Scum Gong Walks the Career Line in the Crematorium

“Would you like to leave with me?”

After pulling himself out of his daydream, Gu Shi carefully considered and nodded earnestly, “I’m willing.”

The way he trusted Lin Hanchuan was akin to a cautious and probing little animal, which was undeniably adorable. Lin Hanchuan couldn’t help but rub Gu Shi’s head.

After resting for a night, the group of people rode their horses at full speed, heading straight for Tianmen Pass.

Sitting in the carriage and watching the scenery passing by outside the window, Gu Shi’s eyes sparkled with wonder, showing the innocence of someone who hadn’t seen much of the world.

Holding a piece of paper in his hand, Lin Hanchuan finished reading it and then refolded it, his gaze falling on Gu Shi. His cold aura softened slightly, “Do you know where we are going?”

Gu Shi tilted his head and pondered for a moment before guessing, “Tianmen Pass?”

“Correct.” Lin Hanchuan was a little surprised. Gu Shi was just a teenager who had never left his hometown, yet he accurately guessed their destination.

“Those people don’t seem ordinary.” Feeling underestimated, Gu Shi straightened his chest and analyzed with a hint of displeasure, “They look like military personnel, so I guess you’re going to Tianmen Mountain.”

“Not bad, very clever.” Lin Hanchuan praised.

This praise easily brought a smile to the corner of Gu Shi’s mouth. He restrained his small pride and continued, “You should be guards stationed at the border, right? I heard that you are going to inquire about the situation of the King of Nanshan, am I right?”

Not quite right. Lin Hanchuan smiled even more, and then asked, “Then guess our identities.”

Gu Shi carefully examined Lin Hanchuan’s face. Today, he had changed out of those odd clothes and was now wearing simple and elegant white men’s clothing. Despite its literary style, it exuded an air of boldness and extravagance, making him much more attractive than those bookish scholars.

With his eyes rolling, Gu Shi said, “Are you… some kind of general?”

“Close enough.”

“Yes or no, there’s no such thing as close enough…” Gu Shi mumbled.

The subordinate who was currently driving the carriage listened to their conversation and became delighted. He whipped the horse, urging it to go faster. The others knew why he was so happy because they were just as happy.

Since being betrayed by the little emperor and getting seriously injured, the regent had been feeling extremely depressed all the way. This young man had temporarily made the regent forget about those worries and allowed him to relax a little. For that, everyone was grateful.

As they approached Tianmen Pass, the searches they encountered became less frequent, and they no longer needed to hide their tracks. Within a short half-day, the carriage stopped in front of the King of Nanshan’s mansion.

Gu Shi followed Lin Hanchuan as they got off the carriage. He looked up at the huge and imposing plaque of the mansion with curiosity.

The subordinates who had been informed about the situation were all waiting here. They surrounded Lin Hanchuan as he got off the carriage.

“Blocking the entrance like this is inappropriate.” Lin Hanchuan glanced at them, and they respectfully stepped aside. He then took the opportunity to take Gu Shi’s hand and said, “From now on, this is your young master. Treat him as you would treat me.”

Seeing Gu Shi’s appearance, the crowd’s pupils contracted.

Although Gu Shi had speculated that his unreliable father’s background shouldn’t be too bad, he didn’t expect it to be this good. The mansion was unbelievably large, with majestic stone lions placed at the entrance. It was clear that this was no ordinary family.

Feeling a little intimidated, Gu Shi unconsciously leaned toward Lin Hanchuan.

“Young Master,” a young man in a blue robe stepped forward and smiled gently, “let me show you around.”

Lin Hanchuan looked at him and did not object, instructing Gu Shi, “Ah Shi, you go with him and rest for a while. If you need anything, just let him know, no need to be polite.”

Gu Shi acknowledged with an “Oh” and reluctantly followed the young man away. As he left, he turned his head several times, making Lin Hanchuan can’t help but smile.

After Gu Shi had walked some distance away, Lin Hanchuan and his subordinates returned to the study to discuss.

The goat-bearded physician first examined Lin Hanchuan’s wounds, and after a careful inspection, his expression relaxed, “It’s not too serious. Although the bones are broken, the wound has no fractures or misalignment. As long as you take good care of it, you’ll be fine.”

“And the injuries on Wangye’s body?” someone asked dissatisfiedly.

“They’re just surface wounds, not a problem.” The physician twirled the tip of his goat beard. “Let me prepare some medicine. With a few days of rest, you’ll recover. Only this bone fracture is a bit troublesome… But fortunately, it’s not too serious.”

The others breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Hanchuan lowered his head to take a look at his leg. In the original text, this bone fracture had to be re-broken and then treated. Fortunately, he had a system, which could suppress pain and forcibly align the displaced bone, and there were exchangeable elixirs, so he didn’t suffer too much.

After the divine physician went to decoct the medicine, the subordinates all restrained their expressions. “Wangye, this time…”

In the past, everyone knew that the King of Nanshan was loyal and devoted to the Sui Kingdom, but since being appointed as the regent, it seemed like everyone had forgotten that he was once praised as the treasure and fortune of the Sui Kingdom.

