Chapter 70
Chapter 70
“This commoner is indeed Lord Shen’s childhood friend.”
Su Qinghe rose slowly, his entire body taut as he wondered what the Second Prince wanted with Big Brother Shen.
Behind the curtains, Xie Chengze secretly lifted one corner and studied Su Qinghe, who stood with lowered eyes.
Su Qinghe’s mother had been the greatest beauty in Jiangnan. Though only a concubine, she was deeply favored by Su Zhongyue, the current head of the Su family. Su Qinghe had inherited her beauty. His features were gentle and refined, his brows and eyes as graceful as willow leaves brushed by a light breeze. A single look at him soothed the heart and refreshed the spirit, like basking in a spring wind.
His nature was gentle and approachable as well. He spoke softly and slowly and seemed as mild-tempered as a docile sheep. Xie Chengze did not know how many friends he had, but someone so good-natured could not be difficult to get along with. If Xie Chengze used Shen Yuan to start a conversation, he should be able to become Su Qinghe’s friend.
With that thought, Xie Chengze asked, “Then you and Lord Shen must be very close?”
At the question, Su Qinghe tightened his grip on his sleeve.
He did not know how to answer, because he did not know what sort of relationship existed between the Second Prince and Big Brother Shen.
Big Brother Shen was upright and made clear distinctions between gratitude and grievance, which made it easy for him to offend the powerful. If the Second Prince had come to resent him during the journey to Yizhou and now wanted to find a weakness with which to bring him down, then he might well be probing Su Qinghe for information.
But what if the Second Prince did not resent Shen Yuan and instead… liked him?
Su Qinghe still remembered how Shen Yuan had entered the palace once when they were children. He returned in exuberant spirits and told Su Qinghe over and over how wonderful the Second Prince was, calling him the most beautiful, gentle, and clever little brother he had ever met. Shen Yuan had even said that the Second Prince liked him very much and hoped he would visit the palace often to play.
At the time, Shen Yuan had been Su Qinghe’s only friend, and Su Qinghe had grown quite jealous. Later, for some unknown reason, Grand Tutor Shen suddenly resigned from office and announced that he was taking Big Brother Shen traveling. Shen Yuan never had another chance to enter the palace.
Over the years, Su Qinghe had quietly asked about the Second Prince from time to time. All he heard were disparaging judgments: “mediocre and incompetent,” “overbearing and willful.” The worst incident was probably the case involving the third-ranked scholar at the Qionglin Banquet two years ago, after which rumors spread that the Second Prince detested love between men.
Su Qinghe disagreed with the latter claim and considered it an exaggeration. He had read the poem, and it contained more than a few suggestive undertones born of drunkenness. Even if the Second Prince did prefer men, anger at being imagined in such a way was perfectly normal and did not prove that he hated male love.
Soon after Big Brother Shen returned to the capital, the Second Prince – whom he had not seen in years – had teased him with a storybook about love between men. Perhaps the Second Prince did not detest male love at all and might even harbor unusual feelings for Big Brother Shen.
Why else would the Second Prince, who never left the capital on official business, suddenly abandon its splendor and luxury to accompany Big Brother Shen to the harsh lands of Yizhou?
Perhaps their time together had not gone smoothly, so the prince had sought out Shen Yuan’s childhood friend to learn what Big Brother Shen liked.
If the Second Prince… coveted Big Brother Shen, what was Su Qinghe supposed to do?
Su Qinghe pressed his lips together. He neither wanted to help Xie Chengze win Shen Yuan nor wished to deny how close he was to Shen Yuan. Torn between the two, he did not know how to answer. Yet he feared his silence might anger the Second Prince, so at last he clenched his fists and stammered:
“Th-Though we have not seen each other for many years, we remain as close as we were in childhood.”
We are indeed extremely close. But if you ask about his preferences, I have no idea after all these years!
“Is that so? That’s wonderful~”
Xie Chengze sounded delighted behind the curtains. “This prince also has an excellent relationship with Lord Shen. He often speaks of Brother Su’s gentle, amiable nature and generous heart. Now that we have met, I see his praise was entirely deserved.”
