When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 86

Meanwhile, Cui Yan, who had been surrounded on the other side, had already explained You Yuyi’s current condition to the Mo family. The amnesia was caused by a blood clot in the brain from a head injury; in a few days, once the clot dispersed, he would recover.

After the Mo family dispersed, Cui Yan walked over to You Yusuì.

“How is this prince’s imperial brother?” As he spoke, You Yusuì tossed the peanut he had just finished shelling into his mouth.

Cui Yan intercepted the peanut from his hand. “Eat less. If you get inflamed later, you’ll have to take medicine again.”

As he said this, Cui Yan shot a glare at Huo Xiling, who was sitting beside them. There was already a pile of peanut shells on the ground — he had eaten so many, yet Huo Xiling hadn’t stopped him at all, and had even abetted him by shelling the peanuts himself.

You Yusuì, whose peanut had been snatched, looked completely bewildered. Why was everyone saying he would get inflamed?

“Don’t eat any more. Give these to me.” Saying this, Cui Yan took the peanut from You Yusuì’s hand and popped it into his own mouth.

The next moment, that peanut was snatched away from behind by Xie Tan, who was approaching from the back, and placed back into You Yusuì’s hand.

“Have some respect. Snatching things from His Highness.” Xie Tan said, looking down at Cui Yan standing before him.

You Yusuì, pinching the peanut in silence, paused for a moment. His cousin really didn’t need to be so particular about such things.

Compared to the surface-level formality, You Yusuì felt he still preferred Cui Yan’s casual manner of treating friends.

Cui Yan heard this and gave a light laugh. “Go ahead and spoil him then. Just don’t come looking for me tonight when he gets inflamed.”

Xie Tan heard this and appeared to reflect for a moment, then, under You Yusuì’s gaze, reached over and took the peanut from his hand.

Then You Yusuì heard his cousin say, “Everything must be done in moderation.”

You Yusuì: ……

Xie Tan then turned to Huo Xiling. “Everything you’ve shelled — hand it all over too.”

Huo Xiling: ……

In the end, all of You Yusuì’s peanuts were confiscated by Xie Tan, who then piled the entire lot in front of Cui Yan.

“You eat all of these. That way he won’t be tempted later.” Xie Tan said, his face expressionless.

Cui Yan looked at the enormous pile of peanuts in front of him and thought to himself: Xie Tan, you truly are my good brother.

Unable to watch any longer, You Yusuì stepped in to rescue Cui Yan and asked him, “How is this prince’s imperial brother?”

Cui Yan took a sip of tea and said, “He fell into the river and hit his head on a rock. He didn’t end up simpleminded — just lost his memory. He’ll probably recover once he gets back to Chang’an.”

In truth, Cui Yan was perfectly capable of dispersing the blood clot in You Yuyi’s brain right now, but for the sake of His Highness the Crown Prince’s amusement, he decided to let His Highness the Prince of Yan recover his memory only after returning to Chang’an.

Upon hearing this, You Yusuì naturally understood that Cui Yan was helping him. They were all here for the spectacle, and the more amusing the situation was for the imperial brother, the better. And so the two of them exchanged a smile and raised their teacups to each other as if toasting with wine.

Xie Tan and Huo Xiling, watching from the side, were completely baffled. What were they doing?

Just then, Xie Yi had already come looking for them with his fishing rod. Spotting You Yusuì, he called out, “Suisuì, weren’t you going to keep me company while I fish?”

You Yusuì immediately rose to his feet upon hearing this. “Maternal grandfather, I’m coming right now.”

He then went to take the fish basket from Xie Yi’s hand and said, “I’ll dig up earthworms for maternal grandfather.”

“No need for you to do that yourself.” Saying this, Xie Yi took the bamboo hat from his own head and placed it on You Yusuì’s, then smiled and said, “You really do look just like a little fishing boy.”

With that, Xie Yi happily took his grandson by the hand and headed outside to the riverbank to fish.

