I Don't Want to Be a Charmboy【Quick Wear】

The hall was so quiet that the flickering of the candlelight could be heard.

Emperor Qi slowly rose, his bright yellow dragon robe gleaming with an aura of majesty under the lamplight.

He surveyed the assembled officials, his voice booming like a bell: "Today is Abao's sixteenth birthday, a joyous occasion for the Great Qi. My Abao has been by my side for sixteen years; my love and affection are evident to all my officials."

His gaze shifted to Lin Shen beside him, filled with undisguised doting: "A Bao is exceptionally intelligent. From now on, he will manage the Six Ministries. Does anyone have any objections?"

These words resounded like a thunderclap in the silent hall.

The Six Ministries were the central authority of the court, and to place them under the command of a sixteen-year-old crown prince was unprecedented since the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty. The officials looked at each other in bewilderment, but none dared to voice their opposition.

The current emperor is no longer the open-minded ruler he once was. In recent years, he has become increasingly suspicious and autocratic, and no one in the court dares to stand out.

"Your Majesty is wise!" All the ministers knelt down in unison, their shouts echoing throughout the palace.

Lin Shen was slightly taken aback.

According to the original work, Emperor Qi's paranoia had reached its peak at this time, and he would never allow the crown prince to wield power over the Six Ministries.

However, he maintained a polite smile and rose to bow, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great favor."

Over the years, the Qi emperor's favor towards him has indeed been extraordinary.

Even if he occasionally caught a cold, Emperor Qi would personally stay by his bedside; if he shed a single tear, the emperor would be so heartbroken that he could not sleep all night.

This is quite different from the ruthless emperor in the original story who abolished and revived the original owner three times.

Emperor Qi laughed with satisfaction, saying "Good" three times. Then he turned his gaze to the other side and said, "There is another important matter. My third prince is outstanding. He won the first battle on the frontier in one fell swoop, and thereafter the border people were defeated one after another. This is a blessing for our Great Qi and he should be rewarded well."

His gaze fell on Lin Yu, with rare approval: "Come, tell your father what reward you desire?"

Lin Yu rose, his armor clanging crisply with his movements. He bowed deeply, his voice steady: "Your subject has no other request, only one thing to ask of you, Your Majesty, I hope you will grant it."

"Speak freely," Emperor Qi nodded.

Lin Yu raised his head and looked straight at Lin Shen across from him.

Those eyes, sharpened like an eagle's by the battlefield, were now brimming with deep longing.

"When I was on the frontier, I often heard about the deeds of my elder brother, the Crown Prince, and I admired him greatly. I only ask that Your Majesty grant me permission to stay by his side in the future."

These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.

Several senior officials gasped, exchanging shocked glances.

The Third Prince's words were tantamount to an open declaration of allegiance to the Crown Prince.

If the crown prince gains military support and becomes powerful and influential, then his position as heir apparent will be a foregone conclusion.

Lin Shen's fingers tightened slightly around the wine glass. This was completely different from the original story—in his previous life, the Third Prince didn't openly support the Crown Prince until later in the story; now, all of this was happening too fast, too suddenly.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and looked up to meet Lin Yu's gaze.

The emotions surging in those eyes were too complex, containing filial piety, longing, and a kind of obsession that he couldn't understand.

Emperor Qi stroked his beard in contemplation, his gaze shifting between his two sons before finally settling on Lin Shen: "What does A Bao think?"

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the elegantly dressed young man.

Lin Shen lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, his fingertip lightly touching the glass cup: "With such great favor from my third brother, how could I refuse?"

Emperor Qi pondered for a moment, his gaze lingering on the boy's calm profile.

The surging desire for control within him almost burst forth, but he forcefully suppressed it.

Since Abao agreed...

"Since Abao agrees, then it is permitted." Emperor Qi waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible restraint. He casually instructed everyone to enjoy themselves, then rose and left his seat.

With the emperor present, the officials remained reserved. Emperor Qi was well aware of this but didn't bother to argue. He simply looked at Lin Shen gently and said, "Abao, have fun. Your father will come to keep you company later."

Lin Shen nodded silently, watching the bright yellow figure disappear outside the palace gate.

With the emperor's departure, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became much more relaxed.

As the sounds of string and wind instruments began, officials toasted each other, and laughter and chatter filled the air.

Lin Shen took a sip of the fine wine in his cup, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a pair of black military boots stopping in front of him. He looked up and met Lin Yu's deep eyes.

"Third brother." He rose slightly.

Lin Yu opened his mouth, but the words he had rehearsed a thousand times in his heart suddenly choked in his throat. He felt a slight tremor run through his body as he was gazed upon by those clear, bright eyes.

All the memories of my past lives came flooding back like a tide.

