Chapter 801 That Night

Out of the mausoleum,

Down the stone mountain.

A memorial service, hastily begun, and just as hastily concluded.

At the foot of the mountain, Prince Cheng, Situ Yu, knelt down,

First kowtowing to Zheng Fan,

Then kowtowing to the crown prince.

Behind Situ Yu was a group of Wangfu (Prince's residence) servants kowtowing along.

"In a few days, I will write a letter to Prefect Xu to have the Wangfu guard quota increased."

The previous batch of Wangfu guards had been "used" by Zheng Fan as a warning to others.

After that, Zheng Fan directly stripped the Wangfu guards of their official status.

Now, a dignified Prince Cheng can only bring servants when he goes out. These servants can carry knives, but they cannot wear armor, nor can they use military-issue weapons. Even a ceremonial guard of honor is impossible.

"Thank you, Wangye (Prince), for your grace. Thank you, Wangye, for your grace."

Situ Yu thanked him again.

"Situ Yu, your father's goodwill has already been exhausted by you. Next, you should think carefully about how to accumulate goodwill for yourself and your descendants. Draining the pond to catch all the fish is certainly enjoyable, but in the end, there will be plenty of time to cry."

"Yu understands. Yu will certainly remember Your Highness's teachings."

"Well, go back and live your life steadily."

Zheng Fan urged Situ Yu to go back; that lord in his chest was already a little restless.

"Yes, Yu takes his leave."

Prince Cheng left.

At this time,

Ji Chuanye, who was being held by Zheng Fan and sitting on the back of the Pixiu, said:

"Uncle Zheng, he saluted you first."

"What's wrong?" Zheng Fan asked, "Oh, are you jealous?"

"Chuanye thinks he's trying to sow discord."

"No."

"Isn't he?"

"Because he doesn't know that Chuanye, despite his young age, is so intelligent."

Ji Chuanye pondered for a few moments, as if he understood something.

Sowing discord depends on the person. If the crown prince were a young adult, doing so would be sowing discord.

But the crown prince is just a kid; how could Situ Yu, no matter how shrewd, have calculated that?

On the contrary, this Ji Chuanye seemed afraid of falling into a trap, so he deliberately brought up the issue.

Situ Yu had no intention, but the crown prince did, so he quickly clarified.

Zheng Fan reached out and tapped the crown prince a few times on the head,

Saying:

"Children should act like children; don't be so calculating all the time. Eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink. If you think too much, your body will be drained."

The crown prince hugged his aching head and nodded, saying, "Oh."

"Chuanye, do you know what kind of person is the smartest in this world?"

"Please enlighten me, Uncle Zheng."

"The smartest person is the one who knows how to cherish blessings.

Admittedly, there are those moving and admirable people in this world who go against the current and sacrifice themselves for righteousness. Over the years, your Uncle Zheng has seen quite a few;

We have them here;

Qian and Chu have them too;

I've even personally killed quite a few. After killing them, I still have to admire them.

But that's only when death is inevitable, for the sake of belief, for the sake of perseverance.

However, if that time hasn't come, you still have to know how to cherish blessings and preserve your spirit.

Your Uncle Zheng isn't a doctor, but I know that if you continue like this, you'll be a sickly person when you grow up.

What's most important when being the crown prince, even when being the emperor in the future?

Good health. You have to live long, you have to live long.

If you're gone, everything is nothing."

Ji Chuanye scratched his face. Clearly, what Zheng Fan said conflicted with his previous beliefs.

"Father said that I must believe whatever Uncle Zheng says, so I must believe what Uncle Zheng says. Chuanye understands."

"Your father and I are still in our prime. With the two of us around, we can at least let you kids have a happy and carefree childhood. As for what happens in the future, we'll talk about it later."

After saying that,

Zheng Fan raised his riding whip and lashed it eastward,

Saying:

"Let's go, let's go home!"

…

Originally, according to Zheng Fan's plan, after picking up the child, they would return to Fengxin City without stopping.

Detouring around Shishan (Stone Mountain) wouldn't delay the journey too much.

But along the way, the team had to slow down again.

The crown prince was sick.

Zheng Fan wouldn't think it was because he had taken the crown prince riding the Pixiu against the wind that day that caused the crown prince to fall ill.

Si Niang's explanation was that

The child was suffering from water and soil incompatibility.

If the body's foundation is weak, it's easy to have this problem.

Under the circumstances, the team could only stop at a military town under the Marquis's jurisdiction. Si Niang administered acupuncture, and the accompanying military doctor also had some essential herbs. After giving the child the medicine, they had to wait until he sweated and the fever subsided before continuing the journey.

