WMSG Chapter 9

Chapter 9: As Expected, It Still Came

Ye Lingshen said it wouldn’t happen, “When the Third Prince moved into his own estate, Qi Wang didn’t attend. If he came today, wouldn’t that be favoring one over the other?”

Ye Yueshen felt relieved and got out of the carriage with him. He didn’t really want to see Gong Xunwu, a senior who wasn’t approachable at all. Now that he thought about Gong Xunwu tying his hair, his scalp still tingled.

Today’s banquet wouldn’t be too extravagant, to avoid officials impeaching the prince for extravagance and waste. Those who attended were all relatives, so it was considered a lively gathering behind closed doors for the royal family.

The one welcoming guests was the eldest son of the Earl’s mansion, the nephew of Consort Xian, the adoptive mother of the Fourth Prince, Gong Xuyin.

It was already late in the morning, and the sun was shining brightly, making it a warm and pleasant day.

The mansion wasn’t as luxurious as Ye Yueshen had imagined. At least in terms of area, it wasn’t as large as his family’s Loyal Marquis estate. The layout and scenery of the mansion weren’t particularly valuable or elaborate, but it was still considered elegant.

Princes’ estates were generally lived in for a short period, three to five years, or even just six months to a year and a half. At most, they were lived in for ten to twenty years, mainly depending on when they were granted the title of Prince. After being granted the title of Prince, they would be given another estate, which would be the place where they would live until their death, far larger than the current Prince’s estate.

Ye Yueshen and the others hadn’t left late. The gifts were prepared by the steward and personally reviewed by the Junzhu and Marquis Ye before being loaded onto the carriage. After being taken away by the people from the Prince’s estate, they were led into the back garden.

The banquet was set in the garden. The small pavilion in the center was for the uncles and elders who graced the occasion, and the small flower pavilions next to it were for cousins of the same generation.

The deceased birth mother of the Fourth Prince, Gong Xuyin, was a dancer. His cousins were, in fact, not related by blood and were all juniors from the family of his adoptive mother, Consort Xian.

Ye Yueshen’s attention was drawn to the beauty of the ancient-style architecture and scenery. He lacked an understanding of the imperial hierarchy in his mind. Without any hesitation, he admired everything without any complicated emotions, revealing detachment and scrutiny in his eyes.

“Cousin Ling, Cousin Yue,” the Fourth Prince, Gong Xuyin, walked over. His sleeves were stacked on his elbows, and his hands were stained with paint from painting. He had more cheerfulness and freedom than the original protagonist, Gong Shengyin, and less arrogance than Gong Xunwu.

Ye Yueshen was also puzzled as to why the taciturn Gong Xunwu had such a strong presence. He often thought of him these past few days, and every time he did, he felt his scalp tingle and his back chill.

“Greetings, Fourth Highness,” Ye Lingshen said with a smile, his salute less respectful and more playful and intimate than when he saluted Gong Xunwu.

Ye Yueshen closed his eyes and opened them again, following closely behind, “Greetings, Fourth Highness.” His voice was much smaller than Ye Lingshen’s.

“Afraid to see me?” Gong Xuyin smiled, at least from his expression, there was no estrangement at all. He seemed like a tolerant older brother teasing his younger brother who had made a mistake and was afraid to see him.

Ye Yueshen couldn’t help but think of his guess. Could it be that the person who was really chasing him wasn’t Gong Xuyin, but Gong Shengyin, whom he regarded as his White Moonlight?

He fell into a silent headache, conjuring up a stick figure author in his mind and then frantically poking the stick figure’s head, questioning him: Are you very intoxicated with your dark humor?

“Really angry?” Gong Xuyin restrained some of his smile, “I thought the Empress Dowager had already explained things clearly to Brother Yue. That day was a misunderstanding.”

Ye Yueshen came back to his senses, but he couldn’t admit that he was distracted. He lowered his eyes slightly and said, “Yueshen is not angry. Congratulations to Fourth Highness on being granted the honor of an estate.”

Gong Xuyin really didn’t mind and personally led them to the central flower pavilion to sit down.

The flower pavilions were not far apart. Ye Lingshen was called away to drink when passing by the nearest flower pavilion. Hearing Ye Lingshen address that Highness, Ye Yueshen originally wanted to follow, but Gong Xuyin said that he wanted to drink and chat with him today, and led him forward without allowing refusal. Ye Yueshen glanced resentfully at Ye Lingshen, who had leisurely picked up his wine cup. They had agreed to be together, but now he had been abandoned.

The small flower pavilion where Ye Yueshen sat was not far from the small flower pavilion where Ye Lingshen sat. Both sides had open windows. He chose a position where he could turn his head at any time and see each other with Ye Lingshen.

