Salted Fish Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Profligate Prince

Someone was crying by his ear. They were incessantly crying, making his head throb.

This was Xiao Shan's only thought as he opened his eyes. The sobbing, like needles, relentlessly pierced his brain, an unbearable torment for someone whose head was already muddled from illness.

However, when he saw who was crying, his intended words of "stop wailing" got stuck in his throat.

Because the person crying as if he had died was none other than his mother, Gu Rulan, the current Consort Lan.

Gu Rulan was beautiful but weak-willed. When faced with difficulties, she did nothing but cry, having no other opinions or solutions. If it weren't for the fact that the Empress Dowager was her aunt and the Empress her first cousin, she wouldn't have survived long with such a personality, let alone given birth to a child and been conferred the title of consort.

It was no different now. When Xiao Shan had his eyes closed, she cried softly. When he opened his eyes, she grasped his hand and began to wail loudly, all the while saying, "My poor child..."

Xiao Shan already felt unwell, his head a bit dizzy, and his body sticky with cold sweat. Her loud wailing made his head feel like it was about to explode.

Fortunately, although Gu Rulan was muddle-headed and indecisive, her chief maid, Cui Shu, was still clear-headed.

Seeing that Xiao Shan's expression was not good, Cui Shu quickly stepped forward to support Gu Rulan, gently and softly advising, "Your Highness, the prince has just woken up. Perhaps it would be better to wait until he has taken his medicine before speaking further."

She didn't voice the critical point: in this palace, their Jinglan Hall was like a sieve, leaking information everywhere. If her mistress's crying reached the ears of others, it could easily incur the displeasure of the Emperor and Empress, which would be a significant loss.

Only then did Gu Rulan remember that Xiao Shan was still ill. She hurriedly stood up, her tear-streaked face filled with anxiety. "Yes, he's still sick. Quickly, quickly, bring the medicine for the prince to drink."

Xiao Shan: "..." It wasn't that he wanted to overthink it, but he couldn't help feeling that this sounded eerily similar to the phrase "Da Lang, get up and drink your medicine," which gave him a bit of a chill.

Cui Shu personally went to the outer room to bring the prepared medicine.

Xiao Shan wrinkled his nose at the bitter smell of the medicine.

He was the most impatient with drinking these concoctions. What used to be resolved with a single pill now required a large bowl of dark, bitter liquid. However, when he met Gu Rulan's tear-filled eyes, he steeled himself and drank the medicine in one go. Compared to drinking the medicine, he found Gu Rulan's crying even more unbearable.

Cui Shu had initially intended to assist Xiao Shan with the medicine, but seeing that he didn't need help, she quietly stepped back.

Seeing Xiao Shan drink the medicine, Gu Rulan's emotions calmed significantly. She sat by the bed, looking at Xiao Shan with a tone that carried a mix of reproach, concern, and grievance: "You really are something. Even if you don't like the marriage your Emperor Father arranged, you shouldn't take it out on your health. You were gravely ill when you were six, nearly losing your life. It took years to nurse you back to health, and now you're tormenting yourself again..."

Xiao Shan: "..."

Gu Rulan reminisced about the past and scrutinized the present. Judging by her tone, she could easily go on for at least an hour.

In truth, his illness had nothing to do with the marriage arrangement. He simply had a habit of kicking off his covers while sleeping, which led to him catching a chill. He felt unwell in the morning, and after paying his respects to Gu Rulan in the residence, he got up and felt dizzy, eventually fainting. Otherwise, a grown prince like him wouldn't be lying in a side hall of Jinglan Hall.

It was entirely due to the lingering cold of early spring and his own carelessness, having nothing to do with the Emperor's marriage decree.

Speaking of the marriage decree, Xiao Shan wasn't particularly bothered, but Gu Rulan was both angry and anxious, feeling aggrieved.

Xiao Shan was already nineteen this year. Although he held the title of Prince Li, he spent his days idly, either fighting crickets or indulging in food and entertainment. The Emperor himself had once remarked that Xiao Shan was too foolish to be taught, which made many noble ladies and young men reluctant to associate with him, fearing any connection with him.

In the residence, other nineteen-year-old princes already had their primary and secondary consorts, with some even becoming fathers. Xiao Shan, however, remained single, without even a concubine or a young attendant by his side.

Gu Rulan had tried to send palace maids and young attendants to his bed to educate him on such matters, but her good intentions were unappreciated. Xiao Shan, upon finding someone in his bed, had thought it was an assassin and screamed in terror. The incident became widely known, and Xiao Shan fell ill, requiring half a year of medicinal treatment to recover.

