Context for those who skipped Chapter 6:
The day after that night, Yan Yihuan woke up alone in Zhao Chufeng’s guest bedroom. An old servant informed him that Zhao Chufeng had left this morning, and that he specifically prepared a court robe for Yan Yihuan to wear to tonight’s banquet. Zhao Chufeng also instructed that if he was too busy, the household should ensure Yan Yihuan is escorted to the palace banquet.
Before being carried in a sedan chair to the palace for the palace banquet, a guard blindfolded Yan Yihuan and warned, “The master instructed that if you are unwilling to wear the blindfold, you may be bound hand and foot like before for the journey in the sedan chair.”
Yan Yihuan was blindfolded and carried in the sedan chair, he was spun around so many times he lost all sense of direction. Several times, he wanted to rip off the black blindfold, but he hesitated at the memory of the guard’s warning, saying that he would be discovered if he tried to remove the blindfold, and would lead to his bindings being reinstated. Terrified of the possibility, he reluctantly endured.
Suddenly, the sound of an announcement rang in his ears:
“The Third Young Master of King Yan of Linjing has arrived!”
Yan Yihuan only then realized they had arrived at their destination. Probably due to being blindfolded and losing his sense of direction, he hadn’t even noticed when they had passed through the palace gates.
The sedan chair came to a halt, he felt someone enter to remove his blindfold. For a moment, the dazzling lights of the palace halls stung his eyes, making him squint in discomfort. He instinctively grabbed the arm of the departing guard.
“Help me up,” Yan Yihuan’s face flushed red. “The cushion is too soft, I can’t get up.”
The guard paused, then extended his arm stiffly, keeping his body at a noticeable distance. Seeing Yan Yihuan grit his teeth and struggle to stand up, the guard remained still and looked steadily forward, unwilling to support him.
“So unhelpful,” Yan Yihuan grumbled under his breath. However, as he pondered the situation, something didn’t add up. Zhao Chufeng was a minor official with no real rank. Leaving aside the extravagance of his estate, his position shouldn’t even grant him access to the palace gates, let alone the ability to send someone into the palace in such a fashion.
“Big brother, how exactly did we enter the palace just now?” Yan Yihuan probed cautiously.
“We walked in.”
Yan Yihuan, who had just steadied himself, almost toppled over again. “Yea, obviously, I was carried in on the sedan chair!”
“What I meant was, does your master have a token to enter the palace?”
The guard took out a token from his chest and handed it to Yan Yihuan. “It’s the Third Young Master’s token. My master specifically fetched it from the guest residence.”
What a cunning Zhao Chufeng!
Suddenly, the sound of silk and bamboo music filled the air. Looking at the lively palace in front of him, Yan Yihuan decided it was best to focus on getting through the banquet first. Just as he was about to take a step, someone called out to him.
“Excuse me, Yihuan?”
A person dressed in luxurious attire was looking at him with a look of surprise and joy. “It really is you!”
Yan Yihuan blinked for a moment before recognizing him as Li Xuanjing, the Crown Prince of Qin, and his childhood friend.
As it happened, Consort Yan and Consort Qin were close friends. When they were children, Yan Yihuan had met Li Xuanjing several times, and they had a very good relationship. They even stayed at each other’s royal residences for a while when they were children.
As they grew older, King Yan had said that they were no longer children and that princes should avoid being too close to one another for fear of raising suspicion from the emperor. Since then, they had not seen each other for five or six years.
Now, meeting again after so many years, both were overjoyed. In his excitement, Yan Yihuan momentarily forgot the discomfort in his body and suddenly took a step forward, only to stumble and cry out as he tripped, falling forward with a loud “Ah!“.
Li Xuanjing’s expression changed instantly, but he was still some distance away. The guard quickly stepped in to support Yan Yihuan. However, in the next moment, Li Xuanjing quickly closed the distance and grabbed Yan Yihuan’s arm.
Li Xuanjing noticed that the moment the guard touched Yan Yihuan, his expression was somewhat off, so he turned to the guard and said, “Let go.”
The guard hesitated but did not release his grip.
“I am the Crown Prince of Qin. I command you to release him!” Li Xuanjing, having noticed the unease in Yan Yihuan’s expression when the guard had touched him, now felt that something was clearly wrong.
After a brief moment of contemplation, the guard finally released his hold, but he stayed close, unwilling to move too far away.
Li Xuanjing was about to reprimand the guard, but Yan Yihuan waved his hand and said, “Jing ge1璟哥 – Brother Jing, I can hardly stand. Please help me inside first.”
Hearing this, Li Xuanjing shot a glare at the guard and carefully supported Yan Yihuan as they walked inside. “What happened to you? Why are you like this?”
“I…” Yan Yihuan glanced back at the guard who was following closely behind with a cold face, “I was chased by a mad dog yesterday and twisted my waist while trying to escape.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Yan Yihuan noticed the guard’s eye twitch slightly, and the hand hanging by his side clenched into a fist.
Li Xuanjing was greatly alarmed. “Were you bitten?”
Bitten? Of course! That mad dog was a real dog! Not only bitten, but it had nearly torn him apart!
With the guard following closely behind, there was no opportunity to ask for help. Yan Yihuan had already formulated a plan: if the chance arose during the banquet, he would report Zhao Chufeng to the Emperor. If there was no opportunity, he would cling tightly to Li Xuanjing and insist that he take him out of the palace, no matter what, he absolutely could not return to that hellhole.
