“Uncle?” Ji Ruxue was completely stunned.
“Hmm, mutton-fat jade from Nanshan is not actually very suitable for serving Longjing tea.” Xiao Tunan toyed with the exquisite white jade teacup in his hand. His long, strong fingers were a pleasing sight. He looked up at Ji Ruxue and asked, “What is the matter? Little guy, do you not believe I am your uncle?”
Ji Ruxue stared at him coldly with his pitch-black eyes. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and there was still no expression on his snow-white face, but Lin Ruoxuan knew that the “Little Black Lotus” was angry—very angry.
Xiao Tunan also realized this and said, “Oh, the little guy is angry.”
Lin Ruoxuan thought, on the verge of tears, Big brother, can you not be so arrogant? I have spent four full years trying to help you build your favorability rating. I do not expect you to help me, but please do not hold me back! If things go south, it is your own face that will end up being peeled off!
“You really do not believe me?” Xiao Tunan watched Ji Ruxue with great interest, showing absolutely no sense of danger.
Faced with this situation, Lin Ruoxuan had no choice but to bite the bullet. Trying to recall the male lead’s personality from the original novel, he racked his brain to help his “pig teammate” build favorability: “Your Highness, he really is your uncle. Although he speaks a bit casually, he is actually a good person.”
Xiao Tunan could not help but tilt his head slightly, giving Lin Ruoxuan a complex look, as if he had not expected Lin Ruoxuan to call him a “good person.”
Lin Ruoxuan tried to signal him with his eyes: Stop messing around, brother.
Seeing them exchanging glances, Ji Ruxue could not help but press his lips together. He glanced at the shattered teacup on the floor and finally spoke with some reluctance: “Uncle.”
Xiao Tunan toned it down a bit and nodded: “Ruxue.”
Seeing the atmosphere ease, Lin Ruoxuan breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately poured Xiao Tunan a cup of hot tea, hoping to plug the male lead’s mouth with it: “Your Lordship, have some tea.”
Xiao Tunan rubbed the teacup but did not drink. He sighed, “Wa’er… Ruoxuan, you have really changed. You are much more mature, and not as extreme as you used to be. I thought you would never forgive me in this lifetime.” He paused, not continuing the sentence.
“It has been so many years; how could I not change?” Lin Ruoxuan had no desire to know about the messy entanglements between them and quickly pulled the topic back to Xiao Tunan. “By the way, why did Your Lordship return early? And why are you wearing a ghost mask?”
“I came to retrieve some intelligence,” Xiao Tunan said vaguely. He then touched the ferocious ancient silver mask and sighed. “As for this ghost mask, it is because of that damned Jurchen general, Huerhua. His blade caught me right across the face. Although I managed to kill him, this face can no longer be seen in public.”
The male lead is disfigured? Lin Ruoxuan was slightly taken aback and quickly comforted him: “A man should be concerned with greater things; a little bit of facial damage is nothing. Do you not agree, Your Highness?”
Ji Ruxue frowned, examining the exquisite ghost mask without saying a word.
Xiao Tunan glanced at Ji Ruxue’s face and said sullenly, “Ruoxuan, it is easy for you to say. You do not worry about food or clothing in the capital, so naturally, you do not know that the imperial court always delays military rations. In the bitter cold of Liaodong, if the soldiers lack grain and winter clothes, how are they supposed to fight?”
Lin Ruoxuan was dazed: “What does that have to do with your face?”
“You are a… well, you do not like women, so naturally you do not understand.” Xiao Tunan touched his perfectly sculpted chin and said gloomily, “Whenever rations and winter clothes are short, I have to rely on this face to plead with the matrons of the wealthy Liaodong households to secure supplies. Without this face, how are the soldiers supposed to survive?”
Ji Ruxue’s mouth twitched slightly.
Lin Ruoxuan felt like vomiting blood: “…”
The original novel only described the male lead as upright, a master of military strategy, noble-born yet without airs, and a bit of a chatterbox. It never mentioned he was this narcissistic! Then again, thinking about the long, tedious, and preachy letters Xiao Tunan had sent, Lin Ruoxuan realized that, psychologically speaking, those who love to lecture others usually have a streak of narcissism.
Lin Ruoxuan was speechless. However, upon reflection, since Xiao Tunan was wearing a mask, Ji Ruxue would not discover that he and his uncle looked exactly alike. This made the probability of the “face-peeling incident” even lower. In that case, the male lead wearing a mask is a great thing! I must make sure he never takes it off!
Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxuan felt a wave of joy and immediately began to flatter him: “Actually, Your Lordship, even with this ghost mask, you still look dashing and graceful. You will not have to worry about not being able to seduce… ahem, I mean, you will not have to worry about not being able to secure military funding.”
Xiao Tunan’s expression turned somewhat odd after being praised like this. Seeing that Lin Ruoxuan did not seem to mean anything else by it, he breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, “That is only natural.”
