Han Chan approached, his expression growing increasingly icy. Upon closer inspection, Ye Yunting discovered that beneath this cold exterior lay a hint of fatigue—an emotion difficult to discern amidst Han Chan’s stoicism. He lowered his gaze without revealing any change in his expression and heard Han Chan whisper, “Is Wangye truly intent on opposing me? We share common enemies; we ought to stand united against them.”
Li Fengqi’s face was one of mockery as he patted his lap with the blanket. “Is this your ‘help’? I can’t afford it.”
Then, he murmured softly, his voice colder than before, and the warning in it clearer than ever, “I don’t care what you’re planning, but remember—no matter what, I will never associate with you.
“And as for the previous incident…” he spoke slowly, “I shall settle accounts with you one by one.”
“I’ve already told you several times, my intentions were not to take your life,” Han Chan said, anger creeping into his voice. “If I did not act like this, how could you see through his true nature?! So long as we join forces, I’ll immediately give you the antidote!”
“There’s no need.” Li Fengqi’s expression darkened, each word clipped. “The paths between myself and the Taifu diverge, and we cannot walk together.”
The exchange left both men with somber expressions. Though they deliberately kept their voices low, making it impossible for others to hear the details of their conversation, the tension written across their faces made it clear enough that their discussion had been anything but amicable.
But what conflict could there possibly be between the Imperial Tutor and Prince Yong’an?
This scene, observed by the guests present, naturally gave rise to all manner of speculation.
As the two men met each other’s glares like a needle against wheat, a new voice chimed in cheerfully, “What is Teacher and Prince Yong’an discussing? Why don’t I know about it? I don’t feel too happy.”
Li Zong strode leisurely into the hall behind them, his gaze shifting between the two figures.
Han Chan’s expression visibly darkened further; he clenched his jaw without responding.
In contrast, Li Fengqi turned slightly toward the newcomer, his frosty demeanor melting away as needles pierced Li Zong’s heart with each word.
“There wasn’t much said, really. It seems that the Taifu has taken a fancy to the tiger pelt scarf around Ye Yunting’s neck and asked for the remaining tiger skin, but I told him it would be too coarse for such a purpose, and only the softest fur could be used for this scarf. The rest were made into mats for Yunting.
“Perhaps the Taifu did not get his wish, and thus his mood is somewhat poor.” He lifted an eyebrow, his smile overflowing with arrogance. “Speaking of which, this white tiger skin was granted by His Majesty himself. If the Imperial Tutor truly desires another, perhaps he may ask if His Majesty possesses any second white tigers.”
Han Chan’s face twitched, barely managing to maintain his composure before he replied coldly, “That will not be necessary.”
Li Zong’s gaze lingered on Ye Yunting’s neck, recalling that defeated white tiger. His expression darkened and he smiled insincerely. “This white tiger was gifted by Prince Yong’an himself; whether there is another must depend on whether Prince Yong’an has the ability to catch another and present a second such gift.”
“Then I’m afraid His Majesty will be disappointed,” Li Fengqi said with a feigned sigh. “White tigers are rare enough to begin with, and now that one has died, it may be difficult to find another. Moreover…” He deliberately slowed his tone. “These days, I raise wolves, not tigers.” With this, he asked once more, “Would His Majesty care to see how well the wolf king I’ve been raising has faired?”
“…”
He repeatedly brought up the past to make trouble, and Li Zong finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He flicked his sleeves and spoke sternly, “No need. Today I come only to attend a banquet and drink, not to watch Prince Yong’an train his beasts.”
With these words, he swept his sleeves and strode forward, but stopped when he passed Han Chan. “Since Teacher has taken leave for several days, saying he needs bedrest, perhaps it would be best if you avoided this banquet altogether.”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.” Han Chan’s expression remained unchanged, unswayed by his admonition. “I may abstain from alcohol, but I cannot refuse an invitation to Prince Yong’an’s feast.”
“You!” Li Zong’s complexion shifted, and he stared at Han Chan for several moments before brushing past him. “Very well, very well!”
Han Chan stood straight-backed, his gaze unfathomable as it lingered on Li Zong’s retreating figure.
*
The guests had arrived, and the banquet was about to begin. Everyone followed the servants’ directions to take their seats.
Li Zong sat in the main seat, and Han Chan took the right-hand position, Li Fengqi and Ye Yunting were assigned to the left, and further away were Chang Yu’an and Yue Changgou…
The guests sat in two rows while the sound of stringed instruments filled the hall. A troupe of dancers gracefully entered from one side, their light robes fluttering in rhythm with their soft steps.