The Emperor later reprimanded Gu Rulan for her rash actions, warning that if Xiao Shan were frightened to the point of impotence, he would never marry.

As a result, Gu Rulan was both anxious and cautious.

While she fretted, Xiao Shan remained unperturbed.

Not only did Xiao Shan show no urgency in front of her, but he also tried to delay the marriage in front of the Emperor. When shown a portrait of a potential bride, he would find numerous faults. In short, he was perpetually dissatisfied, which greatly displeased the Emperor, leading to Xiao Shan constantly being ignored.

Now, the Emperor personally arranged a marriage for Xiao Shan, and the chosen partner was Xie Zhui.

Who was Xie Zhui? He was a ger from the prestigious General Xie’s household in the northern frontier.

If that were the whole story, it would indeed be a good match. However, the complication lay in the fact that Xie Zhui's identity as a ger was discovered by a military doctor.

The story went that at the age of fourteen, Xie Zhui removed the cinnabar mole between his eyebrows, bandaging it under the pretense of a forehead injury, and took his brother Xie Chen's place in the army. At fifteen, he achieved great military success at the border, earning the Emperor's personal praise for his youthful talent and potential as a future general. His prospects were limitless.

However, the issue arose when Xie Zhui was injured and fell unconscious not long ago. During his treatment, the military doctor discovered the cinnabar flower mark on his waist.

In this world, gers were born with a cinnabar mole between their eyebrows and a cinnabar flower mark on their waist.

While the cinnabar mole could be removed and bandaged to pass off as an injury, the cinnabar flower mark on the waist was embedded in the flesh and connected to the bone marrow. Removing it would require extracting the part of the bone, which would cripple the person entirely.

Thus, Xie Zhui's identity as a ger was exposed when the cinnabar flower mark on his waist was discovered.

The reaction in the military was significant, but when the news reached the capital, even the Emperor on the dragon throne was stunned.

Xie Zhui's act of impersonation to join the army was a crime of deceiving the monarch, punishable by death. However, given his substantial military achievements, the Emperor couldn't simply dispose of him without demoralizing the frontier soldiers. After much deliberation, the Emperor issued a decree for Xie Zhui to return to the capital.

Upon his arrival in the capital, Xie Zhui was placed under house arrest in the Xie family's mansion.

In the court, opinions on how to deal with Xie Zhui were divided into two factions. One faction argued that Xie Zhui deserved death, while the other contended that if the Great Zhou had so many men yet couldn't match the accomplishments of a single ger, how could they talk about defending the borders? Based on this alone, Xie Zhui deserved to be rewarded.

The Emperor, overwhelmed by their arguments, was at a loss on how to handle this thorny issue. He felt a bit resentful towards Xie Zhui. If Xie Zhui had truly been Xie Chen, everything would have been easier to resolve. Even if he had died and his identity as a ger was discovered posthumously, it would have been more manageable.

Now, with Xie Zhui's high-profile incident of a ger joining the army, the Emperor found himself in a difficult position.

Xie Zhui was under house arrest for half a month. The Emperor, after hearing some pillow talk from an unknown source, suddenly made up his mind. Xie Zhui's crime of deceiving the monarch warranted death, but his significant contributions and the continuous petitions from the Xie family for leniency meant that his merits and faults had to be balanced.

Given Xie Zhui's identity as a ger, the Emperor, in consideration of his achievements, issued a decree bestowing Xie Zhui as the primary consort to Prince Li, Xiao Shan, who was still unmarried.

This imperial decree shocked both the court and the common people.

The existence of gers had always been somewhat awkward. They were neither as charming as women nor as capable of bearing children. Some gers could go their entire lives without having a child.

Historically, noble families, considering their lineage, rarely took gers as primary consorts.

Of course, "rarely" means it was uncommon, not unheard of.

But no one expected the Emperor to bestow a ger as the primary consort to his own son. Was this an attempt to cut off Prince Li's lineage?

Moreover, Xie Zhui had previously removed the cinnabar mole between his eyebrows and spent his days mingling with men. He must have been touched and taken advantage of by those men.

Take the military doctor, for instance. If he hadn't seen and touched Xie Zhui's waist, how could he have confirmed his identity?

Marrying such a ger was akin to announcing to the world that one was wearing a green hat.

No man could tolerate such a thing.

