Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When these words were spoken, the others looked at Ying Fusheng.

A flicker of surprise passed through the Emperor’s eyes.

Shen Yunfei froze in place, never expecting that with his recklessness today and the Shen family’s circumstances, a prince would still choose him as a companion.

The Emperor looked at Ying Fusheng. The long fox-fur robe trailed on the ground, but his words didn’t seem feigned: “You truly want Vice Minister Shen’s son as your companion?”

At the Emperor’s question, the others began to ponder. Given the Ning family’s cautious demeanor in court and country, everyone in the court knew the Shen family was in deep trouble. Noble Consort Ning and Vice Minister Ning were certainly aware of this—at a time like this, associating with the Shen family would bring far more harm than good…

The Emperor’s question was genuinely hard to decipher, for the Shen family’s current situation made recovery nearly impossible!

Even if the Sixth Prince had won some imperial favor at the palace banquet, stepping on the Emperor’s sore spot would turn that favor to nothing.

When the Emperor asked this, the Sixth Prince seemed stunned. Even the nearby Eunuch Rong considered offering a hint, but then saw the Sixth Prince hesitate, as if uncertain, and ask: “…Can’t I?”

He really looked like he wanted Shen Yunfei as his companion.

“Why not?” The Emperor burst into laughter at this answer.

Ying Fusheng was taken aback, then joy spread across his face. “Thank you, Father.”

The Emperor looked at Shen Yunfei, who had been keeping his head down. “Shen Yunfei, do you agree?”

Shen Yunfei could barely hide his expression. The Sixth Prince was thin and frail, wearing more layers of clothing than the other imperial sons—clearly delicate and pampered, likely never having even mounted a horse.

Some of his close friends had mentioned that the Sixth Prince had almost no presence in the palace, only gaining just a bit of the Emperor’s favor after his outstanding tribute at the recent banquet.

Shen Yunfei felt somewhat ashamed, but with a lifeline thrust before him, how could he not grasp it? Becoming a companion meant he could appear before the Emperor—the Shen family still had a chance. “If the Sixth Prince doesn’t mind me, I am willing.”

“Then it’s settled.” The Emperor waved his hand in approval. “Order that Vice Minister of War’s son, Shen Yunfei, be the Sixth Prince’s companion.”

Shen Yunfei accepted the decree.

The other princes who had yet to choose their companions breathed a sigh of relief. Ying Fusheng had actually passed over other candidates to choose Shen Yunfei. After appointing the Sixth Prince’s companion, the Emperor assigned the remaining well-born candidates to the Seventh Prince, the Eighth Prince, and the others.

With that, the day’s selection ended.

Shen Yunfei being assigned to the Sixth Prince sparked hushed whispers. The Crown Prince’s gaze frequently fell on Ying Fusheng—he had chosen Shen Yunfei, the one everyone else least wanted, yet he had stolen all the limelight. The Crown Prince’s three companions all came from distinguished families, yet in the end, none of them received even a single word of praise from the Emperor like Shen Yunfei did.

As Ying Fusheng rose from his seat, the Crown Prince had already averted his gaze. In the distance, Empress Xu was approaching. She was dressed plainly today, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hands. Unlike the ones the Empress Dowager often used, these beads showed signs of age and decay. Her expression was serene, carrying a stronger sense of temple-like devotion.

Empress Xu’s gaze shifted from the Crown Prince, as if drawn by a sound to the side, and happened to meet Ying Fusheng’s eyes. In those compassionate, Bodhisattva-like eyes, there was not a single ripple—unlike the subtle shift she had when looking at the Crown Prince. It was as still and calm as a placid lake… or even a bit colder than usual, utterly devoid of feeling.

Just a glance.

Then, she moved away in her imperial procession.

Ying Fusheng’s bow paused slightly, until the voice of Song An nearby broke the silence. He steadied himself, pulling himself away from the hazy illusions of his past life, and let out a self-mocking laugh inside. He dropped the childlike posture he had put on at the training ground, and shed the stubborn naivety he had shown when reading the hoof prints, leaving only a calm expression.

“Your Highness, why were you looking at the Empress?” Song An asked.

Ying Fusheng asked himself, puzzled, “Yeah, why was I looking at her?”

Song An sensed something odd about the prince. He noticed that Master Shen had already walked away after greeting them, and a thought crossed his mind. “Regarding Master Shen… I’ve heard some rumors… about him.”

