Chapter 24: CH 22.1

Steward Feng accomplished his goal and was just about to leave when Yu She suddenly said, “Stop right there.”

Steward Feng felt his heart drop, but didn’t let this show on his face. He bowed and said, “Please give your instructions, Heir.” 

Yu She stared judgingly at Steward Feng. “These days, Zhong Wan wishes he could stay ten li away from Prince Yu’s estate. He would say something like that? He dares to?”

Obviously not.

Steward Feng had spent a long time talking with Zhong Wan last night. Their topic of conversation had only been Yu She. He had completely forgotten about the concubine issue and had only recalled that he hadn’t remembered the most important issue after returning to the side courtyard.

Steward Feng knew that he wouldn’t be able to hide his visit to Prince Qian An’s estate from Yu She. With no other choice, he could only make something random up on the spot. 

Steward Feng originally thought that the words he had made up were fairly close to Zhong Wan’s tone of voice. Who would’ve thought that Yu She was able to tell anyways. He calmed himself down and asked in response, “Hasn’t Young Master Zhong always been like this? Is there anything he doesn’t dare to do?”

Upon hearing this, Yu She felt his anger grow. “Okay. He’s truly capable now.”

Steward Feng sighed too. “With age, he’s grown bolder.”

Yu She was so angry he almost tossed his tea cup onto the floor. “You may leave.” 

Steward Feng made to leave, but felt worried for Zhong Wan after seeing Yu She’s current state. He tried to read Yu She’s mind and pleaded for Zhong Wan, “But this isn’t Young Master Zhong’s fault. He’s already twenty-something and has been alone all this time. The sages all say that ‘desire for food and sex is human nature’ and ‘lust is a basic human need’. He’s a normal adult man who has never had anyone in his room. That’s abnormal.”

Upon hearing this, the angry atmosphere surrounding Yu She became heavier. He lifted his gaze and asked coldly, “Are you saying I’m abnormal?”

Steward Feng wanted to slap himself across the face. He had mentioned the exact thing Heir didn’t want to hear!

Steward Feng hurriedly tried to rescue the situation. He said, “No no… Heir is younger than him! There’s no rush!” 

Steward Feng’s adding of oil to the fire completely enraged Yu She. Yu She scoffed, “Fine… His room is empty, isn’t it? I understand.”

The more he spoke, the more mistakes Steward Feng made. He didn’t dare to try and coax Yu She anymore, only leaving in embarassment.

After exiting the main hall, Steward Feng wiped the cold sweat from his face and felt fortunate that Yu She’s temperament was so unpredictable these days. The angrier he felt, the less clear his mind was. This way the only reason Steward Feng had managed to fool the other.

A loud bang rang out. It was unclear what object Yu She had thrown on the ground in the main hall. Steward Feng relaxed. Now that he was this angry, Yu She probably wouldn’t have the energy to think about jumping into the ice hole, right? 

Steward Feng felt pleased and satisfied. He headed out to busy himself with his own business. After so many rounds of shock, he forgot to get someone to notify Zhong Wan of what he had said.

Inside Prince Qian An’s estate, Xuan Rui and Xuan Congxin sat in the warmroom, both staring at a bowl of medicine.

Xuan Rui had been staring at this bowl of medicine for the entirety of half an hour. He finally picked it up.

Xuan Congxin glanced at him, then lowered her head to continue embroidering her purse. 

Xuan Congxin actually wasn’t that great at embroidery. This was hard to tell from large items, such as clothing, but her faults were easy to be exposed on these intricate little items. Under Xuan Congxin’s hand, two peony flowers lost their form.

The fox fur robe she had been working on for Xuan Rui was only half completed and was still tossed over the couch in her room.

Xuan Rui held the medicine and took a careful sniff before setting it down again.

Xuan Congxin stated coldly, “Eldest brother, has the medicine cooled? Should I get someone to heat it up for you?” 

“Qtja jgf sbe vblcu tfgf jujlc?” Wejc Eel oeggbkfv tlr ygbkr. “Jjc’a sbe fwygblvfg jcsktfgf firf?”

“Qjlalcu.” Wejc Jbcuzlc olvufafv klat atf cffvif jcv atgfjv lc tfg tjcvr. Vtf tjiotfjgafvis rklamtfv ogbw fwygblvfglcu qfbclfr ab fwygblvfglcu j alufg. “Po sbe tjnfc’a vgecx atlr ys fnfclcu, P’ii vglcx la obg sbe.”

Under his little sister’s goading, Xuan Rui picked up the bowl of medicine once more.

Then, like he was tasting tea, he took a small sip. 

Xuan Congxin tried to hold herself back from exploding.

Xuan Congxin lowered her head and prodded the tiger. For the first time, she could understand why those emperors of the past could fight and kill their siblings over an imperial jade seal, conflicts escalating even to the point of war.

Forget the imperial throne. Xuan Congxin looked up to gaze at her own brother and thought, if I were a man, I would probably also fight you for this position of prince.

