Chapter Six: Fang Xiaoru Has Gone Mad

At Chen Kan’s pleading gaze, Zhu Gao Xu raised his eyebrows graciously, then shrugged his hands helplessly, signaling he could do nothing. Yet when he turned to look at Daoyan’s retreating figure, a flicker of hatred crossed his eyes—an animosity Chen Kan immediately noticed.

They are enemies!

This was important information. Although its usefulness was uncertain, it was worth noting.

Chen Kan’s mind raced again.

The conversation he had with Fang Xiaoru had been overheard by them, which might not be a bad thing. At least now they knew his stance.

He did not oppose Prince Yan’s ascension; in fact, he had been actively urging his teacher to draft the imperial edict for Zhu Di’s enthronement.

Daoyan’s visit to the prison was surely regarding the edict as well.

Since their goals aligned, Chen Kan felt less anxious.

He just needed to respond normally, making sure not to give them any leverage in conversation.

After some thought, Chen Kan cupped his hands toward Daoyan and said, “Master Daoyan, as you can see, the teacher is in no state to be disturbed. Perhaps you should return for now; once the teacher awakens, I will have the prison guard notify you at your residence. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good. Thank you, Chen devotee,” Daoyan replied, folding his hands and bowing slightly to Chen Kan.

He then turned and approached the cell door, addressing Zhu Gao Xu, who leaned against the doorframe. “Your Highness, shall we go?”

Zhu Gao Xu nodded. “Master, please lead the way.”

Chen Kan watched them leave, then slowly sank down against the wall.

His heart felt heavier than ever.

Though his exchange with Daoyan was brief, without conflict or debate, Chen Kan’s psychological pressure was greater than when facing Zhu Gao Xu.

After all, a biting dog cannot be ignored.

In the present Ming dynasty, Daoyan was arguably second only to one person in power.

Yet his attitude toward a humble, unknown man like Chen Kan remained gentle and warm, like a spring breeze.

This revealed the depth of his scheming.

This man was dangerous!

Mentally labeling Daoyan as a great threat, Chen Kan pondered once more.

Fang Xiaoru had already been pushed to the brink of a mental collapse.

Whether Chen Kan could persuade him was anyone’s guess.

He could not pin all his hopes on convincing Fang Xiaoru.

He needed to devise other plans.

But as a fallen man with no power or influence at court, and no one to rely on—what could he do?

As these thoughts swirled, the image of Zhu Gao Xu’s dark, unsightly face suddenly surfaced in Chen Kan’s mind.

In his original memories, their relationship had been fairly good.

However, that friendship had been born out of shared hardship.

Now, their statuses were worlds apart.

Could the bond of comrades in adversity still hold?

Weary in both body and spirit, Chen Kan felt a wave of drowsiness overtake him.

He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

...

In the imperial capital Jinling, within the Forbidden City, a great fire during Emperor Jianwen’s reign had reduced the once magnificent palace to ruins.

Only beneath the scarcely burned vermilion beams and green tiles could one faintly discern the grandeur of the Han dynasty’s imperial residence.

Inside a relatively intact grand hall, Daoyan the monk conversed with a striking middle-aged man with thick eyebrows, sharp features, a distinctive beard beneath his chin, and clad in a dragon robe.

This man was Prince Yan, Zhu Di, triumphant in the Jingnan campaign.

As they spoke, the prince grew increasingly animated.

“So you mean that Chen Kan compares me to Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin?”

Daoyan smiled. “Though he never said it outright, his words on the surface and beneath are a subtle admonition to his teacher to follow the example of Wei Zheng. That’s indeed the implication.”

“Heh… hahaha, quite so, quite so,” Zhu Di suddenly laughed heartily, then rose and paced outside the hall.

He chuckled, “Now I understand why my great nephew lost to me. Such a talented young man was abandoned, while treacherous men like Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng held high office. How could he possibly win?”

Daoyan clasped his hands and said, “Your Highness speaks wisely; your sagacity is unquestioned.”

Daoyan’s flattery pleased Zhu Di greatly.

His eyes narrowed slightly, maintaining a composed expression, though it almost seemed as if his face read: “Praise me more, keep praising me.”

But Daoyan was clearly immune to such tactics and silently followed behind Zhu Di.

Zhu Di smacked his lips with a hint of dissatisfaction.

“Is that all?”

“Just that one line?”

“How brief the master is.”

Oh well, no more praise then. That boy likened me to Li Shimin—I'm already quite satisfied.

“Hmm, you say he is Chen Heng’s son?” Zhu Di asked casually, turning around.

“Yes, indeed, the sole son of Marquis Puding,” Daoyan confirmed.

Zhu Di shook his head with a sigh, “Marquis Puding… what a pity.”

...

Chen Kan was woken by the sound of smacking and swallowing.

June in Jinling was stiflingly hot, and the prison cell was damp, hot, and foul-smelling. Add the noisy eating to that, and Chen Kan could not sleep.

Opening his eyes, he found Fang Xiaoru already awake.

The smacking sounds came from him.

Chen Kan sat up and immediately noticed Fang Xiaoru’s strange demeanor.

He was expressionless, eating voraciously from the wooden basin Chen Kan had brought.

But his eyes were hollow and dull, lacking the usual intelligence that once shone from them.

It was as if his soul had been drained, leaving only the instinct to eat.

“Teacher?” Chen Kan tentatively called out, but Fang Xiaoru showed no response.

He finished the porridge in the basin, smearing it all over his face, collar, and sleeves.

Seeing Fang Xiaoru in such a state caused a sharp pang in Chen Kan’s heart.

A gentleman might tolerate deception from others, but Chen Kan was his student.

“I’m sorry, but I want to live,” Chen Kan suppressed his guilt and grabbed Fang Xiaoru’s sleeve.

“Teacher?”

Still no reaction; Fang Xiaoru continued eating from the basin on his own.

When the porridge was gone, he tried to shove the basin itself toward his mouth.

Chen Kan snatched it away and threw it aside, shouting, “Teacher, wake up!”

But Fang Xiaoru seemed oblivious.

When Chen Kan discarded the basin, Fang Xiaoru pushed his hand away and crawled over, trying to put the basin back in his mouth.

Watching this, Chen Kan’s heart sank to the depths.

Could it be that Fang Xiaoru had gone mad from the shock Chen Kan had caused?

It shouldn’t be.

But seeing Fang Xiaoru bite a chunk out of the soft wooden basin and swallow it, Chen Kan could think of no other explanation.

Despair overwhelmed Chen Kan. Fang Xiaoru was insane. With his sabotage of Zhu Di’s grand plans, how could he survive?

“Heavens above, have you had enough of this game?”

“Bang... bang... bang...”

“Someone, please, come quickly!”