When the Deposed Crown Prince Was Reborn as Troublemaker - Chapter 94

“Don’t spit it out!” You Yusui stared at Grand Preceptor Gu and said, “This prince wrapped this himself.”

Although, in truth, only the filling of the zongzi had been done by You Yusui himself — everything else had been made by Huo Xiling.

Upon hearing this, Gu Shen had no choice but to force himself to swallow the salted meat zongzi in his mouth. For someone like Gu Shen, who had grown up eating sweet zongzi, this was no different from being asked to give up his life.

Xie Yi, standing to one side, secretly laughed at the sight. He had known all along that the Crown Prince would wrap salted meat zongzi for them — yet this old fool had insisted on coming to the Eastern Palace to demand an explanation, and now here he was, being forced to eat a mouthful of salted meat zongzi he couldn’t stand.

Thinking of it that way, Xie Yi’s mood brightened considerably. On top of that, the zongzi in his own hands had been wrapped by You Yusui himself, so he felt as though he were eating the finest delicacy in the world.

After Gu Shen had swallowed that mouthful of salted meat zongzi, he made to set down the remaining zongzi in his hand.

However, You Yusui looked at Gu Shen and said, “Why has the Grand Preceptor stopped eating? Is it not tasty because this prince made it?”

As he said this, You Yusui fixed Gu Shen with a look that said plainly: if you don’t finish it, I’m going to make a fuss.

Seeing that expression, Gu Shen steeled himself inwardly. Where had the lazy, arrogant, and aloof Crown Prince he had met for the first time gone? Where on earth had this little brat come from? It must be that old fellow Xie Yi and that rascal Huo Xiling who had spoiled him like this!

“What — if I don’t eat it, is His Highness the Crown Prince going to reprimand his teacher?” Gu Shen set the zongzi down and asked with a straight face.

“This prince would not dare.” You Yusui lowered his eyes and poured Gu Shen a cup of tea, so he could wash away the taste of the meat zongzi in his mouth.

Gu Shen downed a cup of strong tea and felt as though he had come back to life.

Then, he set down his teacup and looked at You Yusui. “Go and wrap your teacher a sweet zongzi with honey dates and red bean paste filling. Enough of this salted meat zongzi — I can’t stomach it.”

“No. Only meat zongzi are permitted to exist in the Eastern Palace.” You Yusui objected to making any sweet zongzi.

Gu Shen said sternly, “I am your teacher.”

Xie Yi, standing to one side, slapped the table and said, “Gu Shen, stop behaving so shamefully for your age. Using your status as a teacher to pressure a child — honestly, what a way to spend your time. Just eat all those meat zongzi.”

At the mention of meat zongzi, Gu Shen instantly pulled a pained expression, then said, “Fine, fine — I was only speaking off the top of my head.”

Xie Yi was satisfied and peeled himself another zongzi to eat.

You Yusui, for his part, had the small kitchen prepare Gu Shen a bowl of fermented glutinous rice balls to somewhat console him for not getting his sweet zongzi.

By the time Xie Yi and Gu Shen had finished eating, the two of them were leaning on each other as they walked out of the Eastern Palace — and any sharp-eyed observer could tell that the belts around their waists had grown noticeably tighter.

You Yusui watched the retreating figures of his grandfather and his teacher leaving together and said, “Surely they didn’t just come here to freeload a meal.”

Huo Xiling, standing to one side: ……Very possibly. Though more likely than not, they simply wanted an excuse to come and see you.

Just then, Fubao came over with Cui Yan, and You Yusui immediately looked toward the two of them. “Is there a result?”

Fubao had earlier taken Cui Yan to his private treasury, and now that they had returned, there must be news.

“Let’s go inside before we talk. Didn’t Your Highness wrap zongzi today? I wonder if any are left.” Cui Yan said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, You Yusui went inside the room together with Huo Xiling, while Fubao remained outside to stand guard at the door.

When the door closed, You Yusui looked at Cui Yan. “Well?”

