Chapter 41
Chapter 41
“There has been a misunderstanding. I can explain it to you.” Xie Chengze hurriedly grabbed Shen Yuan’s arm, trying to explain.
But Shen Yuan did not want to listen.
Xie Chengze had deceived him this way in their previous life too.
When Shen Yuan first met Xie Chengze, he had not known how deeply the man despised anyone discussing his appearance. After learning the truth, Shen Yuan felt guilty for a time and wanted to apologize.
But the Yizhou floods struck then, and he traveled south with the Crown Prince. The apology was postponed again and again. By the time the crisis in Yizhou was resolved and he wished to express his regret to Xie Chengze, the political situation at court had quietly changed.
Xie Chengze befriended him on the surface while secretly colluding with Zhang Zhixing and the others. To seize the Crown Prince’s position, he used himself as bait during the autumn hunt to lure Shen Yuan away from the Crown Prince, then arranged for a bear to maul the Crown Prince, leaving him unable to retain the position with an able body.
If the Crown Prince had not excelled in both civil and martial pursuits, and if that year’s newly appointed martial examination champion had not happened to pass by, allowing the two to kill the mad bear together, the Crown Prince’s position might truly have fallen to Xie Chengze.
Shen Yuan noticed something amiss at the time and uncovered evidence of Xie Chengze’s role. When he confronted Xie Chengze, the man had likewise said, “This is a misunderstanding. I can explain.”
Now Xie Chengze had repeated the same trick and used himself as bait to draw Shen Yuan away from the Yizhou pass.
What was his goal this time?
Anger blazed in Shen Yuan’s chest. His mood grew increasingly volatile, and his fingers tightened around his sword hilt until the knuckles turned blue-white.
He was truly a fool to have believed Xie Chengze again.
“There is no need to explain. This subject does not wish to hear it.” Physically and mentally exhausted, Shen Yuan flung off Xie Chengze’s hand and turned toward the stairs leading down from the city wall. Whether from the heat or his violent anger, his head swam and his steps became unsteady.
“Shen Yuan!”
Xie Chengze’s startled, worried cry rang beside his ear. Before Shen Yuan could wonder why his voice sounded that way, his vision went black and he lost consciousness.
…
“Lord Shen has likely reached his physical limit from constant travel, too little food, and heatstroke. That is why he fainted.”
After taking Shen Yuan’s pulse, the accompanying physician told Xie Chengze, “This humble official will prepare some medicine. Lord Shen has a strong constitution, so he should be fine after drinking it.”
“Go.” Xie Chengze waved a hand.
After the physician left, Xie Chengze looked at Shen Yuan, whose brow remained tightly furrowed even in unconsciousness, and sighed. “Still pushing yourself too hard.”
He picked up the cloth from the copper basin beside him, wrung out the water, leaned over, and wiped Shen Yuan’s face.
His face was covered in grains of dirt, proof that he had traveled through the night. Had he truly been that afraid something happened to Xie Chengze?
Well, yes. If something happened to him, Shen Yuan would probably be held responsible. If Emperor Jian were in a foul mood, he might simply kill all several hundred members of Shen Yuan’s family.
Then Shen Yuan’s rebirth would have been for nothing.
Xie Chengze wiped his neck as well. As he did, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the inner lapel clinging tightly to Shen Yuan’s body.
Ahem. He had heard Shen Yuan possessed an excellent physique. The novel had spent plenty of ink describing his powerful waist and abdominal muscles while he bathed or rinsed himself, along with that feature countless men envied…
Ahem, ahem. As another man, it was perfectly normal for Xie Chengze to wonder how large his rival’s was out of competitiveness, right?
Perfectly normal… right?
Fine. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if he was not curious about *that*, surely he could be curious about how impressive Shen Yuan’s upper body was?
Xie Chengze had always regretted his own weak, scrawny body, pale as boiled chicken. But he was too lazy to exercise, so he could only satisfy his eyes by looking at someone else’s muscles.
“Ahem. Lord Shen, you must feel terribly hot from this heatstroke, yes? I’ll open your clothes and help you cool down.” Xie Chengze’s hand shot out. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled open Shen Yuan’s upper robes.
“Hiss – ” Xie Chengze’s pupils trembled.
He had to admit that the book’s description was accurate.
