The Eldest Young Master Is Seriously Ill

[Successfully evolved into a corporate drone. Currently revising and improving the story.]

[Updates will resume soon.]

Upcoming story in my collection: The Crown Prince, Hurry Up and Ascend the Throne. Synopsis at the end.

Synopsis:

A refined, beautiful, and hilarious young nobleman x a powerful, stern regent.

Yun Zhaozhi switched careers to become a novelist before graduating. Over the course of three years, his following skyrocketed, heading straight for a million.

He never expected to die on his way to withdraw money from the bank.

When he woke again, he had become the eldest son of the prime minister in an unknown dynasty. The eldest son's father had taken a mistress. His cheap father and the mistress had caused the death of his birth mother. After she died, the mistress gave birth to a daughter. The four of them lived together happily, so much so that they didn't even know when ten-year-old Yun Zhaozhi fell into the water.

The eldest son became an imbecile and developed a delusion.

Yun Zhaozhi was stunned. This was a disastrous start. What good was being the eldest son if he couldn't even attend a poetry gathering without people making snide remarks?

Yun Zhaozhi was increasingly indignant and vowed to return to his old profession.

"Hehehehe..."

There was no censorship in this fictional dynasty, so he could write whatever he wanted.

Especially about the people who had bullied him. Yun Zhaozhi grinned slyly. "Liangza! Fetch your young master a brush!"

"I'm going to write something raunchy!"

A month later, the capital was in an uproar.

Rumors spread that the second young master of the Yun family and the third young master of the Chen family were having an affair, and some said it was happening in the courtyard of the Chen family's eldest son.

Others said the second young master of the Yun family and the eldest young master of the Chen family were the real couple. But the eldest young master of the Chen family was already engaged to a young noblewoman. The entire capital was soon abuzz with conflicting rumors.

Several leading men had reputations in tatters.

Yun Zhaozhi smiled calmly, keeping his own contribution a secret.

-

At a flower-viewing banquet, Yun Zhaozhi calmly drank tea. The main character at this banquet would have to be someone else. Let's see where his second younger brother was...

Yun Zhaozhi thought he could stay out of it, but then someone turned and invited him. That someone was the regent.

Yun Zhaozhi pouted. What kind of person was this? Just because he told him to come, he thought he would?

A flash of cold light--

Fine, fine, I'll go! So you have a knife. Big deal!

Yun Zhaozhi met Shen Tu Si in a rather craven fashion, secretly thinking that if the man didn't give him a hard time, he'd let him off the hook. If he acted like a jerk, Yun Zhaozhi would write him as the one getting pinned!

"I hear the eldest young master is a gifted writer, able to read at one and compose poetry at three. Why not serve as my adviser? That way, you won't waste these fine years."

Go to hell!

Yun Zhaozhi smiled sweetly. "Sure!"

Behind the man's back, he immediately wrote a story about Shen Tu Si and the shadow guard beside him.

"Han Lin's warm breath brushed Shen Tu Si's face. His gaze was infatuated, and his hands never stopped moving..." Yun Zhaozhi wrote with a grin. This one would fetch a good price, too!

-

One night, Yun Zhaozhi was writing furiously, ideas pouring from his mind and his face beaming like a flower. "Ah! Right, right! That's the pose--"

"Bang!" The door flew open.

Shen Tu Si, his face dark as thunder, held a stack of erotic novels. "Young Master Yun, explain to me what 'The Gloomy Evil Prince's Obsession with His Form-Fitting Shadow Guard' means."

Yun Zhaozhi shook like a sieve. He tried every possible way to get on his knees and apologize, practically lying on the floor to massage Shen Tu Si's legs. In the end, he finally managed to placate this powerful man.

After seeing Shen Tu Si off with trembling legs, Yun Zhaozhi turned around and hid the remaining books. He wouldn't sell them yet. He needed to keep a low profile for a while.

But the very next day, he was confined to the prince's residence. Yun Zhaozhi had to work for Shen Tu Si to get decent meals. "How can we greatly weaken the crown prince's faction?"

This was too much to ask of him.

After seven days, seven whole days without a scrap of meat, Yun Zhaozhi's face turned green. "Damn it! Are you feeding me like a rabbit or what?"

Even a rabbit will bite when it's cornered!

Yun Zhaozhi gritted his teeth and picked up his brush again.

He worked for three days and nights. When he couldn't write anymore, he simply called over Han Lin, the form-fitting shadow guard, to write for him. In less than three more days, word came that the crown prince had been confined to the Eastern Palace.

Yun Zhaozhi ate his fill and prepared to claim his reward, quickly asking where the regent was.

Han Lin held a broom and looked away guiltily. "The master is busy finding a tutor for you, young master."

"The prince said that you use vulgar language all day long, and that it's... improper."

Yun Zhaozhi was shocked: One-on-one lessons?

-

Later, he heard that the crown prince had been released. Although half his military authority had been stripped away, he was still a force to be reckoned with. In front of the emperor, the crown prince swore a solemn oath that he would track down the author of those erotic novels no matter what!

Yun Zhaozhi was terrified. The crown prince's men traced the books back to him the very next day. At the time, Yun Zhaozhi was in the courtyard practicing calligraphy and reciting poetry with his tutor. When he saw the crown prince's cold-faced attendant stride in, he shouted:

"You! Improper! Improper!"

Shen Tu Si, who had followed the crown prince in from behind, froze mid-step.

Just one tutor wasn't enough after all...

"Your Highness the Regent, when the stories about the second young master of the Yun family and the third young master of the Chen family were circulating, the eldest young master of the Yun family didn't seem to be staying at your residence... And now that the stories have stopped, why is the eldest young master suddenly at your residence, learning to read and write?"

