Chapter 3.2
At that moment, the old eunuch who usually attended to the emperor led the servants with the meals inside the pavilion . The corners of his lips tilted up slightly . He acted as if he had not heard anything and placed food into each of the brothers’ bowls .
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“This old slave happened to hear what had been said before His Majesty . ” The old eunuch smiled once more . “Did Young Master Zhong personally tutor the Young Highnesses?”
Surprise struck Xuan Yu . “You know Zhong Wan?”
Behind the old eunuch, a young eunuch covered his smile with a hand .
Who didn’t know about Zhong Wan’s romance?
Of course, Little Xuan Yu heard the rumors too . He understood that these people were mocking Zhong Wan, and was angered to the extreme .
Yet Xuan Rui shot Xuan Yu a look . The old eunuch who served by Emperor Chongan’s side was not someone they could offend .
With that, Xuan Yu lowered his head and shoveled plain rice into his mouth .
The old eunuch turned his head . Glared at the young eunuch . As he serviced the two brothers, he said neither too quickly nor too slowly, “Naturally, this old slave has heard of him . He is the youngest Juren of this dynasty . Who wouldn’t know of him?”
Xuan Yu looked up . He did not know Zhong Wan was so incredible, and was put in a daze . “Oh?”
The old eunuch smiled . Slowly said, “Although the Zhong family has declined, Prince Ning treated him as a son and raised him . Such a son from a renowned family, with such a background and such literary talent, in the future which of the Three Departments and Six Ministries could he not get into? Yet Young Master Zhong just had to be ambitious and proud, and insisted on taking the exam route . And reached the top ranks with one step… In the spring exam season, he obtained the position of Jieyuan . In the autumn exam season, he obtained the position of Huiyan . If it weren’t for…”
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The old eunuch held back the words that could not be said . “This old slave has heard that the youngest Zhuangyuan was eighteen years old . Back then, if Young Master Zhong had been able to participate in the Palace Exam…
“One would fear if it weren’t for that, he would be the youngest Zhuangyuan in the history of the dynasty . ” The old eunuch retrieved the fly whisk from his waist . He turned around and smacked the young eunuch . “Cheap and ignorant slave . Scram!”
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Outside the palace, the gifted scholar Zhong, who had almost held the top rank of all three levels of exams, stood and waited in the cold . He sneezed .
“So cold…”
Zhong Wan had waited for four hours . The coals in his handheld brazier had long since burned out . Fearing that his legs were freezing, he got off the carriage altogether . Walked around to move his hands and feet .
When Wu Shi rolled along, the sky was pitch black . As Zhong Wan stared at the palace gates from afar, he actually did not feel anxious .
In the worst-case scenario, the emperor would keep Xuan Yu as hostage . But this had a low probability of occuring .
What made more sense was this: keeping and raising in the capital the heir of a prince who had his own fief and military . What’s the point of keeping Xuan Yu? What were they guarding against? The tens of people Xuan Rui was gathering in Qian An to rebel?
Qian An was spacious but impoverished . They would often require disaster relief from the capital . If Zhong Wan were the emperor, after being notified of the existence of rebels in Qian An, he would be the first one to approve . What he would hope for the most was that these poor people would secede from the country . That way, he would not need to supply disaster relief every year .
Zhong Wan rubbed his hands together with a lot of force . They were so cold that they had grown numb . Presently, it was all because of his hot breath that they were still holding on .
Mgbw jojg, atf rbecv bo j tbgrf-vgjkc mjggljuf mbeiv yf tfjgv . Itbcu Qjc rqgjcu jifga, ktlqqlcu tlr tfjv lc atja vlgfmalbc .
Ktf mjggljuf ribkis jqqgbjmtfv . Par tjculcu ijcafgcr rkjsfv, atf mtjgjmafg bo “Te” qglcafv eqbc atfw .
Itbcu Qjc’r tfjga atgjrtfv jujlcra tlr mtfra .
Cr atf mjggljuf bo Uglcmf Te’r frajaf ugjvejiis vgfk cfjg, wjcs atbeutar rklgifv klatlc tlr wlcv .
Princess Anguo had her own carriage . So this shouldn’t be her .
The side branches of Prince Yu’s estate would definitely not leave the imperial palace at this time .
The person sitting in this carriage could only be Prince Yu . Or that person .
Zhong Wan sucked in a deep breath . He chanted in his heart, Prince Yu, Prince Yu, Prince Yu…
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Hanging from the carriage Zhong Wan was standing next to were lanterns with the words “Prince Qian An’s estate . ” There was no way the other party would not be able to see that . If Prince Yu was the one sitting in that carriage, he would not pay any attention and pass right by them . But if it were Yu She…
No matter how favored Yu She was, he had yet to take on his father’s position . Once he caught sight of Prince Qian An’s horse-drawn carriage, he would have to stop his own carriage and yield the road .