Ying Fusheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he turned to look at him.

Song An relayed what he had heard from others.

Palace servants gossip—though not explicitly, they were actually calling the Sixth Prince foolish.

With so many noble sons, why pick the one at the center of controversy? Isn’t that jumping into a fire pit?

“Since Father has abandoned the Shen family, why let Shen Yunfei come here? Why not imprison Vice Minister Shen?” Ying Fusheng said. “Because it’s not yet decided whether the Shen family is behind the military funds case.”

The Emperor saw clearly—the companion selection reveals too much…

Ying Fusheng knew that in his past life, Shen Yunfei had indeed been assigned as the Crown Prince’s companion. But before he could enter the palace for his duties, his horse startled and disrupted the Crown Prince during a hunting trip on the outskirts of the capital. He not only broke his leg, but lost his chance to serve as companion. The Shen family disintegrated under the encroachment of other forces. Years later, when the Qi family investigated the old case and cleared the Shen name, Vice Minister Shen was already dead. Shen Yunfei, once a talented military commander, was permanently crippled due to delayed treatment from the hunting accident.

After the Shen family was exonerated, he went mad attacking the Crown Prince’s faction, and eventually ended up as a rebel executed by the new emperor.

The companion selection was unexpected, yet the trajectory overlapped with his past life.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Ying Fusheng had been too conspicuous at the palace banquet; stepping before the Crown Prince and the First Prince would pull him faster into the center of power, but given his current situation, that would only hasten his death. If he wanted to make those who mattered overlook him, the only way was to hide his edge. Pushing Consort Ning and the Ning family into the spotlight was his first plan, but his plans didn’t end there. To take revenge, he needed power.

Shen Yunfei’s appearance had come at just the right time.

Ying Fusheng shook off these thoughts. As he turned, he suddenly caught sight of a figure high above, and his movement came to an abrupt halt.

Unbeknownst to him, someone was standing on the high watchtower, looking down from afar. The clamor of the training ground almost drowned out everything else. The young man stood still as a pine, his gaze unwavering, as if every move Ying Fusheng made was under his watch.

A moment later, Ying Fusheng looked up, his eyes calm as ever, and gave a slight nod in greeting.

At the top of the training platform, the soldiers had dispersed, and the Emperor’s procession had moved far away.

Qi Hanzhou stood with arms crossed, leaning against the railing, watching the departing figure. The luxury of the fox-fur robe couldn’t hide his sickly aura; his breathing was weaker than an ordinary person’s, but his steps were too steady. The gaze he cast across the training ground was one of caution that belied his frail, timid exterior—like unbridled… ambition.

A Deputy General approached, seeing Qi Hanzhou gazing into the distance, and asked, “Young General?”

“Have someone watch the shift changes at the training ground for the next few days. Today was no accident.” Qi Hanzhou withdrew his gaze, looking at the sandy ground of the training field. “The sand at the corner was replaced. The surface is harder, causing problems on the turns. Someone set it up deliberately.”

The Deputy General’s expression changed slightly. “Should this be reported to His Majesty?”

Qi Hanzhou frowned, hesitating. The image of Ying Fusheng’s expression before leaving flashed through his mind. After a moment’s thought, he waved for the Deputy General to handle it, while Ying Fusheng’s figure had already disappeared at the far end of the training ground.

Why did this man choose to help the Shen family?

The news that the youngest son of the Shen family had become the Sixth Prince’s companion spread through the court as soon as the training ground events were over.

-*

At the same time, the military funds case involving the Shen family grew more intense. Upon learning the news, Vice Minister Ning was so startled that he dropped two teacups. He immediately sent people to the palace to gather information, terrified that the Ning family would be implicated by the Shen family.

The military funds case involved many people. Due to the delay in delivering the funds, General Chen’s son had died. Now, with the shrine for fallen soldiers about to be established, and the white mourning banners at General Chen’s mansion still hanging, the longer the case dragged on, the harder it became to resolve.

As dark clouds of the military funds case loomed over the court, the imperial clan’s sons began their studies at the Wenhua Hall. Dayuan valued martial arts, so on the sixteenth day of the month, they were to go to the hunting grounds on the outskirts of the capital.

By the time Ying Fusheng arrived, the carriages bound for the outskirts were already prepared. As he arrived, he noticed the palace attendants from Weiyang Palace. The two attendants were unfamiliar faces. Upon seeing him, they hurried over, carrying two food boxes, and served him with utmost care: “Sixth Prince, Consort Ning knew Your Highness would be heading to the outskirts today and specifically ordered us to come.”

