Imperial Husband Chapter 16

Li Jin's words were not wind from an empty cave.

[空穴来风 (kōng xué lái fēng): lit. wind from an empty cave; fig. not without foundation]

Li Jin wanted to use this opportunity to cut off Ying Ziqi's dream of becoming the legitimate heir, and also to help Gu Rushuang. In his previous life, this situation had occurred, and it even intensified, making Gu Rushuang, who was already struggling alone, feel even more like walking on thin ice.

Gu Rushuang naturally understood the deeper meaning in Li Jin's words and fell silent.

He had been possessed by a demon, only thinking about quickly having a child to consolidate his position as Empress, but he had forgotten that Ying Zhengjing had always been suspicious. If he really did adopt Ying Ziqi, it could very likely attract Ying Zhengjing's suspicion. However, that Li Jin, at such a young age, had thought of this layer of serious implications undoubtedly gave Gu Rushuang a shock.

After a good while, Gu Rushuang finally spoke and asked, "Jin'er, why do you think Ying Yuan is suitable? This child Ying Yuan has never been liked by the Emperor. If This Palace truly takes him as an adopted son, wouldn't that invite the Emperor's dislike?"

At the same time, Gu Rushuang also finally understood that Gu Rulan's longstanding worries were not excessive. Li Jin was not a thing trapped in a pond, if given enough time to grow, he would surely stir up a storm.

[并非池中物 (bìng fēi chí zhōng wù): lit. is not a thing trapped in a pond; fig. a person of great potential who will achieve great things]

Initially, Gu Rushuang had secretly helped Li Jin ascend to the position of heir apparent only to protect Gu Rulan's only child, to prevent Li Jin from being secretly harmed without a sound. He never expected that Li Jin would bring him so many surprises.

But thinking of Li Jin's frail body, weakened by poison, Gu Rushuang couldn't help but shake his head regretfully.

Li Jin was very promising, but whether he could grow up smoothly was even harder to say.

"Replying to Your Majesty, it is precisely because the Seventh Prince is not liked by the Emperor that your adoption of him will not arouse the jealousy of 'others'." Li Jin looked at Gu Rushuang. "Moreover, your subject noticed just now that the Seventh Prince has many red and purple marks on his body, likely the result of long-term abuse. If Your Majesty adopts him now, the Seventh Prince will surely be grateful to Your Majesty in the future."

Gu Rushuang frowned slightly. "Jin'er, are you sure Ying Yuan's body is covered in red and purple marks?"

Gu Rushuang knew Ying Yuan was unpopular, but he did not know that someone would dare to abuse a prince in private.

"Yes." Li Jin nodded. "And most of the scars on the Seventh Prince's body are in hidden places. Your subject only saw them by chance just now."

"It seems certain people are starting to become restless." Gu Rushuang said meaningfully. "Very well, regarding Ying Yuan, you go later on my behalf to see what the situation is like. This Palace will give you my token and leave some people to assist you. If you see any incidents of bullying the master, Jin'er, you deal with it as you see fit. As for the matter of adoption, This Palace still needs to give it further consideration before making a decision."

This matter was of great importance, Gu Rushuang did not want to decide too early. After all, no one could guarantee that Ying Yuan's character, after long-term abuse, wouldn't become timid and weak. By having Li Jin handle it, Gu Rushuang had the intention of testing Li Jin.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Li Jin performed a salute to Gu Rushuang and then withdrew.

"Your Majesty, this slave has already taken the Third Prince to the Grand Tutor." Zhiqiu, having dealt with the matter of Ying Ziqi, returned quickly to report to Gu Rushuang.

"Zhiqiu, prepare the writing brush and ink. This Palace wishes to write a letter to the Duke of Zhongguo."

The Duke of Zhongguo, Gu Cunmo, was the father of Gu Rushuang and Gu Rulan. As for their birth mother, she had long passed away.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Meanwhile, at the West Feather Palace.

