Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On the daybed lay a figure dressed in a gold-threaded red robe, vivid as a crimson begonia in autumn. Against it, his skin looked as fine and luminous as snow. His face was neither distinctly masculine nor feminine, and the slight furrow between his brows lent him a touch of boyishness. At a glance, his beauty was breathtaking – yet that youthful air carried such imperiousness and spoiled arrogance that no one dared look directly at him.

He was the very image of his birth mother, Noble Consort Hua. Everyone said the Second Prince possessed beauty enough to bring down a kingdom, that even the foremost beauty in the capital would pale beside him. It was no exaggeration.

But this beauty was a venomous creature, lovely as a flower and deadly as a serpent. Cruel and ruthless, he held human life in contempt, murdered his own brothers and loyal officials, and ultimately met a miserable end: Shen Yuan, the powerful minister of the Crown Prince’s faction, ran him through the heart and pinned him to the Dragon Throne with a single stroke of his sword.

Such was the fate of Xie Chengze, the Second Prince and vicious villain of the novel *The Powerful Minister*.

Holding up a bronze mirror, Xie Chengze studied his face from every angle. He supposed it was this peerless beauty, coupled with the Imperial Observatory’s claim that he was some lucky star descended to earth, that had allowed the original owner of this body to enjoy all the privileges of an imperial prince at court despite not carrying the imperial bloodline.

Even the emperor and the others indulged him beyond measure. If he had not killed the Eldest Prince, who guarded the frontier, he could have spent his whole life wrapped in silk and eating from golden bowls.

But he had been too greedy.

At the thought of dying with Shen Yuan’s sword through his heart, Xie Chengze shuddered all over. There was no way in hell he was going anywhere near a fight for the throne.

What was there to fight over, anyway? Rising before dawn and staying up late every day to review memorials – how was that any different from working twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? Now that he, Xie Chengze, had transmigrated here, he would never so much as lay a finger on the imperial throne!!!

He would lie low, live rich, and become the grandmaster of slacking off!

The next morning, at court.

Xie Chengze stood alone in the audience hall in scarlet court robes. Fine gold thread embroidered golden carp and begonia blossoms along the broad, light hem and flowing sleeves, so lifelike they seemed to dart and leap through the fabric. The robes made him look even more flamboyant, willful, spoiled, and overbearing.

Yet his drowsy expression gave him the indolent air of a cat. His little head drooped in midair as he nodded off, so sleepy that a tear had gathered at the corner of one eye.

Early shifts were torture. Washing and dressing alone took ages. If even a prince who lived in the palace could not get enough sleep, how much worse must it be for the officials who lived far away?

Ugh, he wanted somewhere to curl up and nap.

Xie Chengze’s bleary eyes roamed the great hall, only to discover that the sole place to sit was the Dragon Throne at the very top.

And that throne was enormous and broad, with a soft gold-threaded cushion laid upon it. He could hardly imagine how comfortable it would be to curl up there for a while…

Longing crept openly into Xie Chengze’s eyes.

The moment Xie Jinyu entered the hall, he saw Xie Chengze staring fixedly at the Dragon Throne, his face brimming with covetous greed for the imperial seat.

A cold sneer rose in his eyes.

His Second Brother, who was not even of imperial blood, truly could not stop obsessing over that position.

That the Second Prince was not the emperor’s son had long been an open secret among the imperial clan. After all, Noble Consort Hua had more or less been taken by force, and she had already been pregnant at the time. The emperor had publicly declared the child his own, and even the ministers believed him, but everyone in the rear palace and all the other princes knew the truth.

Thus, they all understood that Xie Chengze could never inherit the throne.

Only Xie Chengze himself did not know.

Xie Jinyu strode toward him. Handsome and refined, he looked even taller and more distinguished in the Crown Prince’s black-and-gold robes, his bearing noble and elegant. He truly deserved the praise, “the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, nobility granted by Heaven itself.” Even walking at a brisk pace, he moved like the wind and stepped like drifting clouds, without the slightest graceless motion to spoil the sight.

“Second Brother.” He stopped beside Xie Chengze, his gaze settling lightly on his face. Whether his words were praise or mockery was impossible to tell. “You’re as early as ever.”

Xie Chengze turned. At the sight of that exceptionally handsome face, he raised a brow and grinned. “Well, well, if it isn’t…”

“The Crown Prince…” *my little bro?*

Xie Jinyu’s eyes flickered, their dark, unfathomable depths betraying nothing of his thoughts. The next instant, however, he smiled with gentle warmth, narrowing moon-bright eyes. “Why so distant today, Second Brother? You used to call me Third Brother.”

Xie Jinyu habitually met everyone with a smile. His every movement possessed the gracious air of a gentleman, making the Crown Prince seem warm and approachable. But Xie Chengze, who had read the original novel, knew that this man was calculating to the bone and terrifyingly skilled at intrigue.

Especially when those moonlike eyes narrowed. He might look mild and friendly, but suspicion and distrust seethed beneath the surface as he calculated how to dispose of his enemies without a sound. He was the last person one could afford to provoke.
Keenly sensing the faint but unmistakable danger radiating from Xie Jinyu, Xie Chengze’s hackles rose. He immediately changed the subject with a cheery smile. “Little Crown Prince, you’re here so early. Have you eaten?”

