The Villain Runs Wild

Ch 61 - Ruthless Crown Prince x Foolish Prince: Forbearance


The servants of the Eastern Palace found that the Crown Prince’s temper during these days of house arrest seemed much better than before, at least he wasn’t throwing things around and whipping servants to vent, so they inwardly let out a faint sigh of relief.

Lin Sui sat at the long table and looked at all the fine dishes arranged in front of him. The youth next to him was getting ready to sit down, but was stopped by a cold glance from Lin Sui.

“Did this One say you could sit at the same table?”

Hearing those words, the youth revealed an aggrieved and helpless expression, his gaze fixed on the food at the table and his face full of disappointment.

Yan Qin had eaten alone during the days he was ill, so he had been brought over by the palace maids now that the physician said he had recovered. He’d been inwardly surprised that he would be able to eat at the same table as the Crown Prince, after all, the Crown Prince had a disagreeable nature, even the Imperial Noble Consort was a lowly Concubine according to him, so how would he show consideration for his dull-witted younger brother?

Sure enough, although he clearly understood the situation, he naïvely played the role of a fool and made the appropriate facial expressions.

He discovered that the Crown Prince didn’t eat much, and he stopped moving his chopsticks not long after.

“A reward for you.”

Lin Sui wiped his lips, looking at that stupid, naïve dog Yan Qin was pretending to be and restraining a mocking smile from his eyes.

No matter how many times he saw it, he still thought that deliberately well-behaved act Yan Qin was doing was pretty stupid. Stupid and a little cute.

It was a great honour for palace servants to be bestowed the Crown Prince’s leftovers, but the one in front of him wasn’t a palace servant, he was a Prince.

This was clear-cut scorn and disdain. The other Princes would have already flushed red with anger and left, but the Fifth Prince happily sat down on the table and enjoyed Lin Sui’s scraps.

Even the palace servants couldn’t help but pity him in their hearts, the Fifth Prince had been living like a dog begging for food by the Crown Prince’s side, but no one dared to let their thoughts be known, otherwise they feared there would be a few more corpses in the dried-up well in the interior of the palace tomorrow.

Yan Qin himself actually didn’t really care about this kind of humiliation, after all, he had experienced even more extreme things during these last few years.

Whether it was becoming a horse for his younger brothers and letting them ride him, or barking like a dog, or eating food mixed with sand… He couldn’t count them all.

Those women in the harem had too many tricks, they had a hundred ways to make people suffer without showing their face, which were enough for them to easily deal with an adult, let alone with him, who was just a stupid child.

Eating the Crown Prince’s leftovers was simply nothing when compared to that. The Crown Prince’s food was as fine as the Emperor’s, and it had already been several years since he’d eaten anything that good.

Seeing Yan Qin devouring his meal, Lin Sui went to his study, wrote a secret letter, and handed it to Fu Shu.

He had to go see his grandfather, but he couldn’t leave the palace now that he was under house arrest, so going through Fu Shu was the fastest way.

Fu Shu saluted and left. She was a silent and earnest young lady who hardly ever spoke much.

A round-faced eunuch served him dinner in the evening, wearing a pleasing smile as he arranged the dishes for Lin Sui.

Seeing that Lin Sui didn’t like Yan Qin, he naturally followed by disliking him as well. His eyes squinted at Yan Qin, but when they fell upon Lin Sui, they were pure flattery once more.

“Is your illness better?”

Lin Sui dully asked only after finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth, since it was improper to speak while eating.

“Replying to Your Highness’ words, this slave is already much better. It was thanks to Your Highness’ concern that Fu Xi was able to get better so quickly and return to serve his Lord as soon as possible.”

“Your Highness, while this slave was ill these past few days, this slave heard some interesting things from a young eunuch, do You want to hear them?”

Lin Sui walked out of the inner palace, neither nodding nor refusing, so Fu Xi, receiving his Lord’s tacit approval, bowed and walked next to him.

This person was the original owner’s personally favoured senior eunuch, Fu Xi. He was used to fawning over his superiors and stepping on those beneath him as he bowed down to ingratiate himself with others, carrying out his flattery to the extreme.

The original owner was a stupid and ignorant brat, and the people around him weren’t any better. Fu Shu was on the Empress and Governor of State Affair’s side, so even though she was respectful to the original owner, it was hard for her to avoid annoying him when his temper made it so she often had to advise the original owner to not take a wrong step. When that happened, he favoured Fu Xi more and more.

In order to curry favour with the Crown Prince in private, Fu Xi could say anything and disparage almost anyone, only singing the original owner’s praises and saying his grandeur was incomparable in the world. If the original owner ascended the throne, Fu Xi would surely be the biggest treacherous court eunuch.

