Shen Zhi lowered his eyes in surprise.
He was about to scold the servants for not helping his unfilial son up when a glimpse of the boy's face suddenly left even him stunned.
His second son's appearance seemed somewhat different from before...
Shen Yangge was almost mad with joy, but he couldn't act too delighted and break character, so he remained half-sprawled on the floor.
What the hell is that stink on this eunuch? Stay the fuck away from me, he thought, weakly brushing aside the eunuch's outstretched hand.
He coughed hard several times, his voice carrying the "delight" of being granted medicine and the anxious uncertainty of whether it was "poisoned" as he said:
"I thank His Highness for his concern, but I know my sins are grave. Please ask His Highness to rescind his command and leave me to live or die on my own!"
Why couldn't he just thank the eunuch for the medicine and swallow it on the spot? Why did he have to turn it down so tactfully?
System 615: [Host, you know perfectly well that you can't do that.]
[Sigh, dying in secret is no different from being executed openly. If the crown prince secretly sends someone to poison me, I'll still be dead. It's all the same, all the same.]
System: "..."
It had never met a host so down-to-earth-and so down for the underworld.
Seeing the eunuch try to help him again, Shen Yangge suddenly caught the acting bug. Without another word, he bit hard into the inside of his mouth, and blood immediately trickled from its corner.
He spat a mouthful of blood onto the eunuch's boot. Sprawled on the floor with his hair disheveled and his clothes slightly askew, he looked both pitiful and tragic, greatly strengthening the impression that he might drop dead at any moment.
"This..."
The eunuch snatched his hand back and hurriedly stepped away. His expression remained unreadable for a moment before he seemed to make a decision, and his tone changed accordingly:
"You are gravely ill, Master Shen. Please get up and return to bed at once. If anything were to happen, it would shorten... this humble servant's life. It's getting late, so I shall take my leave. I will certainly report your sincere repentance to His Highness."
The eunuch said a few more words, then left without another mention of the medicine-and without leaving it behind.
Shen Yangge nearly exploded with anger. What the fuck was that bastard eunuch playing at? Where was the medicine? Why hadn't he left it?!
There was a reason some people ended up as eunuchs.
He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and wiped the cold sweat from his temples and the blood from his mouth. His angry scowl was a far cry from his earlier expression.
"You unfilial wretch!"
Shen Zhi flicked his sleeve, his face dark with fury.
Although this second son was born to his principal wife and had been a celebrated child prodigy in the capital from an early age, he had always been arrogant, overbearing, and bad-tempered. He constantly caused trouble for the Shen Residence and showed none of the bearing expected of a noble family's son. His last visit to the palace had landed Shen Zhi in serious trouble.
If Consort Shen and Dowager Consort Liu hadn't spoken on their behalf before His Majesty, the minister's household might well have been branded "traitors and rebels," their property confiscated or their entire family exiled to the frontier.
Fortunately, his punishment for failing to discipline his son had only been a month's suspension from office and the forfeiture of six months' salary.
He felt no affection whatsoever for this arrogant second son. In fact, he wished the boy would hurry up and die.
A servant hurried through the doorway, rushed over to Shen Zhi, and whispered a few words in his ear. Shen Zhi's face instantly turned pale.
He had intended to punish this reckless little bastard with the family's disciplinary methods again, but that would have to wait. He had something more pressing to attend to, so he could only grit his teeth and force out:
"His Highness granted you medicine, and you dared refuse it, you unfilial wretch! If I didn't have urgent business, you... hmph!" With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.
Shen Yangge desperately wanted to jump up, point at his scumbag father's nose, and curse back: Who knows why that bastard eunuch changed his mind? You think I don't want to die? I dream about it!
His face was pale and his body frighteningly weak, yet not one of the nearby servants showed any intention of helping him. A few even had mockery in their eyes.
He weakly dragged himself back to his quarters, shut the door, and let out a long breath. Sitting down with his back against the wooden door, he brooded over his tangled feelings for a long time...
Fuck, I overdid it. Did that bastard eunuch think I'd die tonight and decide there was no need to bother with the poison?
"Your Highness, this servant went to see the young gentleman as instructed. He is indeed still alive, but... he won't last much longer."
A man stood before the desk in a black satin robe trimmed with gold thread and embroidered with a dragon. The gold-thread designs along the wide sleeve resting against the desk's edge formed patterns of dark clouds. A moon-white sash cinched his waist, and a plain mutton-fat jade hairpin held up his black hair.
After hearing the report, he merely raised an eyebrow before lowering his gaze to resume writing. The hand holding down the paper was unhealthily pale.
"Still alive?"
"...Yes, Your Highness."
He picked up the paper on the desk and slowly tore it in half. "The empress's birthday banquet is in two days. Invite him to the palace in her name."
The eunuch had been standing outside the curtain with his head bowed. At those words, he couldn't help lifting it slightly to steal a quick glance at the crown prince before lowering it again. "Your Highness, that young gentleman... doesn't look as though he'll survive tonight."
The crown prince said, "I imagine many people will attend this birthday banquet."
Knowing the matter was settled, the eunuch kowtowed and withdrew.
That young gentleman will probably die tonight, he thought. But... if he doesn't, the palace banquet will likely turn into another gathering of dancing demons.
Two days later.
The whole nation celebrated the empress's birthday banquet.
Shen Yangge wasn't surprised when he received the empress's invitation. News that he hadn't died that day had probably long since reached the crown prince in the Eastern Palace, and the man was trying every possible means to kill him.
Shen Yangge awaited it with gleeful anticipation.
The Shen Residence's carriage took him all the way to a side gate of the imperial palace. He would have to walk the rest of the way. He got out and glanced around, finding himself surrounded by powerful dignitaries.
They walked straight ahead without looking aside, occasionally followed by one or two family members.
Those family members wore lavish clothes, and the younger ones craned their necks curiously.
Shen Yangge hadn't fully recovered. If the banquet venue was nearby, walking there would be fine, but if it was far... honestly, it would be exhausting.
He followed the dignitaries at a leisurely pace, occasionally stopping at a corner to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
The walk wasn't far, and he finally arrived.
Shen Yangge found a seat in a sparsely occupied corner. Only after sitting down did he realize there was nothing to eat on the low table-not even a cup of tea.
His throat was a little dry. He swallowed and thought, Motherfucker, did they clear out this seat especially for me?
A short while later, once almost everyone had arrived, the emperor, empress, consorts, and princes entered one after another. The banquet began, and Shen Yangge was still happily wondering what sort of fatal trap awaited him.
He looked up toward the front, his gaze sweeping past the emperor and empress before reaching the crown prince seated below the steps.
The crown prince wore a magnificent, wide-sleeved brocade robe patterned with clouds. His features were handsome, with sharp brows and bright eyes. He sat perfectly upright, and although he hadn't spoken, he exuded an air of unattainable superiority, as though everyone else were worthless weeds. He fit the role of a future "tyrant" to perfection!
Suddenly, the crown prince glanced his way.
Holy fuck.
Shen Yangge's heart seemed to leap into his throat, pounding wildly. Then, as though beyond his control, his body abruptly turned away from that gaze.
[-What the fucking hell? What's going on? Why am I so scared?]
Before you continue