The winter had just passed in Chang’an, and it was now the time when the weather was alternately warm and cold. Dozens of braziers were lit in the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, making the entire place feel like a steamer. The head eunuch of the Eastern Palace, Fu Bao, was pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.
“Imperial Physician, how is the Crown Prince’s condition?” Fu Bao’s face was filled with anxiety.
The master of the Eastern Palace, the legitimate son of the current Emperor, Crown Prince You Yusui, had been unconscious due to severe illness for nearly half a month, and the entire Imperial Medical Courtyard was at a loss.
Fu Bao was asking the Imperial Physician Li, who was checking the Crown Prince’s pulse. As Physician Li felt the increasingly weak pulse on the Crown Prince’s wrist, he couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile when Fu Bao wasn’t looking.
This pulse was so weak that even the greatest immortal couldn’t save him! Once the Crown Prince died, the Imperial Noble Consort’s eldest son would be able to claim the position of Crown Prince by virtue of being the eldest, and he would be able to rise to power and wealth by relying on the Imperial Noble Consort and the eldest prince.
Imperial Physician Li smiled as he felt the pulse growing weaker under his fingers until it finally disappeared completely, his eyes instantly flashing with joy.
At that moment, the Crown Prince, whose pulse had already disappeared, suddenly opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. The Crown Prince’s eyes were bloodshot, his gaze sharp as a sword, like a scene of the dead coming back to life.
Before Imperial Physician Li could react, the Crown Prince grabbed his wrist, flipped him onto the ground, and then delivered a kick to his chest.
“Ghost! The dead has come back to life!” Physician Li exclaimed before fainting.
You Yusui, who had just awakened, looked at the familiar palace, familiar scenes, and familiar people with numbness. This was the sixteenth time he had been reborn.
That’s right—he had died fifteen times, each death more tragic than the last. The best outcome after death was a thin coffin burial, and the worst was no remains at all. The worst posthumous title he had received was “Li,” given by his dear father emperor, with the evaluation that he was “born causing his mother’s death, extravagant and immoderate, disrespectful to elders, plotting against brothers, and unworthy of being a son.”
His tragic death in his first life had left You Yusui in disbelief. To be the Crown Prince his father wanted, he had toned down his naturally gorgeous appearance to look modest and gentle. When his father favored commoners, he was respectful to the worthy and humble toward the lowly. When his father wanted a capable Crown Prince, he worked himself to the point of serious illness. However, what awaited him was a cup of poisoned wine, a thin coffin burial, and the posthumous title “Li.” In historical records, only tyrannical rulers were given the posthumous title “Li.”
Later, he was reborn, but with each rebirth came another tragic death, each different from the last, sometimes even with no remains, and always with a pitifully simple funeral that chilled the heart.
You Yusui had tried to resist his fate, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t escape his tragic death before the age of twenty. After experiencing fifteen tragic deaths and rebirths, he had an epiphany: since he couldn’t escape his tragic fate, why not live happily in life and strive to lie in the best coffin, sleep in the largest tomb, have the most burial objects, and receive the best posthumous title after death?
So, You Yusui, determined to enjoy himself, opened his eyes and immediately kicked down the Imperial Physician who worked for the Imperial Noble Consort.
The process from opening his eyes to kicking the physician happened so quickly that even the loyal Fu Bao couldn’t react in time. After Imperial Physician Li had fainted, Fu Bao finally rushed over, crying, “Your Highness, it’s so wonderful that you’ve awakened. If you hadn’t woken up, this servant would have wanted to follow you!”
You Yusui looked at the weeping Fu Bao and patted him, saying, “There, there. Wait until I really die before you save your energy for crying.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Bao quickly spat and said, “Your Highness will surely live a long life. What talk of death? Pooh, pooh, pooh.”
You Yusui smiled at this, thinking to himself that in his fifteen previous lives, he hadn’t lived past twenty even once.
Then, he looked at the unconscious Imperial Physician Li and said, “This man said I’ve come back from the dead, that I’m a ghost. I think he’s the one with ghosts in his heart. Drag him out and hand him over to the Court of Judicial Administration for trial on charges of attempting to harm the Crown Prince.”
As soon as he finished speaking, palace servants from the Eastern Palace dragged the physician away.
After dealing with Imperial Physician Li, Fu Bao immediately ordered the waiting physicians to check the Crown Prince’s pulse.
