Chapter 093 – The Tragic Prefect’s Son – “With a sword in hand, I rule the world.” (08/10)
In the border town.
Mu Xin had only managed a few hurried sips of porridge before collapsing on the bed and drifting into a heavy sleep.
Xie Chenyang, feeling guilty, tucked the quilt around him. Then, feeling refreshed, he sat down at the table with the porridge bowl, tucking into a hearty meal—big bites of meat, big gulps of porridge.
With this quiet moment, he recalled the “livestream” he’d watched earlier.
[So what happened with the emperor and that prince?]
You Huang briefly mentioned the matter of the prince and the emperor.
[Wait, wait—if everyone in the imperial family except the emperor was slaughtered, where did Prince Zhen’an come from?]
You Huang: “Oh, he’s another titled prince, with the title Prince Zhen’an.”
Xie Chenyang was speechless: [What was the title of that other prince in the palace?]
“Prince Wu.”
[What?]
“Prince Wu. Because he was highly skilled in martial arts. As a youth, he helped the late emperor win many battles and dealt with numerous assassins.”
Xie Chenyang belched: [So Prince Zhen’an and Prince Wu were both appointed as princes by the late emperor?]
“Correct. The late emperor had only two brothers, both born to concubines. He alone was the son of the empress. Those two brothers were mediocre, which he disliked. His father had poor health, resulting in few heirs and an early death. The late emperor ascended the throne at fourteen.”
[…Okay, fair enough.]
“Though the Central Plains weren’t exactly blessed with bountiful harvests back then, they were still relatively stable. The late emperor often left the palace in disguise and encountered several like-minded companions, with whom he formed a sworn brotherhood…”
Xie Chenyang was utterly baffled: [Setting aside the fact that an emperor would frequently leave the palace incognito, he just casually formed a sworn brotherhood with random people?]
“Well, the late emperor was the sort who acted on impulse…”
Xie Chenyang wasn’t particularly interested: [What I’m curious about is this: in the original storyline, did the emperor really just peacefully cede the throne to Prince Zhen’an? How could Prince Wu possibly agree to that? If I’m not mistaken, Prince Wu was the one controlling the court, right?]
You Huang: “Because Prince Wu said he loved the emperor.”
You Huang: “Taking advantage of Prince Zhen’an’s rebellion, when Prince Wu stepped away to make arrangements and couldn’t constantly monitor the emperor, the emperor took his own life.“
The emperor’s shift from initial resistance to eventual resignation eased the surveillance by the titled princes. When Prince Zhen’an’s rebellion erupted, Prince Wu was momentarily distracted—a lapse the emperor exploited.
“Prince Wu died by suicide.”
The imperial line was thus extinguished, and Prince Wu, who had controlled the court, also died.
Then Hu troops attacked the border. Prince Zhen’an, holding the title of a royal prince, ascended the throne unopposed. Many even actively supported him.
[Don’t insult the word ‘love’.]
Xie Chenyang wiped his mouth and summoned an attendant to clear the dishes, his eyes brimming with contempt.
You Huang: “Self-righteous.”
Xie Chenyang detected disgust in his voice and asked curiously: [Since you can’t stand him either, Dad, why not help?]
You Huang: “Do you think I can just intervene whenever I please?”
You Huang sighed: “I’ve been warned.”
[Huh?]
“By the rules, I can’t intervene. Think about it. Through all the worlds you’ve experienced, how many times have I personally stepped in?”
Xie Chenyang felt a pang of guilt: [Then…?]
“I can’t intervene again.”
If You Huang intervened, he’d lose this mission reward upon returning and face additional penalties.
If he intervened a second time, he’d likely face dismissal and permanent blacklisting.
Xie Chenyang cleared his throat: [You used a Freeze Spell and Silence Spell on me…]
“I got the warning after using the Silence Spell to help you deal with Yun Shuo.”
“Sigh.” Just his bad luck—the inspection team happened to catch him. If they’d looked further back… It was only because the team leader covered for him that he avoided being recalled for disciplinary action. Otherwise, someone else would’ve taken over handling his dim-witted son.
The attendant quietly cleared everything from the table.
