“Guard Su…”
Su Ruhan turned around and saw Eunuch Tai’an hurrying toward him. His face looked as if he had been badly frightened—pale as paper.
“What’s wrong?” Su Ruhan asked.
Clutching his chest and catching his breath, Eunuch Tai’an said anxiously, “Guard Su, please go check on His Highness. Ever since he came back, he’s been smashing things in his room. It’s full of shattered pieces—I’ve never seen His Highness so furious!”
Hearing this, Su Ruhan immediately strode toward the Third Prince’s room. As he walked, he tried to figure out the reason. When the Third Prince returned, he had already ordered the servants to stop searching for Mu Xueshi—it seemed certain that he was with Emperor Hao Lin. Now that Mu Xueshi hadn’t returned with him, he must have stayed there. Could it be that Hao Lin refused to let him go?
But given the Third Prince’s temperament, even if Hao Lin refused, he would have taken Mu Xueshi back by force. Besides, Hao Lin had no need to detain Mu Xueshi and openly clash with the Third Prince. Could it be that Mu Xueshi himself refused to return…
As Su Ruhan was still thinking, he felt the ground tremble. Something inside the room had toppled—and it was something large.
Su Ruhan pushed the door, but it wouldn’t budge. With more force, he managed to push it open just a crack. Only then did he see—the bookshelf had fallen, blocking the doorway.
He struggled to lift the shelf. Inside the hall, there was barely any place to step. Shattered debris was everywhere. The Third Prince stood amid the wreckage, his face ashen.
“Your Highness…” Su Ruhan called cautiously.
It was as if the Third Prince hadn’t heard him. His bloodshot eyes swept across the remaining objects in the room, searching for anything not yet destroyed. After scanning everything… only Su Ruhan remained.
Seeing the murderous look directed at him, Su Ruhan knew he couldn’t escape. He stepped forward calmly. “Your Highness might as well take it out on me. Smashing objects is pointless—they feel nothing. Why waste your anger on them?”
The Third Prince’s expression didn’t soften at all. Su Ruhan took a few more steps forward. Suddenly, the Third Prince grabbed him and began striking him relentlessly. It was the first time Su Ruhan had ever seen him like this—every blow carried nearly full strength. Though it hurt, Su Ruhan endured it without making a sound.
Only when the Third Prince realized that no amount of venting would help did he finally stop.
Su Ruhan let out a soft sigh. “Xueshi—how is—”
“Don’t mention him to me.” The Third Prince’s expression turned frighteningly dark.
Su Ruhan immediately understood—his third guess had been right. Mu Xueshi had refused to return on his own.
“Your Highness, calm down. Right now, we should carefully arrange everything for the night of the third day, and then bring Xueshi back as soon as possible.”
“No need. We’ll focus on our own matters. As for him—let him fend for himself.”
Looking at the Third Prince’s eyes—clearly filled with worry yet masked by resentment—Su Ruhan couldn’t help but feel a sense of emotion. He hadn’t expected his disciple to have such influence. He had followed the Third Prince for over a decade, yet in just these few months, he had seen more emotional turmoil than ever before.
“Your Highness, don’t speak in anger. You know what kind of person Hao Lin is. The longer Xueshi stays there, the more danger he’s in.”
At the mention of Hao Lin, veins bulged on the Third Prince’s forehead, his gaze dark and cold.
“It won’t be long before he can’t smile anymore.”
Su Ruhan frowned thoughtfully, then asked, “Should I bring Xueshi back now? I don’t think that would be difficult for me.”
The Third Prince shook his head. “No need. He won’t act against Xueshi for now.”
Seeing the Third Prince’s expression ease slightly, Su Ruhan spoke seriously, “Your Highness, on the night of the third day—should I stay? In case something happens…”
“No need,” the Third Prince interrupted. “You take Xueshi out of the palace—go as far away as possible. Once I’ve settled matters here, I’ll come find you.”
Su Ruhan sighed softly. “Alright. Then please take care, Your Highness.”
The Third Prince glanced at Su Ruhan’s cheek, bruised from the earlier blows, and his tone softened slightly. “Go to Physician Li and get some wound medicine.”
With that, the Third Prince turned and walked into the inner chamber.
Hao Lin entered the Taihe Hall in high spirits. There, he saw Shang Chuanhong seated to the side, and the Emperor sitting in the center, his face tinged with worry.
The moment Hao Lin’s eyes met Shang Chuanhong’s, he roughly understood the situation. Still, he stepped forward deliberately, feigning ignorance as he spoke to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, why does your expression seem so troubled? In just a few days, it will be your third son’s wedding—surely you should be pleased.”
The Emperor sighed. “Until this worry is resolved, I cannot truly feel happy. Emperor Hao Lin, please take a seat first.”
Hao Lin chuckled lightly and sat beside him.
“To be honest, this matter is partly my fault—my indecision nearly led to disaster.”
“Oh?” Hao Lin lowered his gaze slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Since I invited you here, I intend to apologize sincerely. This afternoon, Wenyang locked herself in her room and attempted to take her own life. If the Prime Minister hadn’t been keeping watch at Wenyang Palace and noticed something amiss, forcing his way in… Wenyang might have…”
Hao Lin inwardly laughed. Shang Chuanhong had been lingering near Hao Lin’s residence the entire time—Hao Lin knew his every move clearly. This whole incident had obviously been staged. Was the Emperor pretending to be foolish… or had he truly lost his senses?
“My imperial sister has truly been spoiled rotten to commit something so absurd. Your Majesty need not apologize—this cannot be blamed on you. I will go to Wenyang Palace myself and properly discipline her.” As Hao Lin spoke, he even rose with a look of anger.
