Chapter Thirty-Seven: Trouble Finds Me

"Ah, my younger brother is truly mischievous," the Fourth Prince said, allowing Ye Mo to help him into a black cloak.

The Eastern Banner Guard was an army belonging solely to the Seventh and Fourth Princes, recruited in secret and now housed in an abandoned village outside the city.

When the Fourth Prince arrived, the soldiers were visibly proud.

"It's the prince!" the leader of the Eastern Banner Guard greeted him with a smile.

The Fourth Prince snapped open his folding fan and replied, "How is your training?"

The leader answered, "We have made great progress; to face two opponents at once is no longer a problem."

With a sharp snap, the Fourth Prince closed his fan. "Facing two is not enough. If you can't fight ten at once, what progress is there? You are all handpicked elite soldiers."

Ashamed, the leader bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Next time, I want to see one against ten. If you can't manage it, you may as well buy yourself a coffin."

The leader was startled and quickly bowed lower. "Yes."

The Fourth Prince looked at the soldiers training hard. "Remember well who made you like this—unable to return home, forced to live in hiding! Remember who destroyed your country, who caused your families to die in foreign lands!"

His stirring speech ignited rage in the hearts of these men, as if they wished to flay the current emperor, Mu Ziyan, alive.

Most of the Eastern Banner Guard were abandoned soldiers, left destitute when the Mu Kingdom was destroyed.

Their hatred for Emperor Mu Ziyan was immense, and the Seventh Prince exploited this to command their loyalty.

Their rage erupted into a furious, sorrowful shout: "Long live the prince! Curse Mu Kingdom! Misfortune upon Mu Kingdom! Misfortune upon Mu Kingdom!"

"Misfortune upon Mu Kingdom?" the Fourth Prince muttered at his lips.

They were only a group blinded by hatred.

Once again donning his cloak, the Fourth Prince slipped back into the city and returned to his residence, quietly reflecting that he was not fit to be emperor.

His mother had loved the late emperor deeply, and upon learning she could not be buried with him, she died unrested.

As the daughter of the prime minister, she was pampered from childhood, never knowing hardship, yet endured a lifetime for him.

The Fourth Prince could not bear such; whatever happened, he was determined to fulfill his mother's last wish.

The Seventh Prince's mother died early, and he was raised as a son by the Fourth Prince's mother.

The two were like brothers from childhood, so whatever the Fourth Prince wished, the Seventh Prince would help him—even rebellion.

Reflecting on this, the Fourth Prince often felt indebted to the Seventh Prince; it was because of him that the Seventh Prince developed a penchant for men.

But he could think of no good way to help him. Returning to Lingxuan Pavilion and encountering the male courtesan, the Fourth Prince examined him carefully.

The man was indeed handsome, with fair skin and a slender figure, but compared to Yu Hualiang, he lacked the brightness of a man and seemed more feminine.

He was merely a man who looked like a woman.

The Fourth Prince felt no interest; Yu Hualiang's face and smile lingered in his mind.

He quietly shook his fan and muttered, "Perhaps we should hire a painter for the residence?"

Yu Hualiang sneezed—the quilt was surely too small for two.

Upon waking, he had no idea where Cao Zhiling had hidden himself. Lifting the quilt and seeing the blood, his heart clenched.

Mo Cai entered, carrying a bamboo basket to change the charcoal, but found Yu Hualiang staring blankly at the bedding.

"Young Master, when did you return?"

Yu Hualiang held the bloodstained quilt and replied, "Last night, after you were all asleep."

Mo Cai was terrified. Yu Hualiang still bore fresh bloodstains and the bluish marks on his neck; Mo Cai quickly approached and grabbed his arm. "Young Master, are you all right?"

Yu Hualiang was puzzled by his anxiety. He glanced down and shrugged, "Oh, the wound reopened last night."

Mo Cai pointed to his neck. "Young Master, your neck—"

"What?" Yu Hualiang caught Mo Cai's look and had a bad feeling. He grabbed a bronze mirror and saw his neck covered in bruises, left by the Seventh Prince.

He turned, unbuttoned his shirt, and saw the bruises spread across his chest.

"Damn..." He hurried to cover up. If A Liu saw this, he'd never clear his name.

Yu Hualiang sternly told Mo Cai, "Don't tell A Liu about my neck. Without my permission, don't let anyone in. Do you understand?"

Mo Cai nodded, sensing the gravity of the moment, and asked, "What if it's the Seventh Prince?"

"The Seventh Prince?" The mention made Yu Hualiang furious. "If it's him, tell him to mind his own damn business."

That bastard had poisoned him... and made him poison others. Worse still, he had tried to force himself on him!

Terrifying, absolutely terrifying.

Mo Cai didn't know what had happened, but he obeyed Yu Hualiang, quickly changing the bedding before leaving.

Yu Hualiang dressed his wound alone.

After last night's ordeal, the wound had healed, but the bandage was nearly fused with his flesh. Removing the last part felt like torture.

