Chapter 63

The ancestral home of the Ke family is in Jiangnan, and Ke Xuebo also made his fortune there. After Ke Hongxue returned to the capital as a child, his health was weak for the first two years, preventing him from travelling long distances. Later, he would return to Jiangnan every year to worship his ancestors and stay for a while.

After Rong Tang woke up from a coma following the flower-picking festival, they met at the Liujin Parlour. Ke Hongxue caught up with Mu Jingxu and pestered his senior to accompany him back to Jiangnan to worship his ancestors. Initially, he didn’t have much hope and was just habitually expecting it. He mentioned it casually, but Mu Jingxu actually agreed.

Mu Jingxu took leave and accompanied him from the capital back to Jiangnan. As they travelled south, his face grew gloomier. Finally, when they passed through Huizhou, his expression darkened upon seeing the rushing river and the neglected dikes.

Ke Hongxue asked him what was wrong, and Mu Jingxu said, “A great disaster is coming.”

After completing the ancestral worship, the two hurried back to the capital.

At that time, summer had just begun and the rain had not yet arrived. No one was sure if the “disaster” Mu Jingxu mentioned would come true. It wasn’t until the junior minister of the Imperial Court of Justice, after working day and night to clear some accumulated official documents, looked up and suddenly realised that many people had quietly left the capital—all headed for Jiangnan—that he realised his speculation was likely to come true.

Mu Jingxu did not dare to delay. He immediately received the errand from the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Justice and prepared to go to Jiangnan alone.

But on the morning he was leaving the city gates of Yu capital, a horse neighed from behind, its hooves stirring up dust. Fresh sunlight scattered on the tips of the grass blades along both sides of the official road.

A dashing young nobleman, wearing a snow-white riding outfit with his long hair tied high and carrying a simple bundle on his shoulders, forced the Imperial Court of Justice’s carriage to stop and jumped into the carriage with a smile: “Where are you going, Senior? Why not take me to elope with you?”

He was accustomed to pestering and making trouble. No matter how many times he was denied, no one could change the facts he had set his mind on. Mu Jingxu became increasingly helpless against Ke Hongxue.

He sat in the carriage and looked deeply into Ke Hongxue’s eyes. Outside the window, the cries of vendors were long and drawn out. Mu Jingxu stared at him in silence for a long time. He then leaned over to lift the carriage curtain and told the driver to continue on their way.

He couldn’t stop Ke Hanying.

The only time he had managed to stop him was nine years ago, when the seventeen-year-old Ke Hongxue burst into the palace with the Grand Tutor’s token and insisted on going south with him.

–

Early in the seventh month, the Jiangnan area started to become humid and hot.

Rong Tang came to the south under the pretence of escaping the summer heat, but the moment he stepped out of the house, he encountered weather conditions as if he had entered a steamer.

There was no way he could stay outside for more than a few minutes. He would suffer from heatstroke if exposed to the sun. Whenever he wanted to go out for a walk, he felt dizzy and had to hold on to someone at his side to prevent himself from falling down.

After two or three instances, Su Huaijing strictly prohibited him from leaving the house.

No matter how coquettish he acted, no meant no. Rong Tang had no choice but to hide in the study, read storybooks, and listen to the system’s taunts: [Is this how he shows he likes you? You’re not even together, and he’s bullying you like this. What will happen if you accept him?]

Hearing this, Rong Tang was speechless for a while and was very puzzled: “When did you learn so many human emotions?”

The system spoke righteously: [You taught me.]

The disaster was still ongoing, and everyone in the Lin Estate was so busy that their feet barely touched the ground, but Rong Tang’s daily life was extremely simple.

Drinking medicine, reading storybooks, bickering with the system, listening to Lu Jiaxi chat with him about the situation outside from time to time, waiting for Su Huaijing to come back from a busy day, taking a walk in the slightly cooler evening breeze, and occasionally racking his brains to reject the main villain’s abrupt confessions.

Wang Xiuyu sent several letters from the capital, urging him to return. Rong Tang worded his replies to reassure her not to worry while feeling a little more settled himself.

Even Wang Xiuyu’s letters had been rushed over, indicating that news of the flood in Jiangnan had already spread in the capital.

So, no matter how Senior Official Zhang or others wished to benefit themselves from this natural disaster, the disaster relief funds and representatives from the imperial court would arrive in Jiangnan sooner or later—it was only a matter of whether they would come a day earlier or later.

Rong Tang was lying on the small couch, with half-dissolved ice slabs slowly spreading cool air next to him. He silently calculated in his mind how much money he had left with the funds he had brought to Jiangnan and the savings from various major banks.

Although Prince Ningxuan was wealthy, it was undoubtedly impossible for him to settle so many disaster victims by himself.

He sighed deeply, hoping that those in the capital could come to a conclusion in their quarrel as soon as possible.

Rong Tang angled his head and looked out the window at the steady sunlight. There were a few large green fruits on the persimmon trees. As he stared, he couldn’t help but wonder if they could continue staying in Jiangnan for the entire summer before returning to the capital.

He also felt like eating persimmons.

On the sixth day of the seventh month, at dusk, large fish-scale clouds gathered over the Suzhou residence. They were illuminated by the purple-red sunset, reflecting on Lotus Lake, turning the phrase “Floating Light and Leaping Gold” into reality.

This was the only time of day, along with early morning, that was slightly cooler. Rong Tang, having spent the day reading storybooks, walked out of the courtyard and along the gravel path in the garden, noticing that the pond in the centre of the garden was full of blooming lotus flowers.

Shuang Fu had prepared a fishing rod for him, so he sat in the pavilion with a straw hat on his head and started fishing.

He had only been fishing for a while when Su Huaijing arrived. Rong Tang raised his head and looked at him against the afterglow of dusk, intuitively feeling that the main villain had matured a lot.

If, at their first meeting in Fengyue House, Su Huaijing still had the appearance of a young boy not fully grown, now, six months later, he was not only taller, but his shoulders and back also seemed much broader.

Occasionally, when they stood together, Su Huaijing did nothing, yet Rong Tang could sense an invisible aura of power.

It’s just that this aura of power was never directed at him. In front of Rong Tang, Su Huaijing behaved like a dog loyal to its master.

He had come from outside the house, with Sheng Chengming talking with him as they walked. Su Huaijing consciously stayed half a step behind him, giving the impression of a master and his advisor.

But Rong Tang felt a twinge of displeasure at the sight, so he gave a light “tsk” before looking away and focusing on the fishing rod in his hand.

When the two of them reached him, Rong Tang could no longer pretend to be oblivious. He wanted to stand up and greet Sheng Chengming, but the latter casually lifted his robe and sat on the small folding stool next to him, also picking up a fishing rod. As he threaded an earthworm onto the hook, he said, “Biao xiong, you don’t need to bow to me every time we meet. It’s too formal for family. Besides, I’m currently staying at your house, so you are the host.”

Rong Tang paused for a moment and didn’t insist. He briefly asked how Sheng Chengming was and then sat back down, remaining composed.

Su Huaijing looked up at the sun, which was almost set, and then naturally moved to block the remaining rays for him. He lowered his gaze and saw the few crucian carp flapping in the small bucket. With a smile, he asked, “Tangtang, are you planning to give me extra food tonight?”

Rong Tang retorted, “Is it enough for you?”

Su Huaijing was startled, then laughed and said, “It’s enough for me alone, but I don’t know if Tangtang will fight over it with me.”

Rong Tang’s hands stopped moving, and the float on the water surface bobbed several times, but he forgot to lift the rod. Su Huaijing then bent down, gently taking the young prince’s hand with one hand and gripping the fishing rod with the other. With a bit of skill, he pulled a crucian carp weighing about 150-200 grams out of the water.

Su Huaijing’s hands were suited for stroking jade, but even his actions of removing the fish from the hook were extremely graceful against the setting sun.

He tossed the catch into the bucket, turned around, and smiled. “Now it’s enough for both of us to eat.”

Shuang Fu, understanding the situation, immediately took the small bucket to the kitchen.

Rong Tang belatedly realised that his ears were a little red, and he glared fiercely at Su Huaijing. Sheng Chengming watched them enviously and said testily, “Biao xiong and biao sao’s relationship is really good.”

Only then did Rong Tang pay him some attention and say, “Your Highness has reached the age for marriage. There are so many noble ladies from illustrious families in the capital. His Majesty and Concubine Yi will surely make a good choice for you.”

Somehow, these words struck a chord with Su Huaijing. He was washing his hands by the shore when his eyes suddenly brightened, and he glanced at Rong Tang with a somewhat cute smile.

Rong Tang was momentarily stunned but couldn’t help but be concerned: “Pay a bit more attention; be careful not to slip.”

“Alright,” Su Huaijing obediently replied, then turned back and continued to wash his hands earnestly.

Sheng Chengming’s eyes were almost red with envy. He looked at Rong Tang and then at Su Huaijing. In the end, he had no choice but to focus on the float that was gently bobbing with the waves. He let out a heavy sigh and said, “I’ll be honest with you, biao xiong. I originally didn’t want to marry a wife and have children too early.”

Rong Tang glanced at him, and Sheng Chengming continued: “I’m not afraid of biao xiong making fun of me.

I’ve always been a rascal who doesn’t care about anything. Everyone in the palace knows that if I’m not in the palace attending court, the rest of my time is spent fooling around in Fengyue House.”

