Yuchenian had a carriage at his disposal. After all, he was a prince, unlike the soldiers who had to ride horses throughout the journey.
The carriage was magnificent, befitting his representation as the emperor outside the palace, despite his lack of favor within it. This nine-wheeled carriage was spacious, even roomier than a chamber.
Unfortunately, Yuchenian was not inclined to use it. He insisted on riding a horse like the other soldiers, even as the sun grew scorching. His personal guards, who were by his side, couldn't help but worry that their young master might suffer some unexpected mishap due to the intense heat.
These loyal guards were affiliated with Yuchenian's uncle. Back when his mother's elder brother was sent to the battlefield, they had endured hardships and treacherous conditions. The rice they received was mixed with sand, and their blankets were threadbare, containing nothing but inferior cotton. Even if the soldiers were willing to fight with everything they had, it was impossible under such circumstances.
In the end, Yuchenian's mother and uncle were presumed dead on the battlefield, and all the blame was naturally pinned on them. His mother was affected too and was relegated to the cold palace. However, no one knew that her youngest brother had survived and quietly returned to the capital.
He wasn't foolish. When the court did such things and shifted the blame onto him, it was impossible that the emperor wasn't involved.
Back when his mother was in the palace, Yuchenian was still a young child. All he could do was bide his time, quietly build his influence, and gather loyalists from his family's old connections.
If it weren't for Yuchenian's proactive efforts to sense the presence of someone looking out for him and guess that it was his maternal family, the two of them wouldn't have formed this connection so quickly.
This time, the personal guard sent to take care of Yuchenian was exceptionally loyal. Seeing the sun getting hotter, he became increasingly worried and approached Yuchenian to persuade him, saying, "Your Highness, why don't you take refuge in the carriage for a while?"
"No need," Yuchenian waved his hand. "If the soldiers can endure the sun, why can't I?"
The guard knew that this young master was calculating and sighed, heading towards the nine-wheeled carriage to fetch some water for Yuchenian to quench his thirst.
After he had been gone for a while, he hurriedly returned with an anxious expression and whispered something into Yuchenian's ear.
The young man, who had been looking ahead, abruptly pulled on the reins, dismounted his horse, and quickly walked into the carriage.
Inside the luxurious carriage arranged for the prince's inspection tour, thick carpets adorned the floor, and a white blanket covered a couch. The air was infused with a faint fragrance from the incense.
As if in a dream, there was a young boy lying on the white blanket, covered by a red cloak. The bright red color accentuated his delicate and beautiful face, which appeared even more tender as he slept peacefully, making one want to cradle him protectively.
Surprisingly, Shi Qing had somehow hidden himself inside the carriage, and after the carriage had set off, he had silently assumed the position of the owner and fallen asleep on the couch.
Yuchenian's icy demeanor softened as he left the capital. He approached the boy, sat down in front of the couch, and softly called out, "Shi Qing."
"Mmm..."
The young master, who had slept lightly due to the unfamiliar surroundings, slowly opened his eyes. His beautiful eyes still held a drowsy look.
Yuchenian patiently waited for him to fully wake up, and when clarity returned to his eyes, the young master realized he had been discovered. He immediately coldly snorted and raised his chin proudly.
The young man asked, "Why did you follow me?"
"I want to go to war too! Is that not allowed?"
But Yuchenian continued to inquire, seemingly oblivious, "Why did you follow me?"
If there were no feelings between them, why would he follow?
Shi Qing was irritated. He extended his fair, unstockinged leg to kick him and used his hand to push him away. "You're so annoying! How many times do you need to ask?"
Yuchenian grabbed his hand and brought it close to his lips. He lightly touched Shi Qing's hand with his lips. Just a moment ago, the young master who had been fierce and defiant froze in place. His large, round eyes widened, and he stared blankly at the young man.
After a considerable pause, he suddenly pulled his hand back, and his earlobes turned as red as if they were about to drip blood. A faint blush appeared on his pretty little face.
Shi Qing stuttered, "Wh-what are you doing?"
Yuchenian watched his reaction and felt his heart soften. This was his young master. Even though to outsiders, he may seem like a libertine spending his nights in brothels, only he knew the truth. Shi Qing had never had such intimate contact with anyone before. Being kissed like this made him nervous and flustered.
Seeing that Shi Qing didn't answer, the young master angrily tried to kick the young man's thigh with his leg. "I'm asking you a question! Why are you just standing there!"
Yuchenian didn't mind at all; he held onto Shi Qing's soft, rarely-touched feet, which were now even more delicate due to the lack of walking, and fit perfectly in the young man's palm. Shi Qing's face turned even redder.
He spoke with hesitation, "What are you doing? Let go!"
This time, the young man released him obediently. He watched as Shi Qing quickly retrieved his foot and curled up in a ball, blushing and keeping a vigilant eye on him.
Finally, Yuchenian spoke, his voice somehow hoarse and somewhat rough, "I'll send someone to take you back to the capital later."
Perhaps because he had been frightened earlier, the young master, who was usually defiant, remained silent this time.
Yuchenian moved closer, and Shi Qing curled up even tighter. Despite his obvious fear, the young master looked fierce as he scolded, "If you dare do anything to me, my father won't spare you, and neither will the Emperor!"
