MLIAM Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Private Talk – Stop talking! My ears are getting dirty!

Yu Shuli reined in his horse and bowed to the Emperor, saying, “Your Majesty, I’ve made a fool of myself.”

The old Emperor blinked, recognized him after a moment, and slowly said, “Not at all. I’m very pleased with your performance.”

Yu Shuli deliberately avoided Wei Yan’s gaze, looked around, and seemingly casually asked, “Are none of the princes here today?”

“After the literary exam in the morning, both princes are assisting the Ministry of Rites in grading the papers under the Crown Prince’s guidance, so naturally, they don’t have time to come,” Wei Yan explained, then beckoned Yu Shuli over. “General, are you looking for a seat? His Majesty has graciously allowed you and me to sit by his side. Come over here.”

Yu Shuli didn’t know when the Second Prince had gotten involved in the Imperial Examination. He guessed it was Wei Yan’s idea and glared at him.

Wei Yan curved his lips and simply walked towards him, pulling him forward.

Yu Shuli was stunned. He was ignoring him and deliberately distancing himself, but Wei Yan was audacious enough to act so presumptuously.

The old Emperor, however, wasn’t angered by Wei Yan’s presumptuousness. Instead, he lowered his eyes, ordered tea to be served, and nodded, indicating that Yu Shuli should sit in the seat next to Wei Yan.

“Ji’an, listen to Xianqing. I heard your wedding is in these next few days?”

Yu Shuli then acknowledged and sat down, replying, “Reporting to Your Majesty, I will marry whenever Wei Yan prepares the betrothal gifts.” Although it was just going through the motions again, Wei Yan said that everything that should be there couldn’t be missing.

The Emperor “oh”-ed, and after a long pause, hesitated, “I remember, when I bestowed the marriage last time, he seemed to have already sent the betrothal gifts?”

Wei Yan smiled and clarified for the Emperor, “The last ones were returned by General Zhenguo after the engagement was called off. You approved it, Your Majesty.”

“You little rascal.” The Emperor showed an expression of sudden realization and tugged at the corner of his mouth towards Yu Shuli, “So high-minded back then, why are you eating your words now?”

Yu Shuli glanced at Wei Yan, who raised an eyebrow at him, and grinned, “Because he’s giving me too much this time.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know Prime Minister Wei had such a wealth that he could charm even our Ji’an. Can you give me a number so I can also know?” The Emperor’s measuring gaze fell on Wei Yan.

Wei Yan smiled, “Your Majesty overestimates me.” His fingers subtly scraped on the armrest of the chair, and a hint of impatience appeared on his face. “If Your Majesty is truly curious about the betrothal gifts, you can come to my residence to take a look.” His voice even carried a hint of coldness.

Wei Yan’s words were truly disrespectful. Gonggong Li wiped his sweat and handed the Emperor a cup of hot tea. “Your Majesty, have some tea to soothe your throat.”

Emperor Zhao Wu met Wei Yan’s subtle gaze, his body paused, and he even shivered slightly. He quickly accepted Gonggong Li’s cue, picked up the tea, and took a big gulp, not daring to mention it again. “Forget it, I’m tired. Let the martial arts examination begin quickly.”

The Emperor used an excuse to change the subject, and Gonggong Li immediately followed suit.

He announced on the Emperor’s order, “The martial arts examination begins! Please present the martial arts candidates!”

Yu Shuli glanced at Wei Yan thoughtfully. Wei Yan noticed his gaze, looked over, and winked at him.

The Emperor coughed lightly and looked at Wei Yan in a yielding manner, “Xianqing, please?”

Wei Yan lowered his eyes and nodded. “Your Majesty, please.”

With the Emperor and Wei Yan taking the lead, everyone left their seats and looked for suitable viewing angles.

Yu Shuli amusingly assessed the interaction between the two. Once the Emperor’s attention was drawn to the martial artists taking the exam on the field, he secretly poked Wei Yan’s waist.

“Hey, what kind of bewitching medicine did you give the old Emperor? Why is he so crazy today and even a little afraid of you?”

Wei Yan pulled down his finger and held it in his palm, “You’re quite bold, calling him ‘old Emperor’ and ‘bewitching medicine’ in every sentence. Aren’t you afraid of causing trouble with your words and ending up in jail? Hmm?” His tone rose at the end, sounding as if he was in a good mood.

“What am I afraid of?” Yu Shuli shrugged. “I have the military seal in my hand, I’m not worried about anyone.”

“Not even afraid of me?”

“Why would I be afraid of you?” Yu Shuli pretended to be serious. “You can’t carry anything on your shoulders or lift anything in your hands. I can beat you with one hand. Wei Yan, you need to eat more. This physique of yours won’t do.”

Wei Yan didn’t say anything like “a man can’t say he can’t do it,” but just smiled with pursed lips, “It seems I was too considerate of you last night.”

