Imperial Relatives

Through the open window, An Ziran saw a crowd gathered around someone who was telling entertaining stories—gossip, if one preferred. Spittle flew as the others listened with great interest. After listening for a while, he realized they were all palace scandals, difficult to tell true from false, and none of them was what he wanted.

After a while, the waiter brought up the pastries he had ordered.

Taking the opportunity, An Ziran asked, "Brother Waiter, I'd like to ask you about someone." As he spoke, he placed a piece of broken silver on the table. "Whether you can answer or not, it's yours."

The waiter cheerfully pocketed the silver. "Just ask whatever you wish, sir. If I know, I'll tell you everything."

An Ziran nodded and asked without hesitation, "I'd like to inquire about someone named Fu Fengzheng. Have you heard of him in Gentlemen City?"

The moment he heard that name, the waiter froze.

"What? Is there something wrong with that name?" An Ziran keenly caught the change in his expression.

The waiter came back to himself and said apologetically, "You misunderstand, sir. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that I haven't heard that name in a long time, so I was a little slow to react."

An Ziran lowered his gaze. "Then can you tell me about him?"

"Of course."

"You may not know this, sir, but Old Prince Fu was once a major figure in Gentlemen City. The older generation around here has all heard of him. But the old prince is getting on in years, and his health is no longer as robust as before. He has rarely appeared in public these past few years, so news of him has gradually become scarce..." The waiter spoke at length.

But An Ziran's expression changed slightly the moment he heard the words "Old Prince Fu."

He had considered that Fu Fengzheng might be a powerful noble, or perhaps a merchant acquainted with powerful nobles, but he had never imagined that he was a prince. At his age, he was very likely the current emperor's imperial uncle.

Imperial relatives were far beyond the An Family's reach. Fu was Da Ya's royal surname; all members of the imperial clan bore it. If An Ziran had been a native son of Da Ya, he might have made the connection. Unfortunately, he was not.

What the waiter said was no secret. Many people in Gentlemen City knew it, aside from outsiders. When he began describing how dashing and heroic Fu Fengzheng had been in his younger days, and how many women he had captivated, An Ziran finally stopped him.

"Brother Waiter, do you know about Old Prince Fu's family?" An Ziran asked. Fu Fengzheng's affairs could wait. What mattered now was the marriage contract. Though the An Family could never aspire to marry into the imperial family, since they had been given this opportunity, they had to try. Besides, Fu Fengzheng himself had been the one to propose the marriage all those years ago.

"I do," the waiter replied. "Old Prince Fu has only one grandson. He is Prince Jun, personally invested by the current emperor. In Gentlemen City, everyone knows of him."

"May I ask his personal name?" An Ziran's expression shifted.

Unexpectedly, the waiter shook his head and said apologetically, "Forgive me, sir, but Prince Jun's personal name isn't something common folk like us can casually speak. Please understand. If you have nothing else to ask, sir, I'll take my leave."

"You may go." An Ziran did not make things difficult for him. He understood.

After the waiter left, the atmosphere in the private room immediately fell quiet.

Qiulan looked at her eldest young master, who seemed lost in thought, and did not dare make a sound. Still, she had a feeling that their trouble in coming all the way to Gentlemen City was likely connected to the person her eldest young master had just asked about. Yet the other party was an imperial relative. Though puzzled, she did not dare ask.

A quarter of an hour later, An Ziran left the restaurant with Qiulan.

Not long after he left, the waiter relayed the matter to the shopkeeper word for word.

The shopkeeper patted his shoulder. "Well done. Don't mention this matter to anyone for now. Also, keep an eye out over the next few days and see whether that young master appears again. If he asks about Old Prince Fu again, inform me immediately. Understand?" He decided to observe a little longer. If that man truly had come for Old Prince Fu, it would not be too late to report it then.

"Yes, Shopkeeper." The waiter grinned.

Meanwhile, An Ziran had no idea that merely asking a few questions had put him under observation. His mind was full of worries, and he had no mood to think about anything else.

Imperial relatives were a very troublesome breed.

If possible, An Ziran did not want the An Family entangled in the imperial circle. It was too complicated. A simple young girl like An Yuzhi would definitely be devoured whole. But if they did not do this, the An Family would face trouble. After thinking it over and over, he ultimately decided to place the choice in An Yuzhi's hands.

That afternoon, An Ziran had Qiulan summon An Yuzhi.

Ever since learning that she had a marriage contract, An Yuzhi had been anxious. When she heard that her brother wanted to see her, she thought there had been news. When she entered, her cheeks were flushed, and her steps were stiff with nervousness.

"Brother..."

An Ziran had her sit down and got straight to the point. "Regarding your betrothed, I need to ask for your opinion..." Then he told her what he had learned at the restaurant.

An Yuzhi was completely stunned. She too had thought her betrothed was a merchant.

"Tomorrow, I'll send someone to look into Prince Jun. There should be results before long. When the time comes, you can come listen as well. If you have no objections, Brother will choose a day and take you to find them, so he can marry you," An Ziran continued.

An Yuzhi was no longer capable of thinking. Her mind was a complete mess.

Seeing this, An Ziran did not force her. For now, he was only giving her a dose of reassurance, letting her prepare herself a little so she would not be unable to react when the time came.

This time, An Ziran did not personally make inquiries.

He still remembered the waiter's reaction. Although the man had recovered quickly, An Ziran could tell that it was not that he could not speak of it, but that he did not wish to. Prince Jun, whom he had mentioned, was certainly no ordinary person, so An Ziran was more cautious this time.

The next day, before the people he had sent out to gather information returned, Steward Su finally arrived.