On the way back to the estate, Rong Xun had Wenxi share the carriage with him.
“Princess Consort, are we heading back not long after we came out?”
“What, reluctant to go back?”
Wenxi lowered his head and smiled with embarrassment. He indeed still wanted to play outside a little longer.
Rong Xun took in his reaction and patted Wenxi’s shoulder with a smile. “Rest assured, I have a task for you in a few days. You can go out and play for as long as you want then.”
“Really?!” Wenxi raised his head happily. “What task is it?”
“I’ll tell you when we get back. For now, there is something I am rather curious about.”
Rong Xun quietly glanced outside the carriage. Duo Fu, Changji, and Changning were all staying a relatively safe distance away. Relieved, Rong Xun sat back down and lowered his voice. “Wenxi, you were four years old when you left the Marquis of Yong’an’s estate. How much do you remember about things there?”
“Um, let this servant think.” Wenxi furrowed his brow and tried hard to recall. After a moment, he said, “Princess Consort, this servant doesn’t remember much. I only remember that Concubine Zhuang often gave me delicious food. I don’t have much impression of anything else.”
“It’s fine.” Rong Xun didn’t really hold much hope anyway. He couldn’t clearly recall things from when he was four or five years old either. It was already quite impressive that Wenxi still remembered Concubine Zhuang. Concubine Zhuang was the original body’s birth mother, though the original body had no memories of her, and Rong Xun had no idea what she looked like.
Wenxi curiously asked Rong Xun, “Princess Consort, why did you suddenly ask about memories from when you were five years old?”
“It’s nothing. I just saw Fourth Brother today and was reminded of past events.”
During the previous home visit, Tan Taisi had asked him whether he knew when his other three brothers passed away. Although Tan Taisi was probing him at the time, Rong Xun suddenly found himself curious as well. It was just that too much time had passed, and the matter was likely untraceable now.
Hearing him bring up Rong Xu, Wenxi grew somewhat gossipy. “During the time I lived in the Marquis’s estate, I often heard the little maidservants in the Fourth Young Master’s courtyard say that the Fourth Young Master spends all day in his courtyard chanting scriptures and refining pills, which infuriated Concubine Jiang to no end.”
“Is that so?” Rong Xun grew interested as well. “Why didn’t you mention this before? Why is Fourth Brother so obsessed with these things?”
“This servant doesn’t understand either, but the little maid by his side said the Fourth Young Master wanted to become a Daoist monk and leave home a long time ago. It’s just that the Marquis wouldn’t agree, so he never managed to leave.”
Rong Xun clicked his tongue in surprise a few times. He actually admired Rong Xu quite a bit. Rong Huaizhou always prioritized family interests, yet born into such a prominent family as the Marquis’s estate, Rong Xu dared to want to become a monk. He truly had courage.
The master and servant chatted about the topic of Rong Xu becoming a monk and didn’t even notice when the carriage arrived back at the Prince of Chen’s estate. It wasn’t until Duo Fu gave a gentle reminder that they alighted from the carriage.
“Princess Consort, should we go greet the Prince?” Duo Fu asked after draping a cloak over Rong Xun.
Rong Xun thought for a moment. “No need. The Prince is likely in his study right now, so it wouldn’t be convenient to disturb him. Go ahead and get busy, Steward Duo. I will go look for the Prince later.”
“Understood. Princess Consort, this servant has one more matter.”
“Speak.”
“In a few days, this servant will hand over the estate’s ledgers to the Princess Consort.”
Rong Xun paused his steps. “Why are you handing them to me?”
“The Prince expressed his hope that the Princess Consort would take over the management of the estate sooner rather than later.”
Rong Xun hadn’t expected this matter to arrive so quickly. He had only just learned how to use an abacus and wasn’t even familiar with it yet. Managing such a massive estate, he had no idea if he would mess things up. Tan Taisi truly trusted him.
Perhaps sensing Rong Xun’s inner concerns, Duo Fu took the initiative to speak. “Princess Consort need not worry. This servant will be right by your side to assist you.”
“Then many thanks, Steward Duo!” Rong Xun felt a wave of relief. Duo Fu had managed the estate for so many years. Having his help would make things twice as easy with half the effort.
After returning to the southern courtyard, Rong Xun took off his cloak and hurried straight into the small study. “Wenxi, go fetch my dowry ledger.”
“Yes, Princess Consort.”
When Wenxi brought out the dowry ledger, he saw that Rong Xun had laid out several sheets of paper on the desk and was frantically writing something.
