Troublemaker Prince C30 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 30.1
You Yusui immediately decided to slack off completely, firmly refusing to give You Fengyun any opportunity to exploit him. Moreover, regarding You Fengyun's sudden mention of marriage, You Yusui didn't even need to guess that it was because after the First Prince and Third Prince established their households and married, they would enter the court. To maintain balance, You Fengyun, that master of playing seesaw, had begun his balancing act again.
You Yusui sneered inwardly. Want to drag him onto the battlefield? No way—he would go back and fall ill.
"The Crown Prince must focus on state affairs from now on and share Zhen's burdens." After the Qionglin Banquet that You Yusui had organized due to his laziness, You Fengyun had seen talent in him.
As someone who valued talent above all else, You Fengyun would never allow the Crown Prince to lie idle in the Eastern Palace as a leisure person.
He must attend court. Even if he did nothing, just listening and occasionally offering thoughts would be good.
Upon hearing his dear Father Emperor's words, You Yusui thought to himself "definitely next time," but what he said aloud was: "Since Father Emperor values this son so highly, this son will certainly spare no effort, do his utmost, devote himself wholeheartedly, rack his brains............to live up to Father Emperor's expectations."
For some reason, hearing You Yusui spout four-character idioms one after another gave You Fengyun an unusual headache.
He felt You Yusui was doing it deliberately, but when he looked down and saw his frail son with tears in his eyes, looking like he wouldn't disappoint expectations, he became somewhat uncertain.
You Fengyun stared at the Crown Prince below, feeling it seemed somewhat excessive to force someone with many illnesses to attend court. Finally, he had An Hai at his side fetch some ornamental trinkets and place them in You Yusui's hands.
"Whatever you want in the palace, you can ask Consort Xian for it." You Fengyun spoke generously.
He didn't feel bad about these things; as for whether Consort Xian felt bad about it, that was another matter.
You Yusui was immediately moved beyond words, expressing that he would certainly do his utmost, but what he thought in his heart was: the money can be accepted, but the work won't be done.
You Fengyun was very satisfied with You Yusui's attitude, thinking to himself that no matter how much the Crown Prince's personality changed, he was still that Crown Prince with a gentlemanly character—truly his good son.
However, You Fengyun never would have imagined that the Crown Prince had barely returned to the Eastern Palace before someone came to report that the Crown Prince had fallen ill.
You Fengyun: ......
You Fengyun, who was reviewing memorials, solemnly put down his brush. He began to suspect whether You Yusui was putting on an act for him.
How could there be such a coincidence in the world? The Crown Prince had just received the decree to attend court and listen to governance, and the next second after returning to the Eastern Palace, he fell ill.
In Xuande Hall, sandalwood incense curled upward. With the Emperor not speaking, the palace attendants didn't even dare breathe slightly heavier.
After a moment, You Fengyun spoke, "An Hai, have the Head Imperial Physician from the Imperial Medical Courtyard personally examine the Crown Prince and be sure to determine the cause of this illness."
You Fengyun was, after all, the victor who had walked through the succession struggle of years past. In just an instant, he became suspicious of You Yusui and without hesitation had the Head Imperial Physician carefully examine You Yusui's body to ascertain the cause of illness.
If You Yusui was truly feigning illness, You Fengyun had a bit of a headache—he couldn't actually punish him.
Finally, looking at the memorials on his desk, he had a brilliant idea.
"If he's feigning illness, let him handle these past few days' memorials." You Fengyun said.
Hearing this, An Hai lowered his head, unable to help thinking to himself that this was hardly a punishment—it was something the First Prince and Third Prince would envy beyond measure.
At this moment, in the Eastern Palace, You Yusui still had that frail, pale appearance, lying on the wide bed with eyes tightly closed, fine beads of sweat slightly seeping from his forehead, making anyone who looked feel he was gravely ill.
This time, the first imperial physician summoned was still Cui Yan. He had seen this scene countless times already and felt no ripples in his heart.
