w.a.n.g YunFeng was very impatient, there were all kinds of problems with the disasterrelief, it had already used up all his patience. Now all that was missing was avery small fuse, that could make him explode. The people beside him understood,so much so that even the accompanying Xia family physicians could also see hewas silently enduring it, in due course altering his medical prescription,repeatedly warning Juan Shu to watch him drink it every day.
Once againhe returned after patrolling the river bank, the sole of his shoes were coveredin mud, the hem of his clothes were dripping wet from the rain, just enteringthe house, there was a puddle around him. He simply couldn’t manage, in fact heeven took a seat, he dropped the umbrella on to the ground, the oily paperumbrella glowed chillingly under the candle light, it was like the frightenedface of a child being swept away by the flood.
The localofficials shirked their responsibilities, the granaries were locked, theinfluential families watched and waited, merchants seized the opportunity toexploit, also more and more victims were gathering here, everything was a heavyburden, burdening his shoulders. Unfortunately, he couldn’t resolve a singleissue. He didn’t have any military power, unable to control the officials, everyday in the office he would argue with those bloodsucking gadflies until hismouth and tongue were dry, they were not willing to open the granaries, onlysaying that before he arrived they had opened it already, helped the victims.Now since Lord w.a.n.g has arrived, all the responsibility naturally fell ontohim.
Simplyutter nonsense!
What localmagistrate, what righteousness and honour, what loving the common people asone’s own children, they were vermin who attached themselves on the territoryof Dayan eating flesh.
Thosemerchants colluded with the local authorities, seizing an opportunity to raiseprices, let alone victims, even the people in cities and towns had to weigh themoney in their purse buying provisions. This was still Zhuozhou, the towns onthe edge of this, maybe even worse. Those medicines he bought were alsogradually dwindling, the clothes and beddings were given out to the victims,and provisions…
Theauthorities were useless, merchants pursued profits, he could only attempt touse his connections with the influential families, first get through the mostchallenging difficulties then discuss everything later.
Juan Shuhad just come in with a bowl of medicine, w.a.n.g Yun Feng had just left takinghuge strides, Juan Shu cried out: “Master, even if you’re leaving at leastchange your clothes.”
w.a.n.g YunFeng paused, again returning to the house, Juan Shu hurriedly took out a newset of clothes for him. w.a.n.g Yun Feng looked at it and shook his head: “Bringout the best set.”
Juan Shurummaged through for the splendid satin dark patterned long gown for him tochange into, and hung a small bag of fragrance, he himself put on a jade crest,and asked
Juan Shu to find a generous gift, after everything was organised,Juan Shu presented the bowl of medicine. w.a.n.g Yun Feng looked at the jet-blackliquid, closing his eyes, he drank it clean in one go.
Nowadays,he drank more medicine than tea, he already couldn’t taste the flavour. Luckilythere were always physicians around to treat patients and decoct medicinalherbs, his medicinal ingredients were muddled with them, and allowed peopleunable to tell whether his health was good or bad.
Juan Shudidn’t dare to let him leave with great fanfare, allowing Xiao Bai to prepare acarriage, safely accompanying him into the city.
Xiao Baipersonally drove the carriage, from time to time his eyes swept to and froalong the roofs. Juan Shu was no good at martial arts, naturally he didn’tnotice the people hiding. Xiao Bai was the head of the shadow guards, for amoment he wasn’t sure whether the people following in the shadows were good orbad, he could only wait and not say anything.
The biggestinfluential family in Zhuzhou was the Hua family, even though their territoryfoundation was not equal to the Beiding city’s w.a.n.g family, but neverthelessthey were indistinctly ranked first in Zhuozhou.
w.a.n.g YunFeng entered carrying the heavy gift, Xiao Bai steered the carriage to oneside, his entire person hidden in the darkness not lit by lanterns, like anobscured small shrimp, slyly snoring lazily.
