Arrancando flores y sonriendo

Capítulo 25

"It's settled then. I'll send someone to pick you up for the river cruise at sunset." He smiled, pretending not to hear, made his decision, and turned to leave. Wait a minute! How can you do that? She hasn't even agreed yet!

As evening approached, Sangman—the three iron towers, originally named Sangman, Zheman, and Shaman, with rather strange names—stood stiffly outside my courtyard.

"Go back, I'm not interested." I waved my hand, trying to get rid of him.

"No, the lord said that if I can't bring Young Master Ye onto the ship, I'll be punished according to military law." I could tell he was very unhappy about being sent to pick me up; his face was sour, but he still insisted on taking me away—he even brought up military law to scare me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "How about we punish him according to family rules?" That's why people need to be educated. How can someone like him not make a fool of himself? In the end, I couldn't persuade him otherwise, and I was practically forcibly taken away.

The Qinhuai River was bustling with activity tonight, as all sorts of pleasure boats, official vessels, and small boats seemed to have crowded onto the water. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, the singing of birds and the dancing of butterflies—it was all out in full swing, a truly magnificent scene of autumn night revelry, a picture of peace and celebration for all!

Yan Zongwang, dressed in a flowing white robe, stood at the bow of the boat with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of refined elegance—ignoring my disdainful look, he smiled and handed me a jade rabbit lantern, asking, "What are your wishes, Brother Ye?"

Although I really wanted to turn around and leave, I couldn't bring myself to refuse such an adorable little white rabbit. I could only reach out and take it, then examine it closely—how cunning! Using such a cute little animal to escape my anger.

"Write down your wishes. They may not be credible, but it's good to follow local customs," he encouraged me with a smile.

"Does that mean any wish can be fulfilled?" I glanced at him, intending to make things difficult for him, wanting to hear his answer.

"Write it if you want. Even if the River God doesn't help you fulfill your dream, I'll make sure you're satisfied." Pshaw, he's shameless, actually thinking he's better than the River God.

"Who do you think you are?" I glared at him, pointing my finger at his nose, about to retort, when he grabbed my hand. He stared intently at me, a familiar, fervent light in his eyes that made me feel disoriented, almost as if I were dreaming. I slowly lowered my head, avoiding his gaze.

"My lord, a guest has arrived." Zheman announced respectfully, which made me breathe a sigh of relief. I cleverly broke free from his grasp, took the lamp, and walked to the window.

"Just say I'm not here," Zongwang ordered impatiently and angrily.

“My lord, this…” Zheman looked at me with a troubled expression.

"You have guests, so it's inconvenient for me to stay here. Farewell." I understood what Zheman meant and took the initiative to leave.

“You don’t need to leave,” Yan Zongwang said calmly, looking at Zheman. “Tell me, whose information came so quickly?”

"this,,,,"

"Don't you know my temperament? I trust those who trust me, and I don't associate with those who doubt me. Brother Ye is not an outsider. If anything happens, I will naturally take full responsibility." Yan Zongwang's expression was extremely displeased.

"Yes, this servant deserves to die." Zhe Manman lowered his head in fear. "Young Master Zhao Jiu has come to visit."

"It's him? Let him in." Yan Zongwang frowned slightly, then instructed Zheman to greet the guest. He then took my hand and led me out of the cabin to welcome him.

A moment later, a young man of about twenty years old, with a face as handsome as jade and skin as white as snow, walked onto the deck surrounded by a large group of guards, wearing a fawning smile. "Second Young Master Yu Lin Jiangning, I, Zhao, have failed to fulfill my duty as host. Please forgive my negligence."

"Haha, how dare I, how dare I? Your Highness Kang has graced my humble abode with your presence. It is I, Zongwang, who has failed to greet you properly and have been negligent in my hospitality." This fellow, who was just looking displeased, is now all smiles. He can change his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book. His skill at feigning ignorance is quite impressive.

Prince Kang? I was startled. Wasn't that Zhao Gou? The Gaozong who would ascend the throne in the south two years later? Then who was this so-called second prince walking hand in hand with me?! There didn't seem to be any famous person with the surname Yan in history? Could it be that he, like me, was using an alias? And who could be the person who could make Zhao Gou so humble?

Seeing that Zhao Gou seemed to have something important to discuss with the guy surnamed Yan, even though I was almost dying of curiosity, under Zhe Man's obvious glare, I had no choice but to touch my nose and tactfully walk to the side, leaving the two of them alone.

"Kang Wang? Isn't that the current Ninth Prince? Your master certainly has a wide circle of friends." I said with a grin, trying to get closer to Zhe Man.

