Eternal Night - Chapter 55
After a long silence, she gave a cold laugh and said, "Tell Lord Qian to prepare his belongings and return home immediately."
More than just a test
At 3:45 AM, Yongye and Prince Duan went to the palace for the morning court session.
Prince Duan leaned against the brocade cushions of the carriage, watching Yongye Zhile.
Yongye stretched out his hand smugly and laughed, "Buddha needs gold plating, and people need clothes. This official robe makes me look like a jade tree in the wind, dashing and debonair. Everyone praises me, flowers wither at the sight of me, and carriages..." He coughed twice, making sure not to utter the words "flat tire." If someone asked him what a flat tire meant, he really couldn't just point to the wooden wheels of the carriage and say that the wheels had fallen apart.
"Sigh! Still so beautiful, I don't know what you'll do in the future." Prince Duan sighed. He was wearing a gold-embroidered unicorn robe and a jade-adorned crown, exuding an imposing aura.
It was rare to see Prince Duan sigh, so Yongye deliberately tried to make him smile and said, "Back then, Father also wore this majestic official robe, with a slap mark on his face, to court."
Prince Duan burst out laughing, grabbed Yongye as if to hit her, but then hugged her tightly.
Yongye felt a strong connection to his past life as a child, nestled on his father's shoulder, leaning against Prince Duan's broad chest, feeling incredibly safe. He closed his eyes and murmured to himself, "The safest place..."
Prince Duan felt a surge of warmth in his heart and tightened his grip, but said calmly, "You were in charge of the negotiations, and you even brought back a princess. Let's see how you handle things in the Golden Hall today."
"This was Youligu's idea. It was also a deliberate attempt to have me act as the chief negotiator. They insisted on sending a princess to marry into the Chen Kingdom. Tell me, how could I refuse? Youligu has finally made its move. Father, Yongye doesn't want to give up this opportunity! I'm 70% certain that Youligu has ties to the Chen Kingdom."
"Is it an opportunity or a conspiracy? It's not good for the princess to marry any prince," Prince Duan reminded Yongye.
Yongye was well aware of this. There were only a few possibilities for Youli Valley's desire to arrange a marriage between Princess Yuxiu and another prince. One was that Youli Valley supported one of the three princes, and marrying Yuxiu would mean gaining the support of the Chen Kingdom, thus giving the supported prince a chance to succeed to the throne. The other was that Youli Valley was founded by the Chen Kingdom, and regardless of which prince Yuxiu married, it would inevitably lead to suspicion and infighting among the princes, plunging the An Kingdom into chaos.
"Being engaged doesn't necessarily mean marriage. Let's get the dowry first. After Father King's conditions, Princess Yuxiu added a thousand warhorses. What's wrong with that? Besides, the Emperor can just bestow a marquis or earl title and marry the princess."
“You child! Princess Yuxiu holds such a noble position in Chen Kingdom. How can she be married by simply being granted the title of Marquis or Earl? If An Kingdom does this, the two countries will once again be at war.” Prince Duan shook his head.
Yongye was now somewhat troubled. If that were the case, it seemed the emperor wouldn't be comfortable no matter which prince married the princess.
Prince Duan smiled again and said jokingly, "It's very simple. You need to be a match for the princess, but not one who can disrupt my plans. I've heard that Princess Yuxiu is one of the four beauties in the world. Marrying her would be a perfect match for you!"
Yongye's mouth was so big you could fit an egg in it, and he started to stammer, "...I...marry?"
Prince Duan stopped teasing and said seriously, "His Majesty's intention is that only your status is worthy of the Princess of Chen. Besides, when the Chen envoy presented the treaty, he repeatedly hinted that the princess had fallen in love with you at first sight..." He coughed, suppressing a laugh, and said, "...love at first sight!"
The Emperor's intentions? My identity? Love at first sight? Looking at the innocently smiling Prince Duan, Yongye recalled how the two brothers had arranged their mother's marriage with just a few words in the Golden Palace, and a weight lifted from her heart. She greatly admired Prince Duan's cunning; he had let the Emperor know about the switch at Youli Valley to prevent him from deceiving the Emperor. The Emperor knew his identity, yet he still wanted him to marry her?
"If I marry her, with my sickly appearance, would the Chen family allow their precious daughter to marry into a life of widowhood?" Yongye meant that this was the only way he could marry Yuxiu.
"Perhaps... all the princess cares about is how to get into my Prince Duan's residence?"
Yongye was somewhat confused. No matter which prince the princess married, it could cause turmoil in Anguo. What benefit would marrying him bring? What benefit would marrying into the Duan Prince's household bring? A thought flashed through his mind like lightning, and many things suddenly became clear.
The purpose of replacing the heir apparent wasn't to get closer to the eldest prince or assist Li Tianyou, but to take over the power of Prince Duan. What could be more convincing than the identity of the heir apparent? Yu Xiu entered the Prince's residence with only one goal: to kill Prince Duan, who had repeatedly suffered defeats at Sanyu Pass. With Prince Duan dead, she could rightfully inherit the throne and take over Prince Duan's power.
