ISWTDB Ch75

Chapter 75: The Secret Guard Is Mentally Ill (15, 16)

Upon hearing faint murmurs from the person on the bed, Huangfu Zhaohong immediately lost his composure. Without thinking much, he pounced directly onto the person lying on the bed.

Before long, the two were entangled together. Hearing the intense commotion in the room, Ying Zhao stepped out from the shadows and let out a sneer.

That incense was something he had specifically instructed Xiao Bai to prepare for him. It was colorless and odorless, leaving little trace after being burned. However, it could quickly cloud a person’s mind, making them act purely on their desires.

Huangfu Zhaohong had already developed lustful thoughts toward Ying Zhao, so naturally, at this moment, he would follow his desires without restraint, doing whatever he pleased to the person lying on the bed—Ying Ning.

Meanwhile, Ying Zhao leisurely returned to the garden, acting as if nothing had happened, and sat back down beside Lu San. When Lu San saw Ying Zhao return, his eyes immediately filled with joy.

He instinctively reached out to grab Ying Zhao’s hand, worried that he might still be feeling unwell. Ying Zhao felt his lover’s concern, and his heart warmed. He smiled gently and said softly, “Don’t worry, I’m fine now.”

Upon hearing this, Lu San carefully observed Ying Zhao’s expression, and seeing that he appeared well, he finally felt a bit relieved.

Afterward, the two of them watched the young masters and ladies in the courtyard play for a while until it was time for the birthday banquet.

They then joined the others at the table. Since Ying Zhao and Lu San were now in a marital relationship, they naturally sat together.

Although the separation between men and women in Dayu was not particularly strict, the seating arrangements for women and men were still divided.

Ying Zhao and Lu San naturally sat on the men’s side. Because Ying Zhao was the heir of the Marquis of Anping, he naturally sat in a position close to the upper seats.

The Empress normally did not attend such banquets, but because the Emperor had been gravely ill recently, she had been praying for his recovery day after day, feeling depressed.

After all, they had been a couple since childhood, and she did have genuine affection for the Emperor. So, after hearing the advice of Mama Wang, who had been by her side all along, she thought it might be a good opportunity to come out and relax a bit.

When the banquet began, the Empress took a sip of tea and casually glanced over the guests below. But when her gaze landed on Lu San beside Ying Zhao, her pupils suddenly contracted.

She was silent for a long time before turning her head and quietly saying to Mama Wang, who had served her for many years, “Mama Wang, don’t you think that man’s eyebrows and eyes look very much like Ao’er?”

The Empress was, of course, referring to her firstborn, Crown Prince Huangfu Ao. Mama Wang had been with the Empress since she was very young and was naturally different from the other servants.

After hearing the Empress’s words, she focused on the man sitting beside Ying Zhao and was equally astonished, saying, “Indeed, the eyebrows and appearance do resemble the Crown Prince! Alas! If the Crown Prince had grown to this age, he would surely be as heroic as that young master.”

The Empress’s eyes flashed with pain upon hearing Mama Wang’s words. However, she maintained her composure due to her long-held dignity.

Yet Ying Zhao, who was seated not far from the upper seat, still noticed the fleeting nostalgia in the Empress’s eyes as she looked at Lu San.

With a thought, he spoke to Xiao Bai in his mind, saying, “Xiao Bai, investigate whether there is any hidden connection between the Empress and Lu San.”

Xiao Bai was momentarily stunned by Ying Zhao’s request but quickly activated the system, and soon a brief plotline was delivered directly into Ying Zhao’s mind.

Ying Zhao lowered his head, appearing as if he was casually processing the plot. After a moment, when the information was fully absorbed, his eyes cleared once more.

He then realized that the connection between the Empress and Lu San was indeed as he had suspected. He had always felt that his lover’s identity was never simple, no matter which world they were in. How could he be just a mere shadow guard in this world?

