Chapter 43
Editor: yummers
Yu Chennian was a.s.signed a carriage.
He was a prince after all. There was a fundamental difference between him and those soldiers who had to ride horses the entire journey.
The carriage was very luxurious. Even if he wasn’t favored, he was still a representative of the emperor outside the palace. This carriage had nine wheels and the interior was as big as a room.
It was a pity that its owner didn’t like to stay in it. Instead, he insisted on riding horses like the other soldiers did.
As the sun rose, Yu Chennian’s personal guard was extremely worried about what other ideas this young master would come up with if he suddenly got heatstroke.
The personal guard was a subordinate of Yu Chennian’s maternal uncle. When the deposed empress’ father and elder brothers were sent to the battlefield, they had perished there. The rice and grain they were sent were mixed with sand, and the quilts were all thin and flimsy. When taken apart, the cotton inside had already rotten to black.
With not enough to eat and nothing warm to wear, even if the soldiers were willing to fight to the death, they had no energy to do so.
In the end, her father and brothers were considered to have died in battle, and all the responsibility was naturally pushed onto them. The deposed empress was also affected by the backlash. She was banished to the cold palace.
No one knew, however, that the youngest elder brother of the deposed empress had survived and returned to the capital in secret.
He wasn’t stupid. First, the Imperial Court sabotaged their supplies, then they pushed all the blame onto them. Soon after, the empress was relieved of her t.i.tle. It was impossible that the emperor didn’t have a hand in all of this.
At the time, the deposed empress resided within the palace and Yu Chennian was still a toddler. His uncle could only grit his teeth and quietly build his forces, a large part of which were old subordinates who were loyal to his family.
If Yu Chennian didn’t intuitively sense that someone was watching over him in the shadows and guessed that it was his maternal uncle, the two of them wouldn’t have built a relationship so quickly.
This time, the personal guard sent to take care of Yu Chennian was very loyal. He grew increasingly worried as the sun grew overhead. He came forward to persuade him.
“Your Highness, please go back to the carriage. It’s best to avoid the harsh sunlight.”
“No need.” Yu Chennian waved his hand. “If the soldiers can endure it, then I will as well.”
The guard knew that this young master was someone with a calculating mind. He could only sigh and go fetch some water from the carriage for Yu Chennian to quench his thirst.
After a while, he hurried back and whispered a few words to Yu Chennian.
The young man who was looking straight ahead at first suddenly jerked the reins and dismounted his horse. He walked into the carriage quickly.
In the luxurious carriage arranged according to the specifications allotted to a prince on patrol, the floor was covered with a thick carpet. There was a white quilt on the bed. The lit incense emitted a light fragrance throughout the room.
As if he was dreaming, there was a youth asleep on the white quilt.
His body was still covered with a red cape, and the bright red color made his beautiful face appear even more pale and tender. At the moment, his eyes were obediently closed. It made people want to wrap him in their arms and spoil him.
Through some unknown method, Shi Qing had managed to secretly hide himself in Yu Chennian’s carriage.
Then, after they departed, he silently slept on the bed like he owned the place.
Yu Chennian’s eyes that were cold ever since he left the capital gradually softened. He stepped forward and sat in front of the bed, calling out softly, “Shi Qing.”
“Wu…”
The foreign environment prevented him from sleeping too soundly. The little master slowly opened his beautiful eyes. They still held traces of confusion and sleepiness.
Yu Chennian waited patiently for his drowsiness to pa.s.s. After clarity returned to him, the little master realized that he had been found out. He immediately snorted coldly and raised his little chin with pride.
The young man asked, “Why are you here?”
“I want to fight too! Who said I can’t?”
But the young man just asked again, “Why did you follow me?”
Shi Qing’s expression was clearly unhappy. “I told you already. I want to go fight too.”
But Yu Chennian acted like he couldn’t hear a thing. His arms were still wrapped around the youth whose body was soft from sleep. His hands were still on his soft and tender little stomach. His deep voice still asked, “Why come with me.”
If he had no feelings for him.
Then what was the point of following him?
He was the spoiled Little Master Shi. Why would he follow Yu Chennian to suffer at the cold and dangerous frontier?
The little master grew frustrated.
He stretched out his bare and white little feet to kick him. He pushed him with his hands as well. “Are you messing with me? How many times are you going to ask the same thing?!”
Yu Chennian grabbed his hand and placed it by his lips.
His lips brushed lightly over Shi Qing’s hand.
The previously furious little master froze. His round eyes widened even more as he stared dumbfoundedly at the young man.
