Chapter 12: Traveling at Night is Not for One Person (Seeking Recommendation Tickets)

  "Dad, let's go back to our old home in Jiangnan." Xiaodi wiped away her tears and said with a sob.

  Xiao Guanshi clicked away at the abacus beads with a "clickety-clack" sound, without lifting his head, and asked: "What's wrong again?"

  Xiao Ding said with a twisted expression: "That despicable Zhang Shisan bullied me, that's nothing. But now even the young master is...is helping him bully me. Let's quit our jobs and go back to our hometown. The young master has become someone of status now and doesn't care about us anymore."

  Xiao Guan smiled and wrote down a number, then put away the abacus and walked towards his beloved daughter, smiling: "Will Young Master bully you? Father believes your words, but it's not right to be so unruly all day long. Young Master spoils you, and even hired a Western teacher to teach you how to read, which slave or maid has such good fortune? You have the body of a servant girl and the fate of a young lady, yet you're still not satisfied?"

  "It was him, he bullied me."

  Xiao Di choked back her words and recounted the events, Xiao Guan Shi listened with a thoughtful expression in his eyes. He stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and sighed softly: "Daughter, don't feel too wronged either. Regardless of Zhang Shisan's intentions, what he said is not entirely incorrect. After all, you are just a maid, the young master has his own difficulties, it's not easy for him either. Now that you're grown up, you should understand and not always cause trouble for the young master..."

  "What? Dad, you're also speaking up for him?"

  She wiped away her tears and stood up hastily: "I won't tell Father, I'll go find Mother, Mother loves me the most..."

  "Halt!"

  Xiao Guanshi pressed his daughter back into her chair, rolled his eyes, and suddenly put on a smiling face. He sat down beside his daughter, took her hand, and smiled: "Little Qi, you also know that our young master is more capable than the old master. These years, our family's life has been getting better and better, and we have become one of the most famous rich families in Qingzhou City. Last year, the young master passed the imperial examination, who knows, maybe in the future he can take the imperial examination again, become a high-ranking official...

  "Think about it, what will our Yang family be like in the future? At that time, with so many servants and a large mansion, can we do without rules? Even if Zhang Shisan doesn't bother you, can you still be as carefree as you are now? You can't rely on being favored. I think that once Master gets married, when Mistress enters the house, there will be someone in charge here, and you won't be able to be so unbridled anymore. Even if Master dotes on you, he'll have to prioritize Mistress over you."

  Xiao Di blinked her eyes and fell silent.

  Xiao Guan's expression turned serious as he said, "Xiao Qi, it's not like when you were a child anymore. Young Master's status is getting higher and higher, and the rules are naturally becoming stricter. In the future, when there's a mistress and children, can you still be like this? At that time, what will be the difference between you and Cui Yun and the others? If you want Young Master to care for you and cherish you, you must work hard to become the kind of woman he wants, just like your father and mother told you..."

  "Father, you're back again. The young master has always treated me like a little sister, and I've always thought of him as my own brother. How could I be his woman?"

  She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly shivered: "Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable, the hairs on my body are standing up."

  Xiao Guan said disapprovingly, "What's the big deal about brothers and sisters? Look at those poor families, they betroth their daughters to others as child brides from a young age. There are even women who are ten or more years older than their husbands. Before the couple can consummate their marriage, the young husband with runny nose treats his wife like an elder sister or even his own mother. In the end, they still become husband and wife."

  Xiao Guan Shi twisted his mustache and smiled: "Now the young master considers you as a younger sister, when you and the young master get along well in the future and have children, can he still consider you as a younger sister?"

  Xiao Qi hurriedly patted the goosebumps on her body, looking embarrassed and annoyed, saying: "Dad, what are you talking about? You still want to have children with Young Master! It sounds so strange. Dad, don't say that anymore, I'm getting colder."

  Xiao Guan scolded angrily: "You stinky girl, it's all because the young master has spoiled you rotten! You're not young anymore, it's time to talk about marriage. Tomorrow I'll let your mother come and discuss the engagement with you. If you marry far away, your father won't be at ease. How about our family's big cow? Or else, how about Er Lengzi?"

  Xiao Qi shook her head like a rattle drum: "No no no, what kind of people is Dad looking for? They don't like them."

  Xiao Guanshi glared and said: "You're neither high nor low, who do you want to find? If it weren't for the young master not treating you as a servant, and putting you outside, with our family's status, what kind of good family would you still want to marry into? You look down on marrying someone else, but as for the young master, you don't like him either..."

  "Who says I don't like Young Master? But it's not that kind of liking."

  Xiao Guan's affairs touched his head, bewildered and said: "What kind of like, what kind of like?"

  Xiao Qi said vaguely: "I can't quite put it into words, but...but it's just not that kind of like."

  She glanced at her father, her big eyes narrowing slightly: "Dad, why do you have to make me marry the young master? Is it because... the young master has money and power, so old dad you... humph!"

  "Get out! What kind of person your father is, you still don't know?"

