Silent Crown

Chapter 426 Troublesome Duke

Just as Borja was sweating and spacing out, Ludovic's voice sounded in his ears. After hearing it, Borja's expression changed drastically. After a long while, he opened his mouth and rasped out, "Due to Ye Qingxuan's status, this case will be handed to the Aurora Empire in accordance to the third amendment."

The gavel pounded. He rose with a defeated expression and left quickly without looking back.

The spectators seemed to be stunned by this explosive news and had not processed it all yet. When they finally did, they looked at Ye Qingxuan strangely. What was with this guy? In their eyes, Ye Qingxuan looked like bad luck in human shape. Wherever he went, there were problems. Whoever he met would run into trouble.

When he arrived at Avalon, there was a political earthquake. When he arrived at Auschwitz, it was invaded by a natural catastrophe. The Ministry of Information lost all dignity before he even arrived at the Sacred City. Now, the Sacred Court was affected as well.

The ones that met him and had better luck would lose their reputation and image. The unfortunate ones would die or completely disappear… The human-shaped natural catastrophe that the Easterners spoke of was probably him.

Hearing the discussions, Ye Qingxuan's expression grew troubled. He even heard a bishop tell the men beside him, "Be careful in the future. Don't interact with this guy, you hear me?"

Ye Qingxuan wanted to die.

Now, Maxwell's expression was troubled as well. Thankfully, he had experienced worse things. This was sudden but he could still bear it. Looking at the awkwardly standing Mr. Hu, he said, "I can't believe that you were not just comforting me earlier."

"To be honest, I'm not so sure about this either." Mr. Hu sighed. "I just reported Ye Qingxuan's situation to the emperor. I hope Anglo won't think that I'm butting in."

"Anglo can't change Ye Qingxuan's identity. He is Deva's blood, after all," Maxwell said. "As an official of Anglo, I hope we won't have anything to do with Aurora but from a personal level, I think it's a good thing."

"Thank you for understanding." Mr. Hu smiled and bowed slightly.

"And I, you." Maxwell nodded. "I still have a question that I hope Mr. Hu will clarify for me though."

"Yes?"

Looking at him, Maxwell enunciated slowly, "How will Aurora judge this case?"

-

"Marquess Ye." Eunuch Zhao pulled Ye Qingxuan to the side and told him, "The Majesty has another order for you."

"Oh." Ye Qingxuan nodded. However, Zhao's face was completely serious and did not seem to be going to open his mouth. Suddenly understanding, Ye Qingxuan nodded. "Uh, I need to kowtow, right?"

"The Majesty said to follow your customs," Zhao said. "Do as you would to your king."

Ye Qingxuan lowered onto one knee and lowered his head.

Eunuch Zhao nodded and pulled out a palm-sized box. As the gears cranked, the springs trembled and the sounds converged until it finally became the cool voice of a woman.

"Ye Qingxuan, I know about your situation," the voice from the box said indifferently. "Because you are young and ignorant, and seeing as this is your first offense, I shall take four-hundred serfs and that will be all. The world may be interesting but home is where you should be. As a member of the Ye family, you cannot always be wandering through the countries. Come back after two years. You must inherit what belongs to the Ye family. That is all."

The voice stopped.

"That's it?" Ye Qingxuan asked, looking up.

Eunuch Zhao nodded. "That's it."

"What now?"

"What now? Now you can do as you wish, Marquess." Zhao shrugged. "I must return to report to the Majesty. Would you like to come with?"

"Uh…can I not?"

"Oh, look at you. Would I force you?" Chuckling, Zhao handed him a piece of jade. "This is your proof. Do not lose it. I will stay in the embassy tonight. If you change your mind, come find me at any time."

He really seemed to have just come to act as the good guy. After bowing, he left. When Ye Qingxuan finally processed everything, the eunuch was already gone.

Then he heard Mr. Hu's voice behind him. "Can we talk?"

He nodded.

-

Behind the Sacred Court, there was a quiet courtyard. Ye Qingxuan walked through the greenery with the scholar dressed in white.

"I still haven't thanked you, Mr. Hu," Ye Qingxuan said. "You must have done a lot for me."

"I just hope you won't mind me butting in. To be honest, I didn't think it would turn into this." Mr. Hu scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward.

