Chao Ge was also momentarily stunned when he heard this and immediately turned to Chao Lun with a reproachful look in his eyes.
What nonsense! He was brought here, dressed like this! God knows that after returning that day, he had secretly investigated and found out the guy was placed in the Bureau of Medical Affairs, a relatively safe place. But who knew that Chao Lun would go and provoke him again! He really couldn’t feel at ease if he wasn’t watching over him every single day.
Chao Lun gave a soft cough and weakly muttered, "It has nothing to do with him. I was the one who insisted on dragging him here."
Yan Guan was utterly speechless. Not only had he been forcefully dragged into this mess by the Second Prince, but he had also been molested by a few impertinent drunkards. If it weren’t for Chao Lun's suspicions leading him to enter the room first, he wouldn't be in such a relatively good state now… [lmao, not 2nd prince protecting his future brother-in-law hehe]
Yan Guan lay flat on the ground, his short upper garment revealing half of his waist, the sheer veil doing little to conceal his appearance.
Chao Ge merely glanced at him, then silently averted his gaze, holding back his anger as he said stiffly, "You may leave."
Yan Guan, in disbelief, raised his head. Was his lord really letting him off just like that?
Chao Lun quickly shot Yan Guan a glance, urging him to leave quickly, while the attendants below also stepped forward to escort Yan Guan out.
After taking a few steps, Yan Guan couldn't help but ask, "Am I really okay now?"
"The lord is generous and lenient. Since he has let you go, it means you're in the clear.”
“However, the people inside are of high status. Even if they accidentally offended Chao Lun, they wouldn’t be in danger of losing their lives. But if they remember teasing you while you were dressed as a woman, there’s no guarantee you won’t be bullied.”
Yan Guan looked troubled. One of the attendants chuckled, saying, "What are you worried about, little brother? You’re the Second Prince’s man."
"I…" Yan Guan didn’t know how to explain that Chao Lun really had just pulled him along without much thought.
But looking at the current scenario, it seemed this was really the only way forward.
Chao Ge didn’t waste more time with these few individuals. He just had them beaten with dozens of lashes and sent them home for solitary confinement. [I think the author is trying to say house arrest, here]
Chao Lun, however, was quite dissatisfied, "Big brother, these people don’t deserve to live!"
"Punishments are carried out according to the law. Why are you still so reckless?"
Chao Lun pouted and turned to leave.
Chao Ge hesitated but eventually called after him, "What's the story with the person you brought along? I haven’t seen him by your side before."
"I picked him up halfway, just a brief encounter at the Bureau of Medical Affairs."
Chao Ge secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if he didn’t have someone’s protection after this incident, he would face retaliation from those scums.
Chao Lun noticed his brother staying silent and seemed to realise something. His expression changed, and he teased, "Big brother, don’t tell me… you aren't attracted to him, are you? He’s not officially mine yet. If you want him, you’ll have to notify the Bureau of Medical Affairs."
"Nonsense!" Chao Ge’s anger flared, and he coldly snorted, "I didn’t realise you had such peculiar tastes." [xiao didi hit a nerve there, lmao]
Chao Lun’s face turned red. "It was just a moment of impulse, a moment of impulse."
"Don’t let there be a next time. Even if it’s a servant, you shouldn’t humiliate people like that. And also..." for some reason, Chao Ge hesitated.
Chao Lun looked up at his brother, waiting for him to continue.
"Bring him into Yongning Hall." From the moment Chao Ge recognized Yan Guan, he had wanted to gouge out the eyes of those people. He had thought about immediately bringing him to Huien Hall, but after the anger subsided, he realised that wouldn’t be wise. If he was promoted too quickly, it might invite unsavoury rumours, which would not be good for him.
Chao Lun was embarrassed. He had been under his elder brother’s discipline since childhood and, though he was rebellious, Chao Ge’s words still had an effect on him.
"I understand."
"Alright, go back."
Once they returned to the hall, they saw Yan Guan, who had already changed back into his official robe, standing by the side.
"Your Highness, the dance gown has been put away."
Chao Lun gave a light hum in acknowledgment. Remembering Chao Ge’s instructions, he turned and said, "I keep my word. From now on, you’ll work here."
Yan Guan finally felt relieved. He had been terrified that tonight’s events might upset Chao Lun, and that he’d end up ruined along with him.
Now that Chao Lun was his master, if those people wanted revenge, they’d have to think twice.
Yan Guan didn’t have much, so after gathering a few things, he moved to Yongning Hall.
His roommate, Maji, saw this and asked a few questions, expressing some surprise, and remarked that perhaps this misfortune had turned into a blessing in disguise.
Yan Guan gave a bitter smile. He thought to himself that with Chao Lun being a prince, under the watchful eyes of so many, he would have to be even more careful in the future.
The first thing he needed to do was get rid of the tattooed character on his forehead. Wouldn’t walking around with a black tattoo draw more unwanted attention?
This was an easy matter to handle. He asked the Bureau of Medical Affairs for some solution to corrode the skin, removing the mark, and then applied ointment to heal the scar. The process was painful, but Yan Guan didn’t care.
As fate would have it, Yan Guan hadn’t stayed in Yongning Hall for long before he fell ill.
Previously, when he was disguised as a woman in that thin dancing gown, he had been out in the freezing cold for a long time. New to the place and afraid of being criticised, he had stubbornly pushed through even as he started to feel unwell, which only worsened his condition.
"That little southern barbarian sure has good fortune. I wonder what tricks he used to get into Yongning Hall. Even though he’s sick now, it seems like his luck hasn’t run out," a few servants whispered among themselves.
"I heard he caught the lord’s attention. But then again, things don’t look so good for him now."
"What do you mean, is he dying? It can’t be that bad, can it? Is he really that weak?"