Yu Shuli was burned by his words, his face flushed severely, and the blood in his heart was boiling. Remembering the ecstasy of last night, Yu Shuli glared at him, “How dare you even mention it?!” He raised his fist, threatening, “You can forget about touching me for a month.”

After speaking, he tilted his head away, no longer looking at him, and turned to watch the field.

After a few breaths, he suddenly turned his head and glared at Wei Yan, “That’s not right, Wei Fox, you definitely cured the old Emperor’s poison, right? Otherwise, the old Emperor wouldn’t be so afraid of you! His weakness must be gone, that’s why he’s so afraid of you!”

Wei Yan pursed his lips and remained silent, only looking at the field.

The horse racing event was already over, and the final victory was about to be decided.

“A month is a bit too long.” He didn’t rush to answer Yu Shuli’s question, but was more concerned about the “can’t touch for a month” matter.

“Ten days!” Yu Shuli gritted his teeth and turned his face away, “Can’t be any less! Don’t get any more ideas!”

Wei Yan’s gaze followed Yu Shuli’s, his smile growing deeper, clearly in a good mood, “Didn’t I stop at your request last night, and even apply medicine for you? General Zhenguo is truly… forgetful of the pain and only remembers the pleasure. What did you promise me when you were begging for mercy? Two hours next time… you said that, right?”

From far away, no one could tell that the serious-looking Prime Minister Wei was discussing such racy, out-of-bounds private matters with General Zhenguo in front of so many people.

Yu Shuli’s face was completely red, and he covered his ears, “Stop talking! My ears are getting dirty!”

Wei Yan chuckled and didn’t press the issue. “Alright, I won’t say it anymore.”

“You guessed right.” He said, “Doctor Yang has researched the antidote for the old poison. I have indeed cleared it.”

Yu Shuli pouted. “I knew it!” He waved his fist at Wei Yan again. “It definitely wasn’t just these last two days!” He gritted his teeth. “You should have detoxified long ago, right? So you pretended to be weak these last two days and tricked me several times, right? You’re truly shameless!”

Wei Yan chuckled a few times and wanted to hug him to coax him, but Yu Shuli avoided him with disgust. “Don’t touch me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist beating you.”

“My husband is quite stingy.” Wei Yan curved his lips and didn’t try to force the issue.

“Ji’an, have you seen any satisfactory candidates after watching the martial arts examination for so long?” The Emperor walked over, massaging his forehead. “I only watched for a short while, and my head is already hurting badly.”

Yu Shuli quickly said, “Since Your Majesty is feeling unwell, please return to rest quickly. I’ll keep an eye on things here.” He gave Gonggong Li a look.

Gonggong Li also hurried over to persuade him, “Your Majesty, it’s the same if you leave it to General Zhenguo. It’s just finding some crude warriors, there’s no need for Your Majesty to rack your brains over it.” He paused, then lowered his voice and said, “Your Majesty hasn’t taken the Longevity Pill today, right? Perhaps your headache will be relieved after taking it.”

The Emperor suddenly understood, “That’s right.” He didn’t bother to greet the officials present and was supported by Gonggong Li, eager to leave.

Wei Yan pulled Yu Shuli to a more open space.

“The Longevity Pill, did you have it replaced?” After the Emperor’s figure disappeared from sight, Wei Yan asked Yu Shuli.

Yu Shuli nodded. “The Longevity Pill is also addictive. I suspect this thing was also done by that Xizhao guy.” He clenched his fists. “Damn it, I was originally planning to meet him today. The Second Prince also had something to tell me, to probe him, but who knew he’d be so elusive.”

“I met him this morning.” Emotion surged in Wei Yan’s eyes. “This man uses the Third Prince’s face but has been able to go unnoticed for so many years. Naturally, he is deep-minded and full of tricks. On the surface, he really hasn’t made any mistakes. I’ve carefully observed him, and that face doesn’t seem fake either. Such a realistic disguise technique is beyond our reach. So even if we expose him, I’m afraid no one will believe us. Unless Your Majesty can personally order him to tear off his mask…”

Yu Shuli shook his head. “That’s probably not realistic. His Majesty now treasures that Longevity Pill.”

“So, it’s good that you didn’t run into him. I’m even thinking… should we just take him down?”

“You mean…” Yu Shuli lowered his voice, “The old Emperor’s life and that real Zhao Xuan’s life, you don’t care about them? Then the Longevity Pill… is Doctor Yang confident in making an antidote?”

“Anyway… it’s just a matter of time. The sooner we tear off the mask, the less likely his plot will succeed.”

Yu Shuli’s face showed struggle. “But the old Emperor is at least the Second Prince’s father… I don’t think the Second Prince would agree. He’s not the kind of person who disregards the consequences for the sake of the throne.” Speaking of this, he suddenly raised his head to look at Wei Yan. “You don’t want to act first and report later, do you?!”

