People skilled in martial arts possess remarkable hearing.
Every single word of the conversation between Rong Xun and Wenxi traveled clearly into the ears of the two men.
Tang Jiu watched Prince Chen’s expression, not daring to act rashly. He had explicitly instructed the restaurant attendant beforehand not to let anyone else enter. How on earth had these two managed to slip in?
The conversation outside the private room continued.
Wenxi looked around, his expression somewhat nervous.
“Young Master, you really should not say such things. If someone else hears us, we are going to be in big trouble.”
Today was the day Prince Chen was entering the capital, and countless eyes were watching every move.
Rong Xun pouted, letting out a soft sigh. “I was just casually saying it.”
Even though that Prince was a peerless warrior and a formidable hero, Rong Xun was admittedly shallow. If he truly had to spend his entire life with an ugly man who had a crooked nose and squinting eyes, just thinking about it filled him with despair.
Furthermore, if this Prince Chen really was as legendary as the rumors claimed, flying into rages and killing people on a whim, did that mean there was a ninety percent chance he would suffer from domestic violence after marrying him?
And what about sharing a bed?
The more Rong Xun thought about it, the more terrified he felt, and a layer of goosebumps immediately broke out across his skin.
A wave of regret slowly welled up from the depths of his heart.
Previously, he had always felt that as long as he could escape that shabby farmstead on the outskirts and manage to survive, it does not matter who he was married to.
But now Rong Xun realized he was not nearly that broad-minded; it actually mattered quite a bit to him.
As expected, people are always greedy. Once they obtain what they want, they are never satisfied with the status quo.
Looking down at the crowded streets below, Rong Xun blurted out, “Wenxi, how about I run away from this marriage? I do not want to marry anymore.”
“What?!”
Wenxi was so frightened by Rong Xun’s words that his eyes widened in horror. He lowered his voice and said, “Young Master, keep your voice down. If someone with ulterior motives hears you, you will be in deep trouble.”
How could he not know that his young master wanted to avoid the marriage?
“Young Master, the Marquis’s wife is watching you extremely closely right now, she practically has you bound with a rope. How are we supposed to run away?”
“Look at how scared you are.”
Rong Xun chuckled softly. “I was just joking. Like you said, the Marquis’s estate watches me as strictly as a prisoner. How could we possibly escape?”
Besides, this was a marriage personally bestowed by the Emperor himself.
If he actually had the guts to run away, he would probably be dragged back and thrown into a dungeon before he even made it out of the city gates.
Hearing this, Wenxi let out a breath of relief.
He looked at Rong Xun with a heart full of distress. “Young Master, I know you feel terrible inside, but you must not do anything foolish. Besides, neither of us has ever seen Prince Chen, so how can we know for sure that those rumors are true?”
Wenxi believed that anyone who could give up the wealth and glory of the imperial palace, disregard high political power, and resolutely head to the border for ten full years just to safeguard the territory of the Jing Kingdom could not possibly be a bad person.
“What you say makes sense.”
Rong Xun nodded in agreement. “Still, it is better to believe it than not, just in case. Rumors also say that Prince Chen flies into violent rages unpredictably. To avoid getting beaten up after I marry over there, we need to leave ourselves a backup plan. Just in case.”
“This subordinate believes that His Highness Prince Chen is magnanimous and broad-minded, and is certainly not the type of person to bully the weak.”
A strong, resonant voice rang out directly behind Rong Xun, cutting off whatever else he was about to say.
Rong Xun was startled out of his wits.
He whipped around abruptly, suddenly finding two tall, imposing men standing right behind him.
Both men wore masks, hiding their facial features and revealing only a pair of sharp, piercing eyes.
Rong Xun felt a chill plunge straight into his body.
Good grief, everything he had just said with Wenxi had surely been overheard by these two fellows, right?
This was disastrous!
Rong Xun shielded Wenxi behind him, taking a seamless step backward while keeping a wary eye on the sudden arrivals.
Tang Jiu stated with displeasure, “This young master should not just listen to a few random rumors and take them as absolute truth, slandering His Highness Prince Chen in the process.”
Rong Xun blinked. Judging by the voice, this must be the person who had interrupted him earlier.
