Chapter 49

The waiter serving the food finally broke the silence in the room with a loud call.

Su Huaijing coughed lightly and pulled Rong Tang to sit down before greeting the three people standing blankly at the door: “Come sit down first.”

Lu Jiaxi is feeling a little lost now. Anything to distract him from this awkwardness will do. Upon hearing this, he quickly pulled out a chair near the door and sat down.

Ke Hongxue met Rong Tang’s gaze, then sat across from him.

As a result, before he could even warm the seat, he saw Rong Tang straightening up, staring directly at him with a joyful expression, and tugging at his collar excitedly. “Did you see that?”

Ke Hongxue had just picked up the teapot and was about to pour tea for Mu Jingxu. He was a little dazed when he heard this: “What?”

Rong Tang: “The new clothes my Huaijing had tailored for me!”

“……”

He was ecstatic, filled with bragging. Even when Sheng Chengming bought him a houseful of precious medicinal materials, he found them not worth looking at. When Su Huaijing made him four sets of clothes, Rong Tang wanted to shout it out with a loudspeaker so that everyone in Shuiling Street knew.

Ke Hongxue’s hand shook, and tea spilled onto the table.

It was rare for Su Huaijing to feel a little embarrassed, but more than anything, he was so happy that he couldn’t conceal it.

He eyed the clothes Rong Tang was wearing and began to seriously consider whether the embroiderers in the several ready-to-wear shops managed by Xingfeng for him had the time to make a set for Tangtang every day, using different styles to please him.

But Ke Hongxue’s resentful gaze across from him was too sharp, and he couldn’t ignore it. He ordered the waiter to wipe the table, then glanced at Rong Tang to give him a look.

Rong Tang pursed his lips and whispered, “I just want to flaunt a bit.”

Su Huaijing: “If you continue to flaunt, they’ll run off.” He leaned over and whispered, “When we go back and pass by the clothing store, I’ll buy you a few more sets.”

Rong Tang’s eyes brightened slightly, and he nodded a little.

Opposite them, Ke Hongxue was so aggrieved that he didn’t know what to say. He turned pitifully to Mu Jingxu. “Senior…”

Without so much as batting an eyelid, Mu Jingxu pushed back the tea he poured for him.

Ke Hongxue lowered his gaze and stared at the cup of tea for a long time. The tea is still sloshing back and forth in the cup. He was silent for two seconds, then happily picked it up and took a sip, pretending that it had been personally poured for him by his senior.

Rong Tang watched the whole process: “……” Utterly hopeless.

Sunset is scattered on the horizon, with large swathes of purple and red. The bottom of the pot is still boiling with the same hotpot base.

On one side is the bright red, spicy hot pot, and on the other side is the thick, white, coconut chicken soup.

Rong Tang’s appetite was whetted when he smelled the aroma, and the taste was many, many times better than the last time he had it without spicy broth.

What’s more, after he’d woken up, he still didn’t touch the heavily oily and spicy dishes in order to nourish his body. Rong Tang even felt that Su Huaijing had brought him out today just to put him back on a meat diet after abstinence.

He ate until his eyes squinted with joy. Su Huaijing watched with satisfaction on the side and fed him from time to time.

Coconut chicken is rare in the capital of Yu. Ke Hongxue took a bite and thought it tasted really good, so he served a bowl to his senior before cooking in the hot pot.

There were five people at the table, but Lu Jiaxi was the only one who was immersed in eating. He didn’t dare lift his gaze, and he made sure that his toes were flush on the ground. He was so afraid that when he looked up, he would catch sight of some scene that made him think he shouldn’t be here at all.

Once Rong Tang had eaten until he was half-full, he abruptly asked casually during an intermission, “Mr. Lu has entered Hanlin Academy?”

He’d noticed it earlier from the window. Lu Jiaxi was wearing a blue-grey Confucian scholar’s robe, which was the uniform for a shujishi of Hanlin Academy.

Rong Tang was in such a hurry during the flower-picking festival that he didn’t have time to watch it until its closing, nor did he wait for it to end. Although he was too lazy to care about anything, he couldn’t help but be curious.

He really wanted to know what the schemes arranged by Su Huaijing were and where they ultimately led.

Lu Jiaxi was caught by surprise at being mentioned, and his whole body tensed up. After swallowing a mouthful of tripe, the spicy chilli pepper choked in his throat, causing him to angle his head and cough for a long time.

Rong Tang panicked and hurriedly reached over to pour him some water.

But Mu Jingxu got up, stood behind Lu Jiaxi, and patted his back for him. After just a few tries, his coughing fit dissipated. Except for the little spicy feeling that remained in his throat, there was no other discomfort.

Rong Tang felt relieved and sat firmly in the chair. He released a sigh of trepidation. Then he suddenly remembered something and chatted with Su Huaijing: “How should one pat when someone is coughing? You patted me on the back when I coughed previously, and it stopped rather quickly.”

There has never been anyone else in Su Huaijing’s eyes, but he was slightly dazed when he heard this. He raised his eyes to glance at Mu Jingxu, but the latter had already sat back down, and Ke Hongxue had picked up a meatball for him using chopsticks.

