Chapter 0265: The Imperial Circle Is Truly Chaotic Zhang Yuheng, The Unyielding Servant Xie Chengze

Xie Jinyu did not see it that way.

Anyone who could make Xie Chengze use the word “beg” was absolutely not simple.

Was Zhang Yuheng hiding something, or was Second Brother attempting to use Zhang Yuheng to conceal something?

Did Second Brother want to shove him into the Directorate of Celestial Observation…

Thinking of Su Qinghe, whom Xie Chengze had personally supported within the Directorate of Celestial Observation, Xie Jinyu narrowed his eyes slightly, a dark, cold sneer flashing in their depths.

Was he afraid that Xie Jinyu, out of jealousy, would kill Su Qinghe, so he deliberately inserted another person to obscure his view?

A mute with ordinary looks, inferior to Su Qinghe’s external qualities, was naturally meant to be discarded. But as the son of a prefect, this identity just happened to make Xie Jinyu hesitate, preventing him from resorting to lethal measures.

Did Second Brother think this would protect both of them?

Unfortunately, if it were the Crown Prince Xie Jinyu, he might not kill indiscriminately.

But he was the Tyrant Xie Jinyu.

The mere son of a prefect was nothing in his eyes.

He refrained from slaughter and bloodshed in the court only because he did not want to see Second Brother heartbroken. He was indeed jealous of these people, but he was not foolish. With Xie Shoujun and Shen Yuan watching closely nearby, and Second Brother unwilling to let soldiers die, he naturally would not initiate a palace coup, nor would he kill Second Brother’s people, giving Shen Yuan and Xie Shoujun leverage to drive a wedge between him and Second Brother.

Xie Jinyu raised his hand, signaling Zhang Yuheng to rise. “The Prince Regent admired your talent and specially permitted you to enter the Directorate of Celestial Observation. However, all who enter the Directorate must be appointed with the Imperial Jade Seal’s imprint. Currently, the Imperial Jade Seal is not in my possession. Only Shen Shilang of the Ministry of Justice knows its whereabouts.”

“Summon Shen Shilang.”

The guard who received the order went to find Shen Yuan. Zhang Yuheng hung his head, gradually realizing the underlying implications.

Why did he feel like he was being used as a pawn?

The emperor had passed away, yet the Imperial Jade Seal was not in the hands of the Crown Prince, who should have inherited the throne. Instead, only Shen Shilang, who was on good terms with the Prince Regent, knew its whereabouts. And the Crown Prince was using the Prince Regent’s special permission for him to enter the Directorate of Celestial Observation to force Shen Yuan to hand over the Imperial Jade Seal…

This was probably what his father meant by the filthy machinations of the imperial family.

The imperial circle is truly chaotic.

Zhang Yuheng stood obediently to the side, wishing he could vanish into the shadows as an invisible entity, dissipating all presence.

Soon, Shen Yuan was summoned.

The man in white robes stepped into the main hall of the Eastern Palace. His composed gaze swept over Xie Jinyu and settled on Zhang Yuheng, roughly guessing the situation. He then knelt and paid respects, “Your subject pays homage to the Crown Prince.”

Xie Jinyu let out a laugh, the sound eerily sinister, like a lion toying with a bird in its grasp on a cliff’s edge, exuding peril and danger at every turn.

He stared at Shen Yuan, who remained kneeling without permission to rise, his tone casual yet laced with pressure. “Before his death, the Prince Regent told me he wished to recruit Zhang Yuheng into the Directorate of Celestial Observation. Shen Shilang, you were very close to the Prince Regent in life. Surely, you would not go against his final wishes, would you?”

Zhang Yuheng jerked his head up.

The Second Prince was dead?

Shen Yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, “Positions in the Directorate of Celestial Observation are unique. They require the Emperor to appoint celestial officials with the Imperial Jade Seal’s imprint before one can assume a role in the Directorate.”

The implication was clear: you, Crown Prince, are not yet emperor and cannot appoint Zhang Yuheng.

“Now that the Prince Regent is dead, I am the Crown Prince. Inheriting the throne is only a matter of time.” Xie Jinyu narrowed his eyes. “Shen Shilang is a smart man. You should know this matter cannot be changed.”

