Eternal Night - Chapter 25
Prince Duan slowly lowered his raised hand, a cold glint in his eyes, but a smile spread across his face: "You've really made something of yourself! Daring to joke with your father." As he spoke, he walked up to Yongye and stood in front of him, looking down at him.
Yongye's gaze did not waver in the slightest. In an instant, he changed his mind, no longer displaying the same timidity as the former prince. His intuition told him that this was what the prince wanted to see, and only when the prince saw what he wanted to see could he know what he wanted to know.
He was also observing Prince Duan. He had seen this prince in paintings before; he and the princess seemed like a perfect match.
In Yongye's eyes, Prince Duan was at the peak of his masculine charm—mature and confident. Li Yannian, merely an inner court steward, already exuded an air of nobility. Compared to Prince Duan, Yongye clearly felt that one was a shrimp in shallow water while the other was a dragon. Just as both the "Beautiful Gentleman" and Princess Duan were beautiful, the "Beautiful Gentleman," however handsome, lacked the "peerless elegance" that Princess Duan possessed, making one instantly understand what true, unparalleled beauty meant. These parents were so outstanding that he, as their son, was utterly speechless.
The two, one big and one small, sized each other up, and Prince Duan's smile grew wider and wider: "I underestimated Huihun. The divine doctor's reputation is well-deserved. Li Yannian has been persuading me for three years, and it hasn't been in vain."
Yongye was startled. What did that mean? He hid his thoughts and smiled innocently: "Master Huihun's valley is very beautiful. There is a large meadow covered with flowers. I fall asleep whenever I run into the flower bushes. Master Huihun said that I talk a lot when I'm asleep, and asked me why I don't talk when I'm awake."
"Oh? How did you tell him?" Prince Duan's interest grew stronger. Yongye's bright, darting eyes were more lively than ever before, innocent yet cunning, just like when he first saw the Princess.
Yongye believed that the prince was more concerned about the situation in the valley. Li Yannian had told him on the way that no one from the prince's mansion was allowed to enter the valley and must remain outside. Even the powerful Prince Duan would show some deference to Youli Valley. Yongye felt he was becoming increasingly cunning. He lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then suddenly reached out and hugged Prince Duan, choking back tears, "Father, you...you mustn't abandon me."
That voice, coupled with her slightly reddened eyes, would have made even a stone bloom. Prince Duan's body visibly stiffened, and after a moment he embraced Yongye and said softly, "No... it will never happen again."
Yongye looked up, her eyes still moist, but a radiant smile spread across her face: "I...can we set off fireworks together for the New Year? And, take me out...and hold me while we watch the lion dance? I also want to ride a horse, and catch a rabbit as easily as Master Huihun's little apprentice, and..."
With each word he spoke, the Prince's face softened a little more. Before he could finish speaking, the Prince lifted him up to look him in the eye: "You are my son. You can do whatever you want."
"I'm hungry, have dinner with me," Yongye said with a smile.
Prince Duan raised an eyebrow and laughed loudly, "Alright, let's eat!"
Yongye chuckled inwardly, meticulously replicating the eating habits Li Yannian had honed over three days of vomiting and regurgitation at the other residence. Seeing him pick out the lean meat from the porridge, the Prince Duan's gaze finally lost its icy coolness, replaced by confusion. He saw what he wanted to see, yet couldn't understand it. Yongye's habits, Yongye's face, Yongye's former expression, and his current one. He felt a headache coming on, doubting his own eyes for the first time. He couldn't tell if it was real or fake. However, regardless of the truth, that face, so strikingly similar to the Princess Consort's, made him involuntarily tender towards it.
Just as he suspected, Prince Duan was indeed too difficult to deal with. A mere inner court steward could contact the renowned physician of Youli Valley, and for three years had been shuttling between the capital and Youli Valley to treat the young master. His earnest persuasion of the prince to send him there for treatment—how could this not arouse suspicion? Yongye thought Li Yannian had lost his mind. If the prince truly loved his son, why hadn't he agreed three years ago?
Yongye even felt that his recovery was something the prince had expected. And sending him to Youli Valley seemed to show that the prince didn't care about his son's life or death at all.
What Yongye really wanted to know was his relationship with this family. Because his face looked so much like the Crown Prince's.
“Father, isn’t it strange? I think I saw a child in the valley where the Soul Returner was, and he looked a lot like me. I wanted to take a closer look, but the Soul Returner sent him away.” Yongye mentioned this as if it were a natural thing, while drinking his porridge.
His gaze fell on the hands of the Prince Duan below. The hands, which were resting on his knees, trembled for a moment, then quickly regained their composure: "Really? Really looks a lot like you?"
"Yes, they do look quite similar."
Prince Duan didn't say anything more, but patted his head and smiled, "There's nothing wrong with people looking alike in this world. Your mother and her cousins looked alike when they were little."
"Oh." Yongye finished his porridge and wiped his mouth. He took Prince Duan's hand and smiled, "Let's go see what Mother is doing."
Prince Duan paused for a moment, then bent down and said to Yongye, "Your mother is used to taking a nap now, so don't disturb her. By the way, there's a New Year's banquet at the palace the day after tomorrow. The Empress Dowager will be very happy to see you doing so well, so go back to Wanyu Courtyard first."
