Sickly Jade - Chapter 10

“Should we report this matter to the Crown Prince?” Xiao Yun asked.

“There is no need for the time being. Go and investigate discretely in private. Afterward, have Xiao Feng and Mu Yun come in for a moment.”

Xiao Yun bowed. “Yes, Master.”

(Note: In the original text, the dialogue tag says Xiao Feng, but contextually it is Xiao Yun responding to the order before exiting).

“By the way, has the Crown Prince secretly commanded you to do anything?”

“Not at all. His Highness only instructed us to take good care of you, Master… and that you are not permitted to leave the city on your own.”

Ye Shaoyun nodded. “Understood. You may go.”

A few moments later, Xiao Feng and Mu Yun walked in with their heads lowered.

Xiao Feng was Xiao Yun’s younger biological brother. The two shared a similar build and stature, though Xiao Feng was a bit rounder, with softer eyes and features. His personality was the exact opposite of the meticulous Xiao Yun; he was highly sociable and much more simple-minded.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he threw himself at the side of the bed, wailing and sobbing dramatically.

“Master! Xiao Feng thought he would never see you again in this lifetime! Let me get a good look at you… Master, you’ve grown thin! What would you like to eat? I will head out to the streets and buy it for you right away!”

Ye Shaoyun was left speechless for a moment before replying, “…I am perfectly fine.”

Neither of these brothers ever liked to filter their words, yet he found himself entirely unable to do anything about them. Their loyalty, however, was beyond question.

Seeing the display, Mu Yun quickly stepped forward and dragged Xiao Feng up by his collar. “Xiao Feng, do not be impudent before Master. Careful, or Commander Xiao Yun will give you a thrashing when he gets back.”

Xiao Yun’s word always carried immense weight with Xiao Feng. Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng scrambled to his feet right away and bowed respectfully to Ye Shaoyun. “Master.”

Ye Shaoyun turned his gaze to Mu Yun first. “General Ye came to see me earlier today. Did he mention what his business was?”

Mu Yun replied, “General Ye did indeed come, but he only stated that he wished to visit you. However, His Highness arrived at that very moment and dismissed him.”

“Very well. Go and prepare the carriage. Bring my Azure Cloud Spear along as well. I shall personally pay a visit to General Ye shortly.”

Mu Yun raised his eyes to look at him, a trace of hesitation washing over his face.

“What is it?”

Mu Yun faltered, “His Highness commanded that from now on, whenever you wish to go out, we must report it to him first. Should we…”

Ye Shaoyun’s brow knit together in deep displeasure. “Does he truly intend to place me under house arrest? Do not tell him. None of you are permitted to speak a word of this.”

“But…”

Ye Shaoyun asked, “What? Did he threaten you?”

With a heavy thud, Mu Yun dropped to his knees. “His Highness said that if we fail to comply, he will execute one guard from the manor for every single infraction… We do not fear death, Master, but we would only implicate the others. If that happens, there will be no one left available to serve at your side.”

“Did he truly say such a thing?”

Xiao Feng clasped his hands in a respectful salute, his face equally fraught with distress. “What Mu Yun says is the absolute truth.”

Ye Shaoyun let out a long sigh, his expression growing incredibly complex. “Then just tell him. I would like to see exactly what he is capable of doing.”

“Understood.”

After Mu Yun excused himself, Ye Shaoyun walked over to the desk. He pulled open a drawer and retrieved a letter, alongside a jade pendant a token originally bestowed upon him by the late Grand Preceptor.

“Xiao Feng.”

“Your subordinate is here.”

Ye Shaoyun handed the letter and the jade token over to him. “Journey to the Daoist temple on Mount Zijin and seek out a Daoist master named Perfected Master Qingfeng. Deliver this letter and the jade pendant to him. He will naturally understand its meaning. If he is willing, escort him back to the capital to meet me.”

“Yes, Master. Is this Perfected Master Qingfeng a friend of yours?” Xiao Feng asked inquisitively.

Ye Shaoyun answered, “I do not know him. Just bring him here. This matter must be executed in absolute secrecy.”

“Understood! This subordinate will spare no effort in searching for him. If that Daoist master refuses to come, I shall simply knock him unconscious and carry him back on my shoulders!”

Ye Shaoyun raised his hand to stop him. “That will not be necessary. If he refuses to come, then it simply means my lifespan has run its course.”

“This subordinate will absolutely bring him back!” Xiao Feng vowed. Unable to wait a moment longer, he bolted out the door.

Ye Shaoyun’s voice chased after him from behind, “The journey is long! Pack plenty of provisions!”

Whenever he dealt with Xiao Feng, Ye Shaoyun always experienced a distinct sense of looking at his own foolish son.

Every single one of these secret guards and personal attendants had been meticulously handpicked by him over the past eight years. Xiao Yun and Xiao Feng had been with him the longest, and their loyalty ran the deepest.

