Chapter 58: Tit for Tat (II)

Chapter 58: Tit for Tat (II)

Qi Hongzhuang greeted him and then made to leave.

The Seventh Prince followed her, as if she were an old friend: "I didn't expect that Shiniang could still tell me apart from Sixth Brother. Just by looking at my back, you knew who I was. That really touches Little Seven."

Qi Hongzhuang said calmly, "He taught me. If he could tell us apart, so can I."

"Is that so?" The Seventh Prince let out an odd laugh. "...Can he really tell us apart?"

The remark was strange, causing Qi Hongzhuang to turn back and glance at him calmly. "Seventh Master, your words are unreasonable. Why ask me about this?"

"I carry his memorial tablet with me. If you have any questions, go ask him yourself."

Having shed his opulent winter attire, many of the Seventh Prince's personal ornaments were now exposed.

Around his neck hung a pendant the size of a fingertip, carved into the shape of a peanut, with detailed texture and exquisite craftsmanship.

If it were made of pure gold, its weight would be enough to weigh down the neck.

Whether others knew or not, the Seventh Prince himself was well aware that Qi Hongzhuang was clearly a thorn in Le Wuya's side.

Back then, when the first memorial impeaching Le Wuya was suddenly brought out and publicly discussed at the court assembly, Xiang Zhishi had already guessed that trouble was brewing.

What followed was only natural.

All the ministers rose to impeach him. He was convicted, imprisoned, and his property confiscated. He fell ill and died, and his corpse was mutilated.

The teacher died, but Qi Hongzhuang survived.

Not only did she survive, but she was only demoted by one rank, still enjoying the honor of a county princess.

To have saved her life from the Emperor's hands, Le Wuya's deliberate words to distance himself from her in his last testament were far from enough.

...She must have done something.

"Then I must go pay my respects. Over the years, the teacher has been rather sparing, rarely appearing in my dreams." The Seventh Prince raised his hand and twirled his small golden peanut, letting out a faint sneer. "Shiniang came from Tonglu to Nanting, yet she still carries the teacher's memorial tablet along. I truly didn't know that Shiniang and the teacher had such a close bond."

Qi Hongzhuang couldn't be bothered with him and said flatly, "Because he and I are husband and wife, wedded in the sight of heaven and earth."

The Seventh Prince was silent for a moment.

He then broke into a smile, revealing his charming dimples. "Shiniang's words are mistaken. Back in the Zhaoming Hall that day, although few knew of the teacher's last words, surely Shiniang knows them?"

Qi Hongzhuang: "Whether I know or not, what difference does it make? The man is gone. He left little legacy in this world, only me, his widow. No matter what, I will treat him well. But I wonder, Seventh Master, you have remained unmarried for many years—for whom are you remaining chaste?"

The Seventh Prince: "Naturally, I am waiting for the one my heart desires."

Qi Hongzhuang gracefully curtsied. "Then I wish that Seventh Master soon finds his beloved, and does not waste too much time."

With that, she ignored him and walked straight out.

Although she was tall and slender, with delicate shoulders and a narrow waist, appearing quite frail, she had been used to rough work since childhood and had a backbone of steel. She walked with a vigorous stride and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The Seventh Prince watched her disappear with a smile, then returned to his room with a faint smile. He ordered his attendant Kong Yangping to go out and look for good food in Nanting besides the Four Seas Restoran.

Back in his room, he sat down at the table where a vase of flowers was placed, the smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.

The flowers in the vase were fresh and lovely, still bearing dewdrops.

The Seventh Prince gently stroked the petals with his fingertips.

...Husband and wife.

...Wedded in the sight of heaven and earth.

...Widow.

A stifling anger swelled in his heart.

He suddenly pushed the vase, and it fell to the ground, shattering into more than a dozen pieces.

The sound of breaking greatly soothed and delighted Xiang Zhishi.

He stared at the mess on the floor, rubbed his thumb and fingers together, as if he didn't know who had caused this mess, and sighed with regret: "...Oh dear."

...

When the Seventh Prince arrived at the county office, it was just the end of the workday.

Le Wuya planned to go out and treat himself to a nice meal. As he slipped out the back door, he came face to face with the Seventh Prince, dressed as a wealthy young gentleman, leaning lazily against a jewelry stall, waving him over.

Le Wuya: "...Don't you two brothers have any proper business to attend to?"

