Sickly Jade - Chapter 13

“National Preceptor…”

Seeing that the other party remained motionless, Qi Chu murmured softly.

“Where is the National Preceptor going?”

Ye Shaoyun lowered his gaze slightly and replied indifferently, “Going out for some air.”

The hall was filled with the pungent smell of alcohol, making it somewhat suffocating.

Ye Xiao did not treat him as an outsider. “Are you tired? Would you like to rest in my room for a while?”

No sooner had the words left his lips than he received a cold glare from Qi Chu.

“It is getting late. General Ye, let us meet again another day. Your Highness, you should return early as well.”

Worried that Qi Chu would continue making a scene and lead to an uncontrollable situation if he were to say something while intoxicated, it would be very troublesome Ye Shaoyun proposed his departure.

Ye Xiao hurried to see him out. “Are you leaving already? I shall see you out. Someone, bring the ginseng gifted by His Majesty for the National Preceptor to take with him.”

“Many thanks, General Ye.”

Ye Xiao smiled happily. “Shaoyun, you are too polite. I shall see you out.”

Qi Chu stumbled along behind the two. When Mo Qing tried to support him, he gave Mo Qing a look. Mo Qing understood, supporting the man as he followed.

“National Preceptor, His Highness did not take a carriage today. I wonder if he might borrow the National Preceptor’s?”

Ye Shaoyun looked at Qi Chu, who was incredibly drunk. Knowing it would be inappropriate to refuse the Crown Prince’s face at this moment, he nodded. “Help His Highness into the carriage first.”

Ye Xiao bowed in farewell. “Another day, I shall visit the National Preceptor’s manor. By the way, the vassal kings are to have an audience with His Majesty at the Beacon Tower tomorrow. His Majesty has ordered me to attend without fail. Will the National Preceptor be going?”

Ye Shaoyun pondered. Usually, audiences with vassal kings in the capital were major undertakings involving gift-giving and duels, and they were inevitably filled with social maneuvering and intrigue. He had originally wished to avoid such things, but thinking that tomorrow would likely be very lively, and not knowing what King Ning’an, Qi Kun, might do, added to the Third Prince’s involvement—there were too many affairs in the capital recently, and he felt he had to go to see for himself to feel at ease.

Ye Xiao added, “If I am required to compete tomorrow, I will take your spear. I hope you will be able to see it with your own eyes.”

Ye Shaoyun: “In that case, if I am free tomorrow, I shall certainly attend.”

“That would be for the best.”

The two exchanged bows again before Ye Shaoyun turned to board the carriage.

Just as he lifted the curtain and stepped inside, a force pulled him in eagerly.

Ye Shaoyun knew it was Qi Chu. To prevent those outside from noticing anything amiss, he did not struggle, stumbling and falling onto the Crown Prince.

Qi Chu had guzzled a stomach full of wine; with the alcohol going to his head, he became even bolder. He rolled over, pinning the man down, and began kissing him recklessly.

Ye Shaoyun struggled violently. He managed to dodge the lips, but his cheeks and neck were smeared with the scent of alcohol, feeling both wet and itchy.

The attendant outside heard the commotion and asked anxiously, “Is everything alright, Master?”

Ye Shaoyun glared at Qi Chu. Mustering his strength, he shoved the man away, calmly dealing with Mu Yun. “It is fine. Drive the carriage.”

The two lay in the carriage in a supine position. Ye Shaoyun adjusted his robes and sat up, looking down imperiously at the person on the floor. “Your Highness has lost his composure.”

Qi Chu supported his head and sat up slowly. Instead of sitting on the seat, he sat at Ye Shaoyun’s feet, reaching out to clutch his sleeve. He looked up at Ye Shaoyun resentfully, whispering a denunciation: “The National Preceptor is so heartless.”

Ye Shaoyun coldly shook Qi Chu off. “This is your own doing. Who told you to compete in drinking with Ye Xiao? You have lost the decorum of a Crown Prince. If this gets out, how will the courtiers discuss you?”

Facing his sober lecture, Qi Chu sneered, a look of gloom appearing on his face, which was flushed red from the alcohol. “Does the National Preceptor only care about decorum?”

“What exactly did Your Highness come to the General’s manor for today?”