"Even if I didn't do anything, you would have been fine. Today was only the first trial. Maxwell has many cards hidden even deeper… I haven't met him many times but I think that the man probably still has things that no one knows about."

Ye Qingxuan chuckled but did not reply.

"In a few days, I will return. After all, I came to the West in the beginning with the mission to find Ye Lanzhou." Mr. Hu sighed. "After all these years, I couldn't find him but found his son. I should go back now… I'm sure many people were unhappy that I was wandering around outside." As he spoke, he pulled out a thick notebook. "These are the music scores that I have been collecting for you. Jiu Xiao Huan Pei is a very good instrument. Do not let it down."

Ye Qingxuan accepted the sheets. He did not know what to say and just felt emotional all of a sudden. All this time, he had learned much from Mr. Hu. His advice had helped Ye Qingxuan break through the Barrier of Knowledge. He had even helped collect the rare Eastern music scores. The notebook was thick and almost all were handwritten. Mr. Hu probably had started preparing this long ago.

"When are you leaving?" Ye Qingxuan asked. "I'll see you off."

"No need. You are a marquess now. It would not be right." Mr. Hu shook his head. "If the East hears of it, those people will probably be able to write books of complaints. It's the thought that counts."

"Marquess?" Ye Qingxuan chuckled dryly. "To be honest, I can't accept the fact that I'm suddenly nobility. The name Marquess Changyu sounds weird too. Like the Earl of Glamorgan, it sounds uncomfortable."

Mr. Hu smiled. "Wear the hat proudly and pull the gird long. The clean and dirty mix and only a pure nature will not become tainted," he said. "You must understand what the Majesty means."

Ye Qingxuan's mind was blank. "What does she mean?"

Blanching, Mr. Hu's expression grew awkward. He finally realized that this kid had grown up in the West and did not understand classical Eastern language…

"This is a quote from an ancient essay," Mr. Hu explained. "It basically means that to wear a tall crown and long accessories. Even if spices are mixed with mud, the purity would not decay."

Hearing this, Ye Qingxuan was still a bit confused. "So the Majesty wants me to be a good person?"

"Something like that." Mr. Hu said meaningfully, "You must be a good person but who's good person?"

Ye Qingxuan was still confused.

"You must have heard about the East," Mr. Hu said nonchalantly. "As the Majesty matured, the people have been calling for the Regent to return. The Majesty and the Regent seem amiable but they are actually clashing dangerously.

"Even the children's folk songs sing, 'the emperor is tyrannical; there is Bai Heng. Support the country; distinguish between clean and tainted…

"Bai Heng has the urge to revolt. If not for the title, righteousness, and that some officials still wish to protect the true leader, he probably would have assassinated the Majesty long ago.

"There are only six families left of the Nine Dragon Bloodlines. Three have pledged allegiance to the Bai family now. If not for now understanding Bai Heng's plans, they probably would have prepared the necessary procedures."

Mr. Hu paused and studied Ye Qingxuan. "Do you understand how troublesome your position is now?"

Ye Qingxuan asked, "The Majesty wishes for me to support her?"

Mr. Hu nodded. "Even if the Ye family is just an empty shell, there are still countless people who know the name. As long as you're willing to return, you can revive the family no matter what. You can just lie there and make babies for the rest of your life."

"To be honest, I'm anticipating the life of just whiling my days away." Ye Qingxuan chuckled dryly. "But I think Bai Heng must hate me now."

"You just realized? Ever since your news traveled to the East, you became something to get rid of." Mr. Hu shook his head. "And in his eyes, you are not just the heir of the Ye family."

"Huh?" Ye Qingxuan did not understand.

"I don't know if telling you now is too early or not but I can only say that Bai Heng's identity is not just a rebel. In a few years, I think he may…" Here, Mr. Hu stopped. He started again, hesitated, and finally smiled wryly. "Never mind. Speaking of these unsure things can only add more frustration."

After a long silence, Ye Qingxuan asked, "So you don't wish for me to return?"

"I don't know." Mr. Hu shook his head and sighed softly. "After being out here for so long, I sometimes think that the East is just a huge quagmire. Young men like you have nothing to do with it and should live freely. But sometimes, I also think that other places aren't any better… Look, the entire world is like an overcooked haggis soup. You can't block the smell even when you hold your nose. So whether you return or not is up to you."

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