"Hard to say. I went to take a look last time, and he was babbling nonsense from the fever. It took two people to hold him down just to get the medicine into him."
"Sounds pretty pitiful."
"Who knows… He’s just a little slave from the Liang Kingdom. His life is pretty worthless anyway..." In the palace, most people tailor their behaviour based on the status of others, and Yan Guan’s entry into Yongning Hall had stirred up a lot of jealousy.
As the group continued chatting and walked away, they failed to notice the hem of a patterned robe behind the rock. Chao Ge gritted his teeth instantly. "How could he be sick again? It’s only been a few days!"
Daxi, standing by, watched his lord’s shifting expression and thought, This is bad. Looks like he's really fallen for him. "Doctor Wuritu is treating him, so it shouldn't be too serious," he said.
Although Chao Ge had instructed them to keep an eye on the little southern barbarian, Daxi hadn't anticipated his lord's current emotions. He had initially thought Chao Ge’s intentions were to monitor the boy out of suspicion, since no one would normally jump to other conclusions. Thus, Daxi hadn’t mentioned the illness.
Chao Ge didn’t make things difficult for Daxi, but he instructed people to take better care of Yan Guan. Meanwhile, Chao Lun, for some reason, found his academic duties suddenly increasing.
"Kid, can you get up?" Doctor Wuritu from the Bureau of Medical Affairs handed Yan Guan a bowl of thick broth.
"I can get up, I can get up!" Yan Guan hurriedly pulled off the blanket and tried to rise.
Wuritu laughed heartily and pushed him back down with ease. "Alright, alright, you just rest." Wuritu was a kind, small, elderly man.
Yan Guan’s throat felt a little dry.
The little old man patted his nonexistent hair twice and cheerfully pinched Yan Guan’s face. "Eat more or, if this happens again, you’ll really be done for."
Yan Guan bit his lower lip, holding back his tears, and slurped down the soup noisily.
His illness dragged on for over half a month, but the tattooed character on his face faded during the recovery, leaving only a darker scar behind.
After Yan Guan returned, because he was capable and sensible, when some servants in Yongning Hall suffered from minor ailments like headaches or fevers and were unwilling to spend money on doctors, Yan Guan helped them with the treatments. This earned him a lot of goodwill from the servants, and they began treating him much more kindly, making his movements around the hall much easier.
For the past several days, Chao Ge had been trying different ways to keep Chao Lun confined to the palace. Even the tutors had gotten a lot stricter. Every day, they could hear the Second Prince complaining loudly in the study room.
Yan Guan, holding his head, sat on the steps in front of the study and sighed.
"Xiao Guan, go grab some snacks and take them to His Highness. I’ll stand guard here," a maid pinched Yan Guan’s cheek affectionately.
From inside, the Second Prince’s demonic screeches were still going strong. From the sound of it, the teacher had assigned some writing homework again, and Chao Lun couldn’t manage it.
Yan Guan sprang up, bowed to the older sister in gratitude, finally able to escape the torment of Chao Lun’s voice.
He carefully placed a tray of chestnut cakes and some dried apples on Chao Lun’s desk. Just as he was about to leave, Chao Lun grabbed his sleeve, pulling him closer to the desk. Yan Guan took a look—it was writing in Liangchao script. [Official script of Liang Kingdom, Yan Guan’s home country]
Chao Lun waved the draft paper in his hand, "Our dynasty promotes the culture of Huaxia. First, to foster trade with the Liang Kingdom, and second, to educate our own people. As a prince, I have no choice but to study." [Huaxia is ancient China]
Learning the Han characters of the Central Plains was notoriously difficult for foreigners, and Yan Guan couldn’t help but admire this effort. He offered a compliment, "Your Highness is truly diligent."
Chao Lun, feeling slightly embarrassed, coughed lightly. "There aren’t many people around me who can read, let alone write. Since you’re a southerner, surely you recognize some characters?"
Yan Guan nodded cautiously.
"Then... could you help me copy some of this?" Chao Lun looked at Yan Guan with hope. "Copying is no big deal, it’s not like composing poetry or writing essays—it doesn’t require much thought, just wastes my time."
"But, Your Highness, my handwriting is different from yours. The tutor will notice."
"Ah, can’t you just imitate mine?"
Seeing Yan Guan hesitate and stay silent for a long time, Chao Lun realised that he didn’t want to do it. Reflecting on the risk, Chao Lun recalled how his hand still ached from being beaten last time.
"Never mind, never mind. Just go. Let me suffer and die here."
Yan Guan was startled. "Your Highness, don’t talk about death like that."
"My head hurts, and my hand hurts too, look."
Chao Lun hadn’t seen anyone his own age for a long time, so when he finally caught someone, he naturally didn’t miss the chance to joke around and relax.
Yan Guan considered for a moment before speaking, "Shall I give Your Highness a massage?"
"Hmm? You know how?"
"A little, my father taught me."
"Then give it a try." Chao Lun lay down on the couch as instructed.
Yan Guan had inherited his family’s medical skills, so his technique was quite good. After a round of massage, Chao Lun instantly felt refreshed and rejuvenated.
"You really know what you’re doing," Chao Lun said, accepting the hot towel Yan Guan handed him and placing it on his face. He let out a long sigh, the exhaustion from days of academic pressure finally swept away.
"Your Highness should sleep earlier in the future. Staying up every night will take a toll on your body."
Even though he offered this advice, Yan Guan knew it wasn’t likely. So, he added, "Shall I brew some herbal tea for Your Highness to nourish your liver energy?"
Chao Lun readily agreed.
After drinking the herbal tea a few times, Chao Lun increasingly felt that Yan Guan had some real skill and began to rely on him more for his health.
As the days passed, the year finally came to an end, and everyone became busy preparing for the new year.
No comments:
Post a Comment