Duan Zhisu was very sincere towards Sui Yan. Duan Zhisu’s maternal family had no power or influence, and as a result, he wasn’t favored by the emperor. It was hard for him to get any good things, but he would always give most of them to Sui Yan.

The Sui Manor was always empty, and Sui Yan’s unrestrained nature caused him to have few playmates. Youths are most easily touched. Even if Sui Yan was a rock, Duan Zhisu’s warmth and friendship all these years would have warmed him.

Duan Zhisu dragged him over to sit on the soft couch and tossed a piece of charcoal into the charcoal basin, saying, “You’ve been sick for over half a month now. Our tutor is so mad that he’s been complaining to the emperor every day and scolding you for your lack of effort and the bad example you’re setting. At today’s family banquet, you better apologize to Father Emperor.”

The old scholarly tutor had such a clear impression of Sui Yan’s frivolous nature that when he was actually sick, the tutor believed Sui Yan was lying and slacking off. After all, Sui Yan had been leaping and frisking about the day before he fell into the water, and there was no sign of his frailness.

Sui Yan innocently said, “I’m really sick. When he scolded me, didn’t you help me explain?”

“Song Xian spoke up for you, and he was scolded along with you. He’s still in the palace copying books.” Duan Zhisu helplessly replied, “You seem to be in a better condition today. What did Imperial Physician Meng say when he came?”

Sui Yan repeated what the quack doctor had told him, “I followed the physician’s advice and stayed in the manor to recuperate. I haven’t even left the door all this time.”

Duan Zhisu glanced at him and lightly said, “Then why did I hear that you appeared at Wanhua Tower today?”

Sui Yan froze.

It seemed like Duan Zhisu hadn’t come to give him oranges but to scold him.

Sui Yan was desperate, and he hopelessly explained, “To eat sweet buns.”

Duan Zhisu frowned, but his expression eased, “You, when you say something like this, only I will believe it. Anyone else would think you’re saying nonsense and that you don’t even have the sincerity to lie about it.”

When he saw that Duan Zhisu believed him, Sui Yan replied, “Who told you that? Jiang Enhe?”

Duan Zhisu nodded, “You’re still young, so you should avoid going to places like that. Wouldn’t it be easier to ask a chef to come over and make what you want to eat? Recently because of fifth brother, all the young masters have been afraid and avoided places like that. Why are you acting so contrary?”

Since his rebirth, Sui Yan had either been sick or in the process of getting sick. His manor was in a complete mess, and he had no time or energy to care about affairs like that. Sui Yan calmly asked, “What did the Fifth Prince do?”

“It’s a long story.” Duan Zhisu said, “Some time ago, the Deputy Minister of Health was imprisoned for corruption and bribery. It’s such a coincidence……”

The Ministry of Health had taken many bribes from the common people, and it raked in massive profits every year. Although it was managed and concealed very well, there were bound to be some errors. After the emperor found out that the deputy minister had been embezzling funds, he was furious and ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation. Within a few days, many officials were found to be involved. None of these officials were willing to bear the blame alone, and they snitched on others. In the end, the Fifth Prince was also implicated in this scandal.

The emperor favored the Fifth Prince. Although he had confined the prince over this matter, there wasn’t any substantial punishment. Instead, he had severely punished the Minister of Health for inappropriately managing his ministry.

What was so coincidental was that the innocent and hard-working Yin Lingfeng, who had just been promoted from the rank of Provincial Governor, hadn’t even been in office for a year before he suffered from this ordeal. Within two weeks, he was crushed by many unwarranted charges, and his possessions were confiscated. The dust settled in three months, and his fate was sealed.

Duan Zhisu quietly sighed, saying, “Fifth brother was the culprit this time. Yin Lingfeng took the blame, and he’s now destitute. Meanwhile, after being confined for a few months, fifth brother acted as if nothing had happened, and he even swaggered into the red-light district right after he was released. It seems like he fancied a woman there……”

Sui Yan didn’t know where he heard it from, but he murmured, “That woman sold her skills, not her body. To preserve her chastity, she was forced to jump from a balcony on the fourth floor…..”

