When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 77

You Yusui listened as You Yushan actually admitted to being Xie Tan, and he couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. Could his third imperial brother really pull off even one-tenth of his cousin’s distinguished bearing?

Beside him, Cui Yan lowered his gaze slightly, the corners of his mouth curving upward — he too found the scene unfolding below rather entertaining.

“Junior Minister Xie, you’ve admitted it after all.” County Magistrate Li said cheerfully, hands tucked into his sleeves. “It seems you’ve agreed to cooperate with us.”

“Agreed.” You Yushan made a great effort to adopt Xie Tan’s expression of icy composure — the kind that would not change color even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

Up on the rooftop, You Yusui clicked his tongue inwardly. His cousin was clearly cold and unhurried, betraying no emotion, like a flower blooming on a lofty peak — so how was it that his third brother’s imitation looked more like a facial paralysis patient?

That said, You Yushan had a naturally stern-looking face, and the moment he schooled his features into seriousness, an air of authority seemed to settle over him. County Magistrate Li, who had never laid eyes on Xie Tan before, was entirely convinced that this was indeed him.

“Junior Minister Xie’s agreement is wonderful, simply wonderful.” The smile on County Magistrate Li’s face was practically blooming. He hadn’t expected that this trip would let him not only establish a connection with someone close to the Crown Prince, but also get himself onto the same boat as the Xie family. Once this matter was concluded, his wealth and glory in the years ahead would surely be assured.

County Magistrate Li was overcome with delight, and he hurriedly untied the ropes binding You Yushan, then used his hands to rub at his wrists.

Being rubbed by County Magistrate Li’s hands — which felt like old bark — made You Yushan’s scalp crawl and his hairs stand on end. He wished for nothing more than to shove the old wretch away from him. However, the drug in his system had not yet worn off, and at this point he suspected even a young woman could subdue him.

“I wonder if Junior Minister Xie would be willing to meet with someone close to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so that we may then plot our great undertaking together?” County Magistrate Li asked, his smile fawning to an almost excessive degree.

You Yushan didn’t dare meet with anyone close to the Crown Prince — wasn’t that just inviting someone to expose that he wasn’t Xie Tan at all, but Prince Wu? And so, with his mind still clear, he quickly intercepted County Magistrate Li.

“His Majesty dispatched me to investigate this case covertly. There are too many eyes and ears around His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and among them are surely people loyal to His Majesty. We must act with greater caution. It would be better if you conveyed my agreement to cooperate to that person in the Crown Prince’s circle on my behalf.” You Yushan said.

County Magistrate Li, upon hearing this, felt that You Yushan had made a sound point. There were over a thousand people in the Crown Prince’s entourage, and among them there were certainly the Emperor’s people. If their plan were discovered, they wouldn’t just fail in their grand scheme — they’d find themselves unable to protect their own hides.

So, the less contact “Xie Tan” before him had with that Imperial Physician Cui, the smaller the risk of their plan being exposed.

Seeing County Magistrate Li nod in agreement, You Yushan couldn’t help but let out a quiet breath of relief. This was the first time he’d ever been this clever and quick-witted.

“In that case, this subordinate will convey Junior Minister Xie’s words on your behalf.” County Magistrate Li said.

“Very good. Now you may go — this…this official is tired.” You Yushan began showing him the door.

County Magistrate Li immediately read the room and said, “Junior Minister Xie, do rest well. If you need anything, simply instruct the servants outside — they will naturally do whatever you ask.”

“That said, you will not be able to leave this room for the time being. Once you have written your memorial to the court, we will hold a banquet in your honor — how does that sound?” County Magistrate Li said, looking at You Yushan lying on the bed.

You Yushan nodded, urging County Magistrate Li to get out quickly. All he needed to do now was stay alive. Once the Li family’s subordinates noticed his absence from Jinyun Temple, they would naturally follow his trail and come looking for him. There was no need to rush.

