Chapter 154: At Least I, Your Grandfather, Felt Satisfied

Shu Yu only felt these words were truly laughable, "Neither the Emperor, nor you, know His Highness the Crown Prince, so how can you know what His Highness wants most? How can you be certain that His Highness is being deceived by others? I accompany His Highness the Crown Prince day and night, and I have also seen that Miss Nan with my own eyes. I know that His Highness is absolutely not being deceived as the General says; he and Miss Nan are truly in love!"

Old General Lu's face was full of disapproval, "You are just like His Highness, too young, and do not know that the hearts of people in this world are complex! The Emperor and I are giving you a warning as people who have been through it, pulling you out of danger in time. Believe me, believe the Emperor, this is absolutely not wrong!"

Shu Yu still wanted to retort something, but Old General Lu said in a low, stern voice: "Enough! Official Shu, for the next few days, His Highness the Crown Prince will likely need to recover from his injuries in the Eastern Palace; you, this Eastern Palace personal guard, should also go home and rest for a few days!"

He then snorted and laughed, "It is just that the elders in your family are not as easy to talk to as I am. If Official Shu still insists on defending that Miss Nan, Official Shu is afraid he will be reprimanded, and even his marriage prospects will be affected."

After speaking, he strode away.

Shu Yu remained at the entrance of Jiaoyuan, his face turning faintly pale.

Behind him, Xiao Mingyu laughed out loud on his own.

Shu Yu turned his head. Xiao Mingyu was standing there, followed by those three "Nan Xueyin"s. He looked at Shu Yu with a smile that was not quite a smile and said: "Then, I won't see you off, Official Shu."

This smug appearance truly made a nameless fire rise in Shu Yu's heart.

He had originally really intended to leave, but after taking only two steps, he still could not swallow this anger.

Originally, during this time, Miss Nan and His Highness the Crown Prince had been getting along so well, and everything was moving in a very good direction!

He did not expect Xiao Mingyu to run out and stir up trouble again!

Yet he was clearly already betrothed to the Yan Family; by doing this, he was letting down Miss Nan, and also letting down Miss Yan.

The more Shu Yu thought about it, the angrier he became. Gritting his teeth, he turned around and headed back.

Xiao Mingyu was walking back. Seeing him return, he revealed a smile again, "Yo, Official Shu, this is..."

Before Xiao Mingyu could finish his sentence, Shu Yu strode forward, reached him, raised his right arm, and delivered a solid punch.

With this sudden strike, a series of gasps and screams erupted in private.

Xiao Mingyu was also stunned by this punch. His whole body stumbled back two steps, and half of his cheek burned with intense pain.

"Shu Yu! Are you crazy!"

"This is Prince Duan! You actually dare to hit him?!"

Shu Yu, however, was full of satisfaction and shook his right wrist, "I hit him precisely because it is him!"

He was an Eastern Palace personal guard, trained year-round, and always getting into fights. At this moment, being in a fit of rage, he had no intention of holding back his strength.

Before long, Xiao Mingyu's cheek was swollen as high as a hill, and his eye was squeezed shut.

People all around came to support him.

Xiao Mingyu brushed them aside and looked at Shu Yu, mocking: "You hit this Prince on a momentary impulse; once you return home, you will inevitably receive a severe beating. What good have you gained?"

Shu Yu, however, finally laughed out loud, "At least I, your grandfather, felt satisfied!"

After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

Bai Sheng walked up, "Your Highness, that Shu Yu is truly bold and reckless! Since you are injured like this, you should hurry back and apply medicine."

Xiao Mingyu was so angry he gritted his teeth and gave a grunt of assent.

On the way back to apply medicine, Bai Sheng frequently stole glances at Xiao Mingyu's expression. In the end, he could not hold back and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, that Miss Nan... is she really hidden by you?"

Xiao Mingyu sneered: "Are you also here to pry into this Prince's affairs?"

Bai Sheng hurriedly denied: "This subordinate would not dare!"

Xiao Mingyu emphasized his tone, "Besides, what do you mean by 'hidden'? She was originally this Prince's!"

Bai Sheng stammered, not daring to say anything more.

When Xiao Youlan woke up again, the sky had already darkened.

He was in the Eastern Palace, lying on the bed.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard Feihong say with joy: "His Highness the Crown Prince has awakened!"

