Huo Si was truly a man of high emotional intelligence, Zheng Wei mused, which was likely why he handled matters so adeptly.
He continued on towards the guest chambers, his thoughts occupied. Reaching the entrance of the main room, Zheng Wei did not pause nor send anyone to announce his arrival. Instead, he simply lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
The room had been filled with the sound of voices, and not in hushed tones. Zheng Wei had been preoccupied earlier and hadn't paid attention. Now, entering, he heard the conversations within, but for some reason, they abruptly ceased.
After parting the ornate screen, Zheng Wei saw all eyes in the room fixed on him. Most people would have found such intense scrutiny unbearable, leading to shyness or awkwardness. But Zheng Wei was different; he was as if these gazes were invisible, as though they weren't directed at him at all.
His utter composure seemed to unnerve the people in the room, and their gazes shifted to one of inquiry. Ignoring them, Zheng Wei walked directly to the other side of Yi Zhi Xie and sat down with a thud.
Seeing Zheng Wei sit, the others finally seemed to snap out of their stupor. One of them then turned to Sima Han and asked, "Fifth Prince, might we know who this person beside you is?"
Sima Han's lips curved slightly, and he replied indifferently, "It's no one. You needn't concern yourselves."
Upon hearing this, the assembled individuals couldn't help but twitch their lips. What kind of answer was that? If it was no one, then who was it? Furthermore, if it were just an ordinary person, would they dare to barge in and sit so unceremoniously?
While they were all pondering this confusion, Zheng Wei stood up again, preparing to leave.
"Hey, where are you going?" Yi Zhi Xie, who happened to see Zheng Wei about to depart, called out loudly.
Zheng Wei turned back. "Someone has arrived, and I must go to greet them. Otherwise, someone else might say I lack manners."
Sima Han raised an eyebrow. This answer was rather interesting. But who was this arriving guest? Feeling curious, Sima Han also stood up and walked towards the exit.
All the others who had been seated and conversing with Sima Han were house stewards from noble households. Seeing Sima Han rise, they naturally all stood up as well and followed him out.
Upon reaching the outside, they saw Zheng Wei standing opposite someone, engaged in conversation. The distance was a bit too great, and Zheng Wei, being tall and robust, completely obscured the person opposite him, making it impossible to discern their identity. Only a glimpse of their hem revealed that their attire was luxurious and expensive, certainly not that of an ordinary person. This only deepened the crowd's curiosity, and their pace quickened.
As they drew closer and saw who was speaking with Zheng Wei, each of them gasped in astonishment, their mouths falling open. After a moment of stunned silence, they recovered, and one by one, they knelt on the ground, crying out, "Greetings, Prince Duan."
It turned out that the person speaking face-to-face with Zheng Wei was none other than Prince Duan, Zheng Xiang. As they offered their respects from their kneeling position, these individuals secretly wondered about Zheng Wei's true identity. On the first day of the New Year, how could Prince Duan come to see him?
At this moment, Prince Duan commanded them to rise, and they all stood. After rising, they were unsure what to do. Prince Duan's arrival at this hour surely indicated something important. Otherwise, why would he come at this time to see someone so seemingly insignificant?
Then, Zheng Xiang spoke, "There is a family banquet at my estate this evening. My father wishes for you to attend."
Zheng Wei, upon hearing this, glanced at Zheng Fan standing behind Zheng Xiang with a half-smile, and then said, "Isn't this perhaps a Hongmen Banquet?"
Hearing this, Zheng Xiang's face instantly turned extremely unpleasant. This Zheng Wei was simply too much. He had already lowered himself, yet he still received such treatment. Was it possible that Zheng Wei only responded to force and not gentleness?