Seeing his odd expression, an alarm bell rang in Lin Ruoxuan’s heart. Right, Lin Wa’er and the male lead had an unclear relationship. Although they seem to have broken it off, and their relationship has gradually returned to normal through years of letter-writing, I still need to be careful with the flattery, lest the male lead thinks I want to rekindle the past.
Ji Ruxue stared at the two of them, his brow furrowing into a tight knot.
By the time they finished talking, it was dusk. Shangguan Xian had prepared a few small dishes in the kitchen next door, paired with a pot of Lihuabai wine, and brought them over.
Shangguan Xian’s cooking skills were excellent. Although there were not many dishes, each was exquisite—hibiscus chicken, osmanthus fish, almond tofu… Lin Ruoxuan could not stop praising the food. Xiao Tunan, a true connoisseur, shared anecdotes about each dish while eating. Only Ji Ruxue remained silent.
“This roasted lamb rib, I loved it when I was in Liaodong. It goes perfectly with this cloud mushroom sauce. You should try it, Ruoxuan.”
“Oh.” The male lead showing care.
Ji Ruxue’s chopsticks paused slightly. With a stiff smile, he interrupted: “Uncle, I heard that although the old Jurchen chieftain died, the young prince is exceptionally fierce and skilled in battle. If he becomes the Great Chieftain, he might come back. It seems to me that it would be better for you to stay in the capital for a while to avoid the trouble.”
His tone was full of sarcasm. Xiao Tunan raised an eyebrow: “Ruxue, you certainly know a lot.”
Ji Ruxue smiled and looked toward Lin Ruoxuan: “It is all thanks to my teacher’s instruction.”
“Teacher?” Xiao Tunan repeated the word playfully, as if realizing something. “Ruoxuan, when I wrote that letter to you back then, I did not actually expect you to listen to my advice. I never imagined you would not only listen but also do so much.”
Ji Ruxue frowned slightly: “Teacher, what is he talking about?”
“Uh, this…” Lin Ruoxuan felt miserable inside. While fending off the question, his mind raced.
When he first transmigrated, to explain his drastic change in personality, he had used the lame excuse of “dreaming of his dead father.” This reasoning was quite weak, and Ji Ruxue had suspected him of having ulterior motives for a long time before gradually coming to believe him.
If he framed it this way, a personal letter from the Ningyuan Prince—the former manager of the Ningyuan Prince’s mansion—would seem much more convincing. Furthermore, this meant Xiao Tunan had indirectly helped Ji Ruxue, further distancing him from the “face-peeling incident.”
As he remained silent for a long time, Ji Ruxue pressed him: “Teacher?”
Xiao Tunan raised an eyebrow: “What, Ruoxuan did not tell you about this?”
Ji Ruxue ignored him, his pitch-black eyes fixed only on Lin Ruoxuan: “Teacher, what exactly is going on?”
“Your Highness, it is like this. Four years ago…” Lin Ruoxuan deliberated as he spoke slowly.
“Let me tell it,” Xiao Tunan said impatiently, cutting him off. “Four years ago, while I was at Daping Pass in Liaodong, I heard that Ruoxuan had done some very bad things. I could not persuade him in person, so I had to write him a letter. However, I did not expect him to actually change, because he is a very stubborn person.”
Ji Ruxue was extremely intelligent and understood almost immediately. He was stunned for a moment, his expression becoming incredibly complex. He turned to look at Lin Ruoxuan: “Teacher, is what he said true? Did you not say you dreamed of your dead father, which is why you decided to start a new life?”
Lin Ruoxuan had already prepared his answer and said calmly, “Yes. After I received the Prince’s letter, I thought about a lot. Later, I dreamed of my father urging me to do good, so I decided to turn over a new leaf.”
Killing two birds with one stone. What a perfect explanation.
Ji Ruxue glared at Lin Ruoxuan, feeling an inexplicably heavy pressure in his chest, a mix of bitterness and sourness.
Uncle persuaded the teacher, the teacher repented and started treating me well. That seems fine. Surely I would not hope for the teacher to treat me poorly, right? But, but…
Although Ji Ruxue was extremely intelligent, he was very innocent and naive in this regard. He bit his lip, trying hard to suppress the strange burning sensation in his heart. Maintaining a calm expression, he nodded slightly to Xiao Tunan: “So that is it. Thank you, Uncle.”
Xiao Tunan said nonchalantly: “I am your uncle, after all. It is only right.”
“Your uncle was so afraid I would revert to my old ways that he wrote so many letters over the years, each one ending with a plea for me to treat you well, haha.” Lin Ruoxuan felt quite gratified; he had helped the male lead build favorability again today.
Ji Ruxue fell silent, gazing out the window, distracted.
After eating for a while longer, Xiao Tunan said nonchalantly: “How is the imperial court doing these days?”