Attended by his servants, Ye Shaoyun dressed himself in proper attire. His white hair was his most defining and conspicuous feature, so he bound it up into a high topknot and concealed it beneath the hood of his black robe.

Mu Yun retrieved the Azure Cloud Spear from the storehouse.

“Give it a thorough polish,” Ye Shaoyun instructed. “I shall present it to General Ye as a gift shortly.”

Mu Yun’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment upon hearing this. Nevertheless, he took out a handkerchief and began wiping away the surface dust, his gaze filled with immense reluctance. “Master, this is your personal weapon. Are you truly going to gift it to General Ye?”

Ye Shaoyun cast a sideways glance at him. “Do you truly believe I still have any use for it now?”

Perhaps he might be able to use it again in the future, but that would have to wait until Perfected Master Qingfeng arrived to repair his damaged meridians. Even then, it was highly unlikely he would ever need to charge onto a battlefield again.

“General Ye used to admire this spear of mine greatly. Gifting it to him ensures it finds a proper purpose, rather than just gathering dust here with me.”

The Azure Cloud Spear had been forged by his own hands years ago. The shaft weighed a staggering twenty kilograms, sculpted from silver-iron. The spearhead was forged with a razor-sharp sword blade and encrusted with adamantine stones he had originally wanted to use diamonds, but unfortunately, such things were impossible to find in a place like this.

During its forging, he had utilized the absolute finest materials available to complement his pinnacle martial arts prowess.

He had once known immense glory. Clad in pristine white robes while riding a galloping steed, his martial power had been unmatched throughout the capital during its zenith. He had even competed on the same stage against the First Prince and Yan Feng.

The only reason Yan Feng had failed to decapitate him on the battlefield back then was simply because it was impossible; Yan Feng was no match for him.

Later on, however, Ye Shaoyun broke his own body for the sake of the Crown Prince. From that moment forward, he could no longer lift his spear, and Yan Feng never spoke of executing him again.

Mu Yun could not entirely comprehend the decision. “Why not gift it to the Crown Prince instead? I recall His Highness used to be exceptionally fond of it as well.”

“He has no need for it. I hope he will never have to march onto a battlefield for the rest of his life.”

Ye Shaoyun caressed the rugged contours of the spear shaft one last time. He remembered the profound sense of security it used to bring when held firmly in his grasp. The immense weight of the dark-iron body was something his physical frame could no longer withstand; he could neither lift it nor hold it steady.

He and Ye Xiao had once made a solemn covenant that Ye Xiao would never rebel against the Great Yang Dynasty during Ye Shaoyun’s lifetime. Yet now, Ye Xiao had suddenly returned to court, bringing the First Prince along with him. It was highly unusual.

Although the Ye family was the maternal clan of Qi Chu’s birth mother, their grievances with the imperial court were far from simple.

Qi Chu’s mother was not originally from this dynasty. The entire Ye family had migrated to the Great Yang Dynasty solely to provide the Imperial Noble Consort with a reliable pillar of support within the palace. However, she was systematically ostracized by the factions led by the Empress, who ultimately framed her and brought about her death. This was the exact reason why Qi Chu had been so utterly neglected during his early years in the palace.

Afterward, several remonstrances from the imperial court almost implicated Qi Chu as well. Fortunately, Ye Xiao was fighting on the front lines at the time; he utilized his glorious military triumphs to secure Qi Chu’s safety.

Qi Chu had been a mere child back then; he might not remember it clearly, and whether he harbored hatred remained unknown. But Ye Xiao? Ye Xiao harbored an extraordinary amount of hatred.

When he had returned in triumph only to find his paternal aunt murdered inside the imperial palace, he had come dangerously close to staging a rebellion.

It was only after Ye Shaoyun spent a great deal of time counseling and persuading him that the man was finally stabilized. Now that he had returned alongside the First Prince, who was stationed at the borders, Ye Shaoyun could not help but feel uneasy.

“Let us go. To the Ye Manor.”

Over in the Eastern Palace, Qi Chu was not particularly surprised to receive the news—until he heard that the Grand Preceptor was gifting his personal weapon to Ye Xiao. In an instant, the tea chalice in his hand was crushed to pieces.

Scalding water drenched his hand. Seeing this, his personal attendant, Mo Qing, hurriedly brought over a silk towel to wipe it clean.

“Your Highness, please do not be anxious. Perhaps the Grand Preceptor is only… only gifting it to General Ye temporarily.”

A vicious glint surfaced in Qi Chu’s eyes. “He cherished that personal spear above all else! I never even dared to ask him for it, yet he handed it over so easily!”

Mo Qing could only attempt to soothe him, saying, “The current political landscape is unstable. Perhaps the Grand Preceptor has other calculations in mind.”

“I see it clearly, Ye Xiao harbors ulterior motives!”

“Even if General Ye holds a grudge against… against His Majesty, he would never harbor ulterior motives toward you, Your Highness.”

