Chapter 13: I Want Your Pipa Bone

Chapter 13: I Want Your Pipa Bone

Prince Sixth, named Yan, was born to a palace maid who died in childbirth. Empress Dowager, moved by his plight, took him under her wing and raised him in her own quarters. His early education was personally supervised by the late Crown Prince. The first dozen years of his life were not without challenges, but at least they were free from significant troubles.

He grew up just as Empress Dowager and the late Crown Prince had hoped—bright and mischievous, knowledgeable and courteous, with an insatiable curiosity and a decisive wit. When he occasionally caused trouble, he would panic and feel ashamed, but Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince would step in to help, teaching him to learn from his mistakes and become stronger. He was shaping up to be an excellent candidate for a virtuous prince.

But after that incident thirteen years ago...he lost the people who could rein him in. He began to show his true colors—cruel, cold, treating human lives as if they were mere blades of grass.

He personally executed traitors, daring to stand before Emperor Taiyuan drenched in blood. He plotted to lure and kill the Empress and the Crown Prince, yet managed to keep the court officials, lacking evidence, too afraid to report or attack him...

He dared to kill on a whim, his record marred with misconduct, yet he walked freely through the halls of power, unafraid to provoke anyone or touch anything. Somehow, he managed to earn the Emperor's tolerance and the envy of his brothers, who vied to win his favor.

He seemed perpetually on the brink of eruption. If you didn't provoke him, he might remain calm; but if you did, it was over. There would be no peace after that.

The problem was, no one knew which words would set him off. Since that fateful event thirteen years ago, his temper had grown increasingly unpredictable. By now, no one could guess what would trigger him, except for one thing that everyone in the capital knew—

Prince Sixth had an exclusive love for pipa bones, and touching them meant certain death.

Was Pan Peng so blind as to touch his pipa?

In the crowd, Wen Ru couldn't help but take two steps back, her face twisted in disgust.

She had said it before—she disliked freaks, this marriage proposal was unacceptable, and she detested how the Pan family persisted despite her refusal. Look, trouble had been stirred up, hadn't it?

Zhou's heart pounded in her throat. This was a situation beyond her control. Matters of marriage among the younger generation were trivial, but she couldn't let Prince Sixth tear apart the Duke's mansion!

"Where is Second Uncle?" She grabbed someone nearby and whispered instructions, "Quickly send for him. Inform the matriarch and ask about Second Aunt's intentions. It doesn't matter whether it's Third Master, Fourth Master, or Fifth Master, any of the younger generation will do!"

Her husband was useless, unable to handle the situation and only bringing shame upon himself.

Messengers were dispatched, but they wouldn't return quickly. Someone needed to manage the scene in the meantime...Zhou accurately found her illegitimate son and gave Wen Yu a meaningful look. What was he waiting for? Go entertain the esteemed guest!

Wen Yu didn't dare move, not even daring to raise his eyes. He kept his hands in his sleeves and shrank back. No, he couldn't be noticed by Prince Sixth!

Zhou: ...

It seemed that father-son bonds ran deep. Before the Duke's household could react, Pan Qiantian, whose son had been trampled, arrived. He hurried forward, looking at the sleek, black Shandong fine dog, then at his son beneath its paws. Good, he wasn't dead yet.

As a seasoned politician, Pan Qiantian was adept at pretense. He first scolded his son for being blind and incompetent, then bowed to Prince Sixth. "Why have you honored us with your presence?"

Zhu Yan glanced at him indifferently, ignoring the greeting.

The attendant in green robes, Lan Tian, spoke on behalf of his master. "His Highness asks, why can't he come?"

Pan Qiantian: ...

Perhaps it would be better if neither master nor servant spoke.

Zhu Yan looked at him again.

Lan Tian translated in real-time. "His Highness asks, can you make decisions for the Duke's household?"

Pan Qiantian bore the name Pan, not Wen, how could he possibly make decisions for the Duke's household? By overstepping his bounds, he either looked down on the Wens or believed he had the authority to act as he pleased.

Someone in the crowd drew a sharp breath, remembering something. Indeed, the Pan family might have the privilege to act freely in the Duke's household! They were discussing a marriage, weren't they? Wasn't it the young master whose face was being stepped on by a dog? Who was it again? The generous daughter of the Wens, or someone from the second or third branch?

Wen Ru covered her face with a handkerchief and took another two steps back, not wanting others to see her.

She had clearly rejected Pan Peng and didn't want to speak to him. Yet, even when she tried to slip away quietly, Pan Peng, a grown man, held a grudge and chased after her...If you must die, don't drag me down with you!

As Lan Tian spoke, he brought over a wicker chair and placed it in the middle of the open space.

Prince Sixth lifted his robe and sat down, his fingertips lazily tapping the chair's backrest. His demeanor was regal, and the dog, which was stepping on a person's face, mirrored its master's elegance, standing there silently without a single bark. Without a command from its master, it remained still, its eyes clear and tranquil.

The dog could remain calm, but Pan Peng couldn't. The claws weren't painful, but the sweat stung like hell. "Dad—help me, Dad—"

Pan Qiantian wanted nothing more than to kick his son, but he didn't want to provoke the dog into a frenzy. His eyelid twitched as he bowed to Zhu Yan. "My son has acted improperly, causing trouble for Your Highness."

Zhu Yan: "Not at all."

Pan Qiantian: ...Ah?

Zhu Yan: "Although I disciplined him for you, there's no need for thanks. I was simply in a bad mood."

Listen to what you're saying!

Pan Qiantian: "I wonder how my son offended Your Highness? Any damages incurred, I am willing to..."

"He didn't offend me," Zhu Yan said, "he merely bullied a stray dog."

Bullied a stray dog? So he was taking issue with that?

The crowd buzzed with surprise. Prince Sixth was so righteous?

Zhu Yan: "That was the dog I intended to kill."

The crowd: ...

Zhu Yan: "That stray dog had a mate. I wanted to make a pair of pipa bones, but your son disturbed them. I couldn't catch the pair, and the pipa bones couldn't be matched...Master Pan, stray dogs aren't good creatures, and neither is your son much of a person."

He seemed to be talking about more than just dogs.

Pan Qiantian's eyes darkened. "In that case, allow my Pan family to find a pair of pipa bones to present to Your Highness. Would that be acceptable?"

Zhu Yan looked at him, suddenly curling his lips into a smile. "The pipa bones you find may not be the ones I want. The pipa bones I wanted then may not be the ones I like now...Now, I find that even ugly pipa bones can be quite interesting. Your son's, for instance, isn't bad."

Pan Qiantian: "...Please, Your Highness, do not make things difficult. Any request you have, you may directly instruct us. My entire Pan family will spare no effort."

"The same goes for the Duke's Mansion!"

The Second Master Wen Tai finally arrived, his age catching up with him as he panted from running too fast: "Our hospitality is lacking. Whatever requests His Sixth Highness has, the Wen Duke's Mansion will comply without hesitation!"

"Spare us, Your Highness!"

"Please show mercy, Your Highness."

Others around them chimed in, pleading with Zhu Yan to save face and release the captives so the banquet could continue.

Zhu Yan spoke slowly, "What does the Duke's Mansion mean? How much is its reputation worth? If I were to kill all of you today, would my Father Emperor hold me accountable?"

He seemed genuinely curious, pondering the question seriously, but it was nothing more than a mocking jest.

He had committed countless misdeeds, yet the Emperor had never truly punished him. If there had been real punishment, he wouldn't be standing here today. Besides, what prestige did the Wen Duke's Mansion have left? If not for the title propping it up, they would have long since faded into obscurity, forgotten by all.

The Second Master Wen Tai was so embarrassed that his face flushed red, but he mustered the strength to say, "...It would still hinder Your Highness's future prospects."

Zhu Yan replied, "Future prospects? What do you mean, the Crown Prince position?"

The Second Master was speechless.

How dare he say it out loud!

Zhu Yan wore a half-smile, "Do I look like someone who wants to be the Crown Prince?"

The people of the Wen Duke's Mansion were on the brink of madness. Was this something to be openly discussed in public! The unwelcome guest had come uninvited... well, not exactly uninvited, but no invitations had ever been accepted before. Sending the invitation was merely a formality, who knew this one would actually show up! With the Sixth Prince here, the Second and Third Princes weren't even present, nor was Fang Rui, the young marquis who dared to challenge the princes. Who could control the situation now?

Today might not end well!

Indeed, the next words from the Sixth Prince were ——

"You don't want me to take this dog," he wasn't referring to the slender and agile greyhound, but the man whose face was being stepped on, "fine, but I'm taking a pair of beautiful, exquisite, and lustrous collarbones today. They must be fresh and adorable."

His meaning couldn't be clearer. He was willing to make a trade. He wanted a person, a living person, with beautiful collarbones. Good bone structure meant good looks, and he wanted to kill and take them while they were fresh... In the end, he still found Pan Peng ugly.

The room fell silent.

No one thought the Sixth Prince was joking. Whenever he appeared, bloodshed followed. What should they do now? Should they really find someone to replace him?

But where could they find someone with beautiful collarbones at such short notice? Those with beautiful collarbones were bound to be good-looking. Everyone here was a guest, and who would willingly offer up their beautiful children to wade through this murky water?

Someone whispered, "...My maternal grandfather's family once had an ancestor skilled in bone reading. During the New Year festivities, he did joke about it, saying that beautiful collarbones meant a person must be graceful, their bones must be lively, their waist must be slim, and their fingers must be slender. If it's a woman, she should be in her prime, and if it's a man, he should be young. At that time, the bones have formed but haven't become rough, making them the most exquisite..."

"But...with such high requirements, where can we find someone?"

"On my way here, I did see a young man. Amidst all the fine robes, he was the only one dressed in a ramie robe, looking ethereal and beautiful, with features like a painting. His smiling eyes were endearing, indeed a rare beauty..."

"The one wearing a ramie robe today is none other than the Wen Duke's Mansion's newly returned young master, Wen Ruan."

After someone blurted out the name, they suddenly clamped their mouth shut, realizing that the speaker had ill intentions.

The young master was indeed handsome, and this person didn't have good intentions either.

"...I wonder if the Wen Duke's Mansion is willing to part with him."

As he finished speaking, his gaze slowly swept over Pan Qiantian before settling on the members of the Duke's Mansion.

The Wen family members were speechless.

They hadn't even gotten their hands on the soap yet! Today's banquet was supposed to be a display of wealth! Do you know or don't you!

Pan Qiantian looked over, his gaze locking onto Lady Zhou. "We'll soon be family. I'm sure the Duke's Mansion understands which side is more important."

A marriage alliance was a union of interests. A person found outside, whose authenticity couldn't be confirmed, could never be as important as one's own daughter. Even if some money was lost, there would always be opportunities to earn it back. It was shortsighted to focus solely on the present...

Let your daughter take his place then.

Lady Zhou understood the implications of these words, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She didn't dare speak recklessly. She had no affection for Wen Ruan; she merely saw him as a potential source of benefits, hoping to gain something from him. Now, although there were benefits, they came with risks that could burn her...

"Ah, I was going to introduce my nephew to everyone today, but he doesn't understand etiquette and hasn't shown up for a long time. I've already sent Wen Yu to fetch him."

Wen Yu was indeed not nearby, having slipped away unnoticed. Lady Zhou used this as an excuse, of course, also signaling her subordinates to find him.

No matter how nicely she phrased it, everyone knew what she meant.

Look at the Wen Duke's Mansion.

How could they so easily abandon their precious heir? Recalling the days when the old Duke pointed his sword at the enemies at the border, defending the land without letting them cross a single step, how heroic he was. But now, those in the mansion had no backbone, how could they grow any backbone?