Chu Heng carried the man directly into the palace. He didn’t care what the palace maids and eunuchs thought of him along the way. Under the leadership of the old eunuch, he put the person in his arms down when he arrived at Chengqian Palace and asked the military doctor who was accompanying him to check his pulse quickly.
“How is he?”
When the military doctor took away his hand to check the pulse, he asked anxiously. The pale boy with a small face on the bed made his heart feel uncomfortable and distressed.
This was the first time for the military doctor to see the prince, whose expression remained unchanged despite the collapse of his family’s mountain, showing an anxious expression. He was surprised, but he didn’t dare to show it, so he responded respectfully, “My lord, don’t worry. Queen Chunyi is just suffering from fright. I will prescribe a decoction for Queen to drink, and then he should just rest.”
“Go quickly.”
Hearing that the boy was fine, Chu Heng’s heart dropped a little, but his anxious mood did not ease. He waved to the military doctor to prescribe medicine immediately.
As long as the boy didn’t wake up for a moment, his heart would not be at peace for a moment. This kind of worry came out of nowhere.
The military doctor did not dare to delay and hurried down after receiving the order. When he turned around, he saw his prince twisting a wet handkerchief and wiping the face of the young man on the bed. His movements were so gentle that he almost stumbled out of shock.
Chu Heng had no time to care about what others thought. While taking care of the sleeping young man anxiously, he felt that the skin touched by his hands felt very good. Thinking of the young man’s determination and helplessness when he jumped from the tower just now, he felt extremely distressed.
The old eunuch wanted to step forward to serve him, but when he saw the terrifying Prince Gong sitting by the bed, he felt fearful in his heart. In the end, he only dared to stand aside and wait worriedly.
The military doctor was very fast and brought the medicine quickly. Chu Heng personally took the medicine bowl and fed it to Su Jingxuan before he woke up.
Before Chu Heng could breathe a sigh of relief, he shouted in horror, “Your Majesty, don’t kill me!” and then took the initiative to get into Chu Heng’s arms, hugging the other person’s neck tightly with both hands and resting his head on his strong chest for a sense of security.
His face looked extremely scared and frightened, but in his heart, he smiled happily at the familiar smell. Nothing made him happier than holding the person he liked.
Chu Heng’s eyes darkened. The young man was so frightened. He didn’t know how much cold treatment he had suffered in the palace.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, he said in a deep voice to the guards beside him, “Secure Chengqian Palace for me. No one is allowed to come in. Let the emperor find out what happened and then explain to me.”
The gloomy voice let the soldiers know how angry their master was now, and they immediately followed the order, regardless of how they would react if these words were passed to the emperor. They were soldiers from the northwest, and they only listened to the prince, and they did not care for the emperor.
But the old eunuch was watching from the side, with a worried face full of wrinkles. Even if Prince Gong helped his master today, it would only be temporary. Once the prince returns to the northwest, judging from His Majesty’s attitude today, the master will probably be even more miserable if he manages to stay alive.
Su Jingxuan knew very well what the old eunuch was worried about, but he didn’t care at all, and he wasn’t in a hurry. Even if he didn’t fall out with him, the emperor would not let him go. He was going to die either way, so why bother?
After enjoying the familiar smell and comfort, and adjusting his mentality, he reluctantly left the arms of his lover, wiped away his tears, and thanked him.
“I’m very sorry, Your Grace. Yu’er lost his temper just now. Thank you very much, Your Grace, for saving me today. Please let Yu’er give thanks.”
While speaking, he knelt directly on the bed and kowtowed heavily.
The muffled sound of his forehead hitting the edge of the bed was almost painful to hear. Chu Heng reached out to help him, but he avoided him and insisted on knocking three times.
Although the young man has a thin body, his mind is extremely tough and stubborn. He calls himself in small words and expresses his most sincere gratitude.
The soldiers in the room nodded, very satisfied, as their prince had just offended the emperor and came to his rescue.
Chu Heng looked at the bruised and swollen forehead, but his heart ached. Although his face was expressionless on the surface, his tone was very soft.
