When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 74

You Yusui had never considered such a possibility, but the facts laid out before him left him with no choice but to believe it — a ten-jin longsword in his hands felt no heavier than a toy.

And so, it was only after You Yusui rose to his feet and swept the longsword in his hand through an elegant sword flourish that it finally dawned on him. He was not ill — and yet Cui Yan had fed him so many bitter medicines.

“Imperial Physician Cui, would you care to explain to this prince why, given that this prince is not ill, you still had this prince drink so many bitter medicines?” You Yusui held the sword at his side, a mild smile on his face as he looked at Cui Yan standing across from him.

Cui Yan coughed once to conceal his flustered state and said, “Was this not what Your Highness requested?”

It was the Crown Prince who had wanted to feign illness and deceive people — he had merely cooperated by prescribing suitably bitter remedies.

“This prince requested it?” You Yusui gave a light laugh.

Then, with a deft twist and flick of the longsword in his hand, he sliced off a lock of Cui Yan’s hair with exquisite precision.

Cui Yan watched calmly as that sorry little lock of hair drifted to the ground. He could now say with certainty that if You Yusui were to come to blows with Huo Xiling, it would be an even match — fifty-fifty.

“His Highness the Crown Prince possesses extraordinary martial prowess,” Cui Yan said. “He could already go and wrestle a bear.”

You Yusui: ……Who on earth has nothing better to do than fight a bear — besides his father, who had been so reckless in his youth.

After a brief silence, You Yusui looked at Cui Yan with complete seriousness and said, “Do not tell Xiling about this.”

“Understood.” Cui Yan silently spared one second of sympathy for young General Huo, who was out there fighting the Tujue and seizing treasures on the Crown Prince’s behalf.

Having received Cui Yan’s reply, You Yusui sat back down on the bed and sank into thought. Why had things turned out this way? If Huo Xiling found out that he could kick a man to death with a single blow, would he still like him?

No! This prince is delicate and frail. Strength enough to wrestle bears? This prince knows nothing of the sort!

Regrettably, Cui Yan possessed no ability to read minds. Had he known what was going through You Yusui’s thoughts, he would surely have told him that if Huo Xiling ever learned he was in perfect health, the news would have Huo Xiling leading every last Eastern Palace guard on ten laps around the Eastern Palace training grounds in sheer elation.

After his mind had wandered through all manner of idle musings, You Yusui gazed out the window at the bright moon and could not help but murmur, “This prince wonders — while this prince is away — whether this prince’s Xiling has been having nightmares.”

Cui Yan, standing to one side: ……

Whether Huo Xiling was here or not, he had always been the superfluous one.

****

On the other side, after parting from You Yusui, Huo Xiling had indeed been plagued by nightmares every single night. The one saving grace, the one thing that gave Huo Xiling reason for relief, was that in these dreams, only he suffered persecution at the hands of the Grand Princess — You Yusui never appeared dead.

The night had grown deep. This was the fifth day since Huo Xiling had left You Yusui’s side. Every night when sleep claimed him, he saw a youth who looked exactly like himself subjected to cruelties no human being should endure. What had begun as shock had gradually hardened into cold indifference.

In these dreams, he never encountered You Yusui. Their meeting had never existed from the very beginning. His youth was fraught with hardship — he had never been taken into the Eastern Palace and raised under the Crown Prince’s devoted care. Instead, he suffered terribly while hunted down by the Grand Princess, became a slave in the arena, was left disfigured and teetering on the edge of death after one pursuit after another, and survived only by relying on his own abilities to strike back from the brink time and again.

By the time he made his way to the military camp where his brother-in-law was garrisoned, he had long since lost count of how many assassins the Grand Princess had sent after him. And even after throwing himself into his brother-in-law’s ranks, he did not dare reveal his identity, fearing the danger it would bring to them both.

The path that lay ahead for Huo Xiling was to stake his life for military merit. He wanted to use those achievements to establish a foothold, to bring down the Grand Princess at the height of her power, and to expose to the world the truth of how she had plotted against and killed his elder sister.

