First, Ye Wang received his treatment, then the group proceeded toward the front hall. The wolf king followed closely behind them.
Ye Yunting paused, his expression somewhat embarrassed. "Why not send it back for now?" After such a disturbance, bringing along the wolf king might easily frighten their guests.
The wolf king sat beside him with its head raised, panting at him with its tongue out. Perhaps understanding Ye Yunting's words, it nudged his palm with its nose. It was as docile as any domesticated dog, rather than a wolf.
Ye Yunting patted its head soothingly. Originally, he had intended to release the wolf king back into the mountains, but he hadn't expected that the wolf king would display extraordinary intelligence. Since it was unwilling to leave, keeping the wolf within the confines of the palace wouldn't be troublesome.
Yet now, when they needed to reassure the frightened guests, it truly wasn't convenient to bring it along.
"Take it with you." Li Fengqi pondered briefly, but had some other ideas. He looked at the wolf king who was restraining his claws and said with a smile, "Your temperament is too gentle, but the people who have seen today's events will inevitably take you seriously. Today, we can take advantage of this opportunity to assert your authority."
Perhaps today's incident could temporarily intimidate these people, but if Li Fengqi wanted them to be genuinely fearful, he still needed to add fuel to the fire.
The appearance of the wolf king couldn't have come at a better time.
These people were used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong; they showed respect in public but disobeyed in private. If Ye Yunting went out alone or found himself separated from his allies, such as today, Ye Yunting would only have his own presence to intimidate them.
The wolf king was fierce and powerful, yet he remained obedient to Ye Yunting above all others. With proper use, this wolf could prove a great help.
At these words, Ye Yunting no longer hesitated. He stroked the wolf king's head a few times, then earnestly warned it against running off, regardless of whether or not it could understand him, before allowing it to follow its way toward the front hall.
As soon as they arrived at the front hall, Yin Hongye rushed forward with a worried expression. She pulled at Ye Wang, scolding him, "Why were you gone for so long?"
Not long after Ye Wang left, she vaguely heard that there was a commotion in the courtyard. Yin Hongye was concerned about Ye Wang who hadn't returned, but it was too chaotic at the time, and she feared that rushing over might cause her to miss him entirely if she acted rashly. She could only wait anxiously where she stood.
When those who went out to investigate returned, Ye Wang still hadn't come back. Ye Zhili had gone to ask his colleagues for information, but as a woman, she couldn't wander around asking questions freely. Instead, she could only wait anxiously by the door.
After waiting for a long time, she finally got him back, but he was with Ye Yunting.
Yin Hongye frowned and grabbed Ye Wang's arm, wanting him to return with her to their seats.
"Mother, I'm fine." Ye Wang struggled slightly but inadvertently revealed his bandaged wrist.
"What happened to your hand?" Yin Hongye's brows lifted sharply, her voice also growing sharper. Seeing that Ye Wang was being evasive, she turned to look at Ye Yunting and interrogated him. "Why is Wang-er injured?"
No matter what, Ye Wang had suffered this injury for him. Ye Yunting was about to explain when he heard a low growl from beside him. The wolf king stepped out of the shadows, baring its teeth coldly at Yin Hongye.
The wolf had been following Ye Yunting, perfectly hidden within the shadows, so Yin Hongye hadn't noticed it earlier. Now, staring down upon it with wide eyes, she jumped in fright and covered her mouth to stifle her cry, pulling Ye Wang back a few steps as she exclaimed, "Where did this beast come from?! Quickly, have someone come and kill it!"
Everyone else in the hall gasped at the sight of the wolf king.
"Mother, do not panic. This is a wolf tamed by the royal family, It won't hurt anyone."
As Ye Yunting spoke, he reached out and patted the wolf king on the head. Only then did the snarling wolf relax, striding leisurely to the door of the front hall before laying down lazily.
The crowd gasped again at the sight. Those who had seen Pan Yue's tragic fate in the rear courtyard whispered amongst themselves, talking to their companions about the wolf king's rescue.
Even though it had saved people, the wolf king was still large and fierce, its imposing figure impossible to overlook as it lounged by the door.
