Sickly Jade - Chapter 2

Ye Shaoyun rubbed his temples. “I understand.”

After completing the first mission “Assist Qi Chu in becoming the Crown Prince” the System, in order to fulfill its initial promise, unlocked a survival skill: head to Jiangnan to find a mysterious senior brother, the “True Person Qingfeng.” It was said that he was also a disciple of the former National Teacher, a fellow apprentice, and that this person had a way to extend Ye Shaoyun’s life.

Every time he finished a tryst with Qi Chu, his life value would inexplicably drop by one. If he didn’t leave now, he might very well die on the couch one of these days.

“It is enough for Muyun and Qingyi to accompany me. The remaining seventy-one secret guards and all the servants in the residence are hereby surrendered to the Crown Prince. You must protect him until he ascends the throne.”

Xiao Yun’s expression was dejected. Clearly, he was the master’s closest guard, yet he was not being taken along when the master departed.

Ye Shaoyun saw through his thoughts in a glance. “Xiao Yun, I trust you the most. Leaving the Prince in your care is what puts my mind at ease the most. Besides, if you follow me, you will have no future. It is better to serve the Prince well; perhaps, for my sake, he will one day bestow upon you the rank of Imperial Guard.”

He had given everything to Qi Chu everything he could give, and even things he couldn’t. He had done his best.

Now, he would leave this broken, ruined body behind. In the time he had left, he wanted to find a place to rest well, see the scenery of this world, visit the Jiangnan that Qi Chu praised so highly, and go to Zijin Mountain to find that senior brother he had never met to save his life.

Xiao Yun’s voice choked with emotion. “Master, your subordinate does not care about fame or fortune. Your subordinate only wishes to… accompany you one last time.”

The last half of the sentence was a transgression. Ye Shaoyun did not rebuke him as he usually would, but instead looked at him with a faint smile. “The way you say that, it’s as if I am about to die.”

This smile sent a chill through Xiao Yun’s entire body; he immediately knelt and begged for forgiveness. “Your subordinate spoke out of turn. I ask Master to punish me!”

The wind blew in from the outer hall. Ye Shaoyun wrapped his robes tighter, paying no mind to what Xiao Yun had said. He knew his body’s state better than anyone, even without others saying it aloud.

He had seen Xiao Yun’s loyalty. As the head of the secret guards he had personally raised, Ye Shaoyun trusted him implicitly. Only with him by Qi Chu’s side could he truly put his heart at ease.

He rubbed his forehead, which was throbbing with pain from the wind, and issued an indisputable order. “Xiao Yun, I command you: from this day forward, you are to obey only the Crown Prince, Qi Chu. This applies to all secret guards and servants in this residence! Anyone who disobeys shall seek their own death!”

He deliberately raised his voice. The secret guards hidden inside and outside the room responded in unison, “Yes, your command is our will!”

As the current National Teacher and former tutor to the Crown Prince, Ye Shaoyun had dominated the court. He hadn’t reached this point by winning people over with virtue. When it came to ruthlessness, aside from the sovereign sitting on the throne, no one could compare to him.

Even Qi Chu had admitted with his own lips that Ye Shaoyun was a flower from the far north, covered in thorns. Qi Chu respected him, but he also feared him. He had blocked too many blades for Qi Chu and endured too much bitterness, knowing well that only cold-heartedness could keep one standing firmly in the court.

Eight years—to him, it had been far too long, forging his heart into something impenetrable.

Now, he could finally rest properly. He didn’t want anyone to defy him anymore.

He packed simply and set off. Because he had been looking forward to the scenery of Jiangnan for a long time, he had arranged for a place to be prepared there a year in advance; he only needed to move in. The Great National Teacher Ye, who was once infinitely glorious in the capital, now left with only two carriages, looking exactly like a man fleeing in a panic.

