A few days later, Lingwang Mansion finally received an imperial edict.
Xiao Weixin knelt at the door and kowtowed respectfully before standing up to receive the imperial edict. His face was steady without any flaws. He ordered the old eunuch who read out the imperial edict to be taken away to receive the reward, and he himself walked into the study with the bright yellow imperial edict.
You Shu had been waiting for a long time, and whispered: "Congratulations, Your Majesty."
Xiao Weixin looked up and saw him, then a smile appeared on his face, and he said softly: "Xiao Shu, I will start attending court tomorrow."
As a prince, he actually has been holding an official position all these years, but it was just some sinecure position with an empty title and an official salary. He basically did not have to go to court to deal with any matters. However, this imperial edict from Xiao Weishen was equivalent to giving him a stepping stone to enter the court directly. Although it was only a small position of Taichang Shaoqing, since Xiao Weishen planned to use him, he would definitely put him at the center of power in the future.
And he has been waiting silently for so many years, and finally saw a glimmer of hope. As long as he can get close to the center of power, it will be easier to act in the future.
You Shu was also happy for him.
Xiao Weixin pushed open the window of his study, and a beam of sunlight came in from outside. He looked up at the clear sky above and felt refreshed.
It's already April.
As Xiao Weixin began to attend court, You Shu had more free time than usual. They no longer had to follow him to the palace, but their tasks did not decrease. Lord Yingshou gave them more tasks than usual because they were no longer dormant during this period.
There are hundreds of ministers in the court, a small number of whom were planted by Xiao Weixin, some were fence-sitters, and some were old stubborn. These old stubborn people were the obstacles to Xiao Weixin's future path to the throne. To deal with this group of people, win over those who can be won over, and eliminate those who cannot be won over.
What the Shadow Guard Battalion has to do is to collect their weaknesses, use their weaknesses as leverage, and eliminate them one by one, allowing Xiao Weixin to successfully place his own people in place.
Yingba sighed and ran to find his brothers early in the morning, with a miserable look on his face: "I've calculated this trip, there's no way back, it's a dead end."
"Forget it." Ying Jiu rolled her eyes coquettishly, "You always say this every time you go out, and you always come back safe and sound."
Yingba's face was filled with sorrow: "This time it must be true. The divination shows that there is no trace of my body left."
"I still have fifty taels of silver in my savings. You can divide it among me." He said sadly, "I don't have a lover either. It's just sitting there for no reason. I might as well leave it to you. If you are interested, build a grave for me next year and burn some paper money occasionally. Don't let me become a wandering ghost. It will be worth our friendship."
Everyone is from the Shadow Guard Battalion and is used to seeing life and death. Not to mention that Yingba has to deal with this every time he goes out to work, even if it is true, they are not surprised. It's just death, which is a matter of sooner or later for them.
You Shu was also given a few taels of silver, which was heavy and substantial. He promised, "Don't worry, if that day ever comes, I will remember to burn incense for you."
Yingba walked forward and hugged him with tears in his eyes, "I knew that the third brother was the most reliable!"
"I am leaving."
Yingba wiped his tears, turned around, rode away on his horse. He was going to Huzhou and would not be back in the short term.
Yingjiu and the others watched the people walk away, and turned around with a smile on their faces to do what they were supposed to do. You Shu knew that they seemed to not care on the surface, but they were actually upset in their hearts, but everyone was used to not showing emotions in public. I hope Yingba can come back safely.
Sometimes when Xiao Weixin was not at home, You Shu would be outside following Ying Er. It was inevitable that his sword would be stained with blood, but he would just calmly wipe the blood off the sword and then devote himself to the next mission.
Xiao Weixin did not drink with his colleagues after leaving court. Sometimes, after a busy day of official duties, he was always thinking about the little shadow guard and would come back early to see him. You Shu would always wash off the smell of blood on his body and then accompany him for dinner as usual.
Although he thought he had no flaws, Xiao Weixin still noticed the hint of melancholy between his brows.
"Are you worried about something?" Xiao Weixin asked with concern.
You Shu put down his bowl and chopsticks and shook his head: "Nothing, I may be a little tired."
Xiao Weixin also knew that the Shadow Guard Camp had been making big moves recently, and the court was full of twists and turns. Prime Minister Xia didn't dare to target him openly, but he didn't take him seriously either. He was in urgent need of manpower, so he could only pick some seemingly insignificant little people to start with, just in case.
"After this period is over, I'll let you rest for a few days." Xiao Weixin was already used to picking food for him, and said gently.
"Thank you, Your Highness." You Shu nodded. He wasn't really tired. He was just a little exhausted from the frequent killings in the past two days. But he couldn't say these words to Xiao Weixin.
The road to becoming an emperor has always been paved with blood. If Xiao Weixin's hands were clean, he would never have the chance to take that position. You Shu, who was determined to follow him, would also inevitably be stained with blood. He could also understand Xiao Weixin's helplessness. Although killing people was not his wish, he was willing to be his knife.
Perhaps because he was feeling a little depressed, You Shu couldn't help but drink some wine. It's easy to get drunk when you drink alone, and you drink too much without noticing. By the time he realized it, he was already slightly tipsy, but his mind was still clear.
Xiao Weixin didn't understand what he was thinking and almost indulged him in drinking. The two of them drank in silence in the bedroom and did not touch the food.
