Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 64

Yi Han walked to the bedside, glanced at it, and said with his head down, "I'll go and have someone bring clean clothes and bedding." He then turned to leave.

I grabbed his hand, looked up at him in surprise, and said, "Yihan, didn't I tell you to stop referring to yourself as your subordinate?"

Yi Han nodded, not even looking at me, and said indifferently, "I understand. Young Master Han is outside. I'll let him in after he changes his clothes."

"Yihan!" I grabbed his hand tightly as he tried to pull it away, looking at him stubbornly. I didn't even know why I, who was usually calm and collected, was experiencing such intense emotional turmoil.

To stop him from leaving, I strained my upper body, but because I was so weak, I was out of breath in just half a minute, and cold sweat began to bead on my forehead. Yi Han noticed and turned around anxiously to help me lie down: "Young Master, how are you? I'll go call Madam over."

I quickly shook my head, coughed twice, and said with a flushed face, "It's alright, I just need to lie down for a bit. Go and have someone bring some clothes, and also invite Young Master Han over."

Yi Han nodded faintly and left. I closed my eyes, quietly calming my emotions. I know I have strange feelings for Yi Han now, but are they Lin Yu's or mine? I really can't tell anymore.

"They're all the same..."

I jerked my head up to look at Zimo, who had just spoken: "Zimo, what did you just say?"

He chuckled, a laugh tinged with self-mockery and coldness: "Did I say anything? Galan, you must have misheard me..."

===================

Han Jingyuan arrived an hour later. In the meantime, I changed my clothes, blankets, and mattress, and even had a hearty meal. So, when I saw him, I felt incredibly refreshed.

I pointed to the mahogany chair that Yang Yi had ignored and said, "Young Master Han, please sit down."

Han Jingyuan didn't stand on ceremony and took a few steps forward to sit down. He was still wearing a mask, but this was the first time I had closely observed him in the bright sunlight. He wore a simple, unadorned grey-white robe, and his cascading black hair was loosely tied back with a silver brocade ribbon. Although I couldn't see his face, standing in this small room filled with the smell of medicine, I still felt that he was elegant and graceful, with an ethereal beauty.

I squinted and turned my head to watch him sit down with an elegant posture. His posture was neither casual nor subdued. He was clearly well-educated and good at giving orders. At the very least, he was a nobleman's son... I was stunned for a moment, then smiled helplessly and tapped my head. I looked up at Zi Mo.

He chuckled and said, "It seems you've begun to grasp the art of political maneuvering I've taught you over the past six months. You know how to judge a person's character; you could be considered a student of a great teacher."

"Cough cough..." I choked and coughed repeatedly before suppressing my smile under Han Jingyuan's strange gaze and asking, "Young Master Han, is the poison gone?"

He nodded coldly, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Should I thank you for sparing my life, young master?"

I smiled awkwardly: "Young Master Han was innocently implicated this time, and it was indeed Lin Yu's fault. Lin Yu apologizes to Young Master Han on behalf of his subordinates, and hopes that Young Master Han will not hold it against him anymore."

Zi Mo's first countermeasure: Protect Qin Wu. I am the Prime Minister, so naturally I am not afraid of his retaliation. If he really wants to deal with me, it's definitely not because of this little bit of hatred. But Qin Wu is different. This Han Jingyuan is obviously not a simple character. If I don't protect him here first, I'm afraid that if he dies for no reason one day, it will also involve the Dark Camp.

Seeing his expressionless face, I couldn't help but smile bitterly and say, "Young Master Han, you have seen that Lin Yu has been weak and feeble for the past month, his life hanging by a thread, and he almost died. It can be considered that he brought this upon himself and has received his retribution. Young Master Han, your anger should have subsided by now."

Zi Mo's second tactic: Play the victim. Han Jingyuan has been staying at the manor for over half a month, so he naturally knows how I narrowly escaped death. Presumably, even the deepest resentment has dissipated. If I apologize softly, given his seemingly cold but warm-hearted nature, he surely won't hold it against me anymore. However, I'm puzzled. This Han Jingyuan, no matter how I look at him, seems like an iceberg. What makes Zi Mo think he's cold on the outside but warm on the inside?

A faint smile appeared in Han Jingyuan's eyes, a mixture of schadenfreude and gentleness. I was taken aback and tilted my head to look at him. This faint and distant feeling seemed so familiar. Who exactly did he resemble?

Han Jingyuan coughed softly, and I was startled before I came to my senses. Seeing his somewhat angry expression, I realized I had been staring at him for a long time. My face flushed, and I quickly said, "Young Master Han, are you willing to accept my apology?"

Han Jingyuan pondered for a long time before saying in a cold voice, "Your Excellency, you flatter me. I, Han, do not believe I have the ability to retaliate against you, nor would I dare to act rashly against your subordinates and invite retaliation."

My lips twitched. This person said he wouldn't retaliate, but his tone was so resentful. I really had no choice but to use the third tactic: bribery.

I took an extremely thin brocade box from the bedside and handed it to him, smiling, "It would be wonderful if Young Master Han would not hold it against me. This is a small gift, and I hope you will accept it."

Han Jingyuan frowned, his expression turning sharp: "What do you take me, Han... for?"

I smiled faintly and said, "Young Master Han, why don't you take a look first?" Seeing that he still refused to take it, I could only sigh at my bad luck, obediently open it for him, and hand it to him. Sure enough, his dark gray eyes suddenly widened.

I chuckled and shoved the box into his hand, saying, "This is a finely crafted human skin mask, so light it's practically weightless. Once you put it on, you can hardly detect any flaws. Lin Yu went through all that trouble to get it, only to find it useless. I've noticed that you wear this mask all the time, whether it's to avoid being recognized or for some other reason. I hope this mask will be of some use to you."

