Qiu Che stayed at the manor to rest.
In the latter half of the night, Feng Ke entered Lian Shenwei’s room. Pushing open the door, sure enough, he wasn’t asleep yet.
Lian Shenwei wasn’t surprised by his entry. “You’re here?”
“Why would Qiu Che suddenly come find you? And what letter? I don’t believe he simply came to chat, otherwise given his personality, he wouldn’t stay overnight.”
Feng Ke understood both his friends very well: “Tell me honestly, what did he really come for?”
Lian Shenwei held a chopstick and poked the fierce bird in the cage, then watched as it toppled over, squawking indignantly.
“A duel challenge.” He said.
Feng Ke: “?”
He widened his eyes: “A duel challenge? Wait—he doesn’t know your current condition, but don’t you yourself know?!”
“Even if you don’t want to tell him you can’t use internal energy, can’t you just make up an excuse to deflect it?”
He stared at Lian Shenwei’s expression for a while, narrowing his eyes: “You’re not actually planning to fight him, are you?”
Lian Shenwei: “Haven’t decided yet.”
“This was a duel arranged ten years ago. From my heart, I don’t want to break my promise. It’s just that the price is rather high…”
This duel wasn’t necessary—it was simply to have one fewer regret from the past.
Feng Ke said coldly: “If you really go, don’t blame me for telling him about your physical condition. When that happens, even if you beg him, he won’t spar with you.”
Lian Shenwei knew he would say this and sighed.
“That’s why I said I’d consider it.”
Feng Ke: “Now that Ying Jingjue has ascended the throne, when are you leaving with me?”
“We agreed back then—once he ascended, you’d return to Jinling with me, then go to the Feng family to properly recuperate. A few days ago you said you were tired yourself. Why haven’t you started packing?”
He didn’t want Lian Shenwei to be exposed to even a bit of the messy court affairs anymore. After Lian Shenwei’s body deteriorated, he was completely unsuited to expending energy like before.
Fortunately Lian Shenwei didn’t know about the frontier trouble, otherwise given his personality, he absolutely wouldn’t leave.
Lian Shenwei was silent: “A bit later.”
He wanted to remove all obstacles from Ying Jingjue’s path, but also understood that Ying Jingjue was young now, and his temperament sometimes couldn’t settle down—he needed some obstacles to temper him.
He was no longer the child who asked him how to read characters.
Feng Ke: “When specifically?”
Lian Shenwei: “Two…” months.
Feng Ke said quickly: “Good, two days.”
After speaking, he quickly walked to the door, not giving Lian Shenwei any chance to object: “You said it—we leave the day after tomorrow.”
Lian Shenwei: “…”
When the room quieted down, he came back to himself from his state of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Thinking carefully about Feng Ke’s expression just now, he frowned slightly.
Feng Ke usually wasn’t this urgent.
Had something happened outside?
***
“The Regent Prince still hasn’t attended court these past two days.”
Eunuch Xue—formerly Little Zhizi—flicked his whisk and said: “Your Majesty, when the frontier trouble arose, you haven’t rested properly. What if you ruin your health?”
Ying Jingjue: “He’s waiting for Zhen to invite him.”
He rubbed his brow and leaned back.
With Ningfeng’s leg, even if forcibly sent to the battlefield, he probably couldn’t control the frontier troops. Instead it would shake military morale because the commanding general was injured.
For now he’d appointed two military officials from court to temporarily fill the position at the frontier. Though one city was lost at the border, fortunately it was temporarily stable—but the Great Sheng soldiers and frontier people still suffered…
With external threats present, court could still erupt in quarrels.
Many court ministers wanted him to follow what he’d said before and visit Lian Shenwei at the Regent Prince’s manor. He’d only said it casually that day.
In the ministers’ eyes, this was likely his first confrontation with Lian Shenwei since ascending. If he went to visit, this confrontation would fall to the lower level.
Ying Jingjue had no time to sleep, nor did he particularly want to.
When he slept in extreme exhaustion, he always had nightmares.
The dreams all seemed the same. He only remembered the feeling of terror while dreaming, but when he woke, the dream images in his mind vanished without a trace.
Just like the feeling when he had nightmares at Loyal Righteousness Marquis Manor that time.
Little Zhizi hesitated a moment: “Your Majesty, that time you saw the Regent Prince coming from the late emperor’s quarters, but the late emperor had no sword wounds.”
Ying Jingjue’s expression turned cold.
“Zhen said not to mention this matter.”
Little Zhizi slapped his own mouth. “This slave is guilty.”
Ying Jingjue: “Go.”
***
The next day.
That bird spent one night in Lian Shenwei’s room and became even more sickly—clearly gasping more in than out. He carried the cage intending to throw the bird to Feng Ke to treat it.
His own realm had long touched the edge of Tianshu Realm. Though his internal energy was dormant now, if he deliberately lightened his footsteps, those below his realm couldn’t detect him.
Walking to the corner of the corridor in front of Lanyue Pavilion—
Ming Zhu and Tian Nan were quietly discussing something.