Even unconscious, the man’s muscles remained taut and resilient. The curves of his strong arms flowed smoothly, while the distinct lines of his abdominal muscles were deep and firm, like pieces of exquisitely carved jade. Framed by his broad waist, they looked all the harder and more tightly defined.
Xie Chengze could hardly imagine how good they would feel beneath his hands.
Damn it, why hadn’t he transmigrated into Shen Yuan’s body instead?!
Green with envy, Xie Chengze mentally gnawed a handkerchief. He extended a finger, jabbed one of those abdominal muscles hard, and said sourly, “What would it cost you to give me one? Or two? Or three?”
“What are you doing?”
A hoarse, low voice suddenly sounded. Startled, Xie Chengze snatched his hand back and instinctively answered, “Nothing!”
The awakened Shen Yuan forced himself upright and rubbed his temples with a frown. He more or less guessed that days of exhaustion combined with heatstroke had made him faint. “Where is the medicine?”
“It isn’t ready yet.” Xie Chengze stole a glance at his expression. “Lord Shen, about that letter…”
Shen Yuan’s face abruptly chilled. “Your Highness, this subject does not wish to kn – mmph!”
Shen Yuan’s eyes widened slightly.
He watched in disbelief as Xie Chengze covered his lips with his left hand. Mistaking his open mouth for an attempt to resist, Xie Chengze added his right hand and clamped both hands firmly over his mouth.
He used so much force that he shoved Shen Yuan flat onto the bed. The back of Shen Yuan’s head struck the wooden pillow hard, making him suck in a breath of pain. “Mmph!”
To keep his mouth covered, Xie Chengze’s entire upper body leaned over him. In his haste, however, his right foot caught on his left. He toppled heavily onto Shen Yuan’s bare chest, and his full scarlet lips landed squarely on… the back of his own hand.
Xie Chengze: “…”
Shen Yuan: “…”
– Thank goodness his mouth was covered!
Both men screamed inwardly at the same time.
To dispel the awkwardness, Xie Chengze immediately rattled off, “I mixed up your letter with the one I meant for Father!”
Shen Yuan looked away. “…” As if he would believe that.
“I truly didn’t do it on purpose! Wuhen must have misunderstood. I originally meant to send your letter in Father’s envelope – the one marked ‘For Our Son’s Eyes’!” Xie Chengze said in frustration. He had not expected Wuhen to misunderstand.
Shen Yuan: “…”
That was actually somewhat believable. It sounded exactly like the sort of lunacy Xie Chengze committed when seized by one of his fits.
Shen Yuan gripped Xie Chengze’s wrist and moved his hand aside, fixing him with a dark, penetrating gaze. “Then what did you originally intend to send me?”
Xie Chengze cleared his throat, then answered with perfect righteousness, “I told you to swipe all the good food from the kitchen over there and bring it back! This prince has gone so long without meat that even my abdominal muscles have wasted away!”
Shen Yuan paused, then understood.
Apart from delaying the merchants’ grain convoys at the Yizhou pass, he had also used memories from his previous life to steal the account book hidden by the Transport Commissioner.
That account book recorded the Transport Commissioner’s embezzlement over the past dozen years. The official’s kitchen was indeed stocked with every delicacy from mountain and sea. In Shen Yuan’s previous life, the man had laid out a lavish welcoming banquet for him and the Crown Prince.
Since reaching Yizhou, Xie Chengze had survived on porridge every day. Pampered since childhood, naturally he could not bear it. His request that Shen Yuan bring something tasty to satisfy his craving was understandable.
Shen Yuan was not such a pedant that he would insist His Highness suffer alongside the refugees.
If corrupt and negligent officials could feast on fish and meat, why should those laboring for the people not eat something good?
After a moment of silence, Shen Yuan apologized. “This subject failed to consider the matter properly.”
Seeing that Shen Yuan believed him, Xie Chengze’s petty streak immediately surfaced again. “Then how will Lord Shen compensate me~?”
Seeing Xie Chengze take another mile after being given an inch, Shen Yuan snorted. “Then should Your Highness not explain why you were touching this subject just now?”
“Ahaha. This prince was merely envious and curious… If another man had a better body than yours, wouldn’t you be curious?” Xie Chengze’s face was thicker than the city walls. He even took advantage of the moment to cop another feel. “Lord Shen has an excellent face and an excellent body. If I could peel them off and have them for myself…”
Shen Yuan: “…”
The man was spouting nonsense again.