However, what surprised him was that Huo Xiling, who was keeping watch by the bedside, seemed less panicked and flustered. Could it be he knew the Crown Prince was feigning illness? Cui Yan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Imperial Physician Cui, you've arrived. Please come examine him quickly." As soon as Eunuch Fubao saw Cui Yan, he immediately went forward to greet him, personally leading Cui Yan to You Yusui's bedside.
The thin gauze curtain was lifted by palace attendants. The scent of Spring's Message in the Snow from the incense burner slowly dispersed. The cold plum fragrance falling in the inner chamber particularly made His Highness the Crown Prince, lying on that wide bed, appear lonely and desolate.
Cui Yan took You Yusui's pulse according to the old routine. Sure enough, feigning illness again.
However, His Highness the Crown Prince's complexion was too pale, and his temperament when his eyes were closed was too fragile. If one didn't personally take his pulse, even experienced old imperial physicians would probably be fooled.
To thoroughly fool the experienced old imperial physicians, Imperial Physician Cui took out his silver needles, preparing to display his special skill.
Seeing the silver needles in Imperial Physician Cui's hands, Eunuch Fubao breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Every time Imperial Physician Cui finished the acupuncture, the Crown Prince would wake up quickly. It seemed this time would be the same.
As the silver needles were inserted into You Yusui's acupoints one by one, the originally strong and vigorous pulse was reversed, instantly becoming weak and powerless. However, if one wanted to investigate the cause of the weakness, there was no way to proceed.
A quarter-hour later, Cui Yan removed the silver needles, gently wiping them with strong liquor and fine cloth.
Just at this moment, Huo Xiling, who had been silent all along, spoke up asking Cui Yan to step aside for a word.
You Yusui, lying on the bed, moved his eyelids slightly. What did his Xiao Huo want to say to Cui Yan?
Just as he was about to open his eyes, Huo Xiling and Cui Yan had already walked to the outer chamber.
You Yusui: ......Fine, if he couldn't listen, he couldn't listen. In any case, he could ask Huo Xiling, and Huo Xiling would tell him.
On the other side, Huo Xiling directly asked how to cure You Yusui's illness.
Cui Yan, who had followed Huo Xiling out, was stunned for a moment. Then, as a clever person, Cui Yan quickly realized that Huo Xiling might know You Yusui's illness this time was feigned, but actually didn't know that You Yusui wasn't ill at all—in fact, he was very robust, robust enough to go fifty-fifty with the Huo Xiling before him.
After all, what patient could kick a two-hundred-plus-pound fat person away in anger? No matter how one thought about it, it was impossible.
Looking at Huo Xiling's earnest gaze before him, Cui Yan hesitated to speak. He wanted to ask: after accompanying the Crown Prince for so many days, haven't you taken the Crown Prince's pulse?
Then Cui Yan thought again—the Crown Prince was either having his pulse altered by him or on the way to having his pulse altered. Even if Huo Xiling knew martial arts, what of it? Feeling the Crown Prince's pulse that was sometimes strong and sometimes weak would only be more confusing.
Cui Yan looked sympathetically at this half-grown youth who had been deceived by His Highness the Crown Prince, then curved the corners of his mouth. "There is a method to extend His Highness's lifespan, but that thing is in Tujue, enshrined by the Tujue royal family."
Huo Xiling raised his head, a fierce light appearing in his eyes. He looked at Cui Yan and said, "Then I'll go snatch it for His Highness."
For His Highness to live a long life, he could do anything. Since Tujue had what he wanted, then he would point his sword at Tujue for His Highness the Crown Prince.
Hearing this, Cui Yan laughed. Whether Tujue had this thing or not, he didn't know, but Tujue had been harassing Great Jing's borders for years, and His Majesty had been dissatisfied with Tujue for a long time. Presumably in a few years, His Majesty might use military force against Tujue.
He wasn't deceiving the youth—he was encouraging the youth to achieve merit and establish his career.
"That would be best." Cui Yan said with a smile.
As his words fell, Eunuch An Hai arrived with a large amount of supplements and the Head Imperial Physician from the Imperial Medical Courtyard.
