Duan Mingchong quickly lowered the curtains so that the bodyguards outside wouldn’t see the shameful scene of Sui Yan lying in a woman’s arms.
Sui Yan blushed, struggling to get off of Yuejian. He didn’t know what was wrong with Yuejian, but Yuejian clung to his hand.
Sui Yan whispered, “When are you going to let go of me?”
Yuejian didn’t seem to notice the people nearby, and he murmured, “You just said……”
Duan Mingchong coldly walked towards them and grabbed Sui Yan away from Yuejian. He said in a low voice, “Don’t you have any shame?”
The Crown Prince usually had a gentle and benevolent appearance. Now that his face had darkened from anger, Sui Yan was shocked.
Jiang Enhe finally reacted, and he hurriedly bowed, “This subject greets Your Highness.”
Just as Sui Yan was about to bow as well, Duan Mingchong grabbed his wrist and left without saying a word, leaving a shocked Jiang Enhe and an absent-minded Yuejian behind.
The Crown Prince brought such a grand retinue of attendants to Wanhua Tower. The officials who had come to patron the brothel were all terrified. In moments, the previously crowded lobby was empty.
Sui Yan felt inexplicably guilty as he was dragged away by Duan Mingchong.
Once they were downstairs, Sui Yan saw his sweets on the table and quickly said, “Your Highness, Your Highness!”
Duan Mingchong replied without looking back at him, “I don’t want to talk with you about it here, so you don’t need to say anything. Once we get back to the palace, I will tell Father Emperor about this and let him discipline you.”
Sui Yan, “……”
Sui Yan felt that he wouldn’t get to celebrate Little New Year today. After Duan Mingchong reports this to the emperor, he might have to celebrate Qingming Festival instead.
“Your Highness, Your Highness!” Sui Yan repeatedly said, “I came here to eat sweet buns. Sweet buns! Look! The ones on that table are all mine!”
Duan Mingchong paused, saying, “Keep on fabricating lies.”
Sui Yan, “……”
Sui Yan weakly said, “I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, you can……”
Just as he was about to tell Duan Mingchong to ask the waiters at Wanhua Tower, Jiang Enhe poked his head out from the beaded curtain on the second floor and yelled, “Sui Yan, you’re talking nonsense again! Didn’t you just tell me you came for Yuejian?”
Sui Yan, “……” I want to kill you!
Sui Yan’s face paled, and he tried to explain, “Your Highness is brilliant and definitely won’t listen to such villainous slander. Everybody knows that person surnamed Jiang and I hate one another. He doesn’t have many abilities, but he’s talented at slandering people. He ruined my reputation like this today. I will surely……”
Duan Mingchong interrupted him, “You came to eat sweet buns. If you can end up on somebody’s lap while eating, that’s a skill too.”
Sui Yan, “……”
When he was presented with such irrefutable evidence, Sui Yan was speechless.
Duan Mingchong ordered, “Return.”
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.
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Li Zhao was waiting by the door worriedly. When he saw Sui Yan escorted back by the bodyguards, he hurriedly bowed, “Your Highness, Young Master.”
Sui Yan walked behind Duan Mingchong and mouthed towards Li Zhao, Why didn’t you stop him?
Li Zhao pretended he didn’t see anything and respectfully welcomed the Crown Prince into the manor.
Imperial Physician Meng was still waiting in the manor, and when he saw Sui Yan walking in like a quail, he wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to. He rushed forward and bowed, “Greetings to Young Master. This lowly official has been waiting here for a while.”
Sui Yan smiled, thinking, Next time, don’t even think about coming inside.
There was a basin of charcoal burning in the room, and Haitang helped Sui Yan take off his large cloak. Sui Yan instructed, “Help me heat up a few of those rabbit-shaped buns. Later……”
Duan Mingchong said, “Get your pulse taken first.”
Sui Yan was angry, but he didn’t dare to say anything, so he could only sit in front of Imperial Physician Meng with his head lowered and hold out his slender wrist.
As he sat there, Sui Yan finally came back to his senses and realized that something was wrong. The Crown Prince didn’t seem like someone who would act familiarly with others. Why did he care so much about what Sui Yan was doing? He was also a year younger than himself, so why was he afraid of the Crown Prince?