Yin Hongye shot a fearful glance at the wolf and wanted to say something, but Ye Wang pulled on her sleeve. "Mother, let's go inside first." Afraid that Yin Hongye wouldn't easily give up, he added, "My wrist hurts a little; could you take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Yin Hongye hurriedly led Ye Wang inside, no longer having the time or energy to engage with Ye Yunting further.
Seeing this, Ye Yunting pushed Li Fengqi slowly through the doors, past the wolf king who tilted its head slightly, stood halfway to its feet, and stretched out its claws to tug at the hem of Ye Yunting's robes. Ye Yunting could only soothe it with gentle pats on the nose, after which the wolf returned to lying down.
Though these actions were natural to him, others saw them differently.
They originally thought Ye Yunting was only a cast-off child from the Duke of Qi's estate. Even if he was favored by Prince Yong'an, they assumed it was merely for his looks: an interest that doomed not to last.
But if he could tame such a fierce wild wolf, perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.
Coupled with the importance that Prince Yong'an paid to him, it seemed unlikely that the prince sought only his beauty, but rather valued his abilities instead.
Everyone in the hall had varying thoughts. Those sitting closer to Ye Zhili turned to him and said, "Who would have thought that your eldest son was such a skilled individual? The Duke of Qi truly kept him hidden well."
The taming wild beasts was considered low-tier among the nine arts.
However, birds of prey were not included in this ranking. Beizhao had been surrounded by wolves since ancient times, and they traditionally valued martial prowess over scholarly achievement. Even military generals had a penchant for raising wild birds of prey.
Take, for example, Yin Chengru, who loved falcons as if they were his life. To obtain high-quality hunting falcons, he often traveled privately to Wei Prefecture, even risking trade with Xihuang merchants, which ultimately allowed Li Fengqi to catch him.
This was the case for taming wild birds of prey, and even more so for wild ferocious creatures like tigers and wolves. However, these wild creatures were difficult to tame, and few could succeed in controlling them without them losing their natural instincts.
The wolf that Ye Yunting had tamed was fierce yet obedient, formidable on the battlefield, and invaluable.
If indeed it was he who tamed this, it was no surprise that Prince Yong'an valued the young man highly.
Ye Zhili hadn't expected Ye Yunting to make such remarkable progress within only a short span of time. He looked at the wolf king lying by the door, then looked back at Ye Yunting, who moved with ease amidst the crowd of officials. Though he was surprised, there was also a sense that this was fate.
A face flashed through his mind, brilliant and radiant, smiling as it regarded him, expression unrestrained, like an unattainable sun blazing across the sky.
And now, that bold face was gradually overlapping with Ye Yunting's features.
This child truly resembled her more than anything. No matter how much he was ignored or suppressed, his brilliance could not be concealed.
Ye Zhili's expression changed several times before finally settling on a stiff smile. "I only learned recently that he possessed such courage."
The official noted the stiffness in his demeanor and stopped asking questions, though inwardly, he shook his head.
Everyone knew something about the affairs within the Duke's Mansion. Before this incident, they'd merely thought that Ye Zhili was too partial. Even if he named their second son as his heir and successor, it might be difficult for him to carry on the legacy.
But after observing Ye Yunting's actions, these officials felt that Ye Zhili's choice of successor was utterly absurd.
If the eldest son proved himself mediocre and incapable, then perhaps it might have been understandable; however, it seemed clear now that the eldest clearly possessed talent. Yet, Ye Zhili continued to ignore and suppress him solely to make way for the second son. This was no longer simply a matter of favoritism but rather a disregard for the long-term continuation of the family line itself.
These were thoughts best kept private, however. After all, it was not their place to comment on the succession of the Duke's Mansion.
Ye Yunting had no idea what Ye Zhili's thoughts were. He pushed Li Fengqi into the hall and met Li Zong first.
Ever since returning from Zhanran Pavilion, Li Zong had remained silent. Han Chan and Cui Xi followed him with cautious silence and icy indifference respectively.
Li Zong held a burning fire within his chest, but he had nowhere to vent it, and the flame only grew brighter by the second. When Ye Yunting pushed Li Fengqi through the doors, the fire reached its peak intensity.
