The Prince of Jin had many questions.
He had always paid close attention to Yanran, because she was... because of her status. But Yanran had been deeply attached to Hongxiu, and Hongxiu was a maid Yanran had brought from her previous home, so he had never suspected her.
He did not like Hongxiu, who was somewhat affected, but as long as she took good care of Yanran, the Prince of Jin put up with her.
He could never have imagined that things were like this.
He had been blind with his eyes wide open!
From the moment Yanran came out today and clung to Tang Zhuyun's neck, refusing to raise her head, he had known there had to be more to the matter. He simply had not expected the truth to be so cruel and so mocking.
Hongxiu probably knew the tide had turned against her. She roared, "Your Highness, this servant is Lang-"
Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Song Jingyang clapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her away.
Tang Zhuyun said, "You certainly do have the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog!"
Though she had cursed viciously, Tang Zhuyun turned to Yanran and spoke gently, as if she had a split personality. "There, there, Yanran. She'll never come back again. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!"
"Give Yanran to me," the Prince of Jin said, stepping forward.
But Yanran refused to let go, no matter what anyone said. She clung to Tang Zhuyun's neck as though she had seized a life-saving straw, and would not release her grip.
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
This would not do either. She still had to go home!
But no matter how they coaxed her, Yanran would not let go.
Tang Zhuyun broke out in a sweat. Finally, the Prince of Jin spoke up and told her to take Yanran home.
"Take her to my home?" Tang Zhuyun's eyes widened.
Yanran was his daughter. Why should Tang Zhuyun have to raise her?
"Silver," the Prince of Jin said bluntly.
For the sake of five pecks of rice, Tang Zhuyun bent her back.
"This is the Prince of Jin's daughter?"
The three men of the Tang family were all somewhat surprised as they looked at Yanran, who sat on Tang Zhuyun's lap and refused to get down.
She was supposed to negotiate with the Prince of Jin, so how had she ended up spiriting his daughter away?
Had the negotiations succeeded or failed?
Tang Zhuyun could not discuss the matter in front of Linlin, so she found an excuse to send him out.
Linlin gave her a look and went out dejectedly.
"Abusing the Prince of Jin's daughter?" Tang Baixin suspected there was something wrong with his ears.
Tang Mingfan stroked his beard. "I actually have seen a case like this before. She's only a child, after all. Never mind her-even imperial princes are secretly bullied by eunuchs and palace maids in the palace, especially when they're young."
It was instinctive for children to depend on the people around them, to strive to hold on to warmth even amid beatings and scoldings.
The desire for revenge came much later, when they were considerably older.
That fool of a prince had not even thought to ask his child more questions in private or show her more care. He had been led around by the nose by a wretched maid. Was his face red with shame now?
"Father, big brother, let's stay out of the Prince of Jin's family affairs. I've done my best to follow my conscience." Tang Zhuyun was still clearheaded. "The question now is, can we trust what the Prince of Jin said?"
"Yes," father and son said in unison. Then they looked at each other, marveling that the Prince of Jin was in charge of the Golden Scale Guard.
In the open, the emperor had sent the Prince of Jin to the Court of Judicial Review to gain experience; in secret, he had also entrusted his personal guards to him. He had not even treated the crown prince so well...
"Then is your problem resolved, big brother?" Tang Zhuyun asked.
Tang Baixin nodded, guilt and gratitude in his eyes. He bowed solemnly to her. "It was all thanks to you this time, little sister. I'm truly ashamed to show my face."
"Hehe, big brother, why say such things?" Tang Zhuyun said, a little embarrassed.
Tang Mingfan said, "It couldn't be better that the Prince of Jin is willing to help, but we'll consider the silver a loan from him and pay him back once the case is solved. Even if it becomes an unsolved case, we must pay him back, even if we have to scrimp on food and clothing."
Tang Zhuyun said, "...All right."
She did not want to pay him back at all. Really.
She had helped the Prince of Jin get rid of a troublesome servant and was acting as his nanny, looking after his child. Was she not going to get any payment at all?
"We can't put it that way. Consider it interest," Tang Mingfan said.
"Oh."
It was over. She had not made her fortune, and now she was already five thousand taels of silver in debt?
Tang Zhuyun, who had just felt that her venture to make a fortune in ancient times was getting started, suffered a severe blow.
Things were so hard for her. It was easy to make money in the capital, but easy to spend it too!
Twenty taels of silver could support an ordinary family for a year, but the weddings and funerals of princes and nobles could easily cost ten thousand taels, or even tens of thousands. Such was the disparity in the world.
The road to riches was steep and hard to climb. The little money she made from cold dishes was barely enough to fill the gaps between her teeth.
Yanran refused to leave Tang Zhuyun's side. Even when Tang Zhuyun went to cook, Yanran had to follow her into the kitchen and stay within arm's reach.
Though Tang Zhuyun hated the Prince of Jin, she had little resistance to a vulnerable child and could only let Yanran sit beside her and wait.
Linlin came in.
Tang Zhuyun was boiling large bones. When she saw they were cooked, she tore off a small piece of meat and popped it into his mouth. "Taste it for Auntie and see if it's salty enough."
Then she offered Yanran a small piece as well. Yanran shook her head and refused, so Tang Zhuyun put it in her own mouth.
"Auntie," Linlin said, lowering his head, "do you want to marry the Prince of Jin?"
Tang Zhuyun said, "Impossible. What are you thinking?"
"Then you didn't bring her back to please the Prince of Jin?" he asked, pointing at Yanran.
For a moment, Tang Zhuyun was at a loss for words.