The pain made Yu Hualiang cry out. Outside, Mo Cai heard something amiss and called out, "Young Master, are you all right? Young Master?"

"Hualiang! Open the door!" A Liu shouted from outside.

Yu Hualiang was anxious, not wanting anyone to see him like this. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Don't come in! Leave me be... I'm fine..."

"Ziliang..." The Seventh Prince's heart nearly broke as he listened outside the door. He never imagined things would turn out this way.

Mo Cai worriedly asked, "What should we do, Your Highness?"

The Seventh Prince handed him a medicine bottle. "Don't tell him I was here. And don't disturb him."

Yu Hualiang removed the bandage and turned his head from his scarred wound. Then someone quietly dropped down behind him.

He said, "I wondered where you were hiding."

"I'll help you," Cao Zhiling replied.

Since Cao Zhiling had bandaged him yesterday, Yu Hualiang trusted him. Indeed, Cao Zhiling's touch was gentle and didn't hurt.

Much better than doing it himself.

He dressed, and their eyes met. Yu Hualiang awkwardly looked away.

Suddenly Cao Zhiling asked, "Yesterday... did he..."

"Nothing happened! It's not what you think!" Yu Hualiang hurried to explain.

Cao Zhiling looked at him helplessly; he hadn't said anything yet. After a while, he spoke, "The cold herbs are needed urgently."

Yu Hualiang stood up. "I'll go look for them. You stay hidden in the room."

He dressed, pulled on a thick cloak to cover his neck, took the jade token from the Seventh Prince, and, to avoid alerting A Liu, slipped out quietly.

But A Liu was hanging sheets to dry and saw him. Yu Hualiang quickly turned away and ducked his head.

A Liu, tears in her eyes, embraced Yu Hualiang from behind. "Hualiang, what's wrong?"

"Nothing... please let go," Yu Hualiang replied awkwardly.

"Hualiang? What's wrong? A Liu will share your burdens, no matter what."

Where was A Liu going with this? Yu Hualiang pulled his hand free, sighing, "I'm really fine. I'm going out for a bit. You and Mo Cai stay here."

"Hualiang!"

"Young Master!" Mo Cai looked worried. He could understand not taking A Liu, but why leave him behind too? Mo Cai grew more anxious.

Yu Hualiang sighed, glanced at the token in his hand, and walked toward the door.

Once outside, cautious as ever, he worried the Seventh Prince might have someone tailing him. He shouted loudly, "I see you! No need to follow me! Tell the Seventh Prince I have nothing to hide!"

After a while, everything was silent; not even a stray hair stirred. Yu Hualiang was nervous, but it seemed he was being overly cautious.

He had not meant to, but he actually startled the shadow guard following him.

The guard, tears streaming, felt his years of martial arts wasted, so easily uncovered by a mere painter.

He couldn't bear to follow him anymore and went to resign to the Seventh Prince.

Yu Hualiang found a carriage and headed to Doctor Wang's Peaceful Health Hall. Wang Ruosheng greeted him personally.

Seeing Yu Hualiang's nervous demeanor, Wang Ruosheng pulled him into a room and asked, "Painter Yu? What's happened?"

Yu Hualiang wasted no words. "Do you have any cold herbs? Bring them all."

"Cold herbs? Haha, what's wrong?" Wang Ruosheng laughed and playfully removed Yu Hualiang's cloak hood.

Then he saw the bruises on Yu Hualiang's neck and his smile froze. "Oh... you..."

Yu Hualiang shot him a glare, hurriedly pulled the hood back on. "Just bring the medicine."

"The herbs won't help; I have a salve that might work..."

Yu Hualiang snapped, "You're all thinking the wrong thing! I need medicine, it's urgent!"

"Alright, alright, but let me warn you—too much cold medicine can be poisonous. Only take it under a doctor's guidance."

Wang Ruosheng was unusually talkative. Yu Hualiang, impatient, ignored him. As he was leaving, Wang Ruosheng called out, "Painter Yu, Young Master Ji has invited us to his residence. I was thinking we should go together sometime..."

Yu Hualiang had to sneak medicine for Cao Zhiling, avoid A Liu and Mo Cai, and steer clear of the prince—how could he have time to deal with those brothers?

He was about to refuse, then suddenly realized—this would let him get away from the Seventh Prince.

He turned and asked, "When are we going? Just let me know."

"Of course," Wang Ruosheng replied.

He had wanted to go for a while, but felt that going alone would be too abrupt... After much thought, it was best to bring Yu Hualiang along.

He had improved his father's prescription for Ji Yuzhe, but couldn't find a suitable subject for testing...

Ji Yuzhe's illness was rare; most sufferers recovered at the first onset. Ji Yuzhe was already a miracle.

Just as Wang Ruosheng was fretting, fate seemed to intervene.

"Young Master, there's a child with a very unusual illness. Please come quickly!"