Troublemaker Prince C44
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 44
Huo Xiling had thought that You Yusui had been besieged by the assembled ministers during court or scolded by His Majesty, which had worried him for quite some time. He never expected that it was the chair that had made him uncomfortable.
"It's my fault. I didn't consider things thoroughly for Your Highness." Huo Xiling looked at the chair he had padded with cushions and white fox fur and said.
Although the chair had been padded with these things, the backrest was still hard, so it inevitably made His Highness uncomfortable.
"When we return, I'll have the palace maids make a cushion of about the same size, and wrap the armrests with cotton too, so Your Highness can recline comfortably."
If this chair hadn't been bestowed by His Majesty, Huo Xiling would have wanted to move it away directly and replace it with a reclining chair for You Yusui.
"Massage it for me when we get back." You Yusui reached out and lifted Huo Xiling's chin.
Those slender, elegant fingers lifting the handsome youth's chin created an indescribable ambiguity, as if a delicate butterfly had alighted on Huo Xiling's heart.
"Alright, I'll massage it." Huo Xiling couldn't help but grasp the hand You Yusui had used to lift his chin.
Then, Huo Xiling stood up, bent down, and lifted You Yusui into his arms, saying, "Your Highness, shall we return to the palace now?"
"Alright." You Yusui nodded, then obediently leaned against Huo Xiling's chest and closed his eyes.
In the Eastern Palace, Eunuch Fubao had the small kitchen prepare breakfast, waiting for You Yusui to have a hot meal as soon as he returned to the palace.
As soon as Huo Xiling carried You Yusui into the Eastern Palace, Eunuch Fubao came forward to greet them.
"Your Highness, the small kitchen has prepared breakfast. You can have it served whenever you wish—everything you like to eat." Eunuch Fubao said with a smile as he looked at You Yusui.
"Have them bring it up." After You Yusui finished speaking, he looked at Huo Xiling who was holding him and said, "Xiling, stay and dine with me."
"Alright."
Next, You Yusui had Huo Xiling place him on the cushioned chair, then directed Huo Xiling to serve him food.
However, after eating just a few bites, You Yusui was full. No matter how Huo Xiling coaxed him, You Yusui refused to take another bite.
This had become a common occurrence in the Eastern Palace. After Huo Xiling put down his chopsticks, someone naturally came to clear away the breakfast.
Sitting to the side, You Yusui asked Huo Xiling to massage his back. He had been leaning against that chair for so long that his back was now very uncomfortable.
You Yusui lay prone on the daybed by the window, and Huo Xiling sat beside him and asked, "Where does it hurt?"
The prone You Yusui said, "All on my back. I can't reach it with my hands. Take off my clothes."
"Take? Take off your clothes?" As soon as Huo Xiling finished speaking, his ears had already turned red.
He was afraid that he might have improper thoughts about the Crown Prince and then be driven out of the Eastern Palace by the furious Crown Prince.
"I told you to take them off, so take them off. Why are you dawdling?" You Yusui, lying on the bed, said.
"Alright."
Huo Xiling's hands trembled slightly. Then, with a flick of his fingertips, he undid You Yusui's sash. Next, You Yusui's garment fell open, like a bamboo shoot revealing its tender interior.
Huo Xiling moved to gently pull You Yusui's clothing down to his waist. His smooth, rounded shoulders were exposed, his skin as white as fresh snow nearly dazzled Huo Xiling's eyes, and his beautiful shoulder blades were clearly visible.
However, several red marks on this smooth, fair back marred the scenery, making Huo Xiling's heart ache with pity.
"Does it hurt?" Huo Xiling asked.
"That chair is too hard—it hurts a bit." You Yusui answered while lying prone. He thought about his father emperor's dragon throne with its backrest carved full of dragon and cloud patterns and couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.
If one were to lean back against the dragon throne, how uncomfortable that would be. The current You Yusui was already starting to feel sympathetic pain.
Huo Xiling's fingers gently traced over the several red marks on You Yusui's back, then he said, "I'll go get some medicinal ointment to apply for Your Highness, and I need to massage carefully to prevent bruising."
"Mm." You Yusui gave a muffled response. Could it really bruise?
Soon, Huo Xiling retrieved the specially formulated ointment that Cui Yan had made and applied it to You Yusui's back. When the ointment was first applied, You Yusui only felt a cool sensation on his back, but as Huo Xiling massaged, his back instantly became burning hot.
Just as Huo Xiling was massaging You Yusui's back, the room door was suddenly pushed open.
Both Huo Xiling and You Yusui turned their heads at the same time, only to see Grand Preceptor Gu Shen standing stunned at the door with fury on his face.
The next second, Grand Preceptor Gu withdrew from the room, closed the door, and said, "Pardon the intrusion."
Next, they heard Gu Shen reproaching Fubao, "Why didn't you stop me just now?"
Stop him—how else would he have barged into the Crown Prince's bedroom in a fit of anger about having to attend court and witnessed that scene just now?
Gu Shen deeply regretted his impulsiveness, but how had what was clearly just a cushy job collecting salary without actually working turned into having to attend court?
"You are the Crown Prince's teacher, after all." Eunuch Fubao said softly and weakly.
The Grand Preceptor of the Great Jing could even flog the Emperor—as the Crown Prince's teacher, forcing your way into the Crown Prince's room wasn't that big of an issue.
Gu Shen: ….
Inside the room, Huo Xiling withdrew his hand, and You Yusui also sat up and arranged his clothing properly.
"The teacher seems to have misunderstood something." You Yusui said.