Yun Zhaozhi went rigid.

It's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over...

"Han Lin."

"Here!"

Half a cup of tea later, Han Lin came out of the room carrying a full twenty erotic novels. "There... there have been some lately too, but your subordinate intercepted them..."

The crown prince, who had arrived a step too late, came forward with a stern face. "Let me see! This... The Gloomy Evil Prince's Obsession with His Form-Fitting Shadow Guard?"

Yun Zhaozhi's heart sank. It was over.

But after this, he continued living peacefully at the prince's residence for quite some time. Apart from having one-on-one lessons every day, life was pretty sweet.

-

At dusk, Shen Tu Si came back from outside. Yun Zhaozhi stared at the rabbit meat he had been dreaming about. "That's from the shop on South Street!"

"Mm."

After they'd eaten their fill, Shen Tu Si announced that he was going to check Yun Zhaozhi's studies.

Yun Zhaozhi declared confidently, "Bring it on!"

"The topic is: The Regent and His Nobleman Adviser."

Yun Zhaozhi narrowed his eyes...

Shen Tu Si watched him as he wrote. Too fast was no good, but too slow was even worse.

At the end of the story: "...And they lived happily together for a hundred years?"

Yun Zhaozhi thought this was far too chaste. Shen Tu Si was basically a censor with a green stamp!

"Mm. I'm very satisfied."

"All right, time for bed!"

Why wasn't Shen Tu Si leaving? Hmm? What was he doing on Yun Zhaozhi's bed?

"I only said you weren't allowed to write..."

[Synopsis screenshotted on 2025.10.3]

Synopsis for The Crown Prince, Hurry Up and Ascend the Throne:

The Great Yao Dynasty has stood for three hundred years and become the dominant power of the Central Plains. The current emperor is over fifty and gravely ill. His sons all have their own ambitions and are eyeing the throne.

After the New Year, turmoil continued at court. Before the senior ministers could even catch their breath, news arrived that several princes had fallen into the moat while returning to the capital from a spring outing.

Several days later, Ming Zhao's eyes suddenly flew open.

In the water, he awakened to the memory of how his previous life had ended.

He was the thirteenth prince of Great Yao, but half his blood came from the Northern Barbarians.

In his previous life, he was determined to become emperor, benefit the people, and prove himself. From the day he was born, he fought his older brothers for the throne as if his life depended on it. In the end, he was branded a Northern Barbarian traitor, torn apart by chariots, and burned to ashes.

His memories were hazy. He couldn't remember who had ultimately ascended the throne, but he clearly remembered what people said about him.

"Why would a prince of foreign blood fight for the throne? He must have nothing better to do."

"What a waste of such a handsome face. With the emperor's temperament, he could have been thoroughly pampered."

"That's true. No one can match Ming Zhao's looks. They say some of the attendants by His Majesty's side even resemble the thirteenth prince."

"He fought with all he had, but none of our princes took him seriously. He was just a clown."

Ming Zhao understood at last.

Strive to claim the throne, and die.

Keep your head down and enjoy life, and you might be pampered.

But who, in the end, was planning to pamper him?

After his miserable death in his previous life, Ming Zhao decided to tread carefully this time. His goal was no longer the throne, but the older brother who intended to spare his life and raise him in comfort.

If he got on this brother's good side, he could become a prince who never had to worry about food or drink.

Ming Zhao hesitated between three people.

His eldest brother, the crown prince, had always treated him politely. Even when Ming Zhao dragged him onto the sparring ground, he never fought in earnest. He just sparred with him a few times with a helpless look, then had a eunuch bring him medicine.

It was hard to say. The crown prince wasn't hostile toward him, but they weren't exactly close, either.

The second was his third elder brother. The third prince had disliked him since childhood and often excluded him, refusing to take him horseback riding or hunting. But he did sneak him food. His mouth was sharp, but he had never attacked him with a real blade.

And last was his twelfth brother. He hardly ever saw him smile, yet the man had always stood by his side. He not only took him into the military camp and helped him win over court officials, but had also saved his life many times. After Ming Zhao died in his previous life, his twelfth brother had even collected his body.

In that case...

Pleasing one person was pleasing someone. Pleasing three was still pleasing someone.

The hostility in Ming Zhao's eyes, which he had always turned on everyone, suddenly softened. Smiling brightly, he hurried over to his three elder brothers.

"Elder brothers~"

He ground ink and brewed tea for the crown prince, who casually gave him paintings by famous masters of the previous dynasties. He led the third prince's horse and polished his sword, and the third prince let him play with a famous sword he couldn't bear to touch himself. He rubbed his twelfth brother's shoulders and wiped away his sweat, and the twelfth brother quietly slipped a tiger tally under his pillow.

Ming Zhao was overjoyed. No matter who became emperor, his life would be safe.

"Wonderful."

But he never expected to be abducted that very night.

Ming Zhao looked horrified. "Elder brother?!"

His eldest brother, the crown prince, held him in his arms, dressed all in white. His smile never reached his eyes. "Zhaozhao, come sleep in the Eastern Palace tonight. Your elder brother misses you."

Halfway there, his twelfth brother suddenly appeared, followed by a large troop of men. "A-Zhao, come to your twelfth brother."

As the two sides confronted each other, a figure emerged from the dark path. Ming Zhao recognized his third elder brother at a glance.

The third prince held an imperial edict, with the chief eunuch behind him. "What a lively scene."

"Little Thirteenth, come watch a good show with Third Brother."

Ming Zhao's heart pounded.

Oh no! It was still a choice between three!

[Not incest / The recipient is not of the imperial bloodline]

Theme: Talent will shine wherever you are.