Chapter 12

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

Hu Shifei stretched his neck and looked out the carriage window. He saw An Chang Qing getting into another carriage and Xiao Zhige rode his horse beside it. The two were whispering to each other through the window. He couldn’t help clicking his tongue and mumbled, “If I weren’t a doctor myself, I would’ve thought that someone had put Wangye under a Gu spell.”

(TN: Gu is a mythical parasitic insect capable of manipulating its host’s mind.)

Tie Hu, who was acting as a coachman, vaguely heard his words and exclaimed, “Who dares to touch the General? Old Hu will kill that person!”

“…” Hu Shifei sneered, “If it’s Wangfei, I’d really like to see you try.”

Tie Hu was speechless. He scratched his head and said, “Wangfei doesn’t look like someone who practices witchcraft…”

“Looks like you’re not that dumb after all,” Hu Shifei rolled his eyes then banged on the carriage wall and urged, “Hurry up and move!”

The two carriages headed back to the Wang Manor. When they arrived, Tie Hu placed Hu Shifei’s wheelchair on the ground before placing him on it. He then carried them both and walked into the gate.

Hu Shifei flared up and slapped the armrest of his wheelchair in anger, “Put me down! Do you think I can’t walk by myself?”

Tie Hu put him down and scratched his head, “Your leg has been broken for so many years, of course you can’t walk…”

“Does this wheelchair look like furnishings to you?” Hu Shifei yelled at him in anger.

Tie Hu: “…”

An Chang Qing was laughing at them from behind. He looked at Xiao Zhige and said, “Are all your underlings this… Interesting?”

“Just this one. He’ll be following you from now on,” Xiao Zhige said stoically, “Although Tie Hu is simpleminded, his martial arts is unrivaled and he’s very loyal. Take him with you whenever you go out. I’ve assigned two others under him. If you need anything done, just tell Tie Hu and he’ll handle it.”

“Will that hinder your work?” An Chang Qing thought that it was good enough that Xiao Zhige would give him a low-rank bodyguard like Zhao Shi but to think that he would assign Tie Hu under him.

Tie Hu may seem dimwitted but seeing his strength and familiarity with Xiao Zhige, An Chang Qing could tell that Tie Hu was not just a common soldier.

“No. There’s nothing to be done in Yejing. Keeping him idle is just a waste,” Xiao Zhige replied.

An Chang Qing was relieved after hearing that. They proceeded to the Flower Hall in the front courtyard when Hu Shifei said that he had not bathed for days and instructed Tie Hu to push him to the guest room for him to wash up.

By the time they had reached Wang Manor, it was almost dinner time. Thinking that both Tie Hu and Hu Shifei were Xiao Zhige’s close subordinates, An Chang Qing ordered the kitchen to prepare a large dinner for them and the four would dine together in the Flower Hall.

Hu Shifei waited for the maids to finish setting up the table before coming in. While pushing his wheelchair, Tie Hu said, “Doctor Hu, if you could groom yourself this way every day, you wouldn’t still be single at this age.”

An Chang Qing looked over and found that Hu Shifei was wearing a dark blue outfit and had shaved and bundled up his hair neatly. Only now did Hu Shifei resemble a scholarly middle-aged man.

Hu Shifei let out a pei and shouted at Tie Hu, “What do you know?!”

Tie Hu kept quiet and continued to push Hu Shifei to greet An Chang Qing and Xiao Zhige, “General, Wangfei.”

Hu Shifei followed suit and politely greeted them. He continued to ask, “Where is the patient Wangfei wanted me to treat?”

“She’s not in Wang Manor.” After giving him a brief account of Lady Yu’s situation, An Chang Qing continued, “Doctor Hu, please wait for a few more days. I will make arrangements for you to treat her.”

Now that he had already been abducted here, there was nothing Hu Shifei could do except to agree.

The group finished their discussion and had dinner together. After which, the maids led Hu Shifei and Tie Hu to the guest rooms for the night.

As for An Chang Qing, he couldn’t sit still and paced about in the room. What Xiao Zhige told him before weighed heavily in his mind – An Changqi will not live past tonight.

Xiao Zhige would not deceive him but without personally hearing the news, he could not rest his heart. What if An Changqi survived? This would ruin everything he had planned.

If An Changqi died tonight, not only could he use this to plant a seed of doubt and create a grudge between Madame Sun and Madame Li, but also drive apart An Zhi Ke and An Zhi Zhou. Amidst the chaos that ensued, An Chang Qing could then easily take his mother and sister away from the An Manor.

The moment Hu Shifei told him that there was something wrong with the prescription, the immediate person that came to mind was Madame Li. Qian chong jin was not a rare plant, the wealthy usually found them too ordinary for their taste and yet, they were planted abundantly at the An Manor. Particularly the land behind Rainbow Garden, a vast area was used for the Qian chong jin plantation. Every time the flowers bloomed, the petals floated with the wind, carrying its fragrance across the field. Who knew that behind the beautiful scenery was a hideous plot to kill his mother.

Madame Li was the second daughter of Count Yong Xin. Although the count did not enter the court, he was widely respected for his good deeds. Even his two daughters were quite well-known in Yejing. The eldest married the eldest son of Marquis Kang Le and the youngest married An Zhi Ke, the Marquis of Jing An and also the Prime Minister of Da Ye Empire.

After Madame Li married into the An family, she had instantly become the lead maternal figure of the An household. She was magnanimous and well-liked by all. On top of that, she was blessed with a son. No one could shake her position until Lady Yu came into the picture.

Lady Yu entered the An family after Lady Liu and as far as An Chang Qing could tell, An Zhi Ke had favored Lady Yu for a long time. During those years, the two were a harmonious couple and An Zhi Ke even neglected Madame Li and Lady Liu. By the time Lady Yu gave birth to a son and daughter, the winds were blowing her way.

But the good days did not last long. When An Chang Qing was four, Lady Yu did something that had incurred An Zhi Ke’s wrath. Since then, he had never taken another step into Rainbow Garden and Lady Yu had lived inconspicuously, trying her best to stay out of trouble and raise her two children. 

Although those years of Lady Yu being favored disappeared in a flash, it had lingered in the memories of many people. An Chang Qing thought that Lady Liu was the only one who had hated them since she had always openly mocked the mother and child. But as it seemed, the reputable Madame Li also held a deep-seated grudge against his mother. Her kindness and generosity were nothing but a front.

If it really was Madame Li… 

A plan took shape in his mind but at the same time, he had gotten more anxious. He kept glancing at the door. 

They had sent someone to watch the An Manor. The moment An Changqi died, they would immediately get wind of it.

“You will get the news in about an hour.” Xiao Zhige was leaning on the bed reading a book on warfare. Seeing An Chang Qing walking back and forth, he said, “Impetuosity is a big taboo in any tactic.”

An Chang Qing could only hear his previous sentence. He rushed to the bed to confirm, “Really? How can you tell?” 

Being distracted, An Chang Qing was not aware of his current posture. He was kneeling over Xiao Zhige on the bed with his arms at his side. He was barefooted and his belt was loosened, opening up the neckline of his robe. Xiao Zhige’s eyes were pulled towards the white fair skin that was exposed.

He held his breath and sighed mentally at An Chang Qing’s unintentional seductive pose. He reached out to fasten up his collar then hugged and dragged him into bed. He covered him with the blanket and said, “Earlier in the evening, the two remaining doctors in De Ren Hall had been invited to the An Manor.”

It was self-evident for whom the doctors were invited to treat. It must be that the current doctors had given up and the An family had called in the rest to give a second opinion. 

Only then was An Chang Qing relieved. He laid quietly in bed for a while before sitting up again. He sulked and said, “I still can’t sleep.”

He was like a kid who had listened halfway through a story and could not sleep till he got to the end.

Xiao Zhige looked at him and sighed helplessly, “Don’t sleep then.”

