Chapter 32

The bed curtains were gently drawn aside. With his hair still slightly damp, the Crown Prince peered quietly at the person inside.

The "demon" was sleeping soundly, facing inward. Though dressed in thin layers, the heavy brocade quilt covered him, keeping most of his charms hidden from view.

The Prince let out a sigh of relief, followed by a touch of disappointment.

Cheng Yun moved cautiously, shifting the pillow aside and lifting the bedding to retrieve a small wooden box from a secret compartment beneath. He sat down by the charcoal brazier outside the bed hangings, brightened the candle flame, and opened the box. Inside lay two stacks of parchment.

One side had been marked with red ink; the topmost sheet read: "The Grandfather Emperor has passed away."

Cheng Yun’s gaze darkened. He picked up the parchment and placed it at the bottom. These represented dreams that had already come to pass.

The other side contained only black ink, representing events yet to be fulfilled. The top sheet read: "The demon is arrogant; he kicks me out of bed." The date of the dream: October 3rd. The brushwork was sharp, revealing the resentment felt at the time of writing.

Cheng Yun knit his brows, picked up the parchment, and read through it slowly. He pulled out another sheet: "Turmoil on the daybed; a slap in the bath."

He took up the red brush, crossed out "a slap," then folded the parchment, creasing it back and forth until he could tear it in two. The "slap" was placed into the stack of fulfilled dreams, while the "turmoil" was returned to the stack of future events.

He sighed. He took out all the sheets regarding the demon and found that the creature had certainly put him through his paces in these dreams. Things like dressing him, wiping his face, or telling him stories were mere trifles. There were even tasks like washing the demon's feet, serving him food, carrying him on his back to visit a temple, being kicked out of bed, mending his clothes, and even dressing up as a puppy to amuse him…

Cheng Yun’s heavy expression suddenly tightened. He snatched up a sheet dated August 3rd. That was when he had first begun dreaming of the other person, back when he had been amused, wanting to see who exactly could make him so subservient. Later, as the figure in his dreams became increasingly unbridled, he had been forced to take it seriously.

This kind of thing was absolutely impossible. Cheng Yun crumpled the sheet into a ball and tossed it directly into the charcoal brazier. Mending clothes was even more laughable—he couldn't even sew his own clothes; how could he possibly mend them for someone else?

What was all this nonsense!

Frustrated, Cheng Yun put away all the unpleasant entries and looked at the relatively friendly ones. The friendly ones mostly described things that were hard to put into words, noting only the locations, which implied that the two would eventually live a harmonious, affectionate life together. The only thing to watch out for was his own behavior in the dreams, which was far too obsessive. But that could still be changed.

Most of the scenes took place on a bed, but a few occurred in corridors, on lawns, in study rooms, or in lakeside pavilions…

Cheng Yun’s expression turned somber. In his view, anywhere other than the bed was unacceptable. To indulge in such passions under the bright light of day in the wilderness was not the conduct of a gentleman. But the demon had an eccentric personality, indifferent to social norms and legal constraints… If he truly couldn't be persuaded, he would just have to sacrifice his dignity to humor him.

Most noteworthy was a sheet depicting the demon initiating a kiss under fireworks. The scene was described simply, and the entry felt so pleasant it was as if it were a dream within a dream. If these dreams had a grading system, this one would surely be a rare, god-tier item.

"Chen Changfeng seems to have brought a cartload of fireworks, just to coax me into playing with him…" Cheng Yun couldn't help but smile, patting his own face.

Finally, he picked up one last sheet from the box. He stared at it with an icy expression for a long time before tucking it away, closing the box, and returning it to the hidden compartment beneath the bed.

***

Imperial Palace, Yuming Hall.

Emperor Yongchang, now over forty, lay in bed, his expression showing hints of fatigue. Tao Bingyu, draped in a thin gauze robe with pearls and emeralds in her hair, was gently kneading his legs.

"Your Majesty," Tao Bingyu said softly, as if casually, "have you heard the rumors outside?"

"What rumors?"

"The rumors about the Crown Prince taking in a male concubine."

"Rumors are not to be trusted blindly. If such a thing were true, the Empress would deal with it."

Tao Bingyu moved to his side and began kneading his arm. "You know as well as I do, Your Majesty. Since winter arrived, the Empress handed the management of the harem over to me, claiming she was unwell. She has such a temper; who would dare to stain her ears with such matters at a time like this?"

Noticing the hidden meaning in her words, Yongchang opened his eyes.

"I consider myself half a mother to the Crown Prince. Seeing his reputation dragged through the mud like this makes me burn with anxiety."

"If you have something to say, speak plainly."

"To restore the Crown Prince’s reputation, we need only arrange a good marriage for him. Once he is wed, the rumors in the streets will collapse on their own, will they not?"

"Have you spoken to the Empress about this?"

"As for the Crown Prince's affairs… how would it be my place to intervene?" Tao Bingyu appeared fearful at the mention of Chang Hezhu. "If she were to lash out at me…"

Before she could finish, the Emperor sat up, his expression angry. "So you want me to be the one to say it?!"

"No," Tao Bingyu hurriedly said. "Your Majesty need not say much to her. You are the Son of Heaven; if you give your word, what could she do, even if she were dissatisfied?"

"You ask what she could do?!" Yongchang’s gaze suddenly sharpened. Tao Bingyu’s heart trembled. "But, but the Crown Prince’s reputation concerns the dignity of the nation. If things continue like this…"

At the mention of national dignity, Yongchang hesitated. "Are these rumors truly circulating?"

"Actually, they are not entirely rumors," Tao Bingyu said hesitantly. "He did indeed bring a male concubine to pay respects at the Prime Minister’s residence. The entire civil and military officialdom knows of it."

