PQE Chapter 5

Judging by the sound, it must be a heavy object. Indeed, from Fu Chen’s perspective, he saw a figure struggling in the water.

That royal robe, and the slightly familiar figure, just a few hours ago, he had seen this person, the seventh prince, Shao Huachi. His keen intuition for danger allowed Fu Chen to hide behind a pillar before he thought about it, covering his body to make sure he wouldn’t be discovered, then he shifted his gaze.

He didn’t know whether the Yeting Lake area was too remote, or whether there was some kind of order, but there was such a big commotion here, and no one came to investigate. But Fu Chen, through years of observation, felt that the latter was more likely.

Shao Huachi was completely unlike the prince he had been before. At this moment, his floundering appearance was as embarrassing as anyone else who was drowning.

There were three princes standing on the shore. The leader was the second prince, Shao Huayang, who had already established his own mansion outside the palace, had a group of followers and staff, was the most popular candidate for the throne at present, and was also the prince who most resembled Emperor Jin Cheng. 

He was dressed in a golden python robe, with gold edges, and nine pythons leaping on it as if they were going to break through the clouds. A few days ago, his assignment was praised by the emperor, and it happened that his birth mother, the Empress of the Great Jin Dynasty, was pregnant again. It was a time of high spirits. Beside him were the eighth prince and the twelfth prince. These two were brothers, both belonging to Shao Huayang’s faction. They looked at Shao Huachi with cold eyes, occasionally laughing mockingly.

“Seventh brother, how could you be so careless as to fall in yourself? Brother will call someone to save you.” Shao Huayang said so, but he stood by the lake without moving. He broke off a willow branch, the green leaves swayed in the air, and the next moment it broke into two pieces and was thrown onto the lake, rippling up and down in the ripples.

It seemed that in his eyes, this willow branch was the seventh prince.

“Seventh brother, we know that your underwater breath-holding skills are excellent. If you play tricks on us again, we will leave!” The eighth prince was a tyrant in and out of the palace when he was young. His mother’s family was the Gongsun family, a veteran of two dynasties. His family was stable and he had always been favored by the emperor. They were a fearsome family that everyone was afraid of. The twelfth prince also echoed his brother.

They spoke words of concern, but their faces carried a subtle smile, watching Shao Huachi’s struggle with cold eyes.

From Fu Chen’s pavilion position, he couldn’t hear the conversation of the princes, he could only see Shao Huachi’s struggle becoming weaker and weaker.

After a while, he sank and never surfaced again.

The surface of the water was still rippling, and it simply returned to calm.

Fu Chen’s heart was half cold.

In fact, when he indirectly rejected the seventh prince today, he had a premonition. The seventh prince’s reputation in the palace was not good, especially in the era of believing in ghosts and gods. 

That face, which seemed to be cursed, and that perverse and gloomy temperament, always had some inappropriate rumors. Although it was strictly forbidden to discuss the master’s right and wrong, who didn’t have a gossiping heart, occasionally it was impossible to trace. In addition to his character defects, he made many enemies. 

Now that he has lost the protection of his mother, he has become a discarded child. It should be said that a phoenix that has fallen to the ground is not as good as a chicken, and he is bound to be retaliated against.

What he didn’t expect was that it would come so quickly, so unscrupulously.

And those princes, especially the leader, Shao Huayang, had no warmth in their eyes as they watched the gradually calming lake. It wasn’t until about half a cup of tea’s time had passed that they left leisurely.

And Fu Chen vaguely heard the noisy cries for help, and several eunuchs ran over. Their actions seemed deliberately delayed, slow for a few beats, before they jumped into the water, casually groped around, and then got on shore. 

He didn’t know how long it had been, Fu Chen felt that his legs were numb, and Yeting Lake was calm again.

When the numbness passed, he made sure that no one else was coming before he came out, looked at the place where the person had fallen into the water, and now it had been a long time, he was afraid that he had already become a ghost under the lake, what use was it for him to go down?

Then he floated a rag in the lake again, and carefully wiped the stone tablet in front of the statue, but noticed that his hands were shaking so much that he could hardly hold the rag.

It was clearly the season of early summer, but there was a chill coming from his bones.

Even a fallen prince is like a dog, let alone their eunuchs. Only this day, where does he have the time to mourn the spring and lament the autumn.

After cleaning up the pavilion in the lake, he once again cast his gaze on that place, and the image of the struggling teenager appeared in front of his eyes.

He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he put down the things in his hands and prepared to take off his coat.

Under this water, he’s afraid that the soul can’t be reborn.

In any case, he should at least be buried in peace.

“I thought you would continue to pretend you didn’t see it.”