This thought, however, was immediately dismissed by Zheng Xiang himself. Based on the information provided by Grand Princess Zan De, Zheng Wei clearly hated being threatened the most, let alone responding to force. He had once considered, while Shen Xiao Yan was unconscious and the three children were still young, to simply have them all abducted. With hostages in hand, he believed Zheng Wei would have no choice but to comply. However, when he merely hypothetically mentioned this to Grand Princess Zan De, she had vehemently rejected the idea with an impassioned cry. Her reaction had been most unusual, and despite asking why, he had received no answer. Even without a specific reason, he could guess that she must have suffered a loss at Zheng Wei's hands before, otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted that way.
These thoughts flashed through his mind at lightning speed, and Zheng Xiang's mind cleared considerably. He suppressed the surge of anger within him as much as possible and forced a smile onto his face. "What are you saying, child? It's merely a family banquet at my estate. If you are still uneasy, you may bring the Fifth Prince and the Grand Tutor along. With them present, do you think I would dare to set up a Hongmen Banquet?"
By saying this, Zheng Xiang was trying to convey that he had no ill intentions, though he didn't truly wish for Sima Han and Yi Zhi Xie to accompany them. A man as intelligent as Zheng Wei could naturally understand Zheng Xiang's meaning. However, Zheng Wei simply had no intention of letting Zheng Xiang have his way. Therefore, Zheng Wei's face was full of agreement as he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Since Prince Duan so warmly invites us, I will accept on their behalf. We will attend together this evening."
Zheng Xiang: ...
Looking at Zheng Wei's harmless, innocent smile, the anger that was about to erupt from Zheng Xiang was swallowed back down. He knew, deep down, that Zheng Wei was doing this deliberately. After a moment's thought, Zheng Xiang said, "By all means. Although it is a family banquet, it would be an honor to have the Grand Tutor and the Fifth Prince attend. I shall return now and ensure the house is properly prepared. This evening, I will surely satisfy both of you, and of course, I will satisfy you as well, Wei'er."
Having said this, Zheng Xiang turned and left with Zheng Fan, not waiting for Zheng Wei's reply.
Throughout the entire exchange, Zheng Fan had not uttered a single word. He had kept his head bowed, looking at the ground the entire time, and had not even glanced at Zheng Wei. Despite Zheng Fan's outwardly obedient demeanor, Zheng Wei did not believe he was truly that docile. If he harbored no resentment, why would he avoid looking up? It was surely to prevent his emotions from being detected, thus being exposed in public and reprimanded by Zheng Xiang.
Zheng Wei watched the receding figures of the two men, a sneer of mockery in his heart. What a son, he thought, less useful than a confidant. Everyone said that father and son held no grudges, but that was only when there were no conflicting interests. Look at them now; there were clearly problems between Zheng Xiang and Zheng Fan, but because Zheng Fan's capabilities were so vastly inferior to Zheng Xiang's, he could only bow his head and feign obedience. If he had Zheng Wei's current abilities, he would surely act even more excessively. Perhaps, if Zheng Xiang displeased him in any way, he might even resort to physical violence.
Those who had been silently observing the scene from the sidelines now began to understand, their confusion slowly dissipating. They had heard earlier that Zheng Xiang had found his eldest son, who had disappeared decades ago. He was presumed dead then, but after all these years, he was alive. Not only that, but he had a close relationship with the Fifth Prince and Grand Tutor Yi Zhi Xie. This was, undoubtedly, a form of capability.
Sima Han took a few steps forward and stood beside Zheng Wei, his eyes also looking ahead. He said in a voice that wasn't intentionally lowered, so everyone around could hear, "Who asked you to agree on our behalf?"
Sima Han's words startled everyone. Weren't their relationships supposed to be very good? What was going on? Was Sima Han angry because Zheng Wei had unilaterally agreed to attend Prince Duan's banquet? It seemed reasonable. A prince attending a family banquet at a prince's estate, especially a prince with a different surname, sounded rather peculiar.
However, Zheng Wei calmly replied, "What? Are you feeling wronged by being asked to go?" Zheng Wei said this as he turned to look at Sima Han.
