Guide to the Sickly Strategist’s Death Seek - Chapter 2

Ruan Jinyu’s original plan was simple: have Eunuch Zhao inform the Emperor that he was too unwell to attend the morning court session. Afterward, he would visit the Hall of Supreme Vitality in person, using his failing health as a pretext to resign from his position as Imperial Preceptor. Once he left the palace, its stifling affairs would no longer be his concern.

Consequently, he did not step foot outside his quarters for half a day. He remained ignorant of the current state of the palace and dared not move recklessly; he could only wait where he had awakened for Eunuch Zhao to return and brief him.

That wait lasted half a day. It was already the hour of Shen—the time of sunset—when Ruan Jinyu woke. By the time his vigil concluded, the sky had long since succumbed to darkness. Furthermore, it was not Eunuch Zhao who arrived, but someone whose presence made him feel as though he were seeing a ghost.

After a momentary daze, Ruan Jinyu remembered the man’s current status. He folded his hands and bowed deeply in a formal salute between minister and sovereign. “Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was unaccompanied. Not a single palace maid, guard, or eunuch followed him. He walked toward Ruan Jinyu with a steady gait. Having not yet received the command to rise, Ruan Jinyu remained bowed, his gaze fixed on the floor. All he could see was the hem of a robe that suddenly entered his field of vision. Upon the fabric, cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread shimmered in the light.

It was only when a hand, cold enough to chill the very bone, propped up Ruan Jinyu’s joined hands that his salutation was considered complete. However, though the subordinate rose and lifted his head, the superior did not withdraw his hand. He kept it held there, leaving Ruan Jinyu uncertain whether he should pull his own hands away.

After a brief second of hesitation, Ruan Jinyu took a step back and moved his hands aside. Regardless of their past, the distinction between ruler and subject had to be maintained; he could not afford to overstep his bounds.

It was then that the Emperor spoke in a languid tone. “My dear official.”

Ruan Jinyu looked up as the Emperor emphasized each word: “There is no need for such formality.”

The Emperor’s eyes were dark and brooding, and his face wore a half-smile that was not truly a smile. Ruan Jinyu could not read him at all. Adhering to the philosophy that “the less said, the fewer mistakes made,” he stood submissively in his lower position, waiting for the sovereign to state his purpose.

“I heard from Eunuch Zhao… does the Imperial Preceptor still feel unwell?”

This question provided the perfect opening. Ruan Jinyu hurried to respond, “Your Majesty, this servant’s body has always been frail. Over the past few days, my condition has worsened significantly…”

He did not finish his sentence. Just as he reached that point, the Emperor interrupted him with an impatient wave of his large hand. Immediately, a group of imperial physicians flooded into the hall upon his command, kneeling in a row before the two men.

Ruan Jinyu was startled by the display. Once he regained his composure, he stole a glance at the monarch’s expression, but he could discern nothing. Swallowing his original words, he changed his tack. “Your Majesty, then this servant shall return to the Suotong Courtyard first.”

Ruan Jinyu had known since he woke up that he was currently in the late Emperor’s palace. He was certain that the order to leave him here had come from the current Emperor, Yan Yan. Though he didn’t know if the Emperor’s intent was to intimidate him or something else, he simply could not stay here indefinitely.

Yan Yan seemed to take a long while to hear his words. He looked up again with that same sluggish gaze, his lips curling lazily. “Where are you going back to?”

However, the look in his eyes suggested otherwise—they were filled with a deep, searching scrutiny and the natural, solemn majesty of a ruler.

Confused, Ruan Jinyu could only repeat himself: “The Suotong Courtyard.”

He was the Imperial Preceptor to the late Emperor. During the late Emperor’s reign, he naturally had to fulfill his duties daily, which meant seeing the Emperor every day. His residence had been established at the Suotong Courtyard, located near the Hall of Supreme Vitality.

“Move to the side hall,” Yan Yan commanded effortlessly, completely disregarding Ruan Jinyu’s thoughts.

Since the Emperor had spoken, Ruan Jinyu found it difficult to argue. Facing that face now, he truly felt at a loss as to how to carry himself as the Imperial Preceptor. He was the teacher of the late Emperor; what was he now? Yet, Yan Yan refused to give him a straight answer.

As he left the hall, an attendant saw him and rushed forward, leaning in to whisper, “My Lord, how did His Majesty deal with you?”

Ruan Jinyu snapped out of his daze and shook his head. “He told me to move to the side hall.”

This attendant, Qian Qi, had entered the palace with Ruan Jinyu years ago. He was entirely one of his own, so Ruan Jinyu spoke to him without reservation. As for why the attendant would ask such a question—it wasn’t due to a lack of etiquette. When the late Emperor was alive, the most neglected and powerless of all the princes was the Fourth Prince. As the late Emperor’s Preceptor, Ruan Jinyu was naturally of one heart and mind with the sovereign; he had a hand in many of the late Emperor’s decisions.

Now that the late Emperor’s era had fallen and the Fourth Prince had been transformed into the Son of Heaven, the new ruler harbored a deep hatred for his predecessor. He hadn’t even buried the late Emperor’s remains in the imperial tombs, let alone granted him a posthumous title. He wouldn’t even perform the usual charade for the sake of the officials and the commoners.

Thus, Ruan Jinyu’s status was incredibly precarious. Given the events of the past, he had been involved in everything the Fourth Prince would have reason to hate.

“Does My Lord have any plans?” Qian Qi continued to ask.

Ruan Jinyu did not continue the conversation because Eunuch Zhao was currently rushing toward them. “My Lord, please follow this servant to the side hall. By His Majesty’s decree, I shall be staying by your side to serve you from now on.”

