Chapter 13 - 2#

*

Three days later.

After drinking a bowl of bitter medicine every morning, noon, and night, Yanzhi’s cold was almost fully recovered.

He recopied the roster drawn up by His Majesty and sent it to the Secretariat, asking the officials there to make arrangements.

He then led the palace servants to clean up two vacant halls in the western part of the Daliang Palace, preparing them for the candidates to reside in.

Early that morning, the candidates entered the palace.

Yanzhi stood outside the palace gates, holding the roster, to welcome them.

Since no one was coming at the moment, Yanzhi quietly lowered his head and rubbed his eyes.

The Emperor was holding a selection. Although he had already convinced himself to accept it, his heart always felt stifled, and he couldn’t sleep last night.

Later, His Majesty noticed he wasn’t sleeping and said that since he was just lying there anyway, he picked him up and made him “vye for favor.”

It wasn’t until dawn that His Majesty finally carried him out of the hot spring pool.

He hadn’t slept all night and had only just napped for a bit when His Majesty woke him up again, telling him that these young noblemen might be his masters in the future, so he had to come and wait early.

So, naturally, he had no energy now.

Yanzhi covered his mouth, turned his head away, and let out a big yawn.

Just then, a carriage drove up from the distance and stopped in front of the palace gates.

Lord Bian, carrying a bundle and accompanied by Bian Mingyu, stepped down from the carriage. He didn’t rush to send him into the palace but first pulled him aside to give him some earnest advice.

“After entering the palace, act cautiously. You must not be arrogant or willful, and even more so, do not try to stand out. Just wait until you fail the selection, then you can come home.”

Bian Mingyu nodded. “I know, Dad. Don’t worry, the Emperor won’t take a fancy to me.”

Lord Bian sighed helplessly and led him over to Yanzhi. “Young Master Yanzhi.”

Yanzhi quickly pulled back his smile and bowed to him. “Lord Bian.”

“My son is very dim-witted. If there is anything he does poorly in the palace, I hope Young Master Yanzhi can offer him some guidance.”

As Lord Bian spoke, he pulled a money pouch from his sleeve and tried to stuff it into Yanzhi’s hand.

Yanzhi waved his hands and backed away repeatedly. “I cannot, I…”

While they were struggling, Bian Mingyu poked his head out, snatched the money pouch from his father’s hand, tore a pouch from his own belt, took out a cloth-wrapped package from inside, and handed it to him.

“This is for you.”

Yanzhi wanted to refuse again, but Bian Mingyu said with a grin, “Salted green plums. They’re delicious, have some.”

Lord Bian was about to scold him when Bian Mingyu added, “Dad, if you stuff silver into Young Master Yanzhi’s hands, how is he supposed to spend it in the palace? Besides, if the Emperor sees this ugly and rustic money pouch of yours, how would he explain it?”

That seemed to make a lot of sense.

Lord Bian was momentarily stunned.

Bian Mingyu concluded, “For someone who’s been smart all his life, you didn’t even think of this.”

He turned his head and smiled at Yanzhi, revealing eight big white teeth. “Here, eat some.”

Yanzhi still refused. “It’s really not necessary, I…”

“Just have one, they’re seedless. A relative from the south specifically sent them; my younger brothers at home have already tried them.”

Bian Mingyu emphasized the words “relative from the south” especially hard.

Yanzhi subconsciously looked up and met his friendly gaze, seemingly understanding something.

Bian Mingyu seemed to know.

In the camp a while ago, the person wrapped in a cloak who sneaked out to play was him.

But Bian Mingyu didn’t seem to have any intention of exposing him, let alone using the matter to threaten him.

Perhaps it was just because they had talked about the south back then, so he simply and enthusiastically wanted him to taste something from the south.

Yanzhi looked at him timidly, tentatively reached out his hand, and picked up a plum. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Bian Mingyu smiled and took the bundle from his father’s shoulder. “Dad, I’m going in.”

“Fine…” Lord Bian frowned, then suddenly remembered something. “The money! Bian Mingyu, give me back the money!”

But Bian Mingyu, carrying his bundle and pocketing his father’s money pouch, followed the waiting palace servants and entered the palace without looking back.

Yanzhi popped the plum into his mouth, smiled, and lowered his head to draw a small circle on the roster.

Young Master Bian has arrived.

Before long, the other young masters also arrived one after another.

Some also wanted to stuff money into Yanzhi’s hands, but Yanzhi was too timid and declined them all, not daring to accept a single one.

Xie Yi arrived accompanied by his father.

When the father and son saw Yanzhi, they solemnly bowed and thanked him again for saving their lives years ago.

Xie’s father even wanted to kneel to him. “Young Master Yanzhi, your life-saving grace will never be forgotten…”

Yanzhi quickly supported him and made him stand properly. “There is no need for such ceremony, no need at all.”

Xie Yi had never thought of entering the palace, and Lord Xie didn’t expect him to become Empress. The father and son also bid a reluctant farewell at the palace gates, with many earnest instructions.

Yanzhi had already wanted to give Xie Yi a few reminders. Looking down at the roster and seeing that most people had arrived, he left two palace servants to continue waiting at the gates and personally led Xie Yi toward the candidate’s quarters.

The two walked one after the other along the long palace path.

Xie Yi was a member of a branch of the Xie family, and his family was not wealthy. Even though his father had earned military merits in recent years, their home had always remained very simple.