Xie Chenyang returned to the bedside, watching Mu Xin’s exhausted expression even in sleep. He leaned down to gently kiss his forehead, then sat next to him, gently massaging Mu Xin’s lower back with measured pressure.
Mu Xin hummed softly, his expression easing into comfort.
You Huang: “You should pace yourself too. If you exhaust yourself, won’t you be the one suffering?”
Xie Chenyang wanted to protest that no one could resist, but seeing Mu Xin’s exhausted expression, he obediently nodded: [Alright.]
[Dad, do I have any points left?]
“Yes.”
[Are there any teleportation items I can exchange for? Something that can instantly take me back and forth.]
“Yes, but you don’t have enough points. You’ll need to charge them.”
[Charge.]
You Huang paused: “Think carefully. I won’t be able to help you from now on. Are you sure you want to spend your points on someone else? You won’t be able to use any more points until you’ve repaid this debt.”
He calculated that by the time all his tasks were completed, he would have just enough to repay the points.
Xie Chenyang: [Having Dad shield me from storms is great, but kids must grow up someday. Dad, sit back and watch me soar!]
After receiving the item, Xie Chenyang lightly brushed Mu Xin’s lips before donning the hooded robe Mu Xin had prepared. He turned and left.
Whether to ward off sandstorms or aid concealment, nearly all of Mu Xin’s group wore hooded garments.
Passing the inn entrance, they encountered two guards. Xie Chenyang whispered, “Mu Xin is still sleeping. I’m going for a walk. If I’m not back when he wakes, tell him not to wander off and just wait here for me.”
To Mu Xin’s men, Xie Chenyang was already regarded as Mu Xin’s wife. They agreed without hesitation.
No one suspected he might flee.
Xie Chenyang had crippled the Prince of Zhen’an’s second son and accompanied Mu Xin this far. They were on the verge of crossing the mountain border. Why would he run now?
Only after entering a rocky gorge did Xie Chenyang pull a teleportation talisman from his robe. [Dad, you said to think of the place I want to go, then tear this talisman apart, right?]
“Yes. If you don’t visualize, it’ll teleport you randomly.”
[Got it. Then I’m going under the emperor’s bed.]
Xie Chenyang had a good reason to go there.
Now that You Huang couldn’t use his abilities to help Xie Chenyang, he naturally couldn’t monitor the emperor’s current situation in the distant imperial palace.
Who knew if Prince Wu was even by the emperor’s side right now?
You Huang: “I’m currently under special surveillance. In this ancient world, I can’t monitor someone thousands of miles away just for your personal interests. It’s not permitted.”
[Alright, Dad. You should rest now.]
Xie Chenyang tore the teleportation talisman. The moment he sensed the spatial fluctuations, he held his breath.
Thanks to his previous experience in the Jianghu world, holding his breath and suppressing his aura came naturally to him.
Since he was already in the room, it wouldn’t count as surveillance. You Huang reported, “Only the Emperor is currently in the bedchamber, but it’s sealed off like an iron barrel. The guards outside have keen hearing and are constantly monitoring every sound from within.”
Though years had passed, Prince Wu remained vigilant.
No weapons were present within the sleeping chamber.
Whenever Prince Wu was absent, the emperor was forced to ingest a muscle-relaxing potion. Even slight movements became laborious; attempting to bite his tongue yielded insufficient force.
The emperor now lay half-reclined on the bed, his back cushioned by soft pillows. His eyes were slightly lowered as he held a travelogue before him, turning its pages slowly and deliberately.
Xie Chenyang crawled cautiously from beneath the bed onto the mattress, carefully lowering the canopy curtains with almost no sound.
The emperor lifted his gaze, meeting Xie Chenyang’s eyes with calm composure.
Xie Chenyang knelt on one knee, meeting his eyes, and mouthed slowly: “Do you know lip reading?”
The emperor: “…”
You Huang: “You could take his hand and write on it.”
[No way, the only hands I hold are my wife’s!]
Besides, that would be far too inefficient.
[This emperor seems surprisingly calm after seeing a stranger crawl out from under his bed.]
You Huang: “He’d be thrilled if you were an assassin to end his life.”
[Forget it, I won’t try to explain. I’ll just kill him when Prince Wu arrives.]
