Chapter 0257 Three Charges Against Xie Jinyu, Xie Chengze’s Frustration
Watching Xie Jinyu’s gaze grow increasingly dangerous—like a ferocious lion ready to break its chains and burst from its cage at any moment—Xie Chengze quickly spread his arms to embrace him, waving a hand to signal Cao Que behind him to leave promptly and avoid getting burned.
Without the slightest hesitation, Cao Que turned and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Xie Jinyu glanced sideways at the damp medicinal ointment on the young man’s neck. The intense herbal scent transported him back to the moment he rushed into the Golden Luan Hall. There, a stunning man in golden robes was bleeding uncontrollably from his chest, his sinister, smiling eyes piercing through Shen Yuan’s shoulder as if mocking Xie Jinyu’s incompetence, staring directly at him.
He roared in fury, summoning all the imperial physicians. He watched as hemostatic agents were slathered over the sword wound on the chest, the pungent medicinal odor assaulting his nostrils, yet nothing could stem the gushing blood or the despair overflowing from his heart.
“I… have won.”
The man in his arms gradually fell silent, but a smile full of hatred and triumph lingered on his lips. He had indeed won—this body was crumbling into rapid decline, never to welcome back its original master.
It was his punishment and retaliation for Xie Jinyu’s imprisonment of him.
Xie Jinyu tightened his arms fiercely around the youth brimming with vitality in his embrace, burying his face in his neck and taking a deep breath.
The next second, the back of his head was smacked by Xie Chengze.
“Stop sniffing! Are you a dog?”
Xie Jinyu lifted his head, gazing at him with a wounded expression, like an abject puppy rejected by its owner, a sight that stirred pity in anyone who saw it.
But remembering that Xie Jinyu had poisoned Emperor Jian, Xie Chengze hardened his heart and pushed him away. Turning, he picked up the thick iron chain from the floor and, gathering it slowly, trudged toward the bed.
“Xie Jinyu, you have truly disappointed me.”
He sat down, the iron chain in his arms clattering noisily to the ground. His eyes fixed on Xie Jinyu, his expression openly filled with undisguised disdain and disappointment.
Xie Jinyu trembled slightly, his features shifting between gloomy darkness and then wavering with hurt and timidity. The two contrasting emotions alternated incessantly, as if the kind, gentle youth and the man who had tasted the abyss were vying for dominance, rendering him eerily unsettling.
Xie Jinyu knew full well how much disgust and disappointment Xie Chengze felt toward him.
He, who so feared loneliness, had schemed to drive away all his companions. The only father who cherished him had been mercilessly poisoned by his hand. His heartfelt affection for his younger brother had been repaid with betrayal and deceit. Though he yearned for the green mountains and clear waters of Jian’an, he was forced to remain confined in this dim, damp pavilion, forced to put on a brave face for him.
How could he not be disappointed? How could he not be disgusted?
He stepped toward the bed, his knees hitting the cold floor with a heavy thud as he bowed his head, ready to endure his elder brother’s scolding.
He could not bear to lose his second brother again. If beating or berating him could appease his second brother’s anger, he would willingly accept even death on the spot.
So, go ahead.
The young man, his face shadowed with stubborn gloom, laid bare all his vulnerabilities, utterly defenseless.
Xie Chengze looked down at him, his tone icy as he declared, “Xie Jinyu, you are guilty of three crimes.”
“First crime: As the Crown Prince of Jian’an and the imperial heir, you are careless and sloppy in your work! Knowing full well that your elder brother is frail and sickly, you only provided insulating velvet cloth but failed to include lightweight chains, causing him to feel as if each step weighed a thousand pounds. His ankles suffer immensely, and the pain keeps him awake at night!”
“Second crime: You aspire to be a yandere but fail to learn their attentiveness! Your chamber lacks any snacks to cut the greasiness or storybooks for entertainment, making your elder brother’s imprisoned life dull and monotonous. This has bred resentment in him, making it difficult to muster even a shred of affection for you!”
“Third crime: You constantly talk to yourself, willfully misinterpret others’ intentions, and remain trapped in your own world! You frequently use your martial arts skills to seal your elder brother’s mute acupoint, never letting him finish speaking! How can you expect to have heartfelt conversations with your elder brother like this? I am deeply disappointed!”
…
…
…
The room fell into a brief silence. Xie Jinyu looked up in astonishment, never expecting that the crimes Xie Chengze would list against him would be of this nature.
“Second Brother, you don’t resent me for imprisoning you?”
“Why should I resent you?” Xie Chengze replied calmly.
All he ever wanted was to be a laid-back imperial second generation—busy times meant casually shocking the emperor and ministers with modern technology, while leisure hours were for tossing fish food to stir up chaos among the fat fish of the court and Jingcheng. In any case, he wouldn’t be bored.
If the Second Prince could stay in the capital for ten years, why couldn’t he?
However, he needed temporary freedom.
The crisis of the Pingcheng earthquake remained unresolved, and over the next few years, numerous regional disasters would threaten the people. Xie Chengze couldn’t just stand by, comfortably directing affairs from Jingcheng, and expect to resolve these crises.
His conscience wouldn’t allow him to ignore or evade his responsibilities.
All he needed was to be allowed, as before, to conduct on-site inspections with Shen Yuan.
Was that such a difficult request?
He voiced his question.
Unexpectedly, Xie Jinyu’s expression instantly darkened.
Jinyu held a deep-seated aversion toward Shen Yuan—after all, it was Shen Yuan who had fatally stabbed the Second Prince, preventing Xie Chengze from returning.
In some ways, Xie Jinyu truly had the makings of an emperor. His suspicious nature made it impossible for him to trust Shen Yuan, especially since he had sensed that Shen Yuan was also a reincarnated soul.
Having been betrayed and killed by his own master, Jinyu couldn’t believe that Shen Yuan harbored no hatred. Keeping him around would only become a lingering worry.
Perhaps the nineteen-year-old Xie Jinyu still needed Shen Yuan’s support, but for the reincarnated Jinyu who had experienced everything, Shen Yuan had become dispensable.
He no longer had a reason to exist.
Xie Jinyu immediately stood up and strode toward the door.
Watching Jinyu’s face darken and his silent departure, Xie Chengze was utterly dumbfounded.
Why was this kid acting like this again?!
How incorrigible! Like trying to polish a dunghill wall!
It infuriated him!
Fuming internally, Chengze cursed under his breath. Not satisfied, he began whipping the chains against the floor. The clanging metal echoed deafeningly, the noise prompting the guards at the door to peek inside.
Xie Chengze glared at them. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen anyone working out before?”
The guards: …
They truly had never seen such a unique workout method.
Only when his arms grew sore from swinging the chains did Xie Chengze finally calm down. He collapsed onto the bed and let out a deep sigh.
Very well, I should take it slow. I wonder if Cao Que has delivered the message to Cheng Huan Palace? With Hu Lai’s typing speed, he should finish writing what he wants fairly quickly, right?
I hope he won’t be disappointed…
And what about Shen Yuan? How is he doing? If he can’t see me, will he figure something out? What are Wuhen and Wuji up to? Do they know I’ve been imprisoned? Will they come to rescue me?
I hope Jin Yu won’t make things difficult for them…
His mind grew hazy. Xie Chengze’s cheek pressed against the pillow, and in the end, he couldn’t resist the drowsiness that washed over him after the tension and subsequent release. His eyelids drooped shut, and he drifted into slumber.