“Then, Junior Minister Xie, do rest well today.” With that, County Magistrate Li shut the door and left in high spirits.

Up on the rooftop, You Yusui fitted the tiles back into place, then turned to Cui Yan beside him and said, “Writing memorials and official documents requires an official seal. My third imperial brother certainly doesn’t have my cousin’s seal — is he going to use the Prince of Wu’s seal, or carve one out of a turnip?”

Cui Yan looked at You Yusui and said, “Your Highness had better worry first about whether Prince Wu will get there ahead of you.”

After all, You Yushan already knew where the disaster relief silver was hidden. Finding it was only a matter of time.

You Yusui simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry. This matter will be concluded before he is rescued.”

He then beckoned Cui Yan closer with a wave of his hand, and spoke softly into his ear. “Tomorrow, I must trouble Imperial Physician Cui to leave the estate — under the pretense of purchasing medicinal herbs on this prince’s behalf — to meet with someone hiding at the Qin Ji Medicine Shop.”

“Who?” Cui Yan asked, lifting his gaze.

You Yusui smiled and said, “Naturally, the courageous soul who exposed this matter. He knows where the account ledger is hidden.”

Cui Yan looked at You Yusui, his mind full of questions. The Crown Prince seemed to predict events with uncanny accuracy, as though he already knew all the answers — it gave Cui Yan no choice but to think deeply about the reasons behind it. But clearly, this was not the place for such a conversation.

“Take this with you. Show it to the proprietor of the Qin Ji Medicine Shop, and they will naturally come to find you.” With that, You Yusui handed him a jade pendant engraved with the Xie family crest.

Before Cui Yan could ask another question, You Yusui — dressed in his night-stalking garb — hauled him down from the rooftop.

Cui Yan: …So why are you wearing night-stalking clothes and still carrying the Xie family crest? I don’t understand.

By the time You Yusui brought Cui Yan back to his room, Cui Yan still hadn’t found a suitable moment to ask — because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had simply climbed into bed, hugged his beloved rabbit-fur pillow, and gone straight to sleep.

Cui Yan: …eye-straining.

Cui Yan then turned his gaze to the jade pendant You Yusui had given him, engraved with the Xie family crest. He had a vague sense that he’d seen it somewhere before — it looked like something he might have seen on Xie Tan.

What Cui Yan didn’t know was that the person who had risked death to send word to the court was an official who had once served at Xie Tan’s side. In his previous life, You Yusui had happened to be wearing the jade pendant Xie Tan had given him before his departure, and it was precisely because of that pendant that he had gained that official’s trust — and from him, obtained the account ledger. Without it, not even You Yusui himself knew how many complications might have arisen along the way. At the very least, that official would never have believed him so readily.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, the Li family’s subordinates had only just discovered that Prince Wu — whom they had gone to such great lengths to bring back — had once again vanished.

They had merely arranged for him to be temporarily settled there while some of them went to contact the Li family’s forces in Hedong Commandery, and others went down the mountain to purchase daily necessities and medicinal herbs for the prince’s recovery. They had even specifically assigned a young novice monk to keep watch — so how had he simply disappeared?

And so the group went straight to the abbot of Jinyun Temple and interrogated him. We gave you money to let our master recover temporarily in your temple — so where is he now? Where is he? If we cannot find our master, don’t think we won’t burn this temple of yours to the ground!

The abbot looked at the three men before him, his heart full of fear. Though there were only three of them, each was powerfully built — household retainers of a noble family, entirely beyond the capacity of a small temple like theirs to provoke.

And so the abbot quickly summoned the young novice monk who had been watching over You Yushan and had him explain who had taken their master away.

The young novice had never witnessed anything like this before. Trembling with fright, he hastily told them everything he knew.

“A group of people came — by the look of them, they appeared to be the county magistrate’s men who took the pilgrim away.”

“They surrounded the pilgrim, called him Junior Minister Xie. The pilgrim denied it, and then they knocked him unconscious and took him.”