“You don’t need to thank me. I am the supervisor of DaYong. If something happens in the court and the emperor harms the ministers, it will also be my responsibility. What’s more, I have experienced life and death on the battlefield with your eldest brother, and we have a life-long friendship. Don’t worry, I will definitely protect you.”
The worried old eunuch was immediately overjoyed. If Prince Gong was really willing to protect him, his master would not be afraid in the future.
“Your Majesty, you are really willing to help me.” Su Jingxuan’s red eyes bulged, tears flashing down his face as if seeing his last lifeline.
Chu Heng was heartbroken by the tears in his red and swollen eyes. He had the urge to hug the person into his arms, but due to his identity, he could only endure it and nodded, “I keep my word.”
This was what he was waiting for.
“Then Prince, please take me out of the palace.” Su Jingxuan seized the opportunity and immediately rushed forward, hugging Chu Heng’s strong back tightly.
The old eunuch was startled by his master’s unconventional and disrespectful actions and outrageous words.
Chu Heng’s heartbeat froze, and his eyes darkened.
The young man hugged him and rested his head on his waist. His eyes looked red and swollen from crying, which was very pitiful, but also very attractive.
That soft and thin body made him feel distressed, but more importantly, it made his heart tremble slightly, and his mouth felt faintly thirsty and dry.
“Your Grace, His Majesty, he doesn’t like me. He accepted me into the palace just to use my father and eldest brother to help him consolidate his power. Now that my father and eldest brother are dead, he has great power. Today I was at the gate of the city and in front of so many people, and have lost the dignity of the queen, and have made his Majesty look ridiculous. Even if you declare to protect me, as soon as you leave, his Majesty will find an opportunity to accuse me of unwarranted charges and get rid of me. Make room for his beloved noble concubine, and I can only die if I continue to stay in the palace.”
Su Jingxuan looked
up at Chu Heng, with tears in his eyes, “I’m not afraid of death, but if I’m convicted and executed, the entire Nalan family will also be buried with me.”
The young man looked so pitiful and helpless.
As a queen of a dynasty, he had no choice but to kneel down in front of a minister and cry and pray. This shows how isolated and helpless the Queen was in the palace.
The old eunuch wiped the wet corners of his wrinkled eyes. Yes, even if Prince Gong expresses his attitude towards protecting their master, it doesn’t matter. The prince will leave sooner or later. Once he leaves, as long as the master is still in the palace, His Majesty will always have the opportunity to eradicate them. But as the master, as the queen and his majesty’s servant, the master will never be able to leave this palace until his death.
“Master, you are His Majesty’s queen,” the old eunuch reminded.
Su Jingxuan looked at him and lowered his eyes in silence.
After a moment, he looked up at Chu Heng again, holding onto Chu Heng’s clothes with both hands, insistence in his eyes, “Your Majesty, as long as you agree to take me away, I have a way to make the emperor take the initiative to let me out of the palace. If you can help me keep the Nalan family, the prince can do whatever he wants with me.”
The young man was kneeling on the ground with a choked voice. His thin body was trembling a little, but his back was still straight. He was holding on for the lives of the people on his shoulders, even if he had to sacrifice everything and give up his dignity.
Chu Heng watched with his heart pounding.
“I don’t need any repayment from you. The Nalan family is full of loyal people. I will never let anyone touch you. I will take care of this matter to the end. You don’t need to say thank you. I am helping you to reassure thousands of soldiers. It is my duty as a king to be loyal to my country.”
In order to prevent the young man from kowtowing and thanking him again, he made his words extremely official. Finally, he helped the man up and told the old eunuch, “Go and get some ointment to apply on your master.” The bruises on the young man’s forehead made him feel really distressed.
“Your Grace’s kindness will be remembered by Yu’er.”
Su Jingxuan nodded happily, staring at him with deep gratitude, as if he wanted to keep the benefactor in front of him firmly in his heart.
Such a focused gaze made Chu Heng’s heart beat slightly faster.
When the old eunuch applied the ointment to his master, Su Jingxuan’s face showed pain due to the pain, and there were splashes of water on his eyelashes. He couldn’t help but feel distressed and angrily yelled, “How can you serve someone so clumsily?” and then grabbed the ointment directly. “I will take care of it myself.”
