Yingsu Square was as bustling as ever. (TL: previously “Yingsu Fang”)
Wang Dian leaned against the carriage, listening to the noise outside. He slept drowsily for the entire journey until the carriage stopped at the mansion gate and the driver woke him up.
“Daren, we’ve arrived.”
Wang Dian slowly opened his eyes, wrapped himself in a cloak, and got off the carriage. The biting cold wind hit his face. He tucked his hands into his sleeves, shrugged, looked back at the lively pedestrians on the road, and ascended the steps.
The steward, Zhou An, was someone he had personally chosen before. A middle-aged man in his forties with a mustache, round eyes, and a bulbous nose, he looked both festive and good-natured. Having heard the news of his return, he had been waiting at the door with others. Seeing him get off the carriage, he came forward smiling, “Young Master, you’re finally back!”
“Uncle Zhou, take a few strong men and unload the goods from those carriages into the warehouse,” Wang Dian pointed to the four or five carriages behind him, packed full. “Have everything inside registered, and when you’re done, come find me in the main hall.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Zhou An nodded repeatedly. “It’s cold outside, Young Master. Please go inside and warm up. The kitchen has prepared lunch, all your favorites.”
“Good.” Wang Dian smiled, and a young servant came forward to greet him.
He entered the mansion unhurriedly. This mansion was one he had gradually renovated during his spare time. There were only about a dozen servants in the mansion, all on active contracts, and he was very comfortable with them.
The snow was thick in some places along the way. He would occasionally deliberately step on it, leaving a footprint. The servant beside him was called Yu Lang, only fifteen or sixteen years old, with narrow eyes and a cold appearance. He wore a navy blue padded jacket and seemed to want to say something when he saw Wang Dian step on the snow, probably worried that his boots would get wet and his feet would freeze.
“Stepping on snow is fun, want to try?” Wang Dian said to him with a smile, his hands in his sleeves.
Yu Lang was the most steady and sensible among the servants. Although young, he was very decisive. To prevent his parents from selling his sister, he had signed a contract to become a servant alone. Wang Dian had brought him back to the mansion, not only with an active contract but also with eight days of leave each month to visit his parents and siblings. He was very grateful to Wang Dian.
However, Wang Dian was always busy and didn’t pay much attention to them. He neither acted like a master nor was he close to them. This was the first time he had spoken to Yu Lang like this.
Yu Lang pressed his lips and looked at him, then quickly lowered his eyes. He lifted his foot and stepped into the snow, imitating Wang Dian’s action, and nodded.
Wang Dian lifted his hem and crouched down by the snow, asking him, “Have you ever built a snowman?”
Yu Lang stiffly shook his head.
“Come, I’ll teach you.” Wang Dian reached out and grabbed a handful of snow, kneading it hard and rolling the small snowball in the thick snow a few times.
Yu Lang crouched on the ground, stiffly imitating his actions to make a snowball. He glimpsed those beautiful and slender fingers reddened by the cold snow, and somewhat flustered, he averted his gaze. He rolled his snowball in more snow, packed it firmly, and handed it to him.
“Thank you.” Wang Dian smiled as he took it, placing the larger one at the bottom and the smaller snowball on top. He casually picked up two small pebbles from the ground to use as eyes for the small snowman, used twigs for arms, and felt in his sleeve, pulling out a handkerchief. “Do you have scissors?”
“I’ll go get them for you, Young Master.” Yu Lang immediately stood up and ran towards a nearby room.
“No need—” Wang Dian hadn’t finished speaking before the person had already run off.
He smiled helplessly and stared at the small snowman for a while. He found a slightly larger stone and pressed it on, muttering to himself, “Tsk, it’s a bit ugly.”
Yu Lang quickly returned with the scissors. Wang Dian took them and cut a triangular piece from the handkerchief, tying it around the “neck” of the small snowman as a scarf.
“How is it?” he asked Yu Lang.
Yu Lang nodded solemnly, “It looks good.”
Wang Dian handed the scissors to him, “When I was young, I especially loved building snowmen, but unfortunately, I haven’t built any since growing up.”