An Chang Qing gave a smug smile. He leaned against Xiao Zhige’s arm and probed at the book in his hand, “Why don’t you tell me a bit about warfare?”

Xiao Zhige grimaced awkwardly. He had read countless books on war but had never had to read it to anyone. Facing An Chang Qing’s expectant eyes, he remained silent briefly before flipping to the first page and began to read it word by word.

An Chang Qing had wanted him to tell him a story but unexpectedly, the man recited the book to him. An Chang Qing was dumbfounded for a while only to realize that it would’ve been even more absurd if this person could tell a story.

He rested his head casually on Xiao Zhige’s broad chest with his eyes closed as he listened to his reading. Xiao Zhige’s voice was low and clear. One could detect the attentiveness in his moderately slow reading speed to accommodate An Chang Qing’s understanding.

An Chang Qing listened and eventually dozed off.

Seeing that he had closed his eyes, Xiao Zhige put down his book and gazed at him.

The youth was leaning against his chest with half his face covered by his long hair. Only the curly long eyelashes and straight nose were revealed. Even so, he was too adorable.

Xiao Zhige stuttered on the words of the book which he had memorized by heart. Seeing An Chang Qing deep in sleep, he couldn’t control himself and reached out to touch the quivering eyelids and the lovely little nose. 

Being disturbed, the youth in his embrace hummed twice discontentedly before burying his face into his chest.

Xiao Zhige withdrew his fingers and secured An Chang Qing with one arm. There was a soft smile on his lips. Although the posture was a little awkward, he did not want to let go. An Chang Qing slept in Xiao Zhige’s arms for about an hour when Anfu came to report at the door.

Xiao Zhige covered An Chang Qing’s ears and said softly, “Come in.”

Anfu who had just returned to Wang Manor with the news from the An Manor walked briskly in. He was about to give his report when he saw the pair embracing behind the screen and his words were stuck for a long time. When he snapped out of his daze, he quickly reported, “An Changqi is dead.”

“Got it. You can leave.” 

Seeing that An Chang Qing was sleeping soundly, Xiao Zhige put out the light on the table. 

Whatever it is, let’s leave it to tomorrow.

Chapter 11

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

After he left the last clinic, An Chang Qing almost thought that after his rebirth, he had become overly paranoid and that there was no conspiracy regarding his mother’s death; she really had died of natural causes.

He had been to every renowned clinic in the whole of Yejing but to no avail. An Chang Qing sat in the carriage and pondered. He finally decided to make one last-ditch attempt, “Go to Yong Le Lane.”

Yong Le Lane was a remote area in Yejing and the clinic An Chang Qing sought was situated in the innermost part of an alleyway. This clinic was much smaller than those in the main street and did not even have a name. It was mostly frequented by peasants. From the rumor An Chang Qing had heard, the doctor here had a strange temperament but was highly skillful. Those he had treated had all recovered to the pink of health.

The carriage stopped right at the entrance of Yong Le Lane. The path was narrow with dilapidated houses on both sides. The evening sun was not enough to brighten the place and a moldy smell filled the air. 

“Wangfei, the carriage can’t go any further,” Anfu alighted and said with a frown, “Is there really a clinic here?”

Apart from them, everything in this place seemed run-down and impoverished. How could someone earn a living from running a clinic here?

An Chang Qing hesitated but now that they were already here, there were only a few more steps to go, “Let’s just go in and have a look.”

An Chang Qing and Anfu left the carriage and walked deeper into the alleyway. At the end of the road, they saw a house with a red broken door. A piece of cloth was pasted on it with the word ‘clinic’ written in messy handwriting.

It really did not even have a proper name.

Anfu knocked on the door. In the quiet neighborhood, the sound echoed loudly but no one answered. Instead, it was the rusty old door that creaked and opened by itself. Anfu was startled as he turned to look at An Chang Qing.

“Let’s go in and have a look.” An Chang Qing walked past him and entered the clinic.

Inside was a small yard without much gardening. Instead, there were many pots with winter herbs being planted. Beyond the yard was a hall for consulting patients.

An Chang Qing raised his voice and asked, “Is anyone here?”

There was a long silence before a lazy voice from somewhere replied, “Who is it? I’m off today, no consultation.”

An Chang Qing bowed his head and said politely, “It won’t take long. I just need you to take a look at this prescription.”

A middle-aged man with a scruffy beard popped his head out of a small window of the house and said lethargically, “I can take a look but pay up ten silver taels first.”

Anfu was furious, “Even the doctors from De Ren Hall dare not ask for this price!”

“Too expensive for you?” The man grinned, “Then why don’t you just go to De Ren Hall? This is the price I charge all the rich people who come here. Accept it or not is up to you.”

Anfu choked up and stared at him in rage.

An Chang Qing, on the other hand, remained unchanged. He took out ten taels of silver and placed them on the counter together with the prescription, “Sir, please have a look.”

The man turned his head and once he saw An Chang Qing’s face clearly, his eyes lit up. He immediately turned his wheelchair and came out of the house, all the while scanning An Chang Qing rudely. 

An Chang Qing frowned and asked patiently, “Sir?”

The man withdrew his sight and took a quick glance at the prescription. He grinned and said, “I don’t want the money but you have to let me draw a portrait of you.”

“Please sir, do not make fun of me,” An Chang Qing was getting uncomfortable. He knew the man was rumored to be eccentric but his request was highly inappropriate.

He was about to refuse but the man continued, “No one has been able to tell you what is wrong with this prescription, am I right?”

An Chang Qing hesitated, “…Yes.”

“Let me draw you and I’ll tell you how to detoxify it,” The man tapped on the table while his eyes were fixed on An Chang Qing’s face.

“Detoxify? There’s really poison in this prescription?” An Chang Qing turned pale with shock.

But the man did not say much, he kept knocking on the table and said, “Portrait.”

An Chang Qing inhaled heavily. Thinking of his mother’s health, he bit his lip and cast aside his pride, “What is your purpose for drawing me?”

“It’s for my collection of course,” he smiled, “I’ve been collecting portraits of beautiful people, and someone as good-looking as yourself is a rarity.”

An Chang Qing looked down and considered. After thinking of how all the other clinics could not find fault with this prescription, he could only bite the bullet and accept: “Tell me what is wrong with this prescription first.”

The man moved his wheelchair closer to An Chang Qing. He sniffed and said, “There’s nothing wrong with this prescription…”

An Chang Qing was about to flip when the man continued, “But if combined with the fragrance of the qian chong jin that’s on your body, it will become poisonous. Where have you been the last three days?”

“Qian chong jin?” An Chang Qing recalled the unknown flowers in Rainbow Garden that were always in bloom even in the winter, “Is the flower lavender in color and has six petals? Its stalk can grow up to two feet tall and blooms all year round?”

“That’s right. Qian chong jin looks like a flower but it’s actually a medicinal herb. There’s an ingredient in this prescription that conflicts with the properties of qian chong jin. The poison only manifests itself when the person who takes this medicine comes in contact with the pollen or inhales the fragrance when the flower is in bloom. This property of qian chong jin is rarely known, ordinary people would not even notice this.”

An Chang Qing thought of the qian chong jin field behind Rainbow Garden that was growing in excellent condition. This herb had been planted all over the An Manor. An Chang Qing had assumed that it was due to An Zhi Ke or Madame Li’s special fondness for the flowers but it turned out that it had been to hide an intent to murder. 

But who could it be? Does An Zhi Ke know about this?

An Chang Qing clenched his fingers and tried to calm himself, “Do you have a cure?”

“That goes without saying,” The man said, “But you have to let me draw you first.”

This time, An Chang Qing did not continue to haggle with him. Since the man could spot the problem with the prescription, he would most likely be able to remedy it. Between saving his mother and allowing someone to draw a portrait of him, the choice was obvious.

“Alright.” An Chang Qing agreed, “Where would you like to draw? After drawing, can you come with me for a few days to treat my mother? I’ll be eternally grateful.”

