They couldn't utter a sound.
They had all been acupoint-sealed, unable to move.
They had never experienced such humiliation and pain.
In that moment, they wished they were dead.
It wasn't until they were thrown into a stinking pigsty that they realized the horror.
They were completely immobilized, and the pigs that wandered around them left all sorts of disgusting excrement on them.
Yun Xiaojing and Zhan Xiaojun stood on the wall, took a few glances, and then jumped down.
Had they forgotten what they had said earlier in the restaurant?
They wanted to cut out their tongues?
And send them to a brothel?
They had initially thought it was just them bragging, but they hadn't expected them to actually come and surround them. In that case, they couldn't be blamed for retaliating.
Just as they were about to head towards the inn,
A man and a woman, who appeared to be three to four years older than them, appeared before them.
Seeing the two, Yun Xiaojing narrowed his eyes. It seemed these two had witnessed what had just happened.
"Don't worry, we are not enemies. We dislike them as much as you do," the woman said, stepping forward and lowering her voice to state her position, seeing Yun Xiaojing's guardedness and even hostility.
The man nodded. "We will pretend not to have seen today's events. The Lin family has indeed been too arrogant in their dealings these past few years."
Yun Xiaojing and Zhan Xiaojun did not speak immediately, nor did they rush to leave.
It wouldn't hurt to hear what they had to say.
...
Dongning Kingdom, the capital.
Wuan Marquis's residence.
Xie Jin looked at his two brothers who had just returned from outside, filled with envy. "I truly envy King Ye and his consort. With sons as grown as you two, they don't have to do anything themselves; they can just assign tasks to you."
"If you wish, you can be like my parents in a little over ten years," Zhan Xiaofeng said.
He and his elder brother had been handling some matters in the capital these past two days.
Their parents had been away from the capital for a long time, and even King Ye's mansion had become somewhat dilapidated. The spies and properties remaining in the capital also needed to be reorganized.
"In a little over ten years? I'll be even older then," Xie Jin sighed.
Unknowingly, he now realized that he wasn't as young as he used to be.
As the brothers didn't notice, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.
He suddenly wondered if he should stop bothering that woman.
A girl in her teens, following a man like him who was no longer young – he felt like an old ox grazing on tender grass.
A moment later.
The three sat around the table for lunch.
The Wuan Marquis's residence always served light meals.
Even though they had guests, the dishes were well-prepared.
Simple leafy greens and a few dishes, surrounded by a plate with two or three chicken drumsticks.
"Uncle Xie, is this really necessary?" Zhan Xiaoli looked up and coldly at Xie Jin.
They all knew that Uncle Xie liked to feign poverty, wishing everyone knew that the Wuan Marquis's residence was so poor it could barely make ends meet, on the verge of begging.
When the former emperor was alive, the Wuan Marquis and Xie Jin had a difficult life, so pretending like this was understandable.
But after the former emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne, they stubbornly refused to change this habit. They even felt that pretending to be poor made them feel secure in the capital, free from bothersome people and entanglements.
Even messy disputes wouldn't involve them.
Such a peaceful life was greatly enjoyed by the Wuan Marquis, who had lived a life of caution and struggle for most of his life. He forced Xie Jin to maintain this good habit with him, and it continued until now.
"We will move to King Ye's mansion tomorrow," Zhan Xiaofeng made a decision.
They would be staying in the capital for a few more days, and in a couple more days, some younger siblings would arrive. If they all stayed at the Wuan Marquis's residence, he was afraid their parents would think he and his elder brother were mistreating their younger siblings upon their return.
Anyone would lose weight eating such food.
"Alright," Zhan Xiaoli agreed.
"The Wuan Marquis's residence has been experiencing some financial strain lately, so we haven't been as particular about our food. Simple fare is the most nourishing, and it's absolutely not because I'm mistreating you," Xie Jin shamelessly lied.
Zhan Xiaoli and Zhan Xiaofeng before him were truly far superior to their predecessors; the old King Ye was much easier to fool!
In such a situation, tens of thousands of silver taels had already been given to him to improve their diet. But these two, they simply said they wanted to leave.
Zhan Xiaoli and Zhan Xiaofeng remained silent.
Although they had not had many opportunities to see Uncle Xie over the years, they understood what kind of person Uncle Xie was.
He only took, never gave.
In fact, no one in the capital could find anyone richer than Uncle Xie now!
At this moment, a servant's voice came from outside the door.
"Young Master, Miss Sui has sent a letter."
Xie Jin, who had been racking his brains on how to trick the two of them, immediately changed his expression upon hearing the name Miss Sui. "Send it in."
Zhan Xiaoli and Zhan Xiaofeng were somewhat aware of Xie Jin's recent romantic entanglements.
They knew that Xie Jin and this Miss Sui were very close, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would likely end up together.
However, did Uncle Xie dislike himself for being old?
Xie Jin took the letter and looked at the contents.
Upon reading that the young master had no interest in her and that she would never pester him again.
Then, seeing Xie Jin's face turn rather gloomy, the servant continued, "Miss Sui's maid revealed that Miss Sui seems to be getting engaged today. The matchmaker has already arrived at Miss Sui's home."
Zhan Xiaoli and Zhan Xiaofeng looked at each other.
The next moment.
As they had expected.
Xie Jin, who had been calm just moments before, stood up abruptly. "Engaged? Did she ask for my consent?"
She actually wanted to marry someone else!
Just a few days ago, she had repeatedly sworn that she would marry no one but him in this lifetime! Even if everyone said he was the poorest young master in the capital, and the Marquis's residence was drowning in debt, she didn't care. She would face it all with him.
And now, in just a few days, she wanted to arrange a marriage?
"This, Young Master..." The servant was startled by Xie Jin's sudden outburst of anger.
He was momentarily unsure how to respond.
"You two eat first, I need to go out," Xie Jin couldn't sit still any longer.
He quickly headed towards the door.
Zhan Xiaofeng smiled. "It seems Uncle Xie will be getting married soon. Do you think Father and Mother will return to the capital for Uncle Xie's wedding?"
Zhan Xiaoli nodded. "Probably."
At the same time.
In the palace.
Princess Shunyi came to see Zhan Tianhong again.
Father Emperor still refused to see her.
She was almost frantic.
She was truly afraid that the man she had finally fallen for would disappear. Moreover, she had been coming to see Father Emperor every day for the past two days, but she only met those old imperial physicians and couldn't see the man from that day.
Because that man's appearance was too exceptional, she had a photographic memory. As a result, everyone else looked unattractive to her, far inferior to him.
Eunuch Liu walked out of the sleeping quarters.
Princess Shunyi hurried forward upon seeing him.