When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 85

You Yusui felt that his eldest imperial brother always possessed an exceptional talent for bringing shame upon the imperial family and their father emperor, leaving his other brothers far behind, in a class of his own.

The others who heard the news were equally stunned. A dignified imperial prince had actually married into someone else’s family? He didn’t even put up a struggle? How could a grown man live off a woman!

“Where is he?” You Yusui spoke up among the crowd, whose expressions varied widely.

“He is currently in Mo Family Village in the neighboring county. The Prince Yan married into a wealthy household, and the family is now unwilling to release him. We also do not wish to cause conflict with common people.” The shadow guard reported the details one by one.

You Yusui thought for a brief moment before speaking, “Very well, let this prince go fetch him in person.”

Upon hearing this, the shadow guard couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief. It was truly fortunate that His Highness the Crown Prince could step forward personally.

Cui Yan, however, knew that His Highness the Crown Prince simply wanted to go and watch the eldest prince make a fool of himself.

“His Highness is in poor health and should not travel far. Allow this official to go in His Highness’s stead,” said Xie Tan, who was standing nearby.

In Xie Tan’s eyes, although You Yusui’s spirits were fairly good at the moment, his body remained weak, and it was not worth making such a trip just for the eldest prince.

Upon hearing this, Cui Yan couldn’t help but shoot Xie Tan a glare. How oblivious — didn’t he know that His Highness wanted to go and enjoy the spectacle?

In the current situation, You Yusui could hardly tug at his cousin’s sleeve and act coyishly, saying, Cousin, I want to go watch the fun — won’t you let me go?

So You Yusui could only say, “This prince has been cooped up indoors for so long and would like to go out for a walk. Besides, this prince is not so frail as to be toppled by the wind, isn’t that right?”

As he finished speaking, You Yusui gave Cui Yan a meaningful look.

At this point, You Yusui truly was no longer so fragile. Having been cared for by three people for such a long time, doted on at every moment, nourished by the finest medicinal broths, and in a cheerful state of mind, the damage caused by his earlier excessive grief had largely healed. He had long since recovered to the point where he could spar with Huo Xiling — it was just that he still looked a little thin.

Cui Yan, in his capacity as imperial physician, received the signal from You Yusui and spoke up. “His Highness’s health has improved. It would indeed be good for him to go out for a walk.”

Xie Tan glanced at Cui Yan and ultimately nodded in agreement.

Seeing Xie Tan nod, You Yusui broke into a smile and said to Huo Xiling beside him, “Go quickly and prepare the carriage. Bring maternal grandfather along as well — we’re going on an outing.”

The shadow guard standing nearby listened with a bewildered expression. Weren’t they going to fetch Prince Yan?

Shortly after, You Yusui coughed a few times. “Cough, cough — no, I mean, we’re going to fetch the eldest imperial brother.”

Just as the shadow guard’s face shifted to an expression of “So His Highness isn’t going for fun after all,” he heard the Crown Prince say to Huo Xiling, “Tell maternal grandfather to bring his fishing rod.”

Shadow guard: ??? Why would they need a fishing rod to fetch the eldest prince?

Then the Crown Prince turned to him with a smile and asked, “Does that Mo Family Village have a river?”

Shadow guard: ……

Finally, the shadow guard answered with great difficulty, “It does.”

So You Yusui said with a smile, “Then let’s set off now.”

Shadow guard: ……

At this point, the shadow guard truly doubted whether the Crown Prince had any genuine intention of fetching the eldest prince. Surely the eldest prince wouldn’t really spend the rest of his life as someone else’s live-in son-in-law.

A Crown Prince’s procession was naturally grand and imposing — over a dozen carts loaded with food and provisions alone, not to mention the luggage of the others accompanying him.

The entire convoy ended up looking not like a pleasure trip, but more like a household relocation.

****

Back in Mo Family Village, Mo Shanshan, who had just recently been married, was overcome with worry. She thought back to the people who had come earlier looking for her husband — their cold, killing auras told her that her husband was no ordinary man.

More accurately, from the very moment Mo Shanshan had pulled him from the river and caught sight of his face, she had known that her husband was of extraordinary birth.

