Seeing that the visitor was ShangGuanCY, ChengSangJY's heart sank. He quickly turned around, attempting to escape.
"ChengSangJY, LinHuaichu, both of you stop right there!" ShangGuanCY's stern command made them freeze in place.
ShangGuanCY swiftly walked up behind LinHuaichu, demanding, "What are you two up to today? Doing something shady and refusing to see visitors?"
LinHuaichu knew there was no escape and slowly turned around, smiling sheepishly, "Brother CY, it's so early. What brings you here today?"
ShangGuanCY found it odd. He always visited around the same time each month, so their behavior was suspicious. With a scrutinizing gaze, he said, "You two seem very strange today."
"Ah, no, not at all. We've just been busy with our studies and can't afford to waste too much time. Brother CY, we'll come find you in a few days when it's time to leave the palace," LinHuaichu said hurriedly, attempting to retreat into the study.
But as soon as he took a step, ShangGuanCY caught him by the collar.
"Busy with studies? Who are you fooling? LiLuoning has been in the Emperor's study all morning. He's not even here, and you two have nothing to be busy with," ShangGuanCY exposed their lie.
LinHuaichu's heart raced, unable to look back. He stammered, "Yes... yes... the tutor left us some copying to do yesterday, and we haven't finished it yet. Hehe, we haven't finished."
ShangGuanCY knew something was definitely off. He tightened his grip on LinHuaichu's collar, pulling him closer and raising an eyebrow as if to say, "Do you really think I believe you?"
Seeing ShangGuanCY's eyes, LinHuaichu avoided eye contact, internally panicking, "We're doomed. I knew we couldn't hide it."
ShangGuanCY, seeing LinHuaichu's guilty face, turned to ChengSangJY, realizing he had been standing with his back to him the entire time.
"JY, what's going on? I heard from Eunuch Duo that you weren't feeling well. Didn't LiLuoning check on you?" ShangGuanCY asked, still holding LinHuaichu.
ChengSangJY, with his back to ShangGuanCY, replied nervously, "Ah... no, I'm fine. The tutor said I just need a few days of rest. Brother CY, I caught a cold, and it might be contagious. You should leave and come back in a few days when I'm better."
Hearing this, ShangGuanCY became worried. But then he thought, if JY had a contagious cold, why was LinHuaichu still around? He shot LinHuaichu a look, signaling him to come clean.
LinHuaichu shook his head repeatedly, covering his mouth in resistance.
The more ShangGuanCY thought about it, the more suspicious he became. "JY, turn around."
LinHuaichu closed his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Oh no."
ChengSangJY continued trying to persuade ShangGuanCY to leave, "Brother CY, I'm really sick. My face looks terrible."
"Turn around!" ShangGuanCY raised his voice.
"Brother CY, I... I'm going back to study." ChengSangJY, realizing they couldn't hide the truth any longer, tried to retreat into the study.
"ChengSangJY! Don't make me come over there and grab you. Turn around now!" ShangGuanCY's voice was filled with suppressed anger, causing LinHuaichu to shudder.
ChengSangJY finally stopped, slowly turning around with his head lowered, unable to meet ShangGuanCY's eyes.
At first, ShangGuanCY didn't notice anything unusual, but seeing JY's head lowered, he asked, "What trouble did you get into? What's wrong? Look up!"
Reluctantly, ChengSangJY lifted his head. LinHuaichu covered his face, wincing silently.
ShangGuanCY finally saw the clear red scar on ChengSangJY's face. Shocked, he dropped LinHuaichu and rushed over, "What happened to your face?"
ChengSangJY turned his face away, not wanting ShangGuanCY to look any closer. He mumbled, "Nothing, just fell a few days ago."
ShangGuanCY, not believing a word, grabbed JY's chin, examining the wound closely. "This is clearly a cut from a sharp object. Did you encounter an assassin?"
ChengSangJY pushed ShangGuanCY's hand away, avoiding his gaze, "I said it's nothing. I just fell and got scratched by a branch."
Frustrated by JY's dishonesty, ShangGuanCY's temper flared. He took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, "You better tell me the truth. If I investigate, it will be easy to find out."
Knowing ShangGuanCY's temper, ChengSangJY realized he wouldn't let this go easily. But he wasn't good at lying and couldn't come up with an excuse. So he kept his head down, saying nothing.