“Princess Consort, what are you doing?”
“I am planning my assets.” Rong Xun opened the dowry ledger and circled the restaurants and textile shops listed inside. “Wenxi, take this. In three days, go take a look at these places.”
Wenxi took the paper with a bewildered expression, looking at the addresses written on it. “Princess Consort, what is this servant supposed to go look at in these places?”
“Go see how the business is doing at these locations, and especially check their account ledgers to see if they are clear and accurate.” Lady Chen had handed over those restaurants and textile shops far too readily. Who knows if there were hidden problems inside.
Rong Xun unbuckled the token from his waist. “Take this with you, and they won’t doubt your identity.”
“Yes, Princess Consort.” Wenxi still didn’t quite understand what Rong Xun was planning to do. However, his young master had always been clever, so sending him to do this must have a good reason.
In Tan Taisi’s study, Changji stood respectfully to the side, waiting until Tan Taisi finished his current task before stepping forward to report.
“Your Highness.”
“Why are you back so early?”
Changji pulled a piece of paper from his tunic and respectfully presented it to Tan Taisi. “The Princess Consort was feeling unwell, and the wind outside picked up, so he returned early.”
“Unwell? Did he run a fever again?” Tan Taisi asked as he unfolded the paper handed over by Changji.
Six large characters jumped out at him unawares: “Rong Xun was here.”
The strokes of these characters lacked any sense of weight or control, and the handwriting was crooked and distorted like earthworms crawling across the page. Tan Taisi’s own handwriting had been meticulously taught to him by multiple master calligraphers. He had never seen such unpublishable calligraphy in his life. His brow twitched violently.
“What is this?”
Changji hesitated for a few seconds before speaking the truth: “Replying to Your Highness, this was written by the Princess Consort.”
He relayed everything that happened today word for word to Tan Taisi, including running into Rong Xu.
Tantai Si pinched the piece of paper in his hand as he listened. “You’re saying the Princess Consort ran into Qi Sihuo today?”
“Yes. Judging by the look of it, Young Master Qi is very eager to be acquainted with the Princess Consort.”
“This king understands. Dismissed, continue monitoring the Princess Consort.”
“Yes, this subordinate takes his leave.” Changji cupped his fists in salute and backed out of the room.
Tantai Si carefully recalled Changji’s report. Judging by Changji’s feedback, Rong Xun and Qi Sihuo genuinely did not know each other. If Rong Huaizhou truly harbored any ulterior motives, how could Rong Xun not know about the people from the Duke of Song’s household?
Tantai Si couldn’t quite figure it out. Subconsciously, he picked up Rong Xun’s piece of paper and took another look.
The thin sheet of paper in his hand was impatiently flicked away by Tan Taisi. Floating in the air for a few rounds, the paper bearing “Rong Xun was here” slowly landed right on top of a piece of calligraphy Tan Taisi had written earlier.
“Life is like dew, the Heavenly Dao is vast and lingering.”
“Rong Xun was here.”
Comparing the two styles of handwriting only made Rong Xun’s penmanship look all the more horrifyingly atrocious. Tan Taisi pressed his temples with a headache. If Rong Huaizhou wanted to plant a spy, couldn’t he at least find someone presentable? Sending someone like Rong Xun, was he doing it on purpose just to piss him off?
Later that evening, light snow began to fall again. After Rong Xun finished dinner with Tan Taisi, he wanted to slip away back to his own courtyard.
“Princess Consort, wait a moment.”
Rong Xun silently retracted the foot he had stepped forward, turned around, and offered Tan Taisi a smile. “Does the Prince have other matters?”
Tan Taisi sat in his chair, tilting his head slightly as he looked Rong Xun up and down. “Why is the Princess Consort in such a hurry to leave? Is something the matter in your courtyard?”
“Ah, no, not at all.” Rong Xun awkwardly rubbed his hands together. “I just figured the Prince might have official business to attend to later, so I shouldn’t linger here and disturb you.”
“I happen to have no matters today. Why doesn’t the Princess Consort accompany me to the study to practice calligraphy and read some books?”
Rong Xun’s head snapped up. “Ah!”
Two large bookshelves stood inside Tan Taisi’s study, and several landscape paintings hung on the wall behind the desk. Rong Xun gripped a brush and stood opposite Tan Taisi, staring at the blank sheet of paper before him with a look of utter despair, unable to make a single stroke for a long time.
