Taizi: Chapter 19.2

Yong Lin had never tasted this kind of torment in his life, his fingernails had been pinched into the flesh without him realizing it, and he didn’t seem to feel the pain either.

For a moment, he thought that it was a rumor, an absolute slander, and should be strictly investigated. But a moment later, he felt that it should not be strictly investigated. Although it was a rumor, it would be wise to stop it. This was what his brother Yong Shan often said, ignore it, and it will pass soon.

But what if the rumors spread?

Rumors could have people killed. His brother Yong Shan never said that, but his mother often mentioned it. He usually didn’t pay attention, but when he thought about it now, it was really full of weight.

What if it’s not all rumors?

Brother Yong Qi and brother Yong Shan were not close to each other before, but why did they suddenly become like that?

Why did brother Yong Shan only close the investigation of the case now, and why was brother Yong Qi willing to stay at the Crown Prince’s Palace without seeing outsiders at all?

If brother Yong Shan towards brother Yong Qi was really…

He used a branding iron on brother Yong Qi and burned his neck, because brother Yong Qi didn’t agree to that!?

Yong Lin hated his own brain so much that he couldn’t control himself thinking about that impossible reasoning. The more he thought about it, the more real it became. Suddenly, he was enlightened when he connected with all the weird things recently.

To hell all with the things that become clear at once.

Yong Lin murmured a curse, scratching his head, messing up the hair that the Palace maids had carefully combed for him, wishing he could open his head and dig out those obscene thoughts with a knife!

He didn’t know what to do, was everything a rumor?

Go find his Imperial Father? No, the Imperial Father was ill, and if his Father found out, he would blame his brother Yong Shan, and maybe even affect brother Yong Qi.

Go find his mother? Perhaps he could ask his mother. He thought for a while and then shook his head, no, this is a matter between them brothers.

Ask his brother Yong Shan? If it wasn’t the truth, his brother Yong Shan would be furious, and his brother Yong Qi would be embarrassed to death. These brothers wouldn’t want to meet each other in the future.

If it was the truth. 

If that’s really the case…

Yong Lin’s heart was in a mess, he felt upset and really wanted to find a stick to knock himself out. In such a grand Imperial Palace, he didn’t know who to look for. He vaguely knew that it was a big matter. But if it was just rumors, it should be just a trivial matter that they don’t need to care about, right? In the end, was this matter big or small?

The only certainty was that it must not spread.

Suddenly, he stopped in shock and looked up.

The familiar eaves and corners of the Crown Prince’s Palace hall appeared in his field of vision.

Yong Lin thought hard for a while, and finally, he gritted his teeth as if he was throwing caution to the wind.

If he continued to keep silent, treating as if he hadn’t heard of it, he would have suffocated to death.

He took a big step and walked towards the Crown Prince’s Palace.

Chang Defu was in the Crown Prince’s Palace when he saw Yong Lin coming in, bringing along the cold wind and snow. He hurried down the steps to greet him in person, and said with a smile, “Your Highness really has a good body capable of riding horse and shooting archery since he was a child. He doesn’t need to sit in a warm sedan chair and walk on the snow on such a big snow day to come here….”

“Where’s my brother Yong Shan?”

“His Highness, the Crown Prince is concerned about the Emperor’s illness. After taking Wang Taifu’s class, he went to the Tiren Palace to pay respect.”

“What about brother Yong Qi? Is he always here?”

“His Highness Yong Qi?” Chang Defu looked at Yong Lin’s unusual face with a little surprise, “His Highness Yong Qi has not been well recently. He was tired after listening to lectures, so he is now taking a nap in his room, Your Highness! Wait for the servant to make an announcement… …”

As Yong Lin walked towards Yong Qi’s room, he dropped the words, “I don’t need you. I have something to ask my brother. Don’t follow up and peek your eyes on our brothers’ affairs.”

Yong Qi said he wanted to take a nap, but he didn’t.

Wang Taifu‘s four words “Natural Selection” made his heart sink, as if there was something hanging in his stomach, and he couldn’t tell how uncomfortable it was.