"So what if he's the Ninth Prince? Our lord gives him face..." Unexpectedly, Zheman immediately revealed an arrogant expression, and sneered as if to speak—while the twenty or so guards standing at the bow of the ship, who were obviously Zhao Gou's close guards, acted as if they hadn't heard anything and didn't react at all, which was really strange.

"Ahem, ahem," Wu Chun coughed lightly, interrupting him, "Young Master Ye, why don't you move to the stern of the boat to enjoy the moon? I'm afraid the master can't accompany you for the time being."

"You old fox, you're being so polite. Do you think I don't know you're trying to get rid of me, afraid I'll overhear your secrets? What's so strange about that? Fine, I won't listen." I smiled and, as he said, walked towards the stern.

Strange, why do I feel so uneasy? As if something is about to happen? I paused slightly and turned around, trying to find the reason for my anxiety.

Then, I met a pair of cold, ruthless eyes—the man was quite tall, dressed entirely in black, making him seem to blend into the night. Most of his face was covered by a black cloth, revealing only his wolf-like eyes. Bathed in moonlight, they added to his sinister aura—I couldn't help but shiver, goosebumps rising on my skin—who was he? Why, even though it was our first meeting, did I feel like I was suffocating?!

Before I could think it through, Wu Chun led me to the back of the boat—where a table of food and wine, along with several plates of fresh fruit, was laid out. Perhaps sensing my unease and mistaking my fear for the group of burly men in black on the boat, he smiled at me easily. “Young Master Ye, there’s no need to be afraid. They are all, uh, friends of the Master.”

"Yeah, right." I nodded haphazardly, grabbed a piece of pastry and stuffed it into my mouth, but I had no idea what it tasted like. My mind was still racing—where had I seen that person before?

A silk palace lantern hung high at the bow of the boat—wait, wasn't that made by Xiao Feng? It even has my painting and poem on it; so he bought it. No wonder it cost so much—he really has money to burn.

"Please wait a moment, Second Young Master." Zhao Gou bid farewell to Yan Zongwang with great joy. "I hope you will convey the matters we discussed today."

"If King Kang keeps his promise, I, Yan, will certainly not break my word." Zongwang bowed respectfully and watched Zhao Gou and his entourage disembark and disappear into the night.

"Hey, what did you give him? Look at how happy he is!" Pshaw, he's supposed to be the future ruler of a country, it's just a small gift, is it really worth being so happy about?

"It's nothing, just a few calligraphy paintings and rubbings," he replied casually.

"I thought it was something important, but these few things can make him so happy?" I couldn't help but shake my head and sigh—it seems Lu You's assessment of him as 'Master Siling has a profound understanding of the eight principles of calligraphy, pays attention to antiquity, and spares no effort in seeking out famous calligraphy and paintings' is truly accurate! It seems this fellow Yan Zongwang has indeed found a way to please him. I jokingly asked him, "Just a few pieces of calligraphy and painting? What could move this gentleman's heart must be extraordinary, for example?"

"For example, Wang Xizhi's original work, the 'Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion'," he answered me casually.

"No way?" I exclaimed in surprise, choking on my tea. I grabbed his sleeve. "Did I hear that right? Wasn't it said that the original was lost to history during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang? This one of yours isn't a fake, is it?"

Yan Zongwang glanced at me and said leisurely, "You heard me right. If it weren't for Wang Xizhi's authentic work, how could it have won Zhao Gou's heartfelt admiration?"

"How is that possible? How did you get your hands on the original? Even the original 'Lanting Shenlong Edition' is already very precious!" I exclaimed.

"Little rascal, you have good taste." He patted my head affectionately and looked at me approvingly.

"Nonsense! I'm a top student in the art department, okay? I can't possibly not know this, can I?" I angrily slapped his hand away, rolled my eyes, and was too exhausted to argue with him. "Then what did he give you?" — Tsk, what a spendthrift! He had such nice stuff, why didn't he keep it for me? It would have been nice if I could have taken a look at it first before giving it away! I looked mournful.

He smiled mischievously at the phrase "half the country," refusing to tell the truth.

"Go ahead and brag all you want." Fine, don't tell me then—I have no interest in prying into other people's secrets!

This book was first published on Xiaoxiang Novel Original Website. Please retain this information when reprinting!

[Volume 2: Farewell Chapter 6: Midnight Horror (Part 1)]

The long street was deserted in the dead of night. The moonlight cast long shadows of Sang Man and me, and our footsteps were clearly audible. I playfully skipped and stomped on his shadow, but his tense, dark face remained expressionless—tsk! He'd been angry for so long; no fun at all. Fine, I decided to let him off the hook.