Huo Xiling remained silent, quietly cleaning the ointment from his hands.
You Yusui laughed and said, "Actually, it's not really a misunderstanding."
After speaking, You Yusui pushed open the door and looked at Grand Preceptor Gu in the courtyard, asking, "Teacher, what brings you to see me?"
Gu Shen said with a grave expression, "His Majesty decreed today that I must attend court."
He had been living like a carefree cloud and wild crane for so long—suddenly making him get up early to attend court left him with a belly full of fire with nowhere to vent.
Moreover, as a Grand Preceptor, aside from teaching the Crown Prince every day, what business did he have that was worth attending court for?
Upon hearing this, You Yusui immediately laughed and said, "This is a good thing."
Congratulations, teacher, on escaping your happy, leisurely life of rising when the sun is high in the sky and spending every day raising chickens and fighting dogs.
"Perhaps I should set off firecrackers to celebrate for you." You Yusui said.
"I'm certain this matter has something to do with you." Gu Shen slapped the table and said, "I'm already in my sixties or seventies. I'm not Prime Minister Su—how can I stand for over an hour at a time?"
After speaking, Gu Shen thumped his lower back.
Looking at Gu Shen, You Yusui couldn't help but think that who would have imagined that this great scholar of the age would be like this? Even having lived through more than ten lifetimes, he had never expected it.
"I wonder what His Majesty was thinking." Gu Shen said. "I can't suffer this alone—that old fellow Xie Yi must accompany me too."
After speaking, Gu Shen walked out. The moment he stepped out of the Eastern Palace, his bearing instantly became dignified and steady.
You Yusui: ...
"In his youth, the Grand Preceptor was indeed a figure even more flamboyant than my maternal grandfather." You Yusui sighed.
Eunuch Fubao beside him said with a smile, "I once heard Her Majesty the Empress say that in his youth, the Grand Preceptor raised chickens and fought dogs, was extremely profligate, and was constantly compared to Lord Xie by his family. He then studied diligently and became a great scholar of his generation."
"And to compete with Lord Xie, he refused to set foot in court no matter what."
At that time, Gu Shen was still young. He had said that Xie Yi had his own glory, and he had his own glory too. Xie Yi's glory was in the court, and his glory was in Confucian scholarship. Why should he venture into court and let his light be completely overshadowed by Xie Yi? If he focused on writing books and establishing theories, why worry that history wouldn't record his name?
"Is that so?" You Yusui's smile carried a touch of loneliness. If only possible, he wished to hear his mother empress tell him these things herself.
Fubao said with a smile, "If Her Majesty knew that Grand Preceptor Gu had become your teacher, she would surely be very happy."
"I know." You Yusui nodded.
He knew that his mother empress had been very, very good to him. Even in death, she had thought of his future reputation, forcibly holding on until the second day after his birth before passing away. That was why, no matter which lifetime, he persisted in not celebrating his birthday and maintained the habit of hand-copying sutras for the deceased on his birthday.
The next moment, Huo Xiling grasped You Yusui's hand and said, "Your Highness, we are all here."
In that moment, You Yusui shed tears. In this lifetime, he had chosen a different path from the previous dozen-plus lifetimes. He had repaired his relationship with his maternal grandfather and cousin, gained family, and found someone he liked.
Although he only had three years left to live, You Yusui was much happier than in the previous dozen-plus lifetimes. Moreover, his physical condition had already made You Fengyun believe he wouldn't live long. Since he wouldn't live long, his father emperor had no need to move against the Xie family, worrying that the Xie family would support him to ascend the throne.
"I know." You Yusui crouched down and said softly, "I just can't bear to part with it."
He just suddenly wanted very much to continue living, couldn't bear to die. Unfortunately, fate was like a strange cycle, repeating endlessly. Whether he struggled fiercely or deliberately avoided it, he could not break free.
"Your Highness." Huo Xiling held You Yusui and comforted him softly.
"I'm not crying." You Yusui said quietly.
"I know." Huo Xiling said consolingly.
"Your Highness, sleep. When you wake up, everything will be fine."
Huo Xiling felt it necessary to complete all the dreams. Perhaps he could glimpse a trace of the truth from the dreams.
On the other side, after You Fengyun had thought of a good method for You Yusui to recruit talent, he asked An Hai, "What is the Crown Prince doing?"
An Hai beside him seemed hesitant to speak, but finally said, "The Crown Prince was made uncomfortable by the chair. The palace maids in the Eastern Palace are making cushions for the Crown Prince."
You Fengyun: ...
"Pampered." Only after a moment did You Fengyun utter these two words.
He himself was skilled in riding and archery. Before ascending the throne, he had often led people on hunts for years, his body robust. How had the child he fathered turned out so delicate?
"Have someone send more good fabrics to the Eastern Palace." You Fengyun ordered.
You Yusui had helped him resolve the military funds problem, so naturally he wouldn't slight You Yusui in these small matters.
"Yes." Eunuch An Hai immediately had someone select some good fabrics to send to the Eastern Palace.
Thus, early the next morning, when the hundred officials attended court, they discovered that the comfort level of the Crown Prince's seat seemed to have improved again.
Besides that, they also saw Gu Shen gripping Lord Xie's sleeve as they stood in Xuanzheng Hall, his face dark and frightening, as if he might explode at any moment.
Lord Xie, on the other hand, wore a helpless, bitter smile. At his age, he had actually been dragged to attend court.
At this moment, in Xuanzheng Hall, two elderly slackers and one elderly overachiever formed a stark contrast.