After Pretending to be an Idiot, I Was Targeted by the Cold-Blooded Zhangyin - Chapter 37

The official in charge of overseeing the prison, Shi Zhi, was chatting with his subordinates when he saw a dilapidated carriage approaching from a distance.

At his Southern Prison, many people visited daily, but they were almost exclusively high-ranking officials and nobles; rarely did such a shabby carriage appear. He thought it was just someone looking to cause trouble. Just as he was about to send men to drive them away, he saw a man reeking of alcohol stumble out, limping unsteadily.

Shi Zhi immediately knew who it was—the current Second Prince, Xie Hemiao.

He instantly broke into a run, flatteringly offering his arm, wanting to help Xie Hemiao down. Xie Hemiao looked at his hand and gave a weary smile. “No need for flattery, Master Shi.”

With that, he brushed Shi Zhi’s hand aside and limped off the carriage. “That man you locked up two days ago—take me to see him.”

Shi Zhi acknowledged the order and hurried to lead Xie Hemiao into the prison, though he was secretly muttering in his heart.

He didn’t know who that man was or what crime he had committed to be personally imprisoned here by the Palm Print. Nor did he know what that man knew, as the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and various other visitors had been coming in a non-stop stream these past few days.

Forget it, forget it. Better not to know. Knowing too much leads to losing one’s head.

Shi Zhi pulled his thoughts back and walked with his head down. Because the stairs were so dark and quiet, his attention was inevitably drawn to the sound of Xie Hemiao’s footsteps behind him. Due to the injury on his leg, Xie Hemiao’s steps were uneven—one light, one heavy. Just listening to it made one feel the effort involved.

But no matter how difficult walking was, Xie Hemiao never used a cane or a wheelchair.

…Even though he had long since abandoned himself to decadence, soaking in brothels and taverns every day, he still possessed this small, stubborn refusal to admit defeat. Truly a contradiction.

As Shi Zhi was thinking, he heard Xie Hemiao’s drunken voice behind him: “Is Master Shi pondering about this Prince?”

Shi Zhi was startled by Xie Hemiao’s sharpness, but he immediately denied it. Fortunately, Xie Hemiao didn’t take offense and simply laughed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they arrived at the cells. Seeing someone arrive—someone draped in gold and silver, no less—the prisoners didn’t know his identity, but with Shi Zhi leading the way, even a blind man could see he was a noble. They stretched out their arms, wailing:

“Noble one, save me!” “This commoner is innocent!” “This lowly one is willing to serve as your ox or horse!”

Xie Hemiao squinted and chuckled, muttering to himself, “As an ox or horse? Do you think you’re more useful than actual livestock?”

Finally reaching the cell where the man was held, Xie Hemiao ordered his subordinate to present Shi Zhi with a heavy sandalwood box and dismissed everyone.

He called out: “Huyan Liao.”

The man squatting on the ground inside the cell turned around. He was the son of the Khan who had been killed by Gu Feiyi. He had come with his father to pay tribute to the Emperor of Great Zhou. One second they were singing and dancing at the banquet; the next, he was told that palace servants had found letters in his father’s room proving an intent to assassinate the Emperor and take his place.

His father was dead, and his mother and sisters had been sent back to their country. Only he, who knew of his father’s secret collusion with Gu Feiyi, felt something was wrong. Even if the letters were indeed in their national language and the handwriting was indeed his father’s. He had been in a rage, heading to demand an explanation from Gu Feiyi, but halfway there, he was seized as an accomplice and thrown into this cell. And he had been…

“The wound on your face is bleeding.” Xie Hemiao took out a packet of medicinal powder and passed it through the bars.

The disfigured man didn’t even look at the powder. He suddenly lunged at the bars, grinning ferociously at Xie Hemiao. “Oh, yesterday a beauty who couldn’t stop coughing came by, and today it’s a crippled beauty. What, do you all want to spend a spring night with your Grandpa?”

The bloody foam from Huyan Liao’s mouth nearly sprayed onto Xie Hemiao’s face. He took a step back, feeling an urge to laugh. He remembered how that Khan couldn’t take his eyes off the beauties at the banquet; it seemed father and son were identical in their lust.

Xie Hemiao said, “This Prince has questions for you.”