Ruan Jinyu dared not refuse. He forced a smile and said, “Lead the way, Eunuch.”

The side hall was part of this very Palace of Ultimate Bliss. No matter how often Ruan Jinyu had spent time with the late Emperor, he had never been to that particular side hall. Eunuch Zhao was efficient; the physicians Yan Yan had summoned also followed them there.

With the room full of people, Ruan Jinyu could not very well refuse to let them examine him, so he complied. At the very least, his claims weren’t entirely false; his body had been weak for a long time. Aside from his general frailty, he was currently suffering from a lingering cold.

“My Lord must truly avoid grief and mental strain. You must rest well to nourish your health,” the physician advised.

Once the physicians were dismissed, only Eunuch Zhao and Qian Qi remained. Before Ruan Jinyu could ask them to leave, Eunuch Zhao bowed. “Please rest well, My Lord. I shall go to give my report. If you need anything, feel free to command the servants in this hall.”

It was clear that Eunuch Zhao was a plant placed there by the Emperor.

Once everyone had left, Qian Qi finally dared to speak, breaking into a cold sweat for Ruan Jinyu. “This… My Lord, I believe you must find an opportunity to leave the palace.”

Ruan Jinyu thought the same; no one wanted to remain trapped in a pit of fire. However, the situation was too murky for him to act immediately.

The cold was no lie, and the ailment caused him a great deal of suffering. His health was already poor, and as the weather turned colder, he struggled to recover, relapsing several times. The imperial physicians visited the side hall daily. Other than that, Ruan Jinyu made no moves, lying in bed all day and never crossing the threshold.

Eunuch Zhao never mentioned the daily court sessions again, meaning he wasn’t required to attend—which saved him some trouble.

It was now the fourth day since the Imperial Preceptor had awakened. During this time, he had seen no one else.

Qian Qi brought the brewed medicine forward. “My Lord, as you instructed, I have been looking for opportunities to observe the situation at court.”

“From what I can see, the court officials haven’t stirred up any major trouble.”

At this, Ruan Jinyu felt something was wrong. Regarding the Fourth Prince’s ascension, the officials should have had some objections. It had only been a few days; this should be the most tumultuous period. Yet Qian Qi told him there were no waves at court.

Those officials were not to be trifled with, and their factions were clearly defined. When Ruan Jinyu was active at court, he didn’t recall many officials being protégés of the Fourth Prince, Yan Yan. There should have been none. On the contrary, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince had many followers and distinct factions. How could so many people sit still and remain peaceful now?

Before Ruan Jinyu could finish his thought, he pushed Qian Qi away and collapsed back onto the bed. He had heard a sound outside—the voices of Eunuch Zhao and Emperor Yan Yan. Qian Qi caught the hint immediately and retreated to the side with the empty bowl.

It was impossible for Qian Qi to block the Emperor. Ruan Jinyu didn’t expect Yan Yan to give up easily, so he decided to face it. As expected, Yan Yan ignored Qian Qi entirely, brushed him aside, and strode into the hall.

By the time Yan Yan reached the bedside, Ruan Jinyu weakly opened his eyes halfway. In the blink of an eye, the man was already right in front of him. Ruan Jinyu’s body suddenly froze. He had intended to stop pretending and simply rise to give his salutations—since he couldn’t hide anyway—but he failed to react in time.

The distance was too close. Ruan Jinyu saw the yellow robes and the imposing aura; he didn’t even look at the face further up. His eyes rolled back as if he were about to faint again. It was truly more than he could bear.

However, he felt a sudden sharp pain. Someone had grabbed his jaw and forced his face back. “What is this for?”

The tone was still languid, but the words carried a ferocity that made Ruan Jinyu feel the Emperor was blind to right and wrong.

The Preceptor had no choice but to dazedlly open his eyes again. He propped himself up and knelt on the bed in a grand gesture of submission. “Your Majesty!”

This time, his hands were folded over his forehead, with his brow pressed down toward the bed boards.

Yan Yan didn’t understand what this sudden outburst was about. He sat on the edge of the bed, ignoring the boundary between ruler and subject. He quietly watched the prostrate Preceptor for a moment, leisurely turning the jade ring on his thumb. “Such a grand gesture from the Preceptor makes us seem quite like strangers.”

Ruan Jinyu slowly raised his head. Ignoring the hypocritical pleasantries, he tried to move back as he realized Yan Yan was sitting right in front of him on his bed. His voice was raspy and heavy with hoarseness, but he strained his throat to speak with near-tearful desperation. “Your Majesty! This servant is terrified!”

“A mere cold has dragged my body down. This servant is truly useless, plagued by chronic illness. I beg you to allow me to resign from my post and return to my hometown.”

He said it clearly, his only thought being that Yan Yan would agree so he could flee immediately. Logically, as an official who had served for many years, whether in ancient times or the present, if a minister intended to give up glory and power to the monarch, the ruler should be more than happy to agree. If the minister was indispensable, the ruler might be reluctant to let them go, but someone as “useless” as Ruan Jinyu had no reason to be kept.

Ruan Jinyu spoke, but when he heard no response for a long time, he cautiously looked up to check Yan Yan’s expression.

He saw that the Emperor, who had been putting on an act for several days, finally could not maintain his mask. His eyes turned ferocious for an instant, and a cold sneer appeared on his lips.

“I am the Emperor, and you are the Imperial Preceptor,” Yan Yan said. “There is absolutely no reason for a teacher to abandon his student.”