Lian Shenwei remained composed and stopped. The ugly bird in the cage glanced at him and kept quiet.
“…Really not telling Master?”
“Don’t know.”
“Give some advice. I’ve always been in charge of capital intelligence, but frontier matters concern you too, right? Should we really listen to Master Feng?”
Tian Nan clutched a small note, face full of worry.
Messages from frontier to capital transmitted rather slowly. This note came right after the previous one, saying after the first city fell, the second city’s situation was also precarious.
These two messages came one after another, indicating the events happened very close together. Plus with message delays, no one knew what the current frontier situation actually was.
But it certainly wasn’t good.
He feared the master would skin him alive if he found out.
Ming Zhu: “Master Feng is already packing in the manor.”
Planning to take the master to the Feng family for recuperation and treatment—she felt leaving was better than staying. But she also understood Tian Nan’s dilemma.
However, people’s hearts were always partial.
“Ah, forget it,” Tian Nan said. “Even if Master skins me alive, I accept it. Anyway, Master Feng will take responsibility.”
Lian Shenwei walked out carrying the cage, his voice cool: “Skin whom alive?”
Tian Nan froze.
Lian Shenwei walked to his side: “Hand over the secret message.”
Tian Nan didn’t dare make a sound, head lowered as he handed over the note.
The note read: [First city fallen, second city in danger. Northern Yi offensive fierce, frontier military situation critical.]
The atmosphere fell unusually silent. Ming Zhu and Tian Nan exchanged glances and knelt down: “This subordinate acknowledges their fault.”
Lian Shenwei’s tone was calm: “When did this start?”
Neither of them spoke.
Lian Shenwei’s voice deepened: “Speak!”
Tian Nan clenched his teeth: “The frontier military intelligence—it reached the capital on the day the Crown Prince ascended the throne.”
“…Excellent.”
Lian Shenwei exhaled deeply. His heart meridians, which hadn’t pained him in a long time, throbbed with dull ache once more.
Ming Zhu looked at him anxiously. “Master, you cannot let your emotions run high.”
“What’s the matter?”
Qiu Che leaped down from the railing. “Is something wrong?”
Lian Shenwei handed him the cage: “Qiu Che, stay in the manor and don’t go out. I need to enter the palace. Take this bird to Feng Ke.”
“Alright.”
Lian Shenwei lowered his gaze: “You two—after today, go receive your punishment.”
Tian Nan breathed easier, acknowledged with a “yes,” and hurried to prepare the carriage and credentials for entering the palace.
Before long, Lian Shenwei was seated in the carriage, rushing rapidly toward the imperial palace.
His eyes were dark and brooding.
He’d assumed it was merely the new emperor being occupied with ascension matters, combined with himself being too much of an eyesore as a powerful minister—that Ying Jingjue wanted to curtail his power, which explained the silence these past days.
He never imagined the frontier had already descended into chaos, and he was only learning of it so many days late.
That brat…
Encountering such a major crisis right upon ascending.
He’s probably had no proper sleep these past few days.
News of the Regent Prince entering the palace swiftly reached Ying Jingjue’s ears.
Ying Jingjue had just received the second memorial from the frontier. Upon hearing this news, his first reaction wasn’t surprise, but wariness and speculation, along with a coldness long suppressed in his heart.
He almost involuntarily recalled that day when he saw Lian Shenwei carrying a sword, emerging from his father emperor’s bedchamber.
Ying Jingjue: “Summon the Regent Prince to meet in the West Warm Pavilion.”
***
Calming incense curled through the West Warm Pavilion.
The incense in Lian Shenwei’s room was specially formulated by Feng Ke—he tolerated it well.
He’d originally been accustomed to the palace’s calming incense, but now he couldn’t manage it. The moment he smelled it, he couldn’t suppress the urge to cough, his chest tight and aching.
What made it worse was that Ying Jingjue seemed to deliberately let him wait. Lian Shenwei waited nearly half a shichen before he finally arrived.
By the time he came, the tea on the table had been replaced twice.
“Zhen has just ascended and many matters require attention. I apologize for keeping the Regent Prince waiting.”
The young emperor wore black robes embroidered with gold, his tone courteous yet distant. In his every gesture, one could already perceive imperial majesty.
Unlike when he was Crown Prince, he didn’t bow to Lian Shenwei, but skipped it entirely, sweeping his robes aside and taking the seat of honor.
Lian Shenwei observed him.
Thinking to himself that he’d indeed matured considerably, his gaze then fell upon the dark shadows beneath Ying Jingjue’s eyes and he couldn’t help but frown.
He nodded: “It’s nothing. May Your Majesty be well.”
“I heard the Regent Prince fell ill some days ago,” Ying Jingjue said. “Zhen has not yet found time to pay a visit. I wonder if you have fully recovered?”
“I have already recovered.”
Lian Shenwei: “Hearing that the frontier matter weighs upon Your Majesty’s mind, I came specifically to inquire.”
Ying Jingjue: “The Regent Prince once served as Zhen’s teacher and taught well. There is no need for concern.”