All of it felt too vivid to be a dream — the battlefield of flashing blades and clashing swords was as real as if he had lived through it himself. If Huo Xiling were to reason it through on his own, this was the fate that would have awaited him had he never crossed paths with His Highness the Crown Prince: a life steeped in killing and blood.

“Young General Huo, you’re awake?” The guard keeping watch through the night spoke up as he saw Huo Xiling open his eyes.

“Mm.” Huo Xiling gave a small nod, his fingers resting lightly against his own cheek. There was not a single tear on his face at that moment, and his expression had set as hard as stone weathered by years of wind and frost. The dangerous edge emanating from him grew heavier with each passing day.

The night-watch guard met Huo Xiling’s gaze for a moment, then did not dare to say another word. Only after Huo Xiling walked out through the door of the crumbling temple did he gather around the bonfire with his fellow guards and say, “These past few days away from His Highness the Crown Prince, young General Huo’s aura has been getting more and more frightening.”

“You’re telling me — that’s probably what they call killing intent.”

“Our young general only ever behaves himself in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. You know how harsh he is when he drills us the rest of the time.”

“I really hope we get to see His Highness the Crown Prince soon. At this rate, I don’t think I can hold on much longer!”

By now the moon hung at its zenith, bright and crystalline, its light flowing like water. Huo Xiling listened to the guards’ murmured conversation from inside the temple as he gazed up at the moon overhead. Perhaps the only person in this world who could bring him any comfort was His Highness the Crown Prince.

Even within the dreams, the faint, small warmth he had tasted amid that harrowing life had come from the Crown Prince — even if it was nothing more than one coat among the millions of cotton-padded garments the Crown Prince had gathered for the soldiers, he had been the fortunate one to receive a coat bearing words of blessing written in the Crown Prince’s own hand.

“General, it is dawn. Another half-day’s travel and we will reach Shangdang Commandery.”

Huo Xiling, who had stood outside the crumbling temple for half the night, opened his eyes.

****

On the other side, You Yusui — with no journey to make and no morning court to attend — indulged himself in a leisurely lie-in as a matter of course. He lay there kneading a rabbit-fur pillow in his arms, grumbling that Huo Xiling was not beside him and that lying in bed alone was terribly dull.

Cui Yan walked in carrying a bowl of bird’s nest congee to find His Highness the Crown Prince twisted into a knot on the bed. Since learning that he was not ill, His Highness seemed to have let himself go with ever greater abandon.

“Your Highness, stop twisting about — no matter how much you twist, the person still won’t be here,” Cui Yan said bluntly, cutting right to the heart of the matter. He then cast a disdainful glance at the rabbit-fur pillow in the Crown Prince’s hands — a whole patch of fur had been yanked bald, and still he refused to let go.

“Imperial Physician Cui, this prince is warning you — do not push it too far. This prince can take on ten of you single-handedly right now.” You Yusui burrowed out from beneath the covers, squinting as he leveled a threatening glare at Cui Yan.

“Then how about you finish this bowl of bird’s nest congee first, and then go back under the covers and twist around to your heart’s content?” Cui Yan replied.

“Get out.” With that, You Yusui yanked the blanket up and buried himself beneath it.

Cui Yan: ……Would anyone believe him if he told them what the Crown Prince had done in a fit of pique?

In the end, the sulking Crown Prince still drank every last drop of the bird’s nest congee Cui Yan had brought. After all, it had been prepared for him by his maternal cousin — he was doing it out of respect for his cousin.

Once Gardener Cui had diligently finished tending to the peony early that morning, County Magistrate Li, who had been waiting for some time, was already in his room.

The moment Cui Yan stepped inside, he saw County Magistrate Li sitting at the table drinking tea. The moment the magistrate spotted Cui Yan entering, he came forward to greet him, a fawning smile spreading across his face.

“County Magistrate Li, has something brought you here?” Cui Yan said with a smile. “I was just taking His Highness the Crown Prince’s pulse to check on his health. I’m afraid I’ve kept County Magistrate Li waiting.”