It was also possible he was intentionally dressing down; today, Xie Yi wore only a faded, plain-colored robe and had only a wooden hairpin in his cap.

Xie Yi felt his sleeve, took out a familiar lotus leaf package, and quietly handed it to Yanzhi.

“Young Master.”

“Eh?” Yanzhi was surprised and quickly covered his hand with his sleeve.

“The sugar cakes from a while ago—I wonder if Young Master enjoyed them?” Xie Yi said gently. “I received the decree to enter the palace and knew I would see you, so I specially went to the shop to buy some more.”

“Thank you.” Yanzhi took the warm sugar cakes and hid them in his sleeve.

Xie Yi asked again, “I heard Young Master had a cold a few days ago. Are you much better today?”

“I’m already better.” Yanzhi nodded. “Thank you for your concern.”

“It’s what I should do.”

“So…” Yanzhi paused, turned his head, and asked in a low voice, “So, are we considered friends now?”

His Majesty had said that Xie Yi was his only friend.

Although His Majesty might have been being sarcastic at the time, after hearing it for so long, he had indeed come to consider Xie Yi his friend.

He was always by the Emperor’s side. The Emperor didn’t like him, and the palace maids and eunuchs rarely interacted with him privately because of his status.

Thinking about it now, the only person he knew who could be considered a friend was Xie Yi.

Xie Yi nodded gently. “If Young Master is willing, then we are friends.”

Yanzhi paused in his tracks, hesitated for a moment, and finally made up his mind. He turned around, grabbed Xie Yi’s sleeve, and led him into a corner further down the palace path.

“Come here. Let me tell you, you’ve already caught the Emperor’s eye.”

Xie Yi was stunned. “What?”

“You’ve already been noticed by His Majesty!” Yanzhi repeated anxiously.

“Why?”

“Who told you to read so many books and have such high talent?”

“This…”

Yanzhi said seriously, “After you enter the palace, don’t read books anymore, and don’t write essays, do you understand?”

“I understand.” Xie Yi nodded.

“Act a bit dimmer and sillier in the palace. Don’t stand out, okay?”

“Okay.” Xie Yi continued to nod.

“You speak too clearly.” Yanzhi said. “You… you don’t stutter at all, you don’t look stupid at all!”

“What?” Xie Yi frowned, looking at him in confusion.

“How can you not even understand this?” Yanzhi pursed his lips and pointed at himself, whispering, “His Majesty hates people like me—stupid and foolish—the most. If you don’t want to be selected, you should imitate me…”

Xie Yi replied, “But I don’t think Young Master is stupid.”

Yanzhi fell silent, lowered his head, and his eyes suddenly turned red, tears welling up.

His Majesty always said he was stupid and foolish, and he had come to believe it himself.

This was the first time someone had said he wasn’t stupid.

The words were unexpected and struck directly into his heart.

Yanzhi felt that it had been so very difficult for him to find a single friend.

But… this friend couldn’t stay in the palace to accompany him.

A very, very bad thought suddenly rose in his mind—

How about… letting Xie Yi be selected?

Let Xie Yi stay in the palace with him to keep him company.

Then he wouldn’t be so lonely; when His Majesty went to see his concubines, he could go see Xie Yi.

Just then, Xie Yi spoke again: “I think Young Master is very clever and also very courageous.”

“Really?” Yanzhi looked up, and without waiting for an answer, he haphazardly wiped away the tears in his eyes and slapped his cheeks twice with force.

Yanzhi, oh Yanzhi, you are so bad! You are a big villain!

Xie Yi is so good to you, how could you think of letting Xie Yi stay in the palace to accompany you?

You can’t do that.

Xie Yi looked at him sincerely. “Really.”

Yanzhi interrupted him: “Never mind, now is not the time to talk about such things. Anyway, the person His Majesty hates the most, the very most, is me. If you don’t want to be selected, you must act like me, understand?”

“I understand.”

“Stutter a bit.”

“I… I understand…”

“Yes, just like that. That’s how I talk.” Yanzhi nodded with satisfaction. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to where you’ll be staying.”

“Okay.”

“Hmm?” Yanzhi looked up at him.

“O… Okay.”

Yanzhi led his only friend out from the corner of the palace path.

Just then, a massive force gripped his arm and yanked him back.

Simultaneously, a shadow flashed by, and Xie Yi beside him was kicked, lunging forward and falling heavily to the ground.

“Xie Yi!”

Yanzhi subconsciously cried out and wanted to go up and help him.

But in the next instant, he was yanked back again, crashing heavily into a man’s solid chest.

A second later, the lotus leaf package hidden in Yanzhi’s sleeve fell out and hit the ground. The lotus leaf unfurled, revealing the sugar cakes inside.

Two sugar cakes: one made with white sugar, one with brown sugar.

Xiao Cuan gripped Yanzhi’s arm tightly and looked down to see the brown sugar cake.

Tanggao! The name Yanzhi had given their “son” was “Tanggao”!

In an instant, Xiao Cuan’s grip on Yanzhi’s hand tightened even more. Yanzhi’s face went pale from the pain, and he almost fainted from the squeeze.

“It hurts…”

“Tang… gao—”

Xiao Cuan gritted his teeth, looking at Yanzhi, squeezing the words through his teeth.

“Sent… by… Xie… Yi?”