Hao Lin strode in with large steps, a gentle smile on his face. Shang Chuanhong followed behind him. Before entering, the two had clearly been chatting about something, both wearing smiles at the corners of their eyes, looking to be in quite a good mood.
The Emperor also restrained the thoughts in his heart slightly, masking everything flawlessly on his face.
“Emperor Lin seems to be in good spirits. Is there some happy occasion?”
Eunuch Li knowingly brought two bowls of steaming tea for the Emperor and Hao Lin. On the surface, he stood calmly behind the Emperor, but in truth, he would occasionally glance at Shang Chuanhong. Thinking about the things Shang Chuanhong had privately discussed with him, he felt somewhat uneasy.
“Oh, I heard that Linhan Palace… no, it should now be called Wenyang Palace—is about to be completed. Naturally, I’m pleased. My rather willful younger sister will finally have a place to belong.”
Hao Lin laughed lightly. The Emperor also gave a symbolic chuckle, though he felt no joy at all inside. There had been no word from the Third Prince. Princess Wenyang continued to stay there, and it was unclear how the two were getting along. Although the Third Prince had not driven her out, from what Eunuch Li had said earlier, it was clear that most of his attention was not on her.
“Does Your Majesty have something on your mind?”
Hao Lin’s words startled the Emperor. He had thought he had concealed his thoughts well, yet in just a brief lapse, Hao Lin had seen through him. As he considered how to respond, he answered casually, “Of course I have concerns. Although my other two sons have already taken consorts, I worry most about my third son. He is young, proud, and aloof. Princess Wenyang is of such noble status—I fear she may not be able to tolerate his temperament, and in the end, your precious sister might be wronged.”
“Your Majesty need not worry.” Hao Lin tapped lightly on the table, speaking in a casual tone. “You don’t understand my sister well. Though she was raised in luxury and can be domineering, rarely anything catches her interest. But once she sets her sights on something, she cherishes it deeply—and the same applies to people.”
“I’m not worried about her feelings toward my third son. I’m worried about him…”
“Your Majesty is overthinking.” Hao Lin chuckled. “If you are concerned, why not go to the courtyard and see for yourself? As her elder brother, I haven’t visited my sister in quite some time. Now that you mention it, I find myself wanting to see her.”
These words placed the Emperor in a dilemma. If he agreed and the situation Eunuch Li described turned out to be true, it would be quite embarrassing for Hao Lin to witness it. But if he refused, it would seem inappropriate—after all, how could an Emperor hesitate to visit his own son’s residence?
Moreover, the Emperor himself wanted to confirm what Eunuch Li had reported. If it were true, it would only add to his worries.
“Your Majesty, I have something to say,” Eunuch Li said, leaning in to whisper.
The Emperor glanced at Hao Lin, who was chatting happily with Shang Chuanhong, then nodded for Eunuch Li to continue.
“I believe Emperor Lin’s purpose this time isn’t just to see his sister. There may be another motive. Has Your Majesty forgotten what I told you?”
The Emperor’s gaze stiffened slightly before returning to normal. Looking at Hao Lin, he immediately put on a considerate expression.
“That would be perfect. I had the same thought. Emperor Lin, please rest for a moment. We will depart shortly.”
“Your Highness, I woke early this morning to collect fresh dew from the back mountain and brewed a bowl of tea for you. Will Your Highness do me the honor of trying it?”
The Third Prince looked up and saw a delicate, beautiful face filled with concern and attentiveness. Princess Wenyang stood before him, with Qingyun beside her. Qingyun had clearly not had time to change clothes; traces of morning dew still clung to her, and sweat covered her forehead. Princess Wenyang, however, showed no sign of fatigue.
The dew she claimed to have collected was, in truth, gathered by the servants under her orders. Early that morning, she had led a large group to the back mountain. The flower fields there, knee-high, had been trampled into disarray. Each leaf held only a tiny amount of dew—without so many people, it would have been impossible to collect enough for a single bowl.
A slight movement appeared at the corner of the Third Prince’s brow. He nodded, signaling Qingyun to place the tea on the nearby table. His eyes remained fixed on the scroll in his hands, as if everything around him were irrelevant.
Princess Wenyang immediately felt dejected. Seeing that the Third Prince showed none of the reaction she had hoped for, she sat down heavily on a nearby stool, making a loud noise.
The sound triggered a sensitive nerve in the Third Prince. He looked up at her—whether it was a warning or a question was unclear. But when he lowered his head again, Princess Wenyang did not dare make another sound.
“Your Highness, Guard Su has returned,” Eunuch Tai’an’s voice came from outside.
At last, some expression appeared on the Third Prince’s face. He set down the scroll and rose from his seat. As he passed by Princess Wenyang, it was like a gust of wind rippling across a still lake—the disturbance lingered long after. By the time she came back to her senses, he had already left.