This neither warm nor cold remark was extremely distant.
Lian Shenwei’s expression became more guarded.
The concern that had compelled him to rush here, worried Ying Jingjue couldn’t handle matters, gradually cooled.
Ying Jingjue’s distance from him—this was a good thing.
Lian Shenwei thought to himself.
After a moment of silence, he rose: “In that case, this minister takes his leave.”
Just as he was about to exit the pavilion, Ying Jingjue called out: “Wait.”
The young emperor stared at Lian Shenwei’s retreating figure, eyes dark and heavy, slowly descending from his seat.
“Zhen has harbored one doubt all along. I request that Teacher provide an answer.”
Though he called him Teacher, his voice grew colder still.
Lian Shenwei turned sideways: “What matter?”
Ying Jingjue approached, already crossing beyond the safe distance between emperor and minister. The hidden guards around them silently went on alert.
“That day when Father Emperor passed, the palace gates were sealed. I went to Zichen Hall and saw you emerge from within.” He used “I” and “you”—in this moment not regarding himself as emperor.
Lian Shenwei’s brow furrowed slightly, mildly surprised within.
“…Teacher,” Ying Jingjue came to a stop before Lian Shenwei. His height had already grown nearly equal to Lian Shenwei’s. “Tell me—did you have anything to do with Father Emperor’s death?”
Little Zhizi: “Your Majesty…”
“Everyone leave.”
Ying Jingjue commanded in a low voice: “All of you get out!”
This “all” naturally included the hidden guards as well.
Once everyone had withdrawn, Ying Jingjue repeated his question, staring unblinkingly at Lian Shenwei. His fingers concealed beneath the dragon robe slowly clenched tight—he didn’t even notice his own tension.
It seemed that from ancient times until now, men have regarded their fathers as benchmarks for their own growth, or as targets they must surpass. They respect their elders—and naturally, once they possess sufficient capability, cannot help competing with them.
Ying Jingjue’s father emperor had never shown him care. From his youth when he regarded Lian Shenwei as teacher, to now viewing him as mortal enemy—not for a single moment had he failed to regard Lian Shenwei as the target he must surpass.
This Regent Prince, viewed as a treacherous minister of the Great Sheng Dynasty, was like half a father in his heart.
Even though the age difference between them was only eleven or twelve years.
From looking up to looking down, from worship to hostility—this was the first open confrontation between their generations.
“Teacher, answer me.”
Lian Shenwei looked at him quietly.
After a long while, he lowered his head and smiled, somewhat gratified.
Then he slowly stepped back one pace. “Your Majesty has grown up.”
He raised his head, looked at Ying Jingjue, and spoke one sentence.
[…Your father emperor was not killed by me, but his death is indeed related to me.]
In the West Warm Pavilion, only Ying Jingjue remained. He stood in place, his mind replaying Lian Shenwei’s final words.
Little Zhizi entered nervously. “Your Majesty.”
Ying Jingjue walked from the West Warm Pavilion to Zichen Hall and retrieved a black handkerchief he’d put away.
This was from when they encountered the attack in Linfeng City. He’d pulled Lian Shenwei and his hand was cut. Lian Shenwei had used this handkerchief to stanch the bleeding.
He remembered it clearly.
Lian Shenwei’s momentary tension and concern didn’t seem false.
He remembered, so he’d kept this handkerchief all along.
Therefore, even as he grew increasingly wary of him, he still harbored some hesitation—hesitating whether Lian Shenwei still held genuine feelings toward him. Many plans to eliminate Lian Shenwei’s faction he had not implemented.
He believed what Lian Shenwei said—Father Emperor wasn’t killed by him.
But he didn’t understand: Father Emperor’s care and protection of Lian Shenwei during his lifetime far exceeded what he gave his own biological son. So why, before Father Emperor’s death, not only did Lian Shenwei not go in to see him even once, but he went in to hasten his death?
Ying Jingjue had Little Zhizi prepare a brazier, then threw the handkerchief into it.
Flames consumed it, the firelight flickering.
***
On the other side.
The moment Lian Shenwei walked out the palace gates, he’d already formulated how to respond to the Northern Yi invasion.
Sitting in the carriage, he coughed heavily for quite a while. When the metallic taste of blood rose in his mouth, he skillfully covered his lips with a handkerchief.
Perhaps from the emotional stimulation, this time he coughed up more blood than usual.
Regarding Emperor Jingcheng’s matter, he didn’t want to conceal it, and couldn’t anyway—better to be frank. Ying Jingjue would resent him, but that shallow hatred was far better than the suffocating blood feud.
The Regent Prince identity inevitably couldn’t last long. The edifice’s collapse, with his help pushing things along, would only come faster.
When the time came, whether resentment or indifference, once the Northern Yi matter was settled and the spies rooted out, he would simply leave. Capital affairs would have nothing to do with him.
Tian Nan’s voice came from outside: “Master, are you alright?”
Lian Shenwei clutched the handkerchief: “I’m fine.”
The first thing upon returning to the manor, he went directly to find Qiu Che.
**
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1