ShangGuanCY, seething, glared at JY. Seeing no confession forthcoming, he turned to LinHuaichu, "He won't say it, so you tell me!"
LinHuaichu, trembling with fear, took a step back, stammering, "Brother... Brother CY... I, it's not...."
He looked past ShangGuanCY to ChengSangJY, who was frantically shaking his head.
ShangGuanCY's patience wore thin. "Stop looking at him. Look at me. What happened? LinHuaichu! If you lie, I'll have your brother take you back right now!"
"Don't, don't, Brother CY, I... I'll tell you. JY, I'm sorry." LinHuaichu, hands waving in panic, glanced apologetically at ChengSangJY.
Before ChengSangJY could stop him, ShangGuanCY's stern look silenced him.
"Spit it out!" ShangGuanCY's voice trembled with anger.
LinHuaichu, head down, whispered, "The wound on JY's face... it's from... Empress Xiao."
ShangGuanCY was stunned, unable to believe his ears.
He gestured for LinHuaichu to continue.
"A few days ago, Empress Xiao came to cause trouble, burning many of the tutor's books and wanting to transfer him to the Imperial Medical Institute. JY disagreed and asked her to retract the order. She got furious and slapped JY twice, accidentally cutting his face with her finger guard," LinHuaichu recounted, head lowered.
ShangGuanCY, in disbelief, turned to ChengSangJY. "So, you avoided me to hide this? Did you really think you could keep this from me?"
ChengSangJY nodded reluctantly.
ShangGuanCY pointed at ChengSangJY, then controlled his temper, lowering his hand, lips tightly pressed, pacing in the courtyard.
Seeing ShangGuanCY raise his hand, ChengSangJY instinctively flinched, standing there with a guilty expression. He had always been obedient, relying on ShangGuanCY to resolve his troubles. He knew very well what could make ShangGuanCY angry.
ShangGuanCY didn't know if he was angrier at Empress Xiao for hitting JY or at JY for hiding it from him. He paced, trying to calm his rage.
Just then, LiLuoning returned from the Emperor's study, entering the courtyard. Seeing the three of them, he asked curiously, "Lord Yunqing, what's going on?"
ShangGuanCY then noticed LiLuoning and turned, bowing slightly. "Tutor Li, did you know that the Crown Prince is not receiving visitors today?"
LiLuoning looked puzzled, glancing at ChengSangJY. No one had stopped him upon his arrival, nor had anyone informed him that he needn't come today. He shook his head in confusion.
ShangGuanCY turned back, giving a hard look at ChengSangJY and LinHuaichu. "So, it seems you two weren't just avoiding visitors; you were avoiding me specifically."
Understanding what ShangGuanCY was getting at, LiLuoning spoke first, "The Crown Prince's wound has been treated. It should heal within three days."
ShangGuanCY finally felt some relief. He turned and tapped ChengSangJY's forehead, scolding, "Little JY, you're getting bold, keeping such a big thing from me." He raised his hand threateningly.
ChengSangJY flinched, closing his eyes and backing away. Seeing that the hand didn't fall, he peeked and said in a pleading tone, "Brother CY, I'm fine. The tutor has seen it, and the wound isn't deep. I'll be healed in a few days."
"You're scarred and still say you're fine." ShangGuanCY lifted ChengSangJY's chin, inspecting the wound carefully, eyes full of concern. He had always been protective, never allowing him to handle sharp objects for fear of injury. Though Empress Xiao was his mother, seeing the wound on JY's face filled ShangGuanCY with distress.
Seeing JY trying to avoid his gaze, ShangGuanCY sighed and softened his tone, "Let me see. When was the last time you applied medicine? What medicine are you using? Show it to me."
LinHuaichu sidled up to LiLuoning and whispered, "Tutor, you might not know, but there's probably no one in the entire ChengSang kingdom who loves JY more than Brother CY. If JY so much as sneezes, Brother CY will call in four or five royal physicians to ensure he's alright."
At the Xiao mansion,
"Useless! Can't even guard a grain depot. Absolutely useless!" Xiao Yongnian raged, slamming the table.
Xiao Shikai, kneeling on the ground and trembling, knew the consequences of the grain depot burning down. Adding to his guilt was the fact that he had abandoned his post that night, drunk at Zui Xian Lou and not returning until morning.