“After that, I know nothing more — please don’t kill me!”

The several Li family retainers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with deep bewilderment.

Why would those people call their Prince Wu “Junior Minister Xie”? Could it be that the court had also sent Xie Tan to investigate the case?

That didn’t seem right. If that were the case, Chang’an would surely have sent word already.

“Go to the county magistrate’s estate and rescue him.” One of the retainers spoke.

With that, they delivered a fierce warning to the monks of Jinyun Temple: if a single word of today’s events was breathed to anyone, they had best go and seek passage to the Western Pure Land.

(TL: 西方极乐世界 (Xīfāng Jílè Shìjiè) in Buddhism:

>The Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha

>A figurative way of saying “die” or “go to the afterlife”)

Only after the three men left did the abbot and the young novice finally let out a breath of relief.

****

Early the next morning, County Magistrate Li came to find Cui Yan, bringing with him the news of Xie Tan’s willingness to cooperate.

“Junior Minister Xie has agreed to our cooperation.” County Magistrate Li announced cheerfully. “He will protect our lives, and we will help him eliminate Prince Yan and Prince Wu. The throne will then belong to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

Cui Yan smiled upon hearing this and said, “Then I must offer my advance congratulations to County Magistrate Li on earning merit by rallying to the new ruler’s cause.”

County Magistrate Li stroked his beard and said, “Not at all, not at all — this is all thanks to Imperial Physician Cui.”

Had it not been for Imperial Physician Cui’s information, he would never have known that Xie Tan was at Jinyun Temple, let alone have been able to reach an agreement with him.

Cui Yan then rose to his feet and addressed County Magistrate Li. “The medicinal herbs I use to tend to His Highness’s health have run low. I’d like to go out of the estate to purchase some.”

“Imperial Physician Cui, there is no need to go yourself — I’ll have someone deliver them directly to you.” County Magistrate Li said.

Cui Yan shook his head. “Herbs that are delivered can never quite compare to ones I select myself. If only the medicines from the Xie family could arrive in time.”

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Li understood that whatever he sent over would indeed fall short of what the Xie family could provide, and so it was entirely reasonable for Cui Yan to want to go into the city to browse a pharmacy for anything suitable.

“Then I’ll have someone accompany you out of the estate.” County Magistrate Li said, his eyes carrying a look that brooked no refusal.

“Perfect — I was just in need of someone to carry the herbs for me.” Cui Yan said with a smile.

County Magistrate Li immediately called for two servants to accompany Cui Yan out the door.

After Cui Yan had left, the head clerk standing at County Magistrate Li’s side couldn’t help but ask, “My lord, why such caution?”

County Magistrate Li stroked his beard and said, “Caution steers the ship for ten thousand years. It’s better to keep an eye on that man.”

“My lord is wise.” The head clerk beside him agreed.

However, the two servants County Magistrate Li had assigned had barely walked as far as the Qin Ji Medicine Shop with Cui Yan when their stomachs seized up with unbearable pain, sending them rushing toward the privy beneath Cui Yan’s warm and understanding gaze.

By the time the two servants returned, Imperial Physician Cui had already finished purchasing the herbs.

“You’re back?” Cui Yan smiled. “Time to pay.”

The proprietor of the Qin Ji Medicine Shop produced an account book with a beaming smile. “Gentlemen, please take a look: two hundred-year-old ginseng roots, one hundred portions of the finest swallow’s nest, plus an assortment of premium medicinal ingredients — twenty thousand guan in total.”

The two servants’ hands trembled slightly as they held the bill. Did His Highness the Crown Prince really need this much expensive medicine and this many portions of swallow’s nest every so often?

At that very moment, You Yusui — currently eating Consort Xian’s finest golden silk snow swallow bird’s nest as though it were an everyday meal — let out a sneeze.

He then tugged his little blanket tighter around himself and said with a pitiful air, “This prince is sick again. Why hasn’t Xiling come back yet?”