Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Young Marquis did not complete the full five-day punishment.

Upon hearing that her son had knelt for three days, his mother, Lady Sun, wept and threw a fit for three days straight. The old Marquis, worn down by the disturbance and softened by her pleas, finally permitted the servants to help the Young Marquis out of the ancestral hall and back to his rooms.

Luo Qianyu thought to himself, this was the second time.

This was the second time he had encountered the protagonist shou by chance and stepped in to help.

Although two-thirds of the original story revolved around this bustling capital city, running into someone by chance was no easy feat. For coincidences to stack up like this, could it be considered a case of enemies destined to meet?

"How have you grown so thin?... My child has suffered so much these three days!" Sun Shi's (Lady Sun's) eyes were red-rimmed as she ordered a maid to bring a bowl of hot ginger soup. She carefully took it and urged Luo Qianyu to drink most of it while it was hot to ward off the chill.

She rubbed the fox fur collar on the Young Marquis's shoulders, soothing him by stroking his arms, and wiped the fine sweat from his temples with a handkerchief, her heart aching for him. "Sweetheart, the drum tower market outside Donglang Bridge will open the day after tomorrow. Haven't you been dying to go? Since you have these days off from the academy, go have some fun."

Luo Qianyu was momentarily stunned.

It dawned on him: was the drum tower night market his mother mentioned the very same lantern festival at Donglang Bridge? This was the famous, dashing Young Marquis's first official appearance in the original story, riding his horse through the night market!

Was this day... finally arriving?

The nerve-wracking scare of nearly blowing his cover on the roof eaves was still fresh in his mind. How much time had passed? And now he was going to meet Wen Yu again?

The Young Marquis swallowed a mouthful of ginger soup, choked, turning his face red, and masked it with a light cough: "...No rush."

No rush, because he had no intention of going at all.

Fortunately, he had taken precautions. Back at Zhai Xian Lou, he had already instructed Lou Xian not to send him any gifts. If he didn't go to the night market, the fiery steed wouldn't come into the picture. By avoiding all the conditions for that scene, it felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his heart, and the Young Marquis was in excellent spirits.

-

Although he had slacked off quite a bit during the kneeling punishment and even sneaked out for half a day, Luo Qianyu was dismayed to discover... his knees were in rather bad shape.

While it didn't affect his daily walking, the Young Marquis felt it was too embarrassing to let others see. So, he dismissed the maids and servants and applied the ointment himself in secret.

Just as he had finished applying half the salve, a servant came with a message that Lou Xian had come to visit.

Luo Qianyu quickly stashed the bamboo jar.

He was just about to turn the visitor away when Lou Xian had already entered the Jinlin Courtyard, looking excited and saying he wanted to take him somewhere.

The Young Marquis thought to himself: you're completely wild. The places you fancy, aside from brothels and pleasure quarters, theaters and gambling dens, are either taverns and teahouses or houses of ill repute? Wonderful, trying to lead me astray again.

Luo Qianyu pondered for a moment. Lou Xian wouldn't give up easily, and staying at home meant being fussed over by Lady Sun and force-fed ginger soup. Either way, he couldn't get any real work done. So, he threw on his outer robe and boarded Lou Xian's carriage.

"That business with the fire starter, did your father punish you? How?" As soon as they were in the carriage, Lou Xian immediately anxiously pressed him for details. "You've been shut in for three days, didn't go to the academy, and your servants wouldn't tell me anything. I've been worried sick..."

The Young Marquis felt inside his inner garment and realized he had actually brought that folding fan. He took it out, tossing it lightly in his hand, and said, "It was just a few days of kneeling punishment. What's there to worry about?"

"Of course I worry..." Lou Xian stopped mid-sentence, sighed, and said in a low voice, "You're always like this, speaking lightly as if it's nothing. How can your body withstand it?"

The Young Marquis was taken aback, feeling the other was making a mountain out of a molehill and being overly mushy. He was just about to say something when, at that moment, the carriage suddenly jerked to a halt.

The massive inertia nearly threw the occupants off balance.

"Tsk...!" The Young Marquis suppressed a pained gasp as his injured knee knocked against the front wall of the carriage with a dull thud.