Qi Chu’s gaze grew darker by the second. “I am not speaking of his intentions toward this Prince. I am speaking of his intentions toward the Grand Preceptor!”

“Surely that cannot be…” Mo Qing murmured cautiously.

Mo Qing was somewhat aware of his master’s underlying feelings for the Grand Preceptor, but he had never dared to let his thoughts wander in that direction.

“General Ye has been away from the capital for a very long time. Such matters should be impossible.”

The more Qi Chu dwelled on it, the more infuriated he became. “Though his person was absent, his letters were delivered regularly.”

“You… you have been monitoring the Grand Preceptor’s correspondence?”

Qi Chu glared at him sharply, scaring Mo Qing into instantly shutting his mouth. “This servant has overstepped.”

“His words were filled with ambiguity. Even when he was still residing in the capital back then, he was extraordinarily attentive toward the Grand Preceptor.”

Listening to these bitter, resentful words, Mo Qing asked, “Is Your Highness jealous?”

Mo Qing had served Qi Chu the longest, having been a loyal servant since their days in the cold palace. As a result, his speech was a bit more uninhibited, and most of the time, he could hit precisely what was on Qi Chu’s mind.

“This Prince is not! Do not make blind guesses,” Qi Chu denied petulantly.

Since Ye Shaoyun did not wish to see him, he would refrain from forcing an encounter. He would wait until the man actively sought him out.

“In truth, Your Highness does not need to overthink matters. This servant sees it clearly: the Grand Preceptor cares deeply for you in his heart. The Grand Preceptor has his own thoughts, but everything he executes is for your sake. You must place more faith in him.”

“That is not what I want. I have never asked him to make sacrifices for me. What this Prince desires has never been these things… Forget it, you would not understand.”

Qi Chu dismissed the topic with a wave of his hand, immediately pivoting to another matter. “How is the investigation proceeding?”

Mo Qing reported, “The matter regarding the Third Prince has been thoroughly investigated. There is indeed something sinister behind this grand prayer assembly. The group of men we eliminated outside the city walls last time were merely thugs and mercenaries kept by the Third Prince. Following their deaths, the news traveled back into the city rapidly. That very same day, the Third Prince invited a large group of court officials into his manor.”

“As expected, my Third Imperial Brother refuses to remain compliant.”

“I suspect Ye Xiao is also involved in this prayer assembly. Why on earth would there be so many blessings to pray for? This Prince has never believed in such drivel.”

He did not believe in such things because he had never believed in ghosts or deities. If they truly existed, why had they never granted him protection despite the countless years he spent praying to them?

The only entity he believed in was Ye Shaoyun. Ye Shaoyun was no messenger of the gods; he was the brutal reality and absolute truth of this world. His act of saving him had never been born out of pity either.

Initially, he had even hated the man. He hated him still hating him for not caring enough, hating him for not loving him, and hating him for constantly wishing to abandon him.

“The flooding in the Jiangnan region is a genuine disaster, so presenting a petition for a grand prayer assembly is technically within the bounds of reason.”

Qi Chu remained uneasy. “Dispatch men to keep a tight watch on that side the Ye family.”

“Understood.”

Mo Qing then asked, “What about the First Prince? Are you not worried about him, Your Highness?”

“I naturally must remain guarded against my Eldest Imperial Brother, but there is no need to act just yet.”

“Why is that?”

A slow, calculated smirk curved up the corners of Qi Chu’s lips. “Imperial Father will never allow him to remain in the capital. Even if he does stay, he poses no threat to us.”

“But… the First Prince currently holds absolute command over a massive army. He might very well have already joined forces with Ye Xiao. If he harbors treasonous intent, would His Majesty and Your Highness not be in grave danger?”

A sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard of the Eastern Palace, causing the withered leaves of the parasol trees to rustle loudly.

Qi Chu swept his sleeves aside and lifted his calligraphy brush, his dark, bottomless gaze mirroring the ink resting within the stone inkstone. “He had better truly harbor treasonous intent.”

.

The Ye Manor had received word of the visit well in advance. Ye Xiao had been waiting outside the main gates early on. Spotting the carriage from a distance, he immediately stepped forward to welcome his guest.

Clad in a sweeping black robe, Ye Shaoyun gracefully stepped down from the carriage.

“General Ye, it has been a long time.”

Ye Shaoyun seamlessly bypassed the hand that had been extended toward him, offering a formal bow instead.

The man standing before him possessed the countenance of someone in his early thirties. He was remarkably handsome, with a broad chest and a narrow waist. When he first arrived in the capital, he had been the man of many young ladies’ dreams. After spending several years campaigning beyond the borders, weathered by the harsh desert elements, he had developed an even more imposing and heroic aura.

The only shortcoming was that this man had surpassed thirty years of age and had yet to take a wife.

This very man was Ye Xiao, the warrior who once held the legendary title of the Undefeated General. Ye Shaoyun held an immense amount of admiration for him and this was precisely the root of Qi Chu’s deepest anxieties.