Chapter 19 – The Duke Protecting His Calf

Chapter 19 - The Duke Protecting His Calf

There was only one general with the surname Beitang in the entire Great Zhou Empire – Beitang Miao, courtesy name Xinggui. Born into an esteemed noble family at its peak, he was currently the most capable military commander in the court.

This man had an innate air of arrogance and rarely interacted with others. Why would he be entangled with the Seventh Prince, who was trapped within the deep palace walls?

"Has Beitang Miao had any disputes with the Seventh Prince?" he asked.

Xu Zhi shook his head. "I haven't heard any rumors to that effect. However, there were whispers that General Beitang paid a special visit to the Autumn Palace before leaving the capital."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "But those are just hearsays, so it's hard to determine their veracity."

Where there's smoke, there's fire. People wouldn't talk about it if nothing had happened. Ye Jiangbai sneered, propping his eyebrows as he leaned against a cushion. He thought sourly that even if these two had crossed paths, it couldn't have been on political matters. At best, they might have shared a same-sex affection.

Moreover, from the looks of it, Beitang Miao didn't dislike Zhao Changnian; if anything, he seemed to have a fondness for him.

Could it be that the Beitang family also had a member with a same-sex inclination?

Startled by Ye Jiangbai's suddenly grim expression, Xu Zhi stammered, "Master, there's no need to worry. General Beitang hasn't offered any assistance to the Seventh Prince. Perhaps they have some acquaintance, but not a deep enough bond for him to intervene on the prince's behalf. Therefore, even if something happens later, the Beitang family is unlikely to react."

Noticing the sudden hint of anxiety in his tone, Ye Jiangbai finally realized that something was amiss. He pursed his lips slightly and composed himself before calmly responding, "I'm not worried about that. The Beithang family has always kept away from court intrigues, so there's no need to be concerned."

Xu Zhi, however, was puzzled. Not daring to speculate, he turned his head to peek through the corner of the carriage curtain.

The Seventh Prince's carriage smoothly exited the palace and made its way to the main entrance of Lord Li's residence. The gatekeeper received the invitation, bowed respectfully, and welcomed the prince inside.

Ye Jiangbai glanced at the scene with a sidelong glance, followed by another cold snort.

These official residences were easy to enter, but it was another matter entirely to actually meet the person. They had countless ways to give her the cold shoulder, and yet she found returning gifts to be a simple task.

Sure enough, after less than an hour, Chang Nian emerged from the house with a confused expression. Standing at the entrance, the butler and the concubines bowed to her in unison, their etiquette impeccable. However, Hong Ti still held the gift box in her hands, untouched.

Chang Nian frowned and asked the butler, "What should we do now? Didn't Lord Li mention when he would return? I can come back for a visit when he's back."

The butler smiled and replied, "We really don't have much knowledge of Master's affairs. When he returns, we'll immediately send for you."

He then bowed several times to her, showing great respect.

With such a polite attitude, Chang Nian couldn't find fault. She turned, dazed, towards the carriage. Halfway there, she realized something was off and asked Hong Ti, "What if he doesn't come to invite me?"

Hong Ti shook her head helplessly. "There's nothing I can do."

With a pout, Chang Nian turned around and stomped back, crossing her arms and frowning. "I'll just wait for Lord Li here. I'll wait until it gets dark if I have to; he'll come back eventually."

"The... this isn't proper, is it?" The steward looked terrified. "It would be too disrespectful to you. Why don't you come in for some tea?"

"No need," Chang Nian waved dismissively, her face shrewd. "I won't see Lord Li if I'm sitting inside."

"You can't say that. If His Excellency returns and you haven't seen him, we will surely inform him."

But who knew if they really would? Chang Nian was annoyed, feeling that she had been brushed off. If the Crown Prince or Third Imperial Brother were here, they would have been admitted immediately.

She sat on a bench at the entrance, ignoring the steward and concubines' persuasion, steadfastly staring at the Liu mansion's gate.

Xu Zhi found the scene amusing. "Seventh Princess is indeed innocent."

Innocent was quite an understatement; couldn't they just say she was foolish? This girl was foolish, thinking that blocking one door would do the trick in a residence with multiple courtyards?

Moreover, why would an imperial prince lower himself to do such a thing personally?

Ye Jiangbai gritted his teeth, gazing at Zhao Changnian's determined expression in the distance. He decided to give her a taste of hardship as a lesson.

Yet, before long, snow began to fall outside.

Zhao Changnian hadn't been dressed warmly when she had left. Even with Hong Ti's cloak wrapped around her, she was seated in the path of the biting wind, her lips soon turning purple from the cold.

"Your Highness," the Li household's butler held an umbrella over her and stamped his feet, "don't make things difficult for us. We all have our struggles."

"I'm not making things hard for you," Changnian shivered, "I'm just waiting for Lord to return home."

The butler was at a loss for words, unsure how to tell this princess that her actions were truly a case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

"Your Highness, your injuries have only just healed," Hong Ti was also worried, "you could wait in the carriage if you wish."

Changnian stubbornly shook her head.

Waiting in the carriage wouldn't do; she could only sit here and wait for him to appear. She knew that well.

Inside the distant carriage, Ye Jiangbai initially watched the spectacle with a cup of hot tea in hand. But as the snowfall intensified, his expression darkened.

Duke Li was truly audacious. Even if the Seventh Prince was out of favor, he should not be treated with such disrespect.

"Xu Zhi," he said, "send someone to inform the household that an imperial edict might arrive from the palace soon, and Lord Li must receive it."

"Your Highness?" Xu Zhi jumped in surprise. "What edict? There's been no news at all."

"If I say there is, then there is," Ye Jiangbai replied grimly. "We'll see if he accepts it or not."

Upon the arrival of an imperial edict, all those in the residence were required to dress formally and wait at the main gate to receive it. To sneak out through the back door and then make one's way to the front would be considered an insult to the emperor.

Though Xu Zhi couldn't understand what was happening, he followed his master's orders without question and promptly sent a servant to deliver the message.

Just before Zhao Changnian froze into a popsicle, Lord Li finally hurried over.

"Your Highness, please come inside!" Li Shiqing was panicked. "It's so cold outside. How terrible if you catch a chill! Please, come in, come in!"

Changnian looked up at him, then glanced at the direction from which he had come. He smiled faintly and said, "I won't be going in. I just came to return your gift. Duke said your gift was too extravagant, more than we could accept."

"Oh, they're just trinkets from my hometown. How can they be considered extravagant? Your Highness, you're too kind. Let's go inside first…"

"Duke, if you don't accept it, neither can I." Unfazed by his formal demeanor, Chang Nian dismissed the gift with a wave of her hand, instructing her servants and stewards to take it. Once they had a firm grip, she smiled widely. "You may keep it, then I can return to the palace."

Li Shiqing's lips twitched, but with the matter of the imperial edict weighing on his mind, he dared not prolong the encounter with the Seventh Prince at the gate. After some deliberation, he bowed respectfully. "In that case, I shall pay my respects to Your Highness another day."

"Very well," Chang Nian nodded, rising from the bench. She staggered a few steps before barely managing to steady herself with Hong Ti's support. "I'll take my leave now, then."