When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 73

The awkward atmosphere spread through the banquet hall. They had originally thought that the red coral tree, standing taller than a person and brilliantly colored, would please the Crown Prince — yet who could have anticipated that the red coral tree would snap the moment Crown Prince You Yusui casually touched it. Even if coral was fragile, it shouldn’t have been that fragile. And besides, the Crown Prince appeared so delicate and frail — how could he have snapped a piece of coral with a casual flick of his hand?

This must be because… Every pair of eyes fell upon the head of the Qi family.

“I beg the Crown Prince’s forgiveness! This humble one purchased a counterfeit coral and had the audacity to present it to Your Highness — truly, I deserve death ten thousand times over!” The head of the Qi family scrambled up from his seat and knelt in the center of the hall, pleading for You Yusui’s pardon.

Cui Yan, the only one who knew the truth, could only think: It isn’t that your coral was defective — it’s that His Highness the Crown Prince possesses divine strength by nature. You can hardly be blamed for this.

You Yusui, who had been holding the broken coral branch and questioning his entire existence, looked at the head of the Qi family kowtowing in apology and said, “This is not your fault. If there is anyone to blame, it should be whoever sold you the coral and cheated you of your money.”

Upon hearing this, the head of the Qi family let out a breath of relief. He hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to be so easy to talk to. The truth was that this coral tree hadn’t been purchased at all — he had taken it by force.

“Your Highness, though the coral is counterfeit, every pearl in the basin is genuine. I humbly ask that Your Highness accept them.” The head of the Qi family spoke up.

The pearls nestled in the jade basin that had held the coral tree were each perfectly round and lustrous. Though they could not match the value of the coral tree itself, the gesture still demonstrated the sincerity of the Qi family head.

You Yusui gave a slight nod and gestured with his eyes to the servants behind him to carry the coral tree away.

In truth, You Yusui believed the coral tree was genuine. He also intended to keep the broken branch and have Huo Xiling carve it into beads for Huo Xiling to wear on his hand.

After the head of the Qi family finished presenting his gift, the rest of the guests came forward one by one to offer the gifts they had prepared for the Crown Prince.

Among these gifts were precious antique qins passed down through a hundred years, as well as calligraphy and paintings by renowned masters. Gold and silver jewelry, jadeite, and gemstones were beyond counting.

It was a rare sight indeed — such a small place as Dayang County in Hedong Commandery producing so many wealthy and powerful households with such deep reserves. One could only wonder how much wealth County Magistrate Li and his allied powerful families had squeezed from the common people of Dayang County to have amassed such fortune.

You Yusui did not touch any of these gifts, leaving Cui Yan to take them away directly for safekeeping, then gave these powerful families a pleasant expression. As the banquet was drawing to a close, he spoke, “Let us end here for today. This prince is tired.”

The moment his words fell, everyone’s gaze shifted to You Yusui’s face — and there, upon those strikingly beautiful features, there was indeed a look of weariness.

County Magistrate Li couldn’t help but grumble inwardly — how could he simply announce he was tired the moment he’d finished collecting the gifts? What about the performance he had prepared for afterwards — was it still happening or not?

At the same time, County Magistrate Li became increasingly certain that the Crown Prince was in poor health and could not possibly be the one who had come to investigate the case.

“In that case, let this banquet be concluded.” County Magistrate Li spoke, then turned his gaze toward You Yusui. “I wonder whether Your Highness has anyone close by to attend to you. If not, my daughter could perhaps…”

Before County Magistrate Li could finish, Cui Yan interrupted him. Cui Yan smiled and said, “His Highness the Crown Prince is an extremely light sleeper and does not like having outsiders nearby.”

“I see, I see.” County Magistrate Li smiled along. “This subject was presumptuous.”

Cui Yan then gave County Magistrate Li an amiable smile and said, “If the County Magistrate should have any matters in future, feel free to come to me directly — I will convey them to His Highness the Crown Prince on your behalf.”

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Li couldn’t help but steal a glance at the Crown Prince behind Cui Yan. He saw that the Crown Prince’s phoenix eyes were lightly closed, as though he had already fallen asleep, and none of the people around the Crown Prince had shown any objection to what the imperial physician had said. He understood then — this imperial physician had already reached a position where he could issue instructions in the Crown Prince’s stead.

