The two chatted for nearly half an hour, and the tea house attendant refilled their water three times. When Mistress Xu lifted the curtain to enter, Xue You was already gone.
Xiao Yanshi was stroking his tea cup, lost in thought, when he was poked in the shoulder. He looked up, bewildered. “Are you finished with your work, Mistress Xu?”
“I’m not busy today; it’s your business that should keep you busy.” Mistress Xu placed a plate of pastries in front of him and laughed. “You’ve filled yourself with nothing but tea; have something to pad your stomach.”
“Mm.” Xiao Yanshi ate two or three pieces with cold tea and stopped. No matter the flavor, pastries were a bit too cloying for his taste.
“Did you not reach an agreement?” Mistress Xu asked, concerned by Xiao Yanshi’s weary expression.
Xiao Yanshi shook his head. “We did. He is willing to marry.”
“Then why do you look so bitter?” Mistress Xu didn’t understand.
“I am thinking of how to tell my father.” Xiao Yanshi was deeply troubled. “Given his temperament, breaking both my legs would be the mildest punishment.”
Mistress Xu realized the gravity of the situation but still chuckled. “You truly deserve a bit of family discipline this time…”
Xiao Yanshi stayed at the tea house until after dinner before returning to the estate. As he entered the courtyard, he saw Xiao Yue waiting at the entrance.
“Heir.” Xiao Yue hurried over to meet him.
“Let’s speak inside.”
As night fell, snow began to drift over Jiangling again. Xiao Yanshi had walked back to the estate; a thick layer of snow had accumulated on his shoulders, and he immediately shed his cloak upon entering the room. The charcoal fire in the room was burning brightly, and he sat beside it to poke at the coals. “How did the investigation go?”
“On that day, the Second Prince did not summon Young Master Xue in advance. It seems he was merely carrying food to visit a beggar in the neighboring alley, but he was blocked by the Second Prince’s men at the alley entrance. With no way to avoid them, he had no choice but to head upstairs.” Xiao Yue studied Xiao Yanshi’s expression. “The woman who was sent into your room has also been investigated; she is neither a subordinate of the Second Prince nor does she have any connection to Young Master Xue.”
“That woman was timid and, fearing for your safety, rushed to the estate to find the housekeeper. At that moment, the eldest Young Master was present, so the group hurried over without another thought. Who could have guessed that the Second Prince’s men were guarding the flower house the entire time? Once they got word, they reported it to the Second Prince, and as for what happened afterward… you are already aware, Heir.”
Xiao Yanshi remained focused on the fire. He showed no reaction to Xiao Yue’s report until the latter hesitantly called out to him. Only then did Xiao Yanshi slowly withdraw his hand. “The news spread so rapidly; have you found the person behind it?”
Xiao Yue shook his head. “Not yet.”
“That is strange,” Xiao Yanshi watched the charcoal split under the heat, orange flames leaping forward like claws, and he smiled lightly. “I have only been in Jiangling for a few days, and already someone is conspiring against me…”
“Heir, who could it be?” Xiao Yue had followed Xiao Yanshi for years, mostly slaughtering foes on the battlefield; he was truly ill-equipped for the overt and covert conspiracies of the capital.
“The person behind this could not have done it just to ruin my reputation.” Xiao Yanshi signaled for Xiao Yue to bring the name register from the table. He flipped through it, then turned his palm over and tossed it into the fire.
“Wait, Heir…”
As the fire licked the pages, turning the register to black ash, Xiao Yue didn’t understand. “Keeping this might have been useful.”
“Useful for what?” Xiao Yanshi tapped his own head with a fingertip. “Memorizing it here is enough.”
“Ah, the Heir has already memorized all of it?!” Xiao Yue was shocked. “I only gave it to you just before you left…”
Xiao Yanshi raised an eyebrow. “Is one afternoon not enough time?”
“But weren’t you meeting someone at Mistress Xu’s?” Xiao Yue found it incredible. “Can you even memorize things while talking business?”
How much could he really commit to memory while multitasking?
“Memorizing the gist is enough; any more is useless.” Xiao Yanshi stood up and stretched his limbs. “Work hard these next few days. Find some trustworthy men to watch the perimeter of the Princess’s Estate. Keep a close eye on any movements from that Third Young Master.”
“Does the Heir suspect that he is…”
“Since he is the one I am to marry, I must be cautious, lest I invite some man-eating ghost into the Marquis Estate.” Xiao Yanshi spoke with implication. “And as for Xue Shao, for the next few days, tell everyone I am unwell and not receiving guests.”
“What if he uses his status as an Imperial Prince to pressure us?” Xiao Yue sighed; it wasn’t as if the other party hadn’t done that before.
“Rest assured, he won’t dare to do so for the next few days.” Xiao Yanshi removed his outer robe and headed toward the inner room. Xiao Yue looked at his back and couldn’t help but ask, “Is the Heir sleepy already?”
“What else am I to do if I don’t sleep? There are too many bothersome matters; the more I think, the more my head aches.”
“True enough.” Xiao Yue pushed the door to leave. Just as he was about to close it, he couldn’t resist asking one last question. “Heir, why not use the Thirteenth and his men to investigate? It would be much easier for them to probe into Jiangling’s affairs…”
“Such trivial matters don’t require them. Just probe for now; if there are truly no results, or if the mastermind intervenes, pull them back.” Xiao Yanshi stared at the bed canopy above him. “My battlefield has never been here. The Northern Frontier… that is where it lies.”
“Yes, Heir.”
Xiao Yanshi hid away in the Marquis Estate for a few days until it was time to attend the morning court session. Xiao Yue brought his official robes early in the morning, and Xiao Yanzhi followed. The two watched as Xiao Yanshi dressed; just before he left, Xiao Yanzhi called him back.