“Why isn’t the Princess Consort writing?” Tan Taisi had already finished writing a couple of poetic verses. He twirled the brush in his hand, pleasurably admiring Rong Xun’s current expression.
Rong Xun desperately wanted to hurl the brush in his hand straight at Tan Taisi’s face. Practice what calligraphy! You’re a military prince leading troops into battle, why aren’t you out in the courtyard practicing martial arts instead of wasting time reading and writing poetry with him in the study?
Rong Xun was on the verge of a breakdown. He wasn’t very skilled at writing with a traditional ink brush; outside, he could still shamelessly scribble away, but writing right in front of Tan Taisi would completely expose him.
“Your Highness,” Rong Xun put down his brush with the resignation of someone heading to their execution. “I cannot write.”
Tan Taisi raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Why is that?”
“Because,” Rong Xun lowered his head and rolled his eyes, then suddenly snapped his head up. “Because I’m hungry!”
Tan Taisi put down his calligraphy brush and slowly paced over to stand right in front of Rong Xun. He bent down slightly to look him directly in the eye. “What?”
Rong Xun swallowed hard. “I, I am hungry.”
Oh god, oh god, Rong Xun, how could you come up with such a stupid excuse! Rong Xun cursed himself internally while desperately trying to salvage his lie. “Your Highness might not know this, but I cannot tolerate hunger since I was a child. The moment I get hungry, my hands start shaking, and with my hands shaking, naturally I cannot write. Therefore, your subject cannot write.”
“The Princess Consort sure has a lot of strange ailments.” Tan Taisi leaned in even closer to Rong Xun. “It’s a miracle you managed to grow up with so many problems.”
The corners of Rong Xun’s mouth twitched. Tan Taisi was insulting him in a roundabout way, yet he couldn’t even talk back and had to respond with aggrieved compliance. “Indeed, your subject really had it tough growing up.”
The candlelight in the study was plenty bright. Rong Xun raised his eyes slightly and could clearly see the long eyelashes framing Tan Taisi’s eyes. The two of them were standing way too close, close enough that Rong Xun could even catch the faint, elusive scent lingering on Tan Taisi. Feeling uneasy, he began nervously picking at his fingers and quietly took a few steps back.
“Ahem, Your Highness, I’ll head back first then. It seems I can’t write today. Let’s practice another day, let’s schedule it another day.”
“Don’t go just yet.” Tan Taisi moved with lightning speed, catching Rong Xun’s arm. “Why is the Princess Consort in such a rush?”
As he spoke, his hand slowly slid down to stroke Rong Xun’s palm. A strange, tingling sensation rippled across Rong Xun’s entire body. Before he could even react, Tan Taisi had locked his fingers together with his, their hands completely intertwined.
Rong Xun swallowed hard. “P, Prince, what are you doing?”
“Didn’t the Princess Consort say your hands were shaking? Let this king feel just how badly they are shaking.”
Rong Xun looked at Tan Taisi with disbelief, the temperature in his palms gradually rising. After a brief moment, Tan Taisi hooked his finger under Rong Xun’s chin, the corners of his lips curving upward. “The Princess Consort’s hand isn’t shaking at all. Could it be that you were toying with this king?”
“No, no, my hand really is shaking, it really is!” Rong Xun anxiously tried to pull his hand away from Tan Taisi’s grip. But the disparity in their physical strength was far too vast, and Rong Xun couldn’t pull free at all. In his desperation, he blurted out, “Your Highness, it must be because you’re holding it too tight that you can’t feel it! I can feel it myself, my hand really is shaking!”
After a few moments of silence.
Tan Taisi threw Rong Xun’s hand aside with a dark expression. “Does the Princess Consort take this king for a fool?”
“I…” Rong Xun despairingly closed his eyes. It’s over, is Tan Taisi going to kill me? He was going to get himself killed by this mouth of his sooner or later.
After waiting for a moment and hearing no movement, Rong Xun opened his eyes and cautiously peeked at Tan Taisi. The man was already sitting properly back in his chair, calmly reading through a military strategy book as if the person who threw a tantrum a second earlier wasn’t him at all.
Rong Xun decided to find a new excuse. “Your Highness, I…”
“Didn’t the Princess Consort say you were hungry?” Tan Taisi interrupted Rong Xun’s words, pointing to the empty seat before him. “Come, sit down.”
“D, Do what?” Rong Xun uneasily sat down across from Tan Taisi. Looking at his smile, a chill crept down his spine. This guy was honestly scarier when he smiled.
“Since your stomach is empty, you might as well fill it up before heading back.”