Chapter 049
Chapter 49: Who Would Steal Her Milk?
[If one wants to cultivate spiritual power, one must—]
[Wait, why am I thinking about this? Second Brother cannot hear me anyway. Who am I explaining it to? Forget it, I will sleep for a while. So sleepy.]
No, no. Little sister, do not sleep. Your second brother can hear you. Why stop at the key point? Yun Wan Ye perched anxiously by the couch, ears pricked, ready for the next words, only for her voice to fade. He nearly clawed at his hair. She yawned, closed her eyes, and drifted off in peace.
He almost roared in silence. He even felt the urge to tap the little milk bun awake and demand she finish. [How can she keep such a power to herself?] He wanted it too.
He refused to give up. He would wait until she woke and felt bored, then ask. She loved to chatter. She would surely spill the rest.
But his plan failed at once. When she woke, it was feeding time, and the nursemaid took her away. Night had fallen, and she would sleep there after eating. He could not step into the nurse’s quarters, so he could only shelve his great plan.
The next morning, after breakfast, he canceled all outings and stayed by Yun Wan Ning, pouring on thick affection. His sudden warmth made her suspicious. [Huh? Something feels off. Does Second Brother truly have nothing to do today? Why is he sticking here and being so nice? It feels suspicious. I have a strange feeling I am being schemed against.]
Her intuition was too sharp. He had not even spoken, and she already sensed him. If he brought up spiritual power now, would she not grow watchful and press him with questions? How could he even begin?
[Perhaps I am imagining it. I only eat and sleep every day. If Second Brother is scheming against someone like me, he is a monster. Besides, what would he scheme for? Unless…]
[Unless Second Brother wants to steal my milk?]
[No way. Surely he does not have such a strange taste, right?]
Her eyes suddenly went round as she stared at him like he was some pervert.
Who wanted to steal your milk? Not him. A flush raced up Yun Wan Ye’s face. Embarrassment burned so hot he wished to sink through the floor. How did his little sister think of such nonsense? What filled that tiny head?
[Wait, why is his face red? Did I guess right? Is he embarrassed because he wants my milk? Ah, forget it. If you really want it, go ahead and drink. I will pretend I did not see. Just do not let Mother or the nurse know, or they will laugh, and it will shame the nurse too.]
A bowl of half-finished milk sat by the couch, and because he refused to leave, her misunderstanding only deepened.
Enough. He clenched his teeth. He wanted to shout that he had no interest in her milk, only in her spiritual power. After all his scheming, not only had he learned nothing, he had earned a filthy label—one he could not even clear. He had never felt so aggrieved.
He abandoned his plan and stood up fast: “Little Sister, I just remembered urgent business. I will visit another day.”
Yun Wan Ning watched him flee, puzzled. [Why did he run off? Well, I must have misunderstood him. Of course he would not have that hobby. It was my imagination. Fortunately, he cannot hear my thoughts. If he could, he would be angry and never speak to me again.]
Days slipped by.
During this time, Yun Wan Ye tried many times to probe, but each time failed. Yun Wan Ning seemed to have lost interest in spiritual power. Even when he nudged the topic, she gave only short answers and no longer rambled with bright excitement. He did not dare push harder and alert her, so he gained nothing and could not learn how to cultivate spiritual power. The wait gnawed at him; each day left him more restless.
While he circled his sister in frustration, Yun Wan Chen was not idle. He had completed Gu Heng’s request and smoothly recommended his cousin to the Chancellery as a records clerk. Ninth rank was low, but it was still a post, and in Haojing City at that. Countless scholars yearned for such a start. With steady work, a good future lay ahead.
On the day the appointment came, Gu Heng brought his aunt’s family to the Duke’s manor with rich gifts to give thanks, eyes wet with gratitude. Yun Wan Chen only smiled. If not for Little Sister’s inner voice laying out the road ahead, how could he imagine this thankful cousin would later resent him for a “trivial” post and even relish humiliating him after Duke Ning’s house fell?
Heh. Since he knew, no one could blame him for striking first.
A few days later, on duty, the cousin “accidentally” ruined a document meant for His Majesty. The supervising official flew into a rage, punished him hard, and still felt it lacking, so he reported the matter straight to the throne. The cousin was stripped of office, had his scholar’s title revoked, demoted to commoner, and forbidden to sit the exams ever again. His hat had not even warmed before it was gone. Soon, he would be a laughingstock of Haojing streets.
When Cang Yan reported, a light curve touched Yun Wan Chen’s lips. “Heir Apparent, this subordinate is confused,” Cang Yan said with a deep frown.
“You wish to ask why I chose such a roundabout plan,” Yun Wan Chen said.
“Yes, exactly,” Cang Yan nodded like a chick pecking rice. [If the heir did not want that man to take office, he could have refused Young Master Gu directly, or agreed on the surface but blocked him in secret. Why make a circle and owe the Chamberlain a favor?]