He smiled, his skin tanned from the recent days, dark circles under his eyes, and his energy seemed a bit forced. As he sat there fishing, his eyelids began to droop and his voice became low: “I didn’t want to get married so early and be controlled by others. Besides, my reputation isn’t good, and the ministers in the court may not be willing to marry their daughters to me.”

As he spoke, he laughed, seemingly mocking himself: “Compared to me, my san di is more handsome, more talented, and more learned, and his concubine mother’s status is even higher. Isn’t it better to choose him? Why choose me?”

Rong Tang frowned slightly. He didn’t know why, but he felt that Sheng Chengming’s words had a hidden meaning.

Sure enough, after he finished speaking, Sheng Chengming shot a glance at Su Huaijing. The latter, however, walked over to Rong Tang and sat down without a sideways glance. He picked up a cattail leaf fan to fan Rong Tang and said lightly, “Your Highness, there is no need to belittle yourself. The dragon has nine sons, and each is different. Although Third Highness is extremely talented, Your Highness has remarkable courage, a pure heart, and qualities that the other princes do not possess.”

He laughed and raised his phoenix eyes to look at Sheng Chengming, as if giving him reassurance: “Not to mention the flood in Jiangnan this time. If Your Highness hadn’t made decisive decisions, it’s unknown how much more damage would have been caused.”

Su Huaijing’s praise was both sincere and insincere. Sheng Chengming lowered his head dejectedly and said in a low voice, “But I was still too impetuous. If I hadn’t arrested Governor Lu so hastily, the disaster relief money might have arrived long ago. Why do the people in Jiangnan have to suffer so much? I should’ve listened—”

As he spoke, he seemed to realise that there were some things he couldn’t say in front of Rong Tang. He paused for a moment before lifting the fishing rod.

The bait on the hook had been eaten long ago, so Sheng Chengming replaced it with another earthworm.

Rong Tang was a little surprised when he heard this. Understanding the meaning of his words, he asked, “Your Highness is willing to denounce Lu Junxian?”

Sheng Chengming was tossing the fishhook into the water again. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment and even more surprised than Rong Tang: “Why would I be unwilling?”

Rong Tang: “Governor Lu is Senior Official Zhang’s disciple.”

“And what of it?” Sheng Chengming frowned. “Jiang Shanxing reminded him many times that there would be floods in Jiangnan, but he didn’t listen or believe it. He even ordered people to block the letters sent to the capital. If he hadn’t been so pedantic and regarded the lives of the people as nothing but fish meat, why did Jiangnan suffer tens of thousands of casualties?”

The more he spoke, the more infuriated he became, and his voice grew louder. Rong Tang was stunned for a moment and looked back at Su Huaijing.

These days, Su Huaijing hasn’t told him the specific amount of flood damage. Rong Tang had privately asked Lu Jiaxi but couldn’t get any information from him, so he knew that Su Huaijing was deliberately keeping it from him for fear that he would be sad.

But when he actually heard the number of victims from Sheng Chengming, he was still momentarily shocked.

Sadness was inevitable, but beyond that, he felt a sense of relief.

Hundreds of thousands versus tens of thousands of people—anyone who knows the original destiny trajectory and looks back at the current results would be astonished that human wisdom can prevail over nature.

Su Huaijing assumed he was sad, so he squeezed the back of his hand as a silent comfort.

Rong Tang tilted his head, restraining himself from looking at him, and praised Sheng Chengming: “Your Highness is righteous.”

Sheng Chengming’s anger dissipated at once. He was a little dazed and only reacted after a long time, shaking his head: “It’s not that I’m righteous, but that the people in Jiangnan are suffering.”

After he finished speaking, he fell silent, and Rong Tang didn’t know how to comfort him just then.

After all, what Sheng Chengming said was indeed right—the people were suffering.

He was a little distracted, gradually sensing the desolation and coldness in his heart, but suddenly, laughter sounded behind him. Someone walked through the dusk and moonlight and said with a hearty smile, “What’s going on? What’s with all the long faces? I travelled all the way from Hangzhou to Suzhou to invite you to spend Qixi* together. If the Queen Mother of the West** sees this expression, I’m afraid she won’t even be able to build the Magpie Bridge again this year. Where’s the mood gone?”

(*TN: Qixi is the seventh evening of the seventh lunar month, where legend has it that the Cowherd and Weaving Girl meet annually on the bridge of magpies across the Milky Way between Altair and Vega, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day.)

(**TN: the Queen Mother of the West is a beautiful, mythical immortal.)

Rong Tang turned around and caught sight of the high-spirited twenty-six-year-old Ke Hongxue. The setting sun illuminated his body, casting a special, golden light on him.

The real, hard cash type.

The author has something to say:

Lil’ Seven, your elder sister-in-law (just kidding) has arrived!