His gaze shifted between Ye Yunting and the wolf king at the door, involuntarily recalling that moment when Li Fengqi shoved Pan Yue toward him within the pavilion.
In that instant, as Li Fengqi smiled at him, he realized with unmistakable clarity that there was no brotherly affection left between them.
He couldn't tell what emotion he felt inside.
Was he relieved? Angry at being abandoned...or merely feeling regret that he must ignore?
But once he recalled those feelings upon learning of Li Fengqi's identity, those fleeting feelings of regret were swiftly extinguished.
Li Zong's expression calmed again. He turned the wine cup in his hand, and said with a smile, "Pan Yue is dead, and no one else was hurt, so let us forget about today's matter."
Li Fengqi also smiled. "If Your Majesty says we shall forget it, then we shall."
"Since that's the case, we will retire." Li Zong rose to leave, followed closely by Cui Xi and the guards.
The officials behind them rose to see him off with respect. After Li Zong left, the atmosphere within the hall shifted once more.
Naturally, those officials who followed Li Zong found excuses to depart soon after. The officials close to Li Fengqi stayed behind, and the mood became much more relaxed.
Most of the officials close to Li Fengqi were military generals, whose mannerisms tended to be brusque and direct. Previously, they had deemed Ye Yuting a pretty boy and thus showed no interest in talking with him. But now that they'd seen the wolf king that Ye Yunting brought, their eyes grew envious, and they could no longer resist shamelessly asking for advice from Ye Yunting.
Surrounded by these officers, Ye Yunting was inundated with questions, leaving him somewhat helpless. He subconsciously turned toward Li Fengqi for help.
It wasn't that he didn't want to share his methods; it was simply that the wolf king was willing to heed his instructions only by coincidence. Even Ye Yunting couldn't explain why the wolf had chosen to focus on him despite Li Fengqi's efforts to save him as well.
Li Fengqi received his gaze, and raised an eyebrow, silently reminding him, Young Master, you owe me, please remember to pay it back.
"..."
Li Fengqi's expression was obviously not innocent, and Ye Yunting really didn't want to agree. However, the military generals surrounding him were too enthusiastic, making it difficult for him to refuse. In the end, he could only nod to him and urge him with his eyes.
Li Fengqi received his response and wheeled closer with a dark expression. "This is Wangfei's secret technique. You come here and want to learn it right away. Do you have any shame?"
The few military officers thickened their faces as they laughed. "Wild wolves possess formidable combat strength. If we can spread methods for taming them, this will be a great help on the battlefield. The soldiers of Beizhao help each other; how could the prince possibly keep such knowledge to himself?"
Li Fengqi scoffed coldly. "Even if I were to teach you this method, you wouldn't understand it. This wolf king was bestowed by His Majesty himself. Wangfei and I brought it back to our palace, but does it heed me?"
He paused slightly before continuing, slow and steady. "If even I cannot master it, there would be no point in your learning."
These words were supremely arrogant, yet when the military officers heard them, they exchanged glances, then dispersed like birds taking flight.
Ye Yunting heard one of them let out a sigh and mutter, "Indeed, even the prince cannot master it, but would have been very useful for us to learn."
Ye Yunting: "......"
He looked at Li Fengqi, and gained a new understanding of his position among the military generals.
Before, he had only heard that despite Prince Yong'an's infamous reputation, he held immense prestige within the army. Even the generals who disliked him admitted to his prowess in commanding troops in battle.
But these were only rumors and hearsay, lacking any real substance.
Now, Ye Yunting saw with his own eyes how Li Fengqi's few words and few lies were enough to silence those insistent military generals. Ye Yunting felt somewhat conflicted.
Li Fengqi noticed the direction of his gaze and lifted his eyebrows even higher, smiling as he approached him. "What is it? Is the Young Master worried about how to repay my kindness?"
"..."
When Li Fengqi spoke, his voice carried a hint of arrogance, far removed from the Prince Yong'an depicted in rumors. The corner of Ye Yunting's mouth twitched slightly before he replied expressionlessly, "I was just thinking that Wangye seems to spout such nonsense with such ease; you must have done it often in the past."
Li Fengqi's smile froze on his face.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
=== Author's Notes===
No comments:
Post a Comment