ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 70
Li Zhizhi sat on a cushion, her head slightly lowered as she reached out to touch Ah Miao’s shiny fur. Her slender fingers contrasted against the jet-black fur, exuding a nearly translucent ivory, with fingertips tinged with a faint blush, resembling peach petals in full bloom on a spring day, incredibly adorable.
The black cat was enjoying the gentle strokes, stretching lazily and emitting a soft meow with a throaty purr. Its long tail swayed and draped over Xiao Yan’s robe.
It was quite enjoyable.
Xiao Yan nonchalantly pinched the tip of its tail, prompting Ah Miao to climb up, its golden round eyes staring at him discontentedly as it meowed, then it lay down in a different spot, swaying its tail.
The setting sun cast a soft glow on its black fur, and Li Zhizhi curiously asked, “How did you end up with a black cat?”
Most people prefer white cats, right? Or perhaps tabby cats, which look cuter. This black cat is completely black; if it weren’t for those conspicuous golden eyes, you might not even find its head.
“It was picked up by A’yang,” Xiao Yan replied. “I don’t know where she found it, but she said it looked pitiful. Initially, I thought it was troublesome and didn’t agree. However, she cried and made a scene, swearing that she would take care of it. I let her have it, but she only cared for it pa.s.sionately for a few days before dumping it on me.”
It was indeed something Xiao Rulei could do. She had a child’s temperament, lacked stability, and was inconsistent. Li Zhizhi was somewhat surprised and asked, “You personally raised it?”
“Of course,” Xiao Yan paused before continuing, “All living things have spirits, like small creatures such as cats and dogs. If you don’t personally take care of them, they won’t listen to you or be close to you. There’s no difference between having them or not. If you leave them to servants, how can you be sure they will take care of them with dedication?”
After he finished speaking, he waved to Ah Miao and called out. The black cat shook its ears and hesitated for a moment before reluctantly walking over and rubbing his palm back and forth.
Li Zhizhi looked at him in surprise, and Xiao Yan was somewhat confused, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Li Zhizhi tilted her head and said, “Your Highness, how did you call it over?”
Scratching Ah Miao’s furry chin with his slender fingers, Xiao Yan glanced at her, with a smile that seemed ambiguous. However, he did not refuse, just called out again, “Meow meow.”
Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Suddenly, she felt that this person, who looked serious, was quite cute when he meowed like this.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons, and the setting sun cast a shiny spot at the corner of her eye, resembling the shape of a fish. Xiao Yan just stared at her, his thin lips slightly curved. Somehow, he felt an itch in his fingertips, wanting to touch that fish tail.
Only Ah Miao lifted its small head in confusion, staring at its owner with puzzlement, meowing softly. Wasn’t he calling it just now?
…
Upon learning that Li Zhizhi came to the Crown Prince’s Mansion today not to specifically find A’yang, but to avoid the people from the Li family, Xiao Yan ordered someone to check outside. Shortly after, the report came back, stating that the Li family’s carriage was no longer there.
Li Zhizhi then stood up to bid farewell. Xiao Yan thought for a moment and said, “I’ll accompany you back. It’s a good time to discuss some matters with my aunt.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi did not refuse. The two of them rode back to the princess’s mansion in a carriage. Along the way, they indeed did not encounter anyone from the Li family. She felt a slight relief in her heart but other worries also arose.
Xiao Yan could see through it but didn’t inquire further. Instead, he talked to her about A’yang’s past anecdotes, successfully diverting her attention and improving her mood.
When they arrived at the Grand Princess’s mansion, the Grand Princess was giving instructions in the flower hall. Upon seeing Li Zhizhi enter, she smiled and said, “Why are you so late after school today? I was planning to send someone to check on you.”
Immediately after, she noticed Xiao Yan behind Li Zhizhi and expressed surprise, “Little Five is here too.”
Xiao Yan smiled, “I have something to discuss with Aunt.”
Li Zhizhi tactfully said, “Mother, I’ll go change my clothes first.”
The Grand Princess waved her hand, and as Li Zhizhi’s figure disappeared at the door, she asked Xiao Yan, “What’s the matter?”