"I won't do anything to you."
The young man's gaze toward Shi Qing softened. "Shi Qing, you're still too young."
The young master exploded, "You're the young one! How can a man say he's young?"
Yuchenian reached out and, for the first time in this kind of situation, gently touched the young man's head. "You're still too young, and I'm too weak."
"Wait until I return from the border, and by then, you will have grown up. Will you be willing to stand by my side?"
The young master quickly rolled to the other side of the bed, trying to hide the blush on his face. He was both flustered and angry as he struggled to put on his boots. "You're insane. I shouldn't have come to find you."
After putting on his boots, he pushed Yuchenian away. "Move aside, I'm going back to the capital."
The young man didn't step aside but instead lowered his head and looked at him, softly pleading for a promise, "Promise me, don't get close to anyone else until I return to the capital?"
Shi Qing's face, still flushed, avoided meeting his gaze. Until someone outside drew the curtain and entered, asking, "Your Highness, what's going on?"
As soon as someone arrived, the young master's timid expression disappeared, and he happily lifted the corner of his mouth, appearing as if he were saying, "I'm not afraid of you when someone is here."
With this newfound confidence, he pushed Yuchenian again, using the same tone as always. "In this world, only my father and the Emperor can control me. What are you? Just someone who has been with me for a few days. Go away! I'm going back to the capital."
Yuchenian stared at Shi Qing, not telling him that the people surrounding the carriage were all his. Nor did he tell Shi Qing that as long as he wanted, Shi Qing could be trapped in this carriage forever.
He simply replied in a deep voice, "Alright."
Shi Qing was taken back to the capital, and Yuchenian stayed inside the carriage, choosing not to see him off. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself, that he wouldn't resist keeping the young master by his side.
On the bed, there was still Shi Qing's small bag, filled with various healing ointments and medicinal items, both for internal and external use.
The Shi family has always had access to various medicinal formulas, many of which are not available in the market. Shi Qing could provide these, and it's likely he brought them from his family.
The young master has always been efficient, packing all these medicines into a bag in one go. It's probably enough for personal use for several years.
Yuchenian had indeed used them for several years. This was a plan he and his uncle had discussed. Once he gained military power, he wouldn't return to the capital to prevent the Emperor from taking back the military authority. Besides, the border was constantly in turmoil. If it wasn't the nomads attacking, it was the barbarians. Yuchenian chose to stay stationed at the border.
This deployment lasted for four years. During this time, Yuchenian had become the undefeated war god in the hearts of the people. In these four years, he transformed from the Ninth Prince who had been considered a mascot by the soldiers into a respected leader.
This year, Yuchenian finally saw an opportunity. The court received an imperial decree revealing that the Crown Prince had conspired to rebel and assassinate the Emperor. The capital was in chaos, and they demanded that the Ninth Prince return to the capital to relinquish his military authority.
Simultaneously, the spies he had planted in the palace reported that the Emperor's life was in danger. The Emperor was bedridden, and Yuchenian's return was intended to prevent the Emperor from naming a new Empress and provoking rebellion.
Yuchenian accepted the imperial decree, prepared to return to the capital, and spread rumors that the Emperor wanted the Ninth Prince to return to make him the new Emperor.
Sure enough, on his way back, he received an urgent report from the capital that a prince had rebelled. It turned out to be the prince whom the Emperor had always favored.
With confirmation that the trap had been set, Yuchenian hurried back to the capital. After several days and nights of chaos in the city, the Ninth Prince, who had initially seemed hopeless, became the dark horse in the battle for the throne.
Unlike the previous Emperor, who was easily influenced, Yuchenian's first act as Emperor was to purge corrupt officials and establish himself as a resolute and iron-willed ruler in front of the courtiers.
Surprisingly, he didn't touch the Prime Minister, who had held immense power during the previous Emperor's reign. The Prime Minister was shrewd and knew not to antagonize the new Emperor. He wisely maintained his position, waiting to assess the situation further.
Of course, he still had to flatter the Emperor when necessary. He even went as far as to criticize his own son and praise Yuchenian, claiming that his own son was notorious in the capital, having relationships with multiple courtesans, making it difficult for him to find a respectable family for marriage. All while implying that Yuchenian was different and asked the Emperor why he hadn't taken a consort yet.
Yuchenian rejected the idea, citing the need to mourn for his recently deceased father. The Prime Minister persisted, arguing that the Emperor needed to establish an Empress and produce an heir to stabilize the dynasty.
Despite the Prime Minister's efforts, Yuchenian remained firm in his refusal. The Prime Minister seemed puzzled; he couldn't understand why the Emperor didn't seem pleased, despite his efforts to flatter him and criticize his own son.
Later, the Prime Minister returned home after discussing the Emperor's marriage with his old friends at a teahouse. When he arrived at his doorstep, he saw a sedan chair in the courtyard. There was even a eunuch standing beside it.
Before he could approach and inquire about the situation, the Emperor, whom he had just seen in the court, came out of the courtyard holding a drunken person in his arms. They got into the sedan chair and left.
The Prime Minister watched in astonishment as the sedan chair departed. The person the Emperor was carrying... wasn't that his son?!
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