Duan Zhisu was surprised, “You’ve heard about it?”

Sui Yan put a hand on his chest and whispered, “I’ve……I’ve heard someone talk about it.”

Gejc Itlre gfqilfv, “Ktlr wjaafg mjerfv j iba bo agbeyif, jcv Mjatfg Swqfgbg tfjgv jybea la. Mloat ygbatfg kjr qeclrtfv, yea la kjr pera jcbatfg aglnlji qeclrtwfca.”

Vel Tjc qea qgfrregf bc tlr mtfra jcv rcffgfv, “Cr ibcu jr tf vbfrc’a mbwwla agfjrbc, atf fwqfgbg kbc’a vb jcsatlcu ab tlw.”

Duan Zhisu’s expression turned cold, and he said in a low voice, “Wanggui, watch your mouth.”

Sui Yan lowered his head.

Duan Zhisu saw that his complexion looked poor, and he reached out to touch Sui Yan’s forehead. He frowned and said, “You don’t have a fever. Do you still feel uncomfortable?”

Sui Yan shook his head and answered, “I’m fine. Isn’t there a family banquet today? Can you tell the emperor that I cannot attend?”

Duan Zhisu said, “What nonsense. Imperial Physician Meng told Father Emperor that your condition isn’t too serious when he returned to the palace today. Everyone in the royal household has to attend the banquet today, and there’s no way to avoid it.”

Sui Yan reluctantly smiled and asked, “But before he left, didn’t Imperial Physician Meng tell me to not go outside if it wasn’t necessary?”

“The emperor is hosting a banquet. Do you think this is a trivial matter?” Duan Zhisu walked over to the cabinet on the side and rummaged through before pulling out a set of court robes and tossing it towards Sui Yan. “Put this on. I’ll enter the palace with you.”

Sui Yan’s head hurt. He lied in bed and dawdled, but he was still dragged up by Duan Zhisu. Sui Yan could only put on the thick robes.

Duan Zhisu didn’t put on any airs, and when he saw that Sui Yan’s collar was crooked, he got up to help him straighten it. Duan Zhisu joked, “How could you possibly live alone like this?’

Sui Yan’s hands shook as he tied his sash. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t. He really wanted to raise his head and tell the youth in front of him, Nobody was by my side in my previous life, yet I still managed to gain a firm foothold in the treacherous court.

He wanted to say, To avenge you, I gave those two scums a taste of their own medicine. You won’t believe how ridiculous they looked when they were defeated.

I even made you the emperor……

All these things……Did you know?

When he didn’t hear an answer, Duan Zhisu raised his head just in time to see Sui Yan take a deep breath. He helplessly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sui Yan, who had forcibly restrained those painful emotions, smiled. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and he replied, “It’s nothing……”

He paused and suddenly felt suffocated. He clutched onto the exquisite, silver-lined sash in his hands.

Duan Zhisu, “En?”

Sui Yan stared at him blankly before making up his mind. He asked, “If……one day, you have to exchange my life for something extremely important, will you……”

Sui Yan raised his head, and his lips trembled.

“……do it?”

When he was young, Sui Yan would always joke and act improperly. This was the first time Duan Zhisu had seen him so serious. He thought about it and earnestly replied, “I won’t.”

Sui Yan breathed a sigh of relief, his expression wavering between laughing and crying, “Really?”

Duan Zhisu said, “Of course.”

Sui Yan thought, If the extremely important thing was the throne, would you still be this decisive?

When he thought of that, Sui Yan realized how laughable his question was. In his previous life, hadn’t Duan Zhisu already made his choice?

That glass of Stigma was the best evidence.

Sui Yan gently waved off the hand that Duan Zhisu had placed on his neck, turned around, and said in a trembling voice, “Your Highness doesn’t need to trouble yourself. I’ll do it.”

Duan Zhisu frowned. Just as he was about to say something, Haitang knocked on the door and entered, carefully carrying a bowl of medicine.

