When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 81

The jade pendant on Xie Tan’s person was indeed different from the ordinary jade pendants engraved with the Xie family crest — it symbolized Xie Tan’s future status as head of the family. Otherwise, Bai Yu would not have been willing to appear before Cui Yan so readily.

Cui Yan took out the jade pendant and handed it to You Yusui, saying, “I got busy and forgot about it the past few days. Fortunately, the pendant wasn’t damaged.”

The jade pendant had a lustrous, translucent quality — it was made of top-grade Hetian jade. Even setting aside what it represented as the young master of the Xie family’s token, it was worth a thousand gold. Even though Cui Yan was the son of a prominent family, if it had been damaged, he would not have been able to compensate a thousand gold on his own.

Still, from the fact that Xie Tan had entrusted such an important jade pendant to You Yusui, Cui Yan could see how much the Xie family valued and cherished You Yusui. The imperial family was heartless by nature — the Crown Prince was fortunate to have such a maternal family behind him.

You Yusui received the jade pendant from Cui Yan’s hands and carefully put it away, then extended his hand toward Cui Yan again.

“What is it?” Cui Yan asked, looking at You Yusui’s open palm.

You Yusui’s palm was fair and delicate, with clear lines. Cui Yan looked it over but could not discern anything wrong with You Yusui’s health.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I do not read palms,” Cui Yan said, raising his head to look at You Yusui.

“Who asked you to read my palm? Where is the interest?” You Yusui asked. “You held onto this jade pendant worth a thousand gold for so long — should this prince not collect a little interest?”

Cui Yan looked at You Yusui’s hand, then looked at You Yusui’s face, and said, “The title of Twin Corrupt Officials of the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace doesn’t belong on this subject’s head — it should be on Your Highness’s.”

With that, Cui Yan placed a licorice pill in You Yusui’s hand.

“Your Highness, take your medicine properly. If you’re ill, get it treated.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Cui Yan quickly walked out of the room.

You Yusui watched Cui Yan’s retreating figure as he fled and let out a huff, then reluctantly stuffed the licorice tablet into his own mouth.

The sweetness of licorice and honey barely managed to chase away the small flicker of irritation in You Yusui’s heart. Before the vegetarian meal from the temple was brought in, You Yusui closed his eyes and dozed off for a little while longer.

Meanwhile, Madam Li had arranged for her daughter, Li Ling’er, to be placed among the group of monks delivering the vegetarian meal to the Crown Prince.

“Mother, isn’t this improper?” Li Ling’er looked at the row of monks carrying food boxes and felt a little apprehensive.

“What’s proper or improper about it — go boldly,” Madam Li said, patting her daughter on the back. “If your mother were twenty years younger, what need would there be for little girls like you?”

With that, Madam Li touched her own face with no small amount of self-satisfaction. Back in the day, she had been a renowned beauty for miles around.

“Alright, take the food box and go stand at the front.” Madam Li pressed the food box beside her into Li Ling’er’s hands.

“Mother, I…”

“Go, go.” Madam Li urged her along with a meaningful look.

Seeing this, Li Ling’er had no choice but to reluctantly pick up the food box and follow the lead monk’s footsteps toward the meditation room where the Crown Prince was staying.

Inside the meditation room, what was burning was not incense before a Buddha statue, but rather You Yusui’s customary Spring’s Message in the Snow. The familiar fragrance allowed You Yusui to sleep soundly, and when the palace attendants woke him for lunch, he was rather reluctant to get up.

“Your Highness, the County Magistrate Li has arranged for his daughter to be among the monks delivering the meal. Shall I send her away, or let her stay?” the palace attendant who was combing You Yusui’s hair asked.

“Let her stay,” You Yusui said after a yawn. No matter what was said, he still had to give Cui Yan some face and put people’s minds at ease.

Once You Yusui had finished putting on his outer robe, the monks who had been waiting outside the door filed in one by one and arranged the dishes on the table before You Yusui.

You Yusui surveyed the table full of dishes, then glanced at Li Ling’er, who looked quite stiff and ill at ease standing among a group of men.

“You, stay. The rest of you may go,” You Yusui said to the monks who had served the food.

“Yes.” The monks dared not linger and, after bowing, left the room.

“Do you know how to serve the dishes?” You Yusui looked toward the young girl beside him.

“I do,” Li Ling’er answered.

Right after that, Li Ling’er watched as the young eunuchs beside You Yusui tasted every dish one by one before turning to her and saying, “Miss Li, you may serve the dishes.”

“Oh.” Li Ling’er stiffly began to serve dishes for You Yusui.

Looking at the girl before him, You Yusui could not help but say, “Both your parents are shrewd people — how did they produce someone with such a simple-natured disposition as yours?”

For a moment, Li Ling’er did not know how to respond.

“Can you read?” You Yusui asked after taking a sip of soup.

“In reply to Your Highness, I can read a few characters,” Li Ling’er answered.

“Stay behind later and read to me,” You Yusui decided, resolving to find himself a free tool for reading story books aloud.

Li Ling’er felt no joy in her heart — she supposed it was already a good thing that the Crown Prince was willing to keep her.

Yet what Li Ling’er had never in a million years anticipated was that the Crown Prince truly had her read story books for an entire afternoon, and then had someone escort her back before nightfall.

She watched as the beautiful young man reclining on the chaise opened his eyes, casually instructed a nearby servant to reward her with a string of beaded bracelet, then said to her, “You read quite well. Continue tomorrow.”

Li Ling’er: ??? This was not at all what she had imagined?

But You Yusui continued, “It’s almost dark — it’s not convenient for you to walk the night road alone. This prince will have someone escort you.”

With that, You Yusui casually pointed to a palace attendant to see Li Ling’er off.