Seeing that he was obediently wearing his own clothes, the Seventh Prince felt a secret joy. As he approached, his voice carried laughter: "What bad things are you thinking about me?"

Le Wuya composed himself and was about to bow when the Seventh Prince grabbed his sleeve and pulled him forward playfully, nearly making him lose his footing and fall down the steps.

The Seventh Prince pulled him along: "I know you're not one to follow the rules. Why restrain yourself in front of me and make yourself unhappy?"

As he spoke, he had already reached the jewelry shop. He placed a jeweled hairpin into Le Wuya's hair and admired it with satisfaction: "Beautiful."

Le Wuya touched his temple: "Is it the person or the hairpin that's beautiful?"

"They complement each other, that's the most beautiful." The Seventh Prince declared, "Buy it!"

Then he turned and strode away.

Le Wuya: "...I'm buying it?"

The Seventh Prince turned back, his smile exceptionally bright and cheerful in the setting sun: "Surely the esteemed Magistrate wouldn't default on a debt?"

He turned around again, but as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he raised his hand and commanded half serious, half joking: "Wear it. If you don't, I'll submit a memorial to the emperor and have your head chopped off."

Le Wuya, who was about to pull the hairpin down, froze.

...He reluctantly opened his purse, suddenly realizing that this seemed to be the first time since his rebirth that he had been forced to spend money.

Le Wuya thought, as expected of Little Seven, he came just to annoy him.

But he wasn't angry; instead, he let out a spirited laugh and followed.

Xiang Zhishi's trip this time, unlike his elder brother's, was truly for official business.

In spring, apricots were ripe, but it was evening, and the good ones had mostly been picked over.

Xiang Zhishi was quite patient, picking through a pile of apricots one by one.

This method of selection was, in theory, very annoying, but without saying a word, he simply tossed a string of cash into the stall owner's lap.

The stall owner said nothing more and quietly shrank into a corner to count his money.

Xiang Zhishi quietly picked apricots: "My father ordered us to inspect the mineral resources in various regions. Fifth Brother took this assignment, and I’ll handle it with Second and Fourth Brothers. As it happens, there’s a mine in a place I’m familiar with, which nearly caused a rebellion case not long ago—how could I not come to investigate?"

Le Wuya couldn’t help thinking of the person who had left without a word the other day: "What about him?"

Xiang Zhishi acted as if he hadn’t heard, picked up a beautiful apricot, wiped it on his lapel, and held it to Le Wuya’s lips: "Try it—this one looks sweet."

Even though he had expected it, Le Wuya’s cheeks went completely numb from the sourness as he bit through the skin.

Xiang Zhishi was quite satisfied with his expression and said innocently, "...Oh, right, who was the Magistrate talking about just now?"

Le Wuya thought about the consequences of throwing him into the Nanting River and gradually calmed down: "...No one. Does Your Honor want to go inspect now?"

"It’s getting too late. We’ll check tomorrow."

After picking the apricots, Xiang Zhishi stood up and said cheerfully, "Treat me to something to eat. Last time I had the pastries at Sihai Tower, they were pretty good."

The pastries at Sihai Tower weren’t expensive, but Le Wuya knew that sitting face-to-face with this man would mean a war of words with no end.

Unfortunately, in this life, he was born into a minor official’s position, unable to retort standing tall—truly frustrating.

Le Wuya refused: "Your subordinate has a meager salary..."

Xiang Zhishi leaned in curiously with his hands behind his back and asked, "You don’t take bribes, huh?"

Le Wuya: "The people’s hard-earned money—how would I dare?"

Xiang Zhishi nodded: "So you’re trying to trick me into footing the bill."

Le Wuya: "Your subordinate once bought General Pei plain noodles."

"You treated him, but not me?"

"If it’s plain noodles, right this way, Your Honor."

Xiang Zhishi didn’t fall for it: "Nope. I want the pastries from Sihai Tower."

Le Wuya: "..."

His tantrum had a touch of his own old style.

Easy to pick up bad habits, but hard to learn good ones.

"One hair from Your Honor’s head is thicker than your subordinate’s waist—why are you giving me a hard time?" Le Wuya spotted the necklace on his chest and gave an example, "For instance, that gold ornament of yours is worth three years of my salary."

"Three years?" Xiang Zhishi looked down with a subtle expression, rubbing the small gold peanut with his fingertip, "You couldn’t earn that in a hundred years."

Le Wuya: "..." Hey, that's too harsh.