"Uncle, you have to save me! I'm the only heir left in the Xiao family. If I die, our family line ends. Please, you must think of something," Xiao Shikai pleaded, sobbing.
Xiao Yongnian sighed heavily, frustrated, "The fire last night was so big, there's no way to cover it up." He thought for a long time before saying, "The Emperor's birthday banquet is tonight. Choose a valuable gift and accompany me. This matter will take a few days for the court to investigate. If we can please the Emperor, you might just save your neck."
Xiao Shikai stood slowly, licking his lips, looking reluctant, "But I'm just a patrol officer. What treasure could I possibly give the Emperor?"
Xiao Yongnian banged the table again, scolding, "Idiot! What's more important, your life or the trinkets you've collected?"
The Emperor's birthday banquet, a grand celebration across ChengSang, was held that night. The palace was lit brightly, the halls bustling with the sounds of music and laughter, with palace maids and eunuchs busy everywhere.
ChengSangJY and LinHuaichu were making their way to the banquet.
"Huaichu, what has your family prepared for the Emperor's birthday gift?" JY asked.
LinHuaichu grinned mysteriously, "It's something truly rare. Why? Are you worried my brother's gift will outshine your Brother CY's?"
JY shook his head, smiling slightly, "Brother CY's gifts always suit Father's tastes and are never ordinary. But I wonder if Father will like my gift this year."
JY's eyes darkened. Every year, he put great thought into his gifts, only to receive a perfunctory "Very good." His gifts were never used or seen in the Emperor's study.
LinHuaichu put an arm around JY's shoulders, saying, "Don't worry so much. This year's banquet is organized by the new Minister of Rites. Maybe there will be some delicious surprises."
In the main hall, ChengSangKing and Empress Xiao sat in high seats, surrounded by the invited ministers. After a dance performance, Eunuch Liu began announcing the gifts.
"From General Lin's residence, a gold-plated spear," Eunuch Liu declared.
ChengSangKing, who had once been a warrior, loved fine weapons as a hero loves a beautiful woman. He took the presented gold-plated spear, testing its balance and craftsmanship. Satisfied, he nodded and said, "Indeed, a fine spear. Muchuan, you have a keen eye. Although I have not waged war in years, such a fine weapon deserves to be displayed in my study. Can you part with it?"
LinMuchuan stood and bowed, "Your Majesty, you are a brave warrior, still as majestic as ever. Such a fine weapon can only befit a hero like you."
ChengSangKing, pleased, set the spear aside and laughed, "A hero and his blade, well said. Reward him!"
"From Lord Yunqing, a nightscape painting of the capital," Eunuch Liu announced.
Two eunuchs unfurled a long scroll depicting the capital city at night, with intricate details of its streets and alleys, and figures full of life, showcasing great skill and effort.
"Uncle Emperor, this Kyoto Night Tour Scroll showcases the prosperous and peaceful lives of our people in Cheng Sang. All of this is thanks to you, a wise and benevolent ruler," ShangGuanCY said, introducing the painting while adding a flattering comment.
"Hahaha, CY, you have always been talented in painting. This Night Tour Scroll clearly took a lot of time and effort. Everyone, look at this—the details of every person are so vivid, it's as if the night scene of Kyoto is right before our eyes. Excellent, excellent! Someone, reward him!" ChengSangKing exclaimed joyfully, waving for a reward.
"MoLan prince, offering a pair of white jade dragon paperweights."
As the words fell, a pair of pristine white paperweights were presented. The lifelike dragons were intricately carved from a single piece of Han white jade, with dragon whiskers as fine as hair and dragon scales delicately detailed. If not closely observed, one might think these were crafted from thin white paper. The onlookers couldn't help but marvel.
"Your son wishes Father longevity and eternal life," ChengSangMo said as he bowed.
ChengSangKing smiled and said, "Mo, you have always had a passion for jade, and your business has thrived over the years. Such top-quality Han white jade is rare even in your trade, right? The craftsmanship is exquisite, lifelike, and wonderful."
ChengSangKing's eyes lingered on the Han white jade, examining every detail. XiaoRui glanced at the jade, then disdainfully looked at ChengSangMo in the audience, speaking with a hint of malice, "Mo, you have managed your business independently for many years, not taking a penny from the court. This white jade paperweight is indeed a masterpiece. Do you know which master crafted it?"
