Chapter 14

Rong Tang has been living off the meals in Yong’an Lane for more than half a month. It wasn’t until the 29th of the second month that he told Su Huaijing he won’t be coming for the next few days.

Su Huaijing didn’t demonstrate any reaction at that time, only pouring him a cup of tea and then asking him why. Rong Tang said, “My mother is bringing the female family members to worship Buddha, and they will reside in the temple for a while.”

“Why is Tangtang gege going too?” Su Huaijing tilts his head in puzzlement.

Rong Tang said inwardly: Am I not providing you with time? If I kept coming to you every day, when would you have time to communicate with your subordinates and make plans?

But ultimately, there’s a valid reason. Rong Tang said, “I’ve been ill for several years, and only in the spring of this year have I gradually begun to improve. Mother said that it was Buddha who protected me, and she wants me to repay the vow.”

Su Huaijing didn’t delve into the matter, but his mood hasn’t been very cheerful all afternoon. Rong Tang privately told the system that he was indeed worthy of being the future main villain. He gets into the role so quickly, and his acting skills could win him an Oscar.

Rong Tang didn’t leave that day until it was almost dark. Before he got on the carriage, Su Huaijing handed him a small tin of tea leaves. Rong Tang opens the lid to take a sniff, his face beams with joy. “You’re willing to give it to me?”

Su Huaijing said, “Don’t be overly greedy. Only drink a maximum of one cup a day. I’ve told Shuang Fu; he’ll keep an eye on you.”

Rong Tang instantly felt a little resentful and whirled around to look at Shuang Fu, only to see the lad who’s been loyal to him all his life nodding in earnest: “Yes, Mr. Su has informed me.”

Rong Tang is exasperated and throws a somewhat aggrieved look at Su Huaijing: “You haven’t even entered the household, and their elbows are already facing outward.”

Su Huaijing’s mood immediately plunges: “It turns out that Tangtang gege doesn’t regard me as his wife.”

Rong Tang: “?”

Rong Tang’s scalp tingled. Shuang Fu discernibly took two steps backward, lowers his head, and stares at the points of his shoes. Rong Tang eyed Su Huaijing, then cast his gaze skyward. He really didn’t know how to respond to these words. He pauses for a few seconds and takers the initiative to soften his tone: “I’ll request a safety talisman and bring it back to you; is that alright?”

The topic abruptly changed. A flash of dark colour appeared in Su Huaijing’s lowered gaze, but it quickly disappeared. When he looked up again, he was still smiling like the spring breeze: “Alright, thank you.”

Rong Tang was about to get into the carriage, but before leaving, he caught sight of the palace guards following behind the carriage and stopped in his tracks.

“What is it?” Su Huaijing asked.

“…There’s something.” Rong Tang frowned slightly.

These days, almost everything that needs to be purchased for this house has been purchased, including furniture, furnishings, garden ponds, and the gatekeeper’s necessities. Rong Tang has prepared everything he could think of for Su Huaijing, except for the housekeeper, personal servants, and bodyguards, which he has not yet purchased.

In order to feel reassured, the first two need to be trusted aides, since they will be interacting with them day and night. The latter must be highly skilled in martial arts and bear no disloyalty towards their master.

They can be obtained from the brokerage house, but Su Huaijing’s status is special, so it’s only proper that he himself arrange for these people, but…

Rong Tang cannot only forget these.

With this in mind, he asks Shuang Fu for a few banknotes and hands them to Su Huaijing: “I’ve been coming over to your place these days. Shuang Fu and the others have been following me. I’ve even forgotten to include some servants to serve you. If you have time, go to the brokerage house and choose for yourself, alright?”

Su Huaijing lowers his head to look at the banknotes. The smallest denomination is one hundred taels.

For Prince Ningxuan, the denomination isn’t too much, but these days, Rong Tang has been providing him with some money and things every now and then. Anyone who sees it can’t help but be jealous.

Su Huaijing briefly entertained the casual idea of him being taken care of by someone, but it doesn’t feel as comfortable as he’d imagines.

Moreover, it must be mentioned that Rong Tang is really to his liking. Apart from those unfathomably mysterious enigmas that only add to the vexation, everything the young prince does just happens to suit his way of thinking.

He’s already deliberating on how to insert some people into the household right under Rong Tang’s nose. When he sees this, he doesn’t refuse. He takes the banknotes and said warmly, “Alright.”

Rong Tang is relieved, gets up onto the carriage, and leaves.

Su Huaijing stares again at the entrance of the alley for a while. It wasn’t until the gold-painted carriage completely disappeared from sight that he turns around and strides into the house.

The door closes behind him. Xingfeng appears from the darkness and says respectfully, “Master, everything has been arranged accordingly.”

“Chen Feiyi has agreed?” Su Huaijing’s tone and demeanour are dismissive. His right hand instinctively takes out the cedar wood waist tablet and strokes it while walking forward.

Xingfeng’s expression changed slightly: “Feiyi pledges his life to be loyal to Master and doesn’t dare disobey.”