Who was the Sage? Who was the tiger? Who was the rabbit?

Who were the jackal and wolf?

Everyone was talking like guessing a riddle. He had heard a few points, but he couldn’t figure it out completely. He vaguely understood that he was probably the rabbit.

If it really was said for him to be the rabbit, he also acknowledged it.

He had never thought of harming others. In terms of ability, he was indeed inferior to Yong Shan. It was really a natural choice. His Imperial Father abolished him and replaced him with Yong Shan, which was justifiable.

He didn’t even have the idea of ​​reconciliation.

Who wants to be the Crown Prince? At least he didn’t want to.

It was nothing good at all to be the Crown Prince. Being controlled every day, and not a single mistake would be allowed to happen. Every word had to be considered carefully, because others would find faults if there was a single word of error.

He had been the Crown Prince for several months, and he was taught by his mother Li Fei until he was trembling with fear. He had to listen to his mother in every word and deed, but he still couldn’t satisfy her.

“Yong Qi, do you know how many people’s lives are on your shoulders?”

“How can you be better if you are not strong? Your mother is so anxious about you to death.”

“Be sure to please your Imperial Father, speak according to your Imperial Father’s will. Remember, no matter what, you will follow your Imperial Father. The Crown Prince should have the appearance of the Crown Prince. If you go against your Imperial Father, he will feel that you are arrogant after becoming the Crown Prince, which could cause people to lose their life.”

Being a Crown Prince was a matter that caused people to lose their life…

It was frightening and worrisome. You wouldn’t know when you would be stabbed in the back, or if your Imperial Father didn’t find you pleasing to the eyes anymore, he would give you the next edict of abolition.

Once being abolished, he would either be put on death row or sent to a fief under house arrest, depending on his Imperial Father’s mood.

Living like this wasn’t as good as even an ordinary prince.

Yong Qi racked his brains and thought deeply, but still didn’t understand.

He didn’t understand why the tiger protected the rabbit, and didn’t understand even more why the tiger protected the rabbit and neither of them could survive.

Why couldn’t the rabbit have a way to live?

The rabbit.

Rabbits only eat grass, and don’t hurt people. How could they offend everyone in the world just by quietly hiding in the grass and staying there?

Yong Qi was lying on the bed, covered with a soft and thick quilt, his mind was in a mess.

He suddenly remembered, he should not be a rabbit, because rabbits aren’t hurting people.

But his mother asked him to harm Yong Shan and steal Yong Shan’s things.

His mother was threatened by Shu Fei, and she hoped that her only son would get this thing, relying on it as self-defense, protecting their lives.

He had already promised her, and it was impossible for him not to give a promise…

But Yong Shan still held his hand today, said many sweet words to him, and called him his brother affectionately.

“If Gege doesn’t have me in his heart, I have nothing else to look forward to.”

Every time he thought of Yong Shan’s words, his heart suddenly trembled, and even his hands couldn’t help shaking.

Sometimes, Yong Qi really hated himself for not being able to lie. 

Not being able to lie, meaning he couldn’t tell if others were lying. Why didn’t his mother Li Fei’s sharp eyes pass on to him?

He knew that the people around him often lied, and there was no one in the Palace who spoke all the truth. Even his younger brother Yong Lin used to talk nonsense to tease him, which he often took seriously.

Was it really because he was born in less than a month, that he was born with something inferior to others?

What about Yong Shan? Was he telling lies?

If what he said was true, it was really unbelievable. He had never seen Yong Shan, that person, being like this before; if it was true, then he was too well hidden in the past, with such a fierce and cold face, he didn’t even remember the slightest hint of affection from him. It was enough to prove that Yong Shan was very talented and very good at deceiving people, taking more than ten years to deceive him.

If it was a lie…

Yong Qi sighed softly, if it’s a lie then it’s a lie.

Even if it was really a lie, he still couldn’t tell, but he wanted to believe it was more or less the truth in his heart.

However, it was useless to believe. Trueborn could be much worse, no one would accept them to be together. What could the former Crown Prince and the current Crown Prince be together count for? And they were still brothers!

