The Little Crybaby Continues to Court Death as a Cannon Fodder - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After feeding Xie Xuanying the medicine, a palace maid stepped forward with a handkerchief. Yu Qing took it and began to wipe the filth from his hand with slow, deliberate movements, his eyes full of undisguised loathing.

A man this big, and he can’t even control his own drool.

Disgusting.

Just as he finished wiping his fingers, Xie Xuanying, who was still being pinned down, reacted as if he had swallowed some violent, transformative elixir.

His entire face turned a deep, burning crimson, and his breathing became heavy and ragged. His eyes, sharp and bright as unsheathed blades, locked onto Yu Qing with a death stare.

Thinking the man was simply harboring resentment, Yu Qing let out a cold snort. Instead of turning away, he stepped closer to Xie Xuanying and slowly pressed his right foot onto the man’s thigh.

“You intended to poison Us. Now that you are merely reaping what you sowed, why the face? Are you dissatisfied?”

“That… was not poison.”

Given Xie Xuanying’s usual temperament, he should have been shouting curses and foul language by now. As a man of the martial arts world, he was never one for formalities, let alone verbal restraint.

But standing before this pampered, red-lipped Crown Prince, the harsh words felt like thorns stuck in his throat; he couldn’t spit them out. This behavior—explaining himself so patiently for fear of the Prince’s misunderstanding—felt utterly bizarre to Xie Xuanying himself.

Yet he stubbornly raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and his exposed honey-colored skin had darkened, invaded by a flush of red. He emphasized every word: “That was not poison.”

Eunuch Lin stood to the side, arms crossed, and sneered, “If it wasn’t poison, then what was it? I should ask—did you not inquire with the palace maids about His Highness’s favorite dishes and his dining schedule? Were you not planning to put poison in his food?”

For Xie Xuanying, who usually loathed the Crown Prince, to actively seek out the Prince’s preferences was inherently suspicious.

Xie Xuanying could not refute it. He had harbored thoughts of killing the Prince, but the boy was protected within an impenetrable wall. The last time he tried to strangle him, the Prince’s hidden guards appeared out of thin air and nearly broke both his legs.

If he couldn’t kill him, couldn’t he at least dream about it? He was already suffering here; were they so tyrannical that they wouldn’t even let him think?

In fact, Yu Qing was exactly that tyrannical.

He glanced at Xie Xuanying. “Then why don’t you tell us what kind of medicine it was?”

“Don’t tell me it was some sort of aphrodisiac to ‘heighten the mood.’ I won’t believe it.”

As the little Prince spoke, his face was full of mockery. Everyone knew Xie Xuanying’s bones were stiff; he looked like he wanted to vomit whenever he saw the original Prince and would rather die than let the Prince touch him.

Xie Xuanying didn’t answer immediately. He pursed his thin lips tightly, his chest rising and falling like a range of mountains under the scorching sun.

It was already hot, and having to stay outdoors for this nonsense was irritating. If he weren’t afraid of dirtying the indoor carpets, Yu Qing would never have come out.

While Xie Xuanying’s “poisoning” attempt was technically a capital offense, Yu Qing was a modern soul at heart. He didn’t like killing, and he certainly didn’t like the sight of blood. He needed to resolve this quickly and turn the page on Xie Xuanying.

Since everyone thought it was poison, and Xie Xuanying had swallowed it, the fact that he was still alive would prove it wasn’t lethal—meaning Xie Xuanying had only been daydreaming.

But Xie Xuanying was not cooperating. He remained as silent as a statue.

Yu Qing’s temper wasn’t that great to begin with, and with the sun growing fiercer, his patience was evaporating. There was no air conditioning in ancient times; even with 556’s help, the summer heat was oppressive.

“Mute, are you?” The little Prince stepped half a pace closer with a cold expression. He leaned down and grabbed the hair at the back of Xie Xuanying’s head, forcing him to look up. “I told you to speak.”

This scene was not uncommon: the overbearing Crown Prince and the free-spirited wanderer. Whenever they were in the same frame, a quarrel was inevitable.

However, in the past, it was always Xie Xuanying throwing a tantrum while the Prince coaxed and yielded in a soft voice. This was the first time they had seen the Crown Prince speak to Xie Xuanying with such icy impatience.