“Is that so?” Su Huaijing’s footsteps pause a little. He inclines his head and throws him a glance: “Then you make sure he keeps his head for me.”

Xingfeng can’t bear it, but he grits his teeth and acknowledges.

Night fell, and the moon rose. Rong Tang has just left, and the sky was already entirely dark. The house became quiet. Su Huaijing stands beneath the pear tree that has just been planted in the courtyard. He lifts his head to look up.

After the season, all the flower petals have dropped off, and fresh green colour is beginning to reveal itself bit by bit.

He stares for a moment, then asks, “What about Wukang Bo’s Manor?”

Xingfeng: “Li Panyan is ‘pregnant’, and the news will be disclosed to Qin Pengxuan tomorrow.”

Su Huaijing raises his eyebrows, looking very interested indeed. “Pregnant?”

Xingfeng said, “It’s just that her monthly menses have been delayed, and the doctor detected from her pulse that she is pregnant. Bi Xin has followed Master for many years and knows how to handle things.”

Su Huaijing then smiled. “Let her come back once she’s done playing this time. I’m lacking a housekeeper here.”

“Yes.”

–

Wukang Bo Manor, West Courtyard.

“Pregnant!?”

A porcelain cup is flung to the ground in a fit of rage, and hot tea splashes out onto the face of the maid, who is kneeling on the ground. Dots of red spots instantly appeared on her cheeks.

Lady Wukang Bo is still infuriated and smashes everything around her she can get her hands on. The ground is covered with shattered porcelain pieces. Her complexion is ashen. “You serve the eldest young master every day. How could he have gotten another vixen pregnant?!”

Wukang Bo is thirty-three years old this year. His official wife passed away a few years ago. The current Lady Wukang Bo, Mrs. Chen, is a concubine who has been promoted to the status of wife and is Qin Pengxuan’s stepmother. She has a son and a daughter, and she fervently wants her biological son to become Wukang Bo’s heir and inherit the title.

There are innumerable shameful secrets in the manor, and Qin Pengxuan is a lecher. Over the years, Mrs. Chen has “kindly” arranged for several girls with pure family backgrounds to be married to the heir as concubines and secretly told them to add debilitating medicine to Qin Pengxuan’s daily diet.

Qin Pengxuan is incompetent and is known throughout the capital as a playboy, but the eldest son is still the eldest son after all. In the eyes of Wukang Bo, Qin Pengxuan has always been the one who will inherit his title. So much so that he’s even met several noble ladies from illustrious families in order to find a good wife for Qin Pengxuan, as well as to pave the way for his future career.

When she initially found out that Li Changfu, who’s just arrived in the capital, is using his own daughter to curry favour with Qin Pengxuan, Mrs. Chen was very disdainful. But she also plans to beat him at his own game and marry the legitimate daughter of this fourth-rank official into Wukang Bo’s household as the eldest son’s lawful wife, so as to cut off her lord’s idea for a marriage alliance with other powerful officials.

However, Li Panyan is shameless. She even took the initiative to crawl into bed and compromise herself before the marriage.

Needless to say, she can no longer be a legal wife, so she reluctantly became a concubine and was brought into the household.

These days, Qin Pengxuan appears to have been bewitched by Li Panyan. Mrs. Chen has been subtly overbearing towards Li Panyan and behaves like an evil mother-in-law. However, despite all her precautions, she failed to prevent her from getting pregnant.

The lord has always preferred the eldest son. If an eldest grandson is born…

Mrs. Chen doesn’t dare to dwell on it; a trace of insidiousness flashes across her expression, and she orders the nanny beside her: “Go cook a bowl of soup and send it to the eldest young master’s courtyard. Just say it’s beneficial for Li’s pregnancy and do it meticulously.”

–

East courtyard, side room.

Someone is grooming herself before the mirror; her peach blossom-like complexion is gorgeous and bright. Her girlish demeanour has been replaced by a charming, youthful womanhood. Li Panyan looks gentler than ever before. She lowers her head and caresses her belly. Her soft tone sounds somewhat incredulous: “Xiao Tao, am I really pregnant?”

Bi Xin brushes her hair and says with a smile, “Yes, Miss, the doctor said that you’re already half a month pregnant.”

“Half month…” Bi Xin murmurs, “That was the first time the younger lord came to the house.”

Bi Xin lowered her head. A trace of contempt flashed in her eyes, but she didn’t respond.

But Li Panyan suddenly became excited, swirled around, and grabbed Bi Xin’s hand, looking rather unhinged: “Xiao Tao, tell me, is this a son or a daughter?”

Bi Xin went with the flow and bent down to grasp her hand. She said softly, “Both a young master or a miss are fine. The young lord loves you and doesn’t care about this.”

“Yes, yes… Pengxuan loves me.” Li Panyan’s voice is light and distinct. One couldn’t tell whether she is lying to herself or for the benefit of others. “If he knows that I’m pregnant, he will definitely promote me to be the main wife!”

As she spoke, she urgently budges Bi Xin: “Go invite the young lord to come to my room, and inform him that I have something important to tell him. Go quickly!”