In his previous life, after Duan Zhisu had been convicted, Sui Yan was bestowed with the title of Prince, but he was still placed under house arrest for three years. After he finally got out of the palace, he colluded with Yuejian to make trouble in the capital. Back then, he held a lot of power in court, so nobody dared to control him. Even the emperor dealt with him perfunctorily, with an attitude that could be described as “a dead mouse feels no cold.”
Counting his previous life, he was already over twenty years old, but he was actually afraid of such a little boy. Sui Yan felt that after living so relaxedly for a while, he had regressed so much.
Isn’t it just a crown prince? Sui Yan thought, I’m not even afraid of the emperor. Why would I be scared of some crown prince?
As he thought of that, he looked up, smiling at Duan Mingchong as he began to lecture, “Your Highness is so busy……”
Duan Mingchong said, “Silence.”
Sui Yan, “……”
Sui Yan’s mentality collapsed. My god, I’m terrified.
Sui Yan didn’t know how such a little kid could exert such an aura when angered. Thinking carefully, he recalled that when he was fourteen in his previous life, he was still fighting with Jiang Enhe. He had been unruly and rebellious, and he would roast whoever he felt was unpleasant to the eye.
When he compared his past self to Duan Mingchong, Sui Yan felt very ashamed. If he wasn’t so thick-skinned, he would have blushed from the embarrassment.
A moment later, Imperial Physician Meng withdrew his hand, asking, “Is Little Young Master still taking medicine?”
Sui Yan replied, “I am.”
Duan Mingchong glanced at him, and Sui Yan quickly corrected, “I’ve been taking medicinal cuisine every meal. What, is it ineffective?”
Imperial Physician Meng replied, “Although medicinal cuisine is useful, it is not as effective as decocted medicine. Little Young Master’s body has always been weak. Now that you are ill, it would be better to not go out into the cold if it isn’t necessary.”
Sui Yan nodded, “Alright.”
Imperial Physician Meng wrote a new prescription and gave it to Li Zhao. After nagging for a while, he got up, bowed, and left.
Duan Mingchong, who had not spoken all this time, suddenly said, “Imperial Physician Meng, what happened today……”
Anyone who could stay in the palace for so many years was very shrewd. Duan Mingchong only had to start talking when Imperial Physician Meng smiled and said, “This lowly official only came to take Little Young Master’s pulse. I don’t know about anything else.”
Duan Mingchong nodded, and Li Zhao escorted Imperial Physician Meng out.
When the door opened, a cold breeze blew in, and Sui Yan shivered. He moved towards the charcoal basin to stay warm.
Duan Mingchong saw that he had huddled up by the basin and laughed with anger, “You can feel cold too?”
Sui Yan raised his head and blinked, “Naturally.”
Duan Mingchong replied, “Since you know it’s cold, why did you jump into that pile of snow a few days ago?”
Sui Yan, “……Uh.”
It seemed like he hadn’t been hallucinating when he had heard Duan Mingchong’s voice before fainting.
Sui Yan argued, “I…… I didn’t mean to.”
Duan Mingchong laughed, but his eyes were cold. He clearly didn’t believe a single word of Sui Yan’s nonsense.
Sui Yan didn’t understand why Duan Mingchong was mad at him, so he tentatively said, “Your Highness, why did you come today?”
Duan Mingchong sighed, saying, “Father Emperor let me come check on your condition.”
Sui Yan smiled and said, “I have troubled His Majesty.”
Duan Mingchong looked at how heartlessly Sui Yan was acting, and he suddenly sighed, saying, “Little Young Master, after the new year, you will have to attend the Imperial Court. How will you gain a foothold in the court if you are this indolent?”
The smile on Sui Yan’s face disappeared.
Duan Mingchong said, “The Sui Family have been generals for three generations, and their military merits have been slowly accumulated. The Old Master spent his life in service to win his title. You better not……”
Not what?
Not ruin the reputation of the Sui Manor?
Not frivolously enjoy life and ruin himself?