With a change of title, people now poured all kinds of negative labels on him, saying he had absolute power, monopolized authority, was ambitious, and countless other accusations.

Initially, the subordinates were concerned that the little emperor, raised by aristocratic families, might not be reliable, but the regent insisted on his course of action, and the subordinates didn’t say much, suppressing their doubts.

But who would have thought that when the little emperor made his move, it was a thunderous force, completely different from his usual mild and weak demeanor.

“Wangye, you were lucky to survive this time. What do you plan to do in the future?” another frank subordinate spoke directly.

Lin Hanchuan remained silent, with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He wouldn’t be like the original text, where he fell into a love-hate relationship with the little emperor, becoming the one who silently paid but did not seek to usurp the throne.

Outsiders said he held power and controlled everything, treating the little emperor as a puppet, and Lin Hanchuan didn’t mind confirming these rumors. With such thoughts in mind, he put on a tired appearance, rubbed his forehead, and said, “Let’s discuss this matter later.”

The subordinates exchanged glances, and the straightforward one asked again, “Wangye, who is the young master? Why does he look so much like the late emperor?”

The moment they saw Gu Shi, they immediately noticed the striking resemblance to the late emperor. Despite holding back, they couldn’t help but ask.

Could it be that Wangye had found the late emperor’s hidden bloodline and intended to replace the current puppet emperor with a better-controlled one?

Lin Hanchuan’s expression turned cold, and he put down his hand, saying in a chilling tone, “He is the young master, unrelated to the royal family. Don’t let me hear any rumors spreading about this matter, or else…”

Seeing his anger, the subordinates immediately tensed up and hastily replied, “Yes, Wangye.”

In the original text, Gu Shi was used and lost his life in a struggle for the throne against Zhao Yuan. Lin Hanchuan didn’t want that to happen, and he certainly didn’t want to involve a teenager who was still in his teens in such a conspiracy.

After dealing with the subordinates, Lin Hanchuan took the medicine prepared by the divine physician and left the study to find Gu Shi.

At this moment, Gu Shi was in the stone pavilion in the backyard, exchanging glances with the young man in the blue robe, at a loss for words.

When Gu Shi saw Lin Hanchuan walking towards him, some of his wariness faded, and he hurriedly stood up. However, he wanted to run over but stopped in his tracks, perhaps recalling something.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Hanchuan sat down on the stone bench and poured himself a cup of tea. Then he turned to the young man in the blue robe and asked, “Did you bully him?”

“Where is that?” The young man in the blue robe defended himself, feeling wronged. “I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me. No matter how hard I tried to please him, it was useless. It’s him who’s bullying me, not the other way around.”

Gu Shi didn’t expect that this grown man would still lodge a complaint. His ears turned red with anger, and he retorted, “I didn’t bully you! I… I just have nothing to say to you!”

Arriving in a strange place, Gu Shi felt nervous, and this person kept babbling, making him feel like he had bad intentions. If they weren’t in an unfamiliar place, Gu Shi would have already started arguing with him.

“It’s just that I didn’t talk, how can it be considered bullying?” Lin Hanchuan pulled Gu Shi to sit beside him and asked softly, “Do you like it here?”

Like it or not… do I even have a say in whether I like it or not? Gu Shi nodded, “I like it.”

“Then do you know who I am now?” Lin Hanchuan asked again.

Gu Shi shook his head, “I don’t know.”

The young man in the blue robe sitting across from them chuckled, “It’s written clearly on the plaque at the entrance. Didn’t you see it?”

A flush immediately rushed to Gu Shi’s face. He straightened his head and said in a rough voice, “I can’t read.”

Children from commoner families, how many of them can read? In the eyes of ordinary people, even if they recognize a few characters, they are already remarkable individuals. Going to a school or academy to study formally is reserved for the privileged young masters of wealthy families. Given Gu Shi’s humble background, even if he could afford an education, no school would accept him.

The young man in the blue robe stopped laughing, and Lin Hanchuan frowned slightly.

“Studying is so expensive, how could I afford it?” Feeling more anxious as they remained silent, Gu Shi tried to explain, “If I could go to a school, I would definitely learn to read.”

Lin Hanchuan sighed inwardly, both being children of the late Emperor Zhao Jun, one living in the imperial palace with all the luxuries, admired by the people, while the other was looked down upon in a small border town, living a life of solitude since his early teens.

“This is the King of Nanshan’s Residence,” Lin Hanchuan gently told him.

The King of Nanshan’s Residence… Gu Shi’s eyes suddenly widened, and he looked at Lin Hanchuan, stuttering as he asked, “Then, then you… you…”

“You can call him ‘Wangye’,” the young man in the blue robe said with a smile, “We all address him that way.”

Wangye! Gu Shi’s eyes opened wide, with an expression of disbelief.

It was well-known that the former King of Nanshan, now Regent, was in his thirties. Gu Shi himself was already sixteen, so… was the King of Nanshan going to brothels when he was only thirteen or fourteen?

This… should I really admire him as a king? Gu Shi’s eyes couldn’t help but show a subtle complexity.

 

Author’s Note:

Gu Shi: Amazing, just amazing!

TL’s note: This situation is quite hilarious HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH…