Eternal Night - Chapter 19
The scroll reads that Crown Prince Yongye was extremely dependent on Yihong, the maid who had served him since childhood. He wanted her to carry him when he walked and liked her to feed him soup.
Yi Hong's eyes seemed to be spitting fire as she calmly ladled out a bowl of soup and fed it to Yong Ye with a spoon.
"Pfft!" Yongye spat the soup onto Yihong and laughed, "Deacon Li said that we can only learn the rules, not eat."
Yi Hong was sprayed all over her face and raised her hand to slap him. Her palm felt warm, and she naturally clenched into a fist, only to find it was a piece of fat. Pointing at Yong Ye, she stammered angrily, "You...you..."
Yongye had been waiting for this very question. Looking at Li Er standing at the door, he interrupted, "How dare you point at the young master's head and call him that... what are the rules of the manor?"
"Twenty strokes of the cane, and kneel as punishment!" Li Er must have gotten used to hearing Li Yannian speak like this, because he blurted it out without thinking.
Yongye left the table and muttered, "Mr. Beauty said that women are not to be offended. I've offended two at once. What should I do?"
After saying that, he left without looking back. Li Er and Yi Hong Lan Cui, their faces green with anger, exchanged bewildered glances. A beating was out of the question, nor would they be forced to kneel, but Yong Ye made them feel like they were facing a second Deacon Li.
In the afternoon, Yongye planned to take a nap. He would be starving for three days, so he could only sleep more. He couldn't afford to provoke Li Yannian now, and Yongye felt incredibly frustrated. He just wanted to return to the capital soon and grow up quickly. He fiercely told himself that he would definitely trample Li Yannian under his feet someday.
However, Yihong and Lancui refused to grant his wish, standing in front of the bed and coldly saying, "Steward Li requests that the young master speak in the main hall."
Yongye yawned, finding the two women utterly repulsive. He began to miss the real Yihong Lancui in the Prince's mansion. True sincerity towards someone wasn't just about makeup and resemblance. The Yihong Lancui described in the scrolls genuinely cared for the Prince, but these two... Yongye cursed them, wishing their next assignment would be to entertain guests at the Peony Courtyard.
He wouldn't even give her a single rib, and she's got a pair of snobbish eyes. He has no pity for this kind of woman.
He couldn't sleep all night. It used to be because he was more energetic at night, but now there's another reason: he's too hungry to sleep.
He lay quietly on the bed, smiling bitterly. In his previous life, he had a much higher tolerance for hunger, but this body was still growing, and the feeling of hunger was very obvious.
If he could steal something from outside… he smiled. He focused intently on sensing the movements outside. His senses told him that the dozen or so people in this courtyard were no match for him in terms of lightness skill, but what would be the consequences if he were discovered going out? Should he continue to endure it? It is said that a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan, and Yongye began to analyze and compare.
Just then, he heard a noise on the roof. Someone was standing on his roof.
Yongye stared wide-eyed as a tile was lifted, revealing a shadow that tossed down a paper package before disappearing in an instant.
He was incredibly excited; it was the Shadow Brother who had led him into the valley and given him the Heavenly Meridian Inner Classic. So, he was also in the other courtyard.
Yongye picked up the paper package, smelling the aroma of meat with satisfaction. He opened it, picked up a piece of tender and flavorful braised meat, licked it, and began to chew it heartily.
The meat melted in his mouth, its deliciousness dancing on his tongue. Yongye chuckled to himself, realizing he actually had an inside man! He immediately decided to make full and thorough use of Shadow Brother.
Someone who can enter the Valley of Wandering, ensure his safety during the six months he's been living like a fool, understand Master Qingyi's apprenticeship habits, enter the stone chamber, give him the Heavenly Meridian Inner Scripture, and risk his life to deliver meat to him without letting him go hungry—only a fool wouldn't use such a person.
Could it be Li Yannian? Yongye immediately dismissed the question. With his keen eyesight, he could tell that this person's figure was definitely not Li Yannian. Who could it be?
Killing his way back to Kyoto
Ten days passed quickly.
Even if the purple-robed child in the Valley of Wandering is still alive, he probably wouldn't be able to prove that he is the real one.
The snow fell in a fine, dense drizzle, much like a summer shower. Looking out, it seemed impossible to see through or understand anything.
