“If I don’t understand, do you understand?”
After being stunned for a while, Yan Qi regained his unique arrogance as the aristocratic young master.
He comes from a good family and has been labeled a genius since he was a child, carrying the honor and hope of his family on his back. From childhood to adulthood, he has always been respected and admired by those around him.
He never takes the initiative to bow down to anyone.
The power of the aristocratic families are intertwined, and the Yan family is the oldest and largest tree with the deepest roots. Even this current Majesty relied on the assistance of the previous generation of the Yan family’s heads to succeed in ascending to the throne.
As the eldest grandson of the Yan family, he had a noble status and a proud capital far higher than most of the distinguished descendants in the Sui capital city.
Everyone knew that the Yan family was unshakable and could not be offended, but Sui Heng wanted to break these established rules and regulations through other means.
“Do you really think that you and him are on an equal footing?”
Yan Qi spoke cruelly in a broad and gentle tone.
Even though he knew that Sui Heng had brought Jiang Yun back from Jiangnan and placed him in the private courtyard, he never regarded him as a competitor because their identities were so vastly different that, compared to a commoner from a rural background, he would appear to be too undervalued. It was not until Jiang Yun quietly won the top spot in the literary category with a piece of “Spring Ode” and Sui Heng personally delivered the auspicious lotus flower to Jiang Yun’s hands that Yan Qi took a proper look at this young master who was said to come from the Wei Kingdom for the first time.
Although they were rivals, but Yan Qi had to admit that Jiang Yun had a pure and elegant temperament that no one could match. His black eyes were always as calm as a lake.
But in the face of power, elegance and purity are at best embellishments, they represent nothing.
He said, “You are just a commoner from a humble background, and he was the high and mighty Crown Prince, who had been pampered since he was a child, the last thing he needed was flattery and carrying favor. Even if he is now greedy for your beauty and freshness, in the future, in order to consolidate his position, he will marry a daughter or a Young Master from a noble family as the Crown Princess. Even if that person is not me, it will also be someone else. Your identity determines that you can never stand on an equal footing with him. Love is the least valuable thing to the person sitting in that position.”
“Young Master Chu has exceptional literary talent, and you have read poetry and books extensively. You should understand this truth, right?”
The fragrance of tea silently permeated between the two.
Jiang Yun calmly said, “Perhaps, as you said, I don’t understand, but I know that liking someone should have nothing to do with power and status. The love that can truly withstand the test, even with an axe on their heads, burning by fire, people will still pursue and sacrifice their lives for it. Just because Daren hasn’t seen it, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
“Instead of being upset, angry, or even aggravated, you should ask yourself, Do you really like him? If you like him, would you really watch him freeze and starve to death in the northern region without doing anything?”
Yan Qi frowned and wanted to say something more, but the door of the private room slammed open from the outside.
Jiang Yun turned his head, and before he could react to what had happened, his body lightened, and he had been picked up by the silhouette that had come in stride.
Sui Heng whispered, “Without Gu’s command, who allowed you to run around? You’re itching and want to be punished again?”
He completely disciplined him as if he were a private object in public. Jiang Yun bit his lips and leaned on his shoulders, looking at him with some embarrassment.
Yan Qi looked at Sui Heng as well as Jiang Yun, who was being forcefully held in Sui Heng’s arms. His face was as pale as snow, and it could no longer be described as shocking.
He has never seen Sui Heng like this before.
Holding someone and saying flirtatious words like this.
“Do you know what you’ve done wrong or not?”
Sui Heng raised his eyebrows, treating everyone around him as air, still continuing to ask.
Jiang Yun wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face in his neck socket, then letting out a soft “En.”
Sui Heng smiled with satisfaction.
Yan Qi’s hands, which were hidden inside his sleeves, had already begun to tremble gently.
Sui Heng turned his head, and the smile in his eyes had disappeared, leaving only a layer of chilling coldness. He stared at Yan Qi, his face full of sarcasm, and he said word by word. “This is the first time. If you dare to act on Gu’s person again, Gu will bury the entire Yan family with you.”
Qing Tan was being pinned down by two of the Crown Prince’s Mansion soldiers, lying on the corridor on the second floor with a frightened expression on his face.
Sui Heng directly carried Jiang Yun out of the private room. As he passed by, he coldly dropped a sentence: “Cut off one of his arms.”
Qing Tan widened his eyes and shouted, “Young Master, save me!”
However, Yan Qi was stunned and couldn’t hear anyone shouting or making noise around him.
