When the news reached Prince Jin’s residence, he felt a darkness before his eyes and was on the verge of fainting, as was his servant. He was enraged, feeling cold all over his body. He struggled to hold himself steady against the table, gritting his teeth as he trembled, “The Crown Prince did it on purpose!”
Chu Jiaoping’s face also darkened at these words. The fundraising had already concluded, from high officials to commoners, everyone had contributed, except Prince Jin. What will Emperor Yan think when he sees this?
Chu Jiaoping felt both angry and anxious. He frowned and said, “Your Highness acted foolishly. If you had sent the money earlier, the Crown Prince would not have been able to do anything even if he had tried. Now, with all our movements restricted, are we not asking for trouble?”
Hearing this, Prince Jin’s complexion fluctuated between pale and blue. He was already in a bad mood, and Chu Jiaoping’s criticism made it even worse. He shook out his sleeves and said, “Enough! I know everything you have said. But considering the present situation, what else can I do?”
Prince Jin got up and paced the room in frustration. Finally, he came up with a somewhat futile solution, “I refuse to believe that the money can only pass through the Crown Prince’s hands. Tomorrow I will go into the Palace and have Mother collect the money and deliver it directly to Emperor Yan.”
Chu Jiaoping closed his eyes and let out a sigh. The Crown Prince had given a three-day deadline. Princes Ping and Chang had dutifully sent their money to the Eastern Palace, while Prince Jin went against the rule, having it delivered by a concubine. What would the others think?
A trace of defeat appeared in Chu Jiaoping’s eyes, in a weary voice, “I’m afraid it will be too late even if you send it tomorrow. The Crown Prince has planned everything. He must have had the names inscribed on the Merit Monument by now. Even if you send the money, your name will not be included.”
Prince Jin choked, “Then, should I order someone to deliver the silver to Concubine Mei now?”
Chu Jiaoping looked at the darkening sky outside and slowly shook his head, “The Palace gates have already been closed, and the time for handing over donations has passed. Besides, there are dozens of silver boxes. How can Your Highness transport them to the Palace without alarming the Emperor in the middle of the night? When the Emperor asks why the full amount was not delivered within three days, what will Your Highness say?”
This sentence blocked Prince Jin’s last hope.
The moon had reached its peak, casting scattered shadows. Moonlight streamed down, turning the courtyard floor pale. The corners of the cobblestone path shimmered faintly, creating a meandering path of silvery white.
Chu Xinian sat in the studio, head bent over the table, absorbed in his work. However, he was not using ink, but turmeric juice. He was sketching the silhouette of a man in an official dress on yellow paper, leaving a small gap for the right eye, which made the figure look strangely distorted.
The Crown Prince was leaning on the opposite side of the table, looking at it for a while before asking, “Who are you drawing?”
On the other hand, Xie Jingyuan didn’t have so many reservations. He leaned straight over to see what Chu Xinian was doing and then raised an eyebrow, “Are you drawing Qin Daoyan?”
Chu Xinian blew on the marks on the paper. As the turmeric juice dried, the color gradually faded. He asked Xie Jingyuan, “How is it, does my drawing look like him?”
Xie Jingyuan lightly tapped the surface of the table with his fingertip, without saying a word. He did not want to discourage Chu Xinian.
The Crown Prince burst out laughing, “Hahaha, Chu Xinian, I thought you were a master of literary and military arts, but your drawing skills are even worse than a three-year-old. That proves that no one is perfect. If you want to draw Qin Daoyan, that one-eyed dragon, I’ll do it for you. Look at what you have drawn, crooked and distorted, it looks like a ghost.”
However, Chu Xinian had a deep meaning in his words, “Your Highness guessed correctly. I am drawing a ghost. I am only looking for a resemblance, not an exact likeness.”
Xie Jingyuan sensed an unusual implication in his words. He looked at Chu Xinian and said excitedly, “What kind of plan are you up to again? Tell me about it, maybe I can help you.”
Chu Xinian switched to another piece of yellow paper, “Then, General, please think for me. What kind of ‘ghosts’ does the Emperor fear the most?”
Emperor Yan was said to have spent sleepless nights lately, to the point where he could not even get out of bed. He had consulted Imperial Doctors and high-ranking monks, but they had been unable to determine the cause of his illness. While outsiders did not know the reason, the Crown Prince did. He secretly told Chu Xinian that the Emperor has been plagued by nightmares at night, constantly dreaming that someone is coming to take his life.
“Ghosts?”
Xie Jingyuan looked thoughtful, “In his early years, to cement relations with his ministers, His Majesty personally visited the home of the late Prime Minister Feng Qiuping. Feng Qiuping had an exceptionally beautiful daughter.”
Chu Xinian calmly interjected, “Later, this exceptionally beautiful woman of the Feng Family mysteriously appeared in the Emperor’s harem, and Prime Minister Feng Qiuping also died under suspicious circumstances.”
The story followed a common path.
However, Xie Jingyuan smiled at Chu Xinian and said in a chilling tone, “No, it was not a suspicious death; he was brutally murdered by cutting off his arms, bleeding to death.”
As he finished speaking, Chu Xinian had already picked up his brush and redrawn the silhouette of a man, dressed in an official’s robe, but missing his arms.
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.
Although the Crown Prince did not fully understand Chu Xinian’s intention, he began to suggest: “And Mother.”
Lf wjvf j ufraegf cfjg tlr cfmx, lwqislcu, “Ktf Swqfgbg ragjcuifv tfg ab vfjat klat j ktlaf rlix mbgv.”
Jte Wlcljc vlv cba xcbk lo atf Jgbkc Uglcmf kjr lc qjlc ktfc tf rjlv atfrf kbgvr. Ktf bcis atlcu tf mbeiv mbcolgw kjr atja atf Jgbkc Uglcmf tjv j nlnlv wfwbgs bo atja rmfcf; batfgklrf, tf kbeiv cba wfcalbc la gfqfjafvis. Cr tf mbcafwqijafv, tf kjr ecregf tbk ab qgbmffv.
“Mother always wore a peacock feather ornament with a pearl pendant. Draw a woman in palace dress and add the peacock feather ornament. Then a string around her neck. Anyone who sees it will recognize her.”
Chu Xinian slowly brushed the untidy tip of the pen, “Aren’t you worried about offending the late Empress?”
The Crown Prince was silent for a moment before saying, “I’ve already offended everyone I had to offend. Have you ever seen a flawless Empress? One who was personally strangled to death by the Emperor? Go ahead, draw her. Mother won’t hold it against you.”
Reluctantly, Chu Xinian followed his instructions, drawing the silhouette of a woman in a palace dress and adding a peacock feather ornament to her hair. Just as he was about to stop, he suddenly heard Xie Jingyuan say, “And General Xie Bi.”
These words created a sudden silence in the room.
Chu Xinian turned to look at Xie Jingyuan, who was leaning back in his chair with his arms folded, his defined face blurred in the candlelight, “The Emperor has killed many in his lifetime. How can General Xie Bi be omitted?”
“He often wore armor and was skilled in the wielding of swords and spears.”
“Draw the spear; he brought it with him when he entered the Palace.”
“But I don’t know how he died. I only heard that he was shot by dozens of arrows.”
As Xie Jingyuan narrated, Chu Xinian progressively drew the figure of a general in armor, holding a silver spear, exuding an imposing and righteous aura. Several arrows were added to the figure, hinting at his destiny.
Xie Jingyuan glanced at the yellow paper, “It looks pretty accurate…. I had almost forgotten what he looked like.”
The Crown Prince’s expression also suddenly became melancholic, “I had almost forgotten what Mother looked like too.”
The two of them met in this study, uncovering old wounds. They unearthed the past piece by piece, raising not only dust but also a chilling and faintly bloody rain.
There was a saying: the person who knows you best is always your enemy. The deeds committed by Emperor Yan, unveiled by Xie Jingyuan and the Crown Prince, resulted in a pile of yellow papers in front of Chu Xinian, numbering approximately more than twenty sheets.
Xie Jingyuan also hesitated for a moment, seemingly surprised by the extent of the Emperor’s misdeeds. Seeing the Crown Prince standing beside him in astonishment, he sneered, “Why are you so astonished? These are all your father’s deeds. Perhaps in the future, you will become like him.”
The Crown Prince looked like a cat with a trampled tail, almost stomping his feet in frustration, “Xie Jingyuan, you dare to curse me!”
Chu Xinian shook the paper in his hand, speaking coldly from the side, “Why so much agitation, Your Highness? If the heir to the throne were to die inside the General’s Mansion, how could the General and I explain ourselves?”
“You two are bastards, you don’t deserve a good end!”
Under Xie Jingyuan’s dark gaze, the Crown Prince finally held his words back and swallowed them. He snorted loudly through his nose, then turned around and headed towards the door. Soon after, he clapped his hands, signaling someone to bring a large object covered in red cloth.
The object seemed quite heavy, about the height of a person. Two large men struggled to carry it, and when it landed on the ground, it produced a thud.
Xie Jingyuan frowned and walked out of the study along with Chu Xinian, “What is the Crown Prince up to?”