Lu San’s true identity was that of the Empress’s firstborn son, the Crown Prince of Dayu. At the age of three, while out in disguise with the Empress on a pilgrimage, he was separated from her by a riot and later found by the old Marquis.

The Crown Prince was naturally kind-hearted but somewhat simple-minded. His wooden demeanor was something that the Empress had also noticed.

However, as the Crown Prince and being so young, his condition was kept hidden. The Emperor and the Empress both believed that he still had the potential to be properly guided.

The reason the Empress had taken Huangfu Ao on a pilgrimage was to seek divine protection, hoping that the Crown Prince would become more intelligent and clear-headed, seeking blessings from the gods.

But who could have known that this would lead to her being separated from her child for many years? The Empress had nearly given up hope after so many fruitless searches.

Although she was unwilling to admit it, deep down, she had gradually come to believe that her child might have perished in the chaos caused by the rioting refugees.

As Ying Zhao thought about this, he turned his gaze to his lover in this world and blinked. He hadn’t expected that Lu San was actually Huangfu Ao, the Crown Prince of Dayu, and thus the rightful heir to the throne.

Although Lu San might be a bit slow-witted, it was mostly a lack of emotional intelligence. Ying Zhao felt that he was very clear in distinguishing right from wrong and could discern between good and evil.

Originally, Ying Zhao had no interest in the supreme position, but he also didn’t want to see it fall into the hands of the second prince, Huangfu Zhaohong.

With himself by his lover’s side, this small country would be easy enough to manage. He would help him handle everything.

And when they found a suitable heir, they could hand over the throne and still enjoy a carefree life together in the world.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao glanced at the obvious crescent-shaped birthmark on the back of Lu San’s hand, and a hint of interest arose in his eyes. It seemed that his lover’s identity could be well-utilized at a critical moment.

With this thought in mind, Ying Zhao happily continued eating and drinking with Lu San by his side. There was plenty of delicious food at the banquet, and the two of them were thoroughly satisfied.

However, the Princess seated at the head of the table was overwhelmed by a surge of emotions upon seeing Ying Zhao. She stared at him intently, wondering why he was still here.

She had clearly planned everything with Ying Ning in advance, and before the banquet started, the servant boy from the rear courtyard had also reported to her that Ying Zhao had indeed drunk the spiked tea and was helped to the rear courtyard by Ying Ning. So why was he still here, unharmed?

Looking around the banquet hall once more, she noticed that Huangfu Zhaohong was absent, and so was Ying Ning. The fact that both of them were missing at the same time caused the Princess’s heart to skip a beat, and she thought to herself, “This is not good.” She could no longer sit still and wanted to instruct her confidants to check the rear courtyard.

But before she could act, a servant rushed into the front hall in a panic, shouting, “Something terrible has happened! The rear courtyard is on fire!”

The Marquis of Anping, seeing the servant shouting in such a disorderly manner, immediately slammed the table in anger and said, “What use is shouting? Go and put out the fire!”

Immediately, the servants in the main courtyard, unable to ignore the situation, rushed to the rear courtyard to extinguish the fire. It was considered extremely inauspicious for a fire to break out on the day of the Princess’s celebration.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao pretended to be worried as he hurriedly pulled Lu San toward the rear courtyard. The Marquis of Anping noticed this and frowned, feeling that Ying Zhao’s behavior was somewhat unusual. His legitimate son had always been steady, so why would he act so panicked in front of everyone just because of a fire in the rear courtyard?

But then, the Marquis noticed that Ying Zhao had given him a look. Realizing this, the Marquis quickly stood up as well, thinking that whatever his child intended to do, he must stand by him without hesitation, and he hurriedly followed Ying Zhao toward the rear courtyard.

Seeing that the Marquis and the heir had already moved, the other guests naturally did not suppress their curiosity any longer and were eager to see what was happening.

However, when everyone reached the rear courtyard, they found that there was no real fire. It was just that the dry leaves outside had somehow caught fire, producing thick smoke.