Su Huaijing looked away, put his fingers together, placed them behind Rong Tang, and answered his question: “Form a cup shape with your fingers, follow the direction of the trachea, and pat slowly, from bottom to top, from the edge to the centre; that’s all.”

He demonstrated as he talked. Rong Tang wasn’t coughing but was inexplicably made restless by him. When his hand was about to land on the spot directly facing his heart, Rong Tang raised his arm and stopped him. “That’s enough.”

The voice was soft and light, with a hint of pleading that couldn’t be ignored. Su Huaijing was stunned for a moment and smiled softly before withdrawing his hand.

Lu Jiaxi finally recomposed himself, but his face was still red and his voice was hoarse. He nodded and said, “I’ve benefited from Excellency Mu’s and Young Master Su’s glory. Excellency Mu’s poems won first place, and Young Master Su passed this spot to me. Only then did I brazenly enter the Imperial Academy.”

Rong Tang raised his eyebrows and asked, “Are you not used to it yet?”

Lu Jiaxi was a little shy: “When I initially entered the Imperial Academy, there was some getting used to. I always worry about troubling my seniors, but Senior Ke would occasionally come to give me advice. Second Highness also condescended to introduce me to some colleagues, and now I can cope—with some difficulty.”

Rong Tang glanced at Ke Hongxue, wondering if he was doing charity work to support his own junior or if he was sending some kind of signal to Su Huaijing.

But he didn’t feel comfortable asking, so he casually enquired, “Has anything interesting happened recently?”

As soon as the words fell, Su Huaijing raised his eyes and looked at him. The few people in the private room had different expressions, but none of them were wary.

Ke Hongxue even smiled, snatched another piece of coconut chicken from Su Huaijing’s chopsticks for his senior, and said happily, “What interesting story does Prince wish to hear? I know one thing from the imperial court; there is also another from the imperial harem. What do you want to exchange for it?”

Rong Tang thought to himself, You’re not afraid of retaliating. He especially wanted to say, I have my Boyboy, and I can hear the gossip even without you. But he wrinkled his face, eyed Mu Jingxu’s white clothes that remained unchanged all year round, and said, “Can I give Excellency Mu two sets of clothes?”

Mu Jingxu was stunned, not expecting that the topic would suddenly turn to him, but before he could refuse, Ke Hongxue clapped his hands and responded loudly, “Great!”

Mu Jingxu looked over with displeasure, but Ke Hongxue suppressed his words and smiled as he raised his peach blossom eyes. “I just said that I have a destined connection with the Prince, and everything he says or does suits my taste.”

Su Huaijing threw him a warning glance. Ke Hongxue lifted an eyebrow without looking at him and addressed Rong Tang, “Then I will tell the Prince some interesting anecdotes about the former harem. Let’s treat it as relieving our boredom.”

Ke Hongxue said, “Prince, I assume you are aware that the current emperor values civility over military affairs?”

Rong Tang nodded.

This is an information point written in the original text. Emperor Renshou, fearing rebellion, particularly distrusted the powerful ministers with military authority. However, in the current court, there are only a few ministers with military power, and most of them command only a small number of troops, so they cannot form a significant force.

In this way, it appears that the military commander, Xia Jingyi, has a high status in the imperial court.

This is because he holds the military power of the southwest border, and moreover, there are three Bodhisattvas in the harem, including Concubine Hui and the Third and Sixth Princes, who are helping him persevere.

The Xia family, starting with Xia Jingyi, has close ties with the previous dynasties and the harem. Under the mistrustful temperament of Emperor Renshou, they continue to gain more imperial favours every year, which is truly enviable.

The emphasis on civil matters over military affairs and the suppression of military attachés will never be able to intimidate Marshal Xia.

Ke Hongxue said: “Sheng Chengxing’s flower-picking festival was beautifully organised. His Majesty was very pleased and selected Xiao Lu to enter Hanlin Academy.”

Lu Jiaxi gave a sheepish smile, and Ke Hongxue continued: “The civil servants returning from vacation to the court coincided with a peaceful season, with no floods or droughts. It should have been a relaxed time, but unexpectedly, the cabinet sent a memorial.”

He eyes curled into a smile, and he spoke slowly, but it was powerful and resonating: “Senior Official Zhang’s disciple, cabinet scholar Yang Xingye, filed a complaint against Marshal Xia’s son-in-law, who, in the southwest, amassed troops, embezzled thirty thousand taels of silver from military funds, and privately manufactured gunpowder.”

Rong Tang’s hand holding his teacup paused, and he raised his head to look at Ke Hongxue in disbelief.

So early?

Ke Hongxue noticed the astonishment in his gaze, and his smile deepened. He threw a buoyant glance at Su Huaijing and said, “At the same time, the steward eunuch of the harem covertly informed His Majesty that during the flower-picking festival, the sole nanny beside the Fifth Prince accidentally lost her footing, fell into the water, and was buried outside the palace. He specifically mentioned in his words that it was the nanny who’d requested treatment from the imperial physician’s courtyard when His Highness the Fifth Prince was ill a few days ago. Prince, guess what His Majesty asked after hearing this?”