Youli Valley can have whichever prince he wants to succeed to the throne. He can even sell out Anguo if he wants.
He took on the role of chief negotiator, securing substantial compensation for Anguo, along with a princess renowned as one of the four most beautiful women in the land for a marriage alliance. This effectively shed his sickly image; while other ministers negotiated for half a month, he accomplished it in just two days. The emperor was very satisfied with the negotiations, believing that after Prince Duan's death, he would gain some influence in the court.
However, judging from Prince Duan's tone, he had already seen through the scheme and needed my cooperation to go with the flow.
Prince Duan took in all of Yongye's expressions. He was very smart and sensible. The smile in his eyes was only fleeting. He stared at Yongye's spirited face, which was deliberately made to look sickly with medicine powder, and shook his head slightly: "Back then, your mother wanted to have a son. What does it matter whether it is a son or not? I see that you have not neglected any of the things you should do."
I've killed many people, can I escape punishment? He almost wanted to confess to Prince Duan that he was still the assassin Xinghun, but he swallowed the words back. Years of assassin life and lessons from his past life made him more cautious. He would cooperate with the emperor and Prince Duan to destroy Youli Valley and atone for his sins. Confessing would be a reason to get away with it.
Yongye chuckled and joked, "If you want to marry a princess, what about Princess Rose? She seems to have fallen in love with Yongye at first sight, and has been pestering him since she was six or seven years old. Why don't we marry her too?"
Prince Duan reached out and flicked his forehead: "Knowing your identity, Marquis Jing'an would have stormed into the palace with his sword."
"Back then, the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion repeatedly sent matchmakers to propose marriage, intending to marry the princess, but he threatened to kill me with a knife." Yongye laughed as he dodged, still arguing relentlessly.
"The Crown Prince has requested permission to make Rose his Crown Princess, and the Emperor has already granted his request, pending Princess Rose's coming-of-age ceremony next year."
Yongye was shocked, thinking of Qiangwei, and felt great sympathy for her. "When did this happen?"
"Yesterday."
"Poor rose."
Prince Duan glanced at him and said, "Once this matter is settled, you'd better stay in the palace and learn the rules!"
“That’s impossible,” Yongye retorted, then sighed. “I just want to have a proper meal; I’ve been afraid of growing too fast these past few years…”
Prince Duan felt a lump in his throat and could no longer utter a single word of reprimand.
They arrived at the Xuande Tower of the Forbidden City as they spoke. The two alighted from the carriage, and a servant led the way with a lantern. Yongye looked up at the sky; it was the darkness before dawn, with a few scattered stars hanging in the air, and all around was quiet. Several lanterns hung atop the tall Xuande Tower, obscuring its entirety. Outside the Right Gate, a considerable number of officials had already gathered, awaiting the ringing of the morning court bell.
Upon seeing Prince Duan and Yongye approach, they both bowed and greeted them.
Yongye followed Prince Duan with refined manners, bowing respectfully without uttering a word, silently observing these pillars of the state. A sudden sense of unease arose within him; feigning nonchalance, he retreated behind Prince Duan and tugged at his robe. Prince Duan turned around, and Yongye heard a voice behind him say, "Tianyou greets Imperial Uncle."
Yongye then turned around and saw Li Tianyou dressed in princely attire, a royal blue robe with four claws and a golden pearl crown, as clear and bright as the first rays of dawn. He clasped his hands in a salute to Prince Duan. Yongye quickly returned the salute, saying, "Prince You."
"Yongye, are you sure you can handle getting up so early?" Li Tianyou asked with concern, patting Yongye's shoulder as he did so.
Yongye didn't think much of this intimate gesture, but Prince Duan naturally turned to the side, straightened Yongye's robes to block Li Tianyou's hand, and sighed with pity, "Having taken on this mission in Chen Kingdom, it would be better to go back to your residence to recuperate. You woke up early today, and your complexion is frighteningly bad."
Yongye could only sigh and pretend to be strong: "I'm fine, Father, you're overthinking it."
"Yes, Yongye's complexion is really not good, as pale as... moonlight. If he continues to suffer for another day, his health may worsen. Today, after the imperial decree was issued, Tianyou also submitted a memorial requesting that Yongye resign from his position as Vice Minister so that he can recuperate properly."
Yongye chuckled dryly. His heart felt like it had been scalded by boiling oil. Had Prince You recognized him? His words clearly had a hidden meaning. What had he done to Yuepo? How had this cunning eldest prince tormented Yuepo? He desperately wanted to fly to Prince You's residence to find out. But he said aloud, "Yongye isn't in good health, but I've always wanted to serve the court. It's not too strenuous. It's Lord Ma and the others who are truly exhausted."
Lord Ma, who was standing here, heard that Yongye did not take credit for himself and was being praised in front of Prince Duan, so he quickly came over to exchange pleasantries, thus blocking Li Tianyou's view.
As soon as the morning bell rang, the side gates opened wide, and officials filed in.