You Yusui leaned against the bed, extending his hand to let the physician before him take his pulse. The youth’s wrist was slender and fair like beautiful jade. Fu Bao looked at it and felt only heartache—the Crown Prince had lost so much weight during his illness, and his court robes would probably be much too large for him now.
A moment later, after five imperial physicians had checked and rechecked his pulse, confirming and reconfirming, they finally reached a conclusion.
“The Crown Prince is in good health!” the physicians happily declared.
Upon hearing this, You Yusui immediately slumped to one side, weakly coughing several times. Tears instantly welled up on his eyelashes, and combined with the Crown Prince’s pale, delicate face, he looked extremely fragile and pitiful.
Soon, Fu Bao glared at the physicians, clearly asking how this could be called “good health.”
The physicians were also at a loss. The Crown Prince had just woken up and had immediately kicked away a grown man—how was that not good health?
Leaning against the bed, the Crown Prince coughed lightly a few more times and said, “I am not well.”
He was not well, very unwell. If he were well, how could he find an excuse not to help his dear father emperor handle state affairs?
It was worth noting that in one of his fifteen lives, he had died from overwork and illness.
Dying from illness—You Yusui couldn’t help but smile when he thought about it. This had been his best ending.
“Well…” the head physician hesitated for a moment before saying, “The Crown Prince has just recovered from a serious illness, so it’s normal for his body to be weak. As they say, ‘Illness comes like an avalanche and leaves like pulled silk.’ We will prescribe medicine to help Your Highness recuperate.”
“Thank you, Imperial Physician,” You Yusui said weakly, appearing to have a sickly look in his eyes.
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the physician had written the prescription. You Yusui saw that it was mostly tonics that wouldn’t make much difference whether he took them or not.
After writing the prescription, the physicians looked at You Yusui and bowed, saying, “We shall take our leave now.”
“Fu Bao, see the physicians out,” You Yusui said with a smile.
“Yes.” Fu Bao was naturally thorough in his duties, escorting the physicians all the way to the Eastern Palace gate and giving each of them a token of appreciation.
In the time it took Fu Bao to go and return, You Yusui had already sat up in bed, apparently preparing to get out of bed barefoot.
“My little ancestor, what are you doing?” As soon as Fu Bao walked in, he quickly pushed You Yusui back onto the bed and scolded the young palace maids and eunuchs for not being attentive enough.
After Fu Bao had personally helped You Yusui put on his shoes and socks, he stood up and asked, “Does Your Highness wish to dress up?”
You Yusui’s appearance resembled the late empress, with delicate features, upturned eyebrows, phoenix-like eyes, and a striking cinnabar beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
His appearance was too gorgeous, and in order to be a Crown Prince who satisfied everyone, You Yusui often used women’s makeup to cover the beauty mark at the corner of his eye and specially trimmed his eyebrows to make himself look less delicate and more gentle and virtuous.
You Yusui lightly touched the beauty mark at the corner of his eye and smiled, saying, “No need. I am what I am, and they will have to accept the Crown Prince as he is.”
He was no longer going to do such a foolish thing as to inconvenience himself for others.
“Yes,” Fu Bao happily complied.
In Fu Bao’s opinion, there was probably no one under heaven who looked more noble than the Crown Prince, and such an appearance naturally needed no modification.
After that, You Yusui had Fu Bao remove the excess braziers from the palace. He lounged on the couch wearing an outer robe, drinking fine tribute tea and reading leisurely books, with a small eunuch peeling melon seeds for him.
“Your Highness…” Fu Bao looked at this scene, seeming to have something to say but hesitating.
Given the Crown Prince’s usual character, shouldn’t he be asking about what had happened recently? Why was he so relaxed and leisurely reading casual books?
You Yusui put down his book and smiled at Fu Bao, saying, “Guess whose ears will first hear the news that I’ve awakened, and who will first send someone to the Eastern Palace.”
Fu Bao remained silent. He didn’t want to guess.
In the time it took to burn a stick of incense, people sent by the Imperial Noble Consort arrived at the Eastern Palace to inquire about the Crown Prince’s illness. You Yusui, who had been lying on the couch, hid his leisure book, had the small eunuch put away the melon seeds and tea, and crawled back into bed.
Fu Bao silently observed all this, then opened the door to let in the Imperial Noble Consort’s people.
