When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 76

“This probably isn’t real, is it?” You Yusui asked Cui Yan.

County Magistrate Li and his men had caught someone near Jinyun Temple, and the secret letter told him that the Third Prince, You Yushan, had been lying in ambush at Jinyun Temple, waiting to swoop in like a mantis stalking a cicada and snatch the final credit.

It was all far too convenient — one couldn’t help but draw connections.

“It’s not impossible.” Cui Yan held the cloth strip over a candle flame and burned it, then instructed the servants outside to fetch raw meat to feed the hawk. Only after doing all of this did he turn to You Yusui and say, “I think it’s most likely Prince Wu.”

“That doesn’t seem right.” You Yusui still found it hard to believe. You Yushan was the one among their brothers who served as the muscle — surely he wouldn’t be captured so easily.

“The Third Imperial Brother may not have the sharpest mind, but his martial arts are quite decent,” You Yusui said.

Cui Yan let out a sigh. “Your Highness, have you forgotten how Prince Wu went missing in the first place?”

You Yusui fell silent. It seemed there was actually a reason why You Yushan couldn’t fight off that pack of vicious thugs and ended up getting captured.

“Besides, if Your Highness doesn’t believe it, you could always go and investigate in person,” Cui Yan added.

You Yusui flopped face-down onto the bed and said, “This prince is so frail and delicate — how could you possibly ask me to…”

Before he could even finish, he looked up to find Cui Yan staring at him with an expression that said plainly: Go ahead and perform. I’ll just watch you perform.

“Fine, this prince will go take a look.” You Yusui sat up and said to Cui Yan — he also wanted to see what state You Yushan was currently in.

“Does His Highness the Crown Prince have good qinggong?” Cui Yan suddenly asked.

You Yusui thought for a brief moment. “Should be decent enough.”

He’d had a dedicated martial arts instructor in his childhood and had learned horse-riding, archery, and some qinggong — but he couldn’t carry people up a hundred-zhang-tall building the way Huo Xiling could.

“Why do you ask?” You Yusui looked at Cui Yan, who appeared especially calm and composed in the lamplight.

“Your Highness,” Cui Yan said, a trace of longing and anticipation showing in his eyes, “could you bring me along?”

You Yusui: …Are you overestimating me just a little too much?

“No,” You Yusui refused outright.

Cui Yan considered for a moment. “If you fake an illness in the future, I won’t prescribe bitter medicine anymore.”

You Yusui narrowed his eyes, wishing he could throttle Cui Yan. “You dare bring that up.”

“If Your Highness switched to a different imperial physician, they’d certainly prescribe bitter medicine too. But I happen to have grape-flavored and watermelon-flavored herbal remedies here — are you sure you don’t want to make a deal?” Cui Yan said with perfect composure.

“Imperial Physician Cui, you truly are a remarkable person.” In all his years, You Yusui had never come across anyone who could make medicine taste like fruit.

“So what does Your Highness say?” Cui Yan asked with a smile.

“Deal.”

****

Under the cover of night, a figure dressed in black carried another figure dressed in black and struggled over a wall, then carefully dodged the night-patrol servants of the Li residence.

“Imperial Physician Cui, you’re far too heavy,” You Yusui complained as he hauled Cui Yan over the wall.

“Your Highness, what are you saying? This official has won the title of ‘Most Graceful Gentleman of Chang’an’ eight years running,” Cui Yan said with complete seriousness. “It isn’t that this official is heavy — it’s that Your Highness’s qinggong is simply not good enough to carry me.”

You Yusui: …Does that competition actually exist in Chang’an? Why has he never heard of it? And how are you able to announce yourself as the champion of that competition with such a perfectly straight face?

“Oh? Is there also a ‘Most Handsome Gentleman of Chang’an’ competition?” You Yusui asked.

“There is,” Cui Yan answered from his crouch in the shrubbery.

“Who won?” You Yusui asked with mild curiosity.

Cui Yan paused for a moment, then spat out two words. “Your brother?”