Chu Xinian seemed to have guessed something and asked with interest, “Naturally, it’s something that everyone in the Capital wants to be on top of.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Crown Prince removed the red cloth covering the object, revealing the Merit Monument. It was densely engraved with names on both sides, including names of commoners and nobles. Conspicuously absent, however, was the name of Prince Jin.
The Crown Prince stroked the monument and said, “Tomorrow I will present the list of donations. The Emperor will surely be curious to know why Prince Jin’s name is missing”.
Chu Xinian asked curiously, “And how will His Highness respond?”
The Crown Prince had already planned his move, “How could he respond? The officials of the Ministry of Finance are rigid in their procedures. It was not I who ordered the silver to be stopped. Besides, I gave a three-day deadline, who could be to blame?”
The Crown Prince was also someone with a grudge. He touched the Merit Monument, which was packed with no room left and laughed like a great villain, “During the morning Court tomorrow, I will apologize to the Emperor and take the silver from Prince Jin. Unfortunately, this Merit Monument is already full; it is impossible to make a new one.”
By then, Prince Jin would not only endure the Emperor’s reprimand but also lose both his wealth and his reputation.
Chu Xinian, with keen eyes, glanced at the monument and found that his name also appeared on the list. He asked in surprise, “Why is my name there?”
The Crown Prince replied indifferently, “Jingyuan and you are like a family. Logically, there should only be one name, but I am giving you a chance to be remembered for generations. I have added your name as well. Those prestigious families have been pumping in money, filling the top ranks. However, being ranked thirty-eight is still pretty good.”
Chu Xinian said nothing, but pointed to the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh names, asking, “Since General Xie and I are considered one family, why is His Highness’s name squeezed between us?”
Thirty-sixth, thirty-seventh, and thirty-eighth were for Xie Jingyuan, Yan Chenghao, and Chu Xinian, respectively.
The Crown Prince’s name was inserted among theirs, like an intruder.
Xie Jingyuan’s eyelids twitched, finding it rather annoying. He frowned and said, “You’d better find someone to redo it.”
The Crown Prince objected, “That’s not possible. If we redo it, what if Prince Jin finds out?”
The Crown Prince’s silver donation was only slightly lower than Xie Jingyuan’s, fittingly occupying thirty-eighth place. He did not like the sound of this number, so he ‘slightly adjusted’ his own and Chu Xinian’s rank.
He dared not move Xie Jingyuan’s name back, for fear of retaliation.
Turning around, Xie Jingyuan was about to cross out the Crown Prince’s name with a knife. But the Crown Prince stopped him, saying, “Xie Jingyuan, we are as close as brothers. What are you worried about, that we have our names together? Are you afraid of tarnishing your reputation?”
Xie Jingyuan grimaced, “Your Highness guessed right.”
”Indeed, it is quite annoying, not only annoying but also particularly annoying.”
The Crown Prince stood in front of the monument, preventing Xie Jingyuan from erasing the names. Seeing Xie Jingyuan about to use the knife, he hastened to urge, “Chu Xinian, you’d better control him!”
Seeing the situation, Chu Xinian finally pulled Xie Jingyuan, took the knife out of his hand, and dropped it on the ground with a metallic clang. He then picked up a stone and handed it to Xie Jingyuan, saying in a soft tone, “General, use this to strike. It won’t cause any harm.”
He was even more poisonous than Xie Jingyuan and meaner than the Crown Prince.
Xie Jingyuan only intended to erase the names on the monument with the knife. However, with just a casual phrase, Chu Xinian redirected his attention and directly attacked the Crown Prince.
Thirty-seven?
Ha…
The Crown Prince found it unpleasant, and Chu Xinian also found it unpleasant.
The Crown Prince regretted showing them the Merit Monument, hurriedly had his servants take it away and left the General’s Mansion as if his butt was on fire.
Xie Jingyuan stayed behind, waved the stone in his hand, pointed it at the Crown Prince over the wall, and threw it. A moment later, a miserable cry rang out, instantly silencing the chirping of the cicadas.
The Crown Prince angrily cursed from behind the wall, “Xie Jingyuan! You bastard!”
Xie Jingyuan chuckled, turned around, and walked back into the room.
Chu Xinian couldn’t help but sigh, he already had one troublesome person and now there was another.
As the night grew darker, Chu Xinian did not rest. Instead, he flipped through the stack of yellow papers he had drawn earlier, pondering how to maximize their impact. The candles on the table burned halfway down and the dim light was slowly fading.
Lying on the bed with his head propped up, Xie Jingyuan watched Chu Xinian drawing and studying those papers, completely absorbed. Bored, he reached out his hand to play with the tassels hanging from the bed.
“Chu Xinian…” He called lazily.