No one would agree!

Also, what about himself?

What did he think about Yong Shan?

In the end, did he have any other thoughts or not?

The bubbles in Yong Qi’s mind floated and burst, and when they were broken, new ones floated up. The foam splashed, making his mind soaking wet, but couldn’t find any answer.

What exactly was Yong Shan’s plan for him, he absolutely couldn’t figure it out.

However, since he didn’t even understand what his plans for Yong Shan were, even he would inevitably despise himself.

What exactly was he thinking in his heart? 

He grabbed the front of the shirt on his chest, as if he was going to take out his heart and see what was written in the chaotic heart, so looming that even the person himself was confused.

The feeling of the fingertips pressing against the chest through the clothes suddenly evoked other memories. Yong Qi suddenly remembered the taste of Yong Shan’s fingertips running around his body. Unable to resist, claiming ownership aloofly, causing people to tremble in fear. It was terrifyingly embarrassing, yet very hot.

It was an obscene sin to have such thoughts come up when he was alone!

Yong Qi’s face turned red.

The sound of the door being pushed open came to his ear. He sat up suddenly from the bed, looking at the door vigilantly, as if his shady thoughts had been spied on.

“Yong Lin?” Yong Qi relaxed a little after seeing the face of the uninvited guest, “Why are you here?”

Yong Lin closed the door, turned to face him, and was surprisingly silent.

His eyes were darker than China ink staring at him. He was with a rare seriousness and suspicion, staring at Yong Qi from head to toe.

Yong Qi was in the quilt, only wearing a single shirt. He shifted his body a bit, pulled the quilt that slipped down over his shoulders, lowered his head to look for the outer clothes he took off, and struck up a conversation, “Are you looking for Yong Shan? He has gone to Tiren Palace to pay respect to the Imperial Father. I wanted to go too, but because I was ordered to reflect on my own mistakes, I couldn’t go out without permission, so I had to ask Yong Shan to pay respect to the Imperial Father on my behalf and hope that the elder’s health will be well soon…”

“Is Gege’s injury healed?” Yong Lin suddenly cut off his words in a rough voice.

Yong Qi raised his head strangely, “What injury? Oh, do you mean the injury on the neck? It’s all healed up. Fortunately, it was treated in time with the best medicine in the Palace.”

Yong Lin came over, pressed one knee to the bed, and leaned towards Yong Qi, “Let me see.”

“What good to see?”

“I just want to see it!”

As soon as he showed his stubborn bullish temper, Yong Qi couldn’t do anything about his most beloved brother, so he raised his head and showed him the scar that was healed on his neck, “See? There are only a few small marks left.”

“What is this?” Yong Lin suddenly pressed his finger on his shoulder and changed his tone, “Who did it?”

Yong Qi was shocked.

He quickly lowered his head, but because his vision was blocked, he couldn’t see what the thing Yong Lin was referring to.

But listening to Yong Lin’s voice, he could also guess what he saw. These marks all over his body were originally not to be seen by others, but he had taken off his outer clothes while lying on the bed. Before Yong Shan left, in order to make him sleep more comfortable, he also loosened the neckline of the white underclothes, saying that not to restrain, the blood would be prosperous, and the person would be nice and warm.

His shoulders were half exposed, which aroused Yong Lin’s suspicion.

“It’s nothing, I have no idea when it was presented.”

Yong Qi was in a panic, trying to pull up his collar.

“Present? I don’t believe it!” Yong Lin’s expression changed a long time ago. Seeing that Yong Qi was about to pull up his clothes, he was even more convinced that the traces he saw were exactly what he thought. He grabbed Yong Qi’s wrist with one hand and pulled away the clothes on Yong Qi’s body with the other hand.

“Yong Lin, what are you doing? Let go!”

“I won’t let go! I want to see it clearly!”

Chi! The white silk coat was almost pulled open by Yong Lin from the middle.

The fabric parted from the shoulders to most of the chest, revealing red-spotted bite marks and hickeys all over the skin.