The fire was quickly extinguished without causing any damage. Seeing this, the Marquis of Anping furrowed his brows and looked at the servant who had shouted about the fire, feeling that he had made a big deal out of nothing.

Although he wanted to reprimand the servant, with so many guests around, now was not the time to punish him. Just as he was about to lead everyone away, they suddenly heard a loud noise coming from a nearby room.

The sounds were unmistakably loud and unrestrained, making everyone blush with embarrassment. Hearing these sounds, the Marquis of Anping frowned, wondering which thoughtless servant was engaging in such shameless behavior in one of the guest rooms in the Marquis’s rear courtyard. And to do so without any attempt to conceal it was truly disgraceful.

If he didn’t take action, rumors about the Marquis’s poor household conduct would surely spread. Angered, he instructed the servant beside him, “Go, open the door and drag out those two disgraceful people! I want to see who dares to act so shamelessly in my Marquis’s residence!”

The servant, seeing the Marquis’s expression, knew that his master was truly furious. Without hesitation, he went to the door, quickly opened it, and rushed inside to pull out the two disheveled individuals.

But when the two were dragged outside, and everyone got a clear look at their faces, all of them, including the Marquis of Anping, were left utterly speechless.

But when the two people were dragged outside, and everyone got a clear look at their faces, all of them, including the Marquis of Anping, were left utterly speechless.

Because the Marquis of Anping never expected that the two people he had just called “shameless” would turn out to be his own son, Ying Ning, and the Second Prince, Huangfu Zhaohong.

Although the Marquis, Ying Shiwei, had always known that Ying Ning was not someone who kept to his place, harboring ambitions to associate with the powerful and influential, and had even noticed that Ying Ning seemed to have some other intentions toward the Second Prince, Huangfu Zhaohong.

However, Ying Ning was still his legitimate son, and he never imagined that the two of them would already be secretly involved. Moreover, they shamelessly engaged in such behavior during a grand banquet at the Marquis’s residence, completely disregarding the reputation of the entire household.

If this matter had involved someone else, it might have been easier to handle, but the key issue was that one of them was a prince destined to inherit the throne. The Marquis of Anping found himself in a difficult position.

But the Marquis’s dilemma was of little consequence, because at that moment, both the Empress and Consort Shu had arrived at the rear courtyard. When Consort Shu saw her son and Ying Ning in such a compromising position before everyone, she was momentarily stunned.

Although she had maintained a close relationship with the Princess, it was merely because she coveted the power of the Marquis of Anping’s household and sought to secure a future for her son.

She was also aware that the relationship between Huangfu Zhaohong and Ying Ning was not purely platonic, but she didn’t mind. After all, for Consort Shu, matters of love and affection were merely tools for securing benefits.

Consort Shu had always known that her son was licentious, but she didn’t concern herself with it. Historically, emperors had harems of three thousand beauties, so what did it matter if her son had a few concubines or lovers?

But even so, this was something that should have been done in secret. Especially now, with the old emperor gravely ill, all forms of entertainment, including music, feasts, and certainly carnal pleasures, were to be restrained. Naturally, such things should be kept behind closed doors, not exposed for others to see.

Moreover, this had occurred during the Princess’s celebration, and in someone else’s residence—this public display of indecency would surely ruin her son’s reputation.

For a moment, Consort Shu looked at Ying Ning with a face full of resentment, feeling that this disgraceful person must have seduced her son. Otherwise, her prince would never have committed such a scandalous act.

However, out of respect for the Princess, she could not curse Ying Ning aloud. She could only take a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and spoke in defense of Huangfu Zhaohong, “There might be some reason behind this incident, Marquis, please do not be too harsh on these two children!”