Thinking further on Cui Yan’s identity as one of the Twin Corrupt Officials of the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, County Magistrate Li felt that winning him over was a promising prospect. Perhaps he could not only eliminate the official who had come to investigate the case in secret, but also secure himself a promotion and a title.

“Yes, yes, of course.” County Magistrate Li smiled as he spoke.

Cui Yan smiled in return and said, “This one is well-versed in the art of medicine. Should County Magistrate Li feel unwell anywhere, please do not hesitate to come find me.”

A seasoned old fox like County Magistrate Li naturally caught the unspoken meaning beneath Cui Yan’s words. He said, “Many thanks, Imperial Physician Cui. I shall certainly come to you.”

With that, the two exchanged a smile. Cui Yan then had the hidden guard disguised as Huo Xiling lift the sleeping You Yusui and place him onto the palanquin. The group then moved with quiet, careful steps, carrying You Yusui away from the small pavilion where County Magistrate Li had hosted the banquet.

After You Yusui’s party had gone some distance, the powerful families and local magnates who had been present gathered around and said, “County Magistrate Li, what do you think His Highness the Crown Prince meant by all of this?”

The air You Yusui had given them was far too lofty and aloof, and even their offer of a daughter had been coldly refused — yet the gifts they presented had all been accepted in full, and his attitude toward them had been reasonably cordial. This left them unable to read the Crown Prince’s intentions and uncertain about how to proceed with their next move.

County Magistrate Li said, “Do you know how extravagantly His Highness the Crown Prince has been traveling all this way? Fresh fruits and vegetables every single day of the journey — given just that alone, it’s only natural that he would not deign to look at the wine and tea we’ve offered.”

“As for the matter of offering a daughter — the Crown Prince would not accept.” County Magistrate Li looked around at the assembled crowd. “Could any of our daughters here compare to His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Everyone recalled their astonishment at the first sight of the Crown Prince and couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the pampered daughters of their own households — how could any woman be more beautiful than a man? In that moment, they felt it was only natural that the Crown Prince had declined their daughters.

“Very well. So long as the Crown Prince was willing to accept gifts, this is a good sign.” County Magistrate Li spoke. “Moreover, that Imperial Physician Cui has already arranged to meet with me.”

The crowd nodded upon hearing this, and the unease in their hearts finally settled.

The deeds they had committed were crimes that warranted the extermination of entire clans. When the court had previously dispatched two princes to investigate the case, they had made those men disappear. Now the Crown Prince had come to Dayang County with great fanfare — how could they not be afraid?

“Rest easy. As long as they cannot obtain evidence, they cannot convict us of any crime. Keep the mouths of yourselves and your households sealed.” County Magistrate Li’s face appeared ever more sinister in the lamplight. “At the same time, we must keep watch over the Crown Prince and those around him, to prevent them from going where they should not go.”

The places County Magistrate Li referred to were the areas where the refugees had gathered, and the streets and alleys beyond Dayang County’s main thoroughfare where there were no longer any people to be found.

They needed to work hard to present the Crown Prince with the illusion that Dayang County had already been fully rebuilt and restored after the flood.

As for the person secretly investigating the case, they needed to find and eliminate him as swiftly as possible.

The powerful families listening nearby naturally all nodded in agreement, each pledging to keep their own households in line and prevent any loose talk. The tenant farmers on their estates would not be allowed to leave — there would not be the slightest chance for them to slip before the Crown Prince and file a grievance.

“As long as you all know what to do, that is enough. Tomorrow I will go meet with that Imperial Physician Cui alone.” County Magistrate Li said, then waved his hand dismissively. “This banquet is concluded.”

With those words, the crowd dispersed. The glass palace lanterns were taken down one by one, and stripped of their illumination, the three-story pavilion built for taking in the scenery — now bathed only in moonlight and the shadows of trees — resembled a monster that preyed upon those who strayed near it.

By this time, You Yusui had already returned to his own chambers. The palace attendants who had accompanied him had helped him remove his formal robes and changed him into something far more comfortable. The purple-gold crown atop his head had also been taken off, and his raven-black hair fell loose across his chest.