Like a slap in the face, Yong Lin suddenly stiffened for a moment, then suddenly grabbed Yong Qi’s shoulders who was retreating towards the corner of the bed, shaking desperately and asking, “Who did this? Did Yong Shan Gege do it? Isn’t it?”

“Yong Lin, let go, don’t ask…”

“I ask! I want to ask!” Yong Lin yelled at Yong Qi, “Yong Shan Gege made all these marks on your body, isn’t it true? You talk! Gege, hurry up! You say it!”

He roared until the roof shuddered.

Chang Defu had noticed something was wrong early on, so he stayed outside the door and didn’t dare to leave. Hearing the commotion inside, he was anxious.

Yong Lin was Yong Shan’s twin brother. Although he was mischievous and often scolded, he was the little eagle that Shu Fei and Yong Shan protected and alway being pampered. Moreover, before Yong Lin entered the door, he gave a vicious warning not to enter.

Offending Yong Lin would not only offend Shu Fei, but would also make Yong Shan unhappy. Chang Defu wouldn’t want to mess around with mixed food in the future.

But the Yong Qi that Yong Lin was yelling at was also the lifeblood of Yong Shan.

Chang Defu heard Yong Lin roaring inside, and the words he said were also related to the embarrassing affairs of the princes. If he mixed it in himself, it would be like a moth to the flame.

But if he didn’t get involved, and if Yong Qi was to be injured a little, he would be done for.

But Yong Shan already went out. 

Chang Defu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. After thinking about it, he still gritted his teeth and pushed the door open, took Yong Lin’s hand and said, “Your Highness, if you have something to say, speak slowly, you are all brothers.”

He didn’t dare to exert any force on his hands, and while persuading, his eyes inadvertently swept across Yong Qi’s upper body where his clothes had been torn off.

Oh no! He saw everything he shouldn’t have seen!

Chang Defu quickly looked away. Looking at his toes, he still pulled Yong Lin, “You are all brothers, everything is negotiable, Your Highness, don’t startle His Highness Yong Qi, his illness has just become better. Your Highness, the Crown Prince said…”

“Scram! Fuck your fake hypocritical pretence of condolence!” Yong Lin was very strong, what’s more, he was so angry that he waved Chang Defu to the door of the room with a flick of his hand, “Don’t think I’m a fool! You are the head of the Crown Prince’s Palace, and you too, have a share in this matter! Although my brother Yong Qi has been abolished, he is still a prince. How dare you flatter the new Crown Prince and trample on him? Just you wait! Whatever happens in the Inner Punishment Court, I will find out sooner or later, and see how I clean you up!”

He originally wanted to rush over and gave Chang Defu a hard kick, but when he remembered that Yong Qi was still there, he ignored Chang Defu.Turning his head, he climbed onto the bed and rudely grabbed Yong Qi, who had shrunk inside, and said eagerly, “Why didn’t you tell me what happened to you? Gege also misunderstood me. Even though he and I are twin brothers, I wouldn’t work with him to do such inhumane things. If Gege had told me earlier, it wouldn’t have been all these days…”

Yong Qi was ashamed, so ashamed that he could barely breathe, and kept avoiding him.

When Yong Lin saw him like this, he immediately regretted it, and changed his words to comfort him. “It’s my fault for not being capable enough to protect Gege from this sort of thing. I don’t have a brain! Last time I saw him in the Inner Punishment Court forcing you with a soldering iron, I should be suspicious, I’m a jerk!”

As soon as he raised his hand, he actually slapped himself with a sharp and clear slap in the face.

“I’m the one who made Gege suffer these days. I’m a bastard. I don’t even know that Gege has been ruined like this. You are full of wounds, and I’m still drinking with you all in a foolish way…”

“Don’t… don’t say it!”

“Okay, I won’t say it. Gege, don’t be afraid. I’ll take Gege away, and when we arrive at my mother’s place, I’ll keep watch at Gege every day, and let’s see who dares to touch my Gege’s hair. “

“I’m not going! You go away!”

Yong Lin was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth and asked, “Why don’t you go? Could it be that, as they said, Gege took a fancy to him as a Crown Prince and threw himself in his arms?”

