The Banished Immortal of the Cold Palace: His Majesty’s Young Master Yun Has Fallen Asleep Again - Chapter 14

Dinner was served in the side hall. A small round table was set with over a dozen dishes, a mix of meat and vegetables, all exquisite and appetizing. Yun Biechen glanced over them, his gaze lingering briefly on a few spicy dishes.

Yan Linyuan sat at the head of the table and gestured for Yun Biechen to sit opposite him. Yun Biechen did not decline, sitting down directly and picking up his chopsticks.

Neither of them spoke, dining in silence. Yan Linyuan ate very slowly, though his gaze fell upon Yun Biechen from time to time.

He watched as Yun Biechen picked up a piece of spicy diced chicken, his eyes narrowing slightly as he put it into his mouth like a satisfied cat.

He watched as he picked out a piece of red-braised pork, pushing the side dish of greens to the side. He also saw him taste the hot and sour soup, his lips curling upward involuntarily.

He ate very earnestly, and also very selectively.

Yan Linyuan suddenly found this interesting. He set down his chopsticks and asked, “Do you like spicy food?”

Yun Biechen was just picking up a piece of boiled fish; hearing this, he looked up at him. “Yes.”

“You do not like greens?”

Yun Biechen frowned, pushing away the last leaf of vegetables in his bowl. “They taste bad.”

Yan Linyuan chuckled, not asking further. He picked up his chopsticks again but stopped eating, simply watching Yun Biechen pick up food one chopstick at a time. His movements were not fast, yet they were systematic; every bite was consumed with care.

It was as if he were completing some important ritual.

Halfway through the meal, Yun Biechen suddenly put down his chopsticks.

“Are you full?” Yan Linyuan asked.

“I am sleepy,” Yun Biechen said, his tone matter-of-fact. “I want to sleep.”

Having said that, he stood up. Without waiting for Yan Linyuan’s response, he walked straight back to the main hall, lay down on the lounge, and closed his eyes.

The entire sequence of movements was fluid and natural, as if he were in his own home.

Yan Linyuan was stunned. He was sleepy just because he said so?

Wang Shunde and the group of palace servants were dumbfounded. Wang Sheng, kneeling outside the door, saw this scene through a crack in the door. His vision went black, and he nearly fainted.

How could the Young Master just leave the Emperor hanging like that?

Yan Linyuan, however, showed no reaction. He slowly finished his last bite of rice, put down his chopsticks, wiped his hands clean, and only then stood up to walk toward the main hall.

Yun Biechen was already asleep.

He was lying on his side on the lounge, his ink-black hair spread across the pillow, one hand resting on his waist, his breathing even and long. The candlelight flickered on his face, stretching the shadows of his eyelashes.

Yan Linyuan walked to the side of the lounge and looked down at him for a long time.

Then, he bent down, picked up the thin blanket that had slipped to the floor, and gently draped it over Yun Biechen. His movements were light, as if he were afraid of disturbing him.

After covering him, he stood there for a while longer before turning to walk out.

“Wang Shunde.”

“This old servant is here.”

“The provisions for Linhua Palace are to be provided at the highest rank of a consort.” Yan Linyuan stopped at the doorway and looked back at the sleeping figure on the lounge. “Whatever he likes, send it to him. Spicy food, meat, exquisite snacks; prepare them all.”

“Yes.”

“Also,” Yan Linyuan’s voice lowered. “Find two capable and discreet palace servants to come and serve here. As for that Wang Sheng, keep him; he is familiar with Young Master Yun’s habits.”

“This old servant understands.”

Yan Linyuan said nothing more and stepped out of Linhua Palace. The night wind hit his face, carrying a biting chill. He tightened his cloak and looked back at the warm light emanating from the hall.

That glow in the night resembled a pearl meticulously collected and stored away.

Returning to the Yangxin Palace, Yan Linyuan dismissed his attendants and sat alone under the lamp.

A blank sheet of rice paper was spread out on the desk. He picked up his brush but hesitated to write. What appeared repeatedly in his mind were those glass-like eyes, the pearly-white collarbone, and that lazy, detached expression.

Like a white plum tree growing on the edge of a cliff, pure and isolated, observable but unreachable.

Yet the more unreachable it was, the more he wanted to pluck it.

Yan Linyuan set down his brush, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

He remembered many years ago, while fighting on the border, he had seen a jade-carved Guanyin in an ancient temple. The jade was warm and moist, the carving craftsmanship exquisite, and the Guanyin’s eyes were lowered in compassionate expression. He stood before the Buddha statue for a long time at that time, so long that even his deputy general came to urge him, yet he refused to leave.

Later, he had someone invite the jade Guanyin to his camp to look at it every day. Until one night, he was drunk and threw the Guanyin on the ground, shattering it into pieces.

At that moment, what welled up in his heart was not regret, but a strange sense of satisfaction: look, no matter how beautiful something is, it can be broken.

But Yun Biechen was different.

He was not a jade carving; he was a living human being. He breathed, slept, was selective with food, and looked at people with that cold, detached gaze. He could not be broken.

