Guide to the Sickly Strategist’s Death Seek - Chapter 4

Ruan Jinyu had simply voiced his thoughts; whether the Emperor chose to listen or implement them was no longer his concern. However, at that moment, a realization dawned on him.

The fact that Yan Yan was seeking his counsel proved that his seat on the throne was not yet secure—at least, it hadn’t stabilized. Before his enthronement, the court was already deeply divided into clear factions. What this “sudden” Emperor lacked most was a circle of trusted confidants. Yan Yan needed people he could use—people who were unaffiliated with the existing factions—to balance the scales and consolidate his power.

On this basis, Ruan Jinyu, the Imperial Preceptor, was undoubtedly an ideal choice. This explained why the Emperor had refused his resignation.

Having clarified this for himself, Ruan Jinyu was no longer in a hurry to carry out his plan to leave the capital. For one, the Emperor would not easily allow it; for another, he believed he could still navigate the current board.

“Your Majesty, those are my humble views.”

After Ruan Jinyu finished speaking, he stole a glance at the Emperor’s expression. Yan Yan appeared to be taking the words to heart, giving a microscopic nod. He seemed satisfied.

Before Ruan Jinyu could wait for a verdict on whether his proposal was feasible, the Emperor’s head eunuch entered to report, “Your Majesty, Prince Xian requests an audience outside the hall.”

Ruan Jinyu’s first instinct was to consider whether he should excuse himself; after all, a monarch might not want a subordinate privy to everything. His second thought was one of confusion: Prince Xian? When had the Kingdom of Nanyu gained a Prince Xian? How did he not know of this?

Just as Ruan Jinyu was about to rise from his seat, the Emperor issued a flat, indifferent command: “Enter.”

The implication was clear: the Imperial Preceptor did not need to withdraw and could remain where he was.

Upon receiving the order, the eunuch immediately turned to usher Prince Xian into the hall. When Ruan Jinyu finally saw the prince’s face, he couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly in amazement. It turned out the Emperor had already finished the business of conferring titles on the princes.

Then why did he go through the motions of asking me just now? He felt a bit as though he were being played.

Prince Xian was none other than the former Crown Prince, whom Ruan Jinyu naturally recognized. Seeing that Prince Xian could still appear at court, it was evident the Emperor had granted him the rank of Prince of the Blood (Qinwang) rather than a Vassal King (Fanwang). This aligned perfectly with what Ruan Jinyu had just suggested: keep the princess in the palace as high-ranking nobles to monitor their movements and prevent them from doing anything earth-shaking.

Prince Xian paid his respects to the Emperor and then noticed the Imperial Preceptor sitting nearby. Ruan Jinyu thought quickly, decided to ignore any underlying tension, and greeted Prince Xian with feigned ignorance, showing no intention of leaving.

Prince Xian turned his gaze back to Yan Yan. Seeing that the Emperor had no intention of dismissing the Preceptor, he was forced to treat the man as invisible. He got straight to the point: “Your Majesty, I have come regarding the matter of Commander He.”

Prince Xian had barely uttered a sentence before the Emperor ruthlessly cut him off. “I have my own plans for that matter. There is no need for further discussion.”

The Emperor didn’t even give him a chance to finish. Rebuffed and frustrated, Prince Xian dared not show his anger openly and could only take his leave.

Since the Emperor had already conferred the titles, Ruan Jinyu didn’t mention the subject again, hoping to let it pass. However, the Emperor did not let it go. He looked at the Preceptor again, speaking languidly with a stern face. “Teacher knows that I have never been involved in court affairs before. Now, eyes from every corner are watching me like tigers stalking prey.”

“Teacher, do not mention the matter of resignation again.”

These words sounded remarkably like a young student helplessly seeking aid from a trusted mentor—there was even a hint of innocence in the phrasing. Yet, that face and that tone were entirely at odds with anything resembling “innocence.”

What could Ruan Jinyu say? Even if he had just been played, he could only offer a polite smile. “This servant understands, naturally.”

This seemed to satisfy the Emperor, who finally deigned to offer a smile—though to the Preceptor, it looked somewhat… indescribable.

Yan Yan never gave him leave to go, and Ruan Jinyu couldn’t find an opening to escape the Hall of Supreme Vitality. By the time he was finally free, it was already the hour for the evening meal. As the eunuchs began organizing the service, he finally found the chance to excuse himself. “Then, Your Majesty, this servant shall take his leave.”

“Where are you going?” Yan Yan looked up quickly. “Sit down.”

Since the command was given, he had no choice in the matter. Thus, Ruan Jinyu was forced to dine at the same table as Yan Yan. It wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence—he had often dined with the late Emperor—but having Yan Yan across from him made it strangely difficult to adjust.

When the meal was over, it was finally time to go. This time, when he made his request, Yan Yan permitted it. However, as Ruan Jinyu stepped out of the Hall of Supreme Vitality, he noticed the Emperor walking right alongside him with a steady gait.