But Fu Xi was no fool. He was an expert at being sycophantic and currying favour, and naturally knew that the original owner was at the end of his road, so he had long since colluded with others to advance the process of the original owner digging his own grave. Many of the blunders the original owner committed were fuelled by him.

“A few days ago, someone from the Imperial Tailors Office said that there was a trick to Concubine Xian’s clothes, which was immediately imitated by Noble Lady Yun, it’s even said that senior maids from both palaces exchanged a few words.”

The story Fu Xi told was not just a senseless joke, these trifling matters could actually reflect the subtle trends in the harem.

Concubine Xian was the Eight Prince’s birth mother, and she was brought up by and allied with the Imperial Noble Consort. Noble Lady Yun was King Qing’s birth mother, and she was also on the Imperial Noble Consort’s side. The conflict between these two people was actually somewhat worth thinking over.

Lin Sui thought to himself that the alliances within these factions were not indestructible, the Eight Prince and Seventh Prince were the same age, only a few months apart, yet the Seventh Prince’s birth mother, Consort De, wanted to seize a future for her son, while Concubine Xian didn’t necessarily have other intentions.

Moreover, the alliance between the Imperial Noble Consort and Noble Lady Yun was also not indestructible, just King Qing was the one linking them together. After giving birth to King Qing, Noble Lady Yun had been promoted to Noble Lady[1], but it had been nineteen years and she was still a Noble Lady.

She had actually been promoted for a time, but was demoted again due to some mistakes. Lin Sui didn’t believe that she had no complaints, furthermore, she was King Qing’s birth mother, so she probably didn’t lack the desire to be Empress either.

Lin Sui listened to Fu Xi as he finished speaking, rewarding him with a few medicinal ingredients and rare curiosities. Fu Xi thanked him with a beaming smile and brows raised in delight, then spoke many beautiful words of blessings.

Lin Sui gazed at the distant sky, a dark gleam streaking across his eyes.

He certainly had to deal with this eunuch, but he still had some value, and he always made the best use of everything.

After he was released from his days of house arrest, Lin Sui found an excuse to leave the palace.

He didn’t bring Fu Xi along, saying he had just recovered from his illness not long ago and still had to take care of himself.

Fu Xi bowed reluctantly, watching as Lin Sui casually picked a young eunuch and left the palace, then hastily went to deliver the news to someone.

The young eunuch following Lin Sui was clearly a little frightened, but he also looked particularly reliable.

“What’s your name?”

Lin Sui asked curiously as he lifted the curtain in the palanquin. He seemed to have picked him at random, but he’d actually been observing the young eunuch for several days.

He saw that he was rather clever and sly when dealing with things, making him a talent he could develop.

“Replying to His Highness, this slave is Liu Zhonghai.”

“That’s quite a good name, who gave it to you?”

The name was quite special among the eunuchs in the harem[2], but he was just a young eunuch, so he definitely didn’t dare to give himself this kind of name.

Liu Zhonghai submissively answered: “It was given by this slave’s adoptive grandfather, Liu Ji.”

Liu Ji was the late former Emperor’s senior eunuch, he had a good reputation for a while, but was not useful to the new Emperor after he ascended the throne, so he announced his retirement and returned to his hometown. Who would have thought that he still had a grandson in this place?

“How many years ago did you come to the palace?”

“Replying to His Highness, seventeen years ago. This slave is the son of a palace maid who had an illicit affair, but this slave’s adoptive grandfather took pity on him and kept him.”

Lin Sui raised his brows slightly, the young eunuch didn’t look that old, but he didn’t expect him to actually be seventeen. Liu Ji had stayed in the harem for a few years after the current Holy One ascended the throne before asking to retire and leave the palace, so probably no one expected that he’d still kept someone here.

Liu Zhonghai saying this was also probably meant to be a capitulation. He had grown up in the harem and was still able to work as a young cleaning eunuch without being found out, so he must have had some skills.

Moreover, he was Liu Ji’s adopted son, so he was not on the Emperor’s, the Imperial Noble Consort’s, or Consort De’s side.

Interesting. Lin Sui liked dealing with smart people.

“This One heard Mother Empress say your adopted grandfather is a clever man.”

Lin Sui smiled lightly as he declared his position. This was not a simple compliment, and Liu Zhonghai understood it, so his face became all the more deferential.

Lin Sui secretly entered the Governor of State Affair’s Mansion, and humbly cupped his hands in greeting towards him.

“This humble official has heard all about what happened a few days ago. Crown Prince needn't be angry, now it seems like they are the impatient ones, so we must keep our composure.”

The Governor of State Affairs, Lin Sen, wore a casual court garment[3], the fine beard on his face accentuated his calm and handsome appearance, and, even if he was already at an enlightened age[4], he still looked full of vigour with two alert eyes.