  He sighed and said, "Dad is already so old, just you one daughter, even if it's worth a mountain of gold, who would I give it to? Dad still thinks for your sake. Actually, Dad and your mother didn't have this idea originally, let alone the young master having been engaged since childhood in the old family in Ying Tian Fu, even if not, how many big households in Qingzhou City want to be related to our Yang family? Can you compare with the thousand gold misses of other families? The young master wants to get married, it's impossible for him to marry you.

  Since the young master obtained his honors last autumn and became eligible to take a concubine, Father has been thinking about this matter. He thinks that with our family background, it's not easy to find a husband who is to your liking. The young master's character and talent are beyond reproach, especially since you two have been inseparable since childhood, like honey and oil mixed together. If you really follow the young master, can he bear to hurt you or make you suffer?

  He patted his daughter's head and said kindly, "That Zhang thirteen is indeed arrogant with the young master's favor. But Dad doesn't believe that in the young master's eyes, Zhang thirteen has more weight than you, Dad wants to stand up for you, it's easy. But Dad can't do that, because no matter what Zhang thirteen says, she always makes sense, even if the young master doesn't care, and allows you to behave however you want at home, but the young master is already twenty years old, he will get married in two years, can Yang's family still tolerate your behavior when they have a mistress? Start learning some rules now, and there will be fewer disputes in the future.

  "Dad really wants to find a lifelong partner for his daughter, oh! Actually, you and the young master have been together since childhood, just like siblings. Dad can see it clearly. You think of the young master as your brother, and he thinks of you as his sister. After dad had this thought, he only held onto a glimmer of hope and spoke well of you in front of the young master. He was thinking that maybe one day the young master would come to realize his feelings for you and truly fall in love with you? If that day comes, it will be your good fortune. You should take some time to think about dad's words carefully. If you really don't have those feelings, dad won't force you either, just let things happen naturally..."

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  Feng Xihui's residence was relatively remote, with no other households nearby. His residence was rented, and the courtyard was not large, a three-room tile-roofed house, with a central hall and two inner rooms on either side, and a small yard in front. Even during the Song Dynasty when officials' salaries were the highest, most officials still had to buy or rent their own houses while in office. Feng Xihui's public identity was just that of a minor official in the prefectural government, so his residence couldn't be too luxurious. His true identity was not something that could be seen by others, and living in a remote area was safer for him.

  The night was deep, a figure lightly jumped over the wall of Feng Xizhu's house and gently knocked on the window of the bedroom on the right. A moment later, the light came on, a sturdy figure picked up an oil lamp and slowly walked towards the main room. The door bolt was lifted, the door opened, and the figure outside flashed in. The person holding the lamp looked out into the moonlit courtyard for a moment before closing the door again.

  In an instant, the light in the bedroom lit up again, and two people sat down at the table opposite each other. The person sitting across from Feng Xihui was none other than Zhang Thirteen. Feng Xihui poured a cup of cool tea for Zhang Thirteen, pushed it forward gently, and slightly furrowed his brow: "Why come over at this time? There's still no news about that mysterious assassin; ensuring his safety is the top priority."

  Zhang Shisan said, "The outer house has arranged for guards, and Xia Xun is not living in Yang Wenyuan's usual bedroom. With the assassin's skills, he won't make a careless move. Besides, 'Yang Wenyuan' probably doesn't know about today's return to the mansion yet. If he's been following us all along, knowing our every move, he should have made his move at the time of the ambush at the stone shed."

  "Feng Xihui said in a deep voice: 'Be careful and there will be no big mistakes. From tomorrow on, you must always stay by his side.'"

  Zhang Thirteen smiled and said: "Don't worry, General Flag. Even if you didn't order me to, I would still keep a closer eye on him. This little guy is not easy to deal with."

  Feng Xihui's expression changed as he said, "What's wrong? Has something gone awry? Have you been found out?"

  Zhang Shisan said: "That's not the case, only Xiao Guanshi had a slightly unusual expression when he first saw him, but nothing else was noticeable, and no one else had any issues."

  Feng Xihui smiled and said: "That's good, he can deceive the people under Yang Fu, and it will be even easier to cheat others."

  Zhang Shisan said coldly, "The confidence of deceiving others is great, but this kid's temper has also grown. Since returning to Qingzhou and entering the Yang Mansion, this kid has been somewhat arrogant. If not for considering the overall situation, I really wanted to let him experience my methods of interrogating prisoners tonight!"

  Feng Xihui furrowed his brow and said: "What did you say?"

  "Tonight, I deliberately found fault with the daughter of Xiao Guan Shi, giving him an opportunity to take action, but he refused to do so." Zhang Thirteen recounted the events that took place at Yang Fu tonight from start to finish. Feng Xihui listened and chuckled: "A lowly commoner, once favored by spring breeze, arrived in this magnificent city, entered a wealthy household, and forgot his humble origins - it's only human nature to be arrogant and self-important. You don't need to mind him; the more he thinks he's the real Yang Xu, the more he'll act like one, which is harmless to our grand plan."

