After a while, Eunuch Li hurried back with quick steps, leaned close to the Emperor, and whispered something into his ear. The Emperor’s expression shifted slightly; he tilted his head to glance at Hao Lin, then lowered his eyes in silence.
“Withdraw for now!” the Emperor said to Eunuch Li.
Eunuch Li bowed deeply and retreated to a position not far behind the Emperor.
Hao Lin, as though he had noticed nothing at all, continued watching the performance with great interest. From time to time, he would turn his head and exchange a few lighthearted remarks with Shang Chuanhong, appearing completely at ease.
With a curl of his finger, Hao Lin summoned two lively and clever boys. His warm, large hand seized one of them by the leg and abruptly pulled him into his embrace.
The boy cast Hao Lin a shy glance, but in the next instant, his face turned deathly pale. Without warning, one of Hao Lin’s fingers had already forced its way into the boy’s rear passage, stirring recklessly against the dry, constricted inner walls, drawing from him a stifled cry of pain. Only when Hao Lin felt a warm stream of crimson liquid slowly coating his finger did he withdraw it.
“Prime Minister, I’ll grant this to you as a reward.” Hao Lin pushed the boy into Shang Chuanhong’s arms, then dragged over the other boy and shoved him forward as well.
As Shang Chuanhong wrapped his arms around the two boys, the muscles in his face tightened. A trace of disgust surfaced on his usually refined and elegant features. His resistance was not because, after meeting Mu Xueshi, he had lost interest in others—but rather because of Hao Lin’s conduct.
Another guard officer from Lubei requested an audience at the door. A faint chill rose in the Emperor’s heart. He could roughly guess what the officer would report to Hao Lin, and had already prepared himself for every possible response.
After hearing the guard’s report, Shang Chuanhong asked calmly, “Are you certain Zhang Mu has been detained at Qinyi Courtyard?”
“Since Lord Zhang arrived at Qinyi Courtyard last night, he has not returned. The several hundred elite soldiers he brought with him have also vanished without a trace.”
Shang Chuanhong nodded, then cast his gaze toward Hao Lin. Hao Lin returned the look with meaning, the corners of his lips lifting into a cold smile.
“I wonder if the Emperor would be willing to lend a hand?”
“You jest, Emperor Lin. You are an honored guest of Yunxi. Whatever you require here, simply speak of it.”
Hao Lin rose to his feet and addressed the Emperor with a solemn expression. “My younger sister is mischievous. Yesterday, she went with those elite soldiers to the Third Prince’s palace. To this day, she has not returned, nor is there any news. I am truly uneasy.”
The Emperor’s expression changed. “Prince Lin, do you mean that Princess Wenyang is also at Qinyi Courtyard?”
“Yes…”
The Emperor frowned deeply, worry surfacing in his heart. Earlier, General Xiao had only reported that the several hundred elite soldiers had disappeared within the Third Prince’s palace. Now, a Princess Wenyang had been added to the situation. If it were only the soldiers, Hao Lin might not press too harshly—but with a princess involved, the matter became grave.
“If it is convenient, perhaps the Prime Minister could personally visit Qinyi Courtyard to investigate. Or the Emperor may summon the Third Prince to Taihe Hall and question him before making a decision.”
After hearing Hao Lin’s suggestion, the Emperor felt that summoning the Third Prince to Taihe Hall was more appropriate. If something truly had happened, it was likely connected to the Third Prince’s reluctance to allow others into his palace. Recalling the look in the Third Prince’s eyes before he left yesterday, the Emperor felt it best not to intrude lightly upon his courtyard.
If the Third Prince refused to hand over Linhan Palace, or declined to marry the princess, why not reject the matter openly? The Emperor could not understand. In his view, if the Third Prince did not wish to do something, no one could force him.
Sun Ye returned from Shaman Valley, carrying two yellow paper-wrapped bundles containing medicine he had obtained there. He had not expected the people of Shaman Valley to be so accommodating, nor had he expected such medicine to truly exist.
Passing through the corridor of the small courtyard, Sun Ye encountered Su Ruhan, who was practicing swordsmanship in the open space of the back courtyard. Ever since Su Ruhan had been demoted, he had never returned here to train. Now that he appeared again—could it be that the Third Prince had reinstated him?
With this question in mind, Sun Ye paused and glanced over.
“I am only temporarily assigned here,” Su Ruhan suddenly stopped his sword and said expressionlessly.
Sun Ye did not know how Su Ruhan had perceived his thoughts, but it was the first time Su Ruhan had spoken to him on his own accord. Whether it was due to Su Ruhan’s change or his own, Sun Ye realized he no longer felt the same jealousy as before. Even if Su Ruhan reclaimed his former position, he would not resent it much.
When had his thoughts begun to shift? Sun Ye himself did not know. In the past, all his efforts had been devoted to achieving merit and gaining the Third Prince’s attention. Now, other concerns occupied his mind, and the goal he once pursued so relentlessly had gradually been suppressed…
Was this change good or bad? Tightening his grip on the bundle, Sun Ye quickened his pace toward the Third Prince’s bedchamber.
Turning a corner, he unexpectedly encountered the Third Prince, who seemed to have been waiting there all along, his expression as cold and stern as ever.
Meeting his gaze, Sun Ye suddenly felt a trace of guilt. The emotions stirred by his earlier encounter with Su Ruhan resurfaced, and he felt as though he had failed the Third Prince.