Was this big brother a die-hard fan of Prince Chen? He had merely spoken a few casual words, and the man had immediately come over to argue with him.
He had never laid eyes on Prince Chen himself either, so how could he be so certain those rumors were entirely false?
Rong Xun cleared his throat, meeting the man’s gaze. “This gentleman, I was merely speaking off the cuff. I had no intention of slandering His Highness Prince Chen. Besides, with so many people spreading these tales, how do you know they are definitely false?”
“You!”
“I just heard the young master mention running away from his marriage?”
Another man spoke up abruptly.
His voice sounded like a cold spring deep within a snowy mountain in midwinter, bright, yet carrying a trace of chilling frost and an imperceptible coolness, projecting an invisible sense of oppression and aloofness.
It gave one a powerful psychological barrier.
Rong Xun looked at him with curiosity.
This man looked to be only in his early twenties; he had a slender build, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist, with powerful muscles straining subtly beneath his simple attire.
Combined with that unique aura and deep, fathomless eyes, he was an absolute stunner, even though his face remained hidden behind a mask.
Based on his years in the entertainment industry and his experience judging countless beauties, Rong Xun was one hundred percent certain this man must be an absolute heartthrob.
However, now was definitely not the time to be acting like a starry-eyed fan.
These two men had heard his words; if they reported this back to the Marquis’s estate, he would be completely doomed.
Rong Xun steadied his expression and said with absolute calm, “This gentleman must have misheard. I never said any such thing.”
“Is that so?”
Tan Tai Si raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curling up slightly beneath his mask. “Did I mishear?”
“What else could it be?”
The hands hidden inside Rong Xun’s sleeves clenched unconsciously into fists. The man standing before him carried an overwhelming pressure, making him feel inexplicably guilty.
Yet, he could not afford to show it. As long as he refused to admit it, there was nothing these two could do to him anyway.
Rong Xun met the masked man’s gaze directly. “I have been out for a very long time. It is about time I went home.”
With that, he tugged on Wenxi’s sleeve. “Let us go. Stop staring at the ground, are you a quail?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Wenxi followed cautiously behind Rong Xun.
The master and servant bypassed the two men and headed toward the exit.
“Will the young master please stay a moment.”
“What is it now?”
Rong Xun turned around with complete composure, fixing his gaze squarely on the person who had called out to him.
“It is nothing major. This subordinate simply wanted to remind the young master not to utter such words in public in the future.”
Prince Chen was returning to the capital after many years away, and countless eyes were lurking in the shadows, keeping watch on him. Tang Jiu feared that someone overhearing such remarks might stir up unnecessary trouble.
Rong Xun retorted defensively, “Then allow me to remind the two of you as well: eavesdropping on private conversations is not exactly the height of good manners.”
“But this place belongs to us, we rented it first.”
Tang Jiu said helplessly, “We have not even blamed the young master for barging uninvited into our rented private space. Is the young master not being a bit unreasonable here?”
Rong Xun’s righteous and confident expression instantly cracked slightly.
Inwardly, he cursed the money-grubbing restaurant attendant a thousand times over.
Still, Rong Xun had always been flexible and knew when to bend. Seeing that he was not entirely in the right, he said stiffly, “In that case, I suppose it is my fault. However, since I had no idea you rented this space, it cannot be entirely my fault either.”
Having said his piece, Rong Xun hurried away with Wenxi in tow.
Tan Tai Si watched Rong Xun’s retreating figure, a flash of obscure and unfathomable light lingering deep within his eyes.
“Your Highness.”
Beneath his mask, Tang Jiu’s expression looked rather grim. He had never expected that on the very first day he and Prince Chen entered the capital, they would run right into the future Princess Chen.
Tan Tai Si cast a casual glance at the crowd below the tavern and leisurely sat back down in his wooden chair.
He poured himself a cup of tea, blowing gently over the floating tea leaves one by one.
“We previously instructed you to investigate the future Princess Chen, but the actual person diverges quite a bit from what your investigation yielded.”
“Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
Tang Jiu cupped his fists in a salute. “This subordinate… this subordinate is not quite sure what happened either. The Seventh Young Master of the Marquis’s estate was raised in a deep courtyard since childhood and rarely stepped outside. The information available on him was truly sparse.”