Lou Xian, quick as lightning, steadied him and frowned, scolding, "You worthless scoundrel! How are you driving? Reckless and clumsy, have you grown tired of living?!"

The coachman's voice was clearly flustered: "Young Master... it's the Prime Minister's carriage ahead."

The Prime Minister?

Both men were stunned.

The creaking of the carriage wheels came to an abrupt stop.

Luo Qianyu lifted half of the carriage curtain. The first thing that met his eyes were two rows of guards clad in black martial attire, with long sabers at their waists. Truly a grand display—four carriages at the very least. The one in the middle was drawn by two brown steeds, its ebony carriage walls carved with intricate cloud patterns that gleamed with a dark luster under the moonlight.

This was undoubtedly the Prime Minister's carriage.

However, the carriage curtain was made of thick brocade, making it impossible to see the occupant inside.

Regardless of whether there was a collision or not, the other party was the Prime Minister, the head of all officials. In terms of seniority and etiquette, both of them should alight and perform a bowing salute.

Lou Xian curled his lip. The two exchanged a glance and then stepped out of the carriage one after the other. Luo Qianyu landed on one leg, the impact from the sudden stop sending a pang of pain through his knee.

The Young Marquis frowned slightly but made no sound, straightening his posture imperceptibly and clasping his hands together.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the carriage at the rear of the procession suddenly jolted. The person inside seemed to have heard a familiar voice and abruptly flung open the carriage curtain!

"Lou Xian?!"

The man who poked his head out recognized the Lou family young master, his face showing astonishment.

Lou Xian raised an eyebrow slightly, also recognizing the man in the carriage, and immediately frowned: "Quan Songcheng?"

What an unwelcome guest! Truly, foes are bound to meet on a narrow road!

Quan Songcheng had been on edge these past few days. He never expected to hear a voice that sent chills down his spine even while traveling. He pulled open the curtain, first recognizing Lou Xian, and was momentarily stunned. His gaze then involuntarily shifted to the young gentleman beside Lou Xian.

When his eyes fell on the hand holding the folding fan as the Young Marquis performed the salute, Quan Songcheng's gaze fixed. He pondered for a mere moment, as if suddenly remembering something.

"That fan is..." Quan Songcheng's eyes widened, half-rising from his seat, his breathing becoming rapid. "It really is you, Young Marquis!"

"You are that Mysterious Guest!" Quan Songcheng was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at the Young Marquis. "Last time at Zhai Xian Lou, for the sake of a mere Wen Yu, you made this official suffer greatly and lose immense face!"

...

"So it's Lord Quan."

Luo Qianyu did not deny his identity. Instead, he gave a light laugh. "Your Lordship is so full of vigor, truly in the prime of life."

"This junior thought you had drunk an entire pot of hot wine and were still recuperating at your residence."

Quan Songcheng's face paled. He suddenly remembered the pot of scalding wine spilled on his crotch, the pain still vivid. Recuperating? That was clearly mocking his impotence! This time, emboldened by the Prime Minister's backing, he was furious with shame. "In the presence of His Excellency the Prime Minister, you dare to speak disrespectfully to an imperial official! Luo Qianyu, you are utterly audacious! Guards!"

Lou Xian stepped forward, shielding the Young Marquis behind him, and sneered, "What are you shouting about, Vice Commissioner? In broad daylight, do you want all of the capital to know about the fine performance you put on at Zhai Xian Lou?"

His voice actually rose a notch towards the end.

The guards on both sides of the carriage, having received no orders from the Prime Minister, remained motionless. However, they were unexpectedly fed a juicy piece of gossip. They remained silent, but their eyes all shifted slightly.

Quan Songcheng could no longer maintain his composure and cursed loudly, "You... you ruffian, you insolent brat...!"

Just then, a commotion came from the carriage ahead.

With a *thud*.

It sounded like a hard object thudding against the carriage frame, or perhaps something falling to the ground—unclear, yet enough to put one on alert.

The sound was not loud, but the surroundings fell completely silent.

Luo Qianyu glanced at the Assistant Minister. Last time, Quan Songcheng had taken a major fall at his hands, yet he had shown some backbone, remaining defiant until the very end. But now… it was as if he had become a different person.