The man waved his hand, “Keep quiet and sit still in the yard.”

“…” An Chang Qing sat on a stool in the courtyard. The man rang a small bell and a boy came to deliver a few painting tools to him. He then sat and drew An Chang Qing with utmost seriousness.

The session lasted almost half an hour. In the open yard, the chilling winter breeze had been blowing and An Chang Qing did not have on his warm clothes. By the time the portrait was done, An Chang Qing had turned white from cold.

As soon as the man put away his brush, Anfu hurriedly gave him a hand warmer. An Chang Qing’s lips trembled as he spoke, “Can you come with me now?”

The man was about to answer when his expression suddenly changed. He turned his wheelchair backward and said, “What’re you doing here?”

This sentence was obviously not addressed to An Chang Qing but he still turned back to find a familiar figure standing at the door.

Xiao Zhige was also surprised to see him. Seeing that his hands had turned purplish due to the cold, he took off the cloak on his back and draped it over An Chang Qing, “Wear more layers when you go out.”

The warmth from Xiao Zhige’s body still lingered on the cloak. An Chang Qing shrunk himself into it, raising the collar over his cheeks, he responded with a soft ‘en’.

The middle-aged man had his mouth wide open. He looked at Xiao Zhige then back at An Chang Qing with eyeballs that were almost dropping off, “You two know each other?”

“An Chang Qing, my Wangfei.”

“Hu Shifei, a military doctor.”

Xiao Zhige briefly introduced them before his eyes landed on the portrait that had yet to be hidden. His eyes squinted and he questioned, “What is this?”

Hu Shifei instantly tried to pull back the painting but he was one step behind. In a flash, Xiao Zhige had gotten his hand on the painting.

Xiao Zhige unfolded the scroll and looked at it carefully. He then turned to Hu Shifei and said coldly, “Oh? You even know how to paint.” His voice was low and anyone familiar with his temperament like Hu Shifei could tell that he was in a bad mood.

But Hu Shifei did not give up, “This is the consultancy fee Wangfei paid me.” He turned to wink at An Chang Qing and with a drastic change in attitude, he spoke politely, “Wangfei, isn’t that right?”

An Chang Qing remained silent while smiling back at him devilishly. He then turned to Xiao Zhige and looked at him with innocent eyes.

Hu Shifei pulled a black face and said, “Then I will not be examining the patient.”

Xiao Zhige carefully put away the painting and glanced at him with a blank expression. He called out, “Tie Hu.”

Through the door came a muscular man like an iron tower. He bowed to Xiao Zhige, ready to receive his orders, “General.”

“Take him away,” Xiao Zhige instructed.

Tie Hu immediately took big strides towards Hu Shifei. He carried his wheelchair with him still sitting in place and walked out, “Doctor Hu, the General has ordered, please bear with it.”

Hu Shifei, “…” Pei!

An Chang Qing was stunned by Xiao Zhige’s dictatorial moves. He asked softly, “Is it alright for you to do that?”

Xiao Zhige reached out to button up his cloak and said, “He owes me a favor.”

After which, he thought briefly and added, “Tell me next time.”

An Chang Qing did not respond right away. After following him a few steps, An Chang Qing finally grasped what he meant: tell him if he needed anything. Thinking back, the man had come here instead of the Wang Manor right after returning from the barracks, it must’ve been to find Hu Shifei in regards to his mother’s illness.

An Chang Qing felt touched and reached out to hold his hand. He looked at him sweetly and said, “Next time, you’ll be the first to know.”

Chapter 10

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

After dinner, Steward Wang came to report that the ya po had selected a few suitable hires and asked when An Chang Qing would like to meet them. 

An Chang Qing: “I’ll have a look tomorrow afternoon.”

Steward Wang bowed respectfully and was about to retreat when Xiao Zhige stopped him, “Sort out the account books for the Manor and the stores outside. From now on, Wangfei will be in charge of them.”

Steward Wang had a change in expression. He wanted to say something but seeing Xiao Zhige’s decisiveness, he kept it in and bowed, “Yes.”

After Steward Wang left, An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige and smiled smugly, “You’re giving me control over the businesses as well? Is Wangye not afraid that I will squander all your gold?”

Xiao Zhige was undressing when he heard An Chang Qing’s words. He replied, “No.”

Briefly after, worrying that An Chang Qing would exercise undue caution, he added, “There is no shortage of gold in the Manor.”

The smile on An Chang Qing’s face widened. He rested his chin over his hand and looked at him. An Chang Qing had always known that the Wang Manor housed a massive amount of wealth. In his last life, when Xiao Zhige ascended the throne, due to the previous Emperor’s need for extravagance, the nation’s treasury was almost empty. At one point during the war against the Beidi people, there was not enough gold to procure rations for the soldiers. In the cold winter, the starving soldiers had to kill their warhorses for food. Having heard the news, Xiao Zhige donated chests upon chests of gold to the border to alleviate the famine.

But even the An Chang Qing who was ignorant about war knew that that was only enough for the soldiers to drink bland soup. Later, Xiao Zhige had executed a group of corrupt ministers and seized their wealth, all of which he had sent to the border. The battle which had dragged out for months eventually came to an end with the Da Ye soldiers being victorious.

This was the reason why the hundred thousand soldiers had been unshakably loyal to Xiao Zhige. But at the same time, Xiao Zhige’s reputation as a tyrant had become worse amongst the people.

The ignorant citizens could only see the ruthlessness when he killed the ministers and confiscated their gold but they did not know that without the gold, the starving frontier soldiers would have lost the border, allowing the barbaric Beidi people to charge right into Yejing.

The events from his past stirred his heart. An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige and smiled warmly, “Since Wangye has put your trust in me, I will not disappoint you.”

Again, Xiao Zhige did not want to put any pressure on An Chang Qing and simply said, “I will not be disappointed” before leaving to take a bath. When he was done, it was An Chang Qing’s turn. After finishing his bath, An Chang Qing came out and saw that Xiao Zhige was already lying in bed reading a book.

Seeing An Chang Qing, he put the book away and patted the space next to him, “Come into bed, it’s cold outside.”

There was heating in the room but An Chang Qing did not refuse him. He obediently climbed into his side of the bed. It was then that he realized that the mattress was particularly warm. He looked up at the expressionless man and smiled. The Northern Warlord must’ve pre-warmed the bed for him.

After being together for three days, An Chang Qing found that Xiao Zhige would only do things in silence. Unless asked, he would not mention it. What an awkward man.

An Chang Qing pulled up the blanket but despite being immersed in warmth, he still shifted towards Xiao Zhige all the way until he was in his arms. 

Feeling the heat against his body, Xiao Zhige was pleased yet helpless. He put out the light and hugged him back, “Sleep.”

“I can’t sleep.” An Chang Qing who was comfortably wrapped up by the warm body whispered, “You haven’t told me how to use Fei Cui.”      

Before, Xiao Zhige only told him to think and did not give him an answer yet.

Xiao Zhige lowered his head and his chin rested nicely on An Chang Qing’s head, “What do you think?”

An Chang Qing thought for a while and hesitated, “Design a plan to expose Fei Cui’s identity to An Zhi Zhou and his wife?”

Xiao Zhige shook his head, “Now’s not the right time. An Zhi Ke can still easily make up excuses and it would not drive the brothers apart.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Wait.” Xiao Zhige replied, “Wait for An Changqi’s death then divulge hints about Fei Cui’s identity. Leave the rest to An Zhi Zhou and his wife to find out. A lot of times, people are more prone to believe what they discovered by themselves.”

“But what if An Changqi doesn’t die?” An Chang Qing was in doubt.

Xiao Zhige looked towards him in the dark, “He won’t live past tomorrow’s night.”

The reason Xiao Zhige agreed to spare An Changqi’s life was that he had done the calculation. With a broken hand and the degree of amputation on his leg that even included his reproductive organ, unless the gods intervened, his death was ascertained. 

An Zhi Ke was inexperienced with medicine but Xiao Zhige had been in the army for many years, he was quite well informed about the human anatomy. 

An Chang Qing widened his eyes in surprise, “So you’ve planned this ahead. But what if An Zhi Zhou and his wife still sided with An Zhi Ke? After all, we don’t have evidence that he had ordered her to do anything.”

“The doctor who is treating An Changqi comes from De Ren Hall,” Xiao Zhige felt the body in his arms getting closer with excitement, “De Ren Hall is the property of Madame Li’s maternal family.”

An Chang Qing was flabbergasted. Not to mention how An Zhi Zhou would react, his wife, Madame Sun who loved their son as her life would definitely find a place to vent her grief. She couldn’t take it out on the Northern Warlord and his Wangfei but if at this time, she discovered that Fei Cui had been planted beside An Changqi and had caused the dispute between An Changqi and An Chang Qing, she would definitely not let this go. As her suspicion grew, what would happen once she also found out that the doctor who had treated her precious son was related to Madame Li?

Even without substantial evidence, she would still turn against An Zhi Ke. 

A scorned woman was difficult to deal with. Especially one who had just lost her son. Besides, An Zhi Zhou had always been dependent on his wife. When this matter turned for the worse, the entire An household would not be able to live in peace.

It was indeed killing two birds with one stone.

After analyzing the situation, An Chang Qing’s eyes were filled with admiration towards Xiao Zhige, “Was that why you stopped me from killing him?”

Xiao Zhige patted him on the back. With words meant as guidance, he said, “If you lose eight hundred just to kill a thousand, that’s not a desirable outcome.”

An Chang Qing thought over his words and nodded, “I understand.”

Xiao Zhige touched his head, “Go to sleep. You’ll be able to think clearer tomorrow.”

…

The next day, Xiao Zhige had to leave for the barracks. After An Chang Qing sent him out, Steward Wang brought the ya po to see him.

The ya po brought with her ten youths who were all carefully selected. Although wearing commoner’s clothes, the boys all had a bright appearance. 

An Chang Qing interviewed each of them and picked out four honest-looking ones. He did not put them to work in the yard but instructed Steward Wang to find a mentor to teach them how to read.

Steward Wang could not comprehend his intentions and thought that he was inexperienced with handling the servants. He advised, “They are just a few servants meant for labor work, teaching them how to read and write could make them sprout misguided ambitions.” 

“I have my methods. Steward Wang only needs to find them a mentor.”

Steward Wang had more to say but thinking about Xiao Zhige’s instructions yesterday, he could only keep silent.

After arranging for the boys, An Chang Qing continued, “When will the account books be ready?”

Steward Wang hesitated, “It’ll have to take a while to get them all up to date.” 

“It’s alright, just send me those that are ready,” An Chang Qing withdrew his smile and said solemnly, “Wangye has left me in charge of the Wang Manor, I have to show him good results or else he’ll blame me.”

Steward Wang’s expression turned bitter. He knew An Chang Qing was insinuating him to do his job well. Based on his observations over the last few days, the new Wangfei was very much pampered by Wangye, he would not do anything to upset him.

Thinking of the shop’s accounts, Steward Wang was sweating bullets. He bit his teeth and said, “In three days, I will instruct them to finish it and send it here.”

With that, An Chang Qing was satisfied and let him leave.

…

After lunch, An Chang Qing went out with Anfu. The people Xiao Zhige said he would allocate for him were still unavailable. While Zhao Shi was assigned to the An Manor, he could only take Anfu along. 

An Chang Qing got changed and left on a carriage to the western part of the city. In this area, there were brothels, gambling houses, and other facilities that catered to people from all walks of life. 

An Chang Qing entered a restaurant discreetly. He sat in a private room and sent Anfu to bring back a couple of older beggars.

Anfu was puzzled. Lately, his master’s reasoning had grown beyond his understanding but it was not his place to question. He nodded and did as told. Moments later, he came back with two beggars in tattered rags.

An Chang Qing was sitting behind a screen and the two beggars could only see his silhouette. They dared not linger their eyes on him and asked humbly, “How may we be of service to you Sire?”

“Marquis Wu’s son, Wu Juan Shu, do you know of him?” An Chang Qing asked in a deep voice.

The two beggars looked at each other and one of them answered cautiously, “We have heard of him.”

An Chang Qing beckoned Anfu to hand them five taels of silver and said, “Follow him and tell me everything. This is just the deposit, you’ll receive fifteen more once this is done.”

The two beggars’ eyes were wide open seeing the five taels of silver. They kowtowed and thanked him several times.

“Do not let him discover you.”

After taking the silver, the beggars set up a time and place to exchange the news with Anfu before leaving. After they left, Anfu was still doubtful, “What information can two beggars find?”

An Chang Qing assured him, “They’re more capable than anyone in gathering information.”

These beggars were found all over Yejing and formed a big network amongst themselves. The amount of information they could gather was quite impressive. In his last life, it was thanks to them that he knew the truth behind his sister’s death and the hardship she had gone through in the Wu manor.

At that time, Wu Juan Shu had already officially brought his mistress into the main house and he had been unable to trace her background. This time, he would be able to do so with the beggars’ help.

Anfu was still muddled-headed. He scratched his head and giggled. 

An Chang Qing knew Anfu’s brain capacity and did not further elaborate. Next, they left the restaurant and went to the eastern side of the city.

Looking out from the carriage, An Chang Qing ordered for the coachman to stop once he saw the high hanging plaque of a large medical institute.

Other than the matter concerning Wu Juan Shu, this trip was also to find a doctor for his mother. Although he told An Zhi Ke that he would be bringing a doctor from the Wang Manor, the truth was, there was no such person. With his mother’s background, it was impossible to have the imperial doctors treat her. He could only seek help from the renowned doctors in Yejing.

He could still remember that his mother was in perfect health until he turned ten. It was after he had fallen ill that she had to take care of him for several nights without rest. When he finally woke up, her health had started deteriorating ever since.

The doctors all claimed that she had been too worried which had permanently damaged her internal health and could only take medicines consistently to cure. Later when An Chang Qing was married off, his mother’s illness had become worse and she had died shortly after. After unearthing the truth behind his sister’s death, An Chang Qing had learned that many things were more than what meets the eye. He had always felt that his mother’s illness was a little strange and after his rebirth, he had decided to look into it.

But after consulting with every doctor available, they all stated that there was nothing wrong with the prescription according to his mother’s symptoms.

Chapter 9

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

Xiao Zhige led An Chang Qing forward at a moderate pace. The man was tall and upright, much like the sharp spear behind him. Standing by his side, even without any words or action from him, could give An Chang Qing an unparalleled sense of security. 

After taking another two steps, An Chang Qing had to ask again, “Will you protect me no matter what I do?”

Xiao Zhige gave him a puzzled look and answered with certainty, “Of course. You are my Wangfei.”

The man’s expression was serious as he replied, as though it was an implied logic.

An Chang Qing secretly smiled and pulled him onto a different route, “Let’s not go back yet. Accompany me to the west courtyard.”

Xiao Zhige did not know his intentions but he kept up with him.

The An family lived in a five-entrance manor. The old matriarch lived in the main yard while the two eldest brothers, An Zhi Ke and An Zhi Zhou, lived in the east and west yards respectively. An Chang Qing led Xiao Zhige past a veranda and then through a flower gate before arriving at the West courtyard.

The west courtyard was currently bustling with people and occasional cries could be heard. 

As An Chang Qing and Xiao Zhige came in, the servants running about were taken aback but they quickly recovered and continued their work, except for a well-dressed maid who stared at An Chang Qing grudgingly. She bit her lips and pushed the other servants in front to enter the room.

“That’s An Changqi’s handmaid and mistress, Fei Cui,” An Chang Qing complained to Xiao Zhige, “An Changqi’s tricks against me were all thought up by her.”