At this moment, he didn’t care about his identity. He only knew that seeing the young man in pain made him feel even more uncomfortable.
All the personal guards in the palace knew that their prince had a domineering temperament. They all looked at their noses with their eyes and their noses with their hearts, pretending that they could not see anything.
The old eunuch watched the noble Prince Gong carefully apply ointment on his master’s fair and tender face, his movements were intimate, and he hesitated to speak.
No matter what other people in the palace thought, Chu Heng applied the medicine with great affection.
Although the original owner had a bad fate, he had been well-dressed and well-fed since he was a child, and his skin and flesh were nourished to be precious and delicate. Usually, if he pinched his body even slightly, it would turn green. Today, Su Jingxuan gestured at his neck with a dagger and kowtowed heavily. The bruise on his forehead and the scar on his neck looked scary.
Chu Heng’s heart became more and more gloomy, but he applied the medicine gently, “Just scream out if it hurts, and I will be gentle.”
His tone was like coaxing a child, incredibly gentle.
The personal guards in the palace twitched their eyelids at their prince’s actions and attitude, and were shocked in their hearts.
The old eunuch’s hesitant expression became more obvious.
“It hurts, it hurts.” Su Jingxuan climbed along the pole, trying hard to bulge his eyes and squeeze out more crystal clear tears, giving full play to the boy’s unique right to act coquettishly.
Chu Heng sounded uncomfortable and distressed, and his movements became more careful, but his emotions were more violent.
But for a sixteen-year-old boy to be bullied like this, the emperor Yuan Beiyi was really impatient.
On the other side, Yuan Beiyi was also in a very gloomy mood.
Su Jingxuan’s commotion at the city gate today really caught him off guard. The reason why he took action was to accuse the original owner of witchcraft and murder because he was afraid of the influence of the Nalan family’s reputation as a virtuous minister and their loyal deeds.
Su Jingxuan came out to prove his innocence in front of the ministers, palace guards, and the people at the foot of the imperial city. As soon as it came out, the matter was completely beyond his control. He had to think carefully if he wanted to move people again.
And now this matter has hit Chu Heng’s hands.
Today, Prince Gong, who had always ignored court matters, made it clear at the city gate that he wanted to help Su Jingxuan, inciting the anger of other soldiers to force him to immediately investigate thoroughly and clear the boy’s innocence, without giving him the dignity of the emperor at all.
Later, when he received a report from the imperial guards, Chu Heng actually asked his own personal guards to protect the entire Chengqian Palace. He treated the palace as his own home and treated him, the emperor, as non-existent. He was really arrogant to the point of indescribability.
However, although Yuan Beiyi was so angry that his blood surged, he finally had to force himself to lower his blood pressure.
Although he had taken control of the political power of Dayong, Chu Heng controlled half of the military power of the entire Dayong. He only had two-thirds of the remaining military power, and the remaining one-third was controlled by the old generals of the original owner’s brother.
With this distribution of power, if he really fell out with Chu Heng, he would be no match at all.
What’s more, Prince Gong’s lineage also has the post of supervising the country appointed by the late emperor. It is justifiable to directly change him as the emperor if he catches something. Therefore, no matter how arrogant the other party is and how they don’t take him as the emperor in their eyes, he can only endure it.
What’s more important is that everyone’s eyes are now fixed on him, especially the soldiers who were incited to anger by Chu Heng.
The court ministers could watch the original owner being killed, but they could never turn a blind eye.
The former General Nalan’s prestige in the army was no worse than that of the current Chu Heng. The soldiers worshiped him and respected him even more. The scene of how General Nalan died heroically and tragically on the battlefield was witnessed by thousands of soldiers.
At this moment, if General Nalan’s brother, who was so loyal, died at the gate of the imperial city to prove his innocence, no matter what the truth was, they could not accept it.
These are the blood relatives of the loyal ministers and martyrs. The late emperor once said that the relatives of the soldiers who have achieved first-class loyalty and bravery can be exempted from death no matter what crime they commit. This is the promise of the imperial court to all their soldiers. It is the reward for their service to the country.
If Queen’s fate is to be bullied, forgotten, or even killed, how can they rest assured that they are protecting their homeland and country on the border and are willing to support the emperor who killed Queen?
