Chapter 158 This Prince Will Go and See

Chapter 158 I’ll Go Take a Look, This Prince

Although Zhao Chongwu had returned to the capital without being summoned this time, he had rendered meritorious service in rescuing the emperor and suppressing the rebellion. With his merits offsetting his faults, His Majesty did not pursue any charges against him.

Instead, he was appointed as a Commandant—a post far from the capital’s center of power, once again sending him to the bitter frontier.

When Zhao Chongwu saw Xiao Yan appear in the private room, his gaze unavoidably paused.

Though he had heard many rumors of Xiao Yan’s return from the dead, this was his first time seeing the living person with his own eyes since coming back to the capital.

"You… you really didn’t die?" asked the former General Zhao, who had witnessed countless lives and deaths, his tone slightly dazed as he sought confirmation.

Xiao Yan answered calmly: "Mm, I didn’t die."

"It’s good that you’re alive, it’s good that you’re alive…"

Zhao Chongwu’s expression was filled with emotion as he sat down at the table and poured a cup of wine for Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan lifted his robe and sat down opposite him. He didn’t touch the wine, instead reaching for the teapot beside him.

"I’ll skip the wine. Let’s have tea instead today."

He deftly poured two cups of tea and slid one across to the other side.

Zhao Chongwu looked at the cup of clear tea before him, his expression turning complex.

"Xiao Yan, I won’t ask how you came back from the dead. I only ask you this," he finally took a sip from the teacup, pondered for a moment, then asked, "Were you faking it all along? Playing dumb and hiding your strength?"

"Yes, that’s right," Xiao Yan said.

A look of "just as I thought" immediately appeared on Zhao Chongwu’s face.

"Now you’ve even stopped drinking. Your pretense back then… was quite convincing."

"Uncle, when I had both your strong backing and His Majesty’s favor, I made too many enemies because I stood out. I think you can see why I had to play it cool."

Zhao Chongwu opened his mouth, then set down his teacup and sighed several times. He found he had no grounds to refute it.

"I heard you’re leaving in three days, Uncle? Though the frontier is harsh, the skies are open and the rules are simple." Seeing Zhao Chongwu lost in his own thoughts, Xiao Yan offered a word of comfort: "A Commandant may be a minor post, but it’s a genuine military position. With your skills, Uncle, you can work your way back through sheer force of arms and seize the chance to start anew."

Zhao Chongwu paused, then nonetheless raised his wine cup and downed it in one gulp. Lifting his eyes, he cast a hawk-like glance over Xiao Yan’s face and gave a slight smirk. "Start anew? You young rascal, you sure know how to talk."

"Commandant… hah, it’s not a big title, but it’s a position that lets you lead troops and fight. Better than rotting away in some godforsaken place with nothing to do. Give me another ten or twenty years, and I’ll get back to that position, no doubt."

After a few drinks, Zhao Chongwu grew more talkative.

"Xiao Yan, if your uncle ever makes a comeback, and you need a hand with something in the capital, I can help out a little."

Xiao Yan hesitated, but asked anyway, "Uncle, you haven’t given up on that idea, have you?"

Zhao Chongwu looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes no longer burning with the fervor and urgency of the past, only the sober clarity that comes from having weathered many storms: "I know what you want to say. You don’t want to contend for that position, do you?"

"Mm."

Besides, Little K had told him.

It had examined the Emperor’s physical condition, and without any external factors interfering, he was healthy and strong enough to live another twenty or thirty years.

Why scramble for it so early? Who knows how many imperial grandsons might still pop up later.

Xiao Yan also wanted to keep Zhao Chongwu out of this messy business.

Now that he had taken on the original owner’s identity and was living—and would continue to live—in this world, Xiao Yan figured he might as well look after the original owner’s family a bit. He had saved Zhao Chongwu’s whole family, and as for the old father in the palace, he would also step in and fulfill his filial duties.

"I saw that a long time ago." In response, Zhao Chongwu said, his tone unusually calm, even with a touch of odd relief. "I just didn’t expect you to have such a strong will of your own. I can’t force you."

Xiao Yan gave a faint smile.

The uncle and nephew chatted for a long time. Zhao Chongwu ended up noting how much Xiao Yan had matured, and felt deeply pleased, and finally left the tavern content and at ease.

Watching the departing figure, Xiao Yan suddenly recalled the question he had asked Liu Qingci that night by the screen wall when leaving the Liu residence.

That day, Liu Qingci had come out to see him off, and Xiao Yan, reluctant to part, had pulled him aside alone near the screen wall to talk.