Hearing Consort Shu’s words, the Marquis of Anping frowned. But before he could respond, the Empress spoke first, “Since that is the case, they already share the bond of husband and wife, so let them be formally united. Ying Ning is, after all, the legitimate son of the Marquis of Anping, and as it happens, the position of the main spouse in the Second Prince’s household is currently vacant. Let Ying Ning take that position.”

The Empress’s decision was not unreasonable and greatly preserved the dignity of both parties.

Huangfu Zhaohong and Ying Ning, after being dragged into the courtyard and exposed to the crowd, had already regained their senses. But being dragged out in such a disheveled state in front of everyone made them both unable to lift their heads.

Ying Ning felt deeply ashamed, his face flushed with embarrassment, and could not find the words to speak. But when he heard the Empress say that he would be married to the Second Prince as the main spouse, he was so shocked that he trembled all over.

Wouldn’t that mean he could become the future Empress? Overcome with joy, Ying Ning quickly lifted his head, feeling as if he had turned a disaster into a blessing.

However, on the other hand, Huangfu Zhaohong did not share this sentiment. If the main spouse’s position were given to Ying Ziyang, he might have been willing, but Ying Ning—though he had some skills in bed—was at best only suited to be a concubine in Huangfu Zhaohong’s eyes.

With this thought, he disregarded his current image and protested to the Empress, “No! I don’t want him as my main spouse!”

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Anping’s face immediately fell. Despite Ying Ning’s shortcomings and his disgraceful behavior, he was still the Marquis’s legitimate son. Even though he had brought shame upon himself, the Marquis never expected the Second Prince to bluntly refuse to accept Ying Ning as his main spouse. Did the Second Prince think so little of the Marquis’s household?

“This…” Consort Shu hesitated upon hearing this and cautiously suggested, “Your Majesty, granting Ning’er a title is not out of the question. But Zhaohong is still young, and the position of the main spouse might be…”

In her mind, Consort Shu had never been satisfied with Ying Ning. Although he was the legitimate son of the Marquis of Anping, his status was not as high as that of the heir, Ying Ziyang.

Moreover, Ying Ning always carried himself with a petty demeanor, lacking the poise required of a household’s matriarch. When she heard that Ying Ziyang had to be married off to someone else, Consort Shu had felt it was a pity.

A few days ago, Consort Shu had already taken a liking to the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, planning to pair her with her own son as the main consort. This way, she could use the opportunity to win over the Minister of Revenue, ensuring that he would fully align with them, and the Ministry of Revenue would become the moneybag of the Second Prince, Huangfu Zhaohong. Who could have predicted that such a blunder would occur?

But before Consort Shu could finish her words, the Princess grew angry. She had already been upset upon hearing Huangfu Zhaohong’s earlier words, and now, to her disbelief, Consort Shu was being so tactless.

The Princess had long been accustomed to being domineering. Though she could usually put on an appearance of virtuousness, when she got angry, her sharp nature was immediately revealed.

She sarcastically rebuked Consort Shu, “Consort Shu, the Second Prince has long come of age, so how can you say he is still young? Could it be that you also think my Ning’er is unworthy of the Second Prince? Ning’er is the legitimate son of the Marquis of Anping, and also my own son. Why should he not be fit for the position of main consort?”

The Princess had already felt deeply humiliated by this incident happening at her birthday banquet. But when the Empress suggested that her son could become Huangfu Zhaohong’s main consort—future Empress—it didn’t seem like such a bad outcome after all.

However, what did Consort Shu’s words mean? The Second Prince might be ignorant, but Consort Shu was also belittling her son. The Princess’s expression grew increasingly hostile as she recalled how Consort Shu had previously flattered her when entering the palace.

Consort Shu, always astute, immediately noticed the Princess’s displeasure. Realizing the situation, with the Empress having already spoken, she knew she couldn’t go against the Empress nor offend the Princess.

Judging by the current atmosphere, if she didn’t agree to let Ying Ning have the position of main consort, she would likely end up offending the entire Marquis of Anping’s household.