Facing the pressure from thousands of soldiers, Yuan Beiyi also had no choice but to compromise.
Nalan Yu could not move or dare to move now, and he had to be protected, otherwise he would face not only the pressure from Chu Heng, but also the rebellious intentions of tens of thousands of soldiers.
The witchcraft incident was originally an unfounded crime planned by the emperor, and there was no need for complicated investigations. All he needed to do was to give an explanation to the ministers and soldiers who were watching the incident, and to clear Nalan Yu’s innocence.
At dusk, after some posturing, Yuan Beiyi found an unlucky scapegoat to take the blame.
“Your highness, his majesty has asked people to find out about the witchcraft. It was done by Lan Guiren in the palace. She was jealous of Wei Guijun’s favor and had a grudge with you, so she carefully planned to frame the blame. Your majesty was furious and had already put people to death. She will be imprisoned for three days and then beheaded. These are the rewards given by His Majesty to the Queen. I hope that the Queen will calm down.”
Although Chu Heng asked his personal guards to guard the Chengqian Palace in the afternoon and sent a message to Yuan Beiyi for him to explain in person, the other party was an emperor after all, and sending the eunuch chief to bring rewards was his biggest concession.
The courtyard of Chengqian Palace was filled with all kinds of gold, silver, and jewelry. It seemed like a generous gift of apology, but in fact, it was just a perfunctory act.
Once the queen was wrongly accused and almost forced to death, but in the end, he was rewarded with some jewels and dismissed without even a single word of comfort. This shows how much Nalan Yu, the queen, held position in the emperor’s heart, and how much he despised him.
One can imagine how miserable those in the harem who are despised and disliked by the emperor will be in the future.
Certainly! Here’s the proofread version of the passage:
Su Jingxuan glanced at the reward in front of him, did not make a fuss, and accepted it silently, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward.”
He didn’t expect that today’s trouble would completely bring down Yuan Beiyi. It was just the beginning, and the best was yet to come.
Chu Heng looked a little angry and patted his head distressedly, “Don’t worry, I will protect you from now on.”
“I know.” Su Jingxuan raised her head and looked at him with a bright smile to express his inner thoughts. There was a tiny and bright light in his beautiful eyes.
Chu Heng pursed his lips, his heart felt hot, and he had the urge to hold the person in his arms. The young man’s appearance of being sensible, trusting, and dependent on him could easily make his heart incredibly soft.
“Prince Gong, it’s rare for you to come to Beijing. Today, you are delayed. His Majesty has asked someone to hold a dinner party in the Imperial Garden to welcome you. He also asked the prince to go with his servants to tidy up a little and clean up the dust before attending the banquet.”
Fortunately, the chief eunuch who was handling the matter had the courage to interrupt him and prevented him from doing anything inappropriate.
No matter how angry Yuan Beiyi is today, he still has to do some superficial work. If Prince Gong comes to the capital and he doesn’t even attend the banquet, he, the emperor, will be the one being talked about.
“Your Majesty, His Majesty said that you were frightened today, so you don’t need to attend the banquet. You are allowed to rest in the palace.” After inviting Chu Heng, the eunuch said to Su Jingxuan again.
According to the rules, even if the original owner is not favored, as a queen of a dynasty, such a banquet must be attended. However, Yuan Beiyi does not like the original owner. Today, he was cheated by Su Jingxuan. Now he does not want to see him again.
Chu Heng’s face turned ugly.
“Today is a reception dinner for Prince Gong. How can I not attend? I am in good health. You go and report to Your Majesty. I will come back later after changing my clothes.”
How could Su Jingxuan not understand what Yuan Beiyi was thinking? He stared at the eunuch who was delivering the message and was not angry.
After saying this, the eunuch ignored him and then looked at Chu Heng, who had an ugly face. “After working hard all afternoon, the prince must be very hungry. Go quickly. There will be delicious food at the palace banquet. I also have a jar of privately brewed wine. I will bring it to the prince to taste later. It is flower wine and the wine is mild. I wonder if the prince likes this kind of wine.”
His tone was brisk and skillful, without any separation between monarch and minister. He raised his head slightly and looked forward to asking, which was even more childlike and cute. His voice was bright and clear, which made people feel very comfortable and happy.