Truthfully, Ye Shaoyun was anxious. He feared that if Qi Chu found out in advance, he would try to stop him, which was why he hadn’t told him. He could wallow in intimacy with Qi Chu, but he couldn’t live like that forever. If one day some people with ulterior motives caught a glimpse of their relationship, Qi Chu’s position as Crown Prince might be compromised.

A light rain began to fall after dawn.

Qingyi saw the master’s body still half-leaning outside the carriage and hurriedly reminded him, “Master, be careful of the wind. It would be better to let down the curtains.”

Qingyi was a slender man with fair features. Because he had always enjoyed wearing green, Ye Shaoyun had bestowed the name Qingyi upon him a name that suited his personality: aloof and meticulous.

Ye Shaoyun ignored his words and gently stroked the Persian cat’s soft fur, his gaze passing over Qingyi to look at a man holding an umbrella not far away. The man wore a sky-blue martial arts outfit, as if he had just finished his morning drills on the training field, and was walking slowly toward the carriage.

Qingyi followed his master’s gaze, and seeing that the visitor was the Young General Yan, he quickly went to the front to stop the carriages.

Their eyes met. Ye Shaoyun’s expression was faint, his gaze tinged with a faint deadness, appearing even more haggard than when Yan Feng had last seen him. Yan Feng quickened his pace, arriving before the carriage, his brow furrowed like a drop of ink that wouldn’t dissolve. His expression was indescribable.

“Are you really leaving?”

Ye Shaoyun hadn’t expected the person coming to see him off to be Yan Feng. After all, two years ago, this young general had cursed him as a “demonic teacher who brings disaster to the country,” vowing that one day he would cut him down from his horse to rid the people of a plague.

Ye Shaoyun did not answer. Instead, he scanned him up and down. After a long while, he slowly opened his mouth: “Rare. Today, the Young General Yan has not brought his blade. Truly a pity.”

“Tch.” Yan Feng’s brow knit tighter, and the melancholy of parting he had been brewing instantly vanished. “What do you care whether I brought my blade or not?”

Ye Shaoyun leaned back, moving away from the wind, his long, slender brows arched upward. “A pity you didn’t bring it. If you don’t cut me down today, there will be no chance in the future.”

Yan Feng finally realized what Ye Shaoyun was saying, and he was suddenly choked for words. “You brat, still holding a grudge. Can’t we just talk properly?”

Ye Shaoyun bowed in a salute. “This Taoist would not dare to hold a grudge against the General.”

Hearing those two words, Yan Feng couldn’t help but “tch” again. “Dammit, you’re so young, do you really intend to go to Jiangnan to be a Taoist? Is your life running out, or what?”

Ye Shaoyun didn’t answer, merely letting out a soft huff the rascal had actually guessed correctly. He knew that with Yan Feng’s brain, he wouldn’t be able to grasp his hidden concerns, so he didn’t explain. He only said, “I am the National Teacher. A practitioner of the Dao should not overly interfere in the affairs of the court. Besides, I am tired; I should take a good rest.”

This was one of the reasons. The Emperor’s willingness to allow him to resign from the post of Tutor to the Crown Prince without hesitation meant the Emperor had no intention of keeping him. If he had stayed for a few more years, even if his body could endure it, the Emperor would have eventually lost his patience and made a move. After all, who would want someone who threatened their status to exist? The only mistake was that the Crown Prince followed him too closely.

Yan Feng lowered his eyes to think, and to his surprise, he understood Ye Shaoyun’s situation. “Fine, if you want to leave, then leave. Do you have anything you want to entrust to me?”

He asked the last sentence with trepidation. The two of them had been at odds for years; he never expected that the day would come when they would entrust things to each other.

Ye Shaoyun shrugged. “Just live well.”

Yan Feng was naturally loyal to the Crown Prince; there was nothing much to entrust. Yan Feng “tched” again, swallowing his resentment. As he watched the departing carriage, his eyes grew deep.