He doesn’t understand.
Obviously, he has already taken the initiative to put down his status and traveled all the way to the Chen capital to meet him. He even took the initiative to propose that he would be willing to fight on behalf of the Crown Prince’s Mansion at the Spring Banquet this year. Why did he still not appreciate and humiliate him like this?
Jiang Yun frowned and said, “Forget it.”
He doesn’t like bloody scenes.
Sui Heng said, “This has nothing to do with you. A little house servant who just arrogantly stopped Gu’s carriage and took Gu’s person away, it is already very cheap just taking only one of his arms.”
“Gu is not being abusive, but Gu is telling the Yan family who is the king and who is the subject.”
Shi Fang was also fined one month’s salary.
Shi Fang knew that it was his own lack of consideration, he admitted his mistake seriously and was willing to receive punishment.
Returning to the carriage, Sui Heng didn’t immediately put the person down but said with a dangerous look on his face. “Gu has noticed that you have become more and more bold lately. You even dare to go to the Yan family’s appointment without authorization. Have you ever thought about what would happen if there were assassins lurking in that tea house?”
Sui Heng was a bit scared afterwards.
Even if he knew that Yan Qi didn’t have the courage to cause trouble at the Spring Banquet, he was also afraid, afraid of any potential danger.
His little lover is like a rare treasure to him, he cannot imagine what would happen if he lost this treasure.
He may go crazy.
Sui Heng thinks to himself.
Jiang Yun saw that he was really angry, so he could only move and kiss one side of his cheek.
Sui Heng’s face turned cold. “No matter how much you try to play nice this time, you won’t get away with it. Gu must punish you hard once so you’ll know what’s good.”
Jiang Yun kissed his other side of the cheek again.
Sui Heng remained unmoved and placed the person on his laps, lifting his little lover’s tightly wrapped silk robe.
Jiang Yun then bit him.
Sui Heng laughed wickedly.
Raising his eyebrows, he said, “Biting doesn’t work. This time, not only did Gu want to punish you, but Gu also wanted to make everyone hear it.”
His palm has moved dangerously.
Jiang Yun bit him directly in another spot.
Sui Heng: “……”
Sui Heng lowered his head in disbelief.
Jiang Yun took the opportunity to sit up and, like a cunning little fox, he hugged him. He leaned over his shoulders and gently bit his ear, saying, “I know I was wrong. Please spare me this time, alright?”
His breath was warm and hot, it’s like feathers brushing against the side of his neck.
Like a spoiled little cat.
Sui Heng’s heart immediately softened. In fact, he didn’t really want to punish him. He loved and pampered him.
He stretched out his arms and tightly rubbed the person into his arms, saying, “Do you know how happy Gu was to hear what you said today while standing outside the door of the private room? Gu was even happier than when Gu won the first prize and the battle in the northern region.”
He thought that there was no one in this world who could understand and appreciate him.
He didn’t expect to hear someone speak out the pride and dignity buried deep in his heart today, as if there was another soul resonating strongly with him in time and space.
This feeling made his blood boil and his entire soul tremble and tingle.
“Who the hell are you? Why do you know so much? You must be a priceless treasure sent from heaven to reward Gu, right?”
Jiang Yun actually just discusses things from the facts.
He is also the Crown Prince, so he naturally knows the arrogance and conceit buried deep in the bones of those aristocratic families, and he also understands how strong courage and will are needed to break free from the constraints and control of such an aristocratic family.
Jiang Yun even thought that if Sui Heng were defeated three years ago and died in the snowy mountains of the northern border due to power struggles within the court, the Sui Empire would not be the current Sui Empire, Jiangbei would not be the current Jiangbei, and the five Jiangnan countries would not be forced to submit. And the Jiang Empire should not have faced such a precarious situation either.
But there are no ifs in the world.
Times create heroes, and this person has brain, perseverance, and more than that, he has guts. He is destined to be reborn like a wild wolf, bathed in blood, and achieve some success in this chaotic world.
Yan Qi is torn between a family and a country.
But he knew that this person’s ambition was not only limited to the Sui Empire but also to the north of the Yangtze River. He wanted to cross the Yellow River and take the world into his pocket.
Such a person is like an eagle, even if its wings are broken and it falls into a quagmire for a moment, it will eventually spread its wings and soar one day. The Yan family can’t be his opponent; at most, it is just a relatively large stumbling block on his road to expanding territory.
Sometimes, Jiang Yun was still thinking about what kind of scene it would be like for them to meet in battle if he were lucky enough to escape.