Huyan Liao extended his blood-stained tongue and licked the bars, his eyes fixed on Xie Hemiao. “Asking if your Grandpa is big?”

Xie Hemiao: “…”

Looking at Huyan Liao’s unreliable state, Xie Hemiao began to doubt if coming here had been the right choice. Adhering to the spirit of “well, I’m already here,” he spoke: “This Prince asks you, did your father ever mention the Border Army in your presence, or complain about Imperial Father?”

Fang Ling had told him that during previous battles, he had encountered several groups of light cavalry scouts disrupting the lines and apparently gathering intelligence. Fang Ling had designed a trap to capture a few, but they had all immediately committed suicide by poison without leaving a word. However, they all had large scars on their bodies, as if tattoos had been carved out.

Mentioning tattoos and light cavalry made it easy to think of the Khan’s riders. It made one doubt his purpose. He had thought the Khan was secretly communicating with Gu Feiyi, yet it was Gu Feiyi who personally threw the man in jail.

Could it be Xie Chengjing? It wasn’t impossible…

Huyan Liao lowered his eyes, pondering Xie Hemiao’s words, seemingly understanding something. He asked, “You want to cooperate?”

“This Prince only wants to know to whom you sold your intelligence.”

“I don’t know.” Huyan Liao shrugged. “However, if you want to know, let me out. Once I return, I can naturally find out for you.”

“What difference is that from letting a tiger return to the mountains?” Xie Hemiao suddenly reached out and grabbed the small braid hanging on Huyan Liao’s chest. He drew a small knife from his waist and cut the braid off.

He shook the braid at Huyan Liao, a drunken smile on his face. “Are your mother and sisters not the female eagles of the grasslands? They might not do a worse job than you. With this item in hand, why should this Prince worry about not getting information?”

Huyan Liao gripped the bars, grinding his teeth, yet he forced a smile. “Truly clever, Second Prince… You’d better not let your Grandpa catch you, or I’ll ruin your other leg too!”

Xie Hemiao gave a weary laugh. “You should worry about yourself instead.”

Holding Huyan Liao’s braid, he walked away with eyes full of contemplation.

Jingfang Palace, Consort Shu’s residence. It was also the Ninth Princess’s residence.

Gu Feiyi stood by the window, casually playing with a red plum in a vase as he finished listening to Feng Wang’s report.

“This servant understands,” Gu Feiyi smiled. “Let him be.”

Whether Xie Hemiao wanted to investigate him or rebel, he didn’t care. He was even looking forward to it—a game played by one person is boring no matter how much one stirs things up. Chaos is good. The more chaotic, the better. After all, he hated this country and didn’t care for the world.

His only current interest was Xie Changsheng.

Thinking of Xie Changsheng, he turned his gaze to the boy sitting on the floor, playing a game with the Ninth Princess. The two were dedicated to piecing together small scraps of paper. Xie Changsheng called it a “jigsaw puzzle,” but even though he initiated the game, he couldn’t get a single piece right.

Despite his failures, he still cheated: “This is called art. If you don’t understand the Abstract school, it’s hard for me to explain it to you.”

The Ninth Princess didn’t treat Xie Changsheng as a fool; she looked at him with admiration. “Third Brother, what is the Abstract school?”

Xie Changsheng took paper and brush to draw a portrait of her. The moment the drawing was finished, the Ninth Princess pouted and threw herself at Feng Wang with reddened eyes. “Godfather, Third Brother drew me so ugly!”

Xie Changsheng: “…”

Art! This is called art! A true soulmate is hard to find!

He dejectedly set the drawing aside, somehow imagining in his head the sensation this drawing would cause thousands of years later when future generations dug it out of the dirt. Amused by his own thoughts, he muttered to himself, “I won’t sculpt mud men anymore; I’ll only sculpt tetrahedrons.”

“Why?”

“That way people will say it’s evidence left by aliens—the Pyramids were built by aliens.”

“And what is an ‘alien’?”

Xie Changsheng was about to answer when he realized the person speaking to him was Gu Feiyi. He looked back to see Gu Feiyi holding a red plum, looking at him with a curl of his lips.