“Brother, what is it?” Xiao Yanshi glanced at the time. It was about right; he wasn’t particularly anxious. When it came to morning court, arriving early only meant standing outside blowing in the cold wind. Besides, the events of the past few days hadn’t yet settled; the moment they saw him, most would likely just come over to gossip. Xiao Yanshi had no desire to be the subject of their entertainment, so he planned to arrive right on time.
“You have spent many years in the Northern Frontier; you have never feared heaven or earth. But this is Jiangling. No matter what happened that day, today you must act as if you know nothing.” Xiao Yanzhi patted Xiao Yanshi’s collar and stuffed three large meat buns and a water skin of hot tea into his hands.
The meat buns, fresh from the steamer, were still a bit hot to the touch. Xiao Yanshi smiled and took a bite. “Do not worry, brother.”
Xiao Yanzhi waved his hand. “Go, do not be late and give them more ammunition for gossip.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Yanshi rode off on his horse.
The winter streets were empty and quiet. Xiao Yanshi rode to the palace gate. Seeing it was still early, he found a wind-sheltered spot and started munching on his buns with an air of unconcern.
“Oh, who could this be? It is our brave, undefeated Heir of the Pingbei Marquis! What is this? After drinking at the flower house, the eldest Young Master Xiao won’t even give you breakfast?”
Three men strolled up to Xiao Yanshi. One was fair-skinned and handsome, though his brows carried a hint of frivolity, and his tone was malicious. Xiao Yanshi swallowed the last bite of his bun and cast a glance at him. “Unlike you, Heir Feng; since you cannot digest your food, you should stop spitting out excrement first thing in the morning.”
“Pfft…” The two beside him couldn’t help but laugh.
“You!” Feng Yu’s face flushed red with rage. “You are just as foul-mouthed as always, full of shit and piss; no wonder you were raised in that ignorant, short-sighted Northern Frontier!”
Xiao Yanshi scoffed lightly. “Look at that, those words didn’t come from my mouth, but from yours, Heir Feng… you are a grown man, yet you still wet your pants.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? When did I wet my pants? Don’t you dare you, you, you! What are you doing?!” Feng Yu was caught off guard when Xiao Yanshi splashed him with water. In the freezing winter, the water droplets turned to ice in moments, making them particularly conspicuous.
Xiao Yanshi put the water skin back on his horse’s saddle and said dismissively, “Go back and change your clothes now, and you might make it in time. Or I can help Heir Feng ask for leave from His Majesty; no need to thank me.”
“You!” Feng Yu’s legs were trembling entirely from the cold.
Xiao Yanshi didn’t forget to pour more oil on the fire. “Wetting your pants is a minor matter. But if you freeze off that ‘important’ piece of yours, that would be a true loss. Is Heir Feng certain he still wants to stand here and engage in this pointless debate with me?”
A rogue had the demeanor of a rogue. Xiao Yanshi deliberately aimed his gaze at Feng Yu’s crotch and sighed. “The Prince of Suining’s estate relies on you as their only seedling. If you really freeze it off, I fear the entire Suining Prince’s estate will weep themselves into a faint…”
“Perhaps Heir Feng should head back to the Prince’s estate first…”
“Exactly, it’s freezing outside; don’t ruin your health…”
The two beside him, seeing that the situation had turned sour, hastily advised. Feng Yu bit his lip in anger, but his legs were shaking from the cold. Finally, after spitting out a curse, he scrambled into his carriage and left. The two who had been with him, knowing better than to cross Xiao Yanshi, quickly slipped away.
Xiao Yanshi leaned against his horse and suddenly said, “Master Liang, you’ve finished watching the show, haven’t you? Why don’t you leave?”
“The Heir is joking. This official was not watching a show; I only arrived a little late and did not want to disturb the two Heirs, so I was waiting on the side.” A man walked out from the side, tall, upright, and handsome.
Xiao Yanshi recognized him. Liang Yan, the Investigating Censor of the Palace, seventh rank. The rank was low, but Xiao Yanshi happened to recognize him. Liang Yan was of humble origins, having placed seventeenth in the imperial examinations two years ago—not particularly eye-catching among the scholars. But his capability went far beyond that. According to custom, those below the top seven were sent to provinces as officials, with a chance to be promoted to a capital position after three years of outstanding performance. In reality, most remained in their original regions with few promotions.
But Liang Yan was different. After serving in Pingliang Commandery for half a year, he was recalled and kept in Jiangling. In just over a year, he was now serving in the Censorate. A seventh-rank official was nothing in Jiangling, but Xiao Yanshi had heard that his current position had quite a bit of “water” in it. The Censorate was filled with pedantic, rule-following people, but Liang Yan was not one of them. He was skilled in social maneuvering. Though he was ostensibly just a seventh-rank official, his actual influence far exceeded his title. Even the Vice Censor-in-Chief looked upon him with favor.
Xiao Yanshi looked at the man and suddenly smiled. “Master Liang, is there something you need?”
Liang Yan paused, not expecting Xiao Yanshi to be so direct, but he quickly reacted and bowed. “Truth be told, Heir, I have long held the Heir in high esteem. Hearing that the Heir was attending court today, I made bold to come and initiate a conversation. I hope the Heir will not blame me.”
“Esteem?” Xiao Yanshi nearly laughed. “What do you esteem me for? Have Master Liang and I met before?”
“The Northern Frontier army guards the borders, drinking sand and containing snow. Over the years, you have slain countless barbarians and saved countless civilians. Is this alone not enough to command my esteem?”
Xiao Yanshi felt the sourness of his words in his teeth and interrupted with a frown, “Save your smooth tongue for His Majesty. It is time for court; I shall take my leave.”
With that, he quickly entered the palace.
Liang Yan: “…”