“Once we leave the valley, I will be your new master.” Li Yannian squinted slightly, thoroughly enjoying the perfectly heated Qingzhou Red liquor. Some describe the liquor brewed from Qingzhou Red sorghum as rouge on a woman's lips, intoxicating and addictive. He lowered his eyes to glance at the steaming red liquor in the white porcelain cup, a slight smile appearing on his face.
Yongye slowly and methodically brewed tea. His hands remained motionless, his demeanor as still as a pine tree. He suddenly realized that the skill taught by the beautiful gentleman was quite effective. What a high-sounding reason—the art of tea calms the mind—it gave him time to process Li Yannian's words.
He didn't like him being his mentor, even though Li Yannian had so much to teach him.
“You don’t need to call me Master, neither in public nor in private. What I teach you is bound to be what you hate and despise; that’s only human nature.” Li Yannian laughed self-deprecatingly.
Yongye gently raised his arm, and the boiling water from the kettle slowly poured over the teacup. The aroma of the tea diluted the smells of orange peel and wine, and the air in the room became fresher. He put down the teapot with satisfaction, took a breath, and smiled sweetly: "Please, Master."
Li Yannian did not take the teacup from Yongye's hand; the address of "Master" clearly surprised him. "I already said, there's no need. I don't drink tea."
"If there's a chance in the future, I will brew wine for you, Master," Yongye said with a smile.
The two looked at each other. Li Yannian could only see Yongye's bright, dark eyes, which seemed genuinely innocent and sincere, yet unfathomable.
Yongye noticed his confusion and chuckled, "No need to look around. The one who teaches is the teacher, and everything my master can teach me is useful. It doesn't matter if it's a white cat... as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat." He felt a little embarrassed, but that feeling vanished in an instant. Why not take advantage of it?
"Heh, a cat? Only you would be so disrespectful to your master, comparing him to an animal."
Yongye rolled his eyes. They didn't appreciate the classic saying. Were dragons, phoenixes, and qilin not beasts? He couldn't help but laugh. If they knew his thoughts, would the people here be terrified? Most likely not. He'd be the one terrified. Countless people would curse him as a monster and burn him alive for spreading such nonsense.
Yongye's smile made Li Yannian feel as if his eyes were being stung by the sunlight on the snow. He held his wine glass and chuckled, "If I had sent you to the Peony Courtyard back then, you would have driven Kyoto crazy."
"Smash!" Yongye slammed the teacup on the ground, but a smile remained on his face. "When you're unhappy, you always have to vent your anger on something!"
Li Yannian was taken aback, and anger welled up in his eyes.
"Master won't hold it against me. As for the art of cultivating inner strength, how could Yongye possibly be a match for Master?" Yongye cursed inwardly, "You're not even worth anything!"
Li Yannian felt a little better after being flattered by him. Thinking that Yongye was only nine years old and that the Peony Courtyard was not a good place, he said seriously, "It will be more convenient to talk once you enter the Prince's Mansion. Although you are only nine years old, and the Green-Clad Monster treats you as a child, I think you are capable of understanding."
"Please speak, Master." Yongye knew he wanted to talk about the mission after he arrived.
"His Majesty issued an edict to summon the Crown Prince and the three princes to study together after the New Year. The prince used to always use the excuse that the Crown Prince was ill to refuse, but His Majesty felt sorry for his nephew and listened to the advice of the imperial physician, who believed that it would help to open up the Crown Prince's heart, so he insisted."
Yongye suddenly realized, but he didn't know which prince Youli Valley favored. Did they want him to kill the prince with the best chance of ascending the throne? Did they want to smear Prince Duan with the infamy of letting his son commit murder, thus sowing discord between the emperor and Yongye?
"The eldest prince is gentle in nature and is the son of the favored concubine, Lady Li. The emperor is most fond of him, but he is too gentle. So, you should help him more."
Was he wrong? He had been close to the future emperor since childhood, and in the future, he would hold great power, which would be equivalent to controlling the world! Yongye came to another conclusion.
But no matter how you look at it, you're not at a loss.
"What about the Second Prince and the Third Prince?"
"The Second Prince is the Empress's legitimate son, but unfortunately, he is deep-thinking and cunning, which displeases the Emperor, hence the delay in establishing an heir apparent. The Third Prince is the same age as you, and his mother, Lady Liu, is the daughter of General Zhenwei. She has raised him to be a rough and straightforward man, which is also not to the Emperor's liking. Do you understand?"