As a subject, he couldn’t very well question the Sovereign, so the two of them walked together in silence for the entire journey. It wasn’t until Yan Yan stopped with him in front of the Palace of Ultimate Bliss that Ruan Jinyu suddenly realized: Wait, is Yan Yan living in the Palace of Ultimate Bliss?

This palace had been the late Emperor’s residence. Usually, when a successor took the throne, they would have their own palaces from their time as princes and wouldn’t necessarily move here. Then, Ruan Jinyu understood. Other princes might have had palaces, but where had the most neglected Fourth Prince lived back then? Certainly not in a palace of his own.

It was logical for Yan Yan to move into the Palace of Ultimate Bliss; he couldn’t stay in whatever dilapidated place he had occupied before. However, Ruan Jinyu glanced at the man beside him, his eyes clouded with unreadable emotions. I am living in the side hall of the Palace of Ultimate Bliss.

He quickly pushed the thought aside. He was the Imperial Preceptor. Since the Emperor had few people, he could trust and wanted to rely on him, it was somewhat justifiable. He managed to convince himself.

After a long day, he finally returned to his quarters. He was on the verge of collapse, though he couldn’t tell if it was from exhaustion. Qian Qi had been waiting for him for a long time and rushed forward as soon as he appeared. “My Lord, why have you only just returned?”

At the sound of Qian Qi’s voice, Ruan Jinyu—who had slumped into a chair—suddenly opened his eyes. “Qian Qi, go now and find out exactly how the other princes have been dealt with.”

Qian Qi didn’t question the order and went to carry it out. This wasn’t a secret in the palace; in fact, it was common knowledge, though only the fates of the former Crown Prince and the Second Prince were widely known. The details regarding the other princes hadn’t spread as far.

Qian Qi returned quickly to report. “My Lord, the Crown Prince has been titled Prince Xian, and the Second Prince is now Prince Wu’an,” Qian Qi said. “The fifth prince is too young; he was also given a title but no fief.”

He paused before mentioning the last one. “The Seventh Prince,” Qian Qi continued, “was titled Prince Shi. Although he was made a prince, he is still living in the Qingshuang Palace with his birth mother.”

Qingshuang Palace was, for all intents and purposes, the Cold Palace. The Seventh Prince’s mother was of low birth and had been relegated there long ago. However, when the late Emperor was alive, the Seventh Prince hadn’t been raised by her—they barely even saw each other. On the contrary, the late Emperor had doted on his youngest son.

Whether staying in the Cold Palace was Prince Shi’s own choice or the Emperor’s command remained unclear.

That night, Ruan Jinyu went to bed early. Perhaps his body hadn’t fully recovered from his illness; despite doing nothing but standing around outside, he felt utterly exhausted.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still a hazy, pale grey, he was jolted awake. He woke up drenched in a cold sweat. He couldn’t tell if he had been dreaming, but his entire body felt as heavy as lead, as if someone had beaten him in his sleep. The pain followed him from his dreams into reality.

He furrowed his brows, and not wanting to cause a fuss, he lay back down. After a period of grogginess, he drifted off again.

When he “woke” again, Ruan Jinyu thought he was conscious because he remembered opening his eyes, but somehow everything went dark again. Finally, he felt someone shaking him. It was Eunuch Zhao.

The sun was up now, which meant it was time for the morning court. Ruan Jinyu’s mind was a chaotic mess, but one thing was clear: he was sick again. He tried to rise but couldn’t, though he could still hear.

Eunuch Zhao said, “Rest well, My Lord. The physician has already been here. I shall go and request a leave of absence for you from today’s court.”

“I… thank you, Eunuch,” Ruan Jinyu managed.

He was coughing again, but more importantly, he was in pain—everywhere. It truly felt as though he had been thrashed. After taking his medicine, he wanted to sleep, but since he had already slept so long, he tried to stay awake. Eventually, his body won, and he closed his eyes once more.

He hadn’t been asleep for a moment before he heard voices outside. By the time he realized what was happening, Yan Yan had entered the room.

This time, Ruan Jinyu didn’t pretend to sleep. As Yan Yan walked to the bed, he reached out and firmly pressed down on Ruan Jinyu, who was attempting to sit up. The Emperor’s expression was dark and gloomy, likely displeased by something.

Dispensing with formalities, Ruan Jinyu murmured, “This servant has the will, but not the strength.”

“Are the people in your palace such useless trash?” That was the first thing Yan Yan said.

For a moment, Ruan Jinyu didn’t understand. Then it clicked. The Emperor was likely referring to the fact that he had fallen ill again in less than a day. But it wasn’t anyone else’s fault.

Ruan Jinyu took the blame himself. “It is no one’s fault but my own. This servant’s body is simply like this.” His words were airy and weak, his voice barely a whisper, yet his tone remained composed.

The Emperor had rushed in angrily, and he left just as angrily. He left Ruan Jinyu lying there, staring at the ceiling, completely failing to grasp the situation.

After Yan Yan left, Eunuch Zhao knelt by the bed, ostensibly to beg for forgiveness. Yet, between the lines, there was a hint of gratitude toward Ruan Jinyu. Was it because he had just shielded the palace staff from the Emperor’s wrath?

He simply found it a little bit funny.