Yu Lang looked at the small snowman and smoothed out the messy snow around it.
“It’s yours now.” Wang Dian patted his hands, stood up smiling, and rubbed his reddened hands. “Let’s go.”
“Young Master, to warm your hands.” Yu Lang handed him an exquisitely crafted hand warmer.
Wang Dian took it and immediately put his hands inside, smiling, “Thank you.”
“I should do this.” Wang Dian didn’t allow them to call themselves slaves, so Yu Lang referred to himself as he requested, “As long as the Young Master doesn’t mind.”
“It’s very nice.” Wang Dian patted the hand warmer in his arms like he would a small animal and walked towards the room.
Yu Lang’s lips curved slightly, but he quickly suppressed it and hurried to follow.
After finishing his meal, Wang Dian went to bathe and change. Zhou An instructed a few servants and maids outside, “The Young Master caught a cold in the palace a few days ago. Be careful when attending to him, don’t let him catch a draft. The clothes should be thick too. Have the new winter clothes been brought?”
“Steward Zhou, they’ve all been put away,” a maid said. “The floor heating has been on since this morning.”
Zhou An nodded, then saw Wang Dian come out wearing only his inner clothes with an outer robe, barefoot in wooden clogs. He immediately exclaimed, “Young Master, this won’t do!”
“It’s fine, the floor heating here is much warmer than in the palace,” Wang Dian said, about to walk past them into the inner room with his hair still wet. “I’ll sleep for a while first, I’ll check the account books in the evening.”
“Absolutely not, Young Master. Your hair must be dried before sleeping,” Zhou An fretted. “Quick, Moyu, bring the Young Master warm boots. Yu Lang, help dry the Young Master’s hair. Shufang, add more coal to the stove.”
Wang Dian watched them bustle about, torn between laughter and tears. He had improved the floor heating and stoves here very well, it was no different from a heated room. Wearing just a single layer of clothing was completely fine, even warmer than in the imperial palace. It really wasn’t necessary.
But Zhou An was thoughtful, and he naturally wouldn’t refuse their kindness.
Yu Lang approached with a dry towel to help dry his hair. Wang Dian’s inner clothes were loosely worn, and his fair skin, fresh from bathing, had a light redness to it. He reached out to take the account book from the table, and his wide sleeves slid to his elbows, revealing his smooth wrists and forearms. There were some recently healed scars on his wrists, as if they had been rubbed raw by something. Yu Lang dared to look for a moment, then hastily lowered his eyes.
The Young Master was injured again.
He had noticed before that the Young Master often had small injuries, though nothing serious. They would heal in a few days, but seeing them always made one feel… ambiguous.
His gaze happened to fall on Wang Dian’s neck, and he suddenly froze. Those bruises, some purple and some reddish, were particularly noticeable. Having grown up in the streets, he naturally knew what these were, which made these ambiguous love bites even more glaring.
There were no proper wives or concubines in the mansion, so it must be from a mistress or girls from brothels. How could those women be worthy of the Young Master… Yu Lang helped Wang Dian dry his hair, a flash of anger passing through his narrow eyes.
How could someone as pure and noble as the Young Master be defiled by others?
Wang Dian, however, was oblivious. He was engrossed in reading the account book. Moyu brought him a thick blanket and covered him, saying softly, “Young Master, the kitchen has prepared some soy milk porridge. Would you like some?”
“Good.” Wang Dian indeed hadn’t eaten much, so he nodded.
Soon, Moyu brought a small bowl of soy milk porridge. Wang Dian took it and instinctively said, “Thank you.”
Moyu smiled, “You’re too kind, Young Master. It’s what Moyu should do.”
Wang Dian ate about half the bowl while looking at the account book, asked Zhou An a few questions about the accounts, and said, “I plan to buy a few shops in Jishi Square. Tomorrow, you’ll come with me to take a look. By the way, how are the things I arranged earlier going?”
“In response to the Young Master, the people have all been arranged. It’s just that Hexi County is so far from the capital. Do we really need to set up a fleet on the Yunshui River?” Zhou An was still a bit worried. “Liang and Zhao have been disputing the ownership of Yunshui. If war breaks out—”
“Don’t worry, just tell those people to go ahead,” Wang Dian said. “If there’s not enough money, just report it. In a couple of days when I have time, I might make a trip there myself.”