Fei Cui was probably aware of An Changqi’s intention towards him which was why she had never liked him. On the surface, she would give him advice on how to force An Chang Qing into submission while behind his back, she would find every opportunity to humiliate him. Back then, he was young and timid, he could only swallow the anger and endure the grievances in silence. 

But now, he knew someone was there to support him.

The young man used a partly lamenting tone filled with coquettishness to voice his grievances to Xiao Zhige. The large eyes that looked at him were like those of a kid telling his family how he had been wronged. Xiao Zhige’s heart softened. He lightly squeezed the hand within his palm and whispered in his ears, “She reports to An Zhi Ke.”

“!!!” An Chang Qing’s eyes widened in surprise.

This was not a good place to talk after all. Xiao Zhige only pointed out, “She’s a very useful pawn. Use her well and not only can you kill An Changqi but also drive a wedge between the An brothers.”

An Chang Qing had not fully digested the information and could not figure out a plan. He asked impatiently, “How?”

“Think.” Xiao Zhige did not give him an immediate answer. Instead, he walked with him towards the room. Before An Chang Qing could ask further, he was interrupted by a roar.

“How dare you even come here!” Madame Sun, An Zhi Zhou’s wife, screamed and charged at An Chang Qing. “Whore! It was not enough that you seduced him, now you even did this to him. I want you to pay with your life!”

An Chang Qing could not react in time. He was about to have his eyes clawed out by the woman’s sharp nails when he saw Xiao Zhige shielding him and the next moment, a kick had sent Madame Sun backwards into a rosewood chair.

Xiao Zhige had on a murderous expression. He warned, “On the day Wangfei came back to visit, An Changqi was not only impolite but he even dared to offend Wangfei. I was lenient to merely cut off his hand and leg. If it wasn’t for Wangfei’s plea, do you think he could still be alive?” He cast an oppressive glare at Madame Sun whose hair had now scattered messily over her forehead and questioned her in a cold voice, “Or does Madame Sun think that this punishment was too light?”

An Zhi Zhou helped his wife up but her legs had turned soft. She wobbled and knelt on the ground. An Zhi Zhou also knelt and spoke in fear, “My wife is ignorant and she loves our son too much, she meant Wangfei no disrespect. Wangye please forgive her.”

Xiao Zhige ignored the couple kneeling on the ground and turned to An Zhi Ke, “Minister An shouldn’t only immerse yourself in work all day. It’s about time you straighten out this family, otherwise, sooner or later, the An legacy is bound to fall.”

An Zhi Ke pulled a black face and bowed, “Wangye’s teaching is right.” He then looked at An Chang Qing with intense dissatisfaction. However, with Xiao Zhige present, he dared not step out of line and could only force a smile, “Is there anything else that Wangfei needs?”

An Chang Qing’s purpose here was to find him so he got straight to the point, “Lady Yu has been ill for a long time, even the current herbs are not helping. It just so happens that the Wang Manor has a skillful physician and with Wangye’s approval, I’ll be bringing him here in two days to have a check on her.”

An Zhi Ke’s eye twitched. Before he could respond, Madame Li interjected, “The doctor who gave Lady Yu the prescriptions hailed from De Ren Hall and has years of experience under his belt, even if you change to someone else, I’m afraid…”

“We’ll keep changing till we find someone who can treat her,” An Chang Qing cut her off, “Father, do you think this is a logical approach?” 

An Zhi Ke’s face was turning worse by the minute. The one standing in front of him was no longer the outcast son of a concubine but the Wangfei of the Northern Warlord. An Zhi Ke could only bow and agree, “It is indeed so.”

An Chang Qing slowly continued, “On a side note, Rainbow Garden is quite secluded and there’s no one around. Wangye was concerned so he had left Zhao Shi behind.”

An Zhi Ke’s face was distorted. He grit his teeth for a while before responding, “That’s how it should be, it’s my negligence.”

After having achieved all his goals, An Chang Qing beamed with satisfaction. He said to An Zhi Zhou and his wife who were still kneeling, “There’s much to be done in the Wang Manor, I’ll come back to visit my cousin some other day.” 

Madame Sun’s fingers dug deep into her skin but she managed to remain silent. An Zhi Zhou hurriedly said, “We dare not trouble Wangfei.”

An Chang Qing nodded politely and left with Xiao Zhige.

On the way back, An Chang Qing sat in the carriage as before and Xiao Zhige rode his horse alongside him.

It was already late noon and the sun was hanging lazily in the winter sky, giving off a warm light. An Chang Qing lifted the carriage’s curtain to look at Xiao Zhige. The man was still wearing his clothes from this morning and sat tall and straight on a black horse. Against the light, An Chang Qing’s sight was partially obscured but he still thought that his husband looked particularly dashing.

On one side of the street came the bustling noises from a certain store. An Chang Qing looked with curiosity and saw that ‘San Wei Zhai’ was written on the store’s plaque. His eyes showed a hint of mischief.

He reached out and tugged at Xiao Zhige’s sleeve, “I want to eat plum blossom cakes.”

Xiao Zhige stopped and looked at the young man who was giving him an expectant look. The orange sunlight fell on his face, giving it an angelic glow. 

“I’ll buy it for you,” Xiao Zhige ordered for the carriage to stop. He got off his horse and walked towards San Wei Zhai.

San Wei Zhai had good business and there was always a crowd in front of the store. But once Xiao Zhige entered the scene, the crowd parted like a sword had split the land to make way for him. Xiao Zhige was used to this reaction. He proceeded as usual to buy a freshly baked box of pastries.

“You can only have two,” Xiao Zhige handed him the box and said, “It’s almost dinner time.”

The plum blossom cakes that were freshly baked were even more fragrant. An Chang Qing took a bite and sulked after hearing his words, “It won’t be as delicious when it’s cooled. It’ll be a waste.”

Xiao Zhige said, “I’ll buy it for you again.”

An Chang Qing shook his head. His eyes sparkled as he stretched out his hand and placed a piece in front of Xiao Zhige, “Share with me.”

Xiao Zhige looked at the plum blossom cake in his hand and reduced his speed. Soft gasps could be heard from behind them which triggered An Chang Qing and Xiao Zhige to look back but the people around them had then turned away instantly, pretending to mind their business. 

An Chang Qing turned to Xiao Zhige and urged, “Eat or it’ll turn cold.”

Xiao Zhige could only lower his head and bite into the piece of cake in his hand. The pastry was little in size with stuffing made of plum blossom. There shouldn’t be any sugar and yet a sense of sweetness flowed into his heart. 

“Let’s go back,” Xiao Zhige cleared his throat, “I’ll eat those that you can’t finish.”

An Chang Qing responded with an ‘oh’ and put another piece into his mouth.

……

Arriving at the Wang Manor, Steward Wang went to greet them with a few servants. An Chang Qing stepped out of the carriage and noticed that he was limping, “What’s wrong with your leg? If you’re not feeling well, you should take a rest.”

Steward Wang was at a loss for words. He did not know how to explain and could only look at Xiao Zhige.

“He was punished for his misdeed,” Xiao Zhige said.

An Chang Qing’s eyes moved but he did not ask further. He left for the main courtyard with Xiao Zhige. The two cleaned up while the servants prepared their dinner. When the food was served, An Chang Qing let the servants retreat as he was not used to having them around, leaving only Xiao Zhige and himself in the room.

Xiao Zhige scooped a piece of fish and began picking the bones with a certain degree of seriousness. 

An Chang Qing looked at him and asked, “Is it because of me?”

“Hm?” Xiao Zhige looked up.

“Steward Wang’s injury.”

Xiao Zhige nodded and continued with the task at hand, “Your homecoming gifts should’ve long been prepared. He neglected his duties, his punishment was just.”

“What if I was also bullied by someone else in the manor?” An Chang Qing leaned in and looked at him with bright, shiny eyes. 

“Someone bullied you?” Xiao Zhige frowned.