Li Fengqi poured a small cup of wine for Ye Yunting, gesturing toward the bottle, and whispered, “There are many people here today, and there is much business to attend to. Since your alcohol tolerance is low, you should drink this rice wine instead. This is an eight-treasures yin-yang flask, and the rice wine is stored within the yin chamber. Can you remember that?”
As he spoke, he pressed down on the mechanism hidden within the flask, demonstrating once more.
Ye Yunting hadn’t expected such meticulousness, that even this detail had been accounted for. He picked up the cup of rice wine and took a delicate sip, the sweet liquor rolling down his throat, and softly thanked the speaker.
“There’s no need for ‘thank you’ between us; it would be too unfamiliar. If the Young Master truly wishes to thank me, he can just grant my desires sooner rather than later.” Li Fengqi lifted the corner of his lips in a faint smile, his eyes gleaming dangerously.
Both parties understood exactly what “grant my desires” meant.
Ye Yunting avoided his overly-passionate gaze and pretended to not hear him, but the tips of his ears still stained red.
Yue Changgou, sitting nearby, didn’t miss this exchange. He put down the wine cup with a heavy thud on the table and complained to Chang Yu’an, “What kind of love potion is Prince Yong’an giving Shidi again? Look at his smile! So devilish!”
Chang Yu’an’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “Settle down, I’ve told you time and time again, observe more and talk less.”
“I’m only worried about Shidi.” Though reluctant, Yue Changgou stopped complaining and instead watched Ye Yunting intently while sipping his wine.
At the same time, Li Zong, seated higher than the others, noticed movements from Li Fengqi’s table. He shook his cup of wine, narrowed his eyes, and asked Cui Xi, “Do you think they won’t make a real show of it?”
He had heard quite a few rumors regarding these two recently; even when entering the palace together, they would not hesitate to demonstrate their closeness before him. But Li Zong had known Li Fengqi for many years; he knew the man was wholly devoted to military affairs and had no interest in women. Thus, he assumed those rumors were false, believing the two were simply putting on an act for him.
Yet today, watching them interact, he felt that it wasn’t merely an act.
This atmosphere…was not something that could be easily faked.
“I do not know.” Cui Xi bowed slightly as he replied, “I was castrated at five years old and entered the palace service, so I am unversed in matters of love.”
Li Zong glanced at him. “True enough, it is improper for me to ask such questions”
As he said this, he noticed Chang Yu’an’s master-and-disciple pair sitting at the next table over. He furrowed his brow again. “Who are those two? I have never seen them before, yet they sit here so close to us.”
“They must be Yong’an’s Wangfei’s teacher and shixiong,” Cui Xi’s eyes flashed, but he still replied honestly.
“Oh?” Li Zong downed his cup of wine, amusement flickering in his eyes, then beckoned Cui Xi closer and whispered discreetly into his ear.
*
After three rounds of drinking, everyone had grown somewhat tipsy.
As the Wangfei, Ye Yunting had many people toasting to him. Although he only drank rice wine, which was weaker than other varieties, he gradually became worn down.
His face flushed slightly, his eyes grew hazy, and even when looking at Li Fengqi, his gaze was foggy.
“I’m feeling rather tipsy; I’ll go outside for some fresh air to sober up.”
Noticing the flush on his face, Li Fengqi stuffed a small packet of sour plums into his palm. “Eat these; they will help you feel better.”
The oil paper-wrapped sour plums still carried a faint warmth of body temperature, clearly having been kept close to his body this whole time.
Today was the second time Ye Yunting had been moved by Li Fengqi’s attentive care; he instinctively wanted to thank him, but remembering that it would be too disrespectful, he swallowed his words and let out a soft “hmm” instead. He just took the sour plums and left.
Ye Yunting’s alcohol tolerance was quite low, and the effects of the wine already began to show as he walked unsteadily. Ji Lian guided him to an empty pavilion and asked him to sit down for a while until Ye Yunting sobered up, while he went back to the kitchen to prepare a sobering soup.
It was already mid-September, and the beginning of winter would come in a few days. The cold night breeze blew against his body, chilling him to the bone, yet also dispelled the heat of the alcohol somewhat.
Ye Yunting shivered, subconsciously pulling the scarf more tightly around his neck. This thick, warm scarf blocked the cold wind—it had been made specially for him by Li Fengqi.
He narrowed his eyes, then carefully pulled out the small packet of oil paper package from inside his sleeve. He spread it in his palm, picked up one of the plums, and placed it in his mouth. The sourness of the plum elicited made him shudder again, but after the tart flavor came the sweet fragrance and refreshing taste of fresh plum, which did indeed help alleviate the dizziness brought about by the wine.