Li Ling’er held the beaded bracelet in her hand, thoroughly baffled. Did His Highness like her or not?

And so, Li Ling’er was escorted back to her quarters by the palace attendant.

When Madam Li saw her daughter return, she hurried forward at once and asked, “My darling, why are you back? Didn’t the Crown Prince keep you?”

He kept her for an entire afternoon — so why did he send her back in the evening?

“What’s that in your hand?” Madam Li’s sharp eyes immediately spotted the beaded bracelet on Li Ling’er’s wrist.

Deep red agates had been ground into round beads and worn on Li Ling’er’s wrist, making her fair wrist appear as white as frost and snow.

“His Highness the Crown Prince gave it to me,” Li Ling’er said, lowering her head.

“Wonderful — this means the Crown Prince values you highly,” Madam Li said happily.

For some reason, Li Ling’er felt that this was the Crown Prince’s payment to her for reading story books.

“It doesn’t matter — if you can’t climb into the Crown Prince’s bed today, we’ll keep trying tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after. In short, we cannot give up.” Madam Li stroked the agate beaded bracelet on Li Ling’er’s wrist and curled her lips in satisfaction.

Upon hearing this, Li Ling’er’s face flushed red with shame. What kind of parent spoke so plainly about having their daughter climb into someone’s bed?

Meanwhile, on the other side, You Yushan, who had been locked up by County Magistrate Li for several days, had finally been met with people coming to rescue him.

At the sight of these people, You Yushan was nearly moved to tears. With them here, he no longer had to impersonate Xie Tan, and no longer had to worry at every moment about being exposed and losing his life.

“Your Highness, your subjects are late in coming to your rescue — please forgive us,” said one of the Li family’s subordinates.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince had taken people to Jinyun Temple to offer incense, which had greatly weakened the Li family’s defenses. Otherwise, they would never have been able to slip inside.

“Quickly, take this prince away from here,” You Yushan said, pressing a hand over his dully aching wound. “The disaster relief silver is hidden inside Jinyun Temple — go to Jinyun Temple at once, and don’t let the Crown Prince get there first!”

“What?” The subordinates exchanged glances, then immediately hoisted You Yushan onto someone’s back and, without anyone the wiser, spirited him out of the Li family compound.

Deep in the night, Huo Xiling, who had been keeping watch outside Jinyun Temple, heard a subordinate come to report. “Tonight there is a faction scouting around the vicinity of Jinyun Temple.”

Huo Xiling’s brow furrowed, and he asked, “Whose people?”

“That is not yet clear,” said the Eastern Palace guard, shaking his head.

Huo Xiling looked toward Jinyun Temple in the distance and said, “Avoid them for now. If they belong to one of the other two princes, find a way to let County Magistrate Li discover them.”

“Yes,” the guard answered.

By the time daylight broke, the matter of You Yushan having been rescued could no longer be concealed. The Li family servant responsible for delivering meals to You Yushan immediately went to Jinyun Temple to report to County Magistrate Li.

“Master, master, something’s wrong!” the Li family servant cried out upon seeing County Magistrate Li.

County Magistrate Li frowned deeply upon hearing this and said, “Oh, away with you — what could possibly be wrong with your master?”

The servant glanced around, then lowered his voice and said to County Magistrate Li, “The person you had locked in that room has escaped.”

“What!” County Magistrate Li instantly fixed his eyes on the servant before him. “Say that again.”

“The person you had locked in the room has escaped!” the servant said once more.

The moment the words landed, County Magistrate Li nearly lost his footing.

“Master, master, are you all right?” the servant quickly moved to support County Magistrate Li.

How could he be all right? He was in deep trouble!

The ledger was gone, Junior Minister Xie had been rescued, and if the embezzled silver were now found as well, the crime of having his entire family executed and clan exterminated awaited him.

In an instant, County Magistrate Li’s eyes turned bloodshot. He clenched his teeth and said, “I should have known long ago — I should have known long ago what kind of person Xie Tan was.”

“Master?” The servant was rather frightened by the sight of County Magistrate Li in this state.

He was now cornered — he had no choice but to stake everything on one final gamble.

“Go, take my waist badge and mobilize the county troops of Dayang County,” County Magistrate Li said, pressing the waist badge into the servant’s hand. “Have them stand guard outside Jinyun Temple.”

That way, whether it was the Crown Prince coming to investigate the case or Xie Tan coming to investigate the case, he could use his five thousand county troops to annihilate them all in one fell swoop, then take his family and flee overseas.

Just as County Magistrate Li pressed the waist badge into the servant’s hand, the Crown Prince stepped through the gate of the courtyard, leading a large crowd of people behind him.

“County Magistrate Li, what a coincidence,” You Yusui said, looking at County Magistrate Li’s slightly pallid complexion. “Would you like to accompany this prince in paying respects to the Buddha?”

County Magistrate Li looked at the large crowd of local magnates and their family members trailing behind You Yusui, and could not help but ask, “Are you all here to accompany His Highness the Crown Prince in paying respects to the Buddha?”

“That’s right,” everyone answered in unison.

Yesterday you all let your daughter get ahead of you and win the Crown Prince’s favor — naturally you all had to make an effort too, and couldn’t let your daughter take all the glory for herself.

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Li wanted to curse them all out loud: Pay respects to the Buddha my foot — do you have any idea that death is almost upon us?!

And on that strikingly beautiful face of You Yusui’s, a smile appeared. He said, “County Magistrate Li, would you like to accompany this prince in paying respects to the Buddha?”

In that moment, County Magistrate Li felt that the Crown Prince was not inviting him to pay respects to the Buddha, but inviting him to descend into hell.

“Your Highness, I…” Before County Magistrate Li could finish his words, his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted dead away.

You Yusui, who had sincerely invited him to pay respects to the Buddha: ???