Old Master Wen made a few toasts to Jing Rong as they exchanged customary small-talk, then started asking about Ji Yunshu. “I heard that Teacher Ji is from Jinjiang?”
“That’s right.”
“Why did you go to the capital?”
“A coincidence.”
“Then I wonder what Teacher Ji worked as when he was still at Jinjiang? Who else is there in your family?”
He’s trying to investigate my background! Ji Yunshu patiently answered the barrage of questions. “This one used to work in the Jinjiang yamen. As for my family… there’s no one else.” Yup, there’s literally no one left because they’re all dead!
She had already been kicked out of the Ji Family, so naturally she was unable to say that she belonged there. To put it simply, she was just a person who had her name removed from the Ji Clan’s genealogy records. An orphan without a father nor mother.
Old Master Wen appeared rather sad when he heard that. “If Teacher Ji doesn’t mind, this one would heartily welcome you to visit our residence often in the future.”
“Thank you for the invitation, Old Master Wen. I will come visit when I have the chance.” Ji Yunshu had already detected something odd about their interactions. Firstly, there was the overly-enthusiastic care Madam Wen demonstrated towards herself, then Old Master Wen followed up with these questions about herself. It was all too bizarre!
After drinking several cups of tea, she used the excuse that she needed the restroom in order to step out for a bit, with Xiao Si as a guide.
The Wen residence was enormous and was arranged elegantly. The back courtyard had an open plot filled with vats of dye in various shapes and sizes, laid out in neat rows. The multicoloured dyes were dazzling under the dim, cool light of the moon. On the other side of the corridor was another large open plot filled with a veritable forest of tall bamboo racks, hung with long pieces of cloth dyed in every colour of the rainbow.
On the way back from the toilet, Ji Yunshu passed by a room that was locked shut by a pair of large padlocks. These padlocks looked to be of high quality and would never open without their paired keys. Curious, she asked Xiao Si, “Why does this room have two padlocks?”
“This is the Old Master’s study. He started locking it a few years ago and doesn’t allow anyone to enter.”
“Oh? Is there something important kept inside?”
“I wouldn’t know. Old Master never lets anyone in, even if it is to dust and clean.”
Ji Yunshu nodded and stopped asking, but her love of gossip had been reawakened. Little Xiyue had said that her father started locking his study after she “found” and “borrowed” a few books to read. Old Master Wen didn’t seem like a petty person, nor did he appear to be one who collected and treasured books. Then why would he lock up the study for no reason? Unless...there was something hidden there. Some unspeakable secret?
As she mused, she arrived outside the dining hall and silently slipped back into her seat.
After three rounds of wine, the group moved on to a different topic. Old Master Wen asked, “I wonder what business brings Your Highness to Yufu?”
Jing Rong took a sip of wine. “Touring and enjoying the scenery.”
“Your Highness truly knows how to enjoy yourself.”
“Not as much as Old Master Wen. To be able to pass your days dying and drying cloth - this prince envies such leisurely days!” [1]
Dying and drying cloth? Leisurely days?
Why don’t you come try it for yourself? Having to dye and dry cloth every single day regardless of the blazing summer heat or the frigid depths of winter. Would you call that leisurely?!
How easy you make it sound!
Of course, Old Master Wen would never dare to say that out loud and plastered on a smile instead. “Your Highness is good at joking.”
At that, Jing Rong really did laugh.
A moment later, Mo Ruo, who had been drinking silently, propped himself up from the table and tottered towards the door with a jar of wine in hand. He sat down on the stone steps and threw his head back to drink as he gazed at the moon.
Soon after, Tang Si followed him out and sat down next to him, similarly with a jar of wine in hand.
Mo Ruo glared at her from the corner of his eyes and complained, “Why did you follow me?”
“Who said I was following you? Shameless.”
“Then quickly go back in.”
“This place doesn’t belong to you. Why can’t I stay?” Tang Si shot back at him, then started drinking her wine nonchalantly.