Bi Xin staggered when she pushed her; she ducks and places the ox-horn comb on the dressing table and says, “Miss, please wait a little longer. The elder lord has an appointment with Minister He, and the younger lord has accompanied him to a banquet today. It’ll be a while before they return.”

The Minister of War, surnamed He, is Li Changfu’s immediate superior, and Li Panyan knows of him.

She also knows that his family has a fifteen-year-old daughter.

When she thought of this, a look of hatred flashed across Li Panyan’s face. She knows what intentions the elder lord has, and she also knows that her own family background isn’t worthy of her being the main wife, but if…

If her initial plan had been successful, if Su Huaijing had entered the household before her, how could her father even come up with the idea of letting her—who bore no status or identity—get involved with the heir until there was no turning back, just to prevent him from seeking retribution?!

“Su. Huai. Jing…” Li Panyan uttered bitterly.

A burst of murderous intent suddenly surged in Bi Xin’s heart, but she forcefully suppressed it. She persuaded in a gentle voice, “Miss, your health is important now. You shouldn’t let this kind of thing trouble you.”

Li Panyan feels somewhat helpless: “But the elder lord has gone to Minister He’s house. He surely wants to propose marriage for the younger lord.”

At the moment, Wukang Bo Manor’s heir doesn’t have a main wife, and her days are already rather uncomfortable. If there is another mistress… Li Panyan clenches her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

Bi Xin: “It’s fine so long as the younger lord doesn’t agree.”

Li Panyan frowns, and there is a bewilderment in her voice that even she hadn’t noticed: “But will the younger lord actually refuse?”

Bi Xin holds her hand, squeezing it lightly. She spoke with certainty, “Definitely, Miss.”

Li Panyan looked at her with trepidation. Bi Xin is a few years older than her, and when she comforted her in that warm tone, she somehow manages to convince her.

Then she heard her say, “The elder lord wants a marriage alliance with Minister He, just because he’s attracted to his family’s powerful influence and wants to ease the way for the younger lord’s career in the future. But don’t tell me that our Wukang Bo household is some ordinary family. Why do we need to borrow someone else’s influence?”

Li Panyan stared at her as if grasping a life-saving straw: “Xiao Tao, spell it out for me.”

Bi Xin: “Yesterday, I heard from the lad in the front yard say that, recently, the younger lord is very troubled by the matter of the second prince.”

“Second prince?” Li Panyan’s brow wrinkled.

Emperor Renshou has seven sons in total. Except for the eldest prince, who was a direct descendant* and had died in the palace when he was young, the second prince is the eldest of the surviving children right now.

(*TN: born from a wife, not from a concubine)

Moreover, the second prince has just entered the court this spring, and his future prospects are looking bright. While it may not be openly stated, among the young aristocrats, quite a few have established contact with the second prince recently.

Qin Pengxuan is openly associating with the second prince.

“What’s going on with the second prince?” Li Panyan asked.

Bi Xin whispers: “His Majesty arranged an assignment for the second prince, and it has something to do with that group of rebels from five years ago.”

“Ah!” Li Panyan exclaims softly. Five years ago, that group of rebels had made their fortune from the south and also passed through Sichuan on the way. Li Changfu had also laboured considerably on it for a long time, so she is aware of this matter.

“It is said that there are still some rebels remaining, and they are now causing trouble outside the city. I went out to buy some things this morning, and I heard that a group of strangers are residing at Shangyang Inn in the west of the city—” Bi Xin stopped as she spoke.

Li Panyan’s thoughts shifted in a heartbeat. “You’re saying…”

Bi Xin shook her head: “I’m not certain, but Miss is currently pregnant now. If you ask the young lord to go shopping with you, I don’t think he will refuse. What if…?”

Li Panyan’s gaze lowers, and she ponders aloud: “What if… what if it’s actually that group of thieves? The lord will definitely receive the second prince’s appreciation as a result, if they aren’t—”

“Even if they aren’t, Miss has never known about any rebels, hasn’t she?” Bi Xin said.

Li Panyan grits her teeth and seems to be struggling. After a moment, she nods calmly and says, “You’re right.”

Bi Xin smiles at her gently, like a big sister.

Just at this time, a maid came from outside to report that the madam has delivered a pregnancy-stabilising medicine from her chambers. Li Panyan’s expression changed, and she glanced at Bi Xin in panic, shaking her head.

After all, she isn’t that stupid. There’s no way she will drink anything Mrs. Chen gives her.

Bi Xin pats her hand to set her mind at ease and went out to receive the bowl of medicine. The maid wanted to follow her in, but she dismissed her with a few words and subsequently poured the medicine into a flowerpot in the corner of the room.

Bi Xin smiled and said, “Miss, go to bed first. Wake up tomorrow morning and give the young lord a surprise.”

And she will also deliver a big gift to her master.

–

In Duke Ningxuan’s palace, Rong Tang is tidying things up with Shuang Fu. In the midst of his drowsiness, he abruptly heard the system calling him:

[Host, the male protagonist has exited the cold palace.]