Xiao Yan’s fingertips lightly touched the sandalwood beads on his wrist as he said, “Aunt mentioned last time about letting me bring Zhizhi into the palace for an audience. Is that still valid?”
“You were unwilling at that time, weren’t you?” The Grand Princess raised an eyebrow slightly. “Why suddenly change your mind?”
Xiao Yan smiled, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t agree back then.”
The Grand Princess had an intuition that there was something strange here, but she couldn’t guess it, so she said, “That’s very good, but don’t play any tricks with me.”
Xiao Yandao said, “How dare I? When should I enter the palace?”
The Grand Princess thought for a moment and said, “Wait a little longer. I heard that a few days ago, there was a military report from the border, indicating that the barbarians are intentionally causing trouble. There might be a war, and your father is probably preoccupied with worry. He may not have the time now; it’s better to wait until he is free.”
Xiao Yan furrowed his brows and said, “Wasn’t it him who said he wanted to see Zhizhi? Why does he suddenly not have time?”
The Grand Princess gave him a disdainful look and said, “I arranged for you to meet the emperor and Zhizhi together. Do you think I did it just for the emperor to have a casual meeting with you and Zhizhi? With all the busyness, he probably feels like even drinking tea is too hot for his mouth. How could he have time for leisurely conversations with you two?”
Xiao Yan understood her meaning. She was trying to create an opportunity for the father and son to talk and maintain their relationship. Even if it was just for show in front of the court officials, it was better than having them constantly gossiping behind their backs about whether the crown prince could hold his position for long.
Instead of brushing it off as he did last time, Xiao Yan nodded seriously and said, “I understand Aunt’s intentions.”
“You understand, that’s good,” Grand Princess sighed lightly and added, “Speaking of which, I also have a personal plan. I want to ask the emperor for a favor and grant Zhizhi a t.i.tle.”
Xiao Yan was a bit surprised but quickly agreed, “That’s a good idea.”
Grand Princess teased with a smile, “I thought you might oppose it.”
“Nothing of the sort,” Xiao Yan touched the Buddhist beads on his wrist again, pondered for a moment, and said, “The t.i.tle of the county princess for her is too low. It would be best to obtain the t.i.tle of a commandery princess. Although she is only your adopted daughter, asking for such a high t.i.tle right away might be a breach of etiquette. However, if you take advantage of the emperor’s favor, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
That’s why Grand Princess Yong Ning was plotting like this, wanting to choose the right moment. After all, some things, if not accomplished on the first try, might become more difficult on the second attempt, and there could even be a backlash.
Princess Princess Yong Ning continued, “I just think that if Zhizhi has a t.i.tle in the future, the people in the Li family will be more cautious and dare not bully her again, even though she is only my adopted daughter.”
Here, she smiled and added, “If the t.i.tle of this princess could be hereditary like that of marquises and counts, it would be even better. After I die, I’ll pa.s.s on the t.i.tle of Yongning Princess and this mansion to Zhizhi. That way, she’ll have a backing, and I won’t have anything to worry about.”
Xiao Yan was surprised by Princess Yong Ning’s words. He cleared his throat and was about to say something, but Princess Yong Ning continued, “However, thinking about it, I’ll find a good husband for her in the future. I don’t seek wealth and prosperity, just someone who will wholeheartedly treat her well. Let him marry into our family, and it should work out the same way.”
Xiao Yan:…
He pondered seriously. Could the Crown Prince marry into another family?
…
It was early summer, and as night fell, a crescent moon hung in the sky like the delicate eyebrows of a woman. A blue-roofed carriage stopped at a street corner, seemingly motionless with no sign of anyone inside. Only the horse snorted, shook its head lazily, and began to paw the ground, bored.
A young man found himself blocked in an alley, dressed in a dark blue silk robe, appearing somewhat uneasy. If Li Zhizhi were present, she would undoubtedly recognize him as her brother, Li Xingzhi.
