Chapter 53

Xie Tingzhou ignored him and pressed the black piece on the chessboard. Li Jifeng lowered his head and looked for a long time. “You really won’t leave me any breathing room, huh?”

He waved his hand, and the eunuch standing beside him skillfully pulled out a silver note from his sleeve and respectfully placed it on the couch.

There was already a small stack of silver notes there, all with a face value of a thousand taels.

Xie Tingzhou didn’t even look, he weighed the chess piece in his hand and asked, “Still playing?”

Li Jifeng looked at the eunuch, who spread out his hands with a mournful face, indicating that there was no more money.

“Not playing anymore,” Li Jifeng stroked the piece, “You’re really stingy. What kind of friendship is this between us? We once clapped hands for the same person breaking his leg, and you still want money from me for playing chess!”

Xie Tingzhou tossed the pieces into the basket, “Even if others invite me with silver, I won’t play.”

The maid quickly took away the chessboard and rearranged the refreshments.

Li Jifeng glanced at a few maids and asked, “What about those beauties I sent you last year? Why didn’t you bring them over?”

“Gave them away,” Xie Tingzhou said indifferently.

“Gave them away?!” Li Jifeng raised his voice, “Even the most beautiful one?”

“Gave her away.”

Li Jifeng covered his chest, feeling distressed, “Xie Yun! I didn’t even have the heart to use that girl myself. I kept her specifically to send to you, and you just gave her away?! If you don’t want her, give her back to me.”

Xie Tingzhou picked up the teacup and skimmed off the foam, “I thought you didn’t want her, so I kept her.”

Li Jifeng felt a pang of heartache at the thought, just like secretly keeping a snack one didn’t even want to eat oneself, only to have it thrown away by someone else.

“What about Cang?”

“In the next courtyard.”

“Let it out,” Li Jifeng rolled up his sleeves as if he were about to do something big, saying, “Let it out to bite me if you want. I poured out all my sincerity like water, and you…”

“Xifeng,” Xie Tingzhou interrupted him.

“Don’t don’t don’t,” Li Jifeng quickly smiled and held Xie Tingzhou’s arm, “I’m just kidding. Don’t let it out, don’t let it out. Every time it sees me, it looks like it wants to eat me.”

He casually picked up a piece of snack and put it in his mouth. His gaze swept over and found Xie Tingzhou staring at the snack in his hand.

That gaze was a bit strange, as if troubled.

Li Jifeng glanced at it himself, chewing the snack, “You’re not that stingy, are you? It’s just a piece of pineapple pastry.”

Xie Tingzhou’s gaze didn’t shift, making Li Jifeng feel uneasy for a moment. He nervously returned the remaining half of the pineapple pastry back to the plate.

“Here, take it back.”

Xie Tingzhou didn’t say anything, just stared at the snacks on the table.

How could he remember Shi Yu?

He remembered playing chess with him on the way back to the capital. At first, he played by the rules, but later, bored on the way back from the escort bureau to the capital, he bought a set of chess.

Shi Yu arranged it quite well, with hot tea and snacks. He remembered one of them, Shi Yu particularly liked it, the pineapple pastry.

Often, before a game was finished, a stack of pineapple pastries would be gone.

Xie Tingzhou suddenly felt irritable. He raised his finger and pressed hard on his brow.

Li Jifeng felt that this time he saw Xie Tingzhou was somewhat unusual.

Thinking about it, it hadn’t been long since the two parted ways, just the year before last. They occasionally exchanged letters, but Li Jifeng had never seen Xie Tingzhou so deeply troubled.

Li Jifeng couldn’t think of anything that could bother Xie Tingzhou so much. He looked like his sixth brother when he found out the girl he had just married actually liked his seventh brother. At that time, his sixth brother had a similar expression.

“Could it be that…” Li Jifeng circled around him, “Could it be that the girl you like actually likes someone else?”

Xie Tingzhou gave him a glance as if he were an idiot, “Are you full? If you’re full, then go away.”

Li Jifeng just had a few sips of hot tea, didn’t even finish a piece of pineapple pastry, where did he get full?

But he felt if he didn’t leave soon, that guy Xie Yun might actually let Cang out to bite him.

Li Jifeng left indignantly.

Chang Liu immediately stepped forward to lead the way, comforting, “Ninth Prince, don’t be angry. The Crown Prince has just been troubled by something these days. It’ll be fine in a few days.”

Li Jifeng became alert, “What’s troubling him?”

Chang Liu said, “It’s nothing major, just that they imprisoned one of the guards.”

“Is Xie Yun sick? Why would he be troubled by imprisoning a guard? Did the guard attack him?” Li Jifeng asked curiously.

Chang Liu thought to himself, It’s more than just an attack; it’s an attack on his core.

Then he laughed, “I’m not sure either. Ninth Prince, this way, please.”

Li Jifeng paused suddenly, “Take me to see him. I want to see who this mysterious person is.”

“That’s not possible,” Chang Liu immediately refused.

Li Jifeng hooked his arm around Chang Liu’s neck, “What are you afraid of? I’ll just take a look. What if I see him and come up with a way to persuade him?”

Chang Liu thought it might be possible. After all, it’s just a look, and Xie Tingzhou hadn’t expressly forbidden anyone from seeing him.

The dungeon was dim, torches lined the walls.

When Li Jifeng arrived, Shen Yu was sleeping.

She lay on her side on the straw mat, the thin blanket couldn’t block the chill in the dungeon, and she curled up into a ball.

Li Jifeng gripped the railing and looked inside. Under the dark blanket was a fair little face, looking pitifully delicate.

“Is… is he a boy?” Li Jifeng asked.

Chang Liu said matter-of-factly, “Can guards be girls?”

Li Jifeng thought for a moment, stared at Shen Yu for a while, then shook his head, “It’s over, Xie Tingzhou is finished.”

“What do you mean, Ninth Prince?” Chang Liu asked puzzledly.

Li Jifeng strode out, “A boy with a feminine appearance, spending time together, familiarity breeds affection… Ah, Chang Liu!”

Li Jifeng turned back, “Have you noticed my eloquence has improved? Just now, I even used four idioms in a row.”

Chang Liu was speechless.

How did Xie Tingzhou make friends with someone like this?

With a mercenary force of one hundred thousand at the northern frontier, it was a taboo for princes to associate with the Crown Prince of the northern frontier. But Li Jifeng was different.

He, Li Jifeng, was the ninth son of Emperor Tongxu, notorious for being idle and incompetent. Even if he befriended Xie Tingzhou, no one would intervene because everyone believed he was worthless.

Fortunately, he was born into the imperial family, so he didn’t have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of his life.

Chang Liu