Therefore, he must be nurtured with care.

Like raising a rare orchid or an incomparable bird. Give him the best golden cage, the most exquisite food, the softest silk. Let him stay in a place that can be seen, to be looked at every day and admired at all times.

Yan Linyuan opened his eyes, a dark, hidden light flashing across the depths of his gaze.

“Wang Shunde,” he called out.

Wang Shunde, who was guarding outside the palace, responded and entered.

“Add a few more guards to Linhua Palace.” Yan Linyuan’s tone was indifferent. “Keep a close watch. Do not let anyone disturb him.”

“Yes.”

“Also, go to the treasury and pick out some things to send over.” Yan Linyuan thought for a moment. “Jade ware, calligraphy, paintings, treasures; send some of each. If he likes them, let him display them; if he does not, just put them away.”

Wang Shunde bowed and agreed, though his heart sighed.

The Emperor is truly treating Young Master Yun as a collectible.

The next morning, when Yun Biechen woke up, the sky was already bright.

He sat up, and the thin blanket slipped from his shoulders. The room was very warm; the under-floor heating was burning brightly, and the morning light shone clearly on the window paper.

“Is the Young Master awake?” Wang Sheng entered carrying hot water, a smile on his face. “Breakfast is ready. There is the meat porridge you like, as well as crab-roe buns freshly made by the Imperial Kitchen. You wanted to eat them when you were in the Cold Palace, so I specifically ordered them to make some.”

Yun Biechen let out an “hmm” and got off the lounge to wash up. The water temperature was just right, the towel was soft, and even the salt for rinsing his mouth was of the highest quality.

When changing clothes, Wang Sheng opened the wardrobe, which was already filled with new garments. The materials were all Su-embroidered brocade, the colors elegant, the styles simple, yet every piece was exquisite.

“Which one would the Young Master like to wear?” Wang Sheng asked.

Yun Biechen scanned them and casually pulled out a moon-white robe. “This one.”

After changing into his clothes, he walked to the outer room for breakfast. The table was filled to the brim. Besides the meat porridge and crab-roe buns, there were several side dishes, a plate of crystal dumplings, and a pot of hot tea.

Yun Biechen sat down and first scooped a spoonful of porridge. The porridge was thick and boiled until the fragrance of the meat was enticing; it was incomparably better than what he had drunk in the Cold Palace. He also picked up a crab-roe bun and took a bite; the broth was delicious, and the crab roe was full.

“Tasty,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Wang Sheng stood to the side to serve him. Seeing him eat with such enjoyment, he was also pleased. “I am glad you like it, Young Master. The Imperial Kitchen said that from now on, they will change the variety every day. If there is anything you want to eat, feel free to order it.”

Yun Biechen nodded and continued eating. He ate very slowly, savoring every mouthful carefully, as if enjoying some rare delicacy.

Just as he was eating, there was a commotion outside. Several eunuchs carried chests and baskets inside and opened them one by one, revealing all kinds of treasures.

There were mutton-fat jade ornaments, jadeite brush washers, agate paperweights, and several scrolls of ancient paintings. There were not many items, but every single one was a masterpiece; one could tell they were of high value just by looking at their quality.

Wang Sheng was dazzled and asked in a low voice, “Young Master, where shall I put these?”

Yun Biechen did not look up. “Whatever.”

Wang Sheng had no choice but to direct the eunuchs to display the items on the treasure cabinet. Once they were arranged, the whole room immediately appeared much more luxurious.

After finishing breakfast, Yun Biechen wiped his mouth and walked to the window to sit down. Outside the window, the white plum tree stood quietly in the morning light, and a few more buds had blossomed on the branches.

He recalled the look in Yan Linyuan’s eyes last night: focused, burning, and carrying a near-pathological possessiveness. That was not the look of someone looking at a person; it was the look of someone looking at an object.

Like a collector seeing a rare treasure, or a hunter seeing a desired prey.

Yun Biechen looked out the window at the white plum tree, lost in thought. The sunlight shone through the window paper, casting a soft glow upon him. With his ink-black hair and white clothes, his features looking like a painting, he sat there like a still, fine-brush painting.

Wang Sheng stood to the side watching, feeling that the Young Master truly looked like a person who had walked out of a painting. He was too beautiful.

Before long, someone else arrived outside. This time it was Wang Shunde, followed by two palace maids. They were not very old, had delicate features, and kept their heads bowed while walking.

“Young Master Yun.” Wang Shunde bowed in salutation. “The Emperor has ordered to add two palace maids to serve you. This is Chunying, and this is Xiaque; they are both capable and steady in temperament.”

The two palace maids hurriedly knelt and kowtowed.

Yun Biechen took a look at them, showing no expression. “Get up.”

“Thank you, Young Master.”

Wang Shunde added, “The Emperor also asked this old servant to convey that if the Young Master has any needs, feel free to speak up. If it is not in the palace, he will have people go outside the palace to find it.”

Yun Biechen replied with little interest, “Hmm.”