Zhou Yunsheng was called to the East Palace, there the Prince was standing in front of a huge mirror and surveying his body with a dull stare.
He had removed his robes and was only wearing a thin piece of obscene trousers, his back and chest muscles were very strong, his lines beautiful and smooth. Two mermaid lines ran hidden into his crotch, bringing out his neatly arranged compact waist muscles, and bronze skin. This was an explosive and seductive body, just a glance could make people deeply fascinated.
The two maids holding his aristocratic gowns were blushing, they couldn’t help but secretly gaze over.
Zhou Yunsheng froze, then immediately bowed to salute, he did not dare to look. He likes strong handsome men, and the Prince happened to be his favorite kind of man.
“You are here,” the Prince sent out the attendants, while stroking his abdominal muscles he slowly opened, “You see this figure, could it be considered perfect?”
Zhou Yun Sheng quickly glanced at him, then nodded.
The prince smiled and said with cold voice, “The appearance is perfect, but the inside is already corroded and empty.”
The Prince’s eyes hid violent hatred, despair, madness and other negative emotions. The released emotions layered in the air, making it hard to breathe.
Zhou Yunsheng closed his eyes and slowly said, “If His Royal Highness could quit Han Shisan and recuperate for several years, his body still has the possibility of recovery.”
“Is it possible?” The Prince covered up with a robe and slowly walked over. The full ten centimeters height difference and innate strong oppression made Zhou Yunsheng feel slightly pressured.
“If you do not quit, it is equivalent to using poison to quench the thirst. After five years, His Royal Highness will die.” Zhou Yun Sheng had to walk back two steps, leaving the scope of his hormonal radiation.
The Prince was silent for a long time, then he finally waved his hand and said, “So be it, I will quit.”
Zhou Yunsheng bowed and earnestly said, “So, I would like to ask His Highness to give me mercy, during the period of treatment, regardless of how my actions may seem disrespectful, I ask that you wouldn’t punish me for the crime.”
The Prince didn’t answer, he only looked at him with deep and unpredictable eyes.
Zhou Yun Sheng continued, “If your Highness has an accident, the minister will accompany his Royal Highness to the spring.” Then he looked up with clear eyes.
The Prince seemed to be touched by him, his frosted face slightly warmed, after a while he nodded, “Take the ink and paper.”
——————
In the blink of an eye over six months passed, Zhou Yunsheng untied the rope tied to the Prince’s limbs, he let out a breathe.
“How does His Royal Highness feel?” He smeared the ointment on his red and chafed wrist.
The Prince put his hand on his knee, staring at his careful gentle action. How does it feel? From strong back to weak, it felt very uncomfortable and unnatural, not to mention for half a year he experienced bone crushing pain. But compared to his heavy body, his mind was unprecedentedly sober. He’d recalled all kinds of things from his past, it was like waking up from a dream, returning to earth.
“How many years can I live?” He knew that even if he quit the drug, he’d also lose years of his life.
“I do not know, but it should be just as long if you are well maintained.”
“Properly maintained? In this position, how can my heart settle down for maintenance?” The Prince whispered a laugh, eyes full of ridicule.
Zhou Yunsheng had no words, he bent first to leave. The Sober Prince was more difficult to get along with than the Prince of Madness. In the past, although he was uncertain, he could still glimpse at his mood, but now he was as deep as the sea. He did not reveal the slightest clue.
As polished as a peerless finished sword, but the edge was invisible. In six months, he’d secluded himself in the East Palace because of disease, but he also worked to recover the Heaven Emperor’s favor, and he arranged for the two, three, and four Princes to make successive mistakes. In these past few months their prestige were greatly reduced. The rest of the Princes were also affected by a spread of rumors.
He seemed to have changed back to his past astute personality, but only Zhou Yun Sheng knew that his heart had changed. All his kindness had dissipated like dust in the wind, only hatred remained.
The Prince saw that he treated himself more and more distantly and his expression was also somewhat gloomy. He slowly said, “Your father and you chose to give me life, but you didn’t expect that I was already half dead. I fear I cannot give Shen Jia a hundred years of glory. ”
“His Royal Highness is an upright man, to serve your Highness is an honor.” Zhou Yunsheng bowed. He couldn’t guess the Prince’s mind, he had to be cautious so that he was not killed by the Prince before his task was completed. Although his soul was immortal, Shen Yi Bin can be killed.
The Prince also did not know what he wanted to hear from his mouth. Did he want him to be ambitious? Or to swear that the promise that day and his help was not from selfishness, but completely from the heart? No matter who you are, or what position you are in, I would never leave you?
What is it? And why does he have to have his heart?
The Prince would like to understand, he stared at him for a long while, then waved him out.
“In the future you can call me Gu Si Nian.”
Zhou Yun Sheng had already walked to the door when he heard the deep hoarse voice behind him. Si Nian– those words fiercely startled him, he suddenly turned to look back.
“炎炎-Burning 景- Bright 曆-Era, 億萬斯年-for billions of years. This is a solitary name. Do you have one?” Prince raised his chin.
“Yun Sheng, small minister can be called Yun Sheng.” He stared at the pale and fatigued man.
“Yun Sheng…that seems familiar.” The Prince looked stunned.