Little Crown Prince.

At that form of address, Xie Jinyu’s pupils contracted.

The distant past seemed to wrench open the floodgates of memory all at once. Turmoil surged through Xie Jinyu, and the look he gave Xie Chengze grew increasingly obscure and inscrutable.

It had been a very long time since Xie Chengze had called him Little Crown Prince.

As a child, Xie Jinyu had loved seeking Xie Chengze out to play. Unlike their wooden and aloof Eldest Brother, Second Brother Xie Chengze had been beautiful and gentle, always calling him Little Crown Prince in a soft, affectionate voice. He had taught Xie Jinyu to write and recite poetry, taken him to tease birds and catch fish, and when the Empress had punished and whipped Xie Jinyu for doing poorly in his studies, Xie Chengze had carefully applied medicine and wiped down his body.

Xie Jinyu, the one who had been hurt, had not shed a tear. Yet Xie Chengze had ached for him so badly that he cried harder than Xie Jinyu ever could.

He had once said that he liked his Little Crown Prince best of all.

But at some point, he had stopped calling him that. He began meddling in the affairs of court, began acting with ruthless cruelty, began calling him Third Brother with sickening hypocrisy.

As though to emphasize: he, Xie Chengze, was also of imperial blood. He, Xie Chengze, did not recognize Xie Jinyu as Crown Prince.

So why had Xie Chengze suddenly used a nickname today that had become all but forbidden between them?

Xie Jinyu stared at him without blinking, intent on seeing through this sudden, uncharacteristic behavior. His scrutiny made Xie Chengze’s skin crawl, and Xie Chengze could not help taking half a step back. “What?”

Seeing that Xie Chengze actually seemed a little afraid of him, Xie Jinyu’s eyes flickered. For an instant, he almost thought he had misunderstood.

How could Xie Chengze possibly be afraid of him?

No one was better at provoking and enraging him. If there was one person under heaven who could pluck every last string of the Crown Prince’s temper, the honor unquestionably belonged to Xie Chengze.

Xie Jinyu was about to offer a few barbed remarks when he caught sight of the still-damp trace of a tear at the corner of Xie Chengze’s eye. His words halted, and a strained note of mockery entered his voice. “Has Second Brother been crying? Who bullied you?”

“Hm?” Xie Chengze touched his face, pale, luminous fingertips flashing beneath the sleeve of his scarlet court robe. “Oh. No. I’m sleepy.”

Sleepy?

Xie Jinyu laughed inwardly. To show off before Father, his Second Brother was always bursting with energy at court. He had never once been sleepy. Whenever Father posed a question, Xie Chengze even scrambled to answer first for fear that someone else might steal the credit.

He could not even be bothered to invent an excuse that might conceivably convince Xie Jinyu. How utterly perfunctory!

“Then Second Brother should wake himself up quickly, lest you make a mistake during court and displease Father…” Xie Jinyu stepped forward with perfect composure and wiped the lingering moisture from the corner of Xie Chengze’s eye with the pad of one long finger. He pressed too hard, leaving an eye-catching flush of red behind.

It hurt. Xie Chengze retreated another step. Knowing that the Crown Prince was hostile to him, he had no wish to continue the conversation. Just then, Fourth Prince Xie Zimiao arrived belatedly and bowed to them with meek innocence. “Second Brother. Third Brother.”

Xie Chengze hurriedly pulled Xie Zimiao over and planted him between himself and Xie Jinyu. Feigning concern, he said, “Why are you so late today, Fourth Brother? Are you feeling unwell? Come, stand beside Second Brother. I’ll take your pulse.”

With that, he put on a show of feeling Xie Zimiao’s wrist.

As the red-robed figure drew close, the movement of his clothes carried with it a faint fragrance of begonia incense. Xie Zimiao’s ears reddened. The hand around his wrist felt like a sudden lick of flame, leaving him unsure whether to pull away or remain still.

Flattered by the attention, he held out his arm and stammered, “S-Second Brother, I’m fine.”

He usually arrived at the last possible moment. Today, a small matter really had delayed him for a while. He had never expected his Second Brother, who normally showed him no concern whatsoever, to notice with such thoughtfulness.

It had been so very, very long since Second Brother had shown any concern for him.

For a time, Xie Zimiao even forgot that Xie Chengze had pulled him into the wrong position. He simply stood there and let Xie Chengze toy with his wrist.

Xie Jinyu glanced sidelong at them. The sight of their intimate posture stirred an inexplicable displeasure in his heart, and he could not resist a cold jab. “I was unaware Second Brother had learned medicine.”

Without lifting his head, Xie Chengze maintained the solemn appearance of taking a pulse. “Just started. I’m using Fourth Brother for practice.”

There was no possible retort to that. Xie Jinyu gave a cold laugh and fell silent, but his scorching gaze remained fixed on Xie Chengze’s face, never shifting for an instant, as though he meant to see straight through him.

