TPATTHU Chapter 3

Chapter 3: This Prince Personally Came to See You, Teacher!

Chapter 3: This Prince Personally Came to See You, Teacher!

Icy water poured relentlessly into Shen Zhejiang’s mouth and nose, sealing him in completely, engulfing his entire body, pulling him deeper and deeper.

The instinct to survive drove Shen Zhejiang to struggle toward the surface, but it seemed as if a hand from below was dragging him down. Scattered strands of hair brushed his face, and an immense sense of suffocation, along with the cold, permeated his entire being.

“Save…”

Shen Zhejiang’s consciousness grew dim. In a daze, he saw himself from ten years ago, hair disheveled and covered in blood.

Like a vengeful ghost demanding his life.

*You should have died in the first place. Why are you still living in this world?*

No, I can’t die! I still need to clear the Shen family’s name!

*The truth is right in front of you. Why won’t you believe it? Your father was a heinous criminal! The Capital City was thrown into chaos, and tens of thousands of innocent lives were lost at the hands of Xiao Jing! Your sins are too great to ever repay!*

*Shen Zhejiang, go die!*

He sank deeper and deeper, as if into an abyss.

Yes, I should have died in the first place…

“Teacher!”

Who is it?

Shen Zhejiang struggled to open his eyes. A familiar and anxious figure broke through the backlight. He didn’t have the strength to recognize who it was, and allowed his weak body to drift like a fallen leaf.

–

When Shen Zhejiang awoke again, he found himself lying on a gold silk embroidered python pattern brocade quilt. The hazy gauze curtains drifted down from the very top, giving him a sense of being in another world.

Where is this…?

Perhaps it was because he had been submerged in water for too long, but his brain seemed to be waterlogged as well. Shen Zhejiang, the once-renowned talent of the Capital City, didn’t even realize what the python pattern represented.

He wanted to sit up, but felt a tearing pain in his chest and lungs, and began to cough violently.

“Cough! Cough cough!”

The curtains rustled and swayed, and his vision was completely blocked by a magnified face.

“Teacher, you’re finally awake!” Xiao Zhinian was both surprised and delighted. He stroked Shen Zhejiang’s back to help him breathe, and seeing that Shen Zhejiang’s coughing was truly frightening, he turned his head and shouted outside, “Zhao Taiyi! Where are you? Dawdling around like a tortoise in the Longevity Pond! Get over here!”

Shen Zhejiang covered his mouth with one hand and clutched the quilt beneath him tightly with the other. He bit his lower lip with all his might, trying to hold it back, his neck red with strain, but he still couldn’t suppress the coughing fit as he usually did.

“Cough cough cough!!”

Deafening.

“Teacher!”

Xiao Zhinian supported him, his brow furrowed with anxiety. He grabbed the Zhao Taiyi who had just arrived and roared, “What are you still standing there for?! Stop the coughing! Do I have to personally invite you?”

“Yes, yes…”

Zhao Taiyi wiped away his sweat. He had thought that the person the Crown Prince cared so much about must be a beautiful girl, but upon seeing who it was, he was so frightened that his knees nearly buckled and he fell to the ground.

Shen Taifu had actually climbed onto the Crown Prince’s bed?!

Xiao Zhinian, unaware of the shock in Zhao Taiyi’s heart, urged anxiously, “Hurry up!”

He dared not think too much about it.

Zhao Taiyi immediately took out his needle kit and quickly inserted needles into key acupoints, barely alleviating Shen Zhejiang’s pain. Then he placed his fingers on Shen Zhejiang’s wrist to take his pulse. After taking it, his expression became even more grave.

Shen Zhejiang was afraid that Zhao Taiyi would really reveal everything about him, so he coughed heavily twice more, a faint taste of blood rising in his throat. He swallowed it silently and said, “It’s just a minor ailment, no need to make such a fuss.”

He wanted to withdraw his hand.

But Zhao Taiyi held his hand down, stroking his pale beard, and said seriously, “Lord Shen, forgive this official for speaking frankly, but your condition is not a common cold. Your pulse is very similar to a case this official once diagnosed. This is…”

“I know,” Shen Zhejiang withdrew his hand and said in a flat tone, “I am aware of my body’s condition. Please trouble Zhao Taiyi to prescribe two doses of medicine to dispel the cold.”

Xiao Zhinian, who was listening from the side, was completely baffled and asked worriedly, “Zhao Taiyi, what exactly is wrong with Teacher? Tell me!”

Shen Zhejiang said, “It’s just a cold from falling into the water, nothing serious.”