Xia Fenlike a monkey climbed up a tall tree, from high above he looked down at theentire Hua residence, wrinkling his nose. The greatest influential family inZhuozhou had nothing on the w.a.n.g family, even more incomparable to the Xia family.He moved his arms in a swinging motion, tying his clothes up in his belt,curling like a cat he prepared to go in stealthily, his body rushed forward,neck tightening, he was already falling head first and tumbling.
The crownprince grabbed the back of his neck, smiling insincerely: “Small leopard, whatare you going to do?”
Xia Fenstared at him, refusing to reply.
The crownprince beamed: “I know, you’re ready to do something bad, is that right? You’renot taking me, you have no loyalty.”
Xia Fenwith one shove shook off the crown prince’s dragon claw, stamping his rear foottwice, like a wildcat in the middle of the night entering the officialresidence.
The crownprince grabbed air, angrily he shook his head: “I don’t know if younger cousincauses disaster, whether I as his older brother will be in trouble?”
An imperialbodyguard behind him melancholily replied: “Definitely.”
The crownprince pursed his mouth, exceedingly dissatisfied, pinching the other person’sbridge of the nose: “Why are you being so honest, could you not amuse me?”
Thatimperial bodyguard was very stumped, having heard what was said: “The mistresssaid, honesty is a person’s finest moral character, not allowed to change.”
The crownprince drew back the corners of his mouth, disinclined to talk nonsense withthe imperial bodyguard, carefully distinguishing the different parts of theresidence, a few take-offs and landings they entered in after Xia Fen. Behindhim, naturally were three tails.
Xia Fenfollowed directly from the main entrance all the way to the hall where visitorswere
received, he had lived in the Xia residence for some time, he knew thehall for receiving visitors was at the front, with a target he went looking. Atfirst he thought he would see w.a.n.g Yun Feng speaking with the master of the Huafamily, but he saw a young lady covering her mouth, eyes filled with unstableemotions speaking with w.a.n.g Yun Feng.
Where’s themale master? Xia Fen looked everywhere once, inside the entire hall apart fromw.a.n.g Yun Feng, the main servants and that young lady, the rest were two maids.Truly petty, it really couldn’t match up to the w.a.n.g residence a little bit.That time when he went with w.a.n.g Yun Feng to go greet the clan leader, in thefront hall there were also two male servants standing by the door, even morewere maids who presented tea. When the w.a.n.g clan leader saw w.a.n.g Yun Feng, sheeven specially called two uncles to accompany them, in accordance to thecustoms, where was it like this household, sending a woman out.
The crownprince laid on his back, sneering: “Your daddy is being played.”
Played?
The crownprince came over his shoulders even more, his whole body hanging off him,pointing at the young girl in the hall: “Regardless if it’s an influential familyofficials residence, or a common merchant’s family, there is no principle ofsending a girl out to greet visitors, if the master isn’t at home, then thehousekeeper would come out to receive a visitor. The Hua family sent a girl,that is to humiliate your daddy la.”
Xia Fenbent forward, biting his teeth and grumbling. His cheap father, how can he justso easily be humiliated by people!
The crownprince pushed down on his shoulders: “This is the outside, don’t randomly dosomething, when the moment comes it’ll cause trouble for your daddy.”
Xia Fen pickedup a tile, originally he was prepared to throw it inside to smash against theyoung lady’s head, hearing the crown prince’s words he hesitated for quite awhile before putting it down. These last few days he had stayed in the palace,he had already learned being impulsive was a bad day. He could bear it, humph!
Thechildren who were companions to the princes and emperor’s descendants taughthim one thing, that is: revenge is a dish best served cold! Those who make funof his father, you just wait.
Fortunately,w.a.n.g Yun Feng was someone who picked up on things easily, taking the lack ofpresence of the master as an implicit refusal. He also didn’t say much, puttingdown the gift, in spite of the Hua young lady’s politeness, he turned his headand headed out.
Xia Fenwatched his cheap father get into the carriage, and did not follow. He crouchedon the wall above, waiting for that girl to turn into the rear court, enteringthe courtyard covered densely in lanterns, after speaking with an old man for awhile she then left. He looked at that old man, again looking at that younglady, hesitating for a bit he still followed after that girl.
