AUBTN -Chapter 315 The Prince of Zhennan Returns to the Capital

The first light of dawn barely seeped through the sky.

Neither Shen Jue, who was drowning in regret, nor Lu Yan, who was thoroughly shaken, had time to even come up with a single plan to coax their wives before a thunderbolt struck the court without warning.

The Prince of Zhennan, Xiao Zhengnan, had arrived in the capital.

Not long after the hour of Chen, the wide Vermilion Bird Avenue was already packed with people.

The common folk surged toward both sides of the street like a tide, all stretching their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the famed vassal king who had guarded the southern frontier for years.

Accompanied by the dull, synchronized sound of hoofbeats, the ceremonial procession of the Zhennan Prince’s residence slowly entered through the city gate.

The spectacle was overwhelming.

Three hundred heavily armored Southern Frontier guards led the way.

At the very center of the formation, Xiao Zhengnan rode atop a tall warhorse.

Every glance he cast carried an imposing authority without anger.

At the main gate of the imperial city.

The young emperor wore a heavy bright yellow dragon robe.

Though he tried his best to maintain imperial dignity, his thin frame still revealed a faint sense of unease in the chilly autumn wind.

Standing beside him were the Regent Shen Jue and Prince of Jing Lu Yan.

Shen Jue absentmindedly toyed with a jade-bone folding fan. His appearance was delicately beautiful, almost androgynous, yet his eyes were filled with an unmelting layer of coldness.

Lu Yan, on the other hand, wore a dark robe embroidered with subtle patterns.

His expression was cold and sharp, showing not the slightest unnecessary emotion.

No one knew that these two seemingly domineering and untouchable powerholders had spent the entire previous night sitting in the cold wind by a stone table in Yuyuan, their minds filled only with despair over one thought:

What do we do if our wives run away?

“Your subject, Xiao Zhengnan, greets Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!”

Xiao Zhengnan dismounted and strode forward. He gave only a loose half-kneel, his voice booming like thunder.

“Rise quickly. Royal Uncle has guarded the southern frontier for so long and endured great hardship. The journey must have been exhausting,” the young emperor said hurriedly, offering a respectful gesture to lift him.

“It is my duty to guard the Great Wei borders. How could I speak of hardship!” Xiao Zhengnan laughed heartily.

After laughing, his gaze slowly shifted toward Shen Jue and Lu Yan standing beside the emperor.

In the south, these two had clashed with the Prince of Zhennan many times—at times even coming close to drawing blades against each other.

Each of them understood the schemes behind those confrontations better than anyone else.

Yet Xiao Zhengnan now looked as though he had lost his memory. His face was filled with exaggerated admiration.

“Ah! These two must be the famed Regent and Prince of Jing, renowned throughout the court?”

He deliberately sized them up as if meeting them for the first time.

“As expected—better to meet than hear of them! This old minister, stuck in the remote southern frontier, has long heard of your reputations.”

He cupped his hands in a half-bow, his smile clearly insincere.

“To be able to turn the tide in a time when the Empress Dowager was ill, and assist the young emperor—truly, heroes emerge young!”

These words sounded like praise, but the emphasis on “heroes emerge young” made it sting in the ears of the surrounding officials.

Who didn’t know that one of them was a eunuch of the Eastern Depot, and the other the emperor’s enforcer?

This was clearly a veiled insult—implying they were nothing more than sycophants who rose to power through flattery and purging rivals.

Lu Yan’s eyes turned sharp.

“Prince of Zhennan flatters us too much,” he said coldly, his voice without the slightest fluctuation.

“The Regent and I owe our positions entirely to His Majesty’s grace. On the contrary, Your Highness has ruled the southern frontier with near-absolute authority for so many years, yet still returned to the capital—now that loyalty is truly admirable.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “near-absolute authority,” striking back with sarcasm.

Xiao Zhengnan’s expression stiffened slightly, but he quickly returned to his heroic demeanor.

With a snap, Shen Jue closed his folding fan. A chilling smile curved his lips, his voice languid yet poisonous:

“Your Highness has traveled far. The winds of the capital are far more unpredictable than those of the south. You should take care to add a few more layers of clothing—otherwise…”

He paused lightly.

“…you might suffer from acclimatization and fall gravely ill.”

In just a few exchanges—one cold, one sharp—the two men deflected Xiao Zhengnan’s insinuations and struck back with equal force, each sentence landing like a hidden blade.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Xiao Zhengnan’s eyes, and then he laughed loudly. “Thank you both for your concern! This old body of mine is quite sturdy. I’m afraid even the winds of the capital can’t break it!”