Li Xuanjing kindly supported him carefully. It was only then that Yan Yihuan noticed that Li Xuanjing, who had once been about his height, was now half a head taller and had grown much more robust.
“What have you been eating these past few years to grow into this kind of frame?”
“As the heir to the Qin principality, I’ve had to train in horseback riding and martial arts. Not everyone is as fortunate as you to live a carefree life.”
Yan Yihuan grinned as he carefully lowered himself onto his seat, wincing slightly. When he noticed the guard had put some distance between them, he quickly leaned closer to Li Xuanjing, pulling him down to whisper in his ear.
“Jing ge, I’ve run into some trouble. Hey, don’t move, just listen to me.” Yan Yihuan shot a sidelong glance at the guard. “Can you help me arrange a private audience with the Emperor?”
“An audience with the Emperor?” Li Xuanjing frowned. Though the Emperor was his cousin, their relationship had always been distant, as Li Xuanjing had grown up in the Qin principality rather than the capital.
Moreover, the current banquet had everyone on edge. No one knew why the newly ascended Emperor had summoned the heirs of the various kings to the palace. Though it was announced as a banquet, but there was a shared unease that they were all gambling with the possibility of not being able to return to their fiefs.
Of course, what puzzled everyone was why it was the Third Young Master of the Yan royal family who was summoned to the capital. They couldn’t understand the emperor’s intentions.
Li Xuanjing knew that Yan Yihuan, who had been well-protected since childhood, was very innocent. He thought for a moment and did not express his concerns,
“The Emperor isn’t someone you can meet privately on a whim. I can also only wait to be summoned.”
“I see…” Yan Yihuan deflated, feeling at a loss. How was he supposed to report Zhao Chufeng now?
Yan Yihuan already had a faint suspicion that Zhao Chufeng was not as simple as he seemed. It might be best to leave the capital first and deal with him once outside his sphere of influence. With that in mind, he whispered to Li Xuanjing,
“After the banquet, can I ride back with you in your carriage?”
Li Xuanjing noticed that Yan Yihuan seemed to have something he couldn’t openly discuss. With so many people around, it wasn’t the time to press further, so he simply nodded and said no more.
It was said that the Emperor was occupied with state affairs and hadn’t yet arrived. In the grand hall, besides the heirs of the various princely families, there were a few kings present as well. Such a gathering was rare, and they exchanged polite greetings with one another. Though the atmosphere appeared relaxed, an undercurrent of unease was evident in everyone’s eyes.
Yan Yihuan, the only guest without a title, found himself unnoticed in the crowd. Since standing was out of the question, he stayed nestled quietly in his seat, practically invisible.
The Emperor’s prolonged absence meant that no one dared to start the banquet. Yan Yihuan, having only had a bowl of porridge since waking, was already so hungry that his chest was nearly stuck to his back2前胸贴后背 – An exaggerated image of someone so starved that their chest and back seem to collapse inward and touch each other, emphasizing their dire state of hunger..
After glancing around to ensure no one was watching him, he stealthily grabbed a piece of pastry from the table and slipped it into his sleeve. He then bent over and used the wide sleeves of his robe to shield his face as he nibbled on the pastry like a thief.
He had assumed it would be a sweet treat, but to his surprise, the flaky pastry encased a savory beef filling. His mouth was instantly flooded with the rich aroma of meat. The filling was tender and flavorful, while the buttery pastry melted in his mouth. The combination of the crisp, delicate crust and the succulent beef took him by surprise, leaving him utterly delighted.
Truly worthy of a dish made by the imperial kitchen!
Yan Yihuan’s eyes lit up, and he popped the remaining small pastry into his mouth. Then, with a serious expression, he patted off the crumbs that had fallen on his clothes, closed his mouth, and chewed discreetly.
But this pastry was a bit too small. One bite didn’t satisfy his hunger and only made him crave more.
Yan Yihuan looked around, deliberately pretending to be distracted, but his hand reached for the table again. With a slight hook of his finger, another small pastry landed in his palm.
Mmm, it’s delicious, but a bit dry.
“Yihuan, have some tea so you don’t choke.”
Thinking he had acted seamlessly, Yan Yihuan was startled. He tried to swallow hastily but failed, ending up coughing violently instead.
That cough nearly overwhelmed him. The movement of his body triggered pain in that area, Yan Yihuan’s originally pale cheeks instantly flushed red.
Li Xuanjing was startled and hurriedly patted his back, but this only made it worse. After much effort, Yan Yihuan managed to suppress the choking cough, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked up at Li Xuanjing.
“Jing ge, please stop patting me.”
Li Xuanjing’s face also turned slightly red. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I was the one sneaking food,” Yan Yihuan admitted, feeling a bit ashamed. Getting caught stealing snacks by Brother Xuanjing wasn’t a big deal, but that earlier coughing fit had drawn everyone’s attention to him. He felt like he had embarrassed the Residence of King Yan.
“Who cares what they think,” Li Xuanjing said nonchalantly.
Yan Yihuan tilted his head up very naturally, and Li Xuanjing too instinctively pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth, smiling at each other.
“You’re still the same as when we were kids, always needing me to look after you.”
“Hehe, why don’t you just admit it’s you who wants to take care of me.”
The two laughed as they reminisced about their childhood. They didn’t notice that, in the rear hall behind the dragon throne, a pair of eyes sharp as blades cut through the bustling main hall, fixing directly on the two of them.