“Alright, Young Master.” Zhou An nodded. “We’ve negotiated two taverns on that side, but as for how to proceed specifically, we still need your instructions.”
“Find two reliable managers. I’ll give you the specific plan later,” Wang Dian pondered for a moment. “Which imperial estate in the suburbs is the largest?”
Zhou An was bewildered by his question, “This… I really don’t know.”
“That’s right, I’ll ask around another day,” Wang Dian yawned. “That’s all for now. I’m going to take a nap.”
“Young Master, your hair isn’t completely dry yet,” Yu Lang inconspicuously pressed on his shoulder. “You might get a headache if you sleep like this.”
“Hmm.” Wang Dian nodded tiredly. “Then I’ll wait until it’s dry before sleeping.”
Zhou An left with the others. Wang Dian leaned on the couch, dozing off. After Yu Lang carefully dried the ends of his hair, he softly called, “Young Master, your hair is dry now.”
Wang Dian kept his eyes closed and didn’t respond.
Yu Lang put the towel aside, walked to the couch, and gently shook his shoulder. “Young Master? Young Master?”
“Hmm?” Wang Dian responded.
“Go sleep on the bed,” Yu Lang said.
Wang Dian frowned, lay with his eyes closed for a while, then reluctantly got up. The blanket and cloak all slid onto the couch as he walked barefoot towards the bed. Yu Lang was anxious, grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around him, “Young Master, please wear boots.”
“I’m almost there,” Wang Dian yawned again. “Yu Lang, just stand guard outside. I’m not used to having people around when I sleep.”
“Yes,” Yu Lang nodded, watching him get into bed before lowering the bed curtains and quietly leaving.
However, he had only been guarding outside for a short while when he suddenly heard a gasp from inside. He immediately rushed in, pulling open the bed curtains, “Young Master!?”
Wang Dian was sitting up in bed, covered in cold sweat, his face pale and frightened. His hands tightly gripped the blanket, the knuckles white from the force. After a long while, he slowly looked up at Yu Lang, smiling apologetically, “I’m fine. Did I scare you?”
Yu Lang pressed his lips together and shook his head hard. “Did the Young Master have a nightmare?”
“Mm,” Wang Dian rubbed his brow hard. “It’s nothing. You go down and rest now.”
Yu Lang looked at him, wanting to say something but hesitating. Wang Dian looked at him quizzically, “Is something wrong?”
Yu Lang said nervously, “I… I used to have nightmares. My mother would often press the tiger’s mouth point on my hand. It would help a bit.”
“Ah, thank you,” Wang Dian smiled at him, looking down to press his own hand. “Like this?”
“Don’t press too hard,” Yu Lang demonstrated on his own hand. After a moment, seeing Wang Dian still pressing too hard, almost to the point of drawing blood, he became anxious. “Young Master, let me do it.”
He boldly moved Wang Dian’s hand away. Wang Dian didn’t resist, allowing Yu Lang to take his hand. Yu Lang pressed it with moderate force for a while. Wang Dian seemed to finally wake up, withdrawing his hand and saying, “Much better. Your mother’s method is very effective.”
Yu Lang smiled stiffly at him. Wang Dian suddenly asked, “I remember you can read, right?”
“Yes, I learned when I was an apprentice to the accountant before,” Yu Lang answered.
Wang Dian nodded approvingly, “Good. From now on, you’ll be my personal attendant.”
Yu Lang looked at him with joy, and was about to kneel and kowtow. Wang Dian quickly supported him, “We don’t have so many rules in our mansion. No need to kneel.”
“Yes, Young Master,” Yu Lang finally showed an undisguised smile.
****
Imperial Palace.
Secret Dungeon.
Liang Ye took the handkerchief handed to him by a nearby guard and wiped the blood splattered on his chin. He stared at the disfigured person on the rack with a half-smile and said cheerfully, “Jian Ling, Cui Yuxian is already dead. Why are you still struggling?”
