ADENCPIFPM Chapter 2

“Sixth Brother! Are you alright?” The Fifth Prince finally arrived on a small boat.

He was helped onto the deck by an attendant, then rushed forward to embrace Chu Chen, weeping and snotting.

“If anything had happened to you today, this Prince would not have lived,” the Fifth Prince cried with dramatic flair.

Chu Chen, shivering from the cold, managed to say, “Fifth Brother, I’m cold.”

Only then did the Fifth Prince snap out of his grief. He hurriedly ordered his men to bring Chu Chen into the cabin. In no time, clean clothes and blankets were delivered, and three charcoal braziers were lined up in front of Chu Chen, looking for all the world like some ritual to ward off evil spirits.

Achoo!

Wrapped in a blanket, Chu Chen’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion. If the Fifth Prince hadn’t cried so convincingly just now, he would have suspected the man of deliberately trying to harm him. But on second thought, he had jumped into the lake himself. If the Fifth Prince had intended to harm him, he would have simply drugged him to ruin his reputation.

But he was a man. Even if he had “solicited a prostitute,” how much worse could his reputation get?

Besides, the original owner of this body was already a notorious playboy, known for drinking, gambling, and all the rest. Adding “prostitution” to the list wouldn’t be much of a change!

So, was the Fifth Prince’s behaviour tonight truly just to help his brother open the door to a new world?

Before Chu Chen could think further, the cabin door darkened as a tall, imposing man strode inside, followed by a guard. At the sight of the newcomer, the Fifth Prince immediately shrank back, his face a picture of submission, clearly terrified of the man.

“Third Brother!” Chu Chen and the Fifth Prince both called out obediently.

The newcomer was none other than the Third Prince, Chu Xiao—the Crown Prince of the Great Chu Kingdom.

Chu Chen’s face was still pale from his soak in the water, and his half-unbound hair was not yet dry. Rather than looking dishevelled, the look only served to make him seem more ethereal and refined. His features were already striking and exquisitely carved, and his clear, bright eyes now made him look utterly innocent.

The Crown Prince had burst in fuming with rage, but his anger vanished halfway upon seeing Chu Chen’s state. The remaining half was then directed at the Fifth Prince. “How many times have I told you to stay away from such places of pleasure?” he snarled. “Aren’t the concubines in your own palace enough to serve you? Our Sixth Brother was lucky to escape unharmed today. If anything had happened to him, I would have broken your legs!”

The Fifth Prince dared not utter a word of protest, his head hanging low.

The Crown Prince glared at him and roared, “Are you still waiting here for me to escort you home? Get out!”

Hearing this, the Fifth Prince felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He glanced at Chu Chen, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t, before slinking away in disgrace.

“Tell me,” The Crown Prince said, taking a seat opposite Chu Chen with an air of imposing authority. “Why were you on this pleasure boat in the middle of the night, and how did you end up falling into Changning Lake?” Though Chu Chen had done nothing wrong, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

“Fifth Brother said he would take me out for drinks, so I followed him,” Chu Chen said cautiously.

“Go on,” the Crown Prince urged, his gaze fixed on him. “You still haven’t answered all my questions.”

Chu Chen took a deep breath and continued, “Afterwards, I drank too much. I was looking at the moon outside the cabin when I accidentally fell into the lake.”

“Who were you looking at the moon with? Fifth Brother, or that male courtesan named Lüzhu on the pleasure boat?” the Crown Prince asked.

Chu Chen was startled. He hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to act so quickly, even uncovering Lüzhu’s identity. He had initially intended to leave the Fifth Prince some room for retreat, but now he dared not play any more tricks in front of Chu Xiao. He had no choice but to honestly confess that the Fifth Prince had drugged him.

“Bastard!” Chu Xiao’s face darkened upon hearing this.

Chu Chen flinched, unsure if the insult was directed at him or the Fifth Prince.

“How strong was the drug?” the Crown Prince asked, reaching out to touch Chu Chen’s forehead before attempting to lift the blanket covering him.

Chu Chen realised where the Crown Prince was about to check and hastily wrapped the quilt tighter around himself. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

The Crown Prince withdrew his hand without further attempt, his voice low. “I’ll send a physician to your manor later to examine you. We can’t leave any hidden complications.”

Chu Chen didn’t dare argue and could only nod obediently.

“Bring them in,” the Crown Prince commanded.

As soon as he spoke, an attendant dragged a person inside and threw them to the ground. Chu Chen glanced at the figure on the floor—it was Lüzhu.

Lüzhu’s hair and makeup were a mess, his earlier charm long gone, leaving him looking utterly disheveled. He looked up from the floor and saw Chu Chen, his eyes lighting up. He tried to scramble to his feet and throw himself at Chu Chen, but the Crown Prince’s guard kicked him back down with a single blow.

“Sixth Prince, save me!” Lüzhu cried out, his eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Chu Chen stole a glance at the Crown Prince, unsure of his intentions.

The Crown Prince spoke, “If you have any questions about tonight’s events, you may ask him.”

Chu Chen nodded, thinking, ‘Is he letting me interrogate him myself?’

Wrapping the quilt around himself, Chu Chen got off the bed, walked over to Lüzhu, and asked with a feigned air of authority, “Speak. Why did you try to seduce this, Prince?”

“I’ve been wronged! No one sent me to seduce Your Highness. I did it because I admire you…”

Slap!

Chu Chen swung his hand and slapped Lüzhu across the face, the force of the blow leaving his own palm numb.

His slap wasn’t entirely for Lüzhu’s benefit; it was a statement to the CrownPrince. Tonight’s incident was clearly a setup by the Fifth Prince. Now that the Crown Prince had made it clear he was taking his side, Chu Chen knew that any further hesitation might make him seem too close to the Fifth Prince—perhaps even “bound by brotherhood.”