It took a long time before he could react. He suddenly yanked his hand back. His ears were as red as fresh blood. The beautiful little face was also flushed.
Shi Qing stuttered, “W-what are you doing?!”
Yu Chennian felt like his heart was melting at his reaction.
This was his little master.
To the outside world, he seemed like a prodigal son who slept in brothels at night.
But only he knew the truth.
Shi Qing had never been this intimate with another person before.
A simple kiss on the hand could send him into such a panic.
When he didn’t answer, the little master angrily kicked at the young man’s thigh. “I’m talking to you! Why are you s.p.a.cing out! ”
Yu Chennian was not deterred in the slightest as he caught the white foot that rarely touched the ground. It was soft, tender, and fit perfectly in his hand.
Shi Qing’s face became even redder.
He stumbled over his words more and more. “What are you doing?! Let go!”
This time, the young man let go obediently. He looked at the little master that swiftly hid his foot like a frightened bird. He shrunk into a ball and stared at Yu Chennian warily with a red face.
He finally opened his mouth. For some reason, his voice was astringent and hoa.r.s.e.
“I’ll send someone to escort you back to the capital later.”
Maybe because he was frightened before, but the little boy—who was always arrogant and had his head held high—didn’t make a peep.
When Yu Chennian shifted closer, the little master immediately shrank back even more into himself. He was clearly scared out of his wits, but his words remained vicious and scathing.
“If you dare to do anything to me, my daddy won’t let you off easily! His Majesty won’t either! ”
“I won’t do anything to you.”
The young man’s eyes were soft as he looked at Shi Qing. “Shi Qing, you’re too small.”
The little master immediately blew up.
“You’re the one that’s small! How can you describe a man as small!”
Yu Chennian reached out his hand and took the initiative to caress his little head for the first time.
“You’re too small, and I’m too weak.”
“You will have grown up by the time I return from the border. When that time comes, are you willing to stand with me?”
The young master suddenly rolled to the other side of the bed while trying desperately to cover up the blush on his face. He shot up and put on his boots in a fl.u.s.tered way. He was panicking. “You’ve gone nuts. I shouldn’t have come to find you.”
He put on his boots and went to push Yu Chennian again.
“Go away. I’m going back to the capital.”
The young man didn’t go away. He lowered his head to stare at him and ask softly for a promise, “Promise me not to become close with others before my return, okay?”
Shi Qing’s cheeks were still flushed. His stubborn and beautiful eyes were looking at everything but Yu Chennian at the moment.
This continued until someone outside lifted the curtain and came in. “Your Highness, are you alright?”
As soon as he saw that someone had come in, the timid look on the little master’s face immediately disappeared. The corners of his mouth quirked up joyfully, as if he was saying ‘I’m not afraid of you with someone else around’.
There was plenty of energy behind his next push towards Yu Chennian. His voice was as charming and arrogant as always.
“My dad and the emperor are the only ones I’ll listen to in the entire world. Who do you think you are? We’ve only hung out for a few days and you already want to control me! Go away! I’m going back to the capital!”
Yu Chennian gazed steadily at Shi Qing.
He didn’t tell the little master that his people had the carriage surrounded.
He also didn’t tell the little master that, as long as he willed it so, Shi Qing would remain trapped in this carriage forever.
He just answered in a deep voice.”Okay.”
The little boy thought that he agreed because he was afraid of being discovered by others. He raised his chin with a pleased expression and snorted as he swaggered past Yu Chennian.
Yu Chennian stood in the same place, but he continued to speak in his thoughts.
Okay.
If you would only listen to the emperor.
Then I will become your emperor.
Shi Qing was sent back to the capital as Yu Chennian stayed in the carriage. He did not send him off.
He was afraid that he would lose all self-control if he did.
In a moment of weakness, he might’ve kept the little boy at his side.
Shi Qing’s little bag was still on the bed. There were many highly potent balms, pills, and salves inside.
The aristocratic family had access to all kinds of prescriptions all year round. Many of them were not available on the regular market. Shi Qing most likely took these from his home and brought them here.
The little master had always been generous in every way. The bag was stuffed to the brim. There was enough to last a person several years.
Indeed, Yu Chennian was able to use it for several years.
This was something he and his uncle had already discussed beforehand.
Once he gained control over the military, he would no longer return to the capital to prevent the emperor from taking over again.
It was a good thing that the border war was neverending. It was bombarded at all times either by the Hu people or the other barbarian tribes. Yu Chennian basically settled down at the border.
This situation lasted for four years.
In four years, Yu Chennian had become an invincible G.o.d of war in the hearts of the common people.