Qi Chu had guessed correctly Ye Shaoyun would leave, but he hadn’t stopped him. Following Qi Chu’s orders, he had waited there to intercept Ye Shaoyun’s carriage, but for a moment, his heart had softened. Compared to Qi Chu’s orders, he preferred to respect Ye Shaoyun’s wishes. This person had lived far too tiredly; he deserved a good rest.

After the carriage drove out of the city gates, Ye Shaoyun’s gaze instantly turned cold. He commanded Qingyi, “Speed up the journey!”

Yan Feng’s appearance was no accident. It seemed Qi Chu had already taken precautions. Fortunately, Yan Feng hadn’t tried to stop him; otherwise, with the handful of guards he had, they would be no match for Yan Feng.

In the imperial court.

After the officials chattered about a pile of nonsense, the sky outside had already turned bright. Qi Chu looked at the sky outside, restless.

That day, he had secretly peeked at the memorial Ye Shaoyun had left on the table, learning that Ye Shaoyun intended to resign from his position as Tutor to the Crown Prince and leave the capital. He couldn’t understand why Ye Shaoyun would do such a thing, or if he was truly intending to leave him.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but clench his palms tightly, anxiously waiting for the Emperor to make an announcement.

Finally, after everyone had finished their petitions, the Emperor announced one thing: The National Teacher had resigned and was returning to his hometown.

Qi Chu’s heart, which had been hoisted high, plummeted abruptly. His face gradually darkened. The crowd in the palace also grew restless some were happy, some worried, but at that moment, no one could believe it.

Ye Shaoyun had dominated the court for many years. Aside from a few upright officials, everyone feared him. How could such a person suddenly resign?

The Emperor noticed Qi Chu’s expression and smiled comfortingly. “Chu’er and the National Teacher are close; it is inevitable that you feel sad. In a few days, I will find you a new teacher to help you with your studies.”

Qi Chu forced a stiff smile and declined the Emperor’s offer. “Father Emperor need not worry about your son; your son has already grown up and no longer needs a teacher…”

What he had always wanted was never a teacher; he wanted Ye Shaoyun! A thousand, ten thousand people could never compare to him!

A terrifying conjecture echoed in his mind. He was afraid that if he returned after the court session, he would no longer be able to see Ye Shaoyun. He understood this man; if he really intended to leave, he would surely sneak away when he wasn’t looking.

Fortunately, he had sent Yan Feng to guard the city gates. He would not let Ye Shaoyun leave him, no matter the reason. But even so, he remained restless. After the court, he rode a fast horse to the National Teacher’s residence.

Seeing the figures kneeling one by one, Qi Chu realized that something had gone wrong.

“What is going on?!”

For the first time, Qi Chu revealed an expression of panic in front of his subordinates. A string in his mind snapped, and he sternly questioned a guard in the residence.

The guard, seeing the usually gentle Crown Prince lose his temper for the first time, replied tremblingly: “The Master has already left the residence…”

Upon hearing this, Qi Chu rushed into the bedroom and ransacked it, finding that all of Ye Shaoyun’s personal belongings had been taken.

The Crown Prince, like an abandoned pet, knelt blankly on the bed where they had been intimate only a few hours ago. His clenched fists rested on the bedboard, and a strange emotion began to ferment in his heart.

Not even a single letter had been left for him. In Ye Shaoyun’s eyes, what exactly was he, Qi Chu?!

Seeing that there was no sound in the room, Xiao Yun walked in cautiously.

“Your Highness…”

“Get out!” Qi Chu roared, but when he raised his eyes, he saw it was Xiao Yun.

The close guard by Ye Shaoyun’s side.

Qi Chu, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, rushed off the bed and grabbed Xiao Yun by the collar: “He hasn’t left, has he? He’s playing a prank on me, he’s trying to scare me, isn’t he!”

Xiao Yun remained silent, merely lowering his head in silence.

After a long time, a dry voice spoke up: “Your Highness… please forgive me.”