Immediately after, Cui Yan handed You Yusui a bowl of bird’s nest congee and said, “Drink up. Your elder cousin prepared this for you.”

Upon hearing this, You Yusui slowly sipped the bird’s nest congee Cui Yan had given him while soaking his feet. He couldn’t quite tell if it was his imagination, but lately the bitter medicines had become less frequent while supplements like bird’s nest had grown more plentiful. Could it be that Imperial Physician Cui’s peculiar sense of amusement had finally worn off?

And so You Yusui couldn’t help but cast a suspicious glance at Cui Yan beside him.

In truth, Xie Tan had simply sent so many supplements for You Yusui that Cui Yan, worried Xie Tan would notice how little of them had been used upon their return and come looking for trouble, had simply stopped You Yusui’s bitter medicines altogether and switched to dietary nourishment instead.

Only after You Yusui had slowly finished his bowl of bird’s nest congee did Cui Yan begin to discuss with him the matter of tomorrow’s meeting with County Magistrate Li.

“Tomorrow he will certainly ask who is investigating the case in secret. At that point, simply give him some vague answer.” You Yusui spoke. “Just tell him that the investigator has already traced the trail to somewhere near Jinyun Temple outside the city walls — he will believe it without question.”

Cui Yan, noticing the certainty in You Yusui’s expression, let out an “Oh~”

You Yusui knew Cui Yan was a sharp-minded person and had probably already sensed something. But since he wouldn’t say anything, even if Cui Yan racked his brains he would never guess that You Yusui had already been reborn more than a dozen times.

“That is enough of that. We collected so many gifts today — have a look and take whichever one you fancy.” You Yusui gestured toward the pile of things stacked in the corner of the room.

Cui Yan glanced at the red coral tree, missing one of its branches, and said, “Your Highness, I want that one.”

Though You Yusui had snapped off a branch, the sharp-eyed Cui Yan could tell at a glance that this coral tree was genuine.

“No.” You Yusui refused. “It is a fake. And this prince broke it.”

He believed the coral was genuine, and he was still planning to have it carved into beads for Huo Xiling — how could he give it away to Cui Yan so easily.

Cui Yan then spoke with utmost seriousness. “Your Highness, it is genuine.”

“If it were genuine, why did it snap the moment this prince barely touched it?” You Yusui asked.

“Your Highness, have you ever considered that perhaps you were simply born with great strength?” Cui Yan asked.

You Yusui shook his head. Throughout his many lifetimes, his body had never once been truly healthy — he had never had the experience of possessing great strength.

Cui Yan then said, “Does Your Highness not remember kicking Li Yuan flying?”

You Yusui looked puzzled and said, “Was that not on account of that five-hundred-year-old ginseng?”

Cui Yan said languidly, “Oh. So Your Highness believed that nonsense I made up.”

You Yusui: ……

In the next moment, Cui Yan fetched the sword from a guard outside and held it out to You Yusui, asking, “Your Highness, does it feel light?”

You Yusui took the long sword in hand and gave it a small toss — it was feather-light, with barely any weight to it at all.

“Quite light. Should I perhaps spend some money to get the Eastern Palace guards better weapons?” You Yusui asked. After all, he could lift it so effortlessly.

Upon hearing this, Cui Yan took the sword back from You Yusui’s hands and said, “Your Highness, this sword is a standard-issue palace weapon, weighing ten jin. By all rights, Your Highness should not be able to lift it.”

Upon hearing this, You Yusui’s expression froze — and in the next instant he immediately went limp and frail. “Oh, it’s so heavy. This prince can’t lift it.”

Cui Yan: ……

Then You Yusui asked with a rather complicated expression, “Why would this be?”

Cui Yan set down the long sword and said, “When His Majesty was young, he had the strength to wrestle bears. It is perfectly normal for Your Highness to have inherited some measure of that divine strength.”

“But my constitution has always been poor,” You Yusui said in protest.

At this, Cui Yan turned a serious, solemn gaze upon You Yusui and said, “Is there not the possibility, Your Highness, that you were never ill to begin with?”