“Because it is amusing,” Yun Wan Chen answered, voice faint. A distant gleam flickered in his eyes, then cooled to shadow. To give hope first, then deliver despair—that was entertaining. More importantly, only this cut could quickly sever the scholar’s title and destroy all official paths.
Cang Yan fell silent. [Are these words a human should say? How amusing can it be to owe the Chamberlain?]
That afternoon, Gu Heng came again. Unlike last time, when joy shone on his face, now he sagged like a beaten rooster. “What is wrong, Jin An?” Yun Wan Chen asked with mild concern, as if unaware.
“Do you truly not know, Brother Ming Yue?” Gu Heng fixed him with a long look and said: “My cousin was stripped of his office and had his scholar’s title revoked by His Majesty.” Yun Wan Chen let his brows lift in well-feigned surprise and asked: “How did this happen? Your cousin was just a humble records clerk who never even saw the Emperor. How did he anger His Majesty?”
“Exactly,” Gu Heng said with a bitter laugh. “He never saw His Majesty, yet still angered him. This matter involves the Sir Chamberlain for certain.” He went on: “He accused my cousin of damaging an official document and reported it personally. That is why the Emperor was furious.”
“Be careful with your words,” Yun Wan Chen said, his tone cooling. “The Sir Chamberlain oversees the Chancellery and is one of the Emperor’s closest ministers. Why would he frame a mere clerk? Deceiving the monarch is a grave crime. By saying this, are you not accusing him of deceiving His Majesty? The judgment has been made. Your words imply His Majesty is muddled. If this spreads and angers him, can the Gu clan bear it?”
Gu Heng paled, but stubbornness held: “My cousin was framed. I asked him myself. The document was already damaged when he took his shift. He was either framed or made a scapegoat.”
“Words are not proof. Everything needs evidence,” Yun Wan Chen replied evenly. “If he was framed, he should gather proof to clear himself, not accuse others by guesswork. The Chamberlain is a high official. Without evidence, you should be careful. Slandering an imperial official is itself a serious crime.”
Gu Heng fell quiet. [He was so frightened. How could he keep evidence? If the Chamberlain acted, the evidence was long gone. How can we find it? And in the Chancellery, who would stand with a clerk against the Chamberlain?]
“You are right, Brother Ming Yue,” he said at last. “In anger, I spoke rashly. Please keep my words to yourself. Do not spread them.”
“Naturally,” Yun Wan Chen said with a mild smile, warmth like spring in his voice. “We are as close as brothers. All said here stays here.”
“I trust you,” Gu Heng said, then hesitated. “But there is another matter. My cousin was your recommendation. The Chamberlain must know. Why would he target my cousin? Could it be that you offended him?”
Yun Wan Chen had long prepared for this. “To be frank, my legs have troubled me since I returned from Jingzhou. I have hardly left home. Regarding your cousin’s post, I asked Seventh Uncle to arrange it for me. As for other things, I know nothing.”
Gu Heng stalled. “So that is how it was,” he said at last, then took a breath: “Brother Ming Yue, can I ask another favor?”
“Say it,” Yun Wan Chen replied with a light smile that did not reach his eyes.
“Please help investigate and clear my cousin’s name.”
[Bold indeed, to ask this of me,] Yun Wan Chen thought. Aloud, his tone turned like clear ice: “An emperor does not take back his word. Once an order is given, it cannot be withdrawn. You know that. Duke Ning and my Seventh Uncle are trusted, yes, but to reverse this would be to question His Majesty’s judgment in public. That is to shame him before the court. Do you know how serious that is?”
“Jin An, be clear. I helped you because you are my friend. Your cousin is a stranger. Why should I risk my family for him? The Emperor is hard to read. Have you thought what happens if my father and Seventh Uncle anger him over this? What then for the Yun family?”
“No, it will not come to that,” Gu Heng rushed to say. “His Majesty would not blame Duke Ning or Seventh Uncle. The great clans are powerful. His Majesty still needs them to balance the nobles.”
“Oh? Have you forgotten that the Yun family is also a great clan?” Yun Wan Chen asked mildly.
Gu Heng faltered and muttered: “The Yun family is not like the others.”
Indeed. Yun Wan Chen lowered his eyes, a cold, mocking smile tugging at his lips. The Yun family was different. His father had turned away from the nobles and carried their scorn, then bled on a hundred fields to stand where he stood today. Others saw only the family’s glory. Who knew the price his father paid? After the last Emperor died, the realm tottered on the edge. Rebellions flared, the court shook. His father spent himself to steady the world and set the new Emperor on the throne. Now, at last, things were calm. Why risk it all for a stranger?
“Forgive me, Jin An,” he said, voice even. “This time, I cannot help you.”
“Brother Ming Yue, must you truly be so heartless?” Gu Heng asked, grief and disbelief knotting his face.