Zhou Yun Sheng almost wanted to rush over and grab his robe, demanding where he heard that name, but he had to suppress his impulse. That man was just a bunch of code, death meant disappearing forever, how could he follow him? Moreover, how could Ning Si Nian know the name Zhou Yunsheng?
He forced down his throbbing heart and cautiously said, “His Royal Highness do not worry, your body will get better, your humble servant will think of a way.” Although this world had no panacea, but there was a reborn woman with a spiritual spring, he will find a way to get it for the Prince.
The boy’s eyes were clear, his tone so firm, as if that sentence was his faith and he would use his life force to fulfill it. The Prince suddenly felt that even if he had joined him for his own selfishness, as long as he by his side, it was enough.
“Your words, I will remember them. When Gu Si Nian prospers, Shen Jia will also prosper.”
Zhou Yun Sheng was not unconcerned with Shen Jia’s standing, he gave the Prince a grateful smile, bowed and retreated.
—————-
Three years later.
The Prince was bedridden, his mind was finally better, but his body was much thinner. His skin was pale as paper, only his eyes were deep and bottomless, his thin lips were scarlet like blood, watching him would make people feel depressed.
Since he lost his past temper, Tian Chen Emperor sent him on more errands. His performance was very beautiful, even if a perceptive person stared at him they couldn’t grasp his weakness. Tian Chen Emperor observed him for a few months, then finally completely calmed down.
Recently, the rivers in Liang Jiang area widened, breaking the dam to form a huge flood drowning numerous large and small counties, causing the people to be on alert. The courtiers reported the matter and asked Tian Chen Emperor for a decision. Tian Chen Emperor handpicked the Prince and Seven Princes to visit Liang Jiang to deal with the matter.
Because of the Prince’s manipulations, the other Princes were out of their father’s eyes, only the respectful and humble Seven Princes escaped with his reputation. If this trip could be completed beautifully, he could gain more face in front of the Emperor.
The Seven Princes was very happy, on the surface he obediently agreed to help the Prince but he was thinking of how to stand out.
Minister Zhou Yun Sheng, who had been promoted to the Ministry of Labor, accompanied them.
They travelled to Liang Jiang, the flood was still raging. The governor of Liang Jiang, Yu Baotian, personally went to the disaster area to appease the people, when he heard that the Prince would visit, he quickly set up a banquet at the official residence.
Calling it a banquet was a bit exaggerated. It was on a ragged round table, with several missing dishes, cold bread and a few pickles, if there was no tea it couldn’t even slide down the throat.
When the Prince saw this, his expression turned gloomy, but the Seven Princes was calm.
Yu Baotian pretended not to notice, he respectfully served the Prince chilled bread and a few Zha cai and said, “Due to the rampant flooding, the rations in this town are exhausted. I really couldn’t find good wine for His Highness, I beg His Highness forgiveness.”
Due to quitting Han Shisan, the Prince had long given up alcohol, but in the eyes of the world, he was still the former alcoholic. Yu Baotian was a lover of integrity, he was quite critical of the Prince’s former injustice actions, so he could never be bothered to respect the Prince. The Prince also regarded him as a nail in his eye.
The two men disliked each other, one more openly than the other.
The Prince’s face was expressionless, but his eyes exposed hostility.
The Seven Princes was silent, waiting for the Prince to launch an attack. Yu Bao Tian was a respected person and minister, he was also Tian Chen Emperor’s confidant and was important to the disaster relief. If the Prince punished the most effective assistant, this trip will be ruined. That would give him a chance.
The Prince snapped his chopsticks in half and was preparing to talk when a warm and delicate hand held his hand under the table. His mind slightly stumbled, but his face did not leak his thoughts, he only quickly glanced at Zhou Yun Sheng sitting beside him.
After three years, the boy’s facial features had opened up and matured. He looked more and more like precious jade, beautiful, with a pair of sparkling patient eyes. His look caused his heart to stutter and feel an unbearable itchiness.
He turned over his hand to return his hold, and gently squeezed it. He slowly said, “Yu official is not stationed in Beijing, so he does not know that Gu Si Nian has been sober for several years. Now the people are suffering, I feel empathy, I know that the people have long been unable to easily eat and drink. I will withdraw to first help save the people, I cannot delay.”
Yu Baotian was shocked, he couldn’t believe the words that came from the extravagant Prince’s mouth. Seven Princes was also stunned, he stared at his brother.
While the two stared, the Prince picked up two steamed bread, handed one to Zhou Yunsheng, took one for himself and hastily left.
===========================
T/N:
To the spring – to the afterlife
Si Nian – Remember, the last love interest was named Ning Si Nian. ZYS is remembering him.
炎炎-Burning 景- Bright 曆-Era, 億萬斯年-for billions of years – Line from a poem written by Su Song. Britannica “Chinese scholar and administrative and financial expert in the imperial bureaucracy. His Illustrated Pharmacopoeia (1070) revealed his knowledge of drugs, zoology, metallurgy, and related technology.” I couldn’t find a translation, so I wrote it out by character.
Solitary – A character in Gu Si Nian’s name means solitary/alone. He is making a reference to it.
Zha cai – pressed vegetable. Wikipedia “a type of pickled mustard plant stem originating from Sichuan, China.”