After the Emperor had departed, RongCheng secretly let out a sigh. How could he not discern the Emperor's true intention from his actions? Yet, there was nothing truly significant between himself and Yan Si; he simply viewed the boy as a poor, younger brother. The constant urging and pressure from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager for him to take concubines and produce heirs, that was the true annoyance.
He had already said he disliked it, time and time again he had stated his aversion. Apart from Shang Yuan, he had no desire to share this affection with anyone else, yet…
The atmosphere, which had been cheerful moments ago, suddenly grew heavy. RongCheng said nothing further, merely instructed Yan Si to continue resting well, and then immediately took his leave.
The motives of those in the Imperial Family were inherently complex. Yan Si, however, understood none of it, for his mind was currently blank, like a pristine sheet of white paper. It was gradually being painted with strokes of crimson, and the one holding the brush was none other than RongCheng.
After that visit, RongCheng did not appear again, causing Yan Si to pine for him until he felt weary. In his mind, every hour, every moment, was spent thinking of RongCheng. He wondered what the man was doing, if he truly was that busy?
Thinking thus, Yan Si felt a trace of sulky grievance and quietly muttered, "He is the Crown Prince, of course he is busy. How could he be as idle as I am? Moreover..."
If he had the time, he would surely dedicate it entirely to the Crown Princess. How could he have time to spare for caring for him?
At this moment, Xiao Yi, who had appeared beside Yan Si without his notice, happened to overhear and said, "Lately, many important matters have occurred within the palace; His Highness is indeed extremely busy. Master should not sit here waiting by the doorway all day long; he will not be able to come. Please come inside and have some refreshments."
Having his thoughts spoken aloud, Yan Si was somewhat startled and turned to look at Xiao Yi, then forced himself to appear calm, replying with a cold tone, "Who... who says I am waiting for him!?"
"Oh..." Xiao Yi naturally did not believe him. "If that is the case, then why does Master sit outside the door all day long?"
"I... I..." Yan Si searched for an excuse for a while but could not find one, so he retorted, "I like sitting here, is that not allowed? Why do you ask so many questions?"
Seeing that his Master was displeased, Xiao Yi gently patted his back. "Yes... yes, this servant is at fault. Master, please quickly come inside to dine."
He swiftly helped Yan Si stand and walk inside. At this moment, Yan Si hesitantly asked, "What were those serious matters you mentioned that occurred in the palace?"
Hearing the question, Xiao Yi pondered whether he should speak. After a moment, he whispered close to Yan Si's ear, cautioning, "If Master hears of this matter, you must not speak of it to anyone, nor should you question His Highness about it, lest this servant be executed."
This matter seemed to be of extreme gravity, otherwise, Xiao Yi would not have worn such an expression. Knowing this, Yan Si immediately nodded. "I understand. Speak quickly."
Xiao Yi was naturally a bit of a gossip. Although he knew the rule here was that those who knew little died little, and those who knew much died much, and that if one chanced to know, one must seal one's lips, keeping it entirely secret felt unbearable.
Furthermore, this Master was truly quiet, neither socializing nor interacting with anyone else, and seemed tight-lipped. Thus, Xiao Yi recounted everything he had secretly overheard.
The matter originated last month when RongCheng and Shang Yuan were ambushed by an assassination plot. After escaping danger and returning, though RongCheng seemed to pay no mind to the culprits, he had in fact secretly ordered his subordinates to launch a rigorous investigation.
Recently, when his men had gathered sufficient evidence and uncovered the source, they brought everything before the Emperor for judgment. The mastermind was none other than the Second Prince…
This was hardly surprising. Since childhood, the Second Prince had harbored immense jealousy and envy towards RongCheng, viewing him as a thorn in his side, certain to remove him with utmost resolve at the first opportunity. Once RongCheng was eradicated, the throne would immediately fall into his own hands.
In the end, the bonds of brotherhood were clearly not as weighty as the Imperial Throne, leading to the self-destruction of kin. The Imperial City had always been thus throughout the generations.
Nevertheless, the Second Prince was, after all, the Emperor's own flesh and blood; His Majesty naturally could not bear to issue the order to execute his son. However, the serious crime of plotting to murder his Elder Brother, nearly costing him his life, could not be forgiven. When all came to light, it truly made things difficult for the Emperor.
Xiao Yi rambled on for a while, then whispered, "This servant heard that the Emperor ultimately decided to banish the Second Prince from the Song Kingdom, forever forbidding him from returning to the Imperial City."
This was indeed a deserved punishment. The Emperor's judgment served both as a deterrent and avoided the killing of his own son; perhaps it could be considered a favorable outcome.
After hearing the story, Yan Si remained utterly silent, lost in thought. He consciously turned around, pulled out a chair, and sat down to eat his meal.
Seeing this, Xiao Yi did not trouble him further and quietly withdrew.
The Second Prince, bearing a grave offense, was merely exiled by the Emperor to a distant border region. Yet, what sin had he committed to be abandoned so decisively? Was it merely because of a fortune-teller's words?
He did not know if that prophecy was merely fear-mongering nonsense, or if he truly was a source of calamity. Thinking of this, Yan Si could not help but shake his head and sigh.
RongCheng had been preoccupied with tracking down his assassin these past few days, but now that all was settled, he would surely be much less busy.
After finishing his meal, it was already close to late afternoon. Yan Si determinedly insisted that Xiao Yi must take him to the Zi Xuan Palace, claiming he only wished to visit RongCheng briefly. Yet, Xiao Yi did not believe him, continuously tried to dissuade him, and even suggested taking him for a stroll elsewhere.
After much argument, Xiao Yi finally conceded and reluctantly took Yan Si there.
When the two arrived, Yan Si learned that RongCheng was not present, and thus, he had no choice but to return with regret.
Seeing his Master appear unhappy, Xiao Yi immediately suggested, "Master, how about we take a short walk to lift your spirits before returning? This servant knows a place that is beautiful and very peaceful; there is no fear of running into other Mistresses or Masters there."
"That… is acceptable," Yan Si conceded. Thinking there was nothing for him to do if he returned early, he nodded and followed Xiao Yi.