He not only fell silent but didn't even dare to breathe heavily. He didn't dare make a sound, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

The Young Marquis thought to himself, *What an overwhelming sense of pressure.*

Then, he looked toward that somber yet elegant carriage. The curtain was lifted at the sound, and from this angle, he could only see the other person’s hand.

Luo Qianyu’s heart skipped a beat.

Lin Jingyan—the current Chancellor, the main villain in the book, and the undisputed top contender among the buy-stock gongs.

He also knew that this big shot inside the carriage had lost an arm.

As the comments section would put it, he was a collection of classic tropes: "disabled, battle-scarred, older, tragic backstory, treacherous minister villain, scheming one-armed Chancellor"—each one alone was enticing enough.

But Luo Qianyu had no mind to dwell on these.

Within his understanding, the buy-stock gongs who had appeared so far, though troublesome, were at least of lower status and rank than him. If necessary, he could suppress them without much headache. However, this Chancellor before him, though not yet revealed, was the first gong whose status was genuinely higher than the Young Marquis.

Moreover, the reason this Chancellor lost his arm… had a great deal to do with the original host.

As a book transmigrator, Luo Qianyu already knew the Young Marquis’s fate in the book: to have his legs crippled by another gong with just two fingers.

And the gong who crippled his legs was none other than Chancellor Lin before him.

The two characters shared quite a history, but it was one of bitter enmity. In the past, whenever the Young Marquis encountered Chancellor Lin, he showed no respect and often provoked him with all manner of words, repeatedly testing the limits of courting death. Now, it seemed wiser to be cautious and keep his distance as soon as possible.

…

“You’re injured; skip the formalities.”

That person spoke at that moment.

His voice was unhurried, deep, magnetic, and chilling, making one’s ears tingle. If placed in modern times, it would be a definite treat for voice enthusiasts.

Yet this brief sentence alone made cold sweat break out on the Young Marquis’s temples.

Though he was the main villain, his perceptiveness was alarmingly sharp. He had only just lifted the carriage curtain, not even revealing his true appearance—how did he know about the injury to his knee? Could it be deduced solely from the sound? The more one thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed.

“…Thank you for your consideration, Chancellor.” Knowing those words were directed at him, Luo Qianyu pursed his lips slightly, forcibly suppressing the subconscious urge to provoke the other with harsh words, and spoke with difficulty.

He and Lou Xian didn’t move. They had thought Lin Jingyan would settle accounts later over the matter with Quan Songcheng, but before they could even see the man’s face clearly, the curtain was already lowered.

The guards beside them, seeing the Chancellor’s curtain lowered, received the order and called out, “Move out!”

Watching the carriage and horses move away, the coachman dared not delay. Once the two young masters were seated securely in the carriage, he shouted, “Giddyap!” and the carriage jolted into motion.

Lou Xian sat down, unaware of the undercurrents just moments before, but he pondered carefully: “What did Lin Jingyan mean by that earlier… about you being injured?”

Luo Qianyu did not answer, only his complexion looked paler than before.

Lou Xian’s eyelashes flickered, as if he had thought of something. His expression changed, and he immediately leaned down. “Let me see your knee.”

The Young Marquis was startled and firmly refused: “No.”

Lou Xian seemed determined. One hand had already grasped the corner of the brocade robe. Seeing the other clutching it tightly and refusing to let go, he softened his voice to coax: “My dear, let me see.”

Luo Qianyu scolded, “I said it’s nothing. What nonsense are you up to?”

Who would have thought that this time Lou Xian did not yield to him? He half-knelt on the ground and, in an instant, removed his shoe and white silk sock, revealing a bare ankle.

“Lou Xian!”

Luo Qianyu was not as quick with his hands. His voice tinged with anger as he watched the other about to be stripped as well. He kicked Lou Xian’s shoulder. “It’s cold… What madness has gotten into you! Give me back my shoes and socks.”

Just after kicking, the Young Marquis froze for a moment.

Lou Xian usually appeared to have a similar build to him—both in their growing teenage years. He hadn’t expected that even with seventy percent of his strength behind the kick, the other remained unmoved.

Not only did he not move, but he also grasped his ankle and tucked it into his own embrace.