Zheng Fan entered the tent and looked at the child.

The child's face was wet. He opened his eyes, his gaze a little tired and a little apologetic.

"Uncle Zheng, Chuanye is holding everyone back."

"Don't think nonsense. Close your eyes, count sheep, and take a nap to sweat."

"Yes, Uncle Zheng."

The crown prince obediently closed his eyes again.

After Zheng Fan personally changed a wet towel for him, he got up and walked out of the tent.

Si Niang was sitting outside, knitting small pieces of clothing.

Not for the child in her womb, nor for the one in the princess's womb, but for Tiantian.

"Go and rest. Let the military doctor watch here."

Si Niang shook her head and said, "Master, it's better for this servant to watch over him personally. After all, this child's status is different."

Even putting aside the crown prince's identity, if the child of his sworn brother came to his house as a guest and had something happen to his body, he wouldn't be able to explain it.

Not to mention that Zheng Fan didn't have any plans to rebel at this time, at least, he hadn't started yet. Even if he did, there was no need to directly kill the crown prince.

"Then you'll have to work hard."

"Master, dinner is ready in your tent."

"Okay, I'll go eat first, and I'll come and keep you company later."

Si Niang nodded with a smile.

It wasn't because she was pregnant that the master was so attentive. In the past, when she was busy with work, the master would often lie beside her like a "puppy," keeping her company while dozing off.

Zheng Fan walked into his military tent, where a pot of stewed pork with vermicelli was being cooked.

The Sword Saint was sitting there eating steamed buns.

Zheng Fan also sat down and ate with him.

The two of them ate in silence,

Finally,

Zheng Fan said strangely, "Why aren't you asking me?"

"Asking what?"

"Asking about Situ Yu's matter."

"I'm not a storyteller, always playing straight man for you." The Sword Saint took a bite of his steamed bun. "I know you won't be able to hold it in."

"Fine, you're right. So, do you want to hear it?"

"Say it if you want to say it." The Sword Saint didn't take the bait.

"Actually, the key isn't the child with the common bloodline of the Wenren family and the Situ family, nor is it the child's life or death."

"Then what's the key?"

"Sending money, and the attitude of sending money."

"How did it become accounting, doing business?"

"Doing business is no small matter. The people of our Fengxin City can live better than those in other places, and it really depends on trade.

Exchanging goods for goods, obtaining silver from goods, these are the most basic. The highest level is doing favors and buying goodwill.

He doesn't care about the child's life or death. He himself is still a child. When I found out that he had gotten someone's daughter pregnant, Xu Wenzu and I were quite surprised.

You say a half-grown child, confusedly creating a child, would he understand what it's like to be a father?

He doesn't understand.

But after all, he's Situ Lei's seed. After being slapped a few times, he grew up quite quickly. But to be safe, I still have to have someone check if there's a new strategist or something in his residence.

Giving me silver, giving me his family's treasure, I took it, but if he doesn't ask me to do something, both sides will feel uncomfortable.

If I take someone's silver without doing anything, not only will I not be grateful to him, but I will also find him annoying and be displeased with him.

If he really wants me to do something, he's worried that I'll think he's ignorant and doesn't know his place, that he's offering tribute to Grandpa me, and still dares to make requests. That attitude is a bit improper."

"So, he made this kind of request?"

"That's right. It seems like a big deal, not asking for life, but asking for death. But how could he really know about life and death? I reckon that child should have been born, and I don't know where the Secret Intelligence Division people have placed him for raising, but it's impossible for this Prince Cheng to know.

So, I won't do anything, and I'll just inform him that the child is dead. He has to kneel down and thank me. If the child is dead, he's dead. If he reappears, he's fake. This is the same as the Marquis of Zhenbei's heir back then.

He's giving me silver to show his goodwill. This request is just a flimsy excuse, understand?"

The Sword Saint looked at Zheng Fan,

And asked:

"It's that simple?"

"How complicated can it be? It's just like that kid Chuanye being hung up on whether Situ Yu kowtowed to whom first, thinking he was trying to sow discord. There's no need to think too complicatedly about things.

First, there's no need to. Second, you still have to look at the person's status.

There's no need because my status and position are different now. If He Nianyao dares to provoke me, I'll go to Chu and beat him up, capture him, and castrate him.

Look at the person's status, because what is Situ Yu, what is Prince Cheng's residence like now? No matter how good his plots and schemes are, if he doesn't have the ability to carry them out, are they useful?