Yet, Consort Shu couldn’t help but feel resentful, thinking that with the old emperor near death, the position of main consort would naturally go to the future Empress. She still wanted to wait for the right moment to make her move.

So, she quickly attempted to appease the Princess, insincerely saying, “Princess, what you said is absolutely right. I just didn’t express myself clearly earlier. I’ve always felt that Ning’er and Zhaohong are a perfect match, and seeing how the two children are fond of each other, having Ning’er as the main consort would indeed be a blessing for Zhaohong. However, with the Emperor gravely ill, it might not be appropriate to have a grand wedding right now. Perhaps we could make an agreement first and postpone the wedding until later.”

But the Princess was not someone easy to deal with. She smiled coldly at Consort Shu and said, “The heir of the Marquis’s household could marry to bring joy to the Emperor; my birthday banquet is also a happy occasion. Why should the Second Prince’s wedding be any different? The more joy, the better for the Emperor’s health. I think we should set the wedding for the second day of next month. What do you think, Empress?”

After speaking, the Princess turned to the Empress, who nodded in agreement. Had she not been the only one who could maintain neutrality and preside over the matter, she wouldn’t have wanted to involve herself.

Seeing this, Consort Shu had no choice but to nod as well. She thought that no matter what, Ying Ning’s maternal family was still the Marquis of Anping’s household. She couldn’t afford to lose the support of the Ministry of Revenue and the backing of the Marquis’s household. However, she couldn’t help but feel a headache remembering the promise she had already made to the Minister of Revenue.

Although Huangfu Zhaohong was displeased, seeing his mother’s signals, he kept silent. However, he glared angrily at Ying Ning, feeling certain that he had been tricked and trapped by him.

This shameless person who seduced others had tricked him like this, and Ying Ning had even promised to help him win over Ying Ziyang. But as soon as they entered the room, he had been so impatient—clearly, there was something suspicious.

At this moment, Huangfu Zhaohong was convinced that Ying Ning had set him up in that room, then exposed them to force his hand. It was all a ploy to covet the position of main consort.

In the end, Ying Ning did marry into the Second Prince Huangfu Zhaohong’s household and was elevated to the position of main consort. However, given the circumstances of the marriage, his life there was far from smooth.

Despite the grand spectacle on his wedding day, with ten miles of red decorations making the occasion appear splendid, when the night came at the Second Prince’s residence, Huangfu Zhaohong didn’t even enter the bridal chamber. Instead, he went directly to the rear courtyard to spend the night with a favored servant, completely disregarding Ying Ning’s status as the main consort.

When Ying Ning heard from the servants that Huangfu Zhaohong would not be coming, he had no choice but to lift the veil himself. Clenching his fists, his eyes glinted with a venomous light, and his hatred for Ying Zhao deepened.

But no matter how much he tried to explain to the Second Prince, Huangfu Zhaohong no longer believed that it was unintentional. Fortunately, due to his powerful family background, none of the other people in the rear courtyard dared to truly provoke Ying Ning.

Some days later, Ying Zhao calculated that the time was right and instructed Xiao Bai in his consciousness to cast some illusions on Lu Er and Lu Wu, who were on a mission outside. This made them believe they had found the secret medicine that could revive the old Emperor, and they excitedly rushed back to the capital.

During these days, the Princess had not troubled him again. Even when Ying Zhao had sold off the trusted maidservants by his side, the Princess didn’t confront him about it.

Ying Zhao understood that this was the Princess’s wisdom at work. Servants meant little to most masters, and it would be foolish to question the heir of the household over such matters.

Moreover, the incident with Ying Ning was so blatant. The Princess and Ying Ning had plotted together but ended up with such a result, making the Princess more cautious and unwilling to act rashly against Ying Zhao again.

She realized that since Ying Ziyang had attempted suicide and then regained consciousness, his attitude toward her had undergone a complete transformation. Although he remained courteous, he no longer cared about her authority.