and seek revenge. Although Emperor Yan seemed outwardly indifferent, Prince Jin learned that he secretly invited high-ranking monks to the Palace to chant sutras and expel evil for three whole days.
Even fathers and emperors could not help but follow such customs. As a person of ancient times, Prince Jin naturally believed in gods, Buddha, and heavenly principles. Especially on the day he traveled incognito, a Taoist named Xuan Yeping told him good fortune and made divinations, accurately revealing the most hidden secrets of his heart.
The destiny of a true dragon…
These mere words made Prince Jin feel restless, unable to sleep at night. He always believed he was superior to the Crown Prince in both strategy and military skills, as well as in the art of using people. However, over the years, no matter how outstanding he was, Emperor Yan showed no intention of deposing the Crown Prince.
As time went by, Prince Jin’s patience had worn thin. He urgently needed someone to help him confirm something, and Xuan Yeping’s appearance was timely.
The only one who held a contrary opinion was probably Chu Jiaoping. During this time, he had helped Prince Jin win over many talents, and after quelling the rebellion in Shuofang, he had secretly contributed to improving Prince Jin’s reputation in the Capital. He did not approve of Prince Jin bringing in a Taoist, especially with the phrase “the destiny of a true dragon”, which, if spread, would surely cause great trouble.
“Jiaoping, you have always been cautious, and naturally I know that. A Taoist is just a Taoist, keeping him in the mansion is nothing to worry about. If he is a fraud, we would only waste some food on him. But if he is a genuine expert, how can I throw him out?” Prince Jin sat behind the desk, dismissing Chu Jiaoping’s advice. After enjoying a smooth ride for too long and having achieved great accomplishments in Shuofang, he had forgotten his usual wariness.
According to the original plot development, the Crown Prince would have already launched numerous challenges against him, and with Chu Jiaoping’s help, he would have solved each one, becoming more and more impenetrable.
But now the plot had changed. The Crown Prince had made no move and had instead lapsed into unprecedented silence. At Court, Prince Jin stood out, and rumors spread like wildfire that he was the best candidate for the throne.
Officials praised Prince Jin as a role model among the princes, while the people speculated whether Emperor Yan would depose the Crown Prince. As the rumors continued to spread, even the Crown Prince himself almost believed them, but nothing was happening from above.
Chu Jiaoping could not dispel the uneasy feeling in his heart and frowned when he heard that, “Your Highness, how can you trust the lies of that Taoist? He is nothing but a silver-tongued fraud of the martial world, keeping him around will only bring harm and no benefit.”
Prince Jin suddenly looked at him meaningfully and asked, “Lies? The Taoist said that I have the destiny of a true dragon, do you also think it is a lie?”
Chu Jiaoping was taken aback by his words and realized that he had misspoken, “Jiaoping did not mean that. It’s just that Your Highness’s recent growing fame has caught the attention of many. It is better to be cautious and not to give others advantages.”
Prince Jin leaned back slowly in his chair, seemingly lost in thought, “I have already investigated Master Xuan’s background, and he is quite clean. You have nothing to worry about. It’s just that I’ve been handling all imperial affairs swiftly and skillfully lately. Why does Father still refuse to depose the Crown Prince?”
Having been in hiding for many years, Prince Jin had grown impatient.
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.
Chu Jiaoping sensed Prince Jin’s unease and pondered for a moment before speaking, “It’s my fault. Sometimes being too prominent is not necessarily a good thing. The Eastern Palace has been silent all along, which only makes us seem more anxious. In the next few days, Your Highness may accompany the Empress Dowager to worship the Buddha. It will be seen as an act of filial piety.”
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Prince Jin disagreed with Chu Jiaoping’s advice to quietly bide his time, but he did not show it on his face. He kept his reply ambiguous, “Let’s see what Father’s attitude is like.”
After saying that, he stood up and walked towards Chu Jiaoping, patting him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, “Jiaoping, with you as my right hand, there is no need to worry about winning against that fool of a Crown Prince.”
It could be said that Prince Jin was confident of victory, or it could be said that he was arrogant and reckless.
Chu Jiaoping hoped it was the former, so he smiled and remained silent, hiding the worry in his eyes, “I have heard that there is a plague of locusts in the north, affecting twenty-four states and counties in the neighboring regions. The Emperor is planning to send people soon to help with the catastrophe. Will Your Highness compete in this task?”
Prince Jin let out a sigh, “Disaster relief and fundraising are thankless tasks. Officials are wasteful with their money, but they start crying poverty when the time to act comes. Merchants are even worse, they value profit more than righteousness and are stingy to the core. I thought about taking on the task, but I’m afraid this hot potato might hurt me.”
He waved his hand dismissively, “Forget it. Let’s not bring it up again. I will take your advice and focus on accompanying the Empress Dowager to worship Buddha. As for disaster relief and fundraising, I won’t take over. If I can pass it on to the Crown Prince, all the better.”
Chu Jiaoping, “This matter is not difficult. It is enough to find some underlings to submit a petition and recommend the Crown Prince for the task. The Emperor should agree. The Crown Prince may not be aware of the difficulties involved and take it upon himself. However…”
Prince Jin asked, “However?”
Chu Jiaoping frowned slightly, “However, the matter of disaster relief must be settled by someone at some point. Otherwise, the famine in the north will spread to the Capital sooner or later.”
He was concerned about the refugees in the north.