Xie Xuanying wanted to push the Prince away, but his hands were bound behind his back, and his body was burning up. He looked up at the Prince’s stunning face, and his heartbeat and blood flow accelerated, creating a strange ringing in his ears.

The Prince’s snow-white, delicate face was steamed pink at the cheeks, and his lips were vividly red. The Crown Prince, the future ruler of the Qing Dynasty, actually looks like this. How will he rule the country? With this face?

Xie Xuanying’s mind was a mess. As the Prince leaned over, a stray lock of hair brushed against his face, bringing a tickling sensation like a spark falling into a vat of oil, instantly igniting him.

Finding a sudden burst of strength, Xie Xuanying lunged out of the guards’ grip. To everyone’s horror, he ignored all consequences and pinned the Prince beneath him, burying his head in the crook of the Prince’s neck, nuzzling and sniffing wildly.

He was like a starving dog.

The pampered Prince naturally had tender skin. The mere bump of Xie Xuanying’s nose against the soft flesh of his neck elicited a light, soft whimper from the boy. This sound was like hot water being poured into his veins; a strange heat filled his internal organs. Xie Xuanying stared intensely at the slight movement of the Prince’s Adam’s apple, his instincts screaming for more.

“Bold!”

“Xie Xuanying, you are impudent!”

The guards rushed forward to save the Prince, and Eunuch Lin was nearly jumping in anxiety.

A pair of white, jade-like hands pressed against the man’s chest, trying to push him off. But the little Prince had no strength; his efforts only resulted in a flushed face and ragged breathing.

Lying beneath the man, his jade crown was lopsided and his dark hair spilled out like ink. His chin was slightly raised, his lips parted as he took small, shallow breaths, exhaling a faint, enticing fragrance.

Xie Xuanying didn’t know if it was the medicine or something else, but he found the Prince’s features exquisitely beautiful and his scent overbearingly fragrant. Just smelling it made him want to bite down to see if the Prince tasted as good as he smelled.

“Xie Xuanying!”

While his mind was filled with scandalous images, the little Prince beneath him caught his breath and coldly lifted his eyelashes, his wet, red-rimmed eyes flashing a warning.

The Prince was still struggling for breath, likely out of pure rage. Everyone else obeyed him, yet this man alone refused to give him face, constantly defying him and even seeking his life.

As a man, why is he so fragrant? Why is he so soft? The Prince’s face was barely the size of a palm; when he glared, his eyes were misty, looking more like he was acting spoiled than angry.

“Did you hear me!”

The shrill cry did not stop Xie Xuanying; instead, it made him more restless. Despite losing his internal power, he was still a martial artist with a powerful build. Several guards struggled for a long time but could not pull him off the Prince.

Instead, under the pulling of the crowd, Xie Xuanying gathered his strength and lowered his head. The little Prince was clearly terrified by the man’s red, distorted face; he looked dazed and stunned, his lips parting slightly to reveal the soft, red flesh within.

Eunuch Lin was still tugging at his arm, but the man stood there like a mountain, veins popping on his forehead, making his expression look even more terrifying. Lin looked at the Prince with worry. The Prince had loved beautiful things since childhood; even his servants had to be attractive. When has the Prince ever seen such an ‘ugly’ expression? He’s about to be scared to tears!

As the group continued to pull at him, Xie Xuanying could no longer endure the effects of the drug. His breathing became heavier, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he lowered his head.

And licked the Prince’s protruding, delicate Adam’s apple.

The snowy face froze for a moment, then his brow furrowed, his eyelashes lifted high—and he actually burst into tears.

…

Xie Xuanying was eventually bound hand and foot. A group of guards kicked and punched him; he couldn’t move and could only endure it.

Yu Qing’s hair was a mess, and his jade crown was completely crooked. Eunuch Lin’s hands shook as he tried to wipe the “filth” from the Prince’s Adam’s apple, but no matter how much he wiped, the sickening sensation remained.

Too disgusting!

Yu Qing hadn’t intended to cry, but everyone was staring at him with looks of shock, surprise, and something else he couldn’t quite decipher. He felt humiliated. He was the Crown Prince, the heir to the nation, yet he had been pinned to the ground by a commoner and… and…

And had Adam’s apple licked!