Palace servants filed in one after another; the Imperial Physician took his pulse to check his body, and attendants wiped his face and hands.

Xiao Youlan's thin lips moved slightly, only asking: "Where is she?"

Feihong, however, did not dare to look at his expression and turned away, intending to go outside the door to pass on a message.

Xiao Youlan pushed aside the Imperial Physician taking his pulse and grabbed Feihong's wrist, "What are you hiding from? I am asking you, where is Nan Xueyin?"

Feihong lowered his face, "Your Highness, the Emperor will arrive shortly."

Xiao Youlan frowned, "I will not see the Emperor; I want to see Nan Xueyin."

After speaking, he disregarded everything and got out of bed, striding toward the outside.

The Imperial Physician and palace servants blocked him in groups, some pulling his sleeves, others hugging his legs; sounds of pleading and wailing resounded through the palace hall.

Not until the majestic voice of the Emperor sounded: "What is happening here?!"

Xiao Youlan had already struggled to the doorway and saw the man in the black imperial robe under the night sky, and also saw Empress Dowager Zong beside him with a face full of worry.

He gazed at them, "Father Emperor, Grandmother, let me go."

The Emperor knitted his brows.

Empress Dowager Zong walked up to embrace him, her eyes filled with tears, "Good child, you are ill, you must rest well!"

"I am not ill."

Xiao Youlan shook his head and looked at her, "On the contrary, Grandmother, does this matter have something to do with you as well?"

Empress Dowager Zong was startled.

"It was Fourth Brother who told you that Xiao Xue is an Assassin, so you went to tell Father Emperor, letting Father Emperor take action to deal with Xiao Xue."

Xiao Youlan's tone was calm, merely stating a fact.

For a long while, Empress Dowager Zong could not say a word.

The Emperor said angrily: "Your grandmother is doing this for your own good! A grown man, crying and howling, acting like he wants to die for a female Assassin—what does this look like?! You are the Crown Prince! You are the hope of the Ye Dynasty, the face of the Imperial family!"

"I have already said, I will not be the Crown Prince, nor will I be an Imperial Prince," Xiao Youlan looked at him, "Father Emperor, please choose another face. I do not want anything anymore."

"You are muddled!"

Empress Dowager Zong's eyes were red, "Why must you reach such a point with your Father Emperor for the sake of a woman? You are still young, you are only in your twenties. Later, when you have seen more of the world and met more women, you will know that Nan Xueyin is not irreplaceable... You will forget her, and never be able to remember what she looks like again!"

Xiao Youlan suddenly asked, "But Grandmother, I still remember what General Hongying looked like, how many patterns were on its body, and what its cry sounded like."

Empress Dowager Zong was suddenly startled.

Emperor Yongzheng, however, was puzzled: "What General Hongying?"

Empress Dowager Zong's expression turned somewhat unsightly.

"That was a cat I raised when I was little," Xiao Youlan explained.

Emperor Yongzheng remembered a little bit.

When Xiao Youlan was young, he had indeed raised a cat.

Emperor Yongzheng frowned, "At a time like this, why are you bringing up that beast?"

Xiao Youlan's gaze landed on him, "Father Emperor, when General Hongying died, you all told me the same thing. You said it was just a beast, and I would forget about it in a turn of the head. Grandmother said I would have other cats, and I would forget what General Hongying looked like."

"Grandmother, you were right, I am already over twenty years old, but I have never forgotten General Hongying. When I first raised it, its eyes hadn't even opened; the way it wobbled when it walked, the way it happily drank milk, the way it lay sleeping on my desk. I remember it all."

"I have also always remembered that it was Fourth Brother who drowned General Hongying. I also know that Fourth Brother did this with Father Emperor's permission. You said I preferred a cat more, that I wasn't even close to my siblings, and that in the future, I would probably refuse to even want my Father Emperor and Grandmother."

"Father Emperor, you and Grandmother said that I was young at the time, that I wouldn't remember these things, and that when I grew up, I would forget. You said it was all for my own good, and that when I grew up, I would understand your painstaking efforts. But even now, when I dream at night, I still feel sad. I keep wondering, why did you have to drown my little cat? It was so small, it didn't eat much, and it was never fierce to anyone; what exactly did it get in the way of?"