Prince Jin always believed that those who achieved great things did not worry about trivial matters, let alone a few refugees. He smiled and reassured Chu Jiaoping, “Don’t worry. When the Crown Prince takes on this task and is unable to handle it, Father will naturally send someone else to clean up the mess.”
In short, they decided directly on this matter, and thus, a black pot fell from the sky landing directly on the Crown Prince’s head. Seeing that many officials were submitting petitions to recommend the Crown Prince for disaster fundraising and considering Prince Jin’s recent overwhelming popularity, Emperor Yan needed to appease their tempers a bit, so he approved the matter.
“Cheng Hao, I will leave the task of fundraising in the Capital to you. Once this task is completed, there will be rewards.”
The Crown Prince stood at the front of the Court officials, keeping his head down, appearing of little relevance.
Emperor Yan, sensing that his son had been unusually quiet lately, could not help but express his concern, “As Crown Prince, you should show the bearing of a future emperor. Don’t worry about rumors and gossip. In this world, what I say still holds the highest authority.”
He had always been like that. When he saw an arrogant son, he would kick him, and when he saw a submissive one, he would give him a helping hand.
This statement had different meanings in the ears of the officials. Prince Jin, who was in a lower position, showed hardly any visible change in his expression.
What did Father mean, did he never intend to depose the Crown Prince, or was he subtly warning him?
Either outcome was unfavorable to the Crown Prince.
“I obey Your Majesty.”
Under various pressures, the Crown Prince could only grit his teeth and accept this unfortunate task. Without returning to his residence, he headed straight for the General’s Mansion.
Seeing the visiting Crown Prince, Jiu Yong hesitated for a moment. Unlike usual, when he allowed him unrestricted entry, this time he led him to the guest hall, saying, “Your Highness, please wait here. The General will be here shortly.”
After speaking, Jiu Yong turned around and went to the inner courtyard to report the Crown Prince’s visit.
At that moment, Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan were idly playing Go in the room. Xie Jingyuan was pressing fiercely, while Chu Xinian, being an experienced strategist, managed to win by a narrow margin after several rounds of fighting.
Xie Jingyuan stared at the board for a while, finally realizing that it had become a dead end. Resolutely, he threw the remaining pieces aside, saying, “I lost.”
Chu Xinian gently pushed the board and pieces aside, and with a light force of his fingertips, he drew Xie Jingyuan into his arms, his voice hoarse and full of a smile, “Why do you admit defeat so easily, General?”
Xie Jingyuan leaned against Chu Xinian’s legs, thinking that he had already lost in both Go and love. There was nothing he could do about it. He was not one to be shameless and refuse to admit defeat. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why didn’t you let me win just now?”
“How do you know I didn’t?”
Chu Xinian touched his face and always treated his wounds with great care. He leaned down to give him a tender kiss. Xie Jingyuan responded by hooking his neck and deepening the kiss, never understanding the concept of restraint.
“Um…”
After a brief surprise, a barely perceptible smile shone in Chu Xinian’s deep eyes. He too returned the kiss, and before they knew it, they were lying on the bed, white sleeves accidentally knocking over the Go board, scattering pieces everywhere.
People in the early stages of love always enjoyed entangling with each other, and they were no exception.
Chu Xinian’s palm rested on Xie Jingyuan’s waist, gently kneading it with an occasional provocative touch, causing it to soften and yield instantly.
Xie Jingyuan buried his face in Chu Xinian’s neck, too lazy to lift his eyelids, “What time is it now?”
Why did Chu Xinian always like to do this kind of thing in broad daylight?
“It’s daylight. So what?” Chu Xinian laughed casually, not caring. He playfully hooked his fingers and untied Xie Jingyuan’s belt, loosening his clothes and revealing a delightful scene.
His provocation also tempted Xie Jingyuan and was about to respond with a kiss when suddenly Jiu Yong’s voice came from outside, “General, the Crown Prince has arrived and is waiting in the main hall.”
Chu Xinian’s actions paused at the news, and he raised an eyebrow, seemingly indifferent.
On the other hand, Xie Jingyuan’s response was direct, frowning as he said, “Let him wait!”
The Crown Prince had secretly sneaked into the backyard and listened to Xie Jingyuan’s words. He stood in front of the gate and shouted, “Xie Jingyuan, how dare you make me wait? I’ll punish you for your negligence!”
Chu Xinian was also at a loss. He pinched Xie Jingyuan’s chin and gave him a deep kiss, then with a slightly breathy voice, he said, “Let’s go, the Crown Prince is waiting outside.”
Xie Jingyuan grabbed onto Chu Xinian’s waist and refused to let go, “He has already accused me of negligence. Whether I go out or not, I will be guilty. It is much more comfortable to lie here. Let him wait outside.”
Chu Xinian knew he was joking, so he lifted Xie Jingyuan, smoothed his clothes, and then opened the door to go out.
The Crown Prince craned his neck, waiting for them. When he finally saw them out, he immediately walked over and said, “I attended the Court today, and the Emperor has ordered me to raise funds and gather grain to help the refugees in the north. What should I do?”
Xie Jingyuan frowned, “You dare to take on such a troublesome task?”
The Crown Prince replied, “I don’t want to take it on either, but the Emperor made clear that he wants to suppress Prince Jin’s arrogance. There is no way around it. I have come to you today to find a solution.”
Although he was talking to Xie Jingyuan, his gaze fell on Chu Xinian.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA CHU XINIAN SUDDENLY BECAME THE CROWN PRINCE’S ADVISER
Their sweet time was alas interrupted 🤧