Of course, Xie Chengze was merely applying a conversational formula and making it all up. When chatting with someone, one naturally needed a familiar person and subject as a bridge. How else could they grow closer?
Sure enough, Xie Chengze saw the corners of Su Qinghe’s lips curve upward in a flash. The compliment had clearly delighted him, and even the tension in his posture eased considerably.
But a few seconds later, Su Qinghe pressed his lips into a straight line again, looking deeply uncomfortable.
As Su Zhongyue’s favored son, Su Qinghe had met many powerful young men his own age who wanted to befriend him. They too called him gentle and approachable upon their first meeting, only to declare after two days in his company that he was hopelessly mediocre and had wasted both his fine appearance and the prestige of being born into the Su family.
The Second Prince had first said that he and Shen Yuan were very close, then used these words to beat Su Qinghe down. Was this a show of dominance, or a veiled mockery?
Would the prince soon discuss poetry and painting with him merely to laugh when he made a fool of himself…?
Su Qinghe bit his lip. Grief and self-mockery began to radiate from his entire body.
Sensing that the mood had somehow gone wrong, Xie Chengze wondered if he had chosen the wrong topic.
What else might interest Su Qinghe…? Since he belonged to the Su family, surely something refined and literary would be safe.
So Xie Chengze said, “The Su family is a distinguished literary clan. Second Young Master Su’s talent must be extraordinary as well. This prince has always admired those who can play the zither and compose poetry. Might I be fortunate enough to enjoy a performance?”
Su Qinghe’s face abruptly turned white.
Sure enough, the Second Prince had summoned him today solely to humiliate him!
Everyone knew that the Su family’s second son possessed mediocre aptitude. Only because his concubine mother was favored and had passed her beauty down to him did he enjoy a privileged life in the Su household – and even grow up alongside Sheng Yiren, daughter of the Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites, and Shen Yuan, grandson of Grand Tutor Shen.
Everyone else in the Su family held an official post in the palace. He alone had none and had become a laughingstock among the capital’s literary circles!
The Second Prince was warning him to recognize his place and not let his contemptible reputation drag down Big Brother Shen, whose power at court was now rising like the midday sun!
His fingertips dug fiercely into his palm. Desolate and humiliated, Su Qinghe’s knees abruptly bent. He dropped to the floor and bowed deeply toward the bed. “This commoner’s learning is shallow, and I am unworthy of such praise. I fear I would offend Your Highness’s ears. I beg Your Highness’s forgiveness!”
Xie Chengze: ?
Wait. Why was he kneeling now?!
What had Xie Chengze said wrong this time? He had merely asked Su Qinghe to compose a poem. Everyone in the capital knew that the Second Prince was an ignoramus. Even if Su Qinghe made up any old poem, Xie Chengze would not know whether it was good or bad.
Or were these scholars so proud and unbending that they disdained discussing poetry with an uncultured man like him?
Were they really that arrogant?
Xie Chengze felt stifled and a little hurt. He had never imagined that someone would discriminate against him – and this was the very person he wanted to befriend. For a moment, he began questioning his entire life.
What was he supposed to do now? He had thought using Shen Yuan’s name would help him form a connection with Su Qinghe. Instead, he had failed before taking the first step. The man simply looked down on him.
Ah, Shen Yuan. You are utterly useless.
Xie Chengze refused to admit that he himself was useless. He wondered whether he should secretly borrow one of Almighty Li Bai’s poems and dazzle Su Qinghe just a little.
But the persona of an immortal poet would collapse far too easily! It would also make Xie Chengze seem terribly insincere!
Xie Chengze clutched his head and screamed in silence for a while. At last, deciding he had nothing left to lose, he roared at Su Qinghe, “Su Qinghe! This prince orders you! Today, you must – ”
Become sworn brothers with me!
Before he could finish, a loud, urgent voice suddenly rang from outside. “Second Prince, this subject Shen Yuan requests an audience!”
Shen Yuan?
Why was he here?