Thinking of the mess in the court, Lin Ruoxuan sighed: “What can I say? The Emperor is obsessed with cultivation and Buddhism; he has not held court in over half a year. State affairs are mostly handled by Minister Li and Minister Song of the Secretariat. Although they are constantly at each other’s throats, things are barely manageable.”
Xiao Tunan pondered, looking quite worried.
Lin Ruoxuan comforted him: “Actually, it is no big deal. Think of it as a constitutional monarchy. As long as the people can live in peace and contentment, these things do not matter.”
“That is true,” Xiao Tunan nodded, then added, “The Emperor summoned me back to the capital this time. Do you know what he intends?”
What else could he intend? As a prince with a different surname commanding 200,000 troops in Liaodong, now that the old Jurchen chieftain is dead and his sons are busy with internal fighting, you are a bigger threat to Emperor Chengwu than the Jurchens! Even though Emperor Chengwu spends all day seeking immortality, he is still afraid of losing his throne.
Although Lin Ruoxuan did not say it out loud, his expression betrayed his thoughts. Xiao Tunan waved his hand: “It is not what you think. The Emperor knows what kind of person I am.”
The heart of an emperor is hard to fathom. Lin Ruoxuan hesitated but still advised: “The political situation in the capital is complex. After you return, you must be careful in every move you make.”
“Forget it, I do not want to think about that.” Xiao Tunan shook his head, scooped up a spoonful of almond tofu, and his eyes suddenly brightened. “This is delicious!”
He ate the almond tofu happily, as if he had thrown the troubles of the imperial court to the back of his mind.
Lin Ruoxuan was speechless. So this Ningyuan Prince, who holds heavy military power, is actually a sweet-tooth? Then again, sugar was precious in ancient times, so desserts were considered a luxury.
Lin Ruoxuan watched as Xiao Tunan polished off more than half of the cloyingly sweet almond tofu, and could not help but remind him: “Your Lordship, you should eat fewer sweets.”
The incidence of diabetes in young people is not low. If he develops diabetes, his battlefield wounds will not heal as easily. A male lead in a ‘cool’ novel dying from diabetic complications? How ridiculous. Wait—the original novel mentioned the male lead had old wounds that were hard to heal. Could it really be diabetes?
Xiao Tunan ate and mumbled, “You know I love sweets. You used to boil sugar water for me every day. If it were not for what happened later, sigh, never mind, do not mention it.”
Lin Ruoxuan stared, wavering between Mother, do not drag me into these messy entanglements and You have no right to ignore medical advice! Xiao Tunan picked up a radish cake, took a small bite, and said with disdain, “Hmm, not soft enough. Not eating it. To make a radish cake, you must use fresh radishes, julienned finely, and the sugar must be white cotton sugar.”
Lin Ruoxuan could not help but interrupt: “When you were in Liaodong, did you not eat and sleep with the soldiers? Where did all this pickiness come from?”
Xiao Tunan replied as if it were obvious, “That is different. During wartime, it is fine to have coarse grains and pickles, but when there are conditions, one should naturally be refined. I hate people who act like oxen chewing on peonies.”
That makes sense, Lin Ruoxuan had nothing to say.
After the meal, Xiao Tunan stood up and stretched. He neatly folded his dusty sleeves. His wrists were extremely fair, and his build was long and slender; he looked quite like a noble young master. “I shall take my leave now.”
Lin Ruoxuan stood up to see him off, and Ji Ruxue reluctantly stood as well. Xiao Tunan glanced at Ji Ruxue and lowered his voice to say to Lin Ruoxuan: “Ruoxuan, I have some private matters to discuss with you. This Yutao Residence is too chaotic. After I bring my troops back to the capital, let us meet at our old spot. It is quieter there.”
Private matters? Our old spot?
Lin Ruoxuan racked his brains. Before he could figure out how to pry for more information, Xiao Tunan had already cupped his hands and turned to leave.
After seeing Xiao Tunan off, Ji Ruxue suddenly asked: “What old spot?”
Lin Ruoxuan could not help but glance at him. The boy had been stone-faced and silent since earlier, and now that he finally spoke, he asked something completely irrelevant. Lin Ruoxuan rolled his eyes internally. What old spot? You are asking me, but who should I ask?
However, he naturally could not say “I do not know.” He could only smooth out his sleeves and nonchalantly change the subject: “Your Highness, it is getting late. We should head back too.”
Ji Ruxue stared at him intently, narrowing his eyes slightly. Teacher is intentionally changing the subject. Is there something the teacher is hiding from me? He could not help but think of the thick stack of papers under the inkstone. What on earth is that? I must find out.
Thinking this, Ji Ruxue pressed his lips together and put on a very earnest expression: “Teacher, there are two passages in the Zizhi Tongjian that I do not quite understand. May I stay at your place tonight? I would like you to explain them to me.”