“No. I’m only asking,” An Chang Qing shook his head and smiled.

Xiao Zhige‘s frown eased up, “I will get rid of that person.” 

“But what if I want to personally teach them a lesson?” Having felt the man’s indulgence, An Chang Qing came out of his shell and wanted to test the man’s bottom line.

“Personally teach them a lesson?” Xiao Zhige was a little puzzled, “There’s a torture chamber in the Manor, just get someone to deal with them for you.” Xiao Zhige was hesitant to let An Chang Qing have access to those places as he was too delicate. He feared that An Chang Qing would hurt himself before he could do any ‘teaching’.

An Chang Qing knew that Xiao Zhige had misunderstood and couldn’t help laughing. He clarified his intentions, “What I meant was, now that I’m your Wangfei, I should learn how to take care of the Wang Manor. Before you had to let Steward Wang handle everything because there was no one else to do it, now, I would like to give it a try.”

He then looked at Xiao Zhige expectantly.

Just as An Chang Qing thought he couldn’t get his approval, Xiao Zhige said matter-of-factly, “Of course, the Wang Manor is under your charge. You can do whatever you want.”

An Chang Qing was speechless. It took him some time to understand that this person’s mentality was actually quite simple: Because he was his Wangfei, it was needless to say that he would protect him; because he was his Wangfei, it was needless to say that the Wang Manor was his to overlook.

Because of all these presumptions, Xiao Zhige was always confused with An Chang Qing’s requests. To him, whatever it was that An Chang Qing wanted, he would naturally comply because as his Wangfei, he deserved everything that he could offer. Unfortunately, An Chang Qing did not realize this in his last life. His cowardice had made him pass over these opportunities.

“I got it,” An Chang Qing smiled at him with eyes filled with radiance.

Xiao Zhige was infected by his smile and his lips slightly curved up. He placed the plate of boneless fish in front of him and said, “Let’s eat.”

Chapter 8

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

The Northern Warlord’s reputation was known to all who lived in Yejing, or rather, the whole of Da Ye Empire. Naturally, Lady Yu would also have heard of his infamous temper.

The Northern Warlord had made great accomplishments but did not receive any love. It was said that on the day he was born, the sky showed omens of great disasters, causing the Emperor to demand his death. It was thanks to his mother, Concubine Li, who begged for his life in exchange for her death that the Emperor had spared Xiao Zhige but since then, the mother and son had been cast aside. Losing the Emperor’s favor, they lived a difficult life and several years later, Concubine Li committed suicide due to the hardship.

After his mother’s death, Xiao Zhige’s situation deteriorated. No other concubines were willing to raise him and in the end, he was left under the care of the Empress. But as though his fate was meant to be bitter, he could not get along with the Empress and the Prince. It was also at this time that the rumor of him being disqualified for the throne began.

The rumors also said that because he knew he had been cast aside, the Northern Warlord had turned unruly ever since, killing his servants at will. In Yanzhou, the corpses of people who died at his hands piled as high as his mansion’s walls. Even the lanterns were made with human skin…

All this information, Lady Yu had heard from Lady Liu’s handmaid. She had been out of favor for many years but Lady Liu would still find ways to upset her. 

Now that her only son had been forced to marry the infamous Northern Warlord, she had deliberately sent her personal maid to talk about him right outside her yard.

Lady Yu was not an illiterate and ignorant woman; she knew that rumors were not to be trusted. But even so, with An Chang Qing’s timid nature and the Northern Warlord’s notorious temper, she had never dared to hope that they could get along. The day An Chang Qing had been forced into the sedan, she did not even get to see her son one last time. The torment had aggravated her illness and only waiting for his homecoming could give her solace.

Seeing An Chang Qing leading a tall man over with a blushing face and void of any visible wounds, Lady Yu was partially surprised but at the same time slightly alarmed. She hurriedly stood up to salute Xiao Zhige and reprimanded An Chang Qing, “How could you bring Wangye here to see me? This is not customary.”

“Chang Qing’s mother is also my mother,” Xiao Zhige rushed to help her up. The allegedly ruthless warlord with lanterns made of human skin tried to smile kindly at her. Although his features were still fierce, it did not make one feel unapproachable, “We’re a family, there’s no need for these formalities.”

After being helped into the room to sit down, Lady Yu could then take a closer look at Xiao Zhige.

She found that the rumors were very much exaggerated, more than she could have ever imagined. Although, at first glance, Xiao Zhige always had a ferocious expression that repelled most people, the occasional glances he cast at An Chang Qing were kind and gentle. She was raised in a brothel and could easily judge a person’s gaze. After carefully observing Xiao Zhige for a while, her heart was mostly at ease.

In contrast, seeing her haggard appearance and frequent coughing, An Chang Qing was incredibly concerned, “Have you seen a physician? Did you take your medicine?”

He could still remember that in his last life when he had been married off, his mother’s illness had taken a turn for the worse, and not long after, she had passed away. When he had heard the news, it had already been too late for he hadn’t even gotten to see his mother one last time.

An Chang Qing lowered his eyes and said softly, “You’ve taken the same medicines all these years but never gotten better, why don’t I ask another physician to check for you?”

“It’s been the same old sickness, changing another physician would not change anything,” Lady Yu smiled, “As long as you and your sister are well, I’ll be fine. I still have to see your sister get married.”

“Mother!” An Xian Yu sitting next to her called out shyly. Only in front of her close ones did she express herself freely.

“The date has already been set? Isn’t it a little early?” An Chang Qing clenched his fingers looking at An Xian Yu. Although timid and weak, she was still delicate and lively like a peony about to bloom, very much unlike the last time had seen her in his previous life, withered and decadent.

“It’s already been fixed for the fifth day of March,” Lady Yu touched her daughter’s head lovingly, with some reluctance, she said, “Your sister will only be fifteen after the New Year, I wanted it to be later… But the Wu family was anxious, they said that there won’t be any more auspicious days for another half a year. Your father and the old Matriarch had also agreed.”

An Xiang Yu’s fiance was Wu Juan Shu, the third son of Marquis Wu and currently a third-grade officer. Although his position was not high, he was charming with a good reputation for being a gentleman. They seemed to be a good match. Furthermore, the Wu and An families were in the same circle, marrying within themselves was the perfect choice to prevent any secrets from slipping out. As a result, the two families had made this arrangement a long time ago, they were just waiting for An Xian Yu to come of age.

In his last life, An Chang Qing had also assumed that An Xian Yu had found a good husband but he regretted it when she had died less than two years later because of a miscarriage. At that time, An Chang Qing had once again been too late and could only see her one last time before she had passed away. According to the people from the Marquis’s Manor, an ignorant servant had tripped An Xian Yu over on an icy path in the winter, resulting in her miscarriage.

But An Chang Qing had never believed any of it. His sister, although six months pregnant, had been skinny and pale, he could clearly tell that her life in the manor had been difficult. 

An Chang Qing had then begun to investigate and found that Wu Juan Shu had a concubine that he treasured above all else. Because she was of common birth, he hadn’t been allowed to make her the lady of the house. Shortly after marrying An Xian Yu, he had brought his sweetheart into the main house, pampering her to the sky and ignoring his wife. The concubine had eventually become obnoxious and had no respect towards An Xian Yu. Her miscarriage had also been orchestrated by her.

An Xian Yu had always been honest and esteemed, she had no knowledge on how to curry favor or compete for her husband’s attention. Living in the bitter environment, she had never once cried to her mother and brother. It was only after her death that An Chang Qing had known of her grievances.

But at that time, An Chang Qing had been powerless. He could only watch as Wu Juan Shu’s concubine replaced his sister as the main wife. It was after Xiao Zhige’s ascension to the throne that he had punished the Marquis’s family for disrespecting the royal family and had his whole family beheaded.

After hearing about their execution, An Chang Qing had been elated for a long time. 