  "However... if he doesn't drive out the Xiao father and daughter, our matter won't be easy to handle. The Yang family's accounts have always been in the hands of Xiao Guan Shi, and this Xiao fellow is extremely loyal to Yang Xu. With him around, it's impossible for us to transfer the Yang family's assets into our names. Even if Xia Zhen gives an order, such an unreasonable demand would not be listened to by Xiao, and he might even become suspicious, thinking that we're coercing his master."

  "What's the hurry? Calm down. First, let's take care of the adults' business. Are you afraid that kid can jump out of our palms?"

  Zhang Thirteen thought for a moment and smiled: "The adult is right, I was a bit impatient."

  "Feng Xihui said in a low voice: 'The Yang family's wealth will not grow legs and run away, Xia Jun is just a puppet in our hands. With that confession of his, he has to listen to us and do as we say. We can get the Yang family's property whenever we want. However, if we mess up the adult's business, having money won't be enough to save our lives, understand?'"

  Zhang Shidao sighed and said: "Of course I understand, but we've been stuck in Qingzhou for so long that I'm starting to forget what the capital looks like. And who knows when you'll make your move."

  Feng Xihui smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice: "Someone from Ying Tian Fu has arrived."

  Zhang Shisan was shocked: "Someone has arrived? Where is he? What instructions does he have for us?"

  Feng Xihui shook his head and said, "Not yet. He contacted me through our Jin Yiwei's communication method and only told me that he has arrived and asked me to wait for his instructions at any time. As for this person's surname and name, where he is, I currently know nothing."

  Zhang Thirteen was a trusted aide of Luo Qianshi, but when Luo sent someone over without getting in touch with him first, he already felt somewhat uneasy. Seeing that the person was being secretive and mysterious, he couldn't help but complain: "What's going on here? Is it that Lord Qianshi's people don't even trust us?"

  Feng Xihui said: "Can't say that, such a big thing, being cautious is necessary."

  He let out a deep sigh and said with emotion: "In the early days, I was in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with great power and prestige everywhere. What kind of prestige? Unfortunately, two seniors, Mao Xian and Jiang Yan, died one after another, and the Emperor also abolished my Embroidered Uniform Guard's right to arrest, interrogate, and sentence. From then on, my Embroidered Uniform Guard was in decline and would never have a chance to rise again. Fortunately... fortunately, there is still Lord Yezi."

  Here is the translation:

  At this point, Zhang Thirteen's face also showed an excited expression: "Yes, when our Imperial Guards were still under the eunuch agency, we sent out a large number of secret agents. Later on, more and more were added. These agents then recruited many more people. How many there are now, what kind of people they are, only the current commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guards and Luo Qianzhi know. Even His Majesty the Emperor doesn't know all the details."

  "Both Commander Jiang and Commander Mao met with untimely deaths, passing away one after the other. Many secrets were left unspoken, but fortunately, only Adjutant Zhang was left to grasp the list of secret agents. With Adjutant Zhang still in control of this secret force, there is a glimmer of hope for the revival of the Brocade Guard."

  "Feng Xihui said in a low voice: 'That's right, the Ma Xun Command was established because of the handling of Hu Weiyong's rebellion case, and the Jiang Zhen Command was established because of the handling of Lan Yu's rebellion case. The two glorious events of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are not unrelated to this. To put it bluntly, we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, are just a knife in the Emperor's hand. If the Emperor doesn't want to kill anyone, then our knife will never be unsheathed. If we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, want to rise again, then the Emperor must have the intention to kill again. Since the Grand Secretary has sent someone over, it means that they are about to take action soon. As long as we provide more evidence of Qi Wang's rebellion for them, and wait for the right moment, when the Grand Secretary mobilizes those spies and secret agents to create a big stir, then we will definitely be able to rise again.'"

  Zhang Thirteen's face turned red: "Although we have given Qi Wang many tricks, if this is used as a handle, it may not be enough to kill him. The emperor kills people without blinking an eye, but his doting on the princes has reached the point of overindulgence."

  Feng Xihui smiled slightly: "Don't worry, the official has a plan, and there must be another move. Besides, the official never expected the emperor to take drastic measures against Prince Qi, no matter how absurd Prince Qi's actions are, the emperor will not believe that Prince Qi would rebel, the official is actually betting on..."

  His body slightly leaned forward, staring at Zhang Thirteen's eyes, lightly spitting out three words: "Emperor...Crown...Prince...on the body!"

  Zhang Thirteen was taken aback at first, then reacted and couldn't help but take a cold breath, exclaiming: "Could it be... that the Emperor has already..."

  Feng Xihui raised his finger to his lips, and Zhang Thirteen immediately shut his mouth. Feng Xihui slightly lowered his eyelids and said faintly: "The emperor is advanced in years and has been ill frequently of late. The state and the people are of utmost importance, and some matters must be prepared for in advance..."