Chapter 71 - See If I Can Kill Her
On New Year's Eve, the entire capital was filled with joy. On this day, the curfew was lifted, and the emperor would lead his subjects up the city walls to address the commoners.
Yin Xu was also required to attend the palace banquet, so early in the morning, a eunuch arrived to deliver an imperial decree, offering New Year gifts and bringing an old wet nurse to instruct Yin Xu in court etiquette.
It was clear that the emperor had not forgotten about Yin Xu.
Yin Xu and the stern old lady exchanged glances several times before he asked in a scrutinizing tone, “What do you intend to teach?”
This was the first time the Seventh Young Master had entered the palace, so he only needed to learn the proper way to pay respects. Learning too much would be a waste if he couldn't put it into practice later.
“Alright, then show me,” Yin Xu said calmly, standing with his arms folded across his chest.
The old nurse flicked the dust off her meticulous clothing. “Then Seventh Young Master must watch closely. I'll only demonstrate once.” She then knelt in the most standard position and executed a series of ceremonial bows.
From Yin Xu's perspective, the so-called ceremony was merely three kowtows and nine bows. While the nurse bowed her head, Yin Xu struck the back of her neck with his palm, rendering her unconscious.
Wu Sheng and the old butler, who had accompanied them throughout the journey, stood agape, as if their souls had left their bodies.
“Young Master… This…” Wu Sheng swallowed hard and pointed to the figure collapsed on the ground. “This person is from the palace, sent by the emperor. Your actions are highly disrespectful.”
Yin Xu wiped his hands with a handkerchief and responded calmly, “Don't think I'm a fool. Teng Yu said all the palace women are under Imperial Consort Yun's control, and this old lady must have been sent by her. If she wants to trick me, she needs to see if I'll take the bait!”
“And what if she's not?”
“If she isn't, she isn't. No big deal. They'll just say she was knocked out by the Third Prince. Do you think the emperor will give his son a hard time over a servant?”
Wu Sheng covered his face with his hands, finding it difficult to accept that this was the same shy and timid young master he had known.
He really wanted to say, “Young master, can you at least show some restraint?”
“No one is to touch her. Let her wake up naturally before kicking her out. Just say she fell asleep on her own.”
“No way she'll believe that!” Wu Sheng muttered. He pulled on the butler's sleeve, hoping he would talk sense into the young master.
The butler glanced at the unconscious nurse, then at Yin Xu, sighed, and walked away.
“Alas, I'm too old to be of any use. Maybe the young master would be happier if I were stronger,” he thought.
Yin Xu confidently walked past the barrier and returned to the Scenic Garden. After searching the room and not finding Teng Yu, he learned that he was in the study and headed there directly.
In the study, Steward Han was holding a booklet and reporting on this year's ceremony. “As per your instructions, I've directed half of the annual gifts toward the First Prince. Aside from the Ministry of War, the Grand Scholar at Han Lin Academy, and Lord Wang Lin of the Imperial Court, the other families' gifts have been significantly reduced compared to previous years.”
“Yuan Shangmin?”
“Yes.”
Teng Yu glanced down at the classified report in his hands and pointed to a sentence. “Imperial Consort Yun plans to marry the Yuan Family's second daughter to the Second Prince as his second wife. Looks like the Yuan Family is determined to stick with this ship.”
Han Sen asked skeptically, “If they're on the same side, why would Imperial Consort Yun want to marry the Yuan Family's daughter to the Second Prince?”
“First, have someone investigate this Yuan Family second daughter. If she's not favored, she might be an outcast. Otherwise, there's something we're missing.”
“Understood,” Han Sen replied, then asked anxiously, “Your Highness, have you confirmed which family the Consort chose for her daughter? You can't approve that match. That woman isn't that benevolent.”
Teng Yu scanned the intelligence report, and as he read the final page, he smiled. “It turns out to be Duke Xian's only daughter. Quite the strategic move!”
“What?”
“What?”
Two voices spoke simultaneously. Teng Yu looked up to see Yin Xu bursting through the door.
Han Sen frowned, saying, “Seventh Young Master, this study is important. Please remember to knock first.” Even though Yin Xu was favored by His Highness, certain rules needed to be observed.
Yin Xu ignored him, slamming one hand on the table while grabbing the report from Teng Yu with the other.