Chu Xinian looked up at him when he had a leisurely moment, “What’s wrong?”
Xie Jingyuan waved a finger at him, “You’re drawing those creepy, indistinct figures. Why don’t you draw the General instead?”
Chu Xinian said nothing, and lowered his gaze, hiding a fleeting smile, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn you into a ghost?”
Xie Jingyuan ignored his words. He simply clicked his tongue, turned around, and looked away, covering himself with the sheet.
Chu Xinian stood watching him silently, self-absorbed. After a while, he smiled, picked up a piece of white rice paper from the table and, without using a brush, lightly dipped his fingertip in ink. He began to draw on the paper a handsome face, the corners of his eyes slightly arched, with a mixture of mockery and amusement. It was unmistakably Xie Jingyuan.
Chu Xinian hesitated for a moment and did not add the intricate scars that crossed Xie Jingyuan’s face. He gazed at the depiction for a while before gently wiping his fingertip, drying the ink and carefully folding the paper.
He took off his robe and laid it nonchalantly on the couch. Then he walked towards the inner chamber, climbed onto the bed with familiarity, and, from behind, drew Xie Jingyuan to himself. His voice carried a smile as he whispered as if sharing a secret, softly calling out, “Lan Ting…”
Xie Jingyuan subtly sharpened his ears, thinking that he was about to say something. However, Chu Xinian did not say anything at all. He simply hugged Xie Jingyuan and rubbed against him for a moment before falling asleep.
He silently slipped a piece of paper under Xie Jingyuan’s pillow in the darkness.
The next day, at the morning Court, the Crown Prince presented to the Emperor the list of grain and silver he had collected in the past few days, bowing and saying, “Reporting to the Father Emperor, the filial son has done his duty. The silver for the plague in the northern regions have been thoroughly counted. Please check them, Father Emperor”.
The Emperor had been bedridden recently, looking rather weak. Hearing the report, he gathered energy and glanced at the list. The sums were staggering.
“Hmm?” The Emperor found it hard to believe, “Are these the money and grain you have collected?”
The old eunuch standing nearby quietly approached and explained, “Your Majesty, you have been indisposed recently and may not be aware of the situation outside…”
He then detailed the Crown Prince’s creation of the Merit Monument.
Only then did Emperor Yan know. He carefully examined the list of donations and felt that something was missing. He discovered that all the princes were on the list except Prince Jin. His eyebrows furrowed instinctively and he asked, “Prince Jin, why isn’t your name here?”
Upon hearing this, Prince Jin’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately stepped forward and knelt, apologizing, “Father Emperor, forgive me. Yesterday I gathered seventy thousand taels of silver and sent messengers with the utmost haste to deliver it to the Ministry of Finance. However… however… ”
As a virtuous and well-known prince, it was not in his nature to directly accuse the Crown Prince of deliberately obstructing him. He stammered as he tried to explain himself.
On the other hand, Xiao Da took on the responsibility of eloquence. Seeing that Prince Jin could not express himself clearly, he stepped forward and indignantly informed the Emperor, “Reporting to Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with Prince Jin. When Prince Jin’s servants were about to deliver the silver, members of the Crown Prince’s faction deliberately obstructed them, claiming that the three-day deadline had expired, and refused to accept the silver.”
The Emperor’s emotions became difficult to distinguish between joy and anger. He looked at the Crown Prince, his tone void of emotion as he asked, “Chenghao, is it true?”
The Crown Prince quickly admitted his guilt in a straightforward tone, “Father Emperor, I deserve death. As I had set a three-day deadline, the officials of my faction did not dare to disobey, and their actions became strict. Because of this, we were unable to collect the silver from Prince Jing yesterday.”
Xiao Da grimaced, “I’m afraid it’s not a matter of strictness, but someone’s deliberate intention.”
No sooner had he spoken than a pile of documents suddenly rained down on him. Struck by the documents, Xiao Da’s vision was filled with stars. Before he could react, he heard the Emperor’s cold rebuke, “What is this, are you suggesting that the Crown Prince intentionally schemed!”
Hastily, Xiao Da knelt and begged for mercy, “Your Majesty, please calm down!”
The Emperor’s recent mood had been quite irritable, and they had entered his line of fire. His face darkened, and he threw another document at Xiao Da, furious, “Impressive, Secretary Xiao, you have donated five hundred taels!”
Another document was thrown at Prince Jin, accompanied by a cold laugh, “Prince Jin, you delayed the delivery of the silver until the last day of the three-day deadline! Are you trying to imply that the Crown Prince deliberately set you up? Are you?”
I wanted to see Xie Jingyuan’s reaction to the drawing 🤧