Cui Yan opened his medicine chest and took out a small, exquisite boshan incense burner from within it, then placed it before You Yusui and said, “The poison was applied to this.”

You Yusui stared at the boshan incense burner — one he knew more intimately than anything else — and felt a chill sweep through his entire body. That boshan incense burner had once sat in the inner chamber where he slept, accompanying him through many years, and yet he had never imagined it was the very culprit behind his frail and ailing body.

“Your Highness — it’s all right. I’m here.” Huo Xiling took hold of You Yusui’s hand and said.

The warmth that came from Huo Xiling’s hand barely coaxed some feeling back into You Yusui’s body. He looked at Cui Yan. “How was the poison administered?”

Cui Yan removed the lid of the boshan incense burner and pointed to the mountain-shaped cover on top of it. “Someone infused poison into it. As long as Your Highness burned incense in it day after day, the poison would seep into your body bit by bit — until, at last, no medicine could save you and you would die.”

“No wonder.” You Yusui lowered his head and pressed his hand to his own chest.

No wonder I died of illness and frailty across so many lifetimes. Now that he had found the culprit behind his suffering — could he finally escape the fate of dying before the age of twenty?

You Yusui closed his eyes. He thought of the shaman he had encountered at the Taiyi Palace, and of the prophecy the shaman had spoken about his fate. For a moment, he could not be certain.

Meanwhile, Huo Xiling watched You Yusui. He wanted to ask: what do you mean by “no wonder”? Is there something he doesn’t know?

“What matters most right now is finding the palace servant who used to tend to the incense and maintain the boshan incense burner in the Eastern Palace back then.” Cui Yan said, after setting the poisoned boshan incense burner safely aside.

“This prince understands.” You Yusui said. “This prince will have Fubao locate that person today, pry open their mouth, and make them confess the identity of whoever is behind this.”

“Very well.” Cui Yan said.

When he had finished speaking, Cui Yan placed the boshan incense burner back into his medicine chest, then said to You Yusui, “Your Highness doesn’t mind if I take it with me?”

“It’s better kept with you — otherwise they might destroy the evidence.” With that, You Yusui decided to have Fubao find an identical boshan incense burner to place in the private treasury instead.

“Then, Your Highness, this subject shall take his leave.” Cui Yan bowed and withdrew from You Yusui’s chamber.

Shortly after, Fubao, who had been keeping watch at the door, heard You Yusui call for him.

“Tonight, go with Xiling to apprehend the person and conduct the interrogation.” As he spoke, You Yusui gently blew on the hot tea in his hand, then said, “The secret chamber in the Eastern Palace must have been gathering dust for quite some time by now.”

“Yes.” Eunuch Fubao replied. “This servant will certainly catch that rat for His Highness the Crown Prince.”

That night, the fragrance of Spring’s Message in the Snow drifted from the incense burner, and the faint scent of plum blossoms wound through the entire room. You Yusui lay in bed, yet no matter what he did, he could not close his eyes. Who was it that wanted to harm him?

It was not until the moon hung at its highest point that Huo Xiling came climbing in through the window, clad entirely in black.

You Yusui heard the sound and immediately sat up in bed. “Did you catch the person?”

Huo Xiling removed his night-stalking garb, not wanting the dampness on his clothes to reach You Yusui. Once he had stripped down to only his inner robe, he walked to stand before You Yusui and said, “Your Highness — when we went to find the person, we discovered they had already died on the very night all the palace servants in the Eastern Palace were replaced.”

“Silenced.” You Yusui said, gripping the bedding in his hands.

“With that person dead, this lead has been severed.” Huo Xiling lowered his head and said.

“Not necessarily. The silk handkerchief soaked in poison was given to Cui Yan by Princess Yan — which means Princess Yan must also have ingested this slow-acting poison.”

“And the only ones who could have given Princess Yan this poison are You Yuyi and the Imperial Noble Consort.” You Yusui lowered his head, his long hair loose and falling freely, and murmured softly.