On the high platform, the person held a blood-stained silver sword, their beautiful face as cold as ice.

He once smiled at him with a radiant smile, but in the end, he didn't even bother to give him a single look of disgust.

At that moment, he realized what it meant to be pierced by a thousand arrows.

He betrayed him, and in the end, he committed suicide before the palace. Not out of fear of punishment, but because he dared not look again into those eyes that had once been filled with starlight.

His soul did not dissipate after death; he followed that person day and night.

Watching him suffer from nightmares every night, watching him clean up the mess left by these traitors, burying his brothers' corpses one by one in the imperial mausoleum.

He thought this was atonement, until that day—

That exceptionally talented and beautiful person was pierced by a thousand arrows from the man and woman he trusted most.

He screamed and cried in vain around him, trying to shield him from the arrows, but could only watch helplessly as he fell into a pool of blood...

"Is something wrong, Third Brother?" Lin Shen's clear voice pulled him back from his memories.

Lin Yu snapped back to reality, stiffly forcing a smile: "It's nothing... I just came to offer a toast to my brother, the Crown Prince."

The glass cups clinked together, producing a clear, crisp sound.

Lin Shen tilted his head back and drank it all, his Adam's apple bobbing gently on his slender neck: "Third brother, you're too kind."

That simple "you're too kind" sent a shiver down Lin Yu's spine. Looking at the vibrant, lifelike face before him, he almost burst into tears.

Fortunately... fortunately, God gave him a second chance.

This time, he was determined to protect him, even at the cost of his life, and would never allow the tragedy of his past life to repeat itself. He would not let any of those who had betrayed him go unpunished.

Lin Yu's gaze passed over the Crown Prince's shoulder and landed on the figure standing with his head bowed.

The traitor who had personally pushed the crown prince into the abyss of arrows in his previous life now stood respectfully behind the boy, like a docile and loyal dog.

His brows furrowed involuntarily, and his nails dug deeply into his palms.

“Crown Prince,” Lin Yu suppressed his surging killing intent, but his voice was still somewhat tense, “I want to say a few words to you.”

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow slightly, sizing up his third brother who was behaving strangely. After a moment, he casually waved his hand behind him: "I'm going outside to clear my head of alcohol."

As he stood up, the hem of his robe brushed against the back of Cheng Song's hand.

The eunuch instinctively wanted to follow, but Lin Shen stopped him with a look.

"Let's go together, third brother."

Lin Yu hurriedly followed the Crown Prince's steps. When passing by Cheng Song, he deliberately slowed down, his cold gaze sweeping over the other man like a blade.

Cheng Song lowered his head, his wide sleeves concealing his clenched fists.

Only after the two figures disappeared outside the palace gates did he slowly raise his head, his brows furrowed.

A strange sense of unease gripped him.

The Third Prince's eyes... were like a poisoned dagger, filled with undisguised hostility.

Under the long corridor outside the hall, the evening breeze carried the fragrance of lotus blossoms.

Lin Shen leaned against the white marble railing, gazing casually at the swaying reflection in the pond: "What does Third Brother want to say?"

Lin Yu stood a step behind him, greedily gazing at the vibrant figure.

Moonlight shone on the prince's delicate profile. Compared to his pale and haggard appearance when they last met in their previous life, the young man's eyes still held an undiminished arrogance.

“Crown Prince…” Lin Yu’s voice was a little hoarse, “Cheng Song is not someone to be trusted.”

Lin Shen chuckled upon hearing this and turned around.

A playful glint appeared in his peach blossom eyes: "When did Third Brother become so concerned about the affairs of my side?"

"I..." Lin Yu was speechless for a moment.

He couldn't very well say that in his past life, it was this eunuch who colluded with outsiders to open the palace gates at the last minute and let the rebels in.

He took a deep breath and chose the most clumsy yet most truthful excuse: "This man has crooked eyes. I've seen too many people at the border, and eyes like that... are definitely not those of a good person."

Lin Shen stroked the jade pendant at his waist thoughtfully.

He knew, of course, that Cheng Song was no good person; this ungrateful wolf cub had indeed betrayed the original owner in his previous life.

But it is precisely this danger that makes it all the more valuable to tame.

"Third brother, you're overthinking it." He brushed the topic aside lightly. "But you, you've had a tough time at the border these past few days."

Lin Yu's heart sank. The Crown Prince clearly hadn't taken his words to heart.

Indeed, Cheng Song is behaving too perfectly now, and no one can imagine that this personal eunuch who does everything himself would do such a treasonous thing in the future.

He must find evidence as soon as possible and eliminate this potential threat before tragedy strikes.

At the end of the corridor, Cheng Song stood quietly in the shadows.