What I'm saying is absolutely true. The claim of obtaining it through countless hardships is unfounded; the human skin mask was made by Yun Yan herself. It's just that no one in the world knows this. You must know that Yun Yan's disguise skills are unparalleled, and her ability to use and neutralize poisons is unmatched. While these are self-proclaimed within the Dark Camp, they are almost certainly true. According to Yi Han, human skin masks have been circulating on the Yi Xiu Continent for the past two years, but in reality, they were all made by Yun Yan. She only made ten in total; five were kept by the Dark Camp, two were given to me, and the remaining three were sold at a high price. This clearly demonstrates the preciousness of the gift I gave to Han Jingyuan.

He stared intently at me: "Are you really going to give this to me?"

I know that human skin masks are often invaluable for survival, assassination, and infiltration, which is why, despite the fact that only three exist in the world, everyone fights tooth and nail for them. But what does that matter to me? If I get one, I'll still have one left. Even if I run out, I can just have Yunyan make a few more.

So I calmly smiled and said, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. It is certainly true."

Han Jingyuan held the brocade box and quietly examined me, his dark gray eyes shimmering, and it was unclear what he was thinking or investigating. But slowly, the hostility in his eyes faded, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He relaxed his body, leaning lazily against the chair, and said calmly, "If you were a mediocre and incompetent person, I wouldn't even bother to look at you; if you were a jealous and envious person, I would do everything in my power to ruin your reputation and prevent you from harming my Golden Glory Dynasty; if you were a cold-blooded and ruthless person who would sacrifice your subordinates to pave the way for your hegemonic ambitions, I would risk my life to stop you from turning the continent of Yixiu into a bloody battlefield. But you are none of those! Young and successful, full of vigor and ambition, I only saw you as humble and polite, calm and composed. Even in perilous situations, with imperial power pressing down on you, I personally witnessed you remain composed and neither arrogant nor servile. You possess extraordinary abilities, yet you do not use them to bully others; you have the power to control the universe, yet you do not act recklessly. Only such a person is worthy of being my Golden Glory Prime Minister, worthy of being called the Son of the Goddess, worthy of... causing my brother to die of jealousy and resentment."

Huh? I stared wide-eyed. He was praising me so well before, but then this last sentence... I saw him slowly straighten up, his dark gray eyes taking on a strange color, as if they were slowly brightening.

A smile played on his lips, neither mocking nor admiring, but rather a smile that seemed to convey the vicissitudes and loneliness of the world, just like his silent eyes. He said, "Prime Minister Qin has probably long forgotten about my younger brother. Han Qin, courtesy name Zongzheng, was the second-place winner in the imperial examination of the twenty-third year of Jiaying. He was appointed by the late emperor as a Hanlin Academy attendant. Just when Prime Minister Qin's fame was rising and shaking the world, he died in despair by my side."

I stared at him blankly, and he looked at me with a half-smile. After a long while, I said, "Han Jingyuan, now that you've told me all this yourself, does it mean you no longer hold a grudge against me because of your brother?"

He was stunned, Zi Mo, who was floating in the air, was stunned, and so was I. What had I just said? But then I heard Han Jingyuan chuckle softly and say loudly, "Good! Qin Luo! I, Han Jue, never submit to anyone, but you are the first." He was speaking in an extremely bold tone, yet his voice still sounded warm and melodious, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

I paused, stunned. Han Jue, that name sounded so familiar. Before I could even search my memory, I saw him quickly remove the mask from his face and smile, "If Young Master Qin doesn't mind, I'd like to be friends with you."

I looked up, about to say of course not, but when my gaze fell on his face, my expression suddenly changed, and I exclaimed in surprise, "Ah—!"

Chapter 45 The Emperor's Edict

Chapter 45 The Emperor's Edict

I looked up, about to say of course not, but when my gaze fell on his face, my expression suddenly changed, and I exclaimed in surprise, "Ah—!"

The person opposite him possessed exquisite and beautiful features, an unparalleled handsome appearance, and an elegance as refined as bamboo dew and a gentle breeze, a grace more lustrous than pearls and jade. His long eyebrows reached his temples, and his phoenix eyes, seemingly open yet closed, held a hint of amusement, a distant detachment, and a hidden indifference to worldly affairs, radiating a clear brown light. This man's appearance surpassed even that of Lin Yu in his male attire; he was truly a peerless and exceptionally handsome man.

But, but that wasn't what surprised me. I stared at him in horror, then looked up at Zi Mo, who stood expressionless in mid-air. This man was exceptionally handsome and refined, yet his face bore a striking resemblance to Zi Mo's. Moreover, those brown eyes—I'd seen black, blue, dark green, and even tea-gold eyes in the Ishu Continent, but never brown except for Zi Mo's. What, then, was this person's relationship with Zi Mo?

Zi Mo sighed, his expression still blank, and said calmly, "He is my ancestor."

"Ancestors?!" I stared wide-eyed at Zi Mo in the sky, then at the bewildered Han Jingyuan before me. Good heavens! The Han family ancestor and his descendant from 150 years in the future were both appearing before me? But Zi Mo's attitude seemed strange! When I first met him at the inn, Zi Mo clearly didn't know his identity. But today, when he saw Han Jingyuan remove his mask, he showed no surprise whatsoever, obviously having already seen his true face. So why didn't he tell me?

I looked up at Zimo, but he turned his head to look out the window, his expression indifferent, devoid of joy or sorrow. Yet, I felt a chill run through me. The emotions that had slowly settled over the past few days suddenly seemed utterly pale.

"Young Master Qin?" Han Jingyuan frowned and called out in confusion.