As he spoke, cold sweat began to bead on Tang Jiu’s forehead.
The secret guards’ report had clearly described the Seventh Young Master of the Marquis’s estate as a gentle, refined, exceptionally talented, and world-weary scholar who kept away from disputes. How did that match the person they had just encountered today in any way?
“Forget it.”
Tan Tai Si set his teacup down casually, the liquid inside remaining as calm and smooth as a mirror.
“Prepare yourselves. We are leaving the city.”
To him, having one more or one fewer person in the prince’s estate made no difference.
Since the little Emperor had gone to such painstaking lengths to forcefully cram a consort into his household, he would simply accept it. Keeping someone fed in the estate did not cost much silver anyway.
A mere decorative ornament, a living ornament at that.
Being a little foolish did not matter; what he feared most was someone trying to be clever.
Tang Jiu accepted the order, escorting Tan Tai Si away silently from the shadows.
On the way back, Rong Xun grew utterly exhausted listening to Wenxi chant “Amitabha” and “Bodhisattva protect us” over and over again.
Finally, at a street corner, Rong Xun could take no more.
He turned around and clamped a hand over Wenxi’s mouth, on the verge of a breakdown.
“Big brother, please stop chanting. You are going to brainwash me.”
Wenxi blinked in utter confusion, not understanding what brainwashing meant, but thinking back to what had just happened, he began to tremble with fear all over again.
He hurriedly avoided Rong Xun’s hand and continued his lament:
“Amitabha, Bodhisattva protect us, may today’s events never leak out. If Prince Chen finds out about this, it is going to be no laughing matter.”
Rong Xun sighed speechlessly.
He patted Wenxi’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Wenxi, the Buddha is very busy, and Guanyin is also very busy. Let us not bother them with trivial, sesame-sized matters like ours. Trust me, nothing will happen. No matter how extraordinary Prince Chen is, he cannot possibly find out about what happened today.”
Unless he had been standing right there in person.
Wenxi asked with a jittery and anxious heart, “Really?”
“Really, do not be scared. As long as I do not run away from this marriage, who could possibly do anything to me?”
The Marquis’s wife was counting on him to marry into Prince Chen’s estate to save her own precious son’s life, after all.
Rong Xun’s words seemed to offer a tiny bit of comfort to Wenxi, as he did not seem quite as terrified as before.
Seeing this, Rong Xun smiled. “Do not worry. Even if something actually goes wrong, I am here to take the hit.”
The sky was growing dark.
Realizing it was almost the hour of You, Wenxi anxiously urged Rong Xun onward.
“Young Master, let us hurry back. It is almost time for dinner. If someone discovers you are not in the Nuanxiang Pavilion, the household is going to start searching everywhere.”
“Then let us run back. Wenxi, keep up!”
With that, Rong Xun genuinely picked up his pace and jogged toward the Marquis’s estate.
“Hey, Young Master, wait for me!”
Taking a shortcut back, the pair intended to slip through their usual hidden hole in the wall.
However, right as they neared the vicinity of the Marquis’s estate, they crashed right into a group of servants from the Yong’an Marquis’s household.
Looking at the leading Nanny Wang, Rong Xun offered an awkward smile.
Truly unfortunate timing.
“Ouch!”
Rong Xun was shoved down roughly onto the floor by a servant, a sharp, piercing pain shooting straight through his knees.
He turned his head to glare at the footman, silently hurling curses in his mind.
“Where on earth has Xun’er been? You have given your mother quite a search.”
On the main seat, Madam Chen, the legal wife of the Marquis, sat with a darkened expression, staring down at Rong Xun kneeling on the floor.
Her face clearly reflected deep displeasure.
Occupying the other main seat was a middle-aged man around forty years of age, who was undoubtedly the Yong’an Marquis himself.
Rong Xun sneered inwardly. As his biological father, this was the first time he was laying eyes on him in seventeen years. How terribly ironic.
According to the original owner’s memories, he only knew the Yong’an Marquis was named Rong Huaizhou, and nothing else.
Right now, the Yong’an Marquis simply sat sipping a cup of tea in total silence.
Toward this illegitimate youngest son he had never met before, he could not even be bothered to spare a single glance.
