novelhk Chapter 183 Unruly, Ruthless, and Cunning Prince (Gong) VS Debauched, Insane, and Sickly Emperor (Sh
Chapter 183 Unruly, Ruthless, and Cunning Prince (Gong) VS Debauched, Insane, and Sickly Emperor (Sh
“Very well.” Jiang Xiyu said, looking at Xie Chenyao with a smile, and asked, “Young Master Xie, would you like to take a walk with me? It has been a long time since we last met.”
The phrase "long time no see" reminded Xie Chenyao of the scene he witnessed at the mansion that day. His heart trembled slightly, and he replied, "Yes."
The eunuchs led the way with lanterns, and Jiang Xiyu did not allow them to get too close. Even when Yuan Huan tried to help him up, Jiang Xiyu refused.
Seeing this, Xie Chenyao calmly said, "Let me support Your Majesty."
As soon as he finished speaking, the night wind grew even colder, as if a chill was seeping into his bones along his skin.
The atmosphere around him seemed to be completely crushed under Yuan Huan's feet. He stood there, looking at the two people walking side by side in front of him, and suddenly sneered.
Xie Chenyao won first place in the spring hunt, and Jiang Xiyu asked him if he would like to become an official.
The spring hunt was originally an opportunity for scions of noble families, but Xie Chenyao refused it now that the opportunity was before him.
Xie Chenyao only said, "I will participate in next year's imperial examination."
The political situation is currently volatile, and his father is already a high-ranking official. If his son is promoted to a higher position so easily, it will inevitably cause other troubles.
My father has struggled for so many years, and to reach this position he is destined to make countless enemies.
If he hadn't entered officialdom, the Xie family would have inevitably faced the fate of being discarded after their usefulness was over.
Since that's the case, let him do it.
Whether for his elderly father or for the dawn of a new era, he would rely on his own abilities to secure his place.
Jiang Xiyu understood Xie Chenyao's intention and suddenly stopped to look at him.
Xie Chenyao was also determined to meet his gaze.
After a long silence, the emperor no longer concealed his ambition.
He addressed his future ministers, promising, "If you can achieve the same success in next year's imperial examination as you do today, then I will grant you the right to be the most important person under the throne when I come of age and assume personal rule."
A subject will be loyal to the king he has chosen, and a king will only appoint the subjects he has chosen to important positions.
Xie Chenyao didn't know why His Majesty would make such a promise to him, but being the first person under the throne meant that the emperor and his ministers were interdependent in the court.
A ruler will not abandon his subjects, and subjects will not abandon their ruler—what a moving promise this is.
Xie Chenyao was stunned for a long time. Finally, with the emperor's encouraging gaze, he took two steps back, knelt down, and slowly performed the grand salute of a subject to a ruler.
Jiang Xiyu reached out and helped him up, finally showing a genuine smile, and pulled him forward.
Xie Chenyao curled his fingertips, responding as he allowed the king to lead him.
As his long hair swept across the room, Xie Chenyao's usually cool and aloof expression softened slightly in the darkness.
In stark contrast, Yuan Huan's eyes were filled with a murderous intent, carrying a jealousy that he himself seemed unaware of.
Everyone followed behind, the emperor and his subjects side by side.
The road ahead was dark, and all those around him were his subjects, yet the young emperor was willing to hold the hands of others and walk forward.
Yuan Huan couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart at that moment. He just suddenly felt a discomfort in his chest, and the wind blowing over him seemed to be engulfing him, making it hard for him to breathe.
The young emperor seems to treat everyone this way, sometimes close and sometimes distant.
He seemed completely unaware of the unspeakable allure of his actions, an allure not unique to Yuan Huan.
This realization triggered a sudden surge of Yuan Huan's terrifying possessiveness.
He stepped forward and separated the two, suppressing his emotions and saying expressionlessly, "Your Majesty, it's time to go back and take your medicine."
His tall stature easily blocked Xie Chenyao's view, keeping the young emperor firmly in his shadow.
The warmth on Xie Chenyao's hand dissipated, and after a moment of stunned silence, he coldly raised his eyes to meet Yuan Huan's gaze.
Yuan Huan didn't even look at him; his peripheral vision revealed disdain.