“Then this subject shall quietly await Your Highness’s ascension to the throne.” Shen Yuan remained as unyielding as iron and stone. “When Your Highness ascends the throne, this subject will naturally present the Imperial Jade Seal.”

“Shen Yuan!” Xie Jinyu slammed the table and stood up, his gaze growing increasingly dark and dangerous. “Do you truly believe I can do nothing to you?!”

“This subject does not understand what Your Highness means,” Shen Yuan raised his eyes, his piercing gaze seeming to see right through Xie Jinyu. “This subject only knows that the Prince Regent was unwilling to ‘die’.”

Their meeting ended unhappily. As Shen Yuan was leaving, he heard Xie Jinyu’s cold voice behind him: “Don’t think I don’t dare to kill you.”

He just lacked an excuse.

Shen Yuan understood the unspoken second half of that sentence.

The Crown Prince didn’t kill him because he feared Xie Shoujun would use it as an excuse to lead troops in rebellion. Yet while Shen Yuan lived, the Crown Prince also feared he might support either the Eldest Prince or the Fourth Prince.

Whoever ascended the throne would shake Xie Jinyu’s current position, preventing him from having Xie Chengze all to himself.

How pitiful.

But Shen Yuan could no longer summon any pity in his heart.

When that Azure Sword, which had once charged forward to slay enemies for him, was plunged into his heart, when Xie Jinyu would no longer prioritize protecting the people of this world – their ten years of loyalty between ruler and subject had already vanished like smoke.

“This subject still says the same thing: don’t take his softheartedness as a weapon to hurt him.”

…

Xie Jinyu arrived at Taiji Hall to find Xie Chengze tearing up a storybook.

He certainly knew how to improvise. Denied writing materials, he was tearing characters from the storybook one by one, then dipping them in melted candle wax to stick them back onto the paper, rearranging them into the words he wanted.

Xie Jinyu walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. “Second Brother.”

“Finished work?” Xie Chengze continued busily with his task. “Wait a moment, just a few more characters left.”

He lowered his head, carefully dripping melted candle wax onto the paper and sticking the final few characters in place.

Xie Jinyu rested his chin on Xie Chengze’s shoulder, following his busy arms to see twenty-four characters stuck to the paper:

Prosperous, Democratic, Civilized, Harmonious.

Free, Equal, Just, Rule of Law.

Patriotic, Dedicated, Honest, Friendly.

Xie Jinyu’s dark and gloomy thoughts fell into subtle silence once again.

To piece together such proper and serious phrases from storybooks filled with nothing but vulgar language – only Second Brother could do something so absurdly amusing.

So endearingly naive.

His childlike innocence made Xie Jinyu feel even more like a writhing insect in a dark sewer.

And yet Second Brother was trying to teach this insect how to be human.

Xie Jinyu both coveted this purity in him, and wished to see him thoroughly stained with filth, sinking together with him into this chaotic world.

“Second Brother…”

He said hoarsely, “Tonight, shall I stay with you?”

Xie Chengze agreed casually. “Sure.”

It was just two brothers sleeping together – they’d done it before. Besides, wasn’t this exactly why Xie Jinyu had imprisoned him here? So they could hug every day and sleep together at night?

He was just a big baby. Understood, understood.

Until the candle was blown out and Xie Jinyu’s fingers slipped beneath his inner garment under the covers, Xie Chengze finally jolted to full alertness. He abruptly threw off the quilt and sprang up.

Wrong!

This was all wrong!

The direction of this plot was completely wrong!

No wonder Shen Yuan had warned him in the letter to be cautious, saying he shouldn’t be too gentle in his approach. So Xie Jinyu wasn’t just simply treating him as a comfort object—he actually—

Wait a minute?

When Shen Yuan said the Crown Prince was no different from him, could it mean not reincarnation, but rather…

Holy shit!!!

I thought you all were blushing because I’m just too damn gorgeous, but you’re actually blushing because you have ulterior motives toward me?!

Xie Chengze kicked Xie Jinyu off the bed and screamed hoarsely, “Get the hell away from me!”

A modern youth would never become a slave to homosexuality!

After the founding of the nation, the people all stand tall and proud—and he himself was straight from head to toe!