Your Highness, Please Love Me Tender

80. Giving You a Home (1)

Translator: Flying Lines

On the next day, just before the break of dawn, a royal decree arrived at Prince Rui’s residence.

“According to the will of heaven, the Emperor has ordered Prince Rui to reflect on his mistakes. He is fined a year’s salary due to his mishandling of matters in City Hao. However, since Prince Rui has worked diligently, he is to be rewarded with ten boxes of silver and a hundred pieces of brocade. Respect this.”

The last words of the eunuch were drawn out and sharp. Once he finished reading the decree, he faced Xiao Shengnian with a wide smile.

“I thank father.” Xiao Shengnian was a person who embodied the phrase ‘to remain indifferent whether favors granted or subject to humiliation’. He received the decree and used a clear and warm voice to call Zhui Xing. Zhui Xing then stuffed a handful of silver into the eunuch’s hands.

Even though the eunuch was someone who the Emperor favored, he was struck with a sense of profound respect and humility. He heard about a previous eunuch, who had served the Emperor for seven years, was alienated by the Emperor because he bumped into Prince Rui accidentally.

And now, who wouldn’t know that the Emperor favored Prince Rui the most? Even if the prince let Sun Shu escape from under his nose at City Hao, the punishment in the decree was neither light nor severe. Although he was fined a year’s worth of salary, he was rewarded with items worth much more than a year’s salary in the blink of an eye.

After the eunuch left, Xiao Shengnian glanced coolly at the rewards that filled the courtyard. He ordered Zhui Xing, “Go, give half of them to Young Master Wen.”

Despite Xiao Shengnian knowing Wen Nianxuan’s real name was Su Jie, the others in the residence did not. That was why he still referred to Su Jie as Young Master Wen.

Zhui Xing’s facial muscles lightly twitched upon receiving the order. He answered, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Yet, Xiao Shengnian was facing the east side of the sky. His eyes were narrowed like he was smiling but also like he was mocking something. “Looks like there will be another battle soon…”

Zhui Xing was then ordering for the boxes of rewards to be moved. He had sensitive hearing, so he was able to hear Xiao Shengnian’s words easily. Zhui Xing’s brows knitted lightly but soon spread and with an unchanged expression, he watched as the boxes of rewards were carried away, one by one, by servants.

When Zhui Xing returned to Xiao Shengnian’s side, Xiao Shengnian was still gazing towards the eastern side of the sky.

“Father has finally made a move…” Xiao Shengnian laughed softly. It was unclear whether he did so out of joy or regret.

On State Yanhui’s east was State Liukong that had been hit by natural disasters consecutively these past few years. Their citizens had become destitute and homeless. However, Xiao Shengnain’s father was a man of ambition. State Yanhui’s strength grew stronger and stronger due to his many years of hard work, but he had been discontent with his territory for a long time already.

Coincidentally, many items were discovered to be related to State Liukong when Sun Shu’s home was searched, giving the Emperor a perfect reason to attack State Liukong.

Sun Shu got wind of the situation and ran away. In order to return to Yanling, he escaped in the direction of State Xi. But others thought he chose to flee to another state because he didn’t want to involve State Liukong.

Xiao Shengnian’s guesses were correct. When he received the royal decree, the general who was positioned in a far-away border fortress near State Liukong also received a royal decree. The messenger had traveled all day and night before the decree was finally delivered to the general that evening.

The words of the decree were fierce. It said that citizens of State Liukong had saved Sun Shu and heavily injured State Yanhui’s Prince Rui, who had been escorting Sun Shu, causing the prince to fall into a coma. The furious Emperor ordered: Attack State Liukong!

Even though the situation painted by the decree’s words were untrue – because the one who saved Sun Shu was Zhou Zaiyue, and Xiao Shengnian’s coma was a result of kneeling for too long in the imperial study – the generals, nor the soldiers, knew about this. All they knew was that the Emperor’s son was injured and that State Liukong was responsible.

All kinds of grains, hay, soldiers, and horses were gathered at the fortress.

At this point, the war on the continent was about to begin.

Preparations for the war had already begun, which meant that countless citizens would lose their loved ones, and numerous families would be torn apart. Not to mention that there would be an endless stream of fresh blood falling onto the ground’s soil and flying in the air…

On the contrary, Su Jie’s life was no longer all about fighting and killing. Instead, he lived a peaceful and stable life like an ordinary citizen.

It was much easier to live in Prince Rui’s residence than it had been living with the Guqin Master. This was because, even though Prince Rui was overbearing in certain situations, he did not restrict Su Jie. It was just that he was rather possessive, and did not like Su Jie getting closer with other male creatures except for himself.

“Little slave, where would you want to go if your poison was cured?” Xiao Shengnian had a somewhat subtle feeling when facing Su Jie ever since he had found out Su Jie was a man of sacrifice.

“I don’t know. I probably… don’t have a home anymore.” Su Jie smiled. There was no sign of loneliness in his tone, and his low laughter dissipated in the wind. The youth’s expression did not seem sad and his lips, which were as soft as petals, curled into a gentle and charming smile. He looked so free and lighthearted but, Xiao Shengnian heard the bitterness and helplessness in his words.

Su Jie tilted his head, his clear eyes reflecting Xiao Shengnian’s appearance, and laughed, “If Your Highness were to kick me out, then I think I would just wander around?”

“I won’t kick you out of the residence but the question is, what should I do if you ran away?”

Xiao Shengnian knew that the small village Su Jie had lived in was destroyed by the Guqin Master. After all, Zhou Zaiyue’s talent and abilities were immeasurable. If Zhou Zaiyue took Su Jie away, it would be difficult for Xiao Shengnian to find him.

Therefore, Xiao Shengnian wanted to know what Su Jie’s attitude towards this was. If he wasn’t being controlled by the Death Gu, would his little slave still continue to stay in his residence?