In his opinion, Marquis Wu and the An family were all birds of a feather– Respectable in appearance but under those masks, they were all poisonous snakes, none more decent than the other.

Back then, they had let An Xian Yu die and used a servant girl as a scapegoat, protecting a murderer. In this life, An Chang Qing would not let An Xian Yu enter this fire pit. Moreover, he still wanted to pay them back for what they had done to her.

After brainstorming, he came up with an idea. Seeing An Xian Yu blushing, he believed he had to put this plan into action immediately lest she developed feelings for a worthless scum.

An Chang Qing threaded carefully and said, “This marriage would have to wait. I heard…A bad rumor regarding Wu Juan Shu.”

Lady Yu was in doubt, “How’s that possible? I had asked Anfu to make some inquiries before. Wu Juan Shu has no concubines, he doesn’t go to the brothels and is always busy with his duties. And Marquis Wu’s family has always been void of scandals.”

“I was uncertain so I asked Wangye to check on them,” An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige with guilty eyes. He stayed strong and kept to his story, “It turned out that Wu Juan Shu has been secretly keeping a lover. The both of them meet regularly and are extremely intimate. I’m afraid that Yu’er will be bullied after she marries.”

It wasn’t that he had wanted to use Xiao Zhige’s name but Wu Juan Shu was just too proficient at pretending and covering his tracks. If he did not see it with his own eyes, he would never believe that the honorable Marquis Manor was a place filled with such evil. And Wu Juan Shu, the seemingly upright scholar, was an incredibly prejudiced person who would unconditionally pamper his mistress and mistreat his wife.

If An Chang Qing had told this to his mother out of the blue, she would not believe him entirely but if it came from Xiao Zhige, then things would be different.

Sure enough, Lady Yu grimaced and said, “Is that so? But everything’s been decided, your father will not agree to annul this engagement.”

An Xian Yu had turned pale. She nodded in silence while twisting her handkerchief.

“I have a plan,” An Chang Qing assured An Xian Yu, “I will never let Yu’er marry into the Wu family.”

Lady Yu was about to say something but seeing his determined look, she only touched his head gently, “Nuo Nuo has grown up and can protect your sister now.”

An Chang Qing hugged her and said softly, “Mother, look after yourself. I won’t let anyone bully you and Yu’er again.”

Lady Yu patted him on the back and smiled. When they separated, both their eyes were slightly red. An Chang Qing still had much to say to his mother but annulling An Xian Yu’s engagement was more pressing. He had to put everything else aside first.

Before leaving, An Chang Qing had left Zhao Shi behind.

An Chang Qing saw Lady Yu’s puzzled look and decided to tell her a little about his meeting with An Changqi. Now that An Changqi had lost an arm and the possibility of having any descendants, An Zhi Zhou and his wife would never let this matter go. They dare not touch Xiao Zhige and An Chang Qing and so the only way to have their revenge was against the helpless Lady Yu and An Xian Yu.

With Zhao Shi around, their safety was guaranteed.

After bidding his mother farewell, An Chang Qing left for the front yard with Xiao Zhige. The two walked side by side in silence. Xiao Zhige was quiet as always while An Chang Qing kept glancing at him with uneasiness. After a long while, he stopped walking and finally voiced his concerns, “Aren’t you going to ask me?”

Xiao Zhige raised his brows and looked at him, “About what?”

“About investigating Wu Juan Shu, and also regarding Zhao Shi.”

An Chang Qing had never asked Xiao Zhige to check on Wu Juan Shu for him. Furthermore, as they had only reconciled last night, even if Xiao Zhige was willing to help, it would still be too late.

“I’ll assign a few more people for you to use. The secrets of the Wu Manor are darker than you think.” Xiao Zhige raised his hand to touch An Chang Qing’s head and coached, “Always strike where it truly hurts. Wu Juan Shu is backed by Marquis Wu, if the Marquis doesn’t fall, you cannot hope to destroy him.”

An Chang Qing looked at him in surprise.

Xiao Zhige took his hand and continued walking. The hand around his wrist was rough but powerful. Xiao Zhige continued, “As for Zhao Shi, I’ve already assigned him to you, you don’t have to seek my approval.”

Chapter 7

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

An Changqi had once been An Chang Qing’s nightmare for a long time.

An Chang Qing had been gifted with beauty since birth. When he was still an adolescent and his features had not fully developed, he had an androgynous appearance. The girls were jealous for he looked prettier than themselves while the boys hated him for being too feminine. For a long time, he had spent his childhood in darkness. The only one who ever reached out to him was An Changqi.

As the only child of the second branch, An Changqi had been showered with affection the moment he was born. He was five years older than An Chang Qing. When An Chang Qing was twelve, he was already a young man of sixteen to seventeen. In addition to the eldest grandson, An Chang Yu, he was one of the Grand Matriarch’s favorite grandchildren.

After he had reprimanded the other younger children and rescued An Chang Qing from the woodshed, An Chang Qing really did admire and respect this brother.  An Changqi had also been good to him since then, always saving him from the bullies and buying him delicious snacks and beautiful clothes.

If it wasn’t on his twelve birthday that An Changqi had tried to rape him, everything would’ve been fine.

An Chang Qing could vividly recall that day in the spring. His birthday was on the 15th of February, the exact day of the spring equinox. The entire An family was preparing for the spring banquet but no one remembered that the Third Young Master had also been born on this day.

After eating the longevity noodles that his mother had cooked for him, An Chang Qing was about to go gather some herbs when An Changqi had gone to see him.

An Changqi had seemed particularly happy that day and An Chang Qing could still remember his every word:

“Third brother, today is your birthday. I have prepared a present for you, do you want to see it?”

The naive An Chang Qing had happily followed him, never doubting that he was being led into an empty room to fulfill An Changqi’s desires. At that moment, An Changqi had completely shown his true face. Speaking words of affection while his eyes were filled with lust, he had tried to talk An Chang Qing into submission.

Although An Chang Qing had been naive, he wasn’t a fool. He had grabbed a brass candlestick and whacked him on the head. While An Changqi had been distracted by the pain, he had climbed out the window and jumped into the rockscape pond. Because An Changqi did not know how to swim and a servant happened to be passing by, An Chang Qing had managed to escape that traumatizing ordeal.

But after that event, An Changqi completely tore off his mask. He no longer stood up for him and had even instigated the others to bully him. When they happened to meet, his eyes had been those of a hungry wolf wanting to eat him alive. An Chang Qing’s life since then had gotten a lot harder, apart from having to deal with the malice in his own family, he even had to avoid the young master of the second branch.

Until after An Changqi turned eighteen and had married, only then did An Chang Qing have better days and eventually, managed to put this matter behind.

It’s just that he had always assumed that apart from An Changqi and himself, no one else had known about this disgusting past.

To think that An Zhi Ke had always known. If he knew that An Changqi had once treated him well, then how could he not know the misdeeds An Changqi did to him later? The reason for this change, as the head of the family, how could he not know?

Moreover, after getting out of the pond, he had been pale and shivering due to the cold and fear. He hadn’t returned to Rainbow Garden in order to not worry his mother. He could only carry a fickle hope and ran to his father but An Zhi Ke did not even want to hear him. He had given him a scolding and driven him back to Rainbow Garden.

At that time, An Chang Qing had only thought that An Zhi Ke did not like him. But now he clearly understood, An Zhi Ke had been well aware of what had happened, he just did not want to sow discord with An Zhi Zhou over an unimportant son, and hence, he had feigned ignorance.

When hatred had reached a certain depth, only a burst of emptiness remained. Looking at An Zhi Ke in panic, An Chang Qing suddenly laughed, “You want me to let him go? I don’t think so! If An Changqi dies, what kind of reaction do you think the second uncle and his wife will have?”

His voice was drifting like a ghost’s, making Xiao Zhige incredibly worried. He called out to him softly.