Unable to resist, Ye Yunting popped another between his lips. The tangy, tart, yet subtly sweet flavor spread throughout his mouth, mirroring the complexity of his emotions.
This was also prepared by Li Fengqi for him.
In those past twenty years, he rarely found himself in such a state of confusion and turmoil, unable to make a decision.
As Ye Yunting stared blankly at the plum, he suddenly felt a hand reach toward him from behind—
Ye Yunting dodged to the side and turned his head, only to discover it was someone slightly familiar.
He seemed to recall being greeted by this person while he was receiving guests; they were some sort of commander, whose surname sounded vaguely like “Pan.” His rank wasn’t particularly high among the guests, but because of his imposing figure and muscular frame, Ye Yunting remembered him somewhat distinctly.
“Commander Pan, is something wrong?” Ye Yunting distanced himself from the man, displeased with his rude behavior.
The sight of him backing away caused Commander Pan’s expression to sour slightly. He had clearly drunk quite a bit, as his cheeks were flushed red, and his gaze upon Ye Yunting was indescribably sticky. “I saw the Wangfei looking so melancholy alone here, so I wanted to offer my condolences.”
Despite slurring his words, his eyes lingered on Ye Yunting’s waist and arms.
Noticing the direction of his gaze, Ye Yunting’s face grew darker still. He discreetly scanned the surroundings, searching for an escape route.
However, the pavilion he stood in was built atop a decorative rock formation, with three sides suspended over open space. The sole exit happened to be blocked by Commander Pan.
Ye Yunting eyed him warily.
“Commander Pan, if you’re drunk, I’ll call someone to help you rest.”
Seeing that he had nowhere else to retreat, Ye Yunting could only Commander Captain Pan for now.
He wasn’t afraid of the captain, but he was concerned that his recklessness might cause trouble; Prince Yong’an’s reputation would suffer if things got out of hand.
Ye Yunting wished to avoid conflect and offered Commander Pan a way out, only for the man not to take it. Smiling broadly, Commander Pan took another step forward and raised the wine cup in his hand toward Ye Yunting. “Wine can wash away worries. If Wangfei has any grievances, why not share a cup with me and forget your troubles?”
“Commander Pan is drunk; I’m afraid he needs to sober up.” Ye Yunting snatched the cup from Captain Pan’s hand and splashed it onto the man’s face.
Though he was good-natured, he still knew who deserved courtesy and who did not.
Caught off guard by this cold reception, Captain Pan’s expression instantly shifted, the flesh on his rugged face darkening as his eyes narrowed. “I’ve already given some face, but you still won’t accept it! Do you really want it the hard way?1”
He wiped at his face and advanced on Ye Yunting—
Meanwhile, music and song filled the banquet hall, along with exquisite food and fine wine, creating a lively atmosphere.
But Ye Wang cared little for these pleasures.
This time, he had come to inform Ye Yunting that he had managed to persuade his parents to let him train at the military academy. After thinking about it for a long time, he had concluded that his head ached at the mere sight of books, so taking the imperial examination route was out of the question. Sp, the only option left to him was trying to join the military.
He had argued with his mother for days on end recently, using both reasonable and unreasonable tactics, until she finally agreed to let him train under his maternal grandfather’s troops.
Life in the army would be difficult, and if Ye Wang didn’t accomplish anything worthy during his time there, he wouldn’t be allowed back home. It could take anywhere from one to three years or more.
He initially wanted to come here to say goodbye to Ye Yunting.
However, since arriving at the Prince Yong’an’s Manor, he hadn’t found a single opportunity to speak with him.
As Ye Yunting stood up to leave, Ye Wang was considering whether to follow when a servant approached and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “Second Young Master, Wangfei asked me to bring you a message: he wants to talk to you, and requests that you go to Zhanran Pavilion.”
At this, Ye Wang immediately rose to his feet—but perhaps he moved too quickly, because Yin Hongye turned to look at him curiously. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” Afraid that Yin Hongye might stop him, Ye Wang hastily made up an excuse. “I need to go to the toilet.”
Without waiting for Yin Hongye’s response, he hurriedly slipped away anxiously.
=== Author’s Note: ===
The greatest showman 7: Who needs talent when you can talk your way through it? I’ve never lost before (proud) Li Zong: Wow!
Two updates in one day!
=== Translator’s Note ===
Oh my gosh Ye Wang go go go!!!
- He says here “敬酒不吃吃罚酒!” literally “Toasting without eating is a fine!” To refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit denotes submitting to somebody’s pressure after first turning them down. Colloquially, it’s kind of like saying, “Do you want it the easy way or the hard way?” or something of along those lines. ↩︎
Thank you so much 💓 can't wait to see what happens next.
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