TRBDM -Chapter 98 Shi Yi’s Background

Following Xie Yu’s voice, it really was the Tenth Prince.

There were six people living in the study room, and as soon as Xie Yu called out, everyone turned to look.

“The Tenth Prince is here?”

“Our study room is so remote and damp, far from the Tenth Prince’s chambers. Who could he be looking for here?”

“I don’t know.”

Behind the Tenth Prince followed a young eunuch named Jianxi, who usually took care of the prince’s daily life.

Jianxi furrowed his brows like a mountain and waved his nose in disgust. “Your Highness, what are you doing here? This place reeks of mildew; it’s unbearable.”

Zhao Jingheng’s expression remained unchanged, as if he could not smell the foul odor at all.

Originally, Eunuch Jianxi had served in the palaces of the imperial consorts, living freely and comfortably, occasionally receiving gifts from the ladies. Every day, he indulged in dreams of becoming the chief eunuch.

But one day, he was suddenly assigned by the Chief Eunuch to serve the Tenth Prince and accompany him to the Guozijian (Imperial Academy) for study.

He was absolutely unwilling.

Leaving the palace, all the connections he had previously built were useless, and the dream of becoming chief eunuch drifted even further away.

The Tenth Prince had no power or influence; it wasn’t just that there was no profit to be gained, but he was constantly bullied by the other princes.

The young eunuchs who had entered the palace with him all laughed when they heard he had been sent to the Tenth Prince: “You? Your life is over. Following the Tenth Prince, you’ll barely get a meal and a roof over your head. You’ll be a lowly eunuch forever.”

Jianxi was so embarrassed he couldn’t show his face for days.

Yet, as a young eunuch who could not control his own fate, no matter how unwilling he was, he still followed the Tenth Prince into the Guozijian.

The Guozijian wasn’t very large; being confined there was no different from imprisonment.

The only consolation was that, apart from the Ninth Prince, the other students all had to bow when they saw the Tenth Prince, which meant Jianxi also received a fair amount of respect by association.

His previously listless mood improved a little.

There was one more thing: the Tenth Prince was not the weak, easily-bullied person the rumors claimed.

He kept a low profile, never conversed with outsiders, and even though he and the Ninth Prince saw each other constantly, they had never clashed.

Clearly, the Tenth Prince had his own abilities.

For this reason, when the Tenth Prince himself suggested coming to the study room, Jianxi found it baffling.

The Tenth Prince rarely spoke. Since Jianxi had been with him, he had never heard him utter more than ten words.

Most of the time, Jianxi would talk to himself, while the prince remained silent.

Sometimes he wondered if the Tenth Prince had hearing problems; otherwise, why would he remain completely unresponsive nine out of ten times?

This time was no different. Jianxi had gotten used to it.

Zhao Jingheng entered the study room, and everyone immediately bowed. “Greetings, Your Highness the Tenth Prince.”

“Xie Yu.” Zhao Jingheng spoke, his voice low, yet it made Xie Yu’s body tremble.

“Y-Your Highness, are you looking for me?”

“Outside.” Zhao Jingheng spoke sparingly; after those two words, he stepped out of the study room.

Xie Yu nervously looked at Xie Lan. “Fourth Brother, what do we do?”

Xie Lan was also afraid, but he remembered their mother’s letter, which said that if necessary, they could seek the Tenth Prince’s favor.

So he steeled himself and tugged the corner of his mouth at Xie Yu. “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

The two of them followed the Tenth Prince outside.

The Tenth Prince’s chambers were in the southeast of the Guozijian—well-positioned with plenty of sunlight. Even before they approached, the scent of flowers could be smelled.

It was a private little courtyard, with a large tree in the center, its branches blooming with delicate pink flowers.

The Tenth Prince entered the hall and sat on a chair.

Xie Lan and Xie Yu remained below the hall. Xie Lan cupped his hands in respect. “Greetings, Your Highness the Tenth Prince. I am Xie Lan of the Mingde Marquis House, and this is my younger brother, Xie Yu. May I ask what business you have with my fourth brother?”

Zhao Jingheng waved his hand. Seeing Jianxi understand, he lowered his head and walked out, closing the small courtyard door behind him.

Zhao Jingheng was cautious.

Not only with Jianxi, but he was wary of everyone placed around him.

He didn’t know who might be secretly taking orders from whom. Fearing unexpected trouble, he became even more silent.

The less said and done, the fewer opportunities for others to use against him.

By taking the initiative to approach Xie Yu today, he had already broken the usual bounds.

This move might bring him trouble, but he felt that some things required striking first.

“Are you brothers?” Zhao Jingheng asked.

“No. Fourth Brother is an adopted son recognized by my mother,” Xie Yu replied.

Zhao Jingheng pondered. “What was your original name? And your parents’ names?”

Xie Yu didn’t dare to answer, so Xie Lan spoke for him: “Fourth Brother was originally a servant boy in the Mingde Marquisate, named Shi Yi. He had no father or mother and was picked up from a pile of dead bodies to be raised. At seven years old, he was sold into the Marquisate.”

The young Shi Yi had suffered a lot. Thinking of him carrying water, chopping wood, and hauling coal with his frail shoulders, Xie Lan felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart.

But back then, he couldn’t do much to help—aside from secretly sharing a bit of food with Shi Yi, he could hardly do anything else.

Thankfully, their hardships eventually turned to sweetness.

“A pile of dead bodies? Do you remember where it was?”

Xie Yu shook his head. “I only heard it was far, far from the capital. The exact place, I don’t know.”

“Lift your head.”

Xie Yu raised his head.

Zhao Jingheng stared at him, and the more he looked into those eyes, the more he felt there was something extraordinary about him.

Xie Lan asked, “Your Highness, why do you keep asking about Fourth Brother’s origins? Do you perhaps know his biological parents?”

Xie Lan knew it was wishful thinking, but he still clung to a glimmer of hope.

What if Xie Yu’s parents were still alive?

“I don’t know them.”

The cold three words shattered Xie Lan’s already unlikely hopes.

“Nothing further. You may leave now,” Zhao Jingheng waved his hand.

Xie Lan and Xie Yu exchanged a glance and stepped out.

Once outside the courtyard, Jianxi saw them and asked, “What did His Highness the Tenth Prince say to you?”

Xie Yu was about to speak, but Xie Lan beat him to it: “During the day, Lord Sacrificial Instructor gave us a question, and the Tenth Prince was discussing it with us.”

“The Tenth Prince came to see you just to discuss a question?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Xie Lan replied earnestly.

Jianxi rolled his eyes silently. “Alright, got it. You may go.”

After they had gone far enough and confirmed no one was around, Xie Yu asked, “Fourth Brother, you lied to Lord Jianxi just now, didn’t you? What if he goes to ask the Tenth Prince?”

“He won’t dare. Even if he did, the Tenth Prince wouldn’t say anything.”

Xie Yu wasn’t foolish. Hearing Xie Lan’s reasoning, it made perfect sense.

The Tenth Prince, sparing with words, would not waste them on a eunuch.

“When we return to the quarters, answer the same way if anyone asks. As for your origins, don’t mention a single word.”

“Mm.”

Back in the quarters, Xie Lan opened the letter he was writing to Wei Zhaorong and added a few lines: “His Highness the Tenth Prince summoned Fourth Brother and me privately and inquired specifically about Fourth Brother’s background.”

Then he sealed the letter and instructed the clerk to deliver it back to the Marquisate as soon as possible.