Duan Mingchong hadn’t finished speaking, but Sui Yan knew what he meant to say. He chuckled and thought, If I don’t act like this, should I scheme as I did in my previous life and calculate before everything I do? No matter who I am loyal to, I will still suffer from a miserable end. In that case, why should I do so much just to make myself unhappy?
When he thought about it, the little bit of excitement that Sui Yan had mustered earlier instantly vanished.
Sui Yan lowered his gaze, looking at the red charcoal in the charcoal basin, “I know.”
Seeing his appearance, Duan Mingchong thought for a while and still persuaded, “You grew up in the palace with Third Imperial Brother. Your tutors praised you for being clever, and Father Emperor also wanted you to listen in court many times. If you work a little harder, you will be able to get a stable foothold in court.”
Sui Yan pursed his lips and suddenly said, “Is Your Highness worried that I won’t be able to live until I inherit the title of Baron?”
Duan Mingchong’s expression changed.
Sui Yan continued, “I know that Your Highness means well, but I have already decided how the Sui Manor should gain a foothold in court. I’ve troubled you to tell me so much.”
Everyone praised the crown prince for being temperate and gentle, treating people courteously, and his ability to deal with things. Sui Yan hadn’t previously taken these praises to heart, but now he suddenly realized they weren’t groundless.
Sui Yan smiled softly. Duan Mingchong can give such earnest and well-meaning advice to persuade someone he had met just a few times. It seemed like this crown prince was really nosy, but he was also a gentleman.
If others had tried to persuade him like this, he would surely have spouted a bunch of nonsense and not taken things seriously. But the person telling him had to be Duan Mingchong.
Sly and calculating people are often most afraid of people with pure minds like him.
Duan Mingchong saw his sickly expression and also seemed to see his impatience, so he turned and left without saying anything. Sui Yan didn’t even send him off.
Sui Yan sat on the ground, staring at the scalding charcoal basin in front of him. He didn’t know what he was thinking of, but he began to inch towards the charcoal fire.
Just as he was about to dazedly touch the charcoal basin, Haitang suddenly ran over.
“Young Master!”
Sui Yan shuddered and returned to his senses.
Haitang said, “Young Master, the Third Prince is here.”
Sui Yan looked at him blankly and finally reacted, “Oh, okay, welcome.”
Soon, Duan Zhisu pushed open the door and entered. He saw Sui Yan sit on the ground absent-mindedly and pulled him up, saying, “Isn’t it cold on the ground?”
Sui Yan was dragged up. He forced a smile, bowing, “This subject greets Your Highness.”
Duan Zhisu waved his hand, saying, “I’ve been busy these past few days and didn’t even know that you got sick again. What did the imperial physician say when he came?”
Duan Zhisu stretched out his hand and put it on Sui Yan’s forehead, “Your temperature is still pretty high. Go lie down.”
Sui Yan smiled, “I was leaning too close to the charcoal basin just now. I don’t have a fever. How come you’re here?”
Sui Yan heard the sound of attendants moving things around outside the door. Duan Zhisu said, “This year’s imperial offerings from Rong City arrived. I told people to bring a few boxes of the oranges over so you could try them.”
Raw word count: 3555
English word count: 2168
Woo! Crown prince is scary when he’s angry! Discipline this Sui Yan, he didn’t reincarnate to die again
Duan Zhisu is the one who gave him the poisoned wine in his last life- right?
Thanks for the chapter <3
yeah
thanks for the chapter ♡
thanks for the chapter~
Thank you for the chapter 🤍
THANK U FOR THE CHAPTER!!!
If it was me I’d say, “I don’t want your stupid oranges.” then proceed to slap them out of his hands. I wonder why I have such a grudge, it’s not like he poisoned our Sui Yan or anything. 😒
well he deserved it….
Thx for the ch ٩(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )و
Clearly Duan MingChong is worth saving. Sui Yan use your plotting abilities for goood!!! Oh, Zishu is here? Ugh😤
The crown prince is amazing. Taming our wild kitten. But why does he care so much about Sui Yan (besides the fact that they will become a couple in the future🤭) I mean they didn’t really interact before he got sick and now he suddenly cares so much? Ah, maybe he had already a crush on him. ☺