“Who is this Duke Xian? Who's his only daughter? And marry you?” After firing off three questions in quick succession, Yin Xu realized he was overreacting but still looked at Teng Yu with intense eyes.
He couldn't explain why he felt so strongly about the news of a woman marrying Teng Yu. There were already many men and women in Teng Yu's household, yet he had never reacted like this before.
Teng Yu gestured with his eyes for Han Sen to shut the door. “Duke Xian's mother was the Eldest Princess, who was the favorite of the previous emperor and the sister of the late emperor. He was granted the title of Duke upon birth.
She initially wanted to find a daughter-in-law who could manage the household so her son wouldn't be misled by others. But the Crown Princess proved too formidable, unable to bear a son herself.
Nevertheless, the princess was jealous and controlling, overseeing the household and even monitoring Duke Xian's external activities. As a result, Duke Xian couldn't interact with other women outside the family, leaving only one woman left.”
Yin Xu also understood how insistent the Liang clan was on succession. Continuing the family line was a priority for all families, particularly one like the duke's.
“Then why don't the Grand Princess or the Emperor intervene?”
“The Eldest Princess died the year after that woman entered. As for the Emperor, he was the one she most looked down upon. How could he have helped? If anything, he was likely to exacerbate the situation.”
“Hold on, back to the main topic, are you saying this woman wants to marry you? Who made that decision?”
“It's that person in the palace, of course. Who else has the authority to determine this hall's marriage?”
“So, are you planning to marry her?” Yin Xu slammed the table, his eyes blazing with fury. “I don't agree!”
“…” Teng Yu was taken aback by his outburst. Looking into his furious eyes, he curiously asked, “Why are you opposed?”
Teng Yu's heartbeat quickened as he clenched his fists on his knees. Nervous sweat formed in his palms, though he wasn't even sure what he was nervous about.
Shouldn't he be asking, “Why don't you agree?” Can you handle it? Is that an issue?
After Yin Xu said this, he paused, and after a moment of reflection, frowned, “You're married, where am I supposed to sleep?”
Teng Yu raised an eyebrow, held his breath, and asked, “In this enormous prince's mansion, are you really concerned about not finding a place to sleep?”
“Why is that the same? I prefer your bed.” Yin Xu asserted his dominance to the fullest. In the Demon Lord's view, what belongs to him is his alone, and no one is allowed to touch his belongings, whether people or objects.
“Then I'll have someone make you an identical bed!” Teng Yu replied through gritted teeth.
“Are you that eager to sleep with a woman?” Yin Xu, feeling slighted, was incensed. “There are so many women in the backyard; isn't that enough for you?”
Teng Yu looked at him deeply, “How is marrying one more any different? One extra isn't too many.”
Not too many? Yin Xu asked himself… It really didn't seem like too many. It's just a woman; why was he so upset?
Yin Xu couldn't understand, but he wasn't one to be indecisive. If he couldn't comprehend it, he didn't want to witness it.
“If you dare to marry into the sect, I'll kill you!” With that, the Demon Lord stormed off, leaving Teng Yu and his son staring at each other in bewilderment.
“Han Sen, what do you think is wrong with him?” Although His Highness the Prince asked this, he was secretly pleased, a happiness that appeared out of nowhere.
Han Sen had been standing off to the side with his head bowed, trying to remain unnoticed. Now, he had no choice but to step forward, “Seventh Young Master… he's jealous, isn't he?”
“What?” Teng Yu was startled, accidentally knocking over the inkstone on the table and spilling thick black ink everywhere.
“Does Your Highness not realize?” Han Sen cautiously asked, “Doesn't Your Highness also like the Seventh Young Master?”
“I like him?” Teng Yu protested, “Those are just rumors. Why are you asking me that? Don't you know the nature of our relationship?”
Han Sen thought to himself: I'm not really sure. If they like each other, they don't act inappropriately, nor do they have a deep connection. However, their bond is more natural and intimate than that of typical couples.
Does the Third Prince not realize how gentle his gaze is when he looks at him?
Although Han Sen was a eunuch and had never experienced love firsthand, he'd seen plenty in the palace over the years. He'd observed the bonds between guards and maids, and the affections of concubines toward the emperor could be discerned in their eyes.
As for Seventh Young Master Huo, he wasn't sure, but he could tell the Seventh Young Master was more intrigued by His Highness than emotionally attached.
But if you don't like someone, would you still feel possessive?