Yong Qi almost fainted, and asked in a hoarse voice, “You… what did you say?”

“It’s my fault, I said it wrong.” Yong Lin immediately softened and said anxiously, “I know that Gege is not such a person, and he is afraid of being mended by him. I know Yong Shan Gege is the type of person who must get what he wants. He must have tormented you in the Inner Punishment Court! Come with me, Gege, if you are still afraid, at most I will tell my mother and ask her to teach him a lesson. No! I will report to the Imperial Father! Let the Imperial Father do justice to Gege! He is so shameless, and I look down on him! Gege, you come with me!”

“I’m not going anywhere!”

“No, you must go!”

Yong Qi tried desperately to dodge and escape, but Yong Lin stubbornly tried to grab Yong Qi out of the bed, but did not dare to hurt him at the same time.

The two brothers got into a fight, Chang Defu crawled to the ground and hugged Yong Lin’s waist. He was kicked hard by Yong Lin and fell to the ground, almost out of breath.

Everyone outside had heard Yong Lin’s warning, and they didn’t dare to trespass when they heard the movement.

Chang Defu was the head of the Crown Prince’s Palace, so he should have called out loudly for someone at this time.

But now it was Yong Lin and Yong Qi who were entangled. Neither of them could be offended. Besides, with Yong Qi being half-clothed exposing, if everyone rushed in and the scandals would be exposed. 

It was a trivial matter for the Crown Prince to be jealous, but if he forced the thin-skinned Yong Qi to seek his own destruction (commit suicide), he himself would be buried with Yong Qi as well.

Chang Defu wanted to cry but had no tears to shed, and couldn’t even call anyone. If he went alone again, the only outcome was that he would be beaten to death by Yong Lin. Now the only solution was to hurry up and bring the reinforcements.

This matter couldn’t be solved without the Crown Prince, so he hardened his heart and tried his best to get up and go out of the door, quickly went to get Yong Shan back from Tiren Palace.

Coincidentally, Yong Shan’s warm sedan was arriving at the entrance of the Crown Prince’s Palace.

He went to greet Emperor Yan today, but was stopped outside the door again, only to hear that Emperor Yan needed to recuperate from illness, and seeing no one. Not only did he meet a closed door, but this time he was not allowed to stand and wait. The inner servant came out to pass a message on behalf of Emperor Yan, “The Emperor said, the Crown Prince should not stand outside, and hurry back to his place. You stand under the cold wind blowing like this, without cherishing the body given by your parents, it is also unfilial.”

When Yong Shan heard this, his heart sank slightly, knowing that the situation behind him might be even more difficult.

Maybe behind this goose feather snow storm, there was already a thunderbolt brewing ready to entertain him.

His Crown Prince’s power all came from his Imperial Father, and once he lost his love, the consequences would be disastrous.

He was filled with a heavy state of mind, and just as after getting off the sedan chair, Chang Defu suddenly fluttered over and spoke while breathing heavily, “Your Highness! Your Highness! It’s serious! His Highness Yong Lin… he… he and His Highness Yong Qi… they… …”

There were many people in front of the door, and he couldn’t think of an appropriate word to replace the hidden  meaning.

Yong Shan was suddenly shocked.

He responded surprisingly quickly, and immediately put aside the idea of asking Chang Defu, and rushed inside like a tiger out of the cage.

Before reaching the room, he heard Yong Lin’s roar and Yong Qi’s choked and hoarse voice inside.

“Come with me! You come here!”

“You let go! Yong Lin, don’t pull! I beg you…”

Yong Shan’s blood vessels exploded, he kicked open the door, and shouted loudly, “Yong Lin, what are you doing?” He directed his line of sight to the bed.

Yong Qi’s shirt was all torn open, shivering in the bed with his bare chest. The sight of red, blue and purple bruises on his skin were frightening, and his wrists had been scratched with a few black spots, making Yong Shan’s eyes contract with a split.

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T/N: Now I don’t feel bad for YL as much @;@

• 4102 English words translation.