novelSusiti Chapter 28 Father and Son
Chapter 28 Father and Son
The ointment from the Imperial Pharmacy was indeed a top-grade product from the palace. Its cooling sensation seeped into the skin and flesh, greatly reducing the burning pain.
But with each step, the friction between the wound and the clothing still caused excruciating pain.
As dawn broke, Yang Yan refused the sedan chair prepared by the eunuch Yang Yue.
He is the Prince of Changning, the eldest son of the Crown Prince. He cannot let anyone know that he was flogged in court. The Eastern Palace cannot afford to lose face like this.
He held onto the arm of a young eunuch, walking slowly, one step at a time, but his back was ramrod straight.
Behind them, several eunuchs, who were ordered to escort them, held their breath and followed closely.
The enormous vermilion and gilded gate of the East Palace was already wide open.
The guards at the gate were taken aback when they saw him, then their expressions changed drastically. They hurriedly bowed and saluted, their voices trembling with relief: "The young prince is back! I will inform His Highness the Crown Prince immediately!"
Yang Yan nodded slightly in response, without stopping.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he heard a cacophony of voices and footsteps approaching from the direction of the main hall. He endured the pain and quickened his pace slightly.
Passing by the pomegranate tree in the courtyard, whose branches and leaves were still lush, one could see Father Yang Yong, dressed in casual clothes, walking briskly out of the hall, followed by more than ten officials from the Eastern Palace, who occupied a large part of the courtyard.
Yang Yong looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night.
Upon seeing Yang Yan, he rushed to greet him, saying, "Yan'er, why are you only coming back now?" His voice was filled with barely concealed anxiety.
Before Yang Yan could reply, he first bowed deeply to his father: "Your subject Yang Yan greets Your Majesty. I was delayed in the Daxing Palace last night, causing Your Majesty to worry all night. Your subject is guilty."
"What crime have you committed!"
Before he could say anything more, a large group of officials from the Eastern Palace had already surrounded him.
The small courtyard was occupied by a half-block.
Yang Yan glanced up and quickly scanned the scene, instantly making the original owner's memories clear in his mind.
The identities of the future visitors were matched one by one.
Leading the way was Ji Wei, the Crown Prince's Inner Commander.
He wore a blue official robe, a silver belt around his waist, and a long sword at his side. His brows exuded the competence and fierce aura unique to the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Standing beside him was Pei Zheng, the Crown Prince's tutor.
The old minister, with his white hair and beard, gripped a scroll of bamboo slips tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.
Behind them were Su Xiaoci, the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, Liu Xingben, the Left Vice Minister, and others.
These people were the last remaining members of Crown Prince Yang Yong's inner circle, and also the ones who would share his future fate.
Yang Yan dared not delay, turned to face the crowd, and bowed again despite the pain.
"Yang Yan greeted Ji Shuai, Pei Xima, Su Wei Shuai, Liu Shuzi, and all his colleagues." His posture was respectful and his manners impeccable.
"You're too kind, Your Highness."
A slightly hoarse response rang out, and the Crown Prince's Inner Commander Ji Wei, with a smile on his face, spoke first.
But the smile didn't reach his eyes.
A pair of piercing eyes were openly scrutinizing him.
It carries a unique sense of scrutiny and inquiry characteristic of soldiers.
"Last night His Majesty summoned Your Highness and the young prince to the palace. Your Highness has already returned, but the young prince has not yet returned."
"We are extremely worried. We don't know...why His Majesty has kept the young prince here until now?"
The question was direct, and the other officials all turned to look at him.
His eyes were filled with worry and curiosity about the Crown Prince's situation.
Yang Yong's face, which had been haggard from not sleeping all night, instantly lost all color.
These people were his confidants, but at this moment, their loyalty felt like an invisible net, suffocating him.
How so?
Could it be that his son was detained because he, the crown prince of the Sui Dynasty, acted immorally while drunk, secretly possessed the imperial robe, and nearly caused a catastrophe?
The thought flashed through his mind for only a moment before transforming into a chilling current that instantly pierced through his limbs and bones.
"Ahem!" Before anyone could ask any more questions, Yang Yong suddenly stepped forward and almost pulled Yang Yan out of everyone's sight. "I and Yan'er have some family matters that need to be dealt with. Please wait in the main hall for a moment."