After three rounds of drinking, Xiao Weixin was also a little drunk.
"Xiao Shu..." He supported his chin with his left hand and stared at You Shu under the light. There was a blush on his cheeks and his eyes were not as clear as usual. He looked at You Shu without saying a word, just murmured his name.
You Shu was just a little tipsy, not really drunk. He heard Xiao Weixin calling his name over and over, and he responded to every call, but he never seemed to give any instructions, as if he was just calling him unconsciously.
"Your Highness has drunk too much." You Shu sighed, stood up and took the wine glass from his right hand on his own initiative, and said softly: "You can't drink anymore."
Xiao Weixin didn't react when his wine glass was taken away. Everyone's state of being drunk is different, some cry and make a fuss, some act crazy, some are quiet, and some fall asleep. Xiao Weixin did not lose his composure after drinking. He seemed to be sealed by some magic power and appeared slow to react. He didn't react when others talked to him and would stare at you stupidly, which was completely different from his usual cold and aloof appearance.
No, no, You Shu, you have to stay calm. You can't just rub him just because the prince looks cute at this moment.
Otherwise he'll be dead when he sobers up.
You Shu pretended to be calm, but his eyes would peek from time to time.
No wonder people in ancient times liked to "see beauties under the lamplight", and the more they looked, the more energetic they became. Xiao Weixin's cold white skin shone with a white jade-like luster under the candlelight, his eyes were vague and unclear, but the corners of his mouth were always raised, he looked a little more approachable than usual, no longer the unapproachable fairy in the painting.
You Shu took a peek for a while, remembering what he said in the temple last time about being trapped in love, and became more and more curious about what kind of person could reject such a handsome guy.
"Xiao Shu..." Xiao Weixin began to mutter to himself again, "You are so beautiful..."
You Shu was a little embarrassed, he put down his wine glass and said to each other: "The prince is also good-looking."
"Really?" Xiao Weixin asked him dazedly, "Do you think so too?"
You Shu coughed lightly, his ears turning red: "Yeah."
Xiao Weixin smiled. He raised his hand and skillfully slid it back and forth on You Shu's face, from his eyebrows to his nose and then to his mouth. The slender white finger felt slightly cold and kept lingering around his mouth, refusing to leave, as if there was something there that attracted him.
You Shu felt her mouth was a little itchy, but she didn't dare to take his hand away.
Alas, the prince likes to touch his face a lot these days. Is he really so handsome that people can’t let go of him
Xiao Weixin reluctantly withdrew his hand and whispered, "I'm a little drunk, help me get on the bed."
"Yes." You Shu stood up and carefully helped him up, trying not to touch any skin on his body. He held his breath and slowly moved him towards the bed.
Xiao Weixin only looked weak, but his weight and height were no worse than other men. You Shu was half a head shorter than him, and it was very difficult for him to support a completely drunk adult man. There was only a screen between the table and the bed, but he felt that his shoulders were extremely heavy. Xiao Weixin put all his weight on him.
After finally helping him lie flat on the bed, You Shu got up and poured him a glass of warm water, and helped him drink it. But the drunk man refused to cooperate at all, and the water would flow out of his mouth, soaking half of the blanket.
You Shu sighed, put down the teacup, took out a clean blanket from the cabinet and covered him with it, and asked tentatively: "Prince, do you want to rest first?"
Xiao Weixin looked at him blankly, as if he didn't understand what he was saying. Seeing him like this, You Shu guessed that he must have been drunk, so he decided to let him sleep and not disturb him.
After covering himself with the quilt, he was about to leave, but as soon as he took a step, he found that the hem of his clothes was tightly grasped by someone. When he lowered his head, he saw Xiao Weixin's hand grabbing his clothes. He was staring at him and whispering, "Xiao Shu, don't go."
The voice was soft and light, with an indescribable temptation.
You Shu's ears felt itchy, so he had to sit back down obediently.
What should I do? My prince is so handsome, I really want to poke his face.
No, you have to hold it in. This idea is very perverted. You Shu, you can't do this.
This goes against international straight male norms.
Just as he was trying to restrain himself with his wild thoughts, Xiao Weixin suddenly pulled him down with great force. You Shu was caught off guard and lost his balance, falling on him. He was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
It’s over, you won’t be beaten to death, right
He was about to stand up quickly, but found that his waist was tightly gripped by someone. Before he could figure out what was going on, he felt a warm and soft touch on his lips.
You Shu's eyes widened, unable to accept the current information.
He saw Xiao Weixin's face very close to him, his nose touching his nose, and his lips... also touching his mouth.
Xiao Weixin simply gently covered his mouth with his, and did not take any further invading action. He was as naive as a clumsy child, probing cautiously and gently, as if he was afraid that he would get angry.
You Shu was held tightly in his arms and forgot to struggle. For a moment, he almost thought he was dreaming.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Weixin seemed to be sleepy and soon closed his eyes. The hands around his waist loosened and his breathing became long and soft. He must have really fallen asleep.
You Shu immediately broke free from his embrace and ran out in a daze, almost tripping over the screen. His rashness was totally unlike his character.
As soon as he walked out of the room, Xiao Weixin, who was lying on the bed and was drunk, opened his eyes. His eyes were clear and he didn't look drunk at all.
He raised his hand and touched his lips, then sighed slightly.
So pathetic.