After I Faked My Death, the Dog Emperor Completely Lost His Mind - Chapter 17

Seeing Shen Yun  wear that “men who love men are terrifying” expression, Shen Yuheng truly wanted to weep.

Was it my choice to be ‘favored’ in bed?! I’m innocent!!

Shen Yuheng cleared his throat twice and led Shen Yun  into the hall. “Brother, come inside so we can talk.”

Shen Yun  paused, a look of disbelief flashing through his eyes. …Shen Yuheng actually called him “Brother”? He couldn’t remember the last time Shen Yuheng had addressed him that way. Why the sudden intimacy?

Yun’s face darkened instantly. There can only be one reason: he’s caused trouble again.

The lines on Yun ’s brow deepened. Even seeing the eunuch Zhou Yuan supporting Shen Yuheng into the room made him feel the distance between them was too close, far too ambiguous.

Shen Yuheng: “…” Why do I feel a sudden chill on my back?

They were approaching the inner hall, but Shen Yuheng didn’t go in. Instead, he called the servants to clear the stone table in the courtyard. There was a small bamboo grove in the yard of Qingzhuo Hall; though small, the breeze through the leaves under the golden sunlight was quite elegant.

Shen Yun  looked at the tightly closed doors of the inner hall, then at Shen Yuheng’s slightly stiff profile. “Why not go inside?”

When Shen Yuheng remained silent, Yun’s face grew even darker. “You didn’t hide a man in there, did you?”

“No, no!” Shen Yuheng denied immediately. “It’s just that the Ninth Prince is resting in the inner hall. He’s just beginning to recover from serious injuries; it’s better not to disturb him…”

Yun stared at him, saying nothing. It was hard to tell if he believed a word of it. Shen Yuheng was truly starting to fear this general of an elder brother.

The System encouraged him: [Host, be brave! Big brother has many troops under his command. If you raise his favorability, he can definitely protect you!]

Shen Yuheng agreed. He had never had siblings before, and having a reliable elder brother made him want to build a good relationship.

However… when Shen Yun璟 learned that Shen Yuheng was living in the same room as Xiao Jin and even made the boy stand guard for him every night, he nearly smashed the cup in his hand. No wonder! No wonder the family maids had rushed out of the palace to send for him.

When Yun  had rescued Xiao Jin at the border, the boy had been skeletal and hovered in a feverish coma for days. He was certain Shen Yuheng had forced himself on Xiao Jin.

This stupid younger brother!

Yun hoisted the bewildered Shen Yuheng up like a tiny chick. Gritting his teeth, he barked, “Did you get caught? Are you asking me to clean up your mess?”

“Caught with what?” Shen Yuheng was lost.

“Still playing dumb?” Yun sneered, pinching his chin and giving it a shake. “If you weren’t in trouble, why were you so desperate for me to come to the palace?”

“I wasn’t—”

“Don’t talk back!”

“…” I’m so wronged—

Yundou and Jiaobai hurried over with refreshments, panicking when they saw the scene. Yundou said guiltily, “Because it involves the inner palace, we were worried about the letters being intercepted, so we didn’t state the exact reason…”

Yun璟 swept his gaze over them. “What is the reason then?”

The maids glanced at Shen Yuheng, hesitating. Yun shoved Shen Yuheng aside to go “play with leaves” and sat back down. “Speak.”

Only then did the maids open up. “Lately… Consort Shen has often been injured or mistreated while trying to take care of the Ninth Prince. We thought we should ask the First Young Master to help.”

Shen Yuheng… injured? Mistreated? Yun couldn’t believe his ears. He had assumed his brother had committed some unspeakable crime he couldn’t fix on his own. He had even intercepted the letters to keep their father from worrying, intending to handle the “discipline” himself. But “Shen Yuheng suffering a grievance”? Who could possibly mistreat a person as arrogant as his brother?

While Shen Yuheng was off “playing with leaves,” the System was in a frenzy. [It’s over! Host, what did you do?! The maids actually went behind your back to call for backup!]

“I don’t know!” Shen Yuheng shredded a leaf innocently. “I give them plenty of pocket money; they shouldn’t have a reason to betray me…”

“Yu.” Yun’s voice came from behind. It took Shen Yuheng a moment to realize “Yu” was a nickname for him. He turned around cautiously. Yun tapped the stone table. “Come here.”