What ordinary family could produce such fine looks? During their time together, although her husband had lost his memory, he could compose eloquent speech with ease — what commoner family could have given someone so much learning?

Just then, Mo Shanshan’s father walked up to his daughter.

“Shanshan, the husband you rescued is quite an important figure,” Father Mo said.

“If he is an important figure and goes back with those people, what is to become of this daughter?” Mo Shanshan asked.

Father Mo said with a smile, “Why, naturally you go back with him and enjoy wealth and glory — isn’t that a fine thing?”

“But what if he already has a principal wife at home?” Mo Shanshan asked.

A man of You Yuyi’s age — which of them didn’t already have a principal wife long since?

Father Mo looked at Mo Shanshan, who had already begun to feel sorrowful, and said, “You foolish girl!”

“He entered our family fair and proper as a live-in son-in-law. Every rite that needed to be observed was observed, every person who needed to be notified was notified, every official procedure that needed to be completed was completed.”

“Even if he has a principal wife at home, you are his equal wife!” Father Mo declared with resounding conviction. “If he refuses to acknowledge it, we will go to his household and make a scene!”

“Really?” Mo Shanshan looked at her father.

“Really.” Father Mo had a heart set on climbing to power and influence. If his son-in-law’s family came looking again, he was determined to have them take his entire household along.

“Don’t worry — Father will absolutely not let you suffer any loss,” Father Mo said.

Hearing this, Mo Shanshan’s heart settled considerably, and she no longer felt resistant even to the matter of her husband’s family coming to find him.

However, Mo Shanshan had never imagined that the people coming to fetch him would arrive with such an enormous procession.

A convoy stretching for several li entered Mo Family Village from outside. Their county magistrate was bowing and scraping before the person in the carriage, and the village head — who ordinarily never deigned to look at anyone properly — had placed himself in an extremely humble posture.

Mo Shanshan stood at her family’s doorway, staring blankly as the magnificent carriage came to a stop before her home. Then, the person inside was helped out by a heroic and handsome young general.

The carriage curtain stirred slightly, and a young man who seemed almost divine stepped out — his looks as breathtaking as rosy clouds reflected on snow, yet his entire bearing so commanding that one dared not look directly at him.

And all those who stepped down from the carriages around him were like orchids and jade trees, arrayed behind that young man — making one feel as though one had wandered into a gathering of immortals, and Mo Shanshan was the mortal who had strayed into it.

In an instant, the county magistrate’s voice jolted Mo Shanshan awake. Seeing her dazed expression, the magistrate scolded, “This is His Highness the Crown Prince — why have you not yet knelt?!”

The words struck Mo Shanshan’s ears like a thunderclap, jolting her to awareness, and she hastily knelt to pay her respects in a flurry of panic.

But before she had even finished kneeling, someone pulled her to her feet. She saw the young man beside her say, “Even as my imperial brother’s wife married in proper ceremony and with full rites… one need not bow so deeply to me.”

Cui Yan, standing nearby, nearly burst out laughing upon hearing You Yusui’s words. Married into the family in proper ceremony with full rites — His Highness the Crown Prince truly had a cutting tongue.

The county magistrate watching from the side, however, felt that the Mo family was about to rise to glory along with their son-in-law. After all, they were the saviors of his life, and his wife had been married with full rites. Even though Prince Yan already had a principal consort, a secondary consort title for the Mo girl was surely not out of the question. The county magistrate’s expression toward Mo Shanshan immediately took on a touch of flattery.

Mo Shanshan felt somewhat unsettled by how swiftly the county magistrate’s attitude had shifted, and looked at You Yusui, not knowing what to do.

You Yusui looked at Mo Shanshan before him and said, “Please take this prince to see this prince’s imperial brother.”

“Of course.” Mo Shanshan stepped aside from the doorway and led You Yusui and his party inside.

At that moment, Father Mo was still in the room admonishing You Yuyi that even after returning home, he must treat his daughter well. She was his only daughter, and You Yuyi could not afford to treat her poorly. Moreover, since he had married into their household, his daughter absolutely had to be the principal wife.

Upon hearing this, You Yusui’s lips immediately curled up at the corners right then and there. He could already foresee that his eldest imperial brother’s inner household was going to be tremendously lively.