The person bound by iron chains on the wooden rack slowly raised his head, glaring at him fiercely. “Liang Ye, you despicable scoundrel! Don’t try to deceive me! My master wouldn’t die so easily! You’re unworthy of being a ruler, using poison to ambush me!”
Liang Ye chuckled softly, leaning back lazily in his chair. His pale fingertips slowly traced the thick blood stains on the table. “Wasn’t Cui Yuxian fond of using poison? Zhen merely paid her back in her own coin. How is that despicable? Commander Jian, you’re being unreasonable. Oh, by the way, Zhen came to tell you that Zhen didn’t spare a single one of the 50,000 Black Armored Guards under Cui Yuxian. Beheading was too bloody for some people’s taste, so Zhen had them all buried alive. You’re the last Black Armored Guard. Aren’t you happy?”
Jian Ling gritted his teeth and glared at him, struggling violently. “You madman! Liang Ye! You tyrant!”
“Bring it here,” Liang Ye called out to the shadows.
A young soldier dressed in a Black Armored Guard uniform walked out and threw a bloody bundle onto the table.
Jian Ling stared at the soldier with bulging eyes. “It’s you! How could it be you! I saved your life—how could you betray me! Wu Silian! After all I’ve done for you!”
The soldier tugged at the corner of his mouth, tearing off the human skin mask on his face to reveal Chong Heng’s face. He folded his arms and smiled, “There was never any Wu Silian. You saving me was just a trap set by my master. Commander Jian, don’t think about it anymore. I was the one who leaked the information, I was the one who administered the poison, and I was the one who killed all your capable men. Commander Jian, thank you for your nurturing and for saving my life. To repay you, I’ve asked my master to leave your corpse intact. How about that?”
After speaking, he used his sword to open the bundle on the table, revealing Cui Yuxian’s head.
“Liang Ye—” Jian Ling roared hoarsely, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you! How dare you!?”
“How dare Zhen not?” The smile on Liang Ye’s lips slowly turned cold. The dark dragon robe on his body seemed to absorb all light. He was like an evil spirit crawling out of a sea of blood, baring sharp fangs gleaming in the darkness. “It’s just a pity that Cui Yuxian died too easily. Zhen not only wants her dead, but also wants her bones ground to dust with no place for burial. The Black Armored Guards, the Cui family, the Jian family… Zhen wants them all dead. How you slaughtered the Great Liang Palace back then, Zhen will now repay you in kind.”
“This has nothing to do with the Jian family!” Jian Ling roared, “It was all my doing! They have nothing to do with it!”
Liang Ye sneered, “That’s not what they said when they were under your and Cui Yuxian’s protection. Zhen is tired. Chong Heng, don’t let him die. Zhen wants him to witness the beheading of the Jian family members with his own eyes.”
“Yes!” Chong Heng went up and dislocated Jian Ling’s jaw.
Jian Ling’s roars no longer sounded human, but Liang Ye found them extremely pleasing to the ear. After leaving the secret dungeon, he took the wet handkerchief handed by Yun Fu and meticulously wiped his blood-stained fingers. “Has Wang Dian returned?”
A guard silently emerged from the darkness. “Yes, Wang Daren seemed to be in a good mood. After returning to his residence, he even built a snowman with his servant. The servant gave him a hand warmer…However, his appetite was poor. He only had half a bowl of rice porridge and two vegetable dishes… After bathing, he looked over the account books, ate less than half a bowl of soy milk porridge, and then arranged matters related to the fleet and the restaurant… Daren slept after drying his hair. He woke up startled, and that servant helped calm him down. Daren then promoted him to be his personal attendant…”
The guard reported every detail. Liang Ye’s smile gradually flattened, his gaze growing increasingly gloomy. He chuckled softly, “Building a snowman… calming down… How did that servant calm him?”
The guard trembled as he reported, “He massaged Daren’s tiger’s mouth acupoint for a long time.”
Liang Ye narrowed his eyes in displeasure, letting out a sinister laugh.
The blood-stained handkerchief was crushed into pieces, swaying as it fell onto the muddy snow.