“Let me warn you—Prince Wu earned his title through exceptional martial prowess. Likewise, he possesses immense self-confidence. He’d never imagine anyone slipping past his ironclad guards into the imperial bedchamber unnoticed. If the emperor cooperates with you…”
Xie Chenyang opened his mouth toward the emperor, his movements slowing slightly: Can you understand?
The emperor gave a slight nod.
Xie Chenyang exclaimed excitedly: [He gets it! He understands!]
Xie Chenyang: Cooperate with me. To kill Prince Wu.
The emperor’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
He had no idea when this man had arrived beneath his bed, nor how he’d slipped past the layers of guards.
He’d suspected this man came to assassinate him, but never imagined the target was Prince Wu.
Staring at the vivid red “Xin” character beneath the hood’s brim, the emperor murmured, “Yang Su…”
You Huang: “Why the panic? He received your letters, and Prince Wu has shared your situation with him. With that character plastered across your forehead, isn’t it only natural he’d guess it’s you?”
Xie Chenyang nodded solemnly: I’ve come to rescue you.
Understanding his meaning, ripples stirred in the emperor’s heart, once as still as dead water.
Xie Chenyang briefly discussed coordination points with him before carefully slipping back under the bed.
The emperor stared at the curtains now drawn once more, unable to focus on the travelogue before him.
Beneath his bed, there was now a person.
A person who intended to save him.
How had he come? Hadn’t he gone to the Western Regions with Mu Xin?
For vengeance, for the greater good of the nation, he had willingly become a male concubine, orchestrated beauty plots… How did he even learn of the emperor’s predicament and come to rescue him?
Beneath the bed, Xie Chenyang racked his brain, trying to piece together the plot.
Alas, the story had devoted so little attention to the emperor.
[Dad, with your experience in judging people, are any of the guards and secret service surrounding this place capable of being swayed?]
If they were all loyal to Prince Wu, then with his death, he couldn’t just pack up and leave. The emperor would likely be finished.
You Huang: “You could consider slaughtering the traitorous dogs.”
You Huang: “Ah-Yang, you said you wanted to soar. But perhaps you’ve eaten too many free meals and forgotten how to wield a blade.”
Xie Chenyang: “…” Free meals? What the hell?
You Huang: “Remember when you were the son of the Famous Blade Manor? Even with your martial arts crippled, you still slaughtered the Demon Sect disciples with just a knife. These guards have no inner strength, only techniques. You can’t beat them?”
This wasn’t a wuxia world. So-called masters could only train their bodies and perfect their techniques.
And Xie Chenyang’s swordplay? It’s not that of ordinary men.
Xie Chenyang remained silent for a long time before murmuring, “I don’t have a sword.”
“Unless something unexpected happens, Prince Wu will bring his sword inside.”
Prince Wu cherished his life and never parted with his blade.
“But while fighting, don’t forget to protect yourself. You can be wounded, even severely injured, but you absolutely must avoid fatal blows.”
[Mhm.]
They both knew emerging unscathed was impossible. Even if Xie Chenyang’s swordplay was unmatched in this world, he couldn’t withstand overwhelming numbers.
You Huang wasn’t overly concerned. He’d witnessed Xie Chenyang’s skills himself. They were overpowering and kept foes at bay.
“Archers pose the greatest threat to you, so…”
Prince Wu approached the doorway. “How is His Majesty today?”
“As usual, Your Highness. He remains in bed reading, not moving about. Beyond that, two quarters of an hour ago he murmured ‘Yang Su’ once, and there has been no further sound.”
Prince Wu nodded, opened the door, and strode inside.
The guarding attendants temporarily retreated to a distance where they could no longer hear the sounds from within the sleeping chamber.
Prince Wu didn’t want outsiders to overhear the intimacy between him and the emperor. Whenever he was present, the guards and secret attendants intuitively withdrew to a position where they could still observe the surroundings and maintain vigilance without overhearing anything.
The moment he entered, Prince Wu met the Emperor’s gaze. He closed the door behind him.
“What made you think of Yang Su today?”
Indeed, using a young man like Yang Su to break the ice held promise.
More fools like this—those mired in the swamp yet still devoted to their country—were exactly what was needed. They would help him chip away at the emperor’s defenses, one by one.
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