“What a pity — this prince’s brother already has a principal wife. The principal consort was born of the family of the reigning Empress Dowager’s maternal clan. I’m afraid…”

You Yusui said this while glancing at Mo Shanshan and their surroundings. What was left unspoken was something anyone could understand.

Father Mo also only then noticed that someone had appeared outside his study. He looked at You Yusui, whose clothing was magnificent and whose bearing was commanding, then looked at the county magistrate beside him bowing with his head lowered, and connecting it with what the young man had called himself, Father Mo guessed You Yusui’s identity almost instantaneously.

Since the Crown Prince called his son-in-law imperial brother, his daughter had married an imperial prince.

He had originally thought his daughter had rescued some young lord from a noble family — he never expected it to be the Emperor’s own son! Truly, the Mo family’s ancestors must have accumulated great merit — with one leap, they had become relatives of the imperial family!

“This subject pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince,” Father Mo hurriedly bowed.

You Yusui said with a smile. “Please rise, please rise. Although Miss Mo cannot become this prince’s imperial brother’s principal consort, this prince will certainly petition Father Emperor to bestow upon Miss Mo the title of Prince Yan’s Secondary Consort.”

Having said this, You Yusui carefully nudged Xie Tan, who was walking behind him, with his foot. “Junior Minister Xie, you will also submit a petition, will you not?”

Xie Tan had no choice but to answer, “Yes.”

Hearing Xie Tan also speak up, Father Mo, though he did not know how high the young man’s official rank was, knew that anyone accompanying the Crown Prince could not be an ordinary person. He instantly beamed with delight.

Afterward, You Yusui also had Cui Yan examine the amnesiac You Yuyi, and then led Father Mo, Mo Shanshan, and the others out to the courtyard to chat.

The Mo family presented You Yusui with peanuts and peaches they had grown themselves, asking him not to look down on them. You Yusui did not look down on them in the slightest — he chatted with Father Mo and the others while shelling peanuts.

He asked about the harvest from the fields and the tax burden, sighed with feeling over matters of reputation, and then, seemingly without any particular purpose, brought up affairs in Chang’an with the Mo family.

“In Chang’an, it is the Li family that is most overbearing and domineering. The Prince Yan’s principal consort was born of the Li family, but she committed wrongs and fell out of favor with the Li family. She also suffered a miscarriage and can no longer bear children — it is truly pitiable,” You Yusui lamented. “This prince’s imperial brother and she have grown increasingly distant. One can only hope that after Miss Mo becomes the Prince Yan’s Secondary Consort, she and the principal consort will get along harmoniously.”

Huo Xiling, who was drinking tea nearby, felt moved to remark inwardly: Your Highness, you are only one step away from writing the words ‘the Prince Yan’s principal consort has no backing, cannot bear children, and the Prince Yan doesn’t favor her’ directly onto the Mo family’s faces.

“Of course, of course, of course,” Father Mo nodded smilingly. “My daughter has a gentle temperament — she will certainly not quarrel with the principal consort.”

But inwardly, having just listened to You Yusui’s words, Father Mo had already made up his mind. The principal consort could not bear children. Once his daughter had a son, that son would be Prince Yan’s heir — the future Prince Yan. Once she had a son, wouldn’t his daughter naturally become the legitimate Prince Yan’s consort in name?

After a while, Cui Yan emerged from the room, and the Mo family immediately crowded around to ask about the situation.

You Yusui, seated at the stone table, had the peanuts in his hand taken away by Huo Xiling, and then he heard Huo Xiling say, “Still eating — is Your Highness not afraid of getting a heat imbalance?”

(TL: “heaty/heat imbalance” = body getting inflamed/unbalanced from certain foods, in a cultural (traditional Chinese medicine) sense, not a precise Western medical condition. )

“Not afraid!” You Yusui raised his chin.

Then Huo Xiling leaned in toward You Yusui’s ear and said, “With what Your Highness has done today, Prince Yan’s inner household is likely to be in utter chaos.”

You Yusui shot Huo Xiling a sideways glance. “Nonsense. This prince is merely finding some amusement for this prince’s imperial brother.”