Mo Ruo couldn’t be bothered to move elsewhere. He tilted the jar towards his mouth for more wine, but found barely a drop left. Sigh, how disappointing.
He didn’t want to go back into the room for more wine, so he started eyeing Tang Si’s jar instead. He snatched the jar away with his deft hands and started gulping it down without a single word. After all, what could you do after I’ve already drunk it?
“You…” Tang Si glared angrily. Uncharacteristically, her anger dissipated after a moment. Instead, a hint of a smile appeared on her lips as she worried at them without a word.
Mo Ruo passed the jar of wine back to her.
Holding the jar, she announced magnanimously, “Forget it, this lady is not that petty. I’ll forgive you for what happened previously. But you still owe me a life.” [2]
Mo Ruo squinted at her. “ Don’t worry. When that day comes, I’ll definitely return a life back to you.” He continued drinking.
At that moment, Tang Si’s heart gave a jolt of indescribable emotion. Her feelings towards this man just rooted just a little more firmly in her heart.
The meal ended not long after that. Old Master Wen and Madam Wen walked them to the door together.
“Thanks for seeing us off.”
“Please take care, Your Highness, Teacher Ji.” [4]
Jing Rong smiled and nodded as Ji Yunshu replied, “Thank you, Old Master Wen.”
Little Xiyue also tugged on Ji Yunshu’s sleeve to say her goodbyes, before the group finally left.
After the departing figures grew faint in the distance, Old Master Wen and Madam Wen returned to the banquet hall. One person was waiting there for them.
This person was none other than Zhao Huai.
Yes, that Zhao Huai. Although he had lost a hand, he did not look any less ferocious. [3]
The faint smile on Old Master Wen’s dropped off and his face turned serious as he walked towards Zhao Huai and sighed. “I didn’t expect that the little princeling His Highness left behind has already grown so big.”
Zhao Huai nodded. “I didn’t expect the little prince to still be alive. Before he died, my father insisted that the little prince must be found no matter what. Today, we finally did it.”
“The heavens have mercy and won’t let His Highness and his family die in vain without righting their wrongs.”
Madam Wen started crying, upset and aggrieved. “That child is so pitiful. How upset would he be if he knew that his whole family died in a single night? The look in his eyes just now was so much like His Highness. The heavens really make a fool of us all!”
“My dear, don’t be too upset. Now that we have found the little prince, we can soon redress the injustices that His Highness suffered.”
“Yes.” She sniffed into her handkerchief.
Zhao Huai was sombre. “Uncle Wen, now is not the time. The fact that the little prince is still alive cannot be revealed for fear that that damned emperor will get rid of him once he hears of it.”
“I know. Right now, the most important task is to quickly send out the letters everywhere to gather the 100,000 scattered troops. We’ve waited for fourteen years. The day is finally here.”
“This was all thanks to His Highness’s foresight then to separate our army of 100,000 into hiding as hill bandits all over the country. Only by fighting and looting over the years could we have both maintained the skills and had the ability to sustain the troops and calvary.” Zhao Huai said.
Old Master Wen sighed again. “It’s a pity that, of the original 100,000 troops, one of the battalions sent to the north were disbanded.”
“You mean the Liu gang?”
“That’s right.”
“My father mentioned it to me. Later on, the little prince also asked me about that gang while he was investigating a case.”
“Did he ask you about it?”
“Yes. He showed me a tattooed diagram and asked me about it. I didn’t hide anything other than the fact that they were military-trained.”
As it turns out, the seven brothers were also a part of this army of thousands.
[1] Oi, JR your inner troll is showing.
[2] TS: Yeah... I want you to pay me back by spending the rest of your life by my side.
[3] Reminder: This Zhao Huai is the head honcho of the bandits, Gaoshan Gang, from around ch338.
[4] P.S. There was some ridiculous word-padding here where they spent 8+ lines of dialogue saying goodbye, which i kindly removed for you guys. You're welcome.