“Are the girls of Chang’an that blind? You Yuyi deserves that title?” You Yusui crouched beside Cui Yan, indignant.

If he’d known about this competition in his past dozen or so lifetimes, he would have outshone them all — what does it have to do with You Yuyi?

Cui Yan looked at You Yusui with an indescribable expression. He had no idea why You Yusui had jumped to the First Prince, and could only push out three more words. “Your cousin.”

“Now that makes sense.” You Yusui was satisfied. Xie Tan resembled him by six or seven parts, and Xie Tan was the most handsome gentleman in Chang’an — which essentially meant he was the most handsome gentleman in Chang’an.

Was there anything wrong with that logic? Not at all. His cousin’s glory was his glory.

Cui Yan looked at the cheerful You Yusui, at a loss for words. His Highness the Crown Prince always seemed to find satisfaction in the strangest of things. What Cui Yan would never say aloud was that he himself had once entered the Most Handsome Gentleman of Chang’an competition — only that his rather plain-looking face couldn’t compete with Xie Tan’s strikingly dazzling one, and even stuffing the ballot hadn’t been enough to beat Xie Tan, forcing him to settle for second place.

…..

Just as You Yusui and Cui Yan were whispering away, one of the patrolling servants suddenly called out. “Who’s there?”

You Yusui frowned, hesitating over whether to act, and just as the servants were closing in on the shrubbery where he was crouched — in the blink of an eye — Cui Yan quickly let out a cat’s meow, flicked a pebble with his finger, and drew the servants’ attention elsewhere entirely.

“It’s just a stray cat — scared the hell out of me,” the lead servant muttered, then grumbled and led the others away.

Once they had gone, Cui Yan looked at You Yusui. “Your Highness was about to kill someone just now.”

As a physician, Cui Yan had always been keenly attuned to his patients’ emotional states — so the brief flicker of killing intent that had leaked from You Yusui just now had not fooled him.

And that was precisely what puzzled Cui Yan: how could You Yusui, who had been raised within the palace walls and had never witnessed bloodshed, possess killing intent?

It was common knowledge that ordinary people who killed usually did so in a fit of passion — and afterward, they would feel frightened, and it was not unusual for them to vomit or suffer nightmares. Such people would never carry killing intent. Yet when You Yusui had been about to act, it was clearly with full deliberation: the hand gripping his sword hadn’t trembled in the slightest, and his expression had gone cold in a way that was almost frightening.

The manner and bearing You Yusui had shown when faced with the imminent act of killing — Cui Yan had only ever seen it in battle-hardened soldiers. Yet You Yusui was the Crown Prince, living under the eyes of the Emperor and his ministers — how could he have killed anyone? Even killing a mere servant would have resulted in impeachment. So how could he possibly have killed enough to carry killing intent?

How, then, did the Crown Prince You Yusui come to possess killing intent?

Before Cui Yan could work it out, You Yusui had already taken his hand and led him out of the shrubbery. After slipping past several more patrol groups, they arrived at their destination — a secluded courtyard within the Li residence.

You Yusui brought Cui Yan up onto the roof, then casually lifted a roof tile to peek at the situation inside.

The room was still lit, and You Yushan had only just regained consciousness not long ago.

“Has Junior Minister Xie awakened?” County Magistrate Li stood in the center of the room, looking at the newly conscious You Yushan as he spoke.

You Yushan, his hands bound and his body feeling utterly limp, instantly understood that these people had drugged him.

“What Junior Minister Xie? I am the reigning Prince Wu — release me at once! Are you looking to commit treason?” You Yushan bellowed.

“Truly worthy of Junior Minister Xie,” County Magistrate Li said. “Even at a moment like this, he can remain so composed while impersonating Prince Wu. This humble one is in admiration.” He finished speaking and gave You Yushan a bow.

Up on the roof, You Yusui was struggling to keep his face from cramping with suppressed laughter. The person you’ve captured really is Prince Wu, You Yushan!

Down below, You Yushan looked at County Magistrate Li with an expression that said have you lost your mind. “What Junior Minister Xie? This prince is not him.”