The two attendants carried the food boxes with meticulous attention.

Ying Fusheng did not refuse and let them follow behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Shen Yunfei standing alone. The other noble sons had retreated several steps away, leaving only him standing isolated, out of place with his surroundings. His complexion had not improved in recent days; as time passed, the Shen family’s situation grew more difficult, and he had almost no opportunity to meet the Emperor.

“Sixth Prince.” Shen Yunfei bowed with his hands clasped.

Ying Fusheng gave a slight nod. “Get in the carriage.”

Shen Yunfei hesitated, then seeing the other companions also boarding the prince's carriage, he had no choice but to follow. As soon as he got on, he noticed the carriage was overly warm, so stuffy it was a bit hard to breathe. The Sixth Prince sat by the heater as if still feeling cold, clutching a hand warmer, and sat in silence after boarding.

After becoming a companion, his father had told him not to be careless in front of the prince and to act with caution. Yet after several days at Wenhua Hall, the Sixth Prince had attended lessons only a handful of times. The Sixth Prince's health was worse than he had imagined, with even more frequent absences, so that despite being his companion, he had spoken very little with the Sixth Prince over the past few days.

"If you're feeling stuffy, open the curtain for some air," said Ying Fusheng.

Shen Yunfei sat up straight and said, "I'm fine."

As he spoke, Ying Fusheng lifted the carriage curtain, letting the outside wind blow in.

Shen Yunfei froze. "Your Highness?"

Ying Fusheng's gaze lingered on Shen Yunfei's forehead, where beads of sweat had formed. "I like people who speak their mind."

Shen Yunfei could only say "Yes."

The streets were bustling and lively, something Shen Yunfei had long grown used to, but the Sixth Prince's eyes followed the scenes outside with unbroken attention. The Sixth Prince was exceedingly handsome. Shen Yunfei had seen other members of the Ning Family, all with thick eyebrows and large eyes, but the Sixth Prince didn't possess any of the Ning family's features; he was more like a piece of soft, fine Hetian jade, exuding a gentle, understated nobility.

Realizing it was improper to stare at the prince, Shen Yunfei shifted his gaze but caught sight of white funeral streamers outside the window. He paused and averted his eyes. His body tensed, and he dared not look at the mourning procession. His hands clenched tightly on his knees, as if holding back indescribable emotions.

The boy, barely twelve or thirteen, seemed shackled. The rest of the Shen family was confined under house arrest, and only he, by virtue of being a companion, could come and go freely—yet he could not solve the family's urgent crisis. Ying Fusheng glanced at Shen Yunfei's legs. In his past life, this man had broken his leg when his horse spooked, wasting his excellent riding skills. He had never seen the past life's Shen Yunfei, but classified documents mentioned that the man went gray early and spent his life on the brink of revenge.

"His Majesty summoned you to the palace for the selection because he trusts Vice Minister Shen," Ying Fusheng suddenly said.

At these words, Shen Yunfei turned sharply to look at him.

"You entered the palace hoping to plead for your father, but the timing is wrong." Ying Fusheng ignored Shen Yunfei's stare and continued, "Military generals are His Majesty's only confidants. General Chen has campaigned alongside His Majesty for many years. Seeing you would only demoralize the generals."

Shen Yunfei's body stiffened. The words caught in his throat, but he could not utter them. "I am useless."

He immediately lifted the hem of his robe and knelt. "I beg the Sixth Prince to help me."

Ying Fusheng remained unmoved. "I can help you, but do you know who your enemy is?"

Shen Yunfei was speechless. He did not know. Among all the court officials, his father had offended too many with his blunt nature. Ying Fusheng watched Shen Yunfei, who held back his anger, nails digging into his palms, like an ownerless wolf cub.

"You want to save your father?" Ying Fusheng suddenly asked.

Shen Yunfei trembled, looking at Ying Fusheng in disbelief. "Sixth Prince."

"Vice Minister Shen is an honest official whom His Majesty trusts. But the military funds passed through his hands, and his official seal was on them—so there is no way he can escape blame." Ying Fusheng lowered the carriage curtain and said briefly, "So we need an opportunity."

Shen Yunfei asked urgently, "What opportunity?"

Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes and calmly said two words: "Hire an assassin."

"To kill Vice Minister Shen."