“This old minister[5] heard that Your behaviour improved this time, Crown Prince. The more flustered You get, the more people achieve what they want,” Lin Sen’s sights swept past Lin Sui, and he stroked his beard as a gleam flashed in his eyes, “The Crown Prince is actually quite calm after a few days of not seeing You.”

Sure enough, the eyes of those floating and sinking in the sea of officialdom were shrewd and ruthless. He could tell Lin Sui was different with just a few glances.

Lin Sui was also not planning on pretending to be stupid and arrogant. He’d come for a face-to-face meeting this time, so naturally there was a reason for his change.

“Grandfather, I came here this time because I want You to secretly find a few people.”

Lin Sui stared fixedly at Lin Sen as he spat out the information in his mind.

“A woman whose clan name is He, who is the sister-in-law of a woman surnamed Wang who lived in the south of Zhuangzi back during that time, Physician Zhou Peng of Xingchun Hall, and the palace maid of the Qingning Palace, Shao Xiang, who already left the palace.”

As he spat out the names, Lin Sen’s expression changed abruptly.

That woman surnamed Wang was the original owner’s birth mother, and her sister-in-law knew the inside story about the child being taken away, she even knew about a birthmark the child had. The Physician at Xingchun Hall had once examined Lady Wang’s pulse, so he knew about the child’s time of birth. Shao Xiang had eavesdropped in on the plan to pass the pauper off as a prince back then, but she hadn’t been found out, and she had been smoothly released from the palace when she came of age.

Lin Sen was so flustered he couldn’t even keep up the deportment of a Governor, hastily asking: “How did you find out?”

“Grandfather doesn’t need to know how I found out, I’ve already taken care of the person who informed me of this. Find these three people without divulging anything and control them. Grandfather, you should know the serious nature of this better than me.”

“A weed needs to be dug out from the roots, You and Mother Empress were careless.”

The young Crown Prince’s expression was still dark, but it had a kind of edge and sharpness that one couldn't look directly at.

Lin Sen looked at the grandson in front of him and spat out an exhale.

He suddenly understood the reason behind the Crown Prince’s transformation, fortunately he wasn’t a complete idiot.

Lin Sen saluted: “This old minister understands, it’s just, why control them?”

“I have other uses for them, do not divulge any information by any means.”

Lin Sui naturally had a plan. It wasn’t as easy to establish his own power now as it was in the modern era, so he had to expand his power with the help of Lin Sen’s strength.

“Yes. You should return to the palace, this old minister fears people will seize the chance to make trouble if You stay for long.”

Lin Sui left the mansion again in secret, got on the palanquin and went around the street, then returned to the palace.

System: [You you you’re actually cheating!]

System: [If you kill them, then who’s going to find evidence later?]

System: [You really are a rotten brat, you’re so terrible!]

The System had assimilated the bitter lessons it learnt the last two times, so it had deliberately given Lin Sui the background of someone who made enemies out of everyone, but now it seemed that the direction things were going in was not quite what it had anticipated.

Lin Sui answered its question with a surprised question of his own: [Have you only known me for a day?]

If it wasn’t for Yan Qin being the protagonist, he wouldn’t have kept those witnesses alive, but it was because of Yan Qin that he was trying to take control.

It wasn’t just that he had other uses for them, just thinking about Yan Qin’s noble character made him forbear from the idea of disposing of them.

He was just that kind of selfish, malicious, and unscrupulous person. What kind of villain would he be if he were good?

 

◆◇◆The author has something to say:

Mean mother-in-law: Rotten brat!

Wife: I would have already torn you apart if it wasn’t for Yan Qin’s sake.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆[1] She used to be a First Class Attendant. The hierarchy is: Empress > Imperial Noble Consort > Noble Consort > Consort > Concubine > Noble Lady > First Class Attendant. ⤴

[2] I’m not familiar with eunuch naming conventions but his name sounds quite nice and, if we go by meaning, it literally translates to ‘Loyal Sea’, with Liu being a surname but also a battle-axe or maybe kill/conquer in classical chinese, which is much more poetic when compared to sb like Fu Xi whose name is a lot simpler and translates to ‘Luck Happiness’. ⤴

[3] This word literally translates to ‘regular clothes’ but it’s better understood as a ‘non-ceremonial uniform’ which court officials wore on a daily basis. 

Example Pic.

 ⤴

[4] In his 50s. Confucius says: At 15 years old I’m determined to learn, at 30 I’m independent and capable, at 40 I no longer have doubts, at 50 I know Heaven’s will (and my fate), at 60 I’m willing to listen (to different ideas), at 70 I do as I please without overstepping the rules. ⤴

[5] Using the pronoun ‘老臣 lâochén’ which is a humble form of address from an elder to a monarch. Even though he is Lin Sui’s grandfather, since Lin Sui is Crown Prince, he has to refer to himself humbly and use Formal speech. ⤴