Chapter 81: Impotent
Yan Shiyi was both sharp-tongued and foul-mouthed. Not content with just one insult, he even stood with his hands on his hips and said to Jinsui:
“I know! You’re jealous because I, this young master, am handsome and dashing, and since you can’t perform, you can’t stand to see a virile man!”
Jinsui jumped directly out the window and shouted, “Hei Hu!”
Hei Hu appeared from who knows where and immediately rolled up his sleeves and rushed over:
“Your Highness, should I throw him into the river?”
Yan Shiyi hurriedly shouted, “How dare you! Jun Yanqing, how dare you!”
He yelled towards the inside of the window, “Miss Yan, hurry out, Jun Yanqing has gone mad!”
Even though Miss Yan didn’t understand much, she knew what “can’t perform” meant. For a moment, her ears rang and her vision blurred, her heart sinking into an ice cellar.
How could such a good Prince suffer such a disability?
This farce was heard clearly by the Yan Family members and the Black Feather Camp Soldiers who were lingering nearby.
Everyone’s gaze towards Jinsui changed. The Yan Family members watched with amusement, while the Black Feather Camp Soldiers all showed sympathy and anger.
Our Prince was actually bullied like this in Chang’an!
Hei Hu had already grabbed the struggling Yan Shiyi and lifted him high, holding him overhead like a lamb.
All it took was one command from Jinsui, and he could be thrown into the river or a cesspit.
Yan Shiyi flailed his limbs, struggling, truly resembling a turtle flipped on its shell.
Regardless, Jinsui’s objective was achieved. It was just that the Li King’s reputation would suffer, and she hoped Gu Changxiao would understand.
Reputation is fleeting. I’ll help you earn money and win people’s hearts, so don’t worry about such a small matter as reputation.
“Get out of my sight! Never come to the border city again!”
Hei Hu threw Yan Shiyi heavily into the crowd of Yan Family members, crushing five people before Yan Shiyi landed.
He stood up, holding his sprained waist. He no longer dared to be sharp-tongued. The more physically disabled a man was, the more sensitive he was to others mentioning it.
Even if he angered the Li King, he wouldn’t be afraid, but what if he scared his sister?
He called out to the Yan Family members, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
As if out of sympathy, or perhaps to appease the Li King, he said:
“Um, I’m also a Salt Carrier for the Strong and Invincible. I brought a lot of salt this time.”
Jinsui waved her sleeve, “Scram!”
Miss Yan was helped out by Baozhu and other maidservants. She looked at Jinsui reluctantly, shaking her head:
“I don’t believe you. Your Highness, you’re saying this deliberately to reject Miss Yan, aren’t you?”
This time, Jinsui didn’t need to answer. Yan Shiyi stepped forward, picked up his sister, and ran:
“Silly girl, what man in the world would joke about such a thing!”
Indeed, no man would joke about being “unable to perform.” Coupled with the Li King’s own words, everyone believed it.
Jinsui didn’t go out to see Miss Yan off. She had Han Xing send the antidote, telling her:
“Forget the Li King. He’s not worth Miss Yan’s sadness.”
Hei Hu also went to say goodbye and returned with red, teary eyes.
Jinsui chuckled, “You’re reluctant to part with Miss Bai. I’ll let you go to Yanzhou City to purchase supplies in the future, so you can find a chance to meet Miss Bai.”
Hei Hu shook his head and cried, “No, I’m crying for Your Highness. Your Highness is too pitiful!”
Soon, this news spread throughout the border city. Everyone had the same thought as Hei Hu, and many added details with sorrowful faces:
“No wonder when we brought the Prince from Huai Prefecture, he never bathed with us, and even avoided people when going to the toilet.”
“Your Highness said he was seriously injured in Chang’an and lost his martial arts. I didn’t expect it to be such a serious injury! How could those people be so heartless!”
Cheng Yu was silent at first, then said meaningfully:
“Your Highness has no heir. What if, after Your Highness has governed the border city well, the Imperial Court sends a royal relative to inherit it?”
As soon as this was said, although it was speculation, it made all the soldiers indignant. They even felt that the Emperor’s banishment of the Li King to the border city had this very purpose.
The Sixteen Prefectures of Yandi have always been dominated by the gentry, and even imperial court officials didn’t want to stay there for long. Yet they banished an imperial prince here.
Their purpose was definitely this: to make the Prince work hard in Yandi, and then, using the excuse of the Prince having no heir, casually adopt a member of the imperial clan to continue in Yandi.
Everyone angrily said, “We absolutely cannot let our Prince be bullied like this!
Has the Imperial Court ever cared about us border soldiers? Our good life was given by the Prince. We only pledge allegiance to the Prince!”
Cheng Yu’s lips curved slightly but quickly disappeared. This was exactly the outcome he wanted.
Instilling this concept in the soldiers beforehand, making them realize that their loyalty was not to the Imperial Court, but to the Li King!
So what if the Prince has no heir? So what if following the Prince means their descendants cannot be granted favors?
In this world, there isn’t another imperial prince who would become enemies with the Zheng Family for his humble assistant secretary!
However, when the news reached the East Sea, Wei Assistant Secretary, who was diligently working on the salt fields and drying salt, collapsed on the ground, crying as if he himself couldn’t perform.
The Prince has no heir, and will never return to Chang’an in this lifetime.
His hope was once again dashed.
However, Wei Assistant Secretary didn’t wallow in despair for too long, because the Prince sent word that as autumn approached and the weather turned cooler, it would not be suitable for drying salt.
Wei Assistant Secretary quickly cheered up. Returning to Chang’an was a future matter. For now, he had to do his current job well and dry a large batch of sea salt before autumn.
Cheng Yu asked Jinsui, “Should this news be kept secret? As long as we inform the Yan Family, I believe they would be willing to help conceal it.”
“After all, if it reaches the common people, it will damage the Prince’s reputation.”
Jinsui pondered for a moment, then asked, “Has the Zheng Family redeemed their people?”
Although Cheng Yu didn’t understand why the Prince was changing the subject, he immediately replied, “No, the Zheng Family said they would release everyone if the border city did.”
Jinsui sneered, “They’re just unwilling to part with their silver!”
“There’s no need to hide it. It’s best if the whole world knows that I, this King, am disabled and cannot perform.”
“In any case, this King is living on borrowed time. If the Zheng Family wants to cause trouble, this King will go all out! Let’s see who can’t afford to play!”
She added jokingly, “This way, it also saves people outside from gossiping about me and Lady Chen. Cheng Assistant Secretary, you should prepare to marry Lady Chen!”
Cheng Yu looked deeply at Jinsui and suddenly chuckled softly, “Your Highness is truly carefree!”
People in this world seem to be exceptionally tolerant of the sick. The same action, if done by a normal person, would earn them scolding, but if a madman did it, everyone would just stay away.
Since entering Yandi, the Li King’s actions have always been called ‘madman’ and ‘rogue’. Now, another label has been added: unable to perform.
“He can’t even perform, and you’re still bothered by this…”
“He can’t perform and is very mad. If we anger him, we’ll suffer losses if he attacks and kills us!”
“He is someone who will have no descendants. Our Zheng Family has generations of prosperity. We can’t associate with such a madman!”
…
If he were a real man, and you directly insulted him by calling him ‘barren’ and mocking his inability to perform, he might have exploded in anger and become a pervert.
But our Li King is a fake man! Whether you insult him in front of people or behind their backs, it would only amuse Jinsui.
Of course, it’s a bit unfair to Gu Changxiao.
She hoped Gu Changxiao would be broad-minded and forgive her for doing this out of necessity to cut off romantic entanglements.