Sui Yan quickly composed himself, tied on his sash, and wiped his eyes.

Haitang said, “This subject greets Your Highness——Young Master, Imperial Physician Meng left a prescription earlier and instructed us to watch you drink it. He told us not to make it into medicinal cuisine……”

Sui Yan absentmindedly acquiesced. His hands shook as he accepted the dark-colored medicine, and he seemed preoccupied.

Duan Zhisu felt like something was wrong. He stepped forward and said, “Wanggui?”

Sui Yan raised his head to look at him.

What Duan Zhisu wanted to say wouldn’t come out of his mouth, so he could only coax, “Drink your medicine first. Once you’re done, we will enter the palace. Be good. It’s not bitter.”

Sui Yan absentmindedly took a sip and suddenly said, “Liar.”

You lied.

You still granted that glass of wine.

Duan Zhisu frowned. He leaned over and took a sip of the medicine before saying, “It’s alright. It’s not bitter. How did I lie to you?”

Sui Yan stared at him blankly.

Duan Zhisu was at a loss, so he could only instruct Haitang, “Go get your Young Master some sweets.”

Haitang got up, but Sui Yan stopped him, picked up the bowl of medicine, and downed its contents. He immediately covered his mouth and retched.

In the past, Sui Yan didn’t vomit whenever he drank medicine. Duan Zhisu was alarmed, and he immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Is it really very bitter?”

Sui Yan’s eyes shimmered, and he forced himself to swallow the nauseating medicine. When he replied, it sounded like he was about to cry, “En……It’s very bitter……Does that quack doctor have a grudge against me?”

Duan Zhisu quickly patted him on the back. He didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, “No matter how bitter it is, it shouldn’t be to the point of shedding tears. Why do you cry so easily?”

Sui Yan blinked away his tears and forced a smile, “It’s alright. It’ll be fine in a while. I will……be alright.”

Duan Zhisu waited for him to recover. When Sui Yan looked better, they went on a carriage and headed towards the palace.

Every year, the emperor would hold a family banquet in the palace on Little New Year. When he was young, Sui Yan treated the banquet as a place to eat, drink, and ask for rewards. It wasn’t until he grew up that he realized how turbulent the undercurrents were beneath this merry surface.

It took an hour to get from the Sui Manor to the palace. When the horse-drawn carriage arrived at Chengan Gate, the guards asked the two to get off. Duan Zhisu opened the curtains and said, “Little Young Master isn’t feeling that well, and he shouldn’t be exposed to the cold. I asked that Father Emperor grant permission for the carriage to enter Taihe Palace.”

When the guards saw how pale and sickly Sui Yan was, they didn’t dare to block the carriage and quickly let it in.

The carriage soon arrived at the entrance to Taihe Palace. Sui Yan got off, wrapped in a thick cloak. A cold wind passed through, and the gold tassels on his guan tinkled in the wind.

Duan Zhisu said, “Let’s go. Everyone in the imperial clan is pretty much here.”

Sui Yan stretched out his hand, and a snowflake fell onto his palm before quickly melting.

He murmured, “It’s snowing.”

Snowflakes filled the air. A person ran over, and before he arrived in front of them, he shouted, “Your Highness!”

Duan Zhisu looked over. It was Song Xian who seemed to have completed his punishment.

Sui Yan retracted his hand and put the frozen hand into his robe. After Duan Zhisu and Song Xian talked for a while, his hand was still so cold that it hurt.

Sui Yan sighed.

Just then, a palanquin slowly came to a halt, and a youth dressed in ink-colored robes came out. It was Duan Mingchong.

When Sui Yan saw him, he hurriedly stepped back towards the wall. Just as he was about to bow, Duan Mingchong walked over and stood in front of him, gently pulling his hands out of his robe.

Sui Yan was dazed.

Duan Mingchong quickly stuffed a hand warmer embroidered with begonias into Sui Yan’s hands, turned, and ran away without saying anything.