Unacceptable!

“Stop wiping!”

Yu Qing glared furiously at the man curled into a ball on the ground. Xie Xuanying was writhing, his expression growing blurred and vacant. Yu Qing snatched off his jade crown and let his black hair spill down completely. With a sharp clack, the crown hit the ground by Xie Xuanying’s feet.

Still not satisfied, he ran over and began to kick the man. But Xie Xuanying was a trained fighter with a solid, muscular build; Yu Qing’s “revenge” didn’t hurt the man, but instead made his own foot ache.

The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, and his eyes grew wet again. The crowd scrambled to comfort him, treating him like the center of the universe while leaving Xie Xuanying to rot.

“What medicine did he take?” Yu Qing snapped.

The imperial physician had arrived. He examined the remaining pills, felt Xie Xuanying’s pulse, and his beard quivered. He spoke respectfully: “Reporting to Your Highness, it is… it is an aphrodisiac…”

“…”

Yu Qing dazed for a moment before repeating, “An aphrodisiac?”

Why would Xie Xuanying have that on him?

Before he could speak, Eunuch Lin shrieked, “Your Highness, this man cannot be kept! He must have wanted to use such filthy drugs to gain your favor! Terrible, simply terrible! To use such low methods to compete for favor… if he dares to drug the Prince now, will he attempt to harm the imperial offspring later?”

Where did all that come from?

Yu Qing frowned. Eunuch Lin, thinking he was making headway, continued, “The Prince can keep such a scheming, poisonous man for fun, but he is totally unfit for anything more. Your future Crown Princess must be gentle, quiet, and elegant…”

In a few sentences, he painted a perfect fantasy of a future Crown Princess. Yu Qing hadn’t even thought of that. A Crown Princess? He had to marry one?

He asked 556: “What do I do now? He’s drugged. If I leave him alone, he’ll be fine, right?”

【This is the legendary ‘Lust-Burning Powder.’ If the user doesn’t engage in… intimacy within an hour, they will bleed from their seven orifices and die. But I don’t know the specifics of this world’s setting or if there is an antidote.】

That serious?

Yu Qing walked to Xie Xuanying and used the tip of his foot to lift his chin. “Where is the antidote?”

Xie Xuanying’s mind was filled with the deafening words “Crown Princess.” The Prince hadn’t refuted them; he had been silent. The Prince has accepted it. The Hall of Aides was just a toy for the Prince, and the male favorites were just temporary amusements. When he ascended the throne, there would be a gentle Princess to bear his children.

It was a perfectly normal progression, yet Xie Xuanying’s heart felt incredibly stifled. He turned his head away with a hidden rage he didn’t even recognize and rasped, “No antidote.”

No antidote? Then what?

Yu Qing hummed. “How about this? If you have someone you love, Us will find them for you, and you can have your wedding night early. Afterward, the US will permit your marriage and compensate you both…”

He moved to withdraw his foot, but his ankle was bitten through his silk sock. It wasn’t hard, but it startled him.

Xie Xuanying received another slap, causing the inside of his cheek to bleed. He kept his head down, the red wound stark against his lean face, and he let out a cold, raspy chuckle.

“Permit my marriage? What, Your Highness, are you bored of me already?”

“You were the one who snatched me into the Eastern Palace. Now that you’re bored, you’ll kick me aside to marry your Princess?” He rasped, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Don’t even think about it!”

Yu Qing finally understood why the original Prince both liked and feared Xie Xuanying. The man was attractive, but his temper was incredibly stubborn, and his logic was bizarre.

“If he chokes to death, it’s not my fault, right? I gave him a chance,” Yu Qing said to 556.

【Babe! I found it. The ‘Deep Heart Pavilion’ where the High Priest resides has a cold spring. The temperature is extremely low. If you put the drugged Xie Xuanying in it, it can neutralize the effect. The best part is, the cold spring is very cool—almost like modern air conditioning.】

Hearing “air conditioning,” Yu Qing’s eyes lit up instantly.