Just as Xie Yi was about to walk out the gate, he suddenly turned back to look at the three standing in the courtyard. “What are you standing there staring for? Hurry up and go catch some earthworms!”

Xie Tan: ……

Cui Yan: ……

Huo Xiling: ……

Cui Yan glanced at the two beside him with a smile. “I still need to decoct medicine for His Highness the Crown Prince. You two go and have fun.”

And with that, Cui Yan made his escape.

For a moment, only Xie Tan and Huo Xiling were left in the courtyard.

Xie Tan glanced at Huo Xiling. “What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and go dig for earthworms.”

Huo Xiling: ……

Well, it wasn’t as though he was the fearsome Ghost-Faced General right now. He was just a lowly guard in the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. What was the big deal about digging up some earthworms for the person he loved?

And so Huo Xiling promptly grabbed a shovel and followed after them, going to dig earthworms for that pair of grandfather and grandson.

Xie Tan, watching them leave, murmured thoughtfully, “Didn’t the servants at home prepare fishing bait for grandfather? That really shouldn’t be the case.”

Having said that, Xie Tan seemed to think of something, and walked off in quick, purposeful strides.

That entire afternoon, You Yusuì kept Xie Yi company — fishing, picking lotus flowers, playing in the water, and rowing a boat. By the time they headed back, there was a large basket full of fish.

Tired from all the play, You Yusuì was carried on Huo Xiling’s back, leaning against his shoulder and chatting with Xie Yi, who walked beside them.

“I thought maternal grandfather only ever caught turtles.” You Yusuì tilted his head to look at Xie Yi, who was winding up his fishing rod and carrying the fish basket.

Xie Yi let out a cold snort upon hearing this. “That’s all Gu Shen’s doing, spreading rumors — that old scoundrel. How could I only know how to catch turtles.”

“Mm, mm. Maternal grandfather is the best.” You Yusuì smiled and nodded.

Hearing this, Xie Yi also smiled. He glanced at the fish basket and said, “Have the cook use the crucian carp in there to make a soup for you and nourish your body a bit.”

“Alright.” You Yusuì finished speaking and rubbed his face against Huo Xiling.

Seeing this, Xie Yi gave an inward snort of displeasure, and finally said to Huo Xiling, “You’ve also had a tiring day. Tonight, you don’t need to keep watch over His Highness.”

Before Huo Xiling could react, You Yusuì immediately pleaded. “Maternal grandfather, no.”

“Alright, alright, alright. Whatever Suisuì says.” Xie Yi laughed and said it. Lord Xie, once so decisive and incomparably brilliant in his scheming, had no principles whatsoever in front of his grandson.

Huo Xiling, standing to one side: ……

After drinking the fish soup, You Yusuì, who was getting ready to go back to his room to sleep with Huo Xiling, discovered that he had gotten inflamed.

The accompanying imperial physician Cui Yan had no choice but to come before You Yusuì once more with his heat-clearing, inflammation-reducing medicinal broth, directing Huo Xiling to forcibly make You Yusuì drink down a full bowl of the medicine.

“Why is it so bitter?” You Yusuì said, his face scrunched up.

Hadn’t Cui Yan promised that from now on he would only give him fruit-flavoured medicine?

“We left in too much of a hurry, and many things weren’t brought along.” Cui Yan answered while packing up his medicine chest. If not for You Yusuì rushing off in such haste just to watch the spectacle, he wouldn’t have left the packing to the servants and gone along with You Yusuì carrying only the most essential medicines.

You Yusuì was helpless. What was this? Brought it upon himself?

“Alright, I’m off.” After packing up the medicine chest, Cui Yan left You Yusuì’s room.

After Cui Yan’s departure, Huo Xiling dried You Yusuì’s feet with a cloth, then tucked him into bed, covered him with the blanket, and only then asked, “Did His Highness have a good time today?”

“A wonderful time.” You Yusuì poked his head out from beneath the blanket to answer.

Hearing this, a smile appeared in Huo Xiling’s eyes, and he reached out to ruffle You Yusuì’s head.