The crownprince and his tails watched his movements, he couldn’t help recite poetry: “Aragged fringe is a floating-heart, awake, asleep I search for her! The smallleopard, so perverted already at such a young age, unacceptable!”
Xia Fenpicked up a small pebble throwing it at the crown prince. This sort ofconcealed weapon, the crown prince already did not care about it.
The curtainof night became somewhat darker, Xia Fen crouched in the darkness motionless, atorrential rain gradually built up, falling on his small figure in a layer ofmist, looking like a hazy rising moon. The crown prince crouching in a tree nottoo far away yawned, rubbing his eyes: “He still hasn’t moved?”
The honestimperial bodyguard had just unfolded his clothes to shelter the top of thecrown prince’s head, his entire body becoming a support pole, he lowered hishead to look at where Xia Fen was. Not long after, mud and rocks rolled underXia Fen’s feet.
“He moved.”
The crownprince leapt forward, first he threw himself to grab Xia Fen, softly tellinghim: “Don’t go over the top, some people will suspect your daddy.”
Xia Fenindignantly threw off his hands, the crown prince grabbed his wrist, firmlystaring at him. Xia Fen pinched his lips, the top and bottom of his lipsincessantly twisting, finally his expression turned sour: “Got it, I won’t beather, and won’t kill her.”
The crownprince had long ago seen through Xia Fen’s cunning plot: “You can’t pull downher trousers.”
“Zhe, she’s a woman, I don’t have aninterest in touching her.”
The crownprince stroked his chin. Oh, actually he had a little interest in hara.s.singyoung ladies, zeze, in this worldthere is only the emperor father who can understand the crown prince’s love ofbeauty?
The crownprince in the end was not rea.s.sured, he secretly lifted open the roof, peekingat the scene below.
Sure enoughXia Fen didn’t go and tear off the other person’s clothes, he only hit thatgirl’s sleep acupuncture point, then tied up her legs, hanging her upside downfrom the roof beam, afterwards… Xia Fen extended his chubby claws smearing it afew times inside the rouge case, then pressed those bright red claws on thegirl’s face, deliberately making that good-looking face into a witch’s.
The crownprince’s claw couldn’t help throwing himself forward to touch that young lady’sdelicate, soft small hands, then knead her slender neck, hugging the otherperson’s small waist, oh, oh, oh…
He was theolder brother, he has to restrain himself, he couldn’t lead his younger brotherastray, otherwise when he returned to the palace he would be punished.
Squanderinghalf the night, the two small children at long last was tired from playing. Thecrown prince was coaxed to rest at the tavern by the imperial bodyguards, XiaFen was very excited, shaking off everyone he ran off to where the victimsgathered.
A lanternstill burned in w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s room, Xiao Bai who was keeping watch in thedark glanced at the place where Xia Fen was crouching, hesitating for a whilebefore he settled.
Juan Shualready fell asleep leaning against the doorway, the painful cries of the ailingvictims gradually quietened, apart from the sound of water drops dripping ontothe greenish black slates, everything was extremely quiet.
w.a.n.g YunFeng rubbed his sleepy eyes, after shaking Juan Shu awake, he himself went tohis own bedroom, collapsing on his bed in a short time he was already in abefuddled sleep.
Xia Fencame in through the window, standing by the bed he watched w.a.n.g Yun Feng’swrinkled forehead for some time. Quietly he took off his outer garments,curling his body up, he pressed himself into w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s arms, in a daze healso fell asleep.
His cheapfather was different from other people, no matter what he wouldn’t sell him formoney! No matter how vicious he was towards his cheap father, w.a.n.g Yun Fengwould not abandon him; even if, he didn’t call him `daddy`, he would stilltolerate all his mistakes…
Thecandle-light in the room finally stopped burning, Xiao Bai softly and quietlyentered, shaking open the bedding, stuffing Xia Fen into w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s arms,again carefully placing the quilt.
A nightwithout dreams.
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T/N: The prince has been so corrupted by the emperor haha finally XF realises how great his father actually is