As Yongye walked out, he strolled leisurely, like the purple-robed child in the valley. Were there really so many people in this world who looked alike? He didn't believe it. Even the Prince Duan's hand only trembled slightly, but it didn't escape his notice. A spark of doubt ignited in the Prince Duan's heart; he would just wait and see the fire spread. Yongye's mood at this moment was like the winter sun. With the legendary, ruthless Prince Duan's help, the threat of Youli Valley against him would only diminish.
Prince Duan watched Yongye leave. The smile on his face vanished, and he slammed his hand hard on the desk, gritting his teeth as he said, "Li Yannian, you are too ruthless... One day I will destroy Youli Valley."
Entering the inner hall, the princess was resting listlessly against the couch. Prince Duan waved for the maids to leave, and although he walked lightly, he still startled the princess awake. She opened her eyes and smiled faintly: "I'm not a pig, sleeping all day long."
Prince Duan walked to the bedside, took her hand, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Yongye said that he saw a child in Youli Valley who looks a lot like him."
The princess sat up straight in shock, her eyes suddenly reddening: "Is it really the Valley of Wandering?"
Prince Duan shook his head: "I knew about their plan three years ago when Li Yannian mentioned the Divine Physician's return to life. I was preoccupied with whether that child was in the Valley of Wandering Souls. But Yongye still returned, without being switched. I think that child couldn't impersonate Yongye, it couldn't be..."
Tears streamed down the princess's face as she trembled with hatred, saying, "How could they be so cruel! What haven't we given them? Being cruel is one thing..."
Prince Duan gently covered her mouth and coaxed softly, "Yongye will be sad too, it's not his fault. This child asked me to play with him today, you are still his..."
The princess turned away angrily, crying, "How can I be good to him? I can't bear to look at him!"
Prince Duan coughed awkwardly twice and reminded him, "Perhaps... it really is in Youli Valley?"
The princess turned around and stared at Prince Duan, saying each word clearly, "So many years have passed without a single word. Now there must be some news. Are you afraid of Youli Valley?"
Prince Duan smiled slightly: "That's up to me."
A glimmer of hope appeared in the princess's eyes, her radiance captivating. The Prince gently lifted her black hair, inhaled deeply, and chuckled, "Trust me, it's true!"
He took Princess Duan's hand
The imperial palace in Ankoku Kyoto is as grand as all imperial palaces.
Yongye gazed at the towering palace walls that seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with envy for the emperor. At an average price of five thousand per square meter, the emperor's villa complex must have cost at least several hundred million. If he had that much money, he certainly wouldn't be making a living as an assassin. After all, Youli Valley only paid him two taels of silver a month.
How many square meters can you buy with two taels of silver? Yongye recalled with a sense of gloom the fat shopkeeper at Youligu Market, who priced the thin shirt he bought for Master Qingyi at ten taels of silver.
However, the emperor was extravagant, allowing each wife to live in a villa. Each villa was equipped with two sweepers, two cooks, two gatekeepers, two servants to attend to her clothes and shoes, two makeup artists, and two chamber pot cleaners... Yongye's idea was more humane, so that two people could take turns resting.
The emperor also employed several eunuchs to manage these personnel, ensuring his wife could focus on serving him. He also hired several bodyguards for security.
This is just a family matter, like running a business, not even considering handling state affairs. Thinking about it this way, Yongye felt that the emperor was a pitiful rich man, having reached the pinnacle of wealth and constantly fearing that one day he would be overthrown, his throne snatched away, leaving him penniless and powerless. Thinking about these things every day meant he never had a moment of peace. Yongye secretly decided that he should just live a life of modest wealth and contentment. Too much money wasn't necessarily a good thing.
"Isn't the palace beautiful?" Prince Duan asked him from the side.
Yongye appraised everything in the palace with a high level of expertise.
He had never been to the palace. The guidebook of the Prince Duan's residence stated that this heir had never entered the palace. The Prince Duan summoned renowned physicians, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor dispatched imperial physicians. All matters were handled within the Prince's residence.
It is said that the Empress Dowager once visited her quiet and withdrawn grandson at the Prince's residence. Prince Duan pleaded with Prime Minister Zhang to quickly compose a new poem to amuse Yongye, but the Empress Dowager left heartbroken. To avoid upsetting the Empress Dowager, Yongye never appeared before her again.
He looked around curiously, not bothering to hide his interest in the palace. Seeing the perfect combination of round carvings, openwork carvings, and reliefs, he felt a little itchy to try it himself. He then realized that he did have a skill, and if he ever had to flee for his life as a prince, he might be able to make a living with this craft. He couldn't help but feel a little proud.
Anguo's palace is very Chinese, Yongye concluded. Its layout closely resembles the Forbidden City in Beijing. A series of grand halls along the central pillar, surrounded by various smaller chambers, accentuate the emperor's majesty. He could see the towering palace in the center from afar and imagined that it must be the largest and most prestigious conference room in the entire country.
The emperor woke his ministers up before dawn every day for a meeting, which was quite humane. After all, there were no TVs, movies, or computers at night; they went to bed at eight o'clock and slept until three-thirty in the morning, ensuring seven or eight hours of sleep. After court, they had plenty of time to rest and relax. Yongye thought to himself that he probably wouldn't adapt to this kind of fixed office system. Would he be punished with a beating for being late every day? He shrugged, remaining noncommittal.