Seeing this, Eunuch Fubao hurried forward to greet them. He asked, "Why has Eunuch An come? Does His Majesty have a decree?"
Hearing this, An Hai pointed to the Head Imperial Physician beside him. "His Majesty heard that the Crown Prince fell ill after returning to the Eastern Palace and specifically sent the Head Physician to take the Crown Prince's pulse."
Actually, His Majesty suspected the Crown Prince was feigning illness and specifically sent someone to investigate the Crown Prince's true condition.
Hearing this, Fubao said happily, "His Highness the Crown Prince just woke up. Head Physician, please."
After speaking, Fubao led the two into the inner chamber.
At this moment, You Yusui had already sat up with palace attendants' support and was taking small sips of hot water. The Head Imperial Physician from the Imperial Medical Courtyard, seeing You Yusui's appearance, couldn't help but frown. He felt the Crown Prince's complexion was even worse than the last time he had come to take his pulse.
"Please extend your wrist, Your Highness." The Head Imperial Physician said.
A slender wrist appeared before the Head Imperial Physician's eyes, and then he heard His Highness the Crown Prince on the bed cough and say, "Thank you for your trouble, Head Physician."
The next moment, the Head Physician's fingers rested on You Yusui's wrist. The pulse was weak and floating, like gossamer thread. Seeing You Yusui's pale face with bloodless lips, after looking, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse, the Head Physician actually couldn't determine the cause of illness for a time.
Finally, the Head Imperial Physician could only call over Cui Yan, who was still in the Crown Prince's palace and hadn't left.
"Imperial Physician Cui, were you able to determine the cause of the Crown Prince's illness this time?" The Head Imperial Physician humbly asked.
Even though he was already sixty years old and had studied medicine for decades, having long since become the Head Physician, he still couldn't compare to Cui Yan. Cui Yan's talent was truly astonishing.
Cui Yan, who knew You Yusui was completely feigning illness: ......How was he supposed to explain this?
At this point, You Yusui on the side began to cough softly again. Cui Yan then spoke, "His Highness the Crown Prince's body is inherently frail. Suddenly hearing that he could attend court and listen to governance, his emotions inevitably became agitated, thus injuring his heart meridian. That's why he fell gravely ill."
Eunuch An Hai and the Head Imperial Physician on the side listened in bewilderment, while Cui Yan's expression was solemn and utterly convincing.
You Yusui, sitting on the bed using coughs to cover his inability to suppress his laughter, really wanted to say: Cui Yan, what a talent! You shouldn't be at the Imperial Medical Courtyard—you should be at the Honglu Temple doing diplomacy. This skill of brazenly lying was unmatched.
(TL: The Honglu Temple (鴻胪寺) was a real government institution in ancient China. It was responsible for foreign affairs and diplomacy, including:
=Receiving and entertaining envoys from other countries or tribes
=Managing ceremonial etiquette for foreign visitors
=Handling translations and communications with foreign states)
Was there anything wrong with the Crown Prince's illness that Cui Yan described? Nothing wrong at all.
The Crown Prince had indeed fallen ill after hearing the news that he could attend court and listen to governance—truly due to emotions being too agitated.
After hearing Cui Yan's words, the Head Imperial Physician took You Yusui's pulse again, then showed an expression of "as expected."
"Your Highness still needs quiet recuperation and must not have agitated emotions—cannot be too happy or too angry. Only this way will your body not be harmed." The Head Imperial Physician said.
You Yusui indicated he understood—as long as someone scolded him, he just needed to fall to the ground.
Finally, having determined the cause of illness, the Head Imperial Physician left with Eunuch An Hai. Eunuch An Hai, who had to report the Crown Prince's illness to the Emperor, had a bit of a headache. How was he supposed to say this?
In the end, the Emperor in Xuande Hall took the initiative to ask, "Was the cause of the Crown Prince's illness determined?"
"In response to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince was too happy and injured his heart meridian, which is why he collapsed."
You Fengyun: ......
There would be many more happy occasions in the future. He couldn't possibly collapse every single time, could he?