“What are going to do?” An Zhi Ke saw the malevolence in his eyes and frowned. He softened his tone, “You’ll gain nothing from killing him. Why don’t you let him see a doctor first? After that, everything else is up to you.”

An Chang Qing sneered, “Do you think I’m as gullible as a three-year-old?”

He then pulled out a dagger and slowly walked towards An Changqi who had passed out due to the pain.

“Chang Qing!” Xiao Zhige saw what he was about to do and held him back.

An Chang Qing turned to look at him with emptiness in his eyes. Xiao Zhige was deeply concerned. He gently caressed his face and whispered in his ears, “I’m here, do not dirty your hands.”

An Chang Qing lowered his hand and Xiao Zhige seized the chance and forcefully retrieved the dagger from his grip. He then threw it in the grass and approached An Changqi with his spear in hand.

“Wangye!” An Zhi Ke exclaimed. He wanted to come forward but was paralyzed by the ferocity in his eyes. For a moment, he could only stay rooted in place.

“The Prime Minister does not have to worry, I will not kill him,” Xiao Zhige cast him a sinister smile. Like a debt-collecting demon, he chopped off An Changqi’s ‘leg’ with his spear.

Being struck with another pang of severe pain, the unconscious An Changqi woke up and covered his crotch area. He uttered a shrill cry before passing out again. In the withered grass where he laid, a pool of blood was forming under his body.

Xiao Zhige retrieved his spear and looked at the flabbergasted An Zhi Ke. Implying a threat, he said, “I’ve spared his life, the rest is up to Prime Minister An to deal with. I don’t suppose you’ll be willing to address this matter to the Emperor with me, right?”

An Zhi Ke knew that An Changqi was the one at fault. Moreover, him harboring an indecent lust for his cousin was an unacceptable scandal that would tarnish the An family’s hundred-year reputation. An Zhi Ke could only grit his teeth and concede to Xiao Zhige’s threat.

Seeing the blood-soaked An Changqi, he hastily bowed and called for someone to carry him away.

When no outsiders were around, Xiao Zhige tenderly touched An Chang Qing’s cheek. He sighed, “Why are you so foolish? Killing him is too merciful. And you’ll be taking the blame for An Zhi Ke.”

“Let me teach you how to get your revenge,” Xiao Zhige rubbed the corner of his red eyes, “An Changqi will definitely die in three days and An Zhi Ke will no longer know peace. How about that?”

An Chang Qing looked up at him. The brim of his eyes were thoroughly red but he stubbornly refused to cry. Although there was anger in his eyes, the sight of him gritting his teeth with wide-opened eyes was still endearing. 

Xiao Zhige sighed. He placed An Chang Qing’s head on his shoulder and the powerful hand gently patted his back, “If you want to cry, go ahead.”

An Chang Qing opened his mouth and wailed as his tears flowed down uncontrollably, wetting Xiao Zhige’s shoulder. Xiao Zhige continued to stroke his back slowly. His movements, although unnatural, were extremely gentle.

An Chang Qing cried in his arms for a long time before simmering down. He sniffed and said in a dull voice, “Thank you.”

Xiao Zhige rubbed his red eyes, “You don’t have to use this word with me.”

There was a faint sound of footsteps in the distance. Xiao Zhige assumed he would not want to be seen in such a state and suggested, “Should we go back first?”

An Chang Qing shook his head, “Let’s visit mother first or she’ll worry.”

Because An Chang Qing’s eyes were still swollen, he did not want to go to the Rainbow Garden yet. Instead, he took Xiao Zhige to an isolated part of the manor. 

He was silent for a while before pointing to a room right across the pond, “An Changqi lured me in there.”

Xiao Zhige reached out to hold his hand.

An Chang Qing’s hand was cold and his voice was shaking but he went on, “But I did not let him touch me and even opened a hole in his head. He had to stay in bed for almost a month.”

As though he only needed someone to listen, he continued, “I’ve never understood. I’m also his son, why does he hate me so much? I used to think that it was because of my mother’s background but now I think I know…”

His expression hardened as he came to a conclusion, “He had never seen me as his son.”

No father would feign ignorance when his child was attacked by his nephew.

Xiao Zhige’s brows creased together. He was not good at comforting others. After racking his brains for a long time, he said, “The day I was born, the sky had turned ominous. My father once tried to drown me but I narrowly survived and did not die. Later, my mother had to threaten him with her death to save my life.”

Although both of them did not deserve to be fathers, Emperor An Qing was probably the more unscrupulous of the two.

An Chang Qing turned to look at Xiao Zhige. Seeing that there was no sadness in his expression and only indifference, An Chang Qing’s gloomy mood was lifted. That’s right, Xiao Zhige was born in the royal family. With his mother’s early departure and his father’s loathing, he had to enlist into the army and fight at the border. The harsh conditions, the danger, and the sufferings, he had to endure it all by himself.

And the unyielding Northern Warlord never had anyone to talk to.

Compared to Xiao Zhige, what he had gone through seemed minuscule. He grabbed Xiao Zhige’s sleeve to wipe his face and then smiled at him, “If he doesn’t take me as his son, then I’ll just take it as I don’t have this father. It’s not worth grieving over him.”

“En.” Xiao Zhige touched his tear mole and said, “You still have me.”

The mighty Northern Warlord knew not how to sweet talk but every word he said sunk deep into An Chang Qing’s heart. He looked at him in a trance, reflecting on his last life. Back then, if he did not fear Xiao Zhige and went to him whenever he was wronged, An Chang Qing believed that this person would’ve stood by him no matter what.

An Chang Qing leaned in and wrapped his arms around him. He felt the man’s beating heart and said in an inaudible voice, “I’m sorry.”

Xiao Zhige thought that he was still upset and started patting his back gently. 

“Let me take you to meet my mom?” An Chang Qing fidgeted in his arms and raised his head.

Xiao Zhige lowered his eyes to look at the person in his embrace. The corners of his eyes were still red but his lips had started to smile again. His voice was a little hoarse but filled with vigor.

“Alright.” Xiao Zhige’s heart was tugged at and his eyes softened unconsciously.

An Chang Qing used the pond’s reflection to tidy up his appearance. After which, he led Xiao Zhige to the Rainbow Garden.

Rainbow Garden was not large. It used to look magnificent but due to neglect, the place had fallen apart.

Before Xiao Zhige even entered the premises, he was already frowning. An Chang Qing on the other hand had long been used to the dilapidated landscape. He stood outside the building and called cheerfully for his mother.

An Xian Yu was embroidering in the yard with the nanny when she heard his voice. She eagerly ran to him but froze up when she saw Xiao Zhige beside him. She looked at An Chang Qing timidly, not knowing how to address him.

An Chang Qing saw her fear but he knew her cowardice was not something he could fix in a short time. Without forcing her, he said kindly, “Where’s mother? I’ve brought Wangye to see her.”

“Nuo Nuo?” A cough came from inside the house and a skinny woman appeared at the door, holding onto the door frame for support. She had on a thick cotton cloak and wore no jewelry, looking plain and ordinary. But when she lifted her head, her beautiful face could light up the shabby-looking environment. Even the old and faded cloak she was wearing became pleasing to the eyes.

Xiao Zhige looked at her then back to his Wangfei who had run into her arms. It was just as the rumors had said, An Chang Qing mainly took after his mother. The only part he got from An Zhi Ke was the pair of phoenix eyes which added a touch of nobility to his looks.

When An Chang Qing finally saw his biological mother who had been dead for many years, he rushed into her arms and his tears fell uncontrollably. 

After a while, he remembered that Xiao Zhige was still watching and said embarrassedly to his mother, “I’m already eighteen. Mom, stop calling me Nuo Nuo.”

Lady Yu touched his head lovingly, “No matter how old you are, you’ll always be my Nuo Nuo.”

An Chang Qing blushed and could only hope to change the subject. He went to grab Xiao Zhige standing at the door and introduce him to his mother, “Mom, this is the Northern Warlord, I’ve brought him here to see you.”