Two burly men with folded arms, towering like iron towers, blocked his way. Li Xingzhi seemed a bit anxious but still greeted them, “Greetings, gentlemen. May I ask what brings you here?”
These two men had been blocking his path for almost half an hour, claiming to be bandits but not demanding money, labeling themselves as thugs but not laying a hand on him. They simply stood in his way, unmoved by Li Xingzhi’s attempts to reason with them or even offering money.
As for the carriage driver, he had long been knocked unconscious and left in the carriage. Li Xingzhi lamented, originally planning to catch up with Li Zhizhi and persuade her to return to the Li residence. Unexpectedly, he found himself detained here.
Seeing that the day was growing late and the two obstructionists showed no intention of letting him go, Li Xingzhi’s desperation peaked. At this moment, the sound of a carriage pa.s.sing by reached his ears. Li Xingzhi’s heart leaped, and he shouted, “Is anyone there? Help!”
The carriage indeed came to a halt. Delighted, Li Xingzhi continued to call out, and after a moment, footsteps approached. The two men blocking the way stepped aside. Before Li Xingzhi could catch his breath, he saw someone pushing a wheelbarrow toward him, and seated on it was none other than the current Crown Prince.
Although Li Xingzhi had only seen Xiao Yan a few times, he immediately recognized him. Surprised and pleased, he hastily saluted, “Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Xiao Yan didn’t bother to have him rise, only giving him a brief once-over and saying indifferently, “Why were you following Zhizhi today? What do you want?”
Li Xingzhi was taken aback. Although he was somewhat surprised that the Crown Prince knew about the matter, he still replied, “This humble one just wanted to have a few words with her.”
Xiao Yan suddenly chuckled, resting his head on his right hand as he said, “What do you want to say to her?”
Li Xingzhi felt that his tone was somewhat strange, carrying a hint of sarcasm. Feeling uneasy, he replied, “This humble one wants to advise her to return home…”
“Return home,” Xiao Yan said with interest, “Her home is in the Grand Princess’s residence, isn’t it? Where do you want her to go?”
Li Xingzhi raised his head, hastily explaining, “No, her home is in the Li residence.”
He saw a mocking smile on Xiao Yan’s handsome face, as if he had heard something amusing. Xiao Yan said, “Are the minds of your Li family not functioning well? When she was in the Li residence, you didn’t necessarily cherish her much. Now that she’s left, you eagerly come forward, constantly begging. Could it be that the saying is true…”
Xiao Yan’s thin lips parted, enunciating clearly, “Human nature is inherently cheap?”
Li Xingzhi’s face turned ashen, and he felt like his fingers were about to dig into the stone slab. Stammering, he said, “No, I don’t mean that. Zhizhi is my sister, I…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt his neck being grabbed by a hand and pulled forward. Caught off guard, Li Xingzhi couldn’t stabilize his posture. Xiao Yan used just one hand to squeeze his neck, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, a cold and ruthless gaze in them. In a chilling tone, Xiao Yan said, “You dare to call her your sister?”
Li Xingzhi, terrified, felt as if his life were hanging by a thread. The purple sandalwood prayer beads on Xiao Yan’s wrist pressed against his neck, ice-cold and reminiscent of the chain of death, as if it would snap his neck in the next moment.
…
After a long time, the quiet alley was disrupted by intense coughing, followed by the sound of footsteps and the departure of a carriage. On the carriage of the Li family, the coachman slowly woke up, rubbing his dull and sore head as he climbed down from the carriage. He heard someone in the alley and approached to find that it was Li Xingzhi. He was kneeling on the ground, coughing violently, his face flushed, and the agony evident in his expression.
The coachman hurriedly approached and asked, “Young Master, are you alright?”
Li Xingzhi waved his hand, supporting himself against the wall as he stood up. His complexion was somewhat pale and worn. He remembered what Xiao Yan said before leaving: “Don’t get close to her again, or else I will make you regret it.”
“Young Master?”
The coachman’s voice brought Li Xingzhi back to reality. Still nursing his slightly aching neck, he recalled the moment when he thought Xiao Yan would really strangle him to death.
“Are you okay, Young Master?”