"Replying to the Empress, this pair of dragon Han white jade was a gift from a friend. I do not know which master crafted it, but I thought Father would like it," ChengSangMo replied.
Hearing ChengSangMo refer to the Empress merely as the Empress, ChengSangJY felt a pang in his heart. This formal address felt incredibly distant, a far cry from the elder brother who once promised to protect him.
XiaoRui gave a condescending glance and snorted softly, "An anonymous gift for the Emperor's birthday? MoLan prince, you are indeed generous."
"Whether it's from a renowned master or not, this pair of dragon Han white jade is extraordinary. Mo, you have been running your business for years; this might indeed come from a hidden master. Such a fine gift, I am pleased. Mo, what reward would you like?" ChengSangKing asked.
ChengSangMo did not raise his head to meet the Emperor's gaze and responded with a distant tone, "Your son seeks no reward, only wishes for Father's good health and Cheng Sang's eternal prosperity."
ChengSangKing knew ChengSangMo's character well; if he said he wanted nothing, no one could force a reward upon him. So, he waved his hand and said, "Then I'll owe you one. If you see something you like in the future, let me know."
"Prince ChengSangJY, offering a Kyoto Travel Journal."
"Hmm? JY, did you finish this travel journal so quickly?" ChengSangKing asked, surprised, taking the book to flip through it.
ChengSangJY walked forward obediently, bowed, and replied, "Father, this is the first volume of the Kyoto Travel Journal. I personally transcribed and bound it. As a ruler, I couldn't think of a better gift, so I present this first volume to you. The contents of this journal complement the Night Tour Scroll gifted by CY. You can enjoy reading it at your leisure."
Before ChengSangKing could respond, XiaoRui's face darkened with displeasure as she complained, "A prince who only knows how to eat, drink, and play, neglecting his studies. How unbecoming. As parents, we don't need these trivial journals. We only hope you can fulfill your duties, prepare for the future, and relieve your parents of their worries. Binding a journal like this wastes time—time that could be spent studying. Truly, your priorities are misplaced."
ChengSangJY's face gradually darkened. It was always like this—no matter the time or place, whether surrounded by officials or eunuchs, XiaoRui never hesitated to reprimand him. To her, a mother should teach her son in front of others, but she never considered ChengSangJY's feelings or dignity.
ShangGuanCY couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up, "Prince ChengSangJY personally bound this book, which surely took considerable effort. The first volume being given to the Emperor shows the prince's filial piety."
ChengSangKing was quite pleased. After flipping through a few pages, he closed the book and looked at ChengSangJY approvingly, "Well done, JY. This journal is the first book you've written yourself. This gift, your father accepts."
"Minister of War, XiaoYongNian, offering a jade pendant."
XiaoYongNian watched as the jade pendant was presented to the Emperor, with XiaoShiKai sitting behind him.
"Uncle, this jade pendant is my best item. The Emperor will surely like it," XiaoShiKai whispered from behind.
XiaoYongNian glanced back at him without responding.
ChengSangKing picked up the jade pendant, examined it, and said approvingly, "Smooth and cold, with a rich hue—truly a fine jade pendant."
As ChengSangJY held the jade pendant up to the light for a closer look, ShangGuanCY, seemingly waiting for this moment, suddenly called out, "Uncle Emperor, while this jade pendant may look fine, it is not something to handle lightly."
Everyone was stunned, their eyes turning towards ShangGuanCY. ChengSangMo looked at the jade pendant in the Emperor's hand, frowning slightly as if he had discerned something.
ChengSangKing, puzzled but cautious, slowly put down the jade pendant and asked, "CY, such a fine jade pendant—why should it not be handled?"
XiaoYongNian interjected, "ShangGuanCY, do not speak nonsense. This finely crafted jade pendant, which the Emperor likes, how can it be something to avoid?"
ShangGuanCY ignored him and approached the high platform, bowing as he spoke, "Uncle Emperor, not only should this item not be handled, but it should also be thrown as far away as possible."
XiaoRui scolded, "ShangGuanCY! Do not speak nonsense. The Emperor is pleased with this jade pendant—what is there to avoid?"
ShangGuanCY continued, "If it were truly a fine jade pendant, Uncle Emperor could like it as much as he wants. But this item is not a jade pendant at all!"