County Magistrate Li smiled and said, “Junior Minister Xie need not continue the act. Your appearance bears a two-part resemblance to His Highness the Crown Prince — I would never mistake you.”

“After all, you two are cousins,” County Magistrate Li said, stepping in front of You Yushan with an expression of complete certainty.

That line — you two are cousins — rendered You Yushan in the room, and You Yusui and Cui Yan on the roof, all speechless at once.

Who in all of Chang’an didn’t know that His Highness the Crown Prince and his cousin bore a six- or seven-part resemblance to each other — more like brothers than actual brothers?

County Magistrate Li looked at the silent You Yushan. “Junior Minister Xie, you can’t deny it now, can you?”

He finished speaking with a thoroughly self-satisfied expression.

Up on the roof, You Yusui could only want to cover his eyes and refuse to watch what was about to unfold.

“You worthless wretch — do you know that the Crown Prince most resembles the late Empress? If this prince were Xie Tan, there would be far more than a two-part resemblance!” You Yushan finally exploded in a torrent of curses.

Who didn’t know that everyone in the Xie family was strikingly glamorous, the kind of person who looks like a flower of human wealth and nobility? He himself was so dashingly handsome — how could anyone mistake him for someone from the Xie family?

What You Yushan didn’t know was that Chang’an and Hedong Commandery were separated by several hundred li, and County Magistrate Li — who had never been to Chang’an and was not from a great aristocratic family — would have had no way of knowing that members of the Xie family were all extraordinarily glamorous in appearance.

When You Yushan finished cursing, County Magistrate Li clapped his hands together and said, “Truly worthy of Junior Minister Xie — if someone from the Crown Prince’s side hadn’t already informed me of your presence at Jinyun Temple, I might truly have been fooled by you.”

Up on the roof, You Yusui couldn’t help rubbing his temples. He thought County Magistrate Li was rather foolish himself — even if his cousin had actually been caught, why would his cousin disguise himself as You Yushan? His cousin would probably…

No, no, no — his cousin would never be caught in the first place. You Yusui immediately dismissed that possibility entirely.

Below, County Magistrate Li didn’t wait for You Yushan to keep insisting he wasn’t Xie Tan and was Prince Wu. He continued on his own. “I expect Junior Minister Xie must have discovered that the disaster relief silver is hidden at Jinyun Temple.”

“I have great admiration for Junior Minister Xie — to have tracked down the location where we hid the tainted silver in such a short time.”

You Yushan froze. He hadn’t expected that the place he’d been temporarily using to rest and recover would actually be hiding tainted silver. He had to remember this — he needed to find it before the Crown Prince did, and then the greatest credit would be his.

“However, we are still one step ahead. Junior Minister Xie probably wouldn’t have expected that someone close to the Crown Prince has already been bought over by us.” County Magistrate Li smiled. “Your every move has been within our grasp — otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to capture you.”

You Yushan thought to himself: Who the hell could you have bought over? Ever since the Crown Prince recovered, the palace attendants around him — other than those left behind by the late Empress — had all been replaced with Father Emperor’s people. Who is there to buy? Could you introduce us? He and his imperial mother would also like to buy someone.

At that moment, County Magistrate Li had already moved to You Yushan’s side. “Junior Minister Xie,” he said, “why don’t we cooperate? You let us off the hook, and we will help you eliminate Prince Yan and Prince Wu, allowing the Crown Prince to ascend the throne. Surely the Xie family desires the glory of supporting the new emperor? Eliminate Prince Yan and Prince Wu, and the Crown Prince will have no more rivals. As for the deaths of the two princes — it will all be blamed on unrest caused by refugees, and I guarantee not a shred of the truth will be found.” County Magistrate Li lowered his voice and whispered in You Yushan’s ear, like a devil murmuring temptations.

At that moment, You Yushan was nearly frightened to death. If this old bastard actually figured out that he was Prince Wu, it would truly be a dead end.

And so he said, “I am Xie Tan.”