Two full days had passed since the last banquet. After the effects of the drug were released, Xie Changsheng’s body had returned to normal. However, he was truly too embarrassed to face Gu Feiyi again. Fortunately, Gu Feiyi had seemed busy all day yesterday and didn’t appear.

But he had come this morning.

Xie Changsheng had used the excuse of playing with the Ninth Princess to come to Jingfang Palace. His intention was to shake Gu Feiyi off, but he hadn’t expected Gu Feiyi to follow. Fortunately, the man hadn’t said much, only standing to the side playing with the plants.

Xie Changsheng hadn’t expected Gu Feiyi to suddenly strike up a conversation. Being watched by those mocking eyes, Xie Changsheng felt entirely uneasy. He lowered his head. “…Don’t understand Sumida.”

“Little Highness,” Gu Feiyi asked, “you came to the Ninth Princess’s place today; where do you plan to go tomorrow?”

“The Crown Prince’s estate?” “Or the singing halls where the Second Prince often lingers?” Gu Feiyi let out a light laugh. “The Little Highness doesn’t even dare look at this servant; do you really dare look at singing girls in flimsy clothing?”

Xie Changsheng kept his head down, moving the puzzle pieces around. “Sorry, bro, wo bu hui zhong wen (I don’t speak Chinese).”

Gu Feiyi, realizing what Xie Changsheng had said: “…”

He turned to look at the Ninth Princess and Feng Wang. The princess immediately shrank behind Feng Wang, looking at him timidly.

Gu Feiyi said, “Feng Wang, take the Ninth Princess outside to play for a while.”

Feng Wang acknowledged the order and immediately led the princess out. Xie Changsheng tried to stealthily follow them, wanting to leave as well. Gu Feiyi plucked a flower from the red plum branch and lightly tossed it at Xie Changsheng’s face. “The Little Highness stays.”

Xie Changsheng looked at the red plum lying on the ground. “Whether it’s spring, summer, or autumn, don’t litter in your heart.”

Gu Feiyi: “…” He didn’t rise to the bait, simply watching him with narrowed eyes. Until Xie Changsheng lowered his head again, Gu Feiyi asked him, “Does the Little Highness know what he did wrong?”

Xie Changsheng mumbled a string of gibberish. Gu Feiyi couldn’t hear clearly. “What? Louder.”

So Xie Changsheng said, “I don’t know. I never punish myself with mistakes; I only find problems in other people.”

Gu Feiyi: “…”

Gu Feiyi stopped bantering with him and simply said, “Look up.”

Xie Changsheng looked up, but Gu Feiyi wasn’t looking at him; he was focused on playing with the red plum branch. He picked the largest blooming plum at the top, rolling the soft petals between his fingers.

He said slowly, “This servant knows the Little Highness hasn’t liked anyone being close since he hit his head, let alone serving him.” “But the Little Highness should not forget who the Master is.” “Since when does a little pet get to keep avoiding its Master? In this world, a pet that doesn’t know how to please its owner has only one ending.”

Gu Feiyi finally looked down, looking at the boy sitting on the floor with his dazed expression. He added, “Oh, perhaps the Little Highness doesn’t understand when I say it like that.” “This servant doesn’t care if the Little Highness is shy; you simply cannot avoid me from now on. Otherwise…”

Gu Feiyi looked at Xie Changsheng’s ear, then poked his index finger into the center of a flower, fiddling with the stamen. But his force was heavy, and the red plum was soon crushed into a pulp in his palm. “Otherwise, this servant will not only give the Little Highness a spanking but will also send Suisui away.”

Xie Changsheng said immediately, “No!”

Gu Feiyi reached out his hand. “Then come here.”

Xie Changsheng pouted but eventually stood up and walked toward him. Gu Feiyi plucked another red plum and tucked it behind Xie Changsheng’s ear. Xie Changsheng touched the flower and sorrowfully advised him, “…Stop picking them. There were only seven flowers, you’ve picked three, it’s going bald.”

Truly a spendthrift.

Gu Feiyi grabbed Xie Changsheng’s arm, hauling him closer, then wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist to pull him into his embrace. The moment he pressed against Xie Changsheng’s warm body, Gu Feiyi let out a long sigh of relief.

For the first time in two days, he laughed with genuine emotion.