“I like flower wine the most. Okay, I’ll go over first. You change clothes quickly. I’ll wait for you to bring the wine.”
The eunuch who sent the message was surprised. Chu Heng was in a good mood, his brows were soft, he smiled and said he liked him several times before leaving with the eunuch.
Su Jingxuan also immediately asked the old eunuch to take care of him and quickly change his clothes.
“Master, you really want to go to the banquet.” Without the pressure of Chu Heng’s momentum, the old eunuch finally had the opportunity to come up and serve him.
“Go, of course I want to go. As a queen, how can I miss this banquet?”
“But Master, Your Majesty, he is today…” The old eunuch didn’t finish his words and looked worried.
No need to say more, Su Jingxuan knew what he meant. He was just afraid that Yuan Beiyi would be angry today and embarrass him at the banquet later.
Prince Gong could promise to support him, but he could not interfere with the petty quarrels between the emperor and the queen.
The old eunuch is from the Nalan family and is very loyal and protective of the original owner. Your Majesty’s beloved Wei Guijun will definitely be attending the banquet. The original owner will be sad and angry because of his weak temper. After all, his Majesty is also his husband.
But now, it’s hard to say who will suffer.
“If I don’t go, will the emperor be embarrassed? I was unjustly forced to go to the city gate wall and jump off the building to complain. He just found a scapegoat to prevaricate. He didn’t even say a word of personal comfort. Do you think I am in his way?”
Su Jingxuan fiddled with the rewards in front of him and chuckled, “And these jewels, Wei Guijun’s rewards are much more than mine.”
The amends and rewards given to the emperor and queen of the dynasty were not even comparable to the honors given to a noble king on a whim. As the head of the main palace, the emperor did not even give him the most basic dignity.
The old eunuch felt uncomfortable listening, but there was nothing he could do about it. Who made His Majesty like Wei Guijun? Not to mention his little master. All the concubines in the entire harem were not favored like Wei Guijun.
Sighing, he remembered the previous behavior of Prince Gong and his young master, and couldn’t help but remind him.
“Master, although His Majesty doesn’t like you, you are still husband and wife, and you need to pay attention to your manners when dealing with ministers. If His Majesty has an excuse, it will be easier to depose you.”
Being in the palace is like walking on thin ice, and you must be cautious every step of the way. The young master is still young, his youthful temper has not subsided, and the big tree in the Nalan family has fallen. Only he, the old eunuch, can worry about it and remind him.
“Eunuch Fu, you are the old man left behind by my father. Yu’er knows that you care about me, but in the current situation, I have become a thorn in the emperor’s side. Even if I am careful and silent, he may not let me go. In this case, why should I give him face?”
“Master, what do you mean?” The old eunuch was not stupid. He stared at the young master in front of him, and his heart was beating wildly.
“The only one who can protect the remaining 368 members of my Nalan family is Prince Gong. The only one who can seek justice for all the loyal members of my Nalan family is Prince Gong. The emperor harmed my father and eldest brother and betrayed my second brother. To ruin my life, wouldn’t it be more fun and enjoyable if I gave him a green hat and sent him to hell?”
Su Jingxuan smiled at the old eunuch.
“Little Master”
The old eunuch recalled everything today and couldn’t help but wipe the tears from the corner of his eyes. The once cowardly and timid little master grew up overnight, but the mission of life for the entire Nalan clan was too heavy. The little master was still just a boy. And how could Prince Gong be so easy to provoke?
“Don’t worry, Eunuch Fu. I have my own rules. I’ll go to the banquet by myself first. You should go to the prince’s office immediately and bring the third prince to Chengqian Palace. If anyone dares to stop you, you can deal with it directly for me according to the palace rules.”
Su Jingxuan knew the loyalty of the old eunuch. He patted him and comforted him when he saw him crying before giving serious instructions.
“Third Prince”
The old eunuch was stunned for a moment, then understood and nodded quickly, “Yes, I will go right away.”
Hiyaa, sorry for the wait. My exams are here so I translated and edited this chapter quickly. If there are too obvious mistakes please point it out and I will change it though I will edit it again when I have the time.