This silent confrontation came to a temporary end with Xiao Zhengnan being settled into the Zhennan Prince’s Manor.

However, the entire capital was already in an uproar.

That very night, the gates of the Zhennan Prince’s Manor saw a constant stream of carriages. Various factions within the capital—and former officials dissatisfied with Shen and Lu’s control—took advantage of the night to come calling.

Everyone harbored their own intentions.

All of them wanted to carve out a piece for themselves on this chessboard of the capital.

Yet, the two people at the center of the storm had no mind for strategy at all.

The night was deep. Yuyuan Residence.

Over the past few days, Su Hewan, in order to take care of the emotionally shattered Yu Qing, simply had her move into her main quarters so the two of them could eat and sleep together.

Inside the room, candlelight glowed softly.

Yu Qing was applying a face mask (made by Su Hewan from pearl powder and milk), sitting cross-legged on the bed, cracking sunflower seeds while angrily ranting.

“I’ve finally seen through it—men are all trash! What’s the use of being handsome? When they get vicious with their words, they can practically stab you to death!”

“Divorce! We must divorce! Take half his assets, and I’ll go keep ten or eight pretty little courtesans. Having them sing for me every day—now that would be the life!”

Listening to her complaints, Su Hewan, who was sitting at the desk reviewing account books, couldn’t help but twitch her lips slightly. Yet her expression remained as calm as ever.

“Qingqing, don’t drop the seed shells on the bed.”

“Oh.” Yu Qing obediently spat them into a dish.

Outside the door.

The deep autumn dew was heavy, soaking through their robes.

The two men who had been so domineering and invincible in front of the imperial gates during the day now looked like two large dogs abandoned by their owner, pitifully standing guard outside.

Shen Jue held a plate of steaming lotus pastries.

“Wanwan…” His voice was soft and ingratiating, afraid of startling the person inside. “I passed by Xu Ji in the south of the city and bought your favorite lotus pastries. Could you open the door? It’s windy outside, and I feel a bit dizzy…”

In order to gain sympathy, Shen Jue had started pretending to be ill.

Beside him, Lu Yan shot him a disdainful look, then leaned toward the crack in the door. His voice was anxious and hoarse.

“Qingqing! I was wrong! I was just too angry that day—I lost my mind and said something I shouldn’t have! If you’re still angry, you can come out and chop me with a knife, just don’t ignore me!”

“Qingqing, I swear, from now on I’ll listen to you in everything at home. If I ever raise my voice at you again, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible—”

“Shut up!”

A sharp voice came from inside the room.

Lu Yan trembled and immediately swallowed the rest of his oath, but his eyes lit up with joy.

She was responding to him!

Yu Qing sneered from inside.

“Lord Lu, you should save your vows for the Bodhisattva. I’ve already written the divorce letter. Tomorrow morning I’ll submit it to the authorities. Please leave.”

Lu Yan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His eyes instantly turned red, and his voice took on a pleading, almost tearful tone.

“I won’t sign it! I’d rather die than sign it! Qingqing, I beg you, just let me see you once…”

Seeing Lu Yan suffer a setback, Shen Jue originally wanted to gloat, but then realized he himself was being implicated as well, and instantly fell into even greater despair.

“Wanwan, you’re the most reasonable one. You can’t hold me responsible for Lu Yan’s mistakes! I swear I have nothing to do with this kind of outdated feudal garbage! Wanwan…”

Meanwhile, in the corner of the corridor not far away—

The deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, Chang Lin, and the East Depot’s penal thousand-household officer Zhao Zhou were crouched behind a pillar side by side.

Both covered their eyes, their expressions filled with disbelief and shock.

Chang Lin’s lips trembled.

“Brother Zhao… pinch me. That man crying and begging not to divorce, practically kneeling on a washboard… is that really our commander who can twist a man’s neck with his bare hands without even blinking?”

Zhao Zhou swallowed hard.

“Lord Chang… I was about to ask the same thing. And that sticky, clingy thing holding a plate and acting delicate… is that really our supervisor who skins and flays people without hesitation?”

The two looked at each other and saw deep despair in each other’s eyes.

It was over.

The dignity of their masters—the authority of the Great Wei powerholders—had been completely stomped into the mud today, beyond recovery.

When gods fight, mortals suffer.

When the masters become clingy lovers, their subordinates simply cannot bear to watch.