She truly couldn’t… bear this anymore. 

Xuan Congxin lamented that daughters had difficult lives, then continued embroidering her tiger.

A long time later, Xuan Rui picked up the bowl of medicine for the third time.

And set it down again.

Xuan Congxin stared at Xuan Rui, numb. She thought, if we were both imperial princes, even if we shared the same birth mother, I definitely wouldn’t go easy on you. 

I would toss you to eat grass in your lands as early as possible.

Another hour passed. Xuan Rui seemed to have finally made up his mind. He stood up and picked up the bowl. His hands shook. He set it down once more.

Xuan Congxin threw down her embroidery, of which the design she had already turned into a phoenix, and picked up the bowl of medicine. She leaned back and made to chug it. Xuan Rui was shocked. He lunged forward and grabbed it from her. Half of the medicine spilled out of the bowl.

“What are you doing?!” Xuan Rui panicked, “How old are you! Can you drink this?!” 

Xuan Congxin picked up a handkerchief and dabbed the corners of her mouth. “What else? I want to go back to Qian An. If you refuse to drink it, the only option left is for me to drink it.”

Xuan Congxin lifted her head to look at Xuan Rui. “Haven’t you been putting it off for so long because you want me to drink it for you?”

“Bullshit!” Xuan Rui was furious. “That’s because I don’t have the guts! But would I try to harm you?!”

Xuan Congxin’s eyes were filled with suspicion. Xuan Rui was panting because he was so angry. He scolded Xuan Congxin from head to toe, then ordered her nanny to take her back to her room. 

Xuan Rui looked at the bowl that was now only half filled. He sighed and instructed, “Go… make another bowl for me. Make it… stronger.”

A while later, a servant brought the new bowl of medicine over to him. This time, Xuan Rui didn’t hesitate. While it was still warm, he drank the entire bowl.

Outside the courtyard, Yan Pingshan patted the snow off himself and entered Zhong Wan’s room.

“He drank it?” Zhong Wan asked from behind the screen. 

Yan Pingshan nodded. “He drank it. Right now, he already has a fever. I’m thinking of letting Prince’s temperature get a little higher before asking for an imperial doctor. This way it’ll seem more serious.”

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“Okay.” Zhong Wan tried to hold in his laughter. “Did he get in an argument with Young Miss again?”

Yan Pingshan looked at Zhongwan in blame. “Why did you tell Young Miss to go over there?”

“To goad him,” Zhong Wan replied calmly. “If I’m not returning to Qian An, Xuan Rui must handle all the business of the estate on his own. He must learn to become stronger by himself, step by step.” 

“You’re really not going back?” Yan Pingshan seemed like he had a lot he wanted to say. “You’re not doing this because you want to take a concubine, right? The person who came looking for you yesterday… wasn’t that Young Prince Yu’s trusted steward?”

Zhong Wan nodded.

“This time, if we are able to safely return to Qian An, there will be nothing else we need to worry about. We’ll finally be able to live peacefully,” Yan Pingshan couldn’t help blurting out. “How much blood and sweat did you put into making this possible? You’re giving up a life of peace. Why?”

Zhong Wan smiled. “Just consider it as my life being lowly. I’m not destined for peaceful days.” 

Yan Pingshan stated in agitation, “What strange things are you saying?!”

“I’m not saying strange things,” Zhong Wan suddenly said. “Do you know… what the library of Shi Jin, the Old Imperial Preceptor Shi, was called?”

Yan Pingshan was momentarily dazed. He didn’t understand why Zhong Wan was bringing this up out of the blue. “What?”

Zhong Wan answered, “Four Fors Room. 

“Back in the day, when I first visited the Imperial Preceptor’s estate and saw the placard over the library, I felt excitement surge in my chest. I thought that those three words were fantastic.” There was delight in Zhong Wan’s eyes. “Four fors: for the heavens and earth, my heart; for the citizens, my life; for the sages, my vow to keep learning; for the world, my attempts to bring peace.

“In my youth, I didn’t understand many things. I was proud and arrogant, always believing that the trivialities beside me weren’t worth mentioning. Only these four things were worth my time and effort. I felt that in the future, I needed to become a marquis and a minister so as not to disappoint my need for revenge. Later on…”

“Fuck that,” Zhong Wan said expresionlessly. “It’s already difficult enough taking care of the living in one’s family. I didn’t have those abilities at all. The Imperial Preceptor thought too highly of me.”

Yan Pingshan replied in agitation, “Since you value your life so much, you should return with us…” 

“Uncle Yan,” Zhong Wan interrupted Yan Pingshan. With an exasperated smile, he said, “But the ones I can’t let go of aren’t limited to the people in this estate.”

Yan Pingshan’s breath caught in his throat. He softly said, “You feel… for Young Prince Yu…”

“Let bygones be bygones.” Zhong Wan poured a cup of tea for himself. He sighed, “I don’t want to cry.”