The person sent by the Imperial Noble Consort was her chief palace maid, Ru Qiu, one of her confidantes. As soon as Ru Qiu entered the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, she smelled the strong scent of medicine. The Crown Prince was lying sick in bed, his black hair disheveled, his chin sharp, making his delicate face look even smaller.
“How is the Crown Prince’s health?” After bowing respectfully, Ru Qiu asked softly.
“Upon hearing that Your Highness had awakened, the Noble Consort was overjoyed and specially sent this servant to bring some tonics for Your Highness, hoping for Your Highness’s speedy recovery,” Ru Qiu continued without waiting for a response from You Yusui or Fu Bao.
You Yusui, lying in bed, weakly opened his eyes and coughed, saying, “Thank the Noble Consort for her concern. I’ve heard that the Noble Consort has a five-hundred-year-old ginseng. I wonder if my body could benefit from it? If the Noble Consort is willing, could she give me that item?”
As he spoke, You Yusui suddenly shed tears, “With my body as it is, I fear I would waste the Noble Consort’s precious gift.”
Ru Qiu was stunned. She had never seen anyone so brazen as to openly ask for someone else’s possessions. Was this really the Crown Prince, or an impostor?
“The Crown Prince must be joking,” Ru Qiu forced a stiff smile. Her mistress treasured that ginseng dearly—giving it to the Crown Prince was out of the question.
You Yusui spoke weakly, “I see. Even as the Crown Prince, I’m not worthy of the Noble Consort’s precious item.”
Ru Qiu’s smile grew even stiffer. With words pushed to this point, she could only say, “I will inform the Noble Consort when I return.”
“The Noble Consort is my stepmother, she loves and cares for me. For her to send such a treasure to me, I don’t know how to repay her,” You Yusui directly confirmed that the Imperial Noble Consort would send him the ginseng.
At that moment, Ru Qiu couldn’t even force a smile anymore.
After saying this, You Yusui seemingly casually remarked, “The Noble Consort is so well-informed. Even before Father Emperor knew that I had awakened, the Noble Consort had already sent tonics to my palace. No wonder the Noble Consort always knows where Father Emperor has gone.”
After saying this, You Yusui gave Ru Qiu a gentle smile. Ru Qiu felt a chill throughout her body, breaking out in a cold sweat. Spying on the Emperor’s whereabouts was a serious crime.
Before Ru Qiu could defend her mistress, You Yusui looked toward Fu Bao and asked, “Were there any palace servants who abandoned their posts in the Eastern Palace earlier?”
“Yes,” Fu Bao glanced and answered.
“When the master is gravely ill and a servant abandons their post, the Eastern Palace cannot afford such servants,” You Yusui curled his lips. “Twenty strokes of the cane and expulsion from the Eastern Palace.”
“But wasn’t that person sent by the Imperial Noble Consort?” Fu Bao asked, troubled.
“Nonsense! The Noble Consort manages the harem with strict discipline and would never train servants who abandon their posts,” You Yusui chided softly. Then, looking at Ru Qiu, who dared not speak, he said, “If it’s true, we should find a way to help the Noble Consort.”
“My mother, the late Empress, was praised by Father Emperor for her management of the harem. I still have the palace rules and household management books written by my mother. You can take them to the Noble Consort for me.”
“What a pity, back then, my mother had the Grand Changqiu helping her manage the palace maids. Although the Noble Consort has a position similar to a deputy empress, she is still only a deputy. No wonder the Noble Consort makes mistakes in her busy schedule,” You Yusui sighed softly.
(TL: Grand Changqiu=A historical title, often referring to the official in charge of managing inner palace affairs, especially the palace maids.)
The palace servant who had abandoned their post had already been dragged away for caning. Ru Qiu, hearing the wails of pain, was in turmoil and dared not stay in the Crown Prince’s palace any longer. She could only take the late Empress’s belongings given by the Crown Prince and hurriedly take her leave.
After Ru Qiu left, You Yusui beckoned to Fu Bao.
“Now, I have an extremely important matter for you to handle,” You Yusui said mysteriously to Fu Bao.
Fu Bao, thinking that the Crown Prince wanted him to meet with some official, immediately perked up. “Please tell me, Your Highness.”
You Yusui said with a serious expression, “Buy me a coffin, made of golden silk nanmu wood, as quickly as possible.”
“Huh?” At that moment, Fu Bao felt his face turn green.