He had asked him: "Why did you start contacting Zhao Chongwu so early? Back then… you weren’t even sure I’d return."

Liu Qingci just smiled and answered with certainty: "Of course you would come back. Didn’t you tell me so yourself?"

"Once you’re back, with no allies in the capital, you won’t be able to go anywhere."

Liu Qingci’s words, soft in the night breeze, pulled at Xiao Yan’s heart. "Though I couldn’t foresee what would happen later, I couldn’t just sit and wait for disaster. So the moment I realized something was off with this world, I sent someone to find out the news. When I found out that Zhao Chongwu was still alive, I thought he might be able to help us in the future."

Liu Qingci had truly been farsighted, and his judgment was spot-on. Given the situation and our position, Zhao Chongwu had indeed proven a very useful asset. Even now, that move had never misfired.

But recalling how every word Liu Qingci said was for him, how he had planned and strategized for him, how he kept saying "us" and "together"—

Xiao Yan’s heart began to pound in secret, both sweet and bitter.

Ugh… it had been several days since they last met, but it felt like years.

When he got back to the Prince Yu residence, Fu'an was directing the craftsmen in renovating the Lan Yue Pavilion.

Ever since His Highness Prince Yu ordered the entire mansion torn down and rebuilt a few days ago, the place had been in major upheaval.

The biggest changes were in the big rear compound, once home to concubines, entertainers, and male favorites. In its prime, the air was filled with music and perfume.

But ever since His Highness "died" a few months ago, the tree fell and the monkeys scattered. The compound’s occupants had either taken severance and left, or been quietly let go by old servants. People had left, leaving the buildings empty.

Now that His Highness had returned, when Fu'an heard that the rear compound was to be rebuilt, he had assumed it would be turned into something even more decadent, a debauched paradise, ready to welcome a whole new batch of residents…

He had never expected this.

What was now planned and taking shape was a vast, elegant private garden—unlike the front courtyard's opulence, emphasizing instead seclusion and charm.

The strangest thing was the Bamboo Listening Courtyard.

That place was remote and hadn’t been lived in for ages. Yet His Highness had actually remembered it.

One day, Prince Yu personally handed over two sets of blueprints. One was for the Bamboo Listening Courtyard; the other was for the warm chamber in the Lan Yue Pavilion.

The drawings weren’t professional, but they gave an idea of what he wanted. His Highness ordered both places fully restored exactly as shown on the plans.

Now both Lan Yue Pavilion and Bamboo Listening Courtyard were nearly done. Fu'an, busy for many days, looked at the brand-new mansion and wondered.

His Highness’s taste had definitely improved.

"Mm, good job."

Upon returning, Xiao Yan saw the layout was almost exactly as before, and with a pleased expression, tossed a gold ingot to Fu'an.

Looking at the familiar warm chamber, the familiar desk and chess table, he could almost see Liu Qingci sitting at the desk with a scroll in hand, quietly reading for an entire afternoon—or perhaps, after reading for a while, he might walk over to the chess table, play a game against himself, or just sit in silence, sipping tea, a scene of tranquil beauty.

But unfortunately, the man was not there.

Fu'an, standing by, flustered, scrambled to catch the heavy reward, his face beaming with joy, and kept saying, "Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness!"

Having received the reward and seeing his master in good spirits, Fu'an grew even more attentive, stepping closer to report, "Your Highness, there's another coincidence. Today, while I was out purchasing lumber, I happened to see that Young Master Liu's residence is also under renovation!"

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. "The Prime Minister's estate?"

Fu'an replied, "No, it's the newly bestowed mansion that Young Master Liu received, just east of our manor, just one street over."

Liu Qingci had been appointed to an official post, and a rather high-ranking one at that, so according to protocol, he could establish his own household, and thus His Majesty had bestowed a residence as well.

The original mansion, though also an official residence, was a bit old and had a formal layout. As luck would have it, this new mansion was quite close to the Prince Yu's manor.

But the Liu family had been living comfortably in the Prime Minister's estate, which was also quite comfortable. Xiao Yan had no idea that Liu Qingci had started renovating the new mansion—was he planning to move in?

Fu'an sized up his master's mood and added, "When I passed by the gate, I also spotted Young Master Liu with his servant inside..."

"He's there?!"

Fu'an: "Yes, indeed..."

Xiao Yan, who had been too embarrassed to show his face at the Prime Minister's estate for days and thus hadn't seen Liu Qingci…

He tossed another gold ingot to Fu'an as thanks for the tip.

Then, without looking back, he left the manor, only saying, "I'm going to take a look."