Xie Chengze felt a little guilty under that stare. He turned his head the other way and pretended to ponder, pinching Xie Zimiao’s wrist as he hummed without pause, “Mm… mm – mm… mm!”
Old man Emperor, what is taking you so long?

If you don’t get here soon, he’s going to stare a hole right through me!

Fortunately, after being summoned a thousand times in Xie Chengze’s head, the emperor finally made his entrance. Xie Chengze exhaled softly, released Xie Zimiao’s wrist, and looked toward Emperor Jian on the Dragon Throne.

He truly looked nothing like Emperor Jian. In fact, not a single feature resembled the emperor’s. No wonder everyone in the palace firmly believed he was not the emperor’s son.

One thing, however, was certain: no matter how contemptible the original Xie Chengze might have been in private, Emperor Jian would turn a blind eye so long as he did not harm the other princes. The emperor indulged him greatly – doted on him, even.

In other words, under those conditions, Xie Chengze had Emperor Jian covering for anything he did. That was precisely why, after transmigrating here, Xie Chengze had relaxed and decided he would do whatever he wanted and refuse whatever he did not.

Still, he had to proceed one step at a time. He needed to gradually soften the combative image the original had established in everyone’s minds. Then it would be much easier to give up and coast through life later.

He would start today!

At Emperor Jian’s solemn declaration, “Court is now in session,” the ministers began stepping forward one after another to present their memorials.

“Your Majesty, flash floods have struck Yizhou this year. The river embankments have collapsed, and tens of thousands of mu of fertile farmland have been destroyed. As precedent dictates, we should allocate silver for disaster relief and rebuild the embankments to reassure the people of Yizhou!” Prime Minister Li Ren was the first to step forward and address the throne.

“Your Majesty, floods are becoming increasingly frequent in Yizhou. Allocating disaster relief funds every time places no small burden on the treasury. We must address the root of the problem!” The Minister of Revenue immediately stepped forward. “In this minister’s view, the surest course is to improve the embankments and end the danger once and for all.”

“You make improving the embankments sound easy. Do you think past dynasties never tried? How many dikes have been built only to collapse?” The Minister of Works fired back at once. “Or has your Ministry of Revenue already devised a way to improve them?”

“This minister has spent many years at court and naturally cannot devise one himself. Thus, I believe we should gather ideas from throughout the realm and deliberate together on a plan to control Yizhou’s waters,” the Minister of Revenue declared sonorously.

“Gather ideas from throughout the realm? Would that not amount to admitting to the people that all the officials of the imperial court are incapable of handling even this? What would become of the civil and military officials’ dignity?” The Minister of Rites immediately stepped forward in protest.

“Isn’t that because the Ministry of Works is useless?” the Minister of Revenue retorted. “The Ministry of Revenue’s silver doesn’t blow in on the wind. Yizhou’s accounts run at a deficit every year, and all the farmland washed away has become wasteland. We might as well relocate the people to a neighboring city and save the court some silver!”

“Absurd! You propose abandoning an entire city! Once such a precedent is set, every scholar under heaven will denounce His Majesty in speech and writing!” Red-faced with fury, the Minister of Works pointed at the Minister of Revenue’s nose and cursed him roundly. “I refuse to believe your ministry has no money. Don’t tell me you’ve embezzled it all!”

“Lord Jiang, mind your words! Accusations require evidence!” the Minister of Revenue snapped, glaring fiercely at the Minister of Works.

“Enough!” Emperor Jian said impatiently from the Dragon Throne. Then his gaze swept toward the princes. “Chengze, what do you think?”

Emperor Jian’s particular fondness for the Second Prince was known to every minister. Whenever such a memorial arose, he always made a point of asking the Second Prince’s opinion, seemingly intent on honing him and giving him a chance to distinguish himself.

No wonder so many ministers believed the Second Prince was Emperor Jian’s chosen heir, and that the current Crown Prince existed merely as a whetstone for His Highness the Second Prince. After all, the Jian’an Dynasty had deposed far too many crown princes over its history, and once deposed, they were rarely restored.

But Xie Chengze, who had read the original novel, knew those ideas were pure bullshit.

Emperor Jian might dote on him, but the position of Crown Prince belonged immovably to Xie Jinyu. The emperor always made Xie Chengze answer first because he knew the Crown Prince would answer better. When the two were compared, the Crown Prince would naturally emerge superior!

That, in turn, would make the imperial loyalists even more devoted to the Crown Prince and more eager to defend him against injustice. In modern terms, it was the classic celebrity tactic of abusing the fans to weed out everyone but the diehards!

Emperor Jian could hardly be called a sage ruler, nor had he achieved anything exceptionally beneficial to the people. Fortunately, he was highly adept in the art of kingship. He kept the civil and military officials in steady balance and was polishing a worthy successor for the people. And who else was the whetstone but Xie Chengze?

They wanted to use him as the Crown Prince’s whetstone, stepping-stone, and paving brick?

This whetstone was going on strike!

Xie Chengze promptly whipped his head around and said with an innocent expression, “Dunno. Ask the Crown Prince! He definitely knows!”

Xie Jinyu, blindsided by the sudden nomination: ???