The main hall was filled to capacity with members of the Rong family.
Rong Xun knelt on the polished floor, taking stock of each of them one by one without drawing notice.
Sitting in chairs nearby were two young men, two of Rong Xun’s older brothers.
Rong Xun recognized one of them: Rong Xuan, the legal second son of the Marquis’s household. This fellow was overbearing, arrogant, and thoroughly unreasonable.
On the third day after entering the mansion, Rong Xuan had swaggered over to the Nuanxiang Pavilion to subject him to a round of sarcastic sneers and mockery.
Spotting the maid Qing’er standing beside Rong Xuan, Rong Xun immediately understood why his whereabouts had been exposed.
He had wondered how it was that he and Wenxi had barely been out for very long before alerting the Marquis’s household, prompting a massive search party to hunt him down outside.
This little maid was not just sharp-tongued; she clearly had some genuine competence.
Seeing Rong Xun remain silent, Madam Chen’s expression grew even gloomier.
Her gaze shifted to Wenxi, who was kneeling behind Rong Xun.
“What a clumsy, stupid servant. Not only do you fail to properly take care of your young master on ordinary days, but today you even dared to let him wander out of the estate at will. If any accident had befallen him, ten lives of yours would not be enough to pay for it.”
With that, Madam Chen barked toward the doorway, “Someone, drag him out and give him one hundred heavy board strikes!”
“Wait!”
Forget one hundred board strikes; it was questionable whether anyone could even survive fifty.
Madam Chen was clearly trying to take Wenxi’s life as a means to make an example out of him and put Rong Xun firmly in his place.
Rong Xun shielded Wenxi behind him, raising his eyes to meet Madam Chen’s gaze directly.
“Mother, please calm your anger. Going out today was entirely my own idea and had nothing to do with Wenxi. If you want to punish someone, punish me.”
“Failing to serve one’s master properly is the slave’s fault.”
Before Madam Chen could speak, Rong Xuan chimed in with a sarcastic, mocking tone. Lounging in his chair without a shred of proper posture, he bore no resemblance whatsoever to a young gentleman of a noble family.
“Your third brother speaks reasonably. Failing to look after your master is the servant’s fault. Someone, take him.”
Before Madam Chen’s voice had even faded, two burly footmen stepped into the room.
Rong Xun planted himself firmly in front of Wenxi, shielding him with his body.
His gaze grew progressively colder.
The Yong’an Marquis on the main seat remained utterly silent, watching the scene unfold as if it were a farce playing out for his entertainment.
Rong Xun straightened his posture, adopting a remarkably unyielding stance.
“If Mother insists on punishing Wenxi, I will not stand by and let myself escape unscathed either. Since the fault is mine to begin with, I might as well end my life right here to atone for it, so that no one else is implicated by my actions.”
As his words fell, the expressions of everyone inside the room shifted instantly.
Even Madam Chen’s meticulously maintained mask of benevolent pretense fractured with a visible crack.
“Are you threatening me?”
“I would not dare threaten Mother. I am merely taking responsibility for the mistakes I have made.”
Rong Xun’s words left no room for fault to be picked.
“It seems I am simply not destined to marry Prince Chen after all. Please, Mother, choose someone else, and I will go end my life right now.”
“…”
“Enough!”
The Yong’an Marquis finally spoke up, shattering the deadlock within the room.
He lifted his eyes to glance at Rong Xun, his gaze filled with undisguised aversion.
Rong Xun: “…”
What kind of act was this old fogey putting on?
Rong Huaizhou said impatiently, “Drag him away and have someone properly discipline him, so he does not end up making a fool of himself once he marries into Prince Chen’s estate and bringing disgrace upon the reputation of my Yong’an Marquis’s household.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Facing Rong Huaizhou, Madam Chen instantly reverted to her gentle and submissive demeanor.
“Nanny Wang.”
She instructed the head housekeeper by her side, “Properly instruct the Seventh Young Master in our household rules.”
With that, she turned back to Rong Xun. “From this moment until the day of your wedding, you are forbidden from stepping a single foot out of the Nuanxiang Pavilion. Stay inside, learn your manners properly, and wait for the wedding.”
Rong Xun let out an internal sigh of relief. “Yes, Mother.”