The imperial physician summoned by Gu Rushuang had just left the prescription when Ying Yuan opened his eyes.

"You little wild seed, you have some nerve, making me stand here serving you! Is your skin itching for a beating?" The eunuch attending nearby, seeing Ying Yuan awake, immediately spoke with malicious words.

Ying Yuan stared at him, not saying a word.

"Speak! What are you pretending for? With your dead appearance, you still dare to put on airs of a prince in front of me?" The eunuch, angered by Ying Yuan's attitude, grabbed the stick in his hand and started hitting Ying Yuan.

This eunuch's method of beating Ying Yuan was practiced, each strike landed on areas covered by clothing. Unless one lifted Ying Yuan's clothes, it was difficult to discover the truth.

The four-year-old Ying Yuan still did not make a sound, staring at the eunuch, letting the stick in the eunuch's hand fall on his body.

"What are you looking at? Believe it or not, I'll gouge your eyes out?"

The eunuch felt creeped out being stared at like this by Ying Yuan and viciously threatened him.

This wasn't the first time the eunuch had threatened Ying Yuan like this, but in reality, the eunuch was only bluffing and didn't actually have the courage to get close to Ying Yuan.

Although Ying Yuan didn't resist being beaten now, previously when the eunuch had thought to teach Ying Yuan a lesson personally, the moment the eunuch's hand touched Ying Yuan's body, Ying Yuan suddenly went crazy and bit down hard on the eunuch's arm, nearly tearing a piece of flesh from it. How would the eunuch dare to get close to Ying Yuan again?

"Pah! A little wild seed is just a little wild seed."

The eunuch, infuriated by Ying Yuan's silent defiance, spat directly on him.

"Uh, you cannot go in, the Seventh Prince is still resting."

Suddenly.

The sound of talking came from outside the door, making the eunuch pause. "Who's outside?"

Li Jin raised an eyebrow. "So there is sound now?"

"Uh…"

The eunuch who wanted to stop Li Jin was stumped.

Creak.

Li Jin, ignoring the eunuch's attempts to block him, pushed open the door to Ying Yuan's room. He saw a eunuch inside holding a stick, while Ying Yuan was covered with injuries from the beating.

It's him.

Ying Yuan recognized Li Jin at a glance as the person who had helped him before. But soon, Ying Yuan's gaze filled with wariness. Like an injured wolf cub, he stared fixedly at Li Jin, poised as if he would bite him to death should he dare to approach.

It wasn't without reason that Ying Yuan acted this way. In the past, there had been many people who pretended to help him, but in reality, they only wanted to push him into an abyss of eternal suffering. Several times, Ying Yuan had narrowly escaped death.

"Child? Xiao Douzi, where did this child come from? Could he be a new study companion for some prince?"

The eunuch still did not know his death was imminent. He thought Li Jin was sent by some prince who disliked Ying Yuan to humiliate him.

After all, this kind of thing had happened several times before, and the eunuch was already used to it.

The eunuch called Xiao Douzi shook his head vigorously. "No…"

Li Jin cut off Xiao Douzi's words. "I am the Fifth Prince's new study companion."

Xiao Douzi immediately stiffened, not daring to speak further, and stood trembling all over.

We're doomed.

"I knew it." The eunuch smiled, completely missing Xiao Douzi's hint. He ingratiatingly handed the stick in his hand to Li Jin and said, "Young Master, you can feel free to teach this little wild seed a lesson. It's fine even if you hit him harder, his skin is thick."

Li Jin took the stick and asked impassively, "You were using this thing to teach him a lesson just now?"

The eunuch nodded and quickly rolled up his sleeve to complain. "To be frank, it's not that this slave doesn't want to teach him a lesson personally, it's just that this little wild seed goes crazy and is terrifying. Look, Young Master, this slave's arm was bitten into this state by the little wild seed when I was careless before."