There were only him and Gong Xuyin at the table. Gong Xuyin asked him where he studied and who else’s children were in the school. Ye Yueshen relied on his memory of the original text and his understanding of the past few days to answer, but he was afraid of saying too much and making mistakes, so he kept it as brief as possible.

After chatting for a few sentences, Gong Xuyin saw that he was not very interested, so he considerately had the servants push some of the melon fruits and pastries before the banquet in front of him.

He sat quietly. Not long after, a servant came forward and said that the Fifth Prince had arrived. Gong Xuyin was carefully wiping the paint off his fingers with a wet cloth and didn’t move, as if he hadn’t heard.

It wasn’t until Gong Shengyin passed by outside the window, surrounded by many people, that Gong Xuyin got up. A smile instantly climbed onto his face. He went up to greet him, being extremely kind, “Fifth Brother came early. Come in and sit down.”

Gong Shengyin’s expression was very cold. He was stopped by Gong Xuyin halfway through his salute, so he didn’t stand on ceremony and walked past the host into the pavilion.

His expression changed slightly after he saw Ye Yueshen standing aside. He turned his head and said, “I’m very happy that Fourth Brother invited me.”

Then he turned back and stopped Ye Yueshen, who was about to salute. Ye Yueshen sat down expressionlessly. He could see very clearly that Gong Shengyin was putting on a pitiful act for him.

Suddenly, Ye Yueshen regretted exchanging his inner garment for him to wear.

Gong Shengyin’s eyes were fervent. Even though Ye Yueshen was as taciturn as before, he was still very enthusiastic and babbled on and on.

After Ye Yueshen refused the food he recommended three times, he was still not discouraged, “Try the rose cake. It’s filled with fermented rice wine, with a layer of rice cake in the middle, and chestnuts on the outside. These rose petals haven’t been soaked in honey, so they’re not too sweet.”

Finally, Ye Yueshen couldn’t resist the temptation and took one with his hand. It was definitely delicious.

However, before he finished his rose cake, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince arrived.

Ye Yueshen, whose emotions had just been soothed by the delicious food, became anxious again. It turned out that he was at the same table as the princes, and Ye Lingshen, who should have been here with him, was toasting and drinking with others ten meters away.

His whole person was like being nailed to a wooden board from his head to his spine. In the difficult and lonely days of the past, his wish was to have a family, regardless of whether they were poor or rich.

For the first time in his life, he felt a little indignant. Why wasn’t he born from the emperor? Now he was like a clove of garlic trying to force himself into an orange.

At this moment, he didn’t want to awkwardly pretend to fit in here. He would rather be a single clove of garlic.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that the princes next to him had stood up until Gong Shengyin lowered his head to remind him, “Quickly salute the Ninth Imperial Uncle.”

What kind of dish was Jiuhuangshu? Ye Yueshen thought to himself that he was just a single clove of garlic, unable to get along with other garlics, let alone vegetables.

Ninth Imperial Uncle.

Ye Yueshen weakly got up and saluted, “Greetings, Qi Wang.”

“Sit down, everyone.” Gong Xunwu didn’t look at Ye Yueshen, but scanned the empty seat and asked, “Whose seat is this?”

“Originally, it was the seat of the Loyal Marquis’s son, Ling. Just now, the second son of the Heyi Wang family invited him away.” Gong Xuyin busily went over to arrange things, “Fifth Imperial Uncle and Seventh Imperial Uncle are both in the flower pavilion. Nephew will lead Ninth Imperial Uncle to…”

“No need.” Gong Xunwu sat down in the empty seat.

Ye Yueshen moved uneasily. Everyone’s faces were calm and natural, undoubtedly harboring their own schemes in their hearts.

The Crown Prince was two years older than this Ninth Imperial Uncle, but he was a generation younger. The seat of the younger generation suddenly had an elder, and the Crown Prince, who was originally the oldest and most honorable, became an attendant. At this moment, he was the most uncomfortable.

The Third Prince’s forced smile was a little difficult to hide. Qi Wang had not attended his banquet when he moved into his own estate a month ago. Gong Shengyin straightened his posture a little in silence.

Only the joy on Gong Xuyin’s face was genuine. The Emperor’s biological younger brother was willing to come today, which was more valuable than all the other princes and Junzhu in the small pavilion. Thinking of this, he cautiously glanced at the faces of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince.

Ye Yueshen had arrived the earliest. He was actually sitting in Gong Shengyin’s seat, and Gong Shengyin was sitting in Ye Lingshen’s seat. The one closest to the door was his seat, because he was the youngest and had the lowest status. And that seat was currently occupied by Gong Xunwu…

Gong Xunwu didn’t have any dissatisfaction with this arrangement, as if he was just casually coming to be close to the younger generation.