The Emperor quickly pressed him back into his seat, the guilt on his face growing even more apparent.
“How can this be Wenyang’s fault! It’s all because of that troublemaker Mu Xueshi. If Wenyang hadn’t come crying to me, I wouldn’t have known he had bullied her to such an extent. Wenyang Palace was built for her, yet Mu Xueshi barged in and openly challenged the princess—he’s utterly lawless.”
Hao Lin cast the Emperor a meaningful glance and asked softly, “Does Your Majesty intend to eliminate this person?”
The Emperor cleared his throat. Eunuch Li, who stood behind him, stepped forward and bowed. “Emperor Hao Lin, last time you mentioned taking Mu Xueshi away. Do you still remember?”
Hao Lin let out a low chuckle. “Of course I remember. At that time, I intended to use Mu Xueshi to replace the five hundred elite soldiers who mysteriously disappeared. Your Majesty hasn’t forgotten that, I assume?”
The Emperor gave an awkward laugh. “Of course not. Speaking of it, I still feel somewhat guilty.”
“And…” Hao Lin’s tone grew heavier, “last time, using Mu Xueshi to replace those five hundred soldiers was something Your Majesty requested, so naturally it was voluntary. But this time, it is Your Majesty who is asking for my help—shouldn’t that be treated differently?”
The Emperor’s expression shifted slightly. After a moment of thought, as if making a major decision, he looked at Hao Lin and said, “How about this—I will select five hundred elite soldiers from the Yunxi palace as repayment of my favor to you. As for Mu Xueshi, we can consider it mutually beneficial.”
“Heh…” Hao Lin’s smile turned somewhat sinister. He leaned slightly closer to the Emperor and said softly, “Your Majesty must be mistaken. When did I ever say I wanted those five hundred soldiers? What I said was—if Your Majesty is sincere, then gift me five hundred beautiful male concubines.”
“I thought Emperor Hao Lin was merely joking,” the Emperor replied, his voice still holding a trace of composure.
Hao Lin, however, seemed not to hear it and continued teasing, “How could that be? I’m not like Your Majesty, who spends every day worrying about governing the nation. I, Hao Lin, am by nature indulgent—what occupies my mind most is enjoying endless beauty.”
The Emperor’s fingers tightened unconsciously around the armrest of the dragon throne, trembling faintly.
“So according to Emperor Hao Lin, must I issue an order to seize five hundred virgins from the people to repay your favor?”
“Hahaha!” Hao Lin suddenly burst into loud laughter. His earlier frivolous expression disappeared, replaced with a polite one. “Your Majesty, do not be angered—it was merely a joke. I, Hao Lin, am not so unreasonable. If Your Majesty took it seriously, then you think too little of me.”
Only then did the Emperor release his grip on the throne. Though he showed no anger, his heart was filled with frustration. Hao Lin was unpredictable—his words impossible to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Such a person was extremely difficult to deal with.
“Then does that mean I owe Emperor Hao Lin another favor?”
Hao Lin withdrew his smile and spoke seriously. “My imperial sister is marrying into Yunxi, and Your Majesty has gone to such lengths. How could those mere five hundred soldiers compare to your sincerity? Even if there is a return gift, it is only right for me to give it.”
Hearing this, the Emperor felt somewhat relieved—though he still couldn’t tell whether Hao Lin meant it sincerely.
“Moreover, if Your Majesty can assist me in taking Mu Xueshi away, it will settle all the favors between us.”
The Emperor was once again troubled by the same question—what kind of charm did Mu Xueshi possess, that even Hao Lin was so fixated on him? Back then, although he himself had admired Grand Tutor Mu, once he learned his feelings were not returned, he had not forced him. Besides, Grand Tutor Mu had truly been extraordinary—compared to him, Mu Xueshi was far inferior.
But there was one thing the Emperor was certain of—this person could not be allowed to remain.
“Then I will trouble Emperor Hao Lin to discuss the details with me.”
“…”
On the way back, Hao Lin and Shang Chuanhong walked together. Shang Chuanhong remained silent the entire time. Hao Lin, walking to his left, glanced at him and sensed that he seemed preoccupied.
“What’s wrong?” Hao Lin reached out to brush aside a strand of hair by Shang Chuanhong’s ear.
Shang Chuanhong neither dodged nor looked at him, merely saying calmly, “Nothing. I was just thinking—today, in a fit of rage, Wenyang Princess killed all the guards in Wenyang Palace. Yet before they died, every one of them said they had no regrets in this life.”
“Why?”
Shang Chuanhong gave a faint smile. “Because they saw Mu Xueshi’s true face.”
Hao Lin’s expression flickered slightly. He looked at Shang Chuanhong, who still appeared calm and composed.
“What are you trying to say?” Hao Lin asked.
Shang Chuanhong did not hide his thoughts. He spoke directly, “To conquer a nation takes decades of effort. To destroy it… all it takes is a single beauty.”
“You’re worried I’ll truly become infatuated with beauty?”
Hao Lin’s tone sharpened slightly. Because it was Shang Chuanhong questioning him, it stirred an inexplicable irritation.
At last, Shang Chuanhong looked at Hao Lin and said, “But Mu Xueshi is not an ordinary beauty.”
After saying that, the two had already returned to the residence arranged by the Emperor. Shang Chuanhong passed by Hao Lin’s quarters without even glancing inside. Without a word of farewell, he walked straight to his own room.
Hao Lin watched his retreating figure and thought to himself—
The one you’re worried about… is probably yourself.
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