Qi Chu slowly crawled up from the floor and sat beside Ye Shaoyun. “Naturally, I came to find the National Preceptor. You not wanting to see me does not stop me from coming to see you.”

Ye Shaoyun had not yet cooled his temper and could not be bothered to waste words with him. He said to Mu Yun outside the door, “Take His Highness back to the palace first.”

“Yes…”

“I am not going back!” Qi Chu shouted, stumbling as he leaned toward Ye Shaoyun and whispered in his ear, “You said I cannot let His Majesty see me in this state, so why not let me hide in the National Preceptor’s manor first? Surely the National Preceptor is not so petty as to forbid even this?”

Ye Shaoyun glanced at the Crown Prince, disappointed for the first time in the thing he had trained himself. Narrow-mindedness, stubbornness he saw all of this in Qi Chu today.

Qi Chu furrowed his brows, the alcohol seemingly burning his heart. He pleaded, “Don’t look at me like that.”

Mo Qing, outside the carriage, hesitated again, asking, “Master, where should we go first?”

Ye Shaoyun remained silent for several seconds before sighing. “Return to the manor.”

Qi Chu was satisfied and went quiet. Relying on his drunkenness, he pressed himself against the National Preceptor. Ye Shaoyun pushed him away several times, but the drunken man was heavy, and pushing him proved futile. Since he didn’t make any more excessive moves, Ye Shaoyun let him lean against him.

Not long after, the carriage arrived at the manor gate. Ye Shaoyun lifted the curtain and ordered the servants, “Come, two of you, drag His Highness away.”

Soon, Qing Yi and Mo Qing came up to drag their Master away, but the moment they touched Qi Chu, they were scolded: “Get out!”

He remained entangled with Ye Shaoyun.

Mo Qing knew his master’s heart better than anyone else, so he turned to the National Preceptor for help. “I trouble the National Preceptor to support His Highness inside. His Highness does not like others touching him.”

Ye Shaoyun frowned and spoke coldly: “Has Your Highness made enough of a scene?”

Ye Shaoyun wanted to toss the man aside and leave, but the man held on too tightly. He seemed truly intoxicated, as he gave no reaction to his scolding. With the servants present, he could only drag the man along. Fortunately, he wasn’t heavy, and he supported him all the way into the manor.

Ye Shaoyun ordered Mu Yun, “Clean out the guest room and let His Highness rest there for a while.”

Qi Chu protested fuzzily, “No, not the guest room.”

He dragged Ye Shaoyun toward the sleeping quarters instead.

Ye Shaoyun instantly saw through the boy’s intent. It would be inappropriate to make a scene in front of the servants, so he had to humor him for the moment. “Prepare the hangover soup for His Highness.”

The moment the palace doors closed, Qi Chu’s eyes snapped open, and his body straightened.

Ye Shaoyun had just helped him to the side of the couch when he was pinned down. Looking down, he met the Crown Prince’s drunken, gloomy gaze, and his heart tightened instantly.

He said coldly: “Stop the act. Get up.”

Qi Chu used his body weight to trap the man, one hand stroking the National Preceptor’s pale cheeks, his fingertips sliding down to land on those bright red lips.

“You and I are at odds I can understand that. But you knew what I cared about, so why did you deliberately get close to General Ye?”

Ye Shaoyun was startled, his eyes slowly turning cold. “I do not know what Your Highness is talking about.”

“You know!” Qi Chu gritted his teeth, his eyes red as he glared at Ye Shaoyun’s eyes. “You know better than anyone.”

“Am I not this way because of you? You used yourself as bait to tempt me, and now I have become like this. Since you started it, you must take responsibility to the end!”

Ye Shaoyun fell silent. After a moment, he slowly smoothed his furrowed brows. “And what does Your Highness want?”

Qi Chu did not answer. With one hand, he tore at the front of his chest and bit down hard on the snow-white skin of his neck.

Ye Shaoyun winced in pain, immediately understanding the other’s meaning. He replied with sarcasm, “Your Highness is young and vigorous, and being so impatient, you should get married early. If that won’t do, take a concubine. What is the fun in always busybodying yourself on this poor Daoist?”

Qi Chu already knew what he would say. Gritting his teeth, a nasty curve formed at the corner of his mouth, and he said in a deep voice:

“The National Preceptor should truly be glad that you are not a woman.”

“Otherwise, having to carry a child to court every day would be very exhausting.”