“On the days you weren’t there, I missed you very much.” You Yusuì grasped Huo Xiling’s hand and said softly. “Missed you terribly. Now that you’re here, I’m not afraid anymore.”

Even though You Yusuì had been showered with love from his family, he had long ago poured all his deepest emotions entirely into Huo Xiling alone. Huo Xiling’s presence was the thread that held together his emotions and reason.

Huo Xiling froze for a moment upon hearing this, then said, “I will protect His Highness well.”

“Come up. Keep me company while I sleep.” You Yusuì patted the empty space beside him.

When that warm presence drew close and You Yusuì felt the familiar warmth of the person beside him, he closed his eyes in contentment.

On the other side, ever since You Yuyi had learned that he was the First Prince, he had become filled with resentment toward the Mo family, who had taken him in and let him marry into their household.

Even though it was You Yuyi himself who had first proposed to marry in, and even though You Yuyi had done so in the beginning to secure a better life for himself, now that his lofty and exalted status was set against the coarseness of the Mo family, a measure of disdain had taken root in his heart.

How could a crude peasant girl possibly be fit to be his consort? His consort should at the very least be a noble daughter from a distinguished and eminent family.

With this thought in mind, You Yuyi couldn’t find a single thing to like about Mo Shanshan as she mended clothes by the lamplight. She wasn’t beautiful enough — merely plain-featured, and her manners and bearing were coarse, with no experience of the wider world.

Could a woman like this truly be fit to be his consort? You Yuyi couldn’t help but ask himself.

And besides, why had that Crown Prince been in such a hurry to submit a memorial to the Emperor, asking him to have Mo Shanshan elevated to the position of secondary consort and to bring the entire Mo family to Chang’an? You Yuyi had an instinct that there was a scheme buried somewhere in all this.

“Husband, why do you keep staring at me?” Mo Shanshan lowered her needlework and looked at You Yuyi by the lamplight.

“It’s nothing.” You Yuyi looked away.

Mo Shanshan then spoke, “Come to think of it, my monthly period hasn’t come yet this month. Could it be that I’m…?”

“Really?” You Yuyi asked, yet his expression showed little surprise. He had no great expectations for this child.

“What do you think — should I make some little clothes and little shoes for the child?” Mo Shanshan asked with a smile.

“Don’t bother. It’ll strain your eyes. Once we’re back at the palace, there will be people to do that.” You Yuyi said, sounding a little impatient.

Mo Shanshan, mistaking You Yuyi’s words for concern over her, couldn’t help but smile a sweet smile. “Then I won’t make them.”

You Yusuì stayed in Mo Family Village for three days. During those three days, the Mo family packed up their belongings, arranged for people to look after the house and the fields, and then followed You Yusuì’s convoy as the whole family set off for Chang’an.

At the moment of departure, You Yusuì looked at You Yuyi beside him and said in front of everyone. “Imperial brother, the Mo family are the people who saved your life. After arriving in Chang’an, this prince wonders whether you intend to have them live in your prince’s residence, or to provide them with a house of their own?”

You Yuyi had no desire to have the Mo family living in his residence and getting on his nerves, so he said, “They saved my life. A house of their own is naturally the right thing to do.”

You Yusuì smiled. Those were your own words.

“The properties in the eastern part of the city are quite fine. Why not settle them in the east? A courtyard with three rows of buildings ought to be enough for them.” You Yusuì said in a seemingly casual tone.

“As the Crown Prince says.” You Yuyi replied.

You Yushan, standing to one side, understood at once — the Crown Prince had played You Yuyi for a fool again. The east of the city was where the nobles and high officials lived; the properties there were enormously expensive, and besides, You Yuyi had already donated a full year’s tax revenue from his own fief and had no money at all.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t end up selling his principal wife’s dowry to buy a house for his secondary consort’s parents,” You Yushan couldn’t help remarking with biting sarcasm.

You Yusuì glanced at his Third Imperial Brother in surprise. It turned out that the damage a straightforward person could do was the greatest of all.