Before he finished speaking, he had already half-dragged and half-supported Yang Yan, and quickly walked towards the west corridor.
The drooping vines swayed, swallowing the figures of the father and son into the shadows of the corridor, blocking all outside gazes.
Upon entering the corridor, Yang Yong's carefully maintained composure shattered instantly.
He strained his voice, which trembled uncontrollably, "Yan'er... last night I was drunk and confused, and acted recklessly... Fortunately, my son acted decisively, otherwise... otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable... that... that thing... His Majesty...?"
"Father, rest assured," Yang Yan's voice rang out calmly, sounding exceptionally clear and steady in the small, dark space, "that matter has been settled."
Yang Yong was shocked and stared at him in disbelief.
Yang Yan met his father's bloodshot, fear-filled eyes and said clearly and forcefully, "Your subject has pleaded guilty on behalf of Father, and Your Majesty has already pardoned him. The twenty strokes of the cane were for this reason. This matter ends here. Father, remember, it should be as if it never happened, and no third person should ever know about it."
"What?!" Yang Yong grabbed Yang Yan's shoulders with such force that it caused a sharp pain in Yang Yan's wounds. "You...you took the beating for me?! Where are you injured? Let your father take a look!" As he spoke, he hurriedly tried to lift up Yang Yan's robe.
"Father!" Yang Yan stepped aside, his movements slightly hesitant due to the pain, but his attitude was exceptionally firm. "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. The most urgent matter is not my injury."
His gaze was piercing, meeting his father's bewildered eyes directly: "But how should Father conduct himself from now on? How should he face his grandfather? How can he secure his position as Crown Prince amidst the covetous gaze of the Prince of Jin and the suspicions of the court officials?"
Yang Yong's hand froze in mid-air, then slowly fell. He looked at his son, who seemed to have shed his naivety overnight and become unfathomable, and his heart was filled with turbulent emotions. A strange, almost dependent feeling quietly grew within him.
"Then...then how did you..." Yang Yong's voice was hoarse, "to possess...that's a heinous crime..."
"Who said that was 'hidden'?" Yang Yan suddenly retorted, a faint, meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Yang Yong was completely stunned.
Yang Yan lowered his voice even further, yet each word was clear, striking Yang Yong's heart: "Your subject reports to Your Majesty that Your Majesty has recently been worried about the affairs of the state, deeply feeling the weight of the responsibility for the throne, and is restless day and night. In order to commemorate Your Majesty's arduous journey in establishing the dynasty, you have taken out your old robes as a small token of your respect and encouragement, hoping to rouse yourself."
"Twenty strokes of the cane are a punishment for my 'overstepping' and 'startling the emperor,' not for anything else, Father."
These words, like a morning bell and evening drum, crashed into Yang Yong's confused mind!
He stared blankly at his son, as if seeing his own flesh and blood for the first time. To so easily deflect a catastrophe that could have wiped out the Crown Prince's palace into a trivial family matter of "a filial son's slightly reckless act of trying to ease his father's burdens"—this resourcefulness, this courage, this precise understanding of the emperor's heart…
The initial panic in Yang Yong's eyes gradually faded, replaced by shock, lingering fear, and an indescribable sense of awe and admiration, as if he had escaped a desperate situation.
"Then... what should I do now, Father?" he asked subconsciously, his tone already carrying a questioning tone.
"Conceal your talents and bide your time, wait for the right moment to change." Yang Yan slowly uttered these eight words, his gaze calm.
"Father, once the seeds of suspicion have been sown, they are difficult to eradicate. From now on, you should temper your brilliance, reduce banquets and drinking, diligently study the classics and history, and refrain from involvement in political affairs. In court, you should often endorse the prudent policies of Minister Gao, and be cautious in your words and actions. Be a benevolent and filial crown prince who can put your grandfather at ease and who leaves no room for criticism among the court officials."
Outside the corridor, the morning light grew brighter, illuminating the courtyard.
From the direction of the main hall, one could faintly hear the low murmurs of the officials.
In the shadows, father and son looked at each other, and the future path of the Crown Prince seemed to have been subtly shifted in direction in just a few words.