Sima Han saw Zheng Wei's eyes narrow slightly, a cryptic glint within them, and he suddenly understood. He quickly shook his head and said with a hint of grievance, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Whatever you say goes. We'll go together tonight."
This time, the people around were completely astonished. What was going on? Had they misunderstood? Was Zheng Wei actually the Fifth Prince, and Sima Han was Zheng Xiang's illegitimate eldest son? Otherwise, why would their interactions be reversed? Or was it because Zheng Wei possessed some unique quality? Not only Sima Han, but even Prince Duan earlier had exhibited peculiar behavior.
Regardless of what the others were thinking, as the time arrived, Huo Si respectfully escorted them out. Although they still had a stomach full of questions, they dared not ask.
By noon, when Zheng Wei checked on Ruan Ruan again, he found that her temperature had returned to normal, and she seemed energetic. Although she still cried when taking medicine, it passed after she finished, and soon she was giggling happily. With Ruan Ruan recovered, Zheng Wei's mood also improved. With a better mood, he had the mental space to think about the evening's events.
By evening, after arranging everything at home, Zheng Wei, Sima Han, and Yi Zhi Xie boarded a carriage. The carriage slowly pulled out of Si Yang House at a steady pace. Huo Si was still driving. Although there were now many servants and retainers in the household, Huo Si still preferred to personally handle matters when Zheng Wei and the others needed to go out in a carriage. Otherwise, no matter how much he did each day, he would feel as if he were idle.
Since Zheng Wei had instructed not to drive too fast, even after fifteen minutes, they had only passed two streets. Inside the carriage, the three sat facing each other in silence, the only sound being the quiet hum of the vehicle. Suddenly, as the carriage was about to make another turn, Zheng Wei said, "You two, go back."
Sima Han and Yi Zhi Xie were both taken aback. "What did you say?"
Zheng Wei repeated, "You two, hurry back."
Seeing Zheng Wei's serious expression and urgent tone, Yi Zhi Xie also became worried. "Did something happen?"
Zheng Wei shook his head. "No, it's just that... it's better if I go alone tonight."
Yi Zhi Xie wanted to ask more, but Zheng Wei waved him to stop. Knowing that Zheng Wei wouldn't elaborate if pressed further, Yi Zhi Xie and Sima Han stopped talking. They signaled Huo Si to halt the carriage and prepared to disembark.
However, Zheng Wei, who was sitting by the carriage door, was faster, jumping out first. Landing steadily, Zheng Wei said, "Uncle Huo, take the carriage back."
Huo Si had also overheard their conversation and knew that Zheng Wei intended to go to Prince Duan's estate alone. He said, "Master Zheng, Prince Duan's estate is still quite far from here. Let me drive you. It's close to home, and the Grand Tutor and Master Sima can walk back later."
Sima Han and Yi Zhi Xie nodded in agreement. Huo Si was right.
Zheng Wei, however, shook his head and refused. "If I want to get there quickly, I'll be much faster than you with the carriage." Seeing that Huo Si and the other two were about to speak, Zheng Wei waved his hand. "Don't say any more. Just do as I say. You all go back. Be careful tonight, and don't let anything happen. I might not be back tonight."
Having said this, Zheng Wei didn't give them a chance to respond. He turned and ran off quickly. In the blink of an eye, Zheng Wei's figure had vanished. Looking ahead for a moment longer, Yi Zhi Xie sighed and said, "Let's go back."
Although Huo Si was somewhat confused, he obediently turned the carriage around and headed back. On the way back, the speed was noticeably faster, perhaps because Huo Si instinctively followed Zheng Wei's instruction to return quickly.
Sima Han leaned back in the carriage, staring intently at Yi Zhi Xie's face. It wasn't until Yi Zhi Xie's skin began to crawl and he could no longer bear it that he asked, "What are you doing? You don't mean you've fallen in love with me, do you?"