She could hardly say that Yanran had shamelessly insisted on coming herself.
Clearly, the little fellow was jealous.
"Big sister, are you going to marry my father?" Yanran spoke for the first time since arriving. "When? Tomorrow?"
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Please, you two, stop making trouble.
If this goes on, I'll be spending my wedding night with the Prince of Jin tonight.
"First, I'm not desperate to get married. I don't want to marry anyone," Tang Zhuyun said weakly. "Second, even if I lose my mind and decide to marry someday, I'll never marry the Prince of Jin. If I do, I'll stab out my own eyes!"
Only someone blind with her eyes wide open could be a match for a man as blind as the Prince of Jin.
The Prince of Jin, standing at the kitchen entrance, set the foot he had just raised back down outside.
It was better if he did not go in.
Seeing that Yanran was doing well here put his mind at ease. He went to see Tang Mingfan and his son.
Tang Zhuyun had no idea what the fellow had said, but she later found that her father and brother were both very polite to him. Tang Mingfan even told her to make a couple more dishes to entertain the Prince of Jin.
Tang Zhuyun wanted to flip the table. It was one thing for children who did not know better to come mooch a meal, but the Prince of Jin was a grown man. How could he have the nerve?
Worse still, two days later she discovered that the Prince of Jin had moved in next door and came to mooch meals every day.
And she could not complain in front of Tang Mingfan. Whenever she asked, he called it interest, saying that it was five or six thousand taels of silver, after all.
The Prince of Jin was thick-skinned and remarkably unflappable. No matter how Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes at him, he came to mooch meals, rain or shine, under the fine-sounding pretext of visiting his daughter.
The question was, did his daughter pay him any attention?
After leaving the Prince of Jin's Residence, Yanran was not close to him at all and even resisted speaking to him.
Tang Zhuyun guessed that Hongxiu had most likely used some means to force Yanran to please the Prince of Jin, which was why she was so rebellious now.
Come to think of it, what had happened to Hongxiu?
One time, Tang Zhuyun secretly asked that lackey Song Jingyang.
Song Jingyang wore an aloof expression. "No comment."
Tang Zhuyun said, "Then I'll just ask His Highness."
Her intuition told her that Song Jingyang very, extremely, especially disliked her getting close to the Prince of Jin, and he was always glancing at her.
Could he have a secret crush on her and be jealous?
Lackey, don't you dare. Humans and beasts don't intermarry!
You and your dog of a master can both get far, far away from me.
Sure enough, Song Jingyang narrowed his eyes and said viciously, "I'll tell you, then. You're not allowed to seduce His Highness. Her tongue was pulled out, her arms and legs were broken, and she was sent to a red tent on the frontier..."
That should scare this woman. Let's see if she still dares to be so arrogant!
"A good place for her to end up," Tang Zhuyun said, clapping her hands in approval.
It took a wicked person to grind down another.
Song Jingyang: "..."
Tang Zhuyun asked again, "Can you honestly tell me why you're always looking at me?"
"Don't even dream of following His Highness!" Song Jingyang snapped.
"You won't let me follow His Highness. Do you want me to follow you instead?"
Song Jingyang exploded on the spot with rage. "Who wants you? Don't think I don't know you're carrying another man's child!"
A woman like her did not deserve to go anywhere near His Highness. She was not even fit to carry his shoes!
"Auntie, is there a child in your belly?" Linlin came out of the house.
"Like hell there is!" Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes so hard they nearly reached the sky. "Of all the things you could learn, you had to learn to bark like a dog. From now on, don't pay attention to anyone from the Prince of Jin's Residence except Yanran. Understand?"
A troubled look appeared on Linlin's face. "Auntie, His Highness is actually quite nice."
The Prince of Jin came often, and he seemed to have plenty of free time. Unlike Tang Mingfan and his son, who left early and returned late, he spent a long time at the Tang home. Yanran clung only to Tang Zhuyun, so the Prince of Jin could only help Linlin with his writing and such, and the two grew close by leaps and bounds.
The Prince of Jin taught Linlin to ride, let him ride his treasured steed, took him galloping and even hunting... Sometimes he accompanied Linlin out to let the chickens roam, and they could spend much of the day playing.
The wounds left by the bullying Linlin had suffered at the family school in Prince Rong's Residence were quietly healing.
The Prince of Jin always wanted to take Yanran along, but she refused.
Yanran only wanted to stay with Tang Zhuyun, helping her pick over and wash vegetables, standing on a little stool to learn to cook, and feeding the lamb next door. Going in and out every day, she ate more and her complexion improved.
Speaking of eating more, ever since the Prince of Jin arrived, Linlin's appetite had visibly grown too, and he asked to drink cow's milk every day.
That was because Tang Zhuyun had said cow's milk helped him grow.
Why had this child suddenly become so impatient to grow up?
Tang Zhuyun asked Linlin out of curiosity. She had expected him to say he wanted to grow strong so he would not be afraid of being bullied, or grow up sooner so he could take the imperial examinations, and so on. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected Linlin, the extraordinarily gifted and brilliant child she fully hoped would become the Tang family's third top scholar, to say-
"I want to pee farther than His Highness!"
Tang Zhuyun felt her world collapse.
She had gained a strange piece of knowledge: little boys could be bored enough to compete over who could pee farther. Then, when the Prince of Jin took Linlin out, he had taken him to relieve himself and "astonished everyone" with his prowess, winning Linlin over with that marvelous skill.
Was admiration between men always so refreshingly unconventional?
Prince of Jin, you're really something!