“You’re saying it was the Imperial Noble Consort or Prince Yan who administered the poison.” Huo Xiling narrowed his eyes.

“Not necessarily.” You Yusui said.

“Neither Prince Yan nor the Imperial Noble Consort has the mind to think of infusing poison into a boshan incense burner to kill me without a trace.” You Yusui lifted his head and smiled. “It may not be them.”

“Your Highness.” Huo Xiling reached out and gently stroked You Yusui’s long hair, which fell like silk. “If you don’t feel like smiling, you don’t have to.”

As those words fell, You Yusui froze for a moment — and then tears came streaming down like pearls slipping free from a broken string.

Huo Xiling held him close and let him cry until the front of his inner robe was soaked through.

When the sounds from the person in his arms gradually quieted, Huo Xiling looked down — and found that You Yusui had cried himself to sleep out of exhaustion.

He lightly touched You Yusui’s reddened eyelids with his fingertips, then got out of bed and had a palace servant bring warm water to wipe his face clean.

“Your Highness — sweet dreams.”

With that, Huo Xiling tucked the corners of You Yusui’s bedding into place, then walked toward the sleeping couch that had gone unused for a long time.

There were things he needed to know. Even though they came through dreams, he could still glimpse what had once happened to His Highness the Crown Prince.

…

It was a dream. Huo Xiling found himself in the imperial palace once more — this time at night. Within the palace, the sounds of slaughter shook the heavens; bodies lay strewn across the long stairway, and the white marble steps had been painted over with a layer of vivid red.

Huo Xiling had thought he was back on the battlefield of the Ghost-Faced General — but he could not see the Ghost-Faced General’s military banner. Before Huo Xiling could make sense of what was happening, his keen eyes caught sight of his Crown Prince standing at the far end of the long stairway.

You Yusui’s hair crown was askew, and his long black hair hung in disarray down his back. His appearance was somewhat disheveled — yet his bearing remained upright, and the sight of him standing there sword in hand still carried the dignity befitting an heir to the throne.

The Third Prince, You Yushan, stood armored across from You Yusui with an ugly look on his face. He looked at You Yusui and said, “Second imperial brother the Crown Prince — you are already at the end of your strength. You may as well surrender.”

As he spoke, You Yushan cast a lingering glance at the bodies on the ground, a residual fear still visible in his expression. No one could have imagined that the Crown Prince, who could not so much as lift a heavy object, would unleash such devastating force at a moment like this.

“Surrender? Father Emperor is not in the palace. You Yushan — you and Prince Qi have rebelled and usurped the throne. Heaven’s punishment shall be upon you, and you shall meet an ugly end!” You Yusui cried out furiously.

You Yushan’s face flushed red with anger, and he shouted to the soldiers under his command, “What are you standing there for? Kill him!”

As those words fell, several dozen soldiers armed with long spears closed in, and without a shred of mercy, ran them through the young man dressed in pale blue-green robes.

Huo Xiling heard the sound of sharp weapons piercing flesh. He wanted to take the blows in his place — but in the dream he was nothing more than a wisp of a wandering soul, and he could only watch as You Yusui’s face, in that moment, twisted into extreme agony — then the spears were wrenched out, and thrust through him again, over and over.

“Enough! Enough!” Huo Xiling shouted out loud. The tragedy he was powerless to stop filled him with unbearable anguish.

After the last spear was pulled from his body, the young man collapsed onto the white marble steps. His pale-coloured robes, the white stone beneath him — everything was dyed crimson by his blood, like vivid peonies blooming upon and beneath him. Yet those flowers had been watered with his very life.

In that moment, Huo Xiling fixed his gaze on You Yushan. This debt — he would repay it a hundredfold, a thousandfold.

Then thunder rang out, and torrential rain poured down from the heavens, washing away the blood pooled across the ground. By then, the Emperor’s army sent to quell the rebellion had finally arrived — but the palace had already become a living hell.