Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

When they left, it was Zhan Rong who led the way.

Zhong Yansheng’s robe was tightly wrapped around him, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.

His brother’s temper was truly not good.

Zhan Rong remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking: "This subordinate is Zhan Rong."

Zhong Yansheng was taken aback. The question he had asked earlier was finally answered, but he wasn’t angry. Noticing the sword at Zhan Rong’s waist, he nodded generously, "Oh, alright, Guardian Zhan."

Zhan Rong’s face remained calm and stern, but inside, he was still in shock. He didn’t refute the title and began to reassess Zhong Yansheng.

This person was slow to react, thin and frail, clearly untrained in martial arts, and could be easily overpowered with one hand.

Yet, he managed to escape unscathed when the Prince’s headache flared up, almost throwing the Prince out without punishment, and the Prince even called him “quite cute.” In the afternoon, he even slept in the same room with the Prince!

One must know that due to his headaches, the Prince had extremely poor sleep, waking up at the slightest disturbance, especially during these few days when his headaches were severe, he hardly slept at all.

It was terrifying.

Truly terrifying.

Even those lively Princes did not have the composure of this young master in front of the Prince.

Deeply hidden.

Worthy of admiration.

Zhong Yansheng was unaware that Zhan Rong, who had a cold expression, had developed a strange sense of respect for him.

Zhan Rong’s steps were too large, making it difficult for Zhong Yansheng to keep up, especially with the pain in his body. After walking for a while, his face turned pale with pain.

Zhan Rong: "..."

He expressionlessly slowed down his pace.

Zhong Yansheng noticed this and smiled, sincerely thanking him, "Thank you, you’re a good person."

Zhan Rong gave him another strange look.

It was the first time in his life someone had called him a good person.

When Zhong Yansheng walked out of the courtyard gate, Zhan Rong’s attitude was no longer as cold as before. He nodded at Zhong Yansheng before gently closing the gate.

Zhong Yansheng clearly felt that Zhan Rong’s hostility towards him had diminished somewhat.

It seemed he was getting along better with the people around the real young master!

Zhong Yansheng got into the carriage in high spirits, waiting for Yuncheng to return to the capital, then secretly slipped back to the Marquis’s residence.

As soon as he entered his own courtyard, Zhong Yansheng headed straight for the kitchen. The small kitchen was preparing dinner, and everyone smiled when they saw him, "Young Master, what brings you here? Do you need something?"

Zhong Yansheng politely greeted each of them before saying, "Aunt Li, I want to eat your pine nut lily pastries again. Can you make them tomorrow morning?"

The Young Master was picky; usually, everyone would worry about making various dishes, but the Young Master could only manage a few bites. It was rare for him to come with a request, so Aunt Li, the head cook, beamed, "Of course, of course!"

Zhong Yansheng also instructed her to pack them in a box, leaving feeling satisfied. He felt that the future of the Marquis’s residence was becoming brighter and more promising thanks to his efforts.

The ointment given by Xiao Nong was extremely effective, not only promoting blood circulation and resolving stasis but also relieving pain. By evening, the pain from the afternoon had significantly lessened.

Such useful medicine must be very valuable.

Zhong Yansheng liked cleanliness and always bathed after returning home. After washing, he reapplied the ointment, sniffing the faint bitter scent on his fingers, and touching his belly through his inner garment, decided to choose a gift in return.

Uncle Wang had given him flower seeds, and he needed to return a gift.

However, he couldn’t take the gift from the small storeroom in the courtyard or the display cabinet in his room, as it would feel like stealing the real young master’s things, which he would eventually have to return.

After drying his hair, Zhong Yansheng pushed open the door and leaned against a pillar, waving to Yuncheng in the courtyard, "Yuncheng, come here."

Yuncheng was joking with the young maids in the courtyard. Hearing the call, he ran over with a smile, "What is it, Young Master?"

Zhong Yansheng lowered his voice, acting stealthily, "How much silver do I have in my private treasury?"

Zhong Yansheng had his own private treasury, where the silver came from selling his paintings—Gusu was known for its cultural atmosphere, and many wealthy merchants enjoyed cultivating an appreciation for art.

The paintings were bought two years ago by a wealthy merchant who seemed more interested in connecting with the Marquis’s household than in the paintings themselves. Initially, Zhong Yansheng was reluctant to sell, but the merchant repeatedly assured him that he genuinely liked the paintings and wanted to buy them. After the Marquise coaxed him a bit, he finally agreed to sell.

Zhong Yansheng didn’t know how much he had earned, but the Marquis and the Marquise raised him well, ensuring he never lacked food or drink, and his monthly allowance was more than enough.

Zhong Yansheng didn’t have high hopes for his private treasury. The wealthy merchant had promised to pay what he thought the paintings were worth, and Zhong Yansheng felt his skills were average, so he expected it wouldn’t amount to much.

But the number Yuncheng reported far exceeded his expectations.

Zhong Yansheng thought he had misheard and stared wide-eyed in shock, "How much?"

Yuncheng repeated the number, scratching his head, "Does Young Master think it’s too little? Well, when you sold those two paintings, you weren’t very famous yet. If you sold them now, they would definitely fetch several times more!"

"Ah?" Zhong Yansheng was even more confused, "Famous?"

Yuncheng realized, "Oh, right. Young Master, you’ve been mostly staying in the Marquis’s residence and rarely go out, so you might not know. The wealthy merchant who bought the paintings was warned by the Marquis not to reveal your identity. So whenever someone asked him who the artist was, he said it was ‘Mr. Chunsong.’ Although only two paintings have been circulated, the name Mr. Chunsong has gained some fame in the Jiangnan region!"

Zhong Yansheng leaned against the pillar, trying to process the information, "…"

How could he not know any of this?

Surprised by this significant news, Zhong Yansheng felt dazed, but the fact that his private treasury contained more silver than he had imagined was a great thing. After all, this was the first truly personal possession he had.

With the weight off his mind, Zhong Yansheng felt at ease and opened the flower seeds Uncle Wang had given him, planning to present them to Lady Marquis when she returned.

He would choose an appropriate moment later to tell Lady Marquis that these were from the real young master.

However, he waited until he was drowsy, but Lady Marquis did not return. Yuncheng went to inquire and came back saying, "Young Master, don't wait anymore. Lady is staying overnight at Jin Fu Temple tonight."

Zhong Yansheng let out an "ah," sometimes truly worried that his mother might become so devoted to Buddhism that she would leave home for the temple.

He rubbed his eyes and had no choice but to put aside the precious flower seeds he had carried all day, then climbed into bed for a sound sleep.

The next day, it was already the hour of Si when he woke up.

Neither Marquis Huai'an nor Lady Marquis was around, so no one could supervise Zhong Yansheng. The two of them took the pine nut lily pastries specially made by the kitchen early in the morning, took some silver from the small private treasury, and slipped out of the Marquis's residence.

Eastern City was the most bustling part of the Imperial City, but the carriage Yuncheng rented was parked at an inn on the west side. Zhong Yansheng agreed to meet Yuncheng there and first wandered around Eastern City, intending to pick out a gift here.

The Imperial City was much more prosperous than Gusu, with long streets filled with traffic and crowds, and various shop signs dazzling the eyes.

Zhong Yansheng had already decided what to give Uncle Wang last night. After circling around, he found what he wanted—when Uncle Wang demonstrated loosening the soil yesterday, he helped pull a few times and noticed that Uncle Wang's flower hoe was quite old.

He squatted down, picked up each flower hoe, spade, and scissors in front of him, waved them around, and nodded in satisfaction: "I'll take them all."

The shopkeeper, who had been unhappy with his tapping and waving, immediately beamed: "Alright, alright, there are quite a few items. Young Master, do you want us to deliver them to your residence?"

"Please wrap them up first; I'll come back to pick them up later."

After selecting his items, Zhong Yansheng took out the silver and paid, feeling very content spending his own money.

He should have sold a couple more paintings back then.

Having bought the gift for Uncle Wang, he still hadn't decided what to give his brother.

Zhong Yansheng walked through several shops before stopping in front of a jade shop. He went inside and looked around for a while, his gaze finally settling on something.

The shop assistant had been secretly watching Zhong Yansheng since he entered and now approached with a smile: "Young Master, are you interested in this seal? This piece of Tianhuang stone was just delivered yesterday. It's the best batch, and only two seals were made. You've seen them as soon as they were displayed; it must be fate!"

Giving a seal was perfect, neither too showy nor vulgar. Zhong Yansheng didn't ponder for long and nodded: "I'll take them."

The deal was sealed with those words. The assistant rubbed his hands together, his face full of smiles: "Which one would you like?"

"I'll take both," Zhong Yansheng pointed to the two best ones, "one for an informal seal, the other without any engraving. Please pack them separately."

One for Marquis Huai'an, the other for his brother.

Zhong Yansheng thought happily.

Later, he could casually mention to his brother that these seals were a joint gift from Marquis Huai'an and himself, wouldn't that win him a lot of favor?

It was an old trick, but very effective.

How clever of him!

Zhong Yansheng, being wealthy, bought the two pieces of Tianhuang stone without hesitation. The assistant became extremely attentive, vigorously polishing the already shiny chair, inviting Zhong Yansheng to sit and wait, and asked what he wanted engraved.

Zhong Yansheng thought about how after returning to the Imperial City, Marquis Huai'an would be busy with official duties and rarely see him. He privately wished for him to have some leisure time, so he said, "Engrave 'Clear Wind and Bright Moon.'"

The assistant responded with an "Ah," took the seals to the back to find a craftsman to engrave them. In no time, the engraved seals were packed and presented in exquisite sandalwood boxes, wrapped in cloth.

The assistant, likely not from the Imperial City, had a heavy accent: "Young Master, the yellow one has no engraving, the red one is engraved."

Zhong Yansheng was trying hard to distinguish between "red" and "yellow" when a voice suddenly sounded beside him: "Young Master Zhong?"

The voice was unfamiliar, startling Zhong Yansheng, who turned his head in surprise.

The one calling him was a handsome young man, dressed in luxurious brocade, holding a purple sandalwood fan carved with mountain and water scenes, the typical look of a wealthy young man in the Imperial City. Seeing Zhong Yansheng turn around, he was pleasantly surprised: "It really is you, Young Master Zhong!"

Zhong Yansheng tilted his head: "Who are you?"

"It's me," the young man stepped forward, pointing to his face, seemingly incredulous, "don't you remember? I'm Xiao Wenlan! When you returned to the Imperial City a few days ago, Prince Jing invited us to tour the Qinxin Garden, and I was right behind you."

Hearing this, Zhong Yansheng stared at his face and remembered: "Oh, weren't you the one who got drunk and cried loudly while hugging my leg?"

Xiao Wenlan wasn't annoyed by the reminder of his embarrassing moment; instead, he laughed heartily: "Forgive me, forgive me. That day everyone drank a bit too much. I didn't have the strength to help you when you fell into the water. I heard you were ill for many days; it's great that you're fine now! Since we met by chance today, why don't we go for a drink?"

This person spoke so fast and confidently that Zhong Yansheng was shocked: "No..."

"After you fell into the water, everyone was very worried about you. We even sent a lot of tonics to the Marquis Huai'an's residence. Did you receive them?"

So that pile of tonics came from there. Zhong Yansheng sincerely thanked him: "Thank you..."

"You just returned to the Imperial City and probably don't know many people, right? Come, come, let me introduce you to some friends!"

Xiao Wenlan was strong, and Zhong Yansheng, carrying the two small boxes, was half-pulled, half-dragged out of the shop. Just as he was about to explain that he had things to do today, several people surrounded him outside, their eyes glued to him, excitedly exclaiming: "Young Master Zhong, it really is you!"

"Master Xiao, your eyes are sharp, spotting him from such a distance!"

Xiao Wenlan fanned vigorously, his face beaming with pride: "Of course, my eyesight is second to none in the Imperial City."

"The last time Prince Jing was there, we didn't get a chance to speak to Young Master. This time, we must become friends, ha ha."

Zhong Yansheng was surrounded by a group of unknown rich young men, his expression blank.

Was there an ambush?

Several wealthy young men from noble families jostled in the middle of the street, all trying to get closer to Zhong Yansheng. At this moment, a kind-hearted person shouted: "A carriage is coming, move aside!"

Everyone shouted in disdain, completely unconcerned: "So what if a carriage is coming? Let's see whose carriage dares not give way to us?"

"Exactly, who dares?"

A nearby servant stretched his neck to look and his face changed drastically, his voice cracking: "Young Master, it's the carriage of King Ding’s residence!"

Upon hearing this, the group that had been arrogantly crossing their arms suddenly turned pale, scrambling and rolling out of the way in an instant.

Xiao Wenlan, who had been laughing and joking just now, stopped fanning himself and turned to cover his face, trying to hide.

Even if Zhong Yansheng usually did not pay attention to politics, he knew the name of Xiao Nong, King Ding.

The imperial surname of Great Yong is Pei, and throughout three generations, there has only been one non-royal family member with the surname Xiao who holds the title of king.

It is said that when the First Ancestor was young and wandering among the common people, he was taken in by the Xiao family. Later, when he rose to power, Xiao Nong’s grandfather followed the First Ancestor in conquering the land, establishing great military achievements and saving the First Ancestor from peril multiple times. Though they were not blood-related, they were as close as brothers.

The Pei and Xiao families were like one family, and the First Ancestor bestowed upon Xiao Nong’s grandfather a hereditary princely title, bestowing glory and honor on the Xiao family—unfortunately, within less than three generations, the Xiao family had dwindled to just two people.

One of them is Xiao Nong, who inherited the title of King Ding.

But Zhong Yansheng did not know Xiao Nong merely because he was the only non-royal king in Great Yong.

The current emperor is getting older, and after the death of the previous crown prince, no new crown prince has been appointed for a long time. In recent years, the emperor often falls ill and finds it difficult to manage state affairs.

Last year, the emperor suddenly summoned several princes to the capital to assist the cabinet in handling state affairs, and the officials speculated that the emperor intended to select someone capable of taking on major responsibilities.

However, after the princes returned, Xiao Nong, who was stationed in the Northern Desert, began to frequently return to the Imperial City, causing unrest each time.

This was because Xiao Nong, since his youth, had accompanied his father to the border, leading troops at sixteen, reclaiming Liaodong and pacifying the Northern Desert, earning great military honors and holding significant military power, making him highly influential and uncontrollable—now, in state affairs, even the chief cabinet minister would think twice before daring to contradict him.

Prince Ding, it seemed, was quietly moving towards the role of regent.

Moreover, it was rumored that Xiao Nong had a cold and ruthless temperament, indifferent to kinship and unpredictable, with a penchant for killing and seeking revenge for the slightest offense, flaying and dismembering those who offended him, hanging them on walls to dry.

Faced with such a person, how could these young men, who spent their days fighting and gambling, not be afraid?

Zhong Yansheng raised his eyes and indeed saw a princely carriage approaching along the road.

He felt that the coachman driving the horses looked familiar, but with the crowd blocking his view and being shorter than them, he couldn’t see clearly.

Right, the Xiao family now only had two remaining members, the other one seemed to be called...

Zhong Yansheng’s gaze shifted to Xiao Wenlan, who was crouching at his feet, hiding behind a fan and trying to blend into the crowd. He fell silent.

But this was of no use.

The carriage of King Ding’s residence slowly came to a stop beside them.

Everyone, including Zhong Yansheng, felt suffocated.

Zhong Yansheng knelt down with everyone else: "We greet Your Highness, Prince Ding."

At the same moment, a cold, deep voice came from inside the carriage: "Xiao Wenlan."

Xiao Wenlan’s legs trembled, unable to stand, looking like a quail, his face mournful, stammering: "Cousin, Cousin."

The only remaining member of the Xiao family, apart from Xiao Nong, was Xiao Wenlan.

Everyone bowed their heads low, fearing to draw attention. Zhong Yansheng also lowered his head, and thus clearly saw Xiao Wenlan’s trembling hand jab the fan into the buttocks of the person in front of him.

The person in front was jabbed so badly that he dared not move in front of Prince Ding.

Zhong Yansheng watched for a while, then kindly reached out and pressed down on the fan, rescuing the gentleman in front of him.

This Xiao Wenlan was truly worlds apart from his fearsome cousin.

But why did he feel that Prince Ding’s voice... sounded quite familiar?

Zhong Yansheng racked his brain, trying to recall where he had heard this voice before. At the same time, there was a rustling sound, and it seemed that the curtain of the carriage was lifted slightly, and Prince Ding glanced in Xiao Wenlan’s direction.

Xiao Wenlan trembled even more.

Because he was kneeling next to Xiao Wenlan, Zhong Yansheng could clearly feel that the gaze also swept over his head, like a dragonfly touching water, fleeting and indifferent.

Zhong Yansheng blinked, suddenly overwhelmed with curiosity about what this living Yama looked like.

Even if he was caught peeking, it wouldn’t result in his head being cut off on the street, right?

Zhong Yansheng wasn’t sure where his sudden courage came from, but he secretly raised his eyes to take a peek.

Unfortunately, he hesitated too long and missed his chance. When he lifted his eyes, he only saw a slender, elegant hand retracting.

The carriage curtain fell back down, completely concealing the person inside.

Perhaps there was some urgent matter to attend to, Prince Ding did not linger, and after coldly uttering “Go back,” the carriage moved on.

At this moment, Zhong Yansheng suddenly realized something.

Prince Ding’s command to “Go back” was very similar to the one given by his brother, who had a bad temper and stayed at Changliu Villa, just more impatient and menacing.

Zhong Yansheng, who had been told to “go back” just yesterday, quietly thought that he should introduce these two to each other.