Chapter 0191: Vicious Insults Xie Jinyu, Heartbroken Xie Jinyu
In the dead of night, melted crimson wax pooled at the base of the golden candle holder. As the yellowish window paper dimmed, the tasseled bed curtains were loosened, accompanied only by the soft rustling of silk being drawn aside, mingled with two distinct voices.
“Second Brother, sweet dreams.”
“Come closer, it’s warmer.”
As the breathing of the young man sleeping between them gradually steadied, two large hands of differing skin tones simultaneously reached for Xie Chengze’s body.
The moment their hands brushed against each other, both men rose silently. In the faint light, Xie Jinyu narrowed his eyes, his intensely aggressive dark pupils undisguised in their hostility. “Elder Brother has been battling the Xiongnu for years—your hands lack restraint. I shall take care of this.”
Xie Shoujun raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand, crossing his arms and shrugging. “His Majesty has left all memorials for Third Imperial Brother. I suppose you’ve been too busy to practice martial arts lately. Mind you don’t press the wrong acupoint—not only waking him but leaving me to clean up your mess.”
“Elder Brother worries too much.”
Xie Jinyu spoke indifferently, pressing a acupoint on the sleeping young man’s neck to ensure their subsequent conversation wouldn’t disturb Xie Chengze.
“What did you want to say?” Xie Shoujun tapped his finger lightly on his arm. He had originally intended to question Xie Jinyu, never expecting the latter would seek him out as well.
“I intercepted your letters and gifts.” Xie Jinyu laid his cards on the table. “I thought you’d remain at the frontier forever. Never expected you’d return.”
Xie Shoujun pondered. “Did you have a hand in my assignment to the border back then?”
Xie Jinyu smiled, his moonlit eyes glinting strangely in the darkness. With detached calm, he stated, “Elder Brother lacks powerful maternal backing in the palace, yet possesses exceptional talent and keen intellect. Surviving in the harem isn’t easy. Isn’t hiding at the frontier better than dying silently within these walls?”
Xie Shoujun fell silent.
He knew better than anyone—his mother was merely a palace maid who’d served the Emperor’s first intimate experience. Bearing a son before the Empress naturally invited slander and suspicion. Throughout his childhood, he’d survived numerous poisonings and assassinations. Were it not for his mother’s vigilance, he would have died countless times.
Only after his mother’s passing did these attacks cease.
But those watching like tigers never relented. Had it not been for Consort Hua’s later protection, he would likely have perished in some “unfortunate accident.”
“So…” Xie Shoujun asked, “Do you regret sending me to the frontier now?”
He had returned from the borderlands, holding military authority. His troops seemed more loyal to him personally than to Jian’an itself.
As Emperor, one would inevitably grow wary.
Xie Jinyu chuckled inexplicably. “Wariness is natural, but now… it’s rather perfect timing.”
“I originally thought you were the mastermind behind the scenes. But it appears the person Shen Yuan mentioned who took Second Brother wasn’t you, Elder Brother.”
Xie Jinyu’s imposing aura dissipated completely. His knuckles gently brushed the sleeping young man’s cheek as if caressing a treasure. With lowered eyelids, he murmured calmly, “Indeed, someone who couldn’t even notice intercepted birthday gifts could hardly have connections throughout the imperial court. My momentary jealousy led me to overestimate your capabilities, Elder Brother.”
Xie Shoujun: …
Though not a single vulgar word was spoken, why did it feel like he had cursed with exceptional filth?
“What did Shen Yuan mean by ‘picked up’?” Xie Shoujun set aside his distracting thoughts and asked.
“Someone under my command betrayed me and privately eliminated Second Brother’s forces, but I haven’t uncovered who directed them. Shen Yuan said whoever supports Second Brother at this moment is the schemer.” Xie Jinyu glanced at Xie Shoujun. “Coincidentally, you ‘picked up’ Second Brother right then. It’s hard for me not to suspect you.”
“Wait, let me correct that,” Xie Shoujun interrupted him. “It was clearly Chengze who came to me on his own. How can you call it me picking him up?”
Xie Jinyu let out a light hum.
“So who is this schemer?” Xie Shoujun asked.
“I suspect it should be the mastermind behind the poisoner.” Xie Jinyu pondered slightly. “You just returned from the border and aren’t familiar with many people, nor are you willing to meet officials. The other party can only try to win you over through Second Brother’s connection.”
Xie Shoujun neither agreed nor disagreed. “Then how did they know you would also come to Wu De Hall? And even poisoned you?”
“Second Brother and I are political rivals in court. If he comes to win over our elder brother who holds military power, I naturally wouldn’t sit back and do nothing.” Xie Jinyu shook his head in explanation.
Xie Shoujun looked at Xie Jinyu’s fox-like expression, then at Xie Chengze who slept as innocently as a harmless kitten. It was hard to imagine the two were political rivals fighting to the death.
With Xie Chengze’s genuinely sincere nature, wouldn’t he be utterly devoured by the Crown Prince?
Oh wait, Xie Chengze still had that old fox Shen Yuan by his side, who should be able to match the Crown Prince evenly.
“What if the poisoner wasn’t someone else, but Chengze himself staging it?” Xie Shoujun asked. Though he knew it was impossible, he was curious why Xie Jinyu hadn’t suspected Xie Chengze as the poisoner.
Xie Jinyu laughed, his tone turning somewhat hollow. “If Second Brother wanted to harm me, why would he use such a crude method as poison?”
A single “never see you again” would be enough to shatter his heart.
“So, what was Elder Brother planning to tell me earlier?” Xie Jinyu turned to look at Xie Shoujun and asked.
“Oh.” Xie Shoujun rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I wanted to ask about what you said regarding Chengze’s bad temper over the past years.”
He had pondered it repeatedly and felt something wasn’t quite right. Xie Chengze’s temperament was clearly as simple and kind as in his childhood, without a trace of irritability or mischief.
Xie Jinyu fell silent. “Only regarding this matter, I cannot answer you.”
This matter was too mysterious. Even he could only rely on intuition to recognize it. To speak of it directly would seem absurd.
“Is it because of Consort Hua’s passing? Or did he find out…” Xie Shoujun paused.
That Xie Chengze wasn’t of royal bloodline—all the brothers knew this.
Xie Jinyu shook his head, lying back down beside Xie Chengze, clinging to the young man’s waist dependently as in their childhood. “The Second Brother of before wasn’t Second Brother at all.”
Having said this, he closed his eyes and spoke no more.
Xie Shoujun frowned, pondering for a long time without finding an answer, and eventually stopped thinking about it, lying down as well.
Never mind. As long as Chengze is happy now, that’s enough.
…
Early the next morning, Wu De Hall was in chaos.
During the morning meal, the Crown Prince was poisoned again. The imperial physicians rushed about, each feeling his pulse indicating severe poisoning. Emperor Jian left court early and hurried to Wu De Hall, with many officials following to discreetly inquire about the situation.
The Crown Prince being poisoned was no small matter. If his foundation were damaged, it would be hard to say who would inherit the throne in the next generation.
The ministers harbored different thoughts. The timing of the Crown Prince’s poisoning was all too coincidental—it happened precisely when the Second Prince was under house arrest, just as the eldest prince, who held military power, returned to the capital, and exactly when the Second Prince and the eldest prince were secretly meeting in Wu De Hall.
Was it the Second Prince deliberately poisoning to sow discord and force the eldest prince to support him, or did the eldest prince harbor treasonous intentions all along, using the Second Prince’s presence as an opportunity to frame him by poisoning the Crown Prince?
No one could say for certain.