Their conversation topics were very restrained. Ye Yueshen felt that it was directly related to Gong Xunwu’s presence. Even Gong Xuyin’s calls to attention were not as loud as before.

Ye Yueshen only picked up the rose cakes closest to him to eat. Only five pieces were placed on one plate, surrounded by fresh flower petals with water droplets, only as small snacks before the start of the banquet. He had eaten two pieces before everyone arrived, and the servants didn’t take it away because they saw that he liked it.

After the banquet started, Gong Xuyin, who felt a little nervous because of Qi Wang’s appearance, also picked up two pieces nearby. When he saw that the plate was empty, he asked the servants to bring a few more pieces and casually put the remaining one on Ye Yueshen’s plate. The empty plate was then taken away.

Ye Yueshen immediately became stiff when he saw him putting something on his plate. He remembered that he was in the Fourth Prince’s estate, and Gong Xuyin could not be completely ruled out as a suspect.

Therefore, Ye Yueshen didn’t dare to eat the cake that was specially placed on his plate and felt regretful and depressed that he had relaxed his vigilance and eaten the food here.

Among the princes who were trying their best to show that they were in a good mood, Ye Yueshen, who was hanging his face, was particularly obvious.

Gong Shengyin touched Ye Yueshen’s leg. Ye Yueshen first looked at him and then understood his expression and looked at the others, discovering that he was being sized up.

Whether it was sincere or fake, Gong Xuyin was a little too considerate, giving Ye Yueshen a golden-fried dumpling as if to relieve the siege.

“Try this fried dumpling. It’s filled with fish.” Gong Xuyin smiled at him without any grudge.

Under the attention of many people, Ye Yueshen could only bite off half of the dumpling with a stiff head. Because of nervousness, he choked, and soon his entire mouth and throat began to sting.

Ye Yueshen had only one thought: As expected, it still came.

He whimpered painfully, his eyes sweeping over the princes who were looking at him in confusion. He didn’t trust any of them. In despair, he found Gong Xunwu getting up and walking towards him quickly.

He also stood up and struggled to get closer to Gong Xunwu, feeling that his legs were not listening to him.

Gong Shengyin called his name in surprise and worry. He ignored the hand that wanted to support him and looked firmly at Gong Xunwu, falling into his arms.

Gong Xunwu reached out his arms to catch him. Ye Yueshen raised his head in his arms, his eyes filled with fearful tears. They actually dared to poison him in front of so many people.

He felt that he couldn’t speak and couldn’t help coughing violently. He had to glance at the food on the table to remind Gong Xunwu that the food was poisonous.

Gong Xunwu pinched his cheeks, forcing him to open his mouth, and used his fingers to pull out the dumpling that Ye Yueshen hadn’t completely spat out.

Everyone was a little dazed and got up in a panic to surround him. Ye Lingshen rushed over after hearing the commotion, seeing his younger brother being held in Gong Xunwu’s arms, his eyes and the tip of his nose red, his face full of tears.

“Third Yue!” Ye Lingshen wanted to pull the person into his arms, but he couldn’t.

After a moment of chaos, Gong Xuyin said loudly, “Can’t the Third Young Master eat spicy food?”

“What?”

Gong Xuyin held the remaining half of the dumpling in his hand, “The dumplings he ate just now were spicy.” He poured a cup of warm tea and handed it over.

Ye Yueshen was extremely stiff. He wished he could faint now. If he carefully felt the stinging in his mouth, it seemed that he did feel like he had eaten something spicy.

He fell into a state of self-abandonment, staring blankly at a certain point in front of him.

I’m just too nervous, he thought.

“Ah…” Ye Lingshen was a little distracted, “Yes, he doesn’t seem to be able to eat spicy food very well.”

A farce started suddenly and ended quickly. Ye Yueshen received a bowl of iced glutinous rice balls, which were his favorite chestnut filling, but now they tasted like wax.

He sat in the chair but felt that he shouldn’t be here.

Gong Xunwu looked at him, his clear eyes still red, his curly eyelashes still stained with undried tears, his nose also red, aggrievedly sending glutinous rice balls into his mouth.

Gong Xuyin regretted that he didn’t go after the Empress Dowager mediated that day. He was too proud and pretentious.

“Why don’t we play a drinking game?” Gong Xuyin asked, looking at Gong Xunwu, “I heard from Father Emperor that Ninth Imperial Uncle is very talented in writing, even Mr. Yingxue of Hai Yue Academy is beyond his reach.”

Seeing Ye Yueshen’s eyes stagnate, revealing a look that he was about to be finished, Gong Xunwu withdrew his gaze, “Okay.”