Sickly Jade - Chapter 21

Ye Xiao did not hold back, and the two traded blows, the sound of sword and spear clashing piercing the air, with cold light dancing under the sunlight.

“Good!” some vassal kings cheered. The dancers stopped their performances, as no one was watching them anymore.

Discussions rippled through the crowd.

“Isn’t it said the Crown Prince is not skilled in martial arts? To think he could hold his own against General Ye.”

Those who understood martial arts had grim expressions. “The General’s battle today is unfavorable.”

“Will he lose?” another general asked.

“Losing would be one thing, but I fear…”

“Fear what?”

“I fear he refuses to admit defeat.”

“Look, the spear in General Ye’s hand that’s not his personal spear, is it?”

“That was National Preceptor Ye’s former spear.” A voice chimed in. The men looked over and bowed their heads in acknowledgment: “Young General Yan.”

The difference between Yan Feng and Ye Xiao was that one was the General of Capital Defense, and the other was a General who fought on the front lines.

“Can National Preceptor Ye, with his frail appearance, really wield a spear?” one man whispered his honest thoughts.

Yan Feng swept a cold gaze over him. “If you had said that two years ago, your head wouldn’t be on your neck anymore. He is a National Preceptor, but he was also a general at least once.”

“This…”

“National Preceptor Ye has been to the battlefield?”

At the mention of him, Yan Feng’s eyes held both pride and regret. “When he performed his first feat of war two years ago, you little runts hadn’t even enlisted. Back then, the barbarians were ravaging the land, and General Ye was fighting on the front lines while the capital was nearly breached. I was ordered to guard the Emperor’s side, while he alone led three thousand men to resist ten thousand enemy cavalry outside the city walls.”

“National Preceptor Ye was that valiant? Why did he end up like this?”

Yan Feng glanced at them, too lazy to explain. “It’s a long story.”

The young generals beside Ye Xiao pleaded with Yan Feng, “General Yan, please persuade our General. Does this count as attacking the Crown Prince?”

Yan Feng’s brows were pressed low as he watched the battle. He sighed softly. “If the Crown Prince pursues the matter, then yes, it does.”

“Ah? Then please, persuade him! Our General has been away from the capital for so long and doesn’t know the rules; he acted on impulse. If he hurts the Crown Prince, what shall we do?”

Yan Feng watched the two entangled in a stalemate, his expression darkening. “He is not acting on impulse. He is clearly throwing caution to the wind, determined to decide a winner.”

What was the necessity of deciding a winner against the Crown Prince? He didn’t know what had possessed the Crown Prince today, to publicly spar with the General couldn’t these cousins settle their scores behind closed doors? Things had escalated, and today would inevitably end badly, Yan Feng thought to himself.

He could not persuade them. In this world, the only people who could were the Emperor or Ye Shaoyun. Yan Feng scanned his surroundings, but as luck would have it, neither was present.

Watching the Qingyun spear being wielded masterfully by Ye Xiao, Qi Chu’s jealousy burned ever brighter. He wanted to strike him down immediately, but despite using all his strength, they remained evenly matched.

Initially, Ye Xiao only dodged, not daring to truly injure the Crown Prince. But he had underestimated him. Seeing he was about to lose, Ye Xiao finally took the initiative, hoping to knock the sword from the Crown Prince’s hand and end the fight. It wasn’t easy, so he was forced to take the situation seriously.

The vassal kings found it quite the spectacle.

“I never imagined I would see the Crown Prince spar in person today. His skills are truly impressive; he can actually trade blows with a General who has spent years on the battlefield.”

Someone hit the nail on the head: “The Crown Prince is high-spirited, and the General is stubborn. I’m afraid the capital will be in turmoil in the days to come.”

“Why should we care? Let them fight; the more chaotic, the better!”

Yan Feng glanced sideways, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart. After a moment, he stepped forward and called out loudly: “General Ye, look clearly at who is before you!”

Ye Xiao did not could not respond. A cold blade swept toward his chest; if he was distracted for even an instant, he would lose, and could even be injured or killed. But he had heard Yan Feng’s reminder.

Almost an hour had passed since the start, and the two remained locked in a stalemate.

“Your Highness, have I offended you?” Ye Xiao’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Even if he were slow-witted, he could see that since returning, Qi Chu had been deliberately making things difficult for him or more accurately, trying to kill him. Every strike was aimed at a vital point; he had never encountered such an opponent, not even on the battlefield.

Qi Chu sneered, a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. “Is General Ye reaching his limit?”

“Your Highness, you…”

Compared to Qi Chu’s murderous intent, Ye Xiao was more concerned with winning and self-preservation. Such a mindset made it impossible to defeat the opponent quickly. Hearing Qi Chu’s words, his anger was sparked; on the second maneuver, he suddenly surged his strength and swung the spear.

Qi Chu sensed the impending danger and was forced back. The smile on his face slowly widened. “Is General Ye intending to fight to the death with this Palace?”

On the other side, Ye Shaoyun had been dragged into Chunlan Pavilion by Qi Kun.

From the moment he entered the small building, he had been covering his nose. The young women of the pavilion looked at the guest, whose skin was fairer than their own, and crowded around him. “Why does this guest keep his face covered?”

“Judging by his appearance, is he a woman in men’s clothing? He’s tall, but his frame is as weak as ours.”

Ye Shaoyun’s expression turned dark instantly, and killing intent gradually flickered in his beautiful eyes.

Qi Kun, having finished dealing with several of his favorites, hurriedly stepped up to drive the ignorant girls away. “What are you saying? Do you know who this is? Stop your blathering.”

“Look, the Prince is in such a hurry is it appropriate to bring a sweetheart to a brothel?”

Qi Kun was just about to lose his temper, but at the word “sweetheart,” he couldn’t bring himself to be angry. However, one look at Ye Shaoyun’s eyes was enough to make him serious. “Get lost! Are you blind? This is a man! Keep babbling, and I’ll have your madam beat you to death!”

He was protecting their lives by saying this he himself was soft-hearted toward beauty, but Ye Shaoyun certainly wasn’t.

The women hurried away, sullen.

Qi Kun turned to Ye Shaoyun with a fawning smile. “Those girls don’t know any better. I can see you don’t frequent these places. You shouldn’t be so reserved; the more reserved you are, the more excited they get.”

Ye Shaoyun looked at him coldly. “We are not the same kind of person, though Your Highness certainly carries debauchery through to the end.”

One reason he had agreed to come here today was to see how well Qi Kun was playing his role as a leisure-loving prince, and it seemed he was very dedicated to his profession.

Qi Kun felt a chill run down his back and quickly forced a smile. “Oh, you flatter me; this is just my little hobby.”

“Enough. Stop standing here. I’ve booked a private room upstairs; let’s go in and talk.”

Ye Shaoyun pushed his hand away, looking down at his sleeve, which was stained with face powder, with an expression of disgust. “I’m not going in. I’m tired. I’m going back to bathe and rest.”

Going in was useless. Not to mention that he had no interest in these painted flowers, he had no energy or heart for it in his current state.

Qi Kun hurried to block his path. “I know, I know you’re not interested in these things. But it’s not often we get to come out; let’s go to the private room, it’s quiet…”

He then leaned in close to his ear, mysterious and conspiratorial: “I’ve prepared some good stuff for today I guarantee that once you see it, you’ll like it!”