A hoarse voice, like a broken gong, drilled into Fu Chen’s eardrums, making his scalp numb.

It sounded a bit like the howling of the cold wind outside Changchun Gate last night, gloomy and uncomfortable, making people feel uncomfortable all over.

He looked around like he had seen a ghost. There has been only him here since just now. Where did the sound come from?

Then he saw a man, all wet, coming out from behind the statue of Emperor Taizong of Jin. He didn’t know how long he had been there, or how long he had been observing.

The man was like a duck drenched in rain, swaying from side to side, as if he had lost his strength, his eyelids drooping, his lips pale and purple, and his hair, which had been neatly tied up, was also greasy like knotted noodles. But it didn’t affect the sharp light that burst from his black pupils at all, it was so bright that it hurt people.

The half of his face that looked like a ghost was even more terrifying, some of the rotten flesh had even swollen from soaking, turned white and fell off, while the other side was full of fairy spirit.

Fu Chen shivered, but this time it wasn’t fear. He wasn’t an ancient person, and his reverence for ghosts and gods hadn’t reached the point of madness. He was just a little terrified at his lack of alertness just now.

“You…” 

How could you be alive!

“Do you want to ask, how am I still alive?”

The seventh prince’s voice, perhaps due to the toxins in his body, was also damaged, lower and hoarser than ordinary people.

There were a string of footprints and water stains on the side of the pavilion, extending from there. Judging from the range of water stains behind the statue, the seventh prince should have been hiding there for a long time, he just didn’t notice it earlier.

Even in such a state of destitution, he did not lose any of his royal dignity.

Shao Huachi dragged his wet steps, step by step approaching, like a ghost seeking life, staring at Fu Chen, a smile appeared on his face, but it was more ferocious than when he was not smiling. Perhaps when he sank into the water, the seventh prince had already considered this step. Fu Chen was somewhat shocked by Shao Huachi’s realistic struggle in the water, and he was able to calculate this step for himself. It was too cruel.

Fu Chen was shocked by the coldness in Shao Huachi’s eyes, unable to move, even forgetting the etiquette of saluting.

The contempt and murderous intent almost instantly made Fu Chen realize that Shao Huachi looked down on him from the bottom of his heart, and even looked at him as if he were a beast daring to challenge his master, not even a human being.

The dark gaze made his head hot, and his chest was churning with the consciousness of equality for all, almost tearing his sanity to pieces.

Fu Chen’s body trembled violently, like a jammed machine, as if something was restraining him, bending his knees.

He knelt heavily on the ground, hitting the bluestone floor.

The dull thud showed how much force he was using, and he didn’t stop even when he broke the skin on his forehead.

“This slave dares not, this slave deserves to die!” Fu Chen buried his expression in the shadow, his eyes bloodshot, and spat out the words that tormented his heart, sounding as obedient as ever.

He knew that at this moment, Shao Huachi probably hated him for his indifference to death, even a slave who he didn’t usually care about could ignore him, and his royal dignity was challenged by him. But he never regretted his actions, why should a prince without a future be worthy of his self-sacrifice, to contend with three princes who were in power.

“You indeed deserve to die!” Shao Huachi’s posture was like a young wolf lurking in the dark, the fear of escaping from death made him bare his teeth and claws. After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old boy. Overnight, he lost the protection of his mother and was attacked by his other brothers, which made him fearful, but this fear could not be shown to anyone.

“Please, Seventh Highness, have mercy.” The palm of his hand, which had been injured and calloused, was pierced again.

Fu Chen’s voice carried a calming aura, which could subtly soothe people’s minds.

Before Shao Huachi realized it, his expression eased slightly.

But his heart was still very uncomfortable.

Originally, Shao Huachi had a different view of this little eunuch, but now this thought has fermented and deteriorated. He, Shao Huachi, couldn’t afford such a cold-hearted slave. Seeing the little eunuch’s respectful posture filled with sincere fear, Shao Huachi suddenly felt that he was so pitiful, ridiculous, and sigh-worthy at this moment.

Had he become so lowly that he had to get that bit of dignity from a slave?

Fu Chen heard the hoarse laughter above, getting farther and farther away.

“If you love to kneel so much, then kneel outside.” Far away, Shao Huachi’s command came.

“Yes.”

“When the sun sets, then go back.”

“This slave obeys, respectfully sending off the Seventh Highness.”

Not until the person was far away did Fu Chen slowly raise his head and look at the blood on the floor tiles.

Quietly wiped it away, until it was as clear as a mirror.

He spread out his palm, which was blurred with flesh and blood. It seemed that he needed medicine this time.

It’s going to cost money again.