Yan Pingshan: “…” 

Yan Pingshan felt both pain and amusement in his heart. He thought about it and said, “But… if anything happens in the future.”

Zhong Wan nodded. “Life and death are up to fate. I was asking for it.”

When he had first arrived in the capital, Zhong Wan truly hadn’t planned on staying. But after thinking of what Steward Feng had said, Zhong Wan felt that he was probably more needed here.

He clearly knew that Yu She’s life was on a line. How could Zhong Wan leave? 

“Alright. I’ll look after the estate. You don’t need to worry about anything,” Yan Pingshan assured Zhong Wan. “Prince is timid, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. His redeeming factor is that he’s reliable. Things will be fine as long as he can marry a good princess consort who can handle family affairs. But Young Miss…”

Zhong Wan stated, “Don’t force her to marry anyone. Listen to what she has to say. If all else fails, find a husband who can marry into the estate instead. With her temper, keeping him in the estate will ensure that she won’t feel grievances in someone else’s home.”

Yan Pingshan nodded with a bitter smile. “Yes.”

As they spoke, Xuan Rui’s servant appeared. He said that for some reason, Xuan Rui’s temperature had suddenly started rising and he was already starting to spout nonsense. Zhong Wan ordered someone to invite an imperial physician over, then told that servant to act a bit more panicked. He needed to ensure that the entire capital knew Xuan Rui was close to not making it. 

After the servant left, Yan Pingshan stood up and pulled the door curtains a bit tighter to prevent the cold wind from entering.

“So what plan do you have?” Yan Pingshan continued inquiring. “Are you going to mend your relationship with Young Prince Yu first? How? Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, I have to handle this on my own.” Zhong Wan actually had a headache thinking about this too. “Things have escalated into the current situation, which is already awkward enough. His temperament has also changed a lot… I need to take a step back first, I think, then slowly show him I mean well.”

Yan Pingshan didn’t understand. “How will you slowly show him you mean well?” 

Zhong Wan had no idea either. He suddenly remembered something and said, “Many local goods arrived from Qian An a few days ago. Did we already give all of them away?”

“No,” Yan Pingshan answered. “We gave most of them to the palace and also gave some to the estates of older clan relatives. There are still some left.”

“Grab some tea leaves and such,” Zhong Wan ordered. “Send them to Prince Yu’s estate under my name.”

Yan Pingshan nodded. Zhong Wan added, “Don’t send them to the wrong place. The address is the side courtyard of Prince Yu’s estate.” 

Yan Pingshan acknowledged, “I understand. It’s cold today, so you shouldn’t leave the room. I’ll handle it.”

After saying this, Yan Pingshan left. Zhong Wan was quite anxious and hoped that his gifts wouldn’t be thrown out by Yu She.

Upon leaving Zhong Wan’s courtyard, Yan Pingshan headed straight to the storehouse. He looked around in a circle before calling a young steward over. With furrowed brows, he asked, “Where are the remaining packets of Maojian?”

The young steward was confused. “Remaining? Didn’t you say that we didn’t need anymore gifts so should divide them and bring them to the masters’ rooms? Young Master Zhong loves Maojian. He’s probably already finished half of the supply by himself.” 

Yan Pingshan finally remembered. “That’s right. But what about the jars of alcohol? The ones we brought over from Qian An. Where are they?”

“The cook asked for them…” The young steward replied honestly. “The day before yesterday he said he was going to make steamed chicken with rice wine, so took all of them. He used half, but Young Miss told someone to use the other half to make drunken braised goose.”

Yan Pingshan was very exasperated. “So is there anything else left?!”

The young steward shook his head. “There isn’t.” 

Yan Pingshan appeared very frantic. The young steward hurriedly said, “There is is is… there are still a dozen or so live chickens from back home. They’re being kept in the kitchen right now!”

“Bullshit!” Yan Pingshan furrowed his brows. “Gifting live chickens that squawk and flap their wings. How would that appear?”

The young steward didn’t dare to speak anymore.

“Nevermind,” Yan Pingshan stated in exasperation. “Take me to see them.” 

The two of them went to look at the chickens. Yan Pingshan bent over to observe the dozen or so female chickens shivering in the coop from the cold. He wasn’t satisfied at all. “How timid. They’ve also already lost a great portion of their feathers. They don’t even look nice!”

“They are a bit ugly…” The young steward hit his own forehead. “Then let’s gift eggs! These chickens of ours aren’t pretty after the journey, but their eggs are fine! And fresh! We can wipe them clean and place them in a small bamboo basket, then wrap the basket in red silk. Aiya… how dignified!”

Yan Pingshan thought about it and realized that this was truly a better alternative to gifting a few barely-feathered chickens. He nodded hesitantly. “Alright. This can somewhat count as a local good from Qian An. Hurry and prepare the eggs and have someone deliver them safely to Prince Yu’s estate.”

The young steward eagerly rushed off.

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