“What? Did you fail to retrieve the medicine?” the Third Prince’s cold voice sounded.
Startled back to his senses, Sun Ye quickly replied, “Reporting to Your Highness, the medicine has been obtained. However, the shaman warned that it must not be taken in excess, or the patient may fall into a nightmare-like slumber and never awaken—or even lose their sanity…”
The Third Prince nodded, took the bundles, and headed toward the pharmacy.
While Mu Xueshi was still in a hazy state, he felt someone prying open his jaw. Instinctively resisting, his half-lidded eyes caught sight of the Third Prince’s face.
The Third Prince’s hand holding the bowl paused slightly, and a trace of coldness faded from his expression. When Mu Xueshi awoke in the past, he would often look like this—eyes half-open like a lazy kitten, needing time before fully waking.
For a moment, the Third Prince felt hesitation, wondering whether he should truly make Mu Xueshi drink this medicine. If he continued to care for him as before, perhaps he would gradually recover.
But upon seeing the chill in Mu Xueshi’s eyes, the last trace of his compassion vanished. He could not bear this person looking at him coldly—not even for a single day. He longed for him to smile again, to speak those lively, mischievous words.
The dark, bitter medicine flowed down Mu Xueshi’s throat into his stomach. He no longer cared what it was. The bitterness spread through his mouth, causing him to shrink his tongue slightly—only to encounter a piece of sweet, soft candy prepared in advance by the Third Prince.
“Your Highness, someone sent by the Emperor requests an audience,” Eunuch Tai’an called from outside.
The Third Prince glanced at Mu Xueshi, who showed no immediate reaction, his expression unchanged. Reaching out, the Third Prince sealed his acupoints, ensuring he would remain quietly inside the room until his return. Perhaps, by the time he came back from the Emperor, Mu Xueshi would have regained all his memories.
He then ordered Sun Ye to guard the outer chamber without leaving even a single step, while Su Ruhan patrolled the courtyard to prevent any disturbances. Without even changing into court attire, the Third Prince departed in light clothing.
Drowsiness overtook Mu Xueshi once more. Fragments began to flash through his mind—like dreams, yet also real. Gradually, they became clearer, faces magnified before his eyes. His heart trembled as he tried to open his eyes, yet he could not escape the grasp of the nightmare.
“Father, do you think I’m ugly?”
“Not at all. My Xueshi is the most beautiful child in my eyes.”
On a stretch of green grass, two figures chased and played—one handsome and extraordinary, the other innocent and lively. Mu Xueshi could only meet his father once a month. He seemed perpetually busy, absent most of the year. When he was away, Mu Xueshi never left the room, despite longing to play outside—he feared the people beyond.
Such a man, radiant like starlight—Mu Xueshi, even as a child, could distinguish beauty from ugliness. And his father was the most beautiful person in the world. A single smile from him sustained Mu Xueshi through years of lonely waiting, just for the chance to fall asleep in his embrace.
“Father, why do you smear these things on me and make me so ugly?” For the first time, Mu Xueshi refused to drink the medicinal soup his father prepared, only then realizing that his father disguised him while he slept.
Grand Tutor Mu led him to a wooden tub filled with water and had him look at his true reflection. The unfamiliar face struck his eyes like a blinding light. After a long moment, Mu Xueshi turned and said softly, “Father, please cover this face again…”
Grand Tutor Mu pulled him into a tight embrace, murmuring, “I want you to live an ordinary life. I don’t want you to walk the same path as me… I… I have been too selfish…”
“Father, I asked you to cover it because I only want you to see my true face.”
Grand Tutor Mu gazed at the person in his arms—those cherry-red lips curved in a faint smile, those soul-stirring eyes misted with emotion. The last barrier in his mind collapsed. Their breathtaking faces drew close, eyes closing in unspoken understanding. That kiss was so beautiful, its lingering sweetness enduring until their eternal parting.
“Xueshi, today I will go to the Prime Minister’s residence to arrange your marriage. You are no longer young—it is time to speak of marriage…”
“Father, you already know.”
“Know what?” For the first time, panic surfaced in Grand Tutor Mu’s eyes.
“That my heart already belongs to someone.”
“That is impossible—it goes against all moral order…”
Mu Xueshi gave a bitter smile. “Father, I am beyond saving. Other than you, there is no room in my heart for anyone else.”
“That is merely dependence—the dependence of a child on his father, nothing more.”
“And for you, Father… is it the same?”
“… ”
One left in silence—yet it became a farewell for eternity. The most unforgettable scene in Mu Xueshi’s life was not that intoxicating kiss, but watching the one he loved burned beyond recognition in a raging fire.
…
No… no… I don’t want to see this—I don’t want to relive it again…
Mu Xueshi struggled violently within his heart. His body could not move, yet sweat had already soaked the pillow beneath his head. The charred corpse replayed endlessly in his mind, devouring his soul inch by inch—white bones, scorched flesh emitting a foul stench. How could that possibly be his unparalleled father? How could that twisted face ever smile with the elegance it once held?
It felt as though his heart was being crushed beneath a carriage wheel again and again. The agony of living was worse than death, like a curse binding him with no escape. At this moment, if he could be freed from such torment, he would accept any condition—pay any price.
Futile Devices Scans 
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