Prince Yu’s carriage grew closer and closer . In the cold, hot sweat sprang from Zhong Wan’s back .
A moment later, the carriage stopped .
Zhong Wan closed his eyes, cursing Yu She’s mother .
Yu She’s carriage had cruised to a stop at the side of the road . A steward disembarked and paid respects from afar . Then he got to his feet and walked over to Zhong Wan .
Joy sprang from his heart . In such cold weather, Yu She would not be willing to leave the shelter of his carriage, and would probably have a steward ask Zhong Wan why Prince Qian An’s carriage was parked there . And once he knew there was no one onboard, he would of course leave .
The steward arrived before Zhong Wan . As soon as he had lifted his head, he was shocked .
He recognized Zhong Wan in an instant and yelled, “Y-Young Master Zhong?!”
Zhong Wan almost collapsed on the ground . Can’t you talk softer?!
He rubbed his cold and numb hands together, taking in another deep breath . A light smile spreading on his lips, he said, “It’s me . His Highness has entered the palace and has yet to come out . Sending His Highness, Young Prince Yu, off first . ”
“I’ve guessed it was you . ” The steward looked at Zhong Wan from head to toe, the former appearing excited . “I will return first to inform my master . Your honored self can wait here!”
“Nonono—” The cold gust choked Zhong Wan as he had tried to talk, and he coughed . “Nono—”
But the steward had already run away .
Zhong Wan pulled up his collar, coughing until he could hardly breathe . He really wanted to eat that steward alive .
From far away, he watched as that steward briskly approached Prince Yu’s carriage, bowed, and said something that escaped his ears .
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It’s over, it’s over, it’s over…
It’s really the end this time .
Zhong Wan’s heart slammed against his chest at the speed of light . He pondered how he should handle Yu She .
That steward stood before Yu She’s carriage for a long time . Long enough that Zhong Wan thought Yu She had already arranged for the Yulin Guards to shoot him dead .
“What… is he doing?”
Zhong Wan was so cold he couldn’t even speak properly . He squinted, gaze falling upon Yu She’s carriage .
After five minutes, that steward bid farewell from the distance . Then Prince Yu’s carriage started to move, slowly going on its way .
They’re leaving just like that?
Without a word, Zhong Wan watched the carriage go . All of a sudden, a cold gust entered his lungs, and he coughed relentlessly .
A servant accompanying Prince Qian An’s carriage rushed over to Zhong Wan, supporting him . He said, “Does your honored self want to return first? T-that—”
“I-I’m fine…” Zhong Wan felt better after the servant helped calm his coughing . He smiled self-deprecatingly . “I’m the one who scared myself . I-I was thinking too much . ”
Zhong Wan watched as the carriage gradually shrank into the distance, a smile dancing on his lips .
Whether Yu She’s temperament had changed or not, it had nothing to do with himself .
Even if he knew Zhong Wan was here, what could he do?
Disembark from his carriage and reminisce about the past together?
Then tomorrow, almost everyone in the capital would know that they had met outside of the palace .
Zhong Wan couldn’t help but smile . If this actually happened, then he would truly be unable to wash off all the rumors .
Inadvertently, Zhong Wan swallowed a few gulps of cold air . And his chest felt as if it were freezing . He was cold to the point that his body started to feel hot . At such an important juncture, Zhong Wan could not afford to fall ill . If he did, then those kids would truly have no one to support them and manage things for them .
He did not dare to risk it . After hearing the servant’s words, he called for a palanquin back to where they were staying .
Zhong Wan did not have any of the servants accompany him . He boarded the small palanquin .
Once he sat down, a light sigh escaped his lips .
Seven years . Back then, the passionate young man with such literary talent had already become a cut-sleeve in prompt books .
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There was no reason for them to meet .
Zhong Wan felt hot and cold . As though he had fallen asleep yet also conscious, dazzedly entering a dream .
In his dream, that person was still in his teens . A person of few words, sitting by the window, quietly writing . Many peach trees stood outside, their pink blossoms landing on his shoulders .
The palanquin shook for who knew how long . Finally, it landed on the ground .
The sudden movement roused Zhong Wan .
He rubbed his eyes . Stared blankly . Why would this taciturn and rule-abiding person do the things Lin Si had mentioned?
Zhong Wan was so cold, his body felt frozen and numb . Just as he was about to use all his strength to stand, someone lifted the door curtain of the palanquin .
Tall, with a black fox-pelt cloak draped over his body . Standing outside was Yu Ziyou, his face an expressionless mask .
“Zhong . Gui . Yuan . ”