Rong Tang’s brows knitted, and he stared at him. “How would I dare speculate on His Majesty’s opinions?”

He said it so seriously that Ke Hongxue blinked and couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud. After a while, he recovered and said, “Yes, Prince is right. How could we, commoners, dare to speculate on His Majesty’s opinions?”

Lu Jiaxi was at a complete loss for what to do when he heard them, one, Prince Ningxuan, and the other, the grandson of Grand Tutor Ke, refer to themselves as commoners.

Ke Hongxue had laughed enough. He calmed down, met Rong Tang’s gaze, and said, “His Majesty personally asked, ‘How did the Ol’ San handle it?'”

Rong Tang’s heart skipped a beat. He was clear on the successful coordination of internal and external strategies.

Although he was puzzled at how the southwest military funds issue surfaced in the early summer of the ninth year of Qingzheng, he wasn’t willing to accept that Sheng Chengli had benefited despite all the twists and turns. But there was nothing he could do about his frustration; Heavenly Way seemed to dote unconditionally on its male protagonist.

It’s so unreasonable.

Rong Tang bore a severe frown, a look of displeasure written all over his face.

Ke Hongxue asked again: “Prince, do you want to know the final outcome of these two matters?”

Rong Tang was terribly depressed and narrowed his eyes at him. “Just say it.”

Ke Hongxue made a “three” sign and said, “Let’s add three more sets of summer clothes using the material of the one you’re wearing.”

Rong Tang: “?”

He was dumbfounded, and all his annoyance was swept away by Tutor Ke’s audacious behaviour: “This is Sichuan brocade fabric. My family only has two pieces in total, which is enough for Huaijing to have two sets of clothes. Do you really dare to covet it?”

Ke Hongxue shrugged nonchalantly: “It’s just fabric. I have plenty of them at home. Prince just needs to agree to make them for my senior.”

Rong Tang was even more confused. He eyed Ke Hongxue and then Mu Jingxu: “Since you have it, why don’t you just give it to him?”

Ke Hongxue was filled with resentment and glanced sideways at Rong Tang: “As long as my senior is willing to ask for it from me, I won’t ask for it from you.”

Rong Tang couldn’t help but raise his hand: “But…… Excellency Mu is right here.”

Ke Hongxue shook his head, unperturbed. “It makes no difference. After all, it is you who are gifting it. Senior didn’t have time to refuse your two outfits earlier; what’s another three more?” He smiled and raised his cup in the air. “Therefore, I shall have to trouble Prince.”

Rong Tang was rendered speechless for a while by him, and he didn’t even take the cup. After seeing him take a sip of wine without any retort from Mu Jingxu, he felt a little relieved and too much and urged, “Hurry up and spit it out.”

“What’s the urgency?” Ke Hongxue smiled, glanced at Su Huaijing again, and suddenly asked, “Young Master Su isn’t aware of these two matters either?”

Su Huaijing gently shook his head: “I have been accompanying Tangtang to take care of his health these days, and I’ve never paid attention to outside rumours, let alone—”

He paused and swept a sharp gaze towards Ke Hongxue, but the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile. “How can I know about the palace’s internal affairs?”

Ke Hongxue: “……”

He felt that he was fortunate not to have eaten the chilli peppers; otherwise, he would have ended up like Lu Jiaxi. He shook his head and inwardly thought, Who is the person acting for? Is it purely for his young Prince?

Ke Hongxue glanced doubtfully at Rong Tang and thought to himself, I think your husband has a lot more secrets than you do.

But he was too lazy to worry about that, so he picked a piece of beef for Mu Jingxu with his chopsticks and then said seriously: “First, Yang Xingye forged false accounts to accuse his colleagues, resulting in dismissal and investigation; second, Sheng Chengxing, who is not on good terms with his brothers, was sent by His Majesty to the Grand Buddha Hall in the palace for half a month of confinement, to reflect and repent by chanting sutras.”

Rong Tang unconsciously pursed his lips as he listened, not knowing whether he should be happy or not.

But then he heard Ke Hongxue say the last sentence slowly and leisurely: “But there is a follow-up.”

He said, “Thirdly, His Majesty, in order to console the Fifth Prince, bestowed numerous treasures upon him. While on his way back from Qinzheng Hall, His Highness accidentally misstepped in the imperial garden and fell into a pond. He was rescued from it with his life intact, but he ended up with a broken leg. The palace physicians said that even if it heals in the future, he may still have a limp and be unfit for travel.“

Ke Hongxue smiled and said pointedly, “These matters have been causing a commotion for half a month, with the ministers in court hurling accusations at one another. Everyone is trying to gain some benefits for their own factions. The incessant quarrelling has been unbearable. But this Ke is clueless. Despite much thinking and consideration, I have completely no idea which of these three princes gained favour.”

He asked Rong Tang, but his eyes were fixed on Su Huaijing: “Prince, what do you think?”

The author has something to say:

Huaijing: Not sure if he can be killed; let’s cripple one of his legs first (good-natured.jpg).

Note: The part about coughing and patting on the back was searched from a certain website.