“Not at all, not at all,” the magistrate said quickly. “Please, Imperial Physician Cui, have a seat, have a seat.”

After Cui Yan had sat down, County Magistrate Li finally spoke, “Might I ask — what is the purpose of His Highness the Crown Prince’s visit to Dayang County this time?”

Cui Yan smiled and replied, “His Highness the Crown Prince has no particular mission. The very best outcome would simply be that he does not fall ill.”

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Li’s heart eased somewhat. At the very least, the Crown Prince was not the one he needed to guard against most.

“Then, will there be others coming to Dayang?” County Magistrate Li asked.

Cui Yan extended his hand and held up a number of fingers. “That,” he said, “comes at a separate price.”

Seeing this, the magistrate’s heart settled a little. He then said, “Whatever Imperial Physician Cui fancies in this residence, he is welcome to take all of it.”

At once, a smile spread across Cui Yan’s face. He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and said, “County Magistrate Li is a man of straightforward dealings.”

“Indeed, indeed.” The magistrate laughed.

“There will certainly be someone,” Cui Yan said with a smile.

“Who?” County Magistrate Li pressed at once.

“His Majesty dispatched this person himself — even the Crown Prince does not know. How would I know?” Cui Yan said, his brow creasing slightly. “However, you might reason it through yourself — who would His Majesty send?”

“How many in this court are capable of shouldering such a task? How many can hold a situation steady? How many enjoy His Majesty’s deep and abiding trust? How many would dare to venture in alone?” Cui Yan set down his teacup and spoke in a quiet voice.

In that instant, a succession of names flooded through County Magistrate Li’s mind.

“Could it be——”

“Hush.” Cui Yan cut him off. “Whatever you do, this must not reach His Highness the Crown Prince’s ears.”

Cui Yan had a fair idea that County Magistrate Li had guessed Xie Tan. What a pity — Xie Tan was still back in Chang’an, keeping himself alive on thick ginseng tea.

“Of course, of course.” The magistrate wiped the cold sweat from his brow, clearly gripped by exceptional wariness toward this unnamed person.

“And does Imperial Physician Cui have any other information?” County Magistrate Li asked.

Cui Yan straightened in his seat and looked at the magistrate. “If you want more information, you will have to offer something else in exchange.”

“And what does Imperial Physician Cui think would be suitable?” the magistrate asked.

Cui Yan smiled and said quietly, “Naturally — that dirty silver.”

He then blew lightly across the surface of his tea, lowered his gaze, and said, “I do not ask for much. Only six-tenths.”

County Magistrate Li’s fury ignited the moment he heard this. He calls this not much — opening his mouth to demand six-tenths straight away!

Before the magistrate could speak, Cui Yan set his teacup down on the table and regarded him calmly. “County Magistrate Li is of course free to decline this transaction. After all, I am merely an Imperial Physician of the Eastern Palace — I follow the Crown Prince, and I have never done anything that warrants having my head taken.”

County Magistrate Li looked at Cui Yan’s completely detached air and felt utterly stifled — yet he also understood that the moment he agreed, Cui Yan would be on the same thread as the rest of them. When the time came to pull the wool over the Crown Prince’s eyes, clear their names, preserve their lives, and go on living free and easy, there would be nothing to worry about at all.

“I agree.” County Magistrate Li said through gritted teeth.

Cui Yan smiled upon hearing this. “County Magistrate Li is truly a man of sound judgment.”

“I ask that Imperial Physician Cui share everything he knows with us,” the magistrate said.

Cui Yan lowered his gaze to the tea before him and said, “Earlier today, I intercepted a secret letter intended for the Crown Prince. The sender has already traced things to Jinyun Temple outside Dayang County.”

The moment those words fell, County Magistrate Li failed to keep his footing on the stool and toppled right off onto the floor.

Cui Yan: ……So what the Crown Prince said turned out to be true.

The next instant, Cui Yan hurried to help the man up. “County Magistrate Li, whatever are you doing? It is no holiday or festival — what manner of grand obeisance is this?”

County Magistrate Li: ……I was frightened out of my wits.