No matter how bad Xiao Shan's reputation was, he was still the dignified third prince, the Emperor's biological son, and a legitimate prince. Despite his poor reputation, he was very handsome and dashing. Based on his looks alone, there was no one in the world he couldn't marry.

This incident clearly showed how little regard the Emperor had for Xiao Shan.

Of course, from another perspective, anyone with eyes could see that the Emperor was paving the way for Crown Prince Xiao Jin.

Speaking of which, Xiao Jin was born just an hour earlier than Xiao Shan, and due to their mothers' relationship, the two had been close since childhood.

If Xiao Shan truly married Xie Zhui, it would be tantamount to bringing the Xie family into Xiao Jin's side.

The Emperor cherished Xiao Jin and naturally made many plans for his benefit.

Upon realizing this, Gu Rulan couldn't help but let her tears fall. She and Xiao Shan were born into the Crown Prince's faction, and she too hoped that the Crown Prince would ascend the throne smoothly. But this marriage arrangement was truly distressing. Just thinking about it caused her heartache, and she was convinced that Xiao Shan did not like this marriage either.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen ill right after the imperial decree was issued.

This illness must have been brought on by anger.

With this thought, Gu Rulan bit her lip and couldn't help but say, "Shan'er, this marriage is too unfair to you. That Xie Zhui is not worthy of you. Let's go to your Emperor Father now and ask him to retract his decree."

Xiao Shan: "..."

Xiao Shan spoke frankly: "I wouldn't dare." The Emperor's decree had already been issued, making the matter a foregone conclusion. Who would dare to challenge it?

Gu Rulan's tears welled up in her eyes. Despite her bold words, she didn't actually dare to go either.

She might cry in front of anyone else, but in front of Emperor Xiao Sheng, without his permission, she wouldn't dare shed a single tear, even if she were terrified. When Xiao Sheng got angry, it could be deadly.

She vividly remembered the time shortly after she entered the palace when she saw Xiao Sheng publicly execute a palace servant. That scene was etched in her memory, and she hadn't dared to forget it for all these years.

"What should we do then?" Gu Rulan was at a loss. After thinking for a moment, she couldn't help but suggest, "Why don't we ask the Empress and the Crown Prince for help?"

After all, this matter ultimately benefited Xiao Jin. He gained military power while Xiao Shan was forced to marry an unchaste ger...

Xiao Shan glanced at Gu Rulan and thought to himself, Is the Empress stupid? This is a great opportunity to solidify Xiao Jin's power and status. She would be more than happy to push for his marriage to Xie Zhui. There's no way she would ask the Emperor to retract the decree.

If it were him, he wouldn't want to handle such a thankless task either.

Gu Rulan was about to say something when someone outside announced that Eunuch Chang Le had arrived.

Eunuch Chang Le was a close attendant to the Emperor and highly trusted by him. Even the consorts in the harem had to show him respect.

Chang Le had an ordinary appearance but was very fair-skinned, with a pair of attractive eyes. He always wore a smiling expression, looking amiable and kind. However, no one inside or outside the palace dared to underestimate him.

As soon as Chang Le entered the hall, he saw Xiao Shan lying on the bed and Gu Rulan with her eyes swollen like walnuts. His expression didn't change a bit, maintaining his usual smiling demeanor as he said, "This servant greets Consort Lan and the Prince."

Gu Rulan was weak but not foolish. She stopped Chang Le from bowing and, with a hoarse voice from crying, asked, "Eunuch Chang, has the Emperor sent you with any instructions?"

Chang Le smiled and said, "Your Highness is perceptive. His Majesty knows that the Prince is here with you and has specifically sent me to invite the Prince to Ganming Hall for a conversation."

With one mention of "Consort Lan" and another of "Your Highness," the latter phrase made the relationship feel much closer.

Gu Rulan didn't have time to ponder this. She looked a bit troubled and said, "But Shan'er is ill. Isn't it inappropriate for him to see the Emperor at this time?"

Chang Le smiled without responding, his eyes fixed on Xiao Shan.

Xiao Shan, having listened to Gu Rulan cry all morning and still nursing a headache, seized the opportunity and quickly said, "Eunuch Chang, please wait a moment. I'll change my clothes and go."

Chang Le replied, "This servant will wait for the Prince outside."

Gu Rulan wanted to stop him but couldn't, so she had no choice but to get up and leave.

After changing his clothes, Xiao Shan followed Chang Le to Ganming Hall.

Upon arriving at Ganming Hall, Chang Le personally opened the hall door and softly said, "Prince, please."