Shen Yuheng scurried back. Yun poured him a cup of tea and slammed it down in front of him. “How does the Ninth Prince treat you?”

“Quite well.”

Yun’s jaw twitched, the veins on his forehead bulging. “Well enough to shove you to the ground? Well enough to leave you with a crippled leg even now?”

Every member of the Shen family was a formidable warrior. How did his Shen Yuheng end up being bullied by a mere child? And that Xiao boy… when Yun brought him back to the capital, he pitied the boy’s wanderings. Now, he felt the kid needed a lesson. Yun stood up, ready to march into the hall and confront Xiao Jin.

Shen Yuheng had to use every ounce of effort to pacify him. He wasn’t worried about Xiao Jin; he was worried about the days of hard work he’d spent nursing the boy back to health. Don’t let Big Brother beat him back into a pulp!

Luckily, Yun’s visiting time was limited. After questioning him about his life, messengers from the Emperor’s presence came to escort him out. As he was leaving, his fierce expression softened into a heavy silence. He looked at Shen Yuheng, muttered “I’m leaving,” and turned to go.

Shen Yuheng followed him surreptitiously, waving off the other servants. Yun noticed his behavior. “What is it?”

Yun’s fists itched at the mention of Meng Qian. Meng Qian was a posturing rogue, and Yun璟 had always loathed his hypocrisy. When the rumors of their private affair started, he was furious his brother had been seduced by such a person. He had hoped the palace would end it, but here was Shen Yuheng bringing up the man’s name again.

Yun’s face was dark. “Don’t tell me you’ve…”

Shen Yuheng tugged at his sleeve, looking troubled and aggrieved. “Lord Meng has been writing to me constantly. I don’t know how to respond; it’s so awkward. Brother, while you’re in the capital, could you find the time to talk to him? I’m already the Emperor’s consort; I shouldn’t be receiving these letters.”

Yun froze. Lord Meng… Meng Qian? His brother’s old flame? He knew how much Shen Yuheng used to love that man. To see his brother not only improve his temperament but also his taste in men… the weight on Yun’s heart lightened considerably.

“I’ll handle Meng Qian,” Yun璟 said, patting his head with a reliable air. “If he dares touch you again, I’ll beat him to death.”

Shen Yuheng smiled, his plan a success. Having a brother is so reliable!

The System was overjoyed: [Smart, Host! Meng Qian is the Second Prince’s man. If Big Brother goes to punch him, it effectively severs the link between the Shens and the Second Prince’s faction!]

After seeing Yun璟 off, Shen Yuheng returned to the bedroom, intending to dispose of the remaining letters from Meng Qian. However, as he reached for them, Xiao Jin’s eyes remained fixed on him.

“Who were you talking to?” the boy asked.

“My brother,” Shen Yuheng replied, opening a letter. “He came to visit.”

Before he could even scan the text, the letter was snatched from his hand. Xiao Jin stood behind him, gripping the paper, his eyes cold. “Since you are my ‘Mother Consort,’ why are you here reading letters from an outsider?”

Shen Yuheng was stunned. Xiao Jin was finally acknowledging his status? My nursing really did pay off!

Hiding his joy, he told Xiao Jin, “It’s addressed to me, why can’t I read it? Besides, I’ll burn it after. No one will know.”

“Why read it at all?” Xiao Jin’s gaze grew colder. “Are you not Imperial Father’s person? Why are you interested in other men?”

Shen Yuheng defended himself: “I’m worried the letters might contain useful information—court news, info on the Second Prince, things like that…”

His stumbling explanation was met with a sneer. Xiao Jin threw the letter back. “Useful? Then read them aloud go on.”

Fine, you want to hear it? Shen Yuheng opened the paper, only to fall into immediate silence. “…”

“I’ll try another one.”

He opened a second, then a third. The content was nearly identical. Meng Qian, can’t you write anything else?! These “urgent” letters were nothing but a collection of lewd, flowery phrases “tumbling waves,” “silver spears,” “flower buds.” It was clearly copied-and-pasted from some erotic novella.

Shen Yuheng searched desperately for hidden meaning, but realized the horrifying truth… these letters were pure “Po-Pi-Chang” smut. There wasn’t a single shred of intelligence in any of them.