…

Xie Xuanying was bound and taken all the way to the Deep Heart Pavilion. The High Priest was a sacred figure in the Qing Dynasty, said to be able to communicate with the heavens and prophesy the future. Yu Qing didn’t care if he was real or a fraud; he only cared about that cold spring.

A servant at the door reported hesitantly: “Reporting to Your Highness, the High Priest is currently away… would you like to visit another day?”

Yu Qing looked at him coldly, and the servant’s voice died in his throat. In this dynasty, the Prince’s status was supreme; the Emperor was incompetent and spoiled this son to high heaven. He glanced at the plaque of the pavilion, feigning anger, though his internal expression relaxed.

556 hadn’t lied; the Deep Heart Pavilion was indeed very cool. Even standing at the entrance, a chilly breeze drifted out. It felt like walking into an AC-chilled room. It was incredibly comfortable.

Eunuch Lin put on a stern face: “The entire Qing Dynasty will belong to His Highness. Do you dare block him?”

“This humble servant dares not!”

“Then lead the way! Does the High Priest not even show respect to the Prince?”

The servant looked miserable but eventually gritted his teeth and led Yu Qing inside.

Yu Qing asked for the location of the spring. Upon learning it was in the garden, he ran toward it, his hair flying and a faint fragrance trailing behind him. Behind him, Eunuch Lin smiled helplessly with fond indulgence.

The garden had two pools—one small, one relatively large. Without hesitation, Yu Qing kicked Xie Xuanying into the smaller pool. Xie Xuanying let out a couple of whimpers that soon turned into a comfortable sigh.

Yu Qing ordered screens to be drawn; he didn’t want to see Xie Xuanying’s unsightly state. A trembling maid came to help, occasionally glancing toward the larger pool.

“The High Priest is not here, correct?”

“Yes… yes…”

Yu Qing asked again, “Us has worked up a sweat and wishes to bathe here. The High Priest wouldn’t mind, would he?”

“Your Highness!” The maid’s voice suddenly spiked. Yu Qing frowned, and she immediately lowered her head. “The water in the cold spring is too chilly for a bath. Your Highness has a delicate constitution; you might not be able to bear it.”

Liar. How could Xie Xuanying bear it then? Besides, Yu Qing had already tested the temperature—it was cool and pleasant. Even if a full bath was too cold, soaking his feet would be divine.

“What, the High Priest refuses?” Yu Qing saw right through her. The spoiled Prince was never easy to talk to. He hummed, “If he won’t let Us bathe, Us will bathe anyway. However, I won’t do a full bath—I’ll just soak my feet.”

Eunuch Lin immediately stepped forward to serve him with lightning speed. The maid’s expression went from terror to daze to helpless resignation. She whispered a “yes” and retreated.

Yu Qing’s shoes and socks were removed. He didn’t let Eunuch Lin continue, sending him out to rest instead. He pulled up his trousers himself, revealing a stretch of smooth, white lower leg that looked particularly striking against the shimmering water.

Sitting on the edge, the little Prince had his hair down and his red lips stood out against his pale skin. Because he found it cumbersome, he had shed his outer robes, leaving only thin, silk inner garments.

His white-jade feet dangled in the air for a moment before he tentatively dipped a toe into the water. Because it was cold, Yu Qing let out a soft “ooh,” and from behind the screen, Xie Xuanying let out a heavy, muffled groan.

Yu Qing bit his lip, realizing the sound he had made was a bit strange. He looked around; luckily, he had dismissed everyone, or he would have been embarrassed again. Because his legs were thin, his trousers slipped down a bit. The thin fabric got wet and turned semi-transparent, clinging to his skin in dark folds.

Ancient clothes are such a hassle. Since no one was around and he had forbidden interruptions, he simply decided to take the trousers off and pile them on his robes.

He hugged his knees to lift his feet, moving his white toes from the edge into the spring, pressing them down little by little. After adapting to the temperature, Yu Qing stood up boldly in the water.

Suddenly, a shock ran through him. His feet had stepped on something soft and spongy.

In an instant, several terrifying possibilities flashed through his mind. The soft thing beneath his feet suddenly felt as hard as a rock.

While his face turned deathly pale, a powerful, large hand reached out from beneath the water and grabbed his calf.