Xiao Zhinian definitely wouldn’t easily believe Shen Zhejiang’s nonsense about being perfectly fine, and continued to press Zhao Taiyi to ask, “You tell me.”

Since Shen Zhejiang had already said that, he obviously didn’t want the Crown Prince to know. Zhao Taiyi smoothed things over by saying, “Your Highness, Lord Shen has had a chronic illness for some time. This time, he accidentally fell into the water, injuring his lungs. It’s a disease on top of a disease. Compared to ordinary people, the symptoms are more obvious. This humble servant will go prescribe a prescription for Lord Shen to recuperate for a period of time.”

“Go quickly, go quickly!” Xiao Zhinian waved his hand, then plopped down on the edge of the bed and moved closer to Shen Zhejiang, chattering away, “Teacher, are you feeling better now? You have no idea how scared this Prince was at the time. Luckily, I saved you.”

Shen Zhejiang leaned against the headboard, deliberately keeping a distance from Xiao Zhinian: “Why is Your Highness here?”

“This is this Prince’s bedroom. Where else would this Prince be if not here?” Xiao Zhinian laughed when he heard him ask this.

The Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace?

Shen Zhejiang looked around. Sure enough, so that meant he was currently lying on Xiao Zhinian’s bed.

“…”

This realization caused Shen Zhejiang’s heart to skip a beat, and his expression stiffened slightly.

No wonder Zhao Taiyi’s initial gaze at him contained an inexplicable strangeness. So that was it.

Xiao Zhinian didn’t notice his abnormality and said cheerfully, “In this Prince’s bedroom, Teacher can do whatever he wants. Teacher likes sour and sweet flavors, just order the imperial kitchen to cook it. And all the servants here are at Teacher’s disposal. If you don’t like the furnishings here, you can also redecorate. Teacher admires the authentic rubbings of Hu Shen’s calligraphy. His Imperial Father has a copy, and this Prince will have someone fetch it for you.”

He was like a little wolf pup wagging its tail, wanting to offer the best treasures in the world to his most beloved person.

Unfortunately, Shen Zhejiang didn’t appreciate it and, thinking that the rules had been broken, lifted the quilt and got out of bed, saying, “This subject is terrified. It’s already inappropriate to overstep. This subject will now leave the palace.”

“Teacher hasn’t recovered yet, stay a little longer.”

Xiao Zhinian pulled him.

Shen Zhejiang shook him off, his eyes resolute, “I cannot.”

One desperately wanted to leave, and the other pulled at him, wanting him to stay. Neither would yield.

In the midst of the tug-of-war, Shen Zhejiang, unable to resist Xiao Zhinian’s sudden pull, stumbled and fell toward Xiao Zhinian.

Just then, a sharp shout burst out from outside the palace gate.

“Go in!”

Immediately afterward, a dirty beggar rolled in, trembling, and lay face down on the floor.

The six treasures attending to the Crown Prince walked in, originally to report the situation to His Highness, but they stumbled upon His Highness and Grand Tutor Shen actually flirting in public.

What’s more, the entire Grand Tutor Shen was lying on His Highness, his clothes disheveled, exposing a large area of seductive spring scenery on his chest. His Highness, with the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog, was actually grabbing onto Grand Tutor Shen’s collar and kissing Grand Tutor Shen’s collarbone.

He was terrified and covered in cold sweat.

Was His Highness actually the one on the bottom? Unbelievable!

“Ouch!”

At that moment, thousands of ways to die flashed through the six treasures’ mind like a revolving lantern. He thought, “It’s over, it’s over. Maybe His Highness will poke out my eyes and chop me up to feed the dogs.”

He looked down and saw that the beggar was also staring blankly in that direction. He kicked him, immediately picking him up, “Get out!”

Beggar: “…” Ah, the royal family is really messed up.

With one in and one out, only an awkward and ambiguous atmosphere remained in the inner palace.

Now things were worse, and the misunderstanding would only deepen.

Shen Zhejiang glared at Xiao Zhinian’s hand, which was clutching his clothing, and silently pulled out the fabric, getting up and straightening every inch of his clothes, until there were no wrinkles that would cause anyone to have wild thoughts.

Truly…shameless.

He was scolding himself.

Shen Zhejiang calmed his mind and said, “Your Highness, this subject will take his leave.”

The soft touch disappeared from Xiao Zhinian’s palm, but he wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary, he was even happier.

He kissed the teacher!

Xiao Zhinian licked his lips, and the corners of his mouth turned up. Even if a thousand pounds were hanging on it, it wouldn’t come down. He chased after Shen Zhejiang again, “Teacher, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. This Prince has found out who deliberately pushed you into the water. Doesn’t Teacher want to know who ordered it?”