Xiao Shan walked in with a composed expression. Before he could even see where the Emperor was, a memorial came flying towards him.

Xiao Shan dodged it and looked at the person who threw it, calling out, "Emperor Father."

Emperor Xiao Sheng, leaning on a soft couch, coldly snorted, "What, feeling wronged now?" When Xiao Sheng was young, he was very handsome. However, after many years on the throne, his face had become somewhat plump, losing some of its youthful beauty but gaining a more benevolent appearance.

Yet, even in his most casual moments, his eyes were always filled with a commanding presence.

Xiao Shan took two steps forward and said, "I wouldn't say wronged. It's just that my head is still dizzy and my vision is blurry. Emperor Father, if that memorial had hit me, it could have knocked me out."

Xiao Sheng let out a cold laugh, "Not feeling wronged because of the marriage? Zhen heard that your illness started the night the marriage decree was issued. Are you harboring resentment towards Zhen?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shan's eyebrows shot up, instantly wasting his extremely handsome face.

He angrily said, "I don't know who is trying to sow discord between Emperor Father and me. Emperor Father knows my temperament. If I have any dissatisfaction, I would definitely say it directly to Emperor Father. There's no need for outsiders to meddle and gossip."

Xiao Sheng was momentarily taken aback. He believed Xiao Shan because Xiao Shan had always been straightforward since childhood. He would complain openly and speak honestly, never resorting to underhanded tactics.

He had five sons and four daughters, all of whom feared and revered him, except for Xiao Shan, who had been mischievous and unafraid of him since he was young.

Xiao Sheng snorted, "Since you have no resentment, then you must be satisfied with this marriage."

Xiao Shan: "..."

Xiao Shan glanced at Xiao Sheng with a sincere expression, "Emperor Father, that's a different matter. Whether I'm satisfied with this marriage depends on whether Xie Zhui is good-looking. Emperor Father knows that my eyes have always favored beauty."

Xiao Sheng slowly pursed his lips, his expression displeased. If Chang Le were here, he wouldn't dare make a sound at this moment.

Xiao Shan continued to mutter, "Emperor Father, why don't I sneak a peek at what Xie Zhui looks like first? If he's good-looking, I can guarantee my eyes will be glued to him..."

"Rascal." Before he could finish, the Emperor threw another memorial at him.

This time, the memorial landed at Xiao Shan's feet, successfully stopping his unfinished words.

Xiao Sheng couldn't help but stand up and say, "Do you think Zhen’s decree of marriage is a joke? Even if Xie Zhui were hideous, this marriage is not up to you."

Xiao Shan, with his eyelids drooping, said, "If that's the case, then why did Emperor Father ask if I was satisfied?"

Xiao Sheng, both angry and amused, said, "Did you think Zhen was asking for your opinion? Zhen was informing you of the decision."

Xiao Shan had nothing more to say, thinking to himself, Fine, you're the Emperor, you have the final say.

Seeing that Xiao Shan didn't look well and remembering that he was still ill, Xiao Sheng softened his tone and said, "The Crown Prince suggested that you take Xie Zhui as a secondary consort. If you truly don't like him, you can just keep him in the residence. But Zhen thought, since this favor is being granted, why not give the best? It's just a title of primary consort. Xie Zhui is a smart person and won't cause trouble easily. Just give him some respect."

Xiao Shan responded with an "Oh."

Seeing his attitude, the Emperor couldn't help but feel a surge of anger and waved him off.

As Xiao Shan left Ganming Hall, he prepared to leave the palace, mainly because his dizziness had worsened. All he wanted now was to go back and get a good sleep.

However, he was soon stopped by Crown Prince Xiao Jin.

Xiao Shan wanted to leave the palace immediately, but Xiao Jin wanted him to go to the Eastern Palace for a chat.

Xiao Jin wanted to explain the current situation to him, not wanting Xiao Shan to misunderstand. He could guarantee that neither he nor the Empress had any knowledge of the arrangement for Xiao Shan to marry Xie Zhui.

Xiao Shan watched his mouth move, and finally couldn't help but grasp Xiao Jin's hand and call out, "Second Brother..."

His voice trembled a bit. Xiao Jin, thinking Xiao Shan was moved by his words, was about to respond with "Third Brother" when he heard Xiao Shan say, "Second Brother, I'm dizzy."

With that, he closed his eyes and collapsed.

Xiao Jin's face changed dramatically in fright. He quickly supported Xiao Shan, shouting for help and calling for the imperial physician.

The palace was instantly thrown into chaos.

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