The two walked together to Gaowang Pavilion, surrounded by a grove of purple bamboo. Everything below appeared slightly blurred. Warm sunlight fell on the Third Prince’s side profile, softening his usually sharp features. For a moment, Su Ruhan had the illusion that the Third Prince had not summoned him to question him.
“Yue Lingchai often appeared around Linhan Palace. Did you know this all along, or did you only find out on the day Linhan Palace was destroyed?”
Su Ruhan answered honestly, “I only found out on the day it was destroyed.”
After the Third Prince asked this question, the two fell into silence again. Regarding Su Ruhan’s identity, the Third Prince had already summoned him some days ago to clarify it, yet after waiting several days, Su Ruhan never heard the matter brought up again. Now that he had been called here, it was most likely because of this.
“Your Highness must have noticed it long ago, right?” Su Ruhan asked proactively.
The Third Prince nodded. “Yes, I noticed it quite early.”
“Then that day, when I crippled my own martial arts here, why did Your Highness still spare my life? For someone of your status, the most taboo thing is to keep hidden dangers close. After learning my identity, not only did you not eliminate me, you even brought me back to Qingyun Palace and continued to let me serve as your personal guard.”
“Do I still need to explain? You already have the answer in your heart.”
At last, the Third Prince turned his face and looked directly at Su Ruhan. Su Ruhan had put away his usual dutiful expression, replacing it with calmness and composure. In the Third Prince’s eyes, Su Ruhan now resembled an immovable iceberg. When it melts, what you see is a bare peak, trampled at will; when it freezes again, those who once stepped freely will fall from the summit, impaled upon jagged ice below.
“Your Highness, I am different from you. You personally experienced your own suffering, while I witnessed the misfortune of others with my own eyes. Compared to you, my heart is somewhat softer. Over these past ten years, every time I left the courtyard, I could have completely erased Su Ruhan from existence. But because Your Highness treated me differently from others, I returned every single time. Your Highness, do you believe what I say?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” the Third Prince replied calmly. “What you do has nothing to do with me. Even knowing you have another identity, as long as it does not affect me, you may do as you wish.”
“And if one day it does affect you?”
“Then before that day comes, do your duty well as my guard.”
Hearing this, a strange emotion stirred within Su Ruhan. He had always believed his hatred was unshakable—true in the past, and still true now. But at this moment, he suddenly realized that he still clung to something else. What had once been merely a stepping stone had inexplicably gained another meaning.
The Third Prince turned to walk down the path, but Su Ruhan called out to him and stepped forward, blocking his way.
“Your Highness, may I ask a question?”
The Third Prince glanced at him indifferently, signaling him to speak.
After hesitating for a moment, Su Ruhan asked, “Your Highness kept me—not only because I still have value, but… is there another reason?”
The moment he asked, Su Ruhan nearly wanted to slap himself. It was no different from asking whether, over these many years, the Third Prince had ever held even a trace of feeling for him.
Su Ruhan knew the Third Prince better than anyone. Most of his thoughts could be guessed with ease. Yet when it came to himself, everything suddenly became unclear. He regretted asking—just for the sake of emotional balance, he had exposed himself so much.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the Third Prince’s lips curved slightly. He gave Su Ruhan a meaningful look, sighed lightly, and said nothing, simply continuing down the path.
What was that supposed to mean?
Su Ruhan was filled with regret. Recently, he had made the Third Prince jealous more than once, something that had secretly pleased him. Yet now, a single question had cost him all his composure.
Thinking of jealousy, Su Ruhan found it strange. This kind of thing had happened more than once, yet the Third Prince had never brought it up again afterward. Take what happened a few days ago—given the Third Prince’s temperament, it would not have been surprising if he had flayed him alive. Yet until now, there had been no reaction at all.
Based on Su Ruhan’s understanding of him, the Third Prince would never let things go so easily. The longer the matter was delayed, the more severe the consequences would be.
The two walked slowly, more like strolling than returning. Both seemed to be waiting for the other to speak, yet both concealed it well, maintaining an appearance of indifference.
Halfway along, a guard came running toward them. The Third Prince stopped and waited for him to approach.
“Your Highness, the Emperor and Emperor Lin are waiting outside the courtyard. Shall they be permitted to enter?”
The Third Prince let out a faint scoff. After waiting so long, they had finally arrived.
“Send word: if the Emperor wishes to enter the courtyard, how could it be refused? In the future, there is no need to ask for permission. Just like when the decree was issued to demolish Linhan Palace—simply bring them in directly.”
The guard looked startled. If he really delivered those words, the Emperor would surely be furious. But he could not disobey the Third Prince, so he responded with a hesitant “Yes” and walked toward the gate with unease.
Next
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment