Chapter 41 Eccentric

Chapter 41: Peculiar

Although it was spring, the evening wind still carried a chill.

Jiang Wang had changed out of his official robes into everyday clothes and was waiting under a large tree beside the path.

"River Pond Path"—what an ambiguous name.

Anyone unaware might think it was a scenic spot perfect for a spring outing.

Only Jiang Wang understood: this was the place where he had first encountered those two burly men right after transmigrating. It was here that he had nearly been picked up and thrown into the water by them.

A grimy pond, next to a secluded, rarely traveled path.

Few people came here during the day, and at night it was even darker, almost devoid of light.

While unsuitable for walking, it was extremely suitable for exchanging information or conducting shady dealings.

Jiang Wang looked around. The appointed time had already passed, but no one had arrived yet.

He rubbed the waist token at his side, thinking that if Chang Da didn't appear, he would leave. If they missed each other this time, it wouldn't be his fault.

Just as he was about to leave, a familiar, robust figure appeared—undoubtedly Chang Da.

Chang Da was still wearing that navy-blue robe, with a black belt cinched around his waist, accentuating his broad shoulders.

Without a word, he walked straight up to Jiang Wang and yanked him out from behind the tree.

Jiang Wang had no idea what was going on. Seeing Chang Da's aggressive approach, he thought Chang Da had come to beat him up and instinctively raised his arms to protect his head.

But after being yanked out, a crisp sound of shattering tiles came from behind him.

A bluish-gray tile had landed exactly where Jiang Wang had been standing moments before. If Chang Da hadn't pulled him out, his head would likely be bleeding by now.

Jiang Wang stood frozen. It seemed... Chang Da had just helped him?

He had misunderstood Chang Da.

Before he could even utter his thanks, Chang Da spoke first, as if knowing exactly what he was about to say.

"My master said to keep you alive so you can be of use to us. Nothing to thank me for."

Hearing this, Jiang Wang felt a lump form in his throat, which he swallowed hard.

It made sense. Between him and Chang Wenji, aside from a purely transactional relationship—no, a one-sided transactional relationship from Chang Wenji's perspective—they really had no other entanglements. And it was best they didn't.

A bit irritated, he asked, "Well? Why did you call me out?"

"Since New Year's Eve, you've been taken into the palace and stayed by the emperor's side for so long. Any news to report?"

He had expected this question, and Jiang Wang had already prepared a response.

"I really don't know anything. The emperor spends his days eating, drinking, and having fun. He even got stabbed. What useful information could I possibly know?"

He turned the question back on Chang Da: "You all know what the emperor is like, right? I really don't see the point of my existence here."

"Really?"

Chang Da was clearly unconvinced. His eyes swept over Jiang Wang, finally settling on the waist token at his side.

"Did the emperor give you this?"

"Yeah, otherwise how could I have gotten out?" Jiang Wang replied matter-of-factly. "All the ministers heard what His Majesty said at the morning court. Even if he is unreliable, he's still the emperor. He can manage a small matter like this."

"Then tell me everything the emperor has been doing these days. Eating, drinking, and having fun all count."

"This..."

Jiang Wang had made some preparations, but he hadn't anticipated Chang Da asking this. Initially, they just wanted to know if Xiao Yan had been acting strangely. Now he was being asked to report every single detail.

What exactly was Chang Wenji trying to do?

Jiang Wang didn't know what Chang Wenji was thinking, but in that brief moment, he knew exactly what *he* thought.

He absolutely could not say.

After all, from the start, his attitude had been to avoid provoking either side and protect himself. If he now reported everything Xiao Yan had done, wouldn't that be equivalent to siding with Chang Wenji?

"This... I've actually forgotten the specifics of what His Majesty did. It was mostly things like getting drunk on wine or being pleased watching some dancer perform." Jiang Wang slapped his forehead. "Brother Chang, how about this: I'll go back and check my daily record book, then come back to give you a detailed report. How does that sound?"

Chang Da gave Jiang Wang a suspicious look, but seeing his earnest expression, he eventually let his guard down.

However, Chang Da made sure to warn Jiang Wang: "Don't try anything clever. Killing you would be easy. We meet here again in three days."

"Yes, yes, of course."

Jiang Wang nodded in agreement, watching Chang Da's retreating figure before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

He had bought himself another three days.

But what would he do after those three days?

Should he really take out the daily record book and hand it over to Chang Da?

No sooner had one wave settled than another rose. His barely eased heart was seized tightly again, the immense psychological pressure making it hard to breathe.

Before transmigrating, Jiang Wang had been a young master from a wealthy family. Although his biological father hadn't doted on him, he hadn't mistreated him either. Money was naturally plentiful, and there were no restrictions on his personal freedom.

At his age, these two aspects could solve the vast majority of problems. Having been pampered and indulged by those around him since childhood, where had he ever faced such pressure?

Sighing, he trudged unhappily back toward the palace.

As he walked, a sweet, fragrant scent wafted over. Jiang Wang looked up and saw the large characters for "Rui Fang Zhai."

Wasn't this that incredibly delicious pastry shop?!

He decided to go in and treat himself, planning to heal his wounded young heart with sweets.

But the moment he stepped into the shop, he suddenly remembered something.

He had left in a hurry and hadn't brought any money.

And now it was too late to turn and leave. An enthusiastic waiter had already approached, smiling and asking what he needed.

Under the waiter's eager gaze, Jiang Wang steeled himself and walked further into the shop, saying he was just browsing.

The sweet, soft pastries were right before his eyes, yet his pockets were empty. The feeling of seeing but not being able to eat only worsened his already foul mood.

Finally, he called out to the system.

Jiang Wang knew that system points couldn't be exchanged for cash, but he never said they couldn't be exchanged for silver.

Last time, in a small corner of the system store, a silver hairpin had caught his eye briefly.

Although it only appeared for a moment, it stuck in his mind.

In ancient times, silver was directly equated with money, and the same logic applied to using a silver hairpin to buy things.

001 grudgingly deducted five points from Jiang Wang's account, materializing the silver hairpin from the system store and quietly placing it in Jiang Wang's empty pocket.

It was indeed his oversight, allowing Jiang Wang to take advantage of it. He would replace the hairpin with a wooden one later!

With money in hand, Jiang Wang was in good spirits. Regardless of what the system thought, he stood a little taller, and his gaze became much more confident.

He picked two kinds of pastries that both he and Changle loved and walked to the counter to pay.

However, since it wasn't a common silver ingot, the waiter first gave it a close look, then weighed it with a small scale before finally accepting the plain-looking silver hairpin.

Jiang Wang's bad mood was fleeting. With delicious food in front of him, his worries were soon forgotten.

He believed in the old saying: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

There were still three days left; he would definitely come up with a solution. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Humming a tune, he walked out of the shop, his steps much lighter.

Just as Jiang Wang stepped out of the shop, the waiter who had just handled the transaction hurriedly walked up to the third floor with a small tray.

He entered the largest private room on the third floor and placed the small tray in front of two elegant gentlemen.

Pointing to the hairpin and pastries on the tray, the waiter said to one of the men, "Young Master, that customer just now bought these two kinds of pastries, but he didn't bring any money. He paid with this silver hairpin."

Xiao Yan didn't check which pastries Jiang Wang had bought. Instead, he picked up the silver hairpin.

Pinching one end of the hairpin, he examined it carefully under the light. His brow furrowed slightly as he noticed something.

"Where did that customer just now take this hairpin from?"

The waiter lowered his head and thought for two seconds. "From... his pocket! He took it out from his pocket."

"Alright, you can go."

After the waiter left, Fang Fengshi eagerly leaned in to take a closer look, but he couldn't find anything unusual about it.

Fang Fengshi glanced at the hairpin, then at Xiao Yan, his teasing expression seeming to say, "Really? You can even sense something different about Jiang Wang's hairpin?"

Xiao Yan tapped Fang Fengshi's head and shot him a look of disbelief in response. He handed the hairpin to the latter.

"Look at the butterfly pattern on this hairpin. Don't you think it's odd?"

Fang Fengshi took it and scrutinized it the same way as Xiao Yan, but still found nothing wrong.

The design of the hairpin was quite plain, resembling a slightly thinner chopstick—the most basic form.

Only the head of the hairpin had been flattened by the craftsman, with a butterfly pattern engraved on it. Its appearance wasn't even as exquisite as the hairpins worn by ordinary palace maids.

Fang Fengshi was puzzled. What exactly had Xiao Yan noticed that was strange?

Seeing that Fang Fengshi was still clueless, Xiao Yan pointed again to the butterfly pattern on the hairpin's head.

"Do you see it now?"

With this hint, Fang Fengshi picked it up for the third time and scrutinized it.

Before long, he furrowed his brows just like Xiao Yan.

Butterfly patterns were very common, even clichéd. However, the butterfly pattern on Jiang Wang's hairpin carried a hint of peculiarity.

This pattern was too perfect.

The thickness of the lines remained completely consistent without any variation. The contours and patterns of the wings were also highly symmetrical, as if stamped from a mold. Even the tiny burrs that often appeared during carving were nowhere to be found.

For a master carver in the palace, achieving one of these aspects might be easy, but perfectly balancing all three required not only exceptional skill but also great luck—timing, conditions, and harmony were all indispensable.

Thus, this hairpin appeared plain and unadorned but was actually extremely precious.

And yet, Jiang Wang had casually spent it just like that?

He didn't know the true value of this hairpin.

So, where did he get it from?

According to the message Ling Hai had just relayed, Jiang Wang had met Chang Da outside the palace, but there was no physical contact between them. This hairpin wasn't given by Chang Da.

In the palace, all master carvers lived and worked in the Imperial Workshop, which was still some distance from the Biwu Pavilion where Jiang Wang resided. There was no opportunity for them to meet.

Xiao Yan toyed with the "plain" silver hairpin in his hand, lost in thought.

Author's Note:

Jiang Wang: Accustomed to machine-made hairpins.

Xiao Yan: The hairpin is too perfect; Jiang Wang is suspicious...

Actually, it's also a difference in perception. Ancient people and modern people have different understandings, but the end result is that another layer of mystery is added to Jiang Wang's identity, while he himself remains unaware.