Xie Chenyao, a proud son of heaven, had never seen a shameless rogue like Yuan Huan.
His hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched into fists, and he could not say anything even with his eyes lowered.
Jiang Xiyu glanced at the night sky and realized it was indeed time to take her medicine, so she agreed to go back.
On the way back, Yuan Huan shamelessly walked between the two, deliberately keeping a distance.
Xie Chenyao was sidelined.
He looked at Yuan Huan's defiant gesture as he held the Emperor's hand, and his eyes finally darkened.
After parting ways with Xie Chenyao, as Jiang Xiyu walked towards the camp, he suddenly asked Yuan Huan, "You don't like Xie Chenyao?"
Yuan Huan immediately frowned deeply, looking disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly. He pointed to his head and said, "I am not sick."
Why should he like Xie Chenyao? He just wants Xie Chenyao to die somewhere else.
Jiang Xiyu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Yuan Huan remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and asked, "Does His Majesty like him?"
Jiang Xiyu glanced at Yuan Huan, and after a moment, said in a slightly joking tone, "I like it."
"Xie Chenyao is an exceptionally talented person, and he will be of great use to me in the future."
Yuan Huan's jealousy subsided somewhat, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth and say, "What use is he? Am I not more useful than him?"
He doesn't even hold a minor official position. He, the dignified Crown Prince of Beiyuan, commands hundreds of thousands of troops, yet he's less useful than a pretty boy.
A dark glint flashed in Jiang Xiyu's eyes. After a long while, he casually told Yuan Huan, "After the Prime Minister relinquishes his heavy responsibilities, his position is reserved by me for Xie Chenyao."
Such words and such attitude were enough to make Yuan Huan forever wary of Xie Chenyao.
Why should we leave it to him?
Yuan Huan felt a strange pang of sadness in his heart, a heavy and oppressive feeling.
He remained silent for a while, his expression unreadable, but his voice sounded slightly muffled in the night.
He asked a foolish question out of the blue: "And what about me? What did His Majesty leave me?"
Jiang Xiyu seemed puzzled, chuckled, and looked at him, saying, "Young Master has everything, what more could you want?"
Yuan Huan stared at him and said very softly, "Your Majesty knows what I want, but Your Majesty will not give it to me."
Jiang Xiyu suddenly became serious and sighed slightly, "What you want is treasonous. The fact that I haven't killed you is already a great favor."
Yuan Huan changed the subject, gazing intently at him and asking seriously, "Does Your Majesty like me?"
The two people were actually very close, so close that it seemed there was no extra space between them.
When our eyes met, it was as if we could hear our own heartbeats in the still night.
Yuan Huan suddenly felt nervous, and his palms became sweaty.
Oh shit.
I'm out of my mind, how could I ask such a question?
Jiang Xiyu paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes, a smile mixed with a sigh: "I like it, didn't I already say so?"
"I like the Crown Prince..."
"I like anyone who is good-looking."
So, you also like Xie Chenyao.
Yuan Huan clenched his fists, feeling both happy and unhappy.
What makes him happy is that everyone is the same in the little emperor's heart; what makes him unhappy is that they are all the same.
Yuan Huan pursed his lips tightly, and after a moment, said self-deprecatingly, "His Majesty's heart is truly divided into many branches, with people standing everywhere."
On that occasion on the palace road, the young emperor risked being captured and killed by Garuda just to protect a woman.
After arriving at the Lishan Palace, he was surrounded by beautiful women, and he frequently summoned the pipa player.
Now that they've arrived at the hunting grounds, he says he likes Xie Chenyao.
He began to have designs on Xie Chenyao again.
A surge of savagery suddenly rose in Yuan Huan's heart.
He really wanted to kill all those people.
If the young emperor had another person in his heart, he would kill that person.
Good-looking?
He wouldn't allow anyone to be better looking than him, nor would he allow anyone to steal the little emperor's attention.
Whoever takes it, we'll kill them!
After Yuan Huan finished thinking, a wave of shock surged in his heart.
He seemed to suddenly realize what he had been deliberately avoiding, and his expression as he stared at the young emperor suddenly became ugly and complicated.