He would probably hate him very much and wish he could cut him into pieces.
After all, he lied about a lot of things and deceived his feelings.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing that his little lover did not respond for a long time, Sui Heng asked strangely.
Jiang Yun lazily lay on his shoulders, saying nothing was wrong.
Sui Heng liked it when he was this obedient and snuggled up to him on his own. He said, “Gu will spare you once today. Next time, no matter how much you beg, it won’t work.”
Jiang Yun still let out a lazy “En”.
**
In the afternoon martial arts competition, the Crown Prince’s Mansion, led by Sui Heng, still swept the entire venue without any doubt, winning the top spot in all projects.
This year’s Spring Banquet ended smoothly and brought many unexpected surprises, which satisfied Emperor Sui. At the end, Emperor Sui specially bestowed many rewards on the newly surrendered Jiangnan countries to appease the hearts of these newly appointed subordinate countries.
Many people with a keen sense have already realized that this is His Majesty’s open approval of the Crown Prince’s achievements in the Southern Expedition. With the public break between the Crown Prince’s Mansion and the Yan family, the rapidly growing Crown Prince is taking a strong stance to nibble at the forces against the old aristocratic family.
The second day after Jiang Yun returned to the private courtyard, the Imperial Medical sent a large number of herbs for nourishing qi and blood, as well as many remedial prescriptions for stomach diseases.
Sui Heng vowed to cure his little lover’s stomach disease, so he gave orders to the cooks in the private courtyard to make a stomach-healthy medicine to nourish the stomach every day in strict accordance with the prescription.
The taste of the medicinal congee is naturally not so good, and Jiang Yun is very clear that his stomach disease has been accumulating for too long and that it is impossible to cure it.
So every day, after Sui Heng went to court, he would casually take a few sips and secretly pour them away.
Ji An didn’t watch Jiang Yun eat every day, so he didn’t find out. Later, Sui Heng accidentally discovered it. Sui Heng was very angry and ordered Ji An to watch Jiang Yun eat the congee every day.
This is a domineering and unreasonable wolf. Jiang Yun couldn’t help but endure those strange taste congees every day.
Today, Jiang Yun was still sitting in the pavilion drinking congee when he saw Fan Qi limping in from outside with a bruised nose and swollen face.
Since returning from the Spring Banquet, Fan Qi has been avoiding Jiang Yun for some reason. It’s still the case today. When he saw Jiang Yun’s gaze, he quickly turned away, pretended not to see it, straightened his back, and walked aside as if nothing had happened.
Jiang Yun felt strange, and when Shi Fang arrived, he asked, “What’s wrong with your Deputy General Fan?”
Jiang Yun thought that Fan Qi had done something wrong again and was punished by Sui Heng with the military baton.
Unexpectedly, after hearing the description, Shi Fang said, “Brother Fan was sent by His Highness to the Jiuda Battalions outside the city for training after his last mistake. There were all children of noble families who secretly joined forces with each other, and there were many rules. They looked down on Brother Fan’s background, and I heard that they had been working together to target him. Moreover, upon returning from this Spring Banquet, Brother Fan publicly provoked two descendants from the Yan family, who were unable to defeat Brother Fan. In private, they became entangled with other aristocratic descendants and used malicious tactics to trap Brother Fan, causing him to be beaten with a military baton. Brother Fan has such a bad temper, how can he bear this kind of harboring? Just now, he ran to His Highness and asked to be transferred out of the Jiuda Battalions, but was refused by His Highness. I’m afraid he’s feeling aggrieved right now.”
Jiang Yun knew that when Shi Fang said he did something wrong, it was referring to Fan Qi’s privately accepted Yan Qi’s letter.
After drinking congee, Jiang Yun told Ji An that he wanted to go to the back garden.
Jiang Yun is now very familiar with the terrain of the private courtyard. Ji An has nothing to worry about and is busy sending people to prepare tea and snacks.
Jiang Yun slowly turned to the backyard and saw a person from afar, squatting behind the rockery with red eyes, as if he had just cried.
It’s Fan Qi.
When Fan Qi saw Jiang Yun, he immediately stood up like a rabbit with its tail stepped on and said in a wicked voice, “Are you peeking at me?”
Jiang Yun leaned over to the railing with his arms wrapped around himself, nonchalantly nibbling on a green fruit in his hand, and said, “I just happened to pass by. Deputy General Fan, you’re being too sentimental.”
Fan Qi: !!