Wei Yan raised his eyes to look at him upon hearing this, his eyes slightly moved. “Why not?”

Yu Shuli anxiously stomped his foot. “Why are you in such a hurry? Aren’t you offending the Second Prince by doing this? Although what you said is also true, His Majesty will die sooner or later, but after all, the Second Prince doesn’t want to be the one to commit patricide. Plus, he has a real royal brother whose life or death is unknown in Xizhao. If you act on your own, the Second Prince will inevitably hold it against you. What if he settles the score with you in the future? Although his identity is now clear, in terms of position, we are in the open, and he is in the dark. Who knows what tricks he still has? It’s ultimately not very safe to act directly… I don’t agree.”

“I’m afraid of dragging it out, and the longer it takes, the more problems there will be.” Wei Yan looked away from Yu Shuli and sighed. “Forget it, since you don’t agree, then forget it.”

When the martial arts examination was nearing its end, only an archery event remained.

During that period, Yu Shuli successively selected several good talents and registered them on the Ministry of Rites’ records.

Just when he thought things were about to end, a small eunuch suddenly reported that the ceremonial guards that the Emperor had taken away when he left had now returned in full order.

Yu Shuli turned around to look behind him.

It wasn’t the returning old Emperor.

But the Crown Prince and two princes.

The Crown Prince wore a jade crown on his head, his hair neatly tied behind his head. He was dressed in an indigo brocade robe with gold dragon patterns, and the gold dragons on the hem of the robe sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight. He wore a dazzling gem on his waist, his square face carrying a sharp aggressiveness, looking as if a storm was brewing and he was looking for trouble.

The Second Prince had a gentle appearance, wearing a white robe embroidered with jade-colored bamboo leaf patterns, fresh and simple. He only wore a jade-colored belt around his waist, without any jewelry or jade pendants, looking elegant without losing his bearing.

And the remaining one… wore a big red outer robe, his collar not properly arranged, revealing a large area of ​​his collarbone, and a few strands of hair casually fell on the side of his ear. His face, which was so gorgeous that it surpassed others, was full of smiles, and a tear mole under his eyes adorned his appearance, but it made people see a sense of uninhibitedness and worldliness.

This was the fake Third Prince, the only prince who looked very flamboyant and out of tune. He conscientiously played the role of Zhao Xuan, not to mention his acting skills, but even the gestures and movements he made were imitated perfectly.

Yu Shuli secretly glanced at him a few times and couldn’t see any difference from the real Zhao Xuan.

He, who should have been hidden in the crowd, suddenly raised his eyes at this time, just in time to meet Yu Shuli’s gaze, which he didn’t have time to withdraw, and then he hooked his lips, revealing a meaningful smile.

Since Yu Shuli had already been caught peeking at him, it would appear a bit hypocritical to shift his gaze again, so he simply took a serious look at the Third Prince’s face.

After carefully looking at it, he found that this face really didn’t show any traces of powder or splicing falsification, and even Yu Shuli was a little surprised.

He frowned, worried that he would be suspected by the man on the opposite side if he looked at him too much, so he immediately shifted his gaze.

Seeing the high-spirited Zhao Yong, he poked Wei Yan next to him, using his eyes to ask: Wasn’t the Crown Prince grounded? How can he come out now?

“His Majesty unbanned him for the Imperial Examination, letting him assist the two princes in their work.”

Yu Shuli’s face darkened.

As the group got closer and closer, Wei Yan stood in front of Yu Shuli, pulling him behind.

After some greetings, the Crown Prince looked at Yu Shuli, maintaining a superficial harmony with a forced smile, “Long time no see, little General, you have now become General Zhenguo, truly enjoying the limelight…” He moved his gaze to the field. “It’s really a little late to arrive, it’s already down to the last event.”

“It’s this prince’s fault for keeping my imperial brother waiting for so long,” the Second Prince lowered his eyelashes and bowed in apology.

“It’s not the Second Imperial Brother’s fault for being slow in handling official business. After all, he is newly appointed, and he has no experience in handling candidates’ test papers. After all, the Imperial Examination is usually the Crown Prince’s job.” The man on the side spoke, his tone light and casual. “Ah, I also benefited from the Crown Prince.”

On the surface, he was thanking the Crown Prince, but in reality, he was sarcastically mocking him. After all, everyone knew that it was the Crown Prince who had caused trouble, giving him the opportunity to rise to power and perform in front of the Emperor.

The Crown Prince’s expression changed upon hearing this, and he glared at Wei Yan with a resentful expression, then turned his gaze back to Yu Shuli, and said faintly, “I don’t know how long you can be arrogant…”

That incident had passed for so long, and the Crown Prince had been keeping a low profile for so long. Now that he suddenly popped out like this, it was probably because he had received some news, knowing that the Emperor favored him, so he was somewhat determined to win the throne.