Additionally, he was no longer just the ninth prince who was just a symbolic general to the troops. He had truly become their leader.
This year, Yu Chennian finally got the chance he was waiting for.
The imperial court sent an edict that the first prince had conspired to revolt and tried to a.s.sa.s.sinate His Majesty. Since the capital was thrown into chaos, the ninth prince was being asked to return to the capital to surrender his military power.
At the same time, there was a secret report from his spies in the Imperial Palace. The emperor was bedridden and was on the brink of death. His motive for summoning Yu Chennian was to prevent him from marrying a new queen and leading his troops back to the capital to stage a revolt.
Yu Chennian received the imperial edict and prepared to return to the capital. At the same time, he ordered people to spread rumors that the emperor wanted the ninth prince to return in order to instate him as the new emperor.
As expected, on his way back, he received an urgent report from the capital. Another prince had rebelled.
It was the one that the emperor had favoured the most as well.
After confirming that the fish had been hooked, Yu Chennian dropped all pretenses. He raced back to the capital using his fastest horses instead of continuing on with his original snail-like pace.
After several days and nights of chaos within the capital, the one once considered the most hopeless prince had become the strongest black horse in the battle for the throne through his military power.
He was different from the weak-willed previous emperor. The first thing he did after taking the throne was to clear out all the corrupt officials. Their blood was mercilessly used to paint the image of a new iron-blood emperor who was inviolable and meticulous to all the ministers.
It was surprising to many that the prime minister appointed by the previous emperor would remain untouched by the new one. After all, many confidants of the previous emperor with far less power than Prime Minister Shi had all been dealt with.
Prime Minister Shi was astute. He knew that this new emperor was a difficult beast to wrangle. So he dutifully carried out his duties as prime minister and kept his head down.
It was better to act once the situation became calmer.
As long as the emperor was not a scrouge to the common people, he could be considered a good ruler.
Of course, flattery still needed to be applied in moderate amounts.
Therefore, immediately after the positions at court had stabilized, Prime Minister Shi expressed,
Your Majesty, you don’t even have a single woman at your age. You were delayed at the border before, but now you are on the throne. Why don’t we select a few concubines?
Yu Chennian outright refused on the grounds that he had to be a filial son and mourn the death of the previous emperor who had just pa.s.sed away.
Prime Minister Shi couldn’t accept this. He was the emperor before he was a son. The Imperial Court had just settled down, so now it was time to marry an empress and have a legitimate heir to calm the hearts of the common people.
He advised and advised, day in and day out.
When he saw that Yu Chennian wasn’t budging, he could only put it aside for now and start flattering him in every way again.
He even badmouthed his son while praising Yu Chennian, saying that he was much more accomplished than Shi Qing even though they were about the same age. His son was famous in the whole capital for being a dandy, and he even redeemed several brothel girls. Although he was the prime minister, no decent family in the capital dared to betrothe their daughter to Shi Qing. Prime Minister Shi was worried to bits about this.
Your Majesty, you are different. Is it that you don’t love women?
No!
You sacrificed yourself for the sake of the Imperial Court and filial piety!
There was a reason behind Prime Minister Shi’s actions. He heard that the prince his son had bullied when he was a reading companion was now the new emperor.
He had to trample on his son and depreciate his value so that the new emperor would find him to be beneath his notice.
However, there was one point that bothered the prime minister. Why did he feel that the new emperor wasn’t pleased in the slightest bit after being praised? In fact, the expression on Yu Chennian’s face was quite unsightly.
He even crushed a teacup that an eunuch had handed over.
Prime Minister Shi didn’t feel like he said anything wrong though.
Speaking ill of his son to praise the new emperor, using his own son’s infamy to create a reputation for the new ruler as one who was filial and above the temptations of flesh, wasn’t this a good thing?
After court was dismissed for the day, he got together with a group of old friends at the teahouse. After expressing deep concern about His Majesty not selecting concubines at such an old age, he went back to the mansion.
When he arrived at his door, there was a sedan in the front yard.
There seemed to be an eunuch standing before the sedan.
Prime Minister Shi wanted to ask who was behind this and what was going on. No one in their right mind would dare to visit other households so soon after the new emperor’s ascension, lest they be judged to be rebellious co-conspirators.
But before he could say a word, he watched as the new emperor, who he had just seen in court, come out into the yard with a drunk person in his arms.
He entered the sedan.
The sedan left.
Prime Minister Shi stood where he was for a long time before he returned to his senses.
That person the new emperor was holding…… Wasn’t that his son?!