Is he also one of Ying Zijun's people?

The last bit of light in the depths of Ying Yuan's eyes extinguished completely

Heh, how could someone like me ever receive help?

"You may enter now."

Li Jin calmly uttered these four words.

The guards who had been waiting outside for Li Jin's command immediately walked quickly into the room. The leader of the guards, Yuan Hong, was the first to salute Li Jin. "Heir Apparent Li."

Li Jin, unhurriedly, pointed at the eunuch and said, "Guard Yuan, you heard what he said just now?"

"Yes, Heir Apparent Li."

Heir… Heir Apparent… and surnamed Li…

The eunuch gasped, his legs faltering as he fell into a heap on the ground.

In the Da Xia dynasty, the only prince with the surname Li was Prince of  Dingbei Li Shiyun, a prince who held military power and had achieved illustrious military exploits. For this guard to call him 'Heir Apparent Li' meant that the child before him was that short-lived heir apparent!

Furthermore, the eunuch also recognized that this Guard Yuan was Yuan Hong, the head of the Empress's guards. His face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Heir Apparent Li, spare my life! This slave acted this way because I was forced…"

Li Jin retorted, "Forced by whom?"

"This…"

The eunuch was stumped.

Rather than being forced, it was more accurate to say he was acting under orders, and the person who gave the orders was of no simple status. How could he dare to speak out?

"Then I'll trouble Guard Yuan to handle what follows."

Li Jin did not continue questioning, nor did he directly order the arrest. Instead, he handed the matter over to Yuan Hong.

Yuan Hong, understanding, nodded and commanded his guard subordinates to seize the eunuch and Little Douzi. "Heir Apparent Li, these two, plotting against a prince, their hearts deserve punishment. This official will take them to His Majesty the Empress for disposition."

Li Jin had no objection to Yuan Hong's handling. "Thank you, Guard Yuan."

In a short moment.

The entire room held only Li Jin and Ying Yuan.

"Can you still stand up?"

Li Jin walked up to Ying Yuan and reached out his hand to him. But looking at the pitiful Ying Yuan, a complex feeling flashed through his heart.

In his previous life, Li Jin's first formal meeting with Ying Yuan was when Ying Yuan was twenty years old.

At that time, Ying Yuan was filled with a fierce and ruthless aura. He perpetually wore an evil demon mask, appearing completely unapproachable. Furthermore, before he was even married, Ying Zhengjing had issued an edict ordering him to leave the palace and establish his own residence, forbidding him from entering the palace without a summons.

And during the days when Li Jin was utterly isolated, betrayed by all and pursued relentlessly day and night, the one who ultimately extended a helping hand was this very Seventh Prince, Ying Yuan, with whom he had previously had little association.

There was one reason why Li Jin took the initiative to suggest the matter of adopting Ying Yuan to Gu Rushuang: to repay the kindness Ying Yuan had shown him in his previous life. At the same time, he had also decided to support Ying Yuan in ascending the throne, to accomplish what he had not had time to do in his previous life.

Ying Yuan did not speak. Instead, he rushed over and bit Li Jin's hand, even drawing blood.

I don't need your false sympathy. You are the same as those others, all deceiving me.

"Ying Yuan, what you are doing is completely useless." Li Jin stared directly at Ying Yuan, ignoring his bleeding hand. "Tell me, do you want to change?"

Ying Yuan was stunned. He instinctively looked up, his gaze just happening to meet Li Jin's.

Change? What is he talking about?

"You saw very clearly just now. Since I can make that eunuch who constantly abused you beg for mercy, I can help you."

As he spoke, Li Jin began to assess Ying Yuan's appearance.

Speaking of which.

In his previous life, until the very end, Li Jin had never seen what Ying Yuan looked like under the mask. However, the current Ying Yuan obviously wasn't much to look at, he appeared very thin and weak, seemingly malnourished.

"Why do you want to help me?"