“Speak,” Chu Chen demanded again. “Why were you sent to seduce this, Prince?”

Chu Chen’s features were generally soft, his eyes often holding a hint of a smile. But with his expression now cold, he managed to exude a surprising amount of menace.

Lüzhu clutched his cheek, trembling. “The Fifth Highness only told me to serve you well. He promised a reward once it was done. I really don’t know anything else.”

Chu Chen found this plausible. If the Fifth Prince had a deeper conspiracy, he wouldn’t have told Lüzhu.

Just as Chu Chen was about to let the matter drop, the Crown Prince gave a slight wave of his hand.

A guard immediately drew his sword and drove it straight through Lüzhu’s calf.

The blade remained embedded in the leg. Lüzhu let out a piercing shriek and curled into a ball on the floor, blood gushing from the wound and pooling around him.

Chu Chen instinctively recoiled, his legs turning weak from the sudden violence. Just then, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulder. The Crown Prince had stepped beside him, his arm draped across Chu Chen’s shoulders, his gaze fixed on Lüzhu.

“I am not as gentle as you, Sixth Prince,” the Crown Prince said, his expression calm and his voice almost gentle. Yet, to Chu Chen, his words chilled him to the bone. “I will ask you only once: what exactly is Fifth Brother planning?”

As the Crown Prince spoke, the guard slightly twisted the knife in his hand. Lüzhu let out a strangled cry and hurriedly blurted out, “Fifth Highness doesn’t want to go to the Yao Kingdom for the political marriage… He said he and Sixth Highness are the only unmarried princes left in the palace. He has never been fond of men, and all the concubines in his household are women… If His Majesty is made to believe that Sixth Highness prefers men, the marriage alliance will naturally fall upon him…”

Chu Chen froze, murmuring, “Fifth Brother… He even talked to me about the marriage alliance while we were drinking. If he wanted to scheme against me, he should have kept it a secret.”

“What kind of scheme could his feeble mind devise?” the Crown Prince sneered. “After a few more cups of wine, he’d probably spill everything, including who’s pulling his strings from the shadows.”

‘Pulling his strings from the shadows?’ Chu Chen knew little of the court’s inner workings, but this was not hard to guess. The only person who would be so concerned with the Fifth Prince’s marriage prospects was the Noble Consort.

The Crown Prince signalled the guard to drag Lüzhu away, leaving only him and Chu Chen in the room.

When Chu Chen looked at the Crown Prince again, his intuition told him this man was ruthless and decisive, a figure who inspired awe and fear.

Fortunately, in this matter, the Crown Prince seemed to be on his side.

“You saw and heard everything that happened tonight with your own eyes and ears,” the Crown Prince said, placing a hand on Chu Chen’s shoulder. “Whether you were hiding your true abilities or playing the fool in the past, I never held it against you. But from today onward, you must make a decision. The Fifth Prince’s scheme against you failed tonight, and to prevent you from reporting this to Imperial Father, the Noble Consort will surely go to him first to slander you.”

Chu Chen’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Is His Highness the Crown Prince asking me to choose a side?’ He realized that relations with the Fifth Prince were bound to sour now. No matter his attitude, the other side would assume he was allied with the Crown Prince. Since that was the case, he might as well be open about it.

“Third Brother, you will help me, won’t you?” Chu Chen asked.

The Crown Prince looked at Chu Chen, a faint smile appearing on his face. “At tomorrow’s family banquet, I will speak for you. No matter how the Noble Consort tries to make things difficult, just remember one thing: do not displease Imperial Father.”

Chu Chen nodded quickly.

With the Crown Prince backing him, as long as he behaved, things shouldn’t go wrong.

“What about the marriage alliance?” Chu Chen asked, still worried.

“Rest assured,” the Crown Prince said. “Imperial Father hates the Yao Kingdom to the bone. How could he possibly agree to a marriage alliance unless it’s a last resort? Besides, their hostage is still here in Great Chu. Even if they wanted to negotiate terms, wouldn’t they have to redeem their hostage first?”

The Yao Kingdom’s hostage had been in Great Chu for several years. However, he lived in seclusion and was rarely seen. Chu Chen had heard rumours that the hostage was so hideous that he refused to leave his quarters. But Chu Chen suspected the man might have died long ago, with the Great Chu court simply keeping it a secret.

Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, Chu Chen finally felt the weight lift from his heart.

As long as the marriage alliance didn’t fall on him, everything would be fine.

Chu Xiao arranged for someone to escort Chu Chen back to his residence, then hurriedly left with his own guards.

Chu Chen stepped out of the cabin, wrapped in a thick cloak. Suddenly remembering something, he pulled a boatman aside and asked, “Do you have a man here with a black cloth tied over his eyes? He’s half a head taller than me and has a very handsome face.”

“We do, but I’m not sure which one you mean, Your Excellency,” the boatman replied, looking troubled.

As soon as he spoke, a few bursts of laughter echoed from another cabin. Chu Chen leaned in and peeked through the window. Inside, a dozen or so men, all blindfolded with black cloths, were playing hide-and-seek with the guests who had come for amusement.

“What… what is their status?” Chu Chen asked.

“They are all male courtiers on the pleasure boat. If Your Excellency has taken a fancy to one…”

Chu Chen quickly waved his hand, glancing at the guard Chu Xiao had assigned to escort him home. After the incident today, if he asked any more questions and word reached the Crown Prince’s ears, he would surely be held accountable.

Still, Chu Chen found it utterly astonishing. The man who had saved him seemed to be a master martial artist. Was it really so difficult for martial artists in the Great Chu Kingdom to make a name for themselves? How could someone with such impressive skills end up as a male courtier on a pleasure boat?