But didn’t he know? The crimes committed by those guilty officials related to him who were secretly escorted back to the capital were too numerous to count, and sentencing him to exile would not be an overstatement.

As the Crown Prince, it was impossible not to know anything about the incidents involving his subordinates, right? How could he still be so confident at this juncture?

Either he didn’t want to pretend anymore and wanted to directly rebel; or… he was really not very smart.

Yu Shuli was more inclined to the latter.

After all, he had been stepped on the head and used by the Third Prince of the neighboring country for so many years, and after drinking a little wine, he wanted to publicly execute important officials of the court. He liked men and even exposed it in front of so many people, even the Emperor, who doted on him, could only be forced to keep him hidden and seriously reconsider the candidate for the throne.

This Crown Prince… was indeed cowardly enough, like a wild pheasant with brightly colored feathers that had fallen into a fox’s circle. He could have avoided the fate of death, but he only cared about proudly showing off his feathers, unable to see the covetous eyes around him.

Yu Shuli clenched his hands into fists, his bones creaking, but he smiled politely and courteously on his face, “If the Crown Prince has nothing else to say, please find a suitable position to watch the competition? The archery event is about to begin. The Crown Prince wouldn’t want everyone to wait for you, right?”

The Crown Prince snorted coldly but didn’t cooperate in stepping down, as if he was going to make a scene again.

“Yu Shuli, they say that I am unlearned, extravagant, and a good-for-nothing who can’t support Da Liang.”

“What about you, what do you think?”

The corners of Yu Shuli’s mouth twitched.

Out of nowhere, he asked such a question in public.

Even if Yu Shuli intended to offend him at this time, he could only reply in his heart: I think… what they said is quite right.

Seeing that Yu Shuli frowned and didn’t speak, a trace of teasing appeared on the Crown Prince’s face, “I heard that you and Prime Minister Wei are getting married soon. At that time, I will definitely send a big gift.”

“This gift, this humble servant thanks you on behalf of General Zhenguo.” Wei Yan took a step forward, putting a hand on Yu Shuli’s shoulder, and said with a smile, “Your Highness’s favor, the residence will definitely welcome you.”

The Crown Prince’s face darkened, and his eyes were filled with frost as he stared at Yu Shuli. “You will know, Wei Yan is not a good person.”

He was going crazy again.

Yu Shuli always felt that the Crown Prince had a sense of madness because he couldn’t get along anymore, so he started breaking the pot.

To be honest, he didn’t believe the Crown Prince’s nonsense about “giving a big gift” at all.

If he had any evidence against the two, he would have already taken it out now or presented it directly to the Emperor. Would he have waited until the two of them were married?

Most likely, he just wanted to send a dead pig or something like that to disgust and retaliate against the two of them.

Besides, even the Emperor was struggling to protect himself, let alone him, a Crown Prince who had lost his power. How could Yu Shuli still be afraid?

He nodded perfunctorily, “Okay, okay,” but turned to look at the trembling little eunuch who was serving behind the Crown Prince. “The Crown Prince must have been drinking when he came? It’s fine if you don’t take him down to rest, but how can you let the Crown Prince come to the martial arts examination and make trouble?”

How dare the little eunuch move? He knelt down, trembling, unable to speak smoothly, “This humble servant… this humble servant…” He dared not offend the Crown Prince, nor dared to disobey Yu Shuli.

The two sides were at a stalemate on the field.

The Second Prince finally stood out after a long time, the corners of his mouth moving, looking like he was suppressing a smile. He waved his hand, “Take my royal brother back to rest.”

The Third Prince also said, “The Crown Prince must be overjoyed because he performed so well in assisting the Second Imperial Brother in handling today’s Imperial Examination and received many rewards from the Emperor.” He also looked at the little eunuch. “What are you standing there for?!”

The little eunuch dared not move, and finally could only carefully turn his gaze to Wei Yan, seemingly seeking his opinion.

Wei Yan’s voice was cold, and he slowly said, “The Second Prince and the Third… Prince have both said so. Why aren’t you following their orders?”

Only then did the little eunuch dare to find the guards, and then they all walked towards the Crown Prince together.

“Your Highness, please go back and rest with this humble servant.”

The Crown Prince retreated vigilantly. “I didn’t drink! What are you doing? Get out!”

A group of guards swarmed up.

“What do you want to do?! How dare you touch me?! You are all slanderous! Deliberately distorting and misinterpreting me, smearing me, wait and see! I will make sure you don’t die well!”

After they left, the Third Prince chuckled and looked at Wei Yan. “Prime Minister Wei, you can assist His Majesty above and command the inner palace below. What a grand show.”