Martial world grudges are complicated, but in the imperial court, in a country's military and government, it's actually simple. Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp. Before the small shrimp grow up, no one will waste the energy to give you a second glance.

Back then, Li Liangting and Old Tian, and even the late Emperor, I reckon, all saw that I was a bit restless.

But they still smiled at me and didn't take it seriously.

Why?

Because I was still a small shrimp back then.

In the middle, relying on my own efforts, relying on the situation in Yan, and relying on Old Tian's protection, I survived, and now I've become a big fish.

But when I was a small shrimp, I knelt when I should kneel, I said good things when I should say good things, and when I should be cowardly, I was more cowardly than anyone else."

Marquis Zheng slurped up a mouthful of vermicelli,

While chewing, he pointed with his chopsticks and said:

"Old Yu, guess what I'm more interested in right now?"

The Sword Saint drank a mouthful of soup,

And said:

"You want me to think with your big fish mentality?"

"That's right."

The Sword Saint picked up a piece of meat,

And said:

"You're thinking, where is the Wenren family's treasure?"

………

The crown prince came, causing a sensation. Then, the crown prince quietly lived in the palace. Finally, the crown prince was taken away by Prince Pingxi.

For the high-ranking officials of Yingdu,

Whether it was Prince Pingxi or the crown prince, they were clearly too high and unattainable.

But not everyone was like this. Some people were very approachable, such as the eunuch Supervisor Huang, who had bid farewell to Zheng Fan early and was preparing to return to the capital to report on his duties.

A group of Yingdu officials held a banquet to entertain Eunuch Huang.

Eunuch Huang had been cautious all his life, but after all, he had really ridden in front of the battle line this time. His heart was "itching" unbearably, so he decided to give himself a day of leisure.

He came to the banquet.

At the banquet, he also talked extensively about military affairs,

Enjoying the flattery and adulation of a group of officials.

He felt comfortable.

He was floating.

The banquet ended late into the night.

Eunuch Huang refused a woman prepared for him by someone to warm his bed that night,

And went into the room alone.

First, he opened a box, which contained a human head.

Not the one belonging to Dugumu. Dugumu's head, as well as General He Nian, who had become his "colleague," would be escorted to the capital together.

The one currently in his box was the Chu soldier he had killed.

This was a symbol of Eunuch Huang's bravery.

If you're missing something, you want to make up for it.

The head had been pickled for preservation. After taking it back to his residence in the capital, he would have to do further repairs. In the future, it would be placed together with his big treasure, becoming his most treasured possession.

After admiring the head for a long time,

Eunuch Huang felt a little urge to urinate. He had drunk too much wine.

He took a spittoon from under the bed, unfastened his belt, and habitually wanted to squat down.

After hesitating for a moment,

He picked up the spittoon and placed it between his legs.

Looking at the head on the table and then at the bright moon outside the window,

Accompanied by the scattered and fragmented sound of falling water,

Eunuch Huang seemed to feel that his youth had returned.

A long-lost emotion began to emerge from nothing and gradually filled his chest.

Eunuch Huang dragged out a long note and sang:

"Thinking back then, this old one was also a man with a d*ck!"

………

Fengxin City,

Pingxi Marquis's Residence.

Tiantian, who was originally lying on the bed, silently took his pillow and got out of bed, pushing open the door.

The black cat and the fox were awakened and came over to check.

But they found that their little master had walked straight to the front courtyard.

Was he lonely sleeping alone and wanted to find his adopted grandfather?

The black cat and the fox followed along.

Holding his pillow, Tiantian went down the steps of the secret chamber and came to a coffin.

Suddenly,

The coffin made a sound.

Tiantian, who had been closing his eyes, opened them, looking around a little blankly.

The black cat and the fox immediately rushed over, dragging on Tiantian's little leg.

Tiantian rubbed his eyes, looked at the coffin in front of him, then took a few steps forward, walked to the side of the coffin, and placed his chubby hands on the coffin wall.

"Grandpa…"

A slight rubbing sound came from inside the coffin, as if in response.

Tiantian poked his head out of the edge of the coffin, looking into the depths.

There, there was a blocked door, and behind the door, a deeper direction, a black-armored man, was heavily locked down below.

Even the Pixiu whose body was being suppressed in the Yan capital's imperial palace hadn't enjoyed such "heavy" treatment.

This thing had been captured and brought back just in time for the war with Chu, so naturally it was "detained" here first. The Demon Kings hadn't had time to deal with it yet.

Tiantian opened his mouth and said:

"I heard him calling me."

——————

There will be more tonight