"Cheng Yun has always been protective of his own reputation. How could he…"

"That is why I am so worried."

Seeing she did not seem to be lying, Yongchang’s expression grew grave.

-

"Your Highness, you have been returning earlier and earlier these days."

In front of the Crown Prince’s mansion, Pang Qi walked over with a smile. The Crown Prince did not let him offer support, stepping down from the carriage with the youthful vigor of a teenager.

Hearing this, he shot him a playful look. "You talk too much."

He walked through the long corridor and arrived at his bedchamber. As Cheng Yun lifted his hem to cross the threshold—

"Whoosh!" A sound of air being pierced streaked toward his face. He twisted his waist violently, dodging the arrow at an incredible angle, watching as it embedded itself halfway into the doorframe behind him.

It all happened in an instant. Pang Qi only then came to his senses. "Oh, my Prince! Are you hurt? Let me see…"

Cheng Yun was dazed as he was pulled around for an inspection. He couldn't figure out what he had done wrong this time.

While he was reflecting, Wen Biesang walked over with a light step, wearing a sleeve-mounted arrow device. "Success!"

"This is…"

"The other day, I fired three arrows, and Zhou Xuan actually dodged two. It only means the thrust of the sleeve-arrow isn't strong enough."

No wonder he had started dismantling the sleeve-arrow the moment he got off the carriage that day…

Cheng Yun walked over. "Is it enough now?"

"Enough." Wen Biesang reached out and tugged at his sleeve. "Look."

Cheng Yun then noticed that the embroidery on his official court robes had been torn.

"Your movement technique is at least top-tier in the martial arts world, and even you barely managed to dodge it. If I were to kill Zhou Xuan, I would hit exactly where I aimed."

"…Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes."

Cheng Yun curled his lips, but before he could speak, Wen Biesang added, "In the future, whenever there is a new firearm, I will use you to test it. That should be enough to determine its lethality."

"…" That really wasn't necessary.

Cheng Yun took the sleeve-arrow from his wrist. "I’ve requested leave from Father. I’m taking you to the Thunder-Fire Battalion for a look."

"I need to request leave for that?"

"The Thunder-Fire Battalion is a hundred miles from Shengjing. A fast horse would take at least a day and a night to go back and forth. What do you think?"

Wen Biesang nodded. "How can I obtain the token for a first-tier firearms master?"

"That will have to wait until you reach the battalion," Cheng Yun said. "Firearms master tokens are usually issued by the battalion, but since the facility has been abandoned for so long, we must first revitalize it."

"My qualifications far exceed any first-tier firearms master in Shengjing. Can't you just forge a token for me?"

"Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long."

Wen Biesang was led out by the hand and they boarded the carriage.

"We should arrive by midnight," Cheng Yun said. "If you are sleepy, you can rest in the carriage for a while."

"Mm."

The carriage slowly departed from the Crown Prince’s mansion. Not far away, a eunuch wearing a tall hat slowly retracted his head.

He ran all the way to the Yangxin Hall, fell to his knees with a thud, and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is indeed very intimate with that 'dream demon.' I saw it with my own eyes; he personally helped the demon into the carriage…"

Yongchang raised his eyes, his complexion extremely ugly. He suddenly threw his red brush down. "You saw it with your own eyes?!"

"Yes," the eunuch trembled. "For some time now, the Crown Prince has returned to his mansion immediately after court, never visiting the Empress. Every day he looks triumphant, and everyone can see… there is truly someone in his mansion."

"Is it a man?"

"It is that 'dream demon' who was wanted by the authorities."

"Since it is a dream demon, he should be beheaded!!" Yongchang roared in a fury. "This Gong Sheng, he grows bolder by the day! Holding the title of Crown Prince of a great nation, he dares to openly dote on a male demon…"

"Your Majesty!" A pair of fair, slender hands steadied him. Tao Bingyu gently stroked his chest. "There is still room to turn this around. Do you remember what I said?"

Yongchang’s face changed. He retreated two steps, leaning against the desk. "Right, I must go tell the Empress and have her discipline him…"

He stepped forward, only to be stopped by Tao Bingyu again. "Your Majesty, the situation has not yet reached the point of no return. If you go to the Empress now, she might blame you for failing to raise him well, saying you lose your composure over trifles… First, clear the Crown Prince’s name and fulfill your duty as a father. If the Crown Prince resists the imperial decree, then it will not be too late to seek her out. When the facts are laid bare before her, she will be speechless at her own failure to educate her son."

"Right, you are right!" Yongchang nodded. "I cannot run to her for everything. I will let her know that I have never once neglected the Crown Prince. I will arrange a marriage for him, I will correct his mistakes. If this continues, it will be a loss of face for our Great Liang. This matter must not be publicized… The demon must be killed, he must be killed…"

A few moments later, he beat his chest and stomped his feet. "Gong Sheng, Gong Cheng Yun! How many more absurd things will you do—"

-

"Achoo—"

Inside the moving carriage, Cheng Yun rubbed his nose and crushed a walnut. "I suspect the Empress Mother is thinking of me."

"Why not your father the Emperor cursing you?"

Wen Biesang bit into the walnut kernel. Cheng Yun glanced at him. "That is also possible."

Wen Biesang reached for another walnut. Seeing this, Cheng Yun said, "Aren't there already some peeled ones?"

"You ruin the shell every time." Wen Biesang held the shell. He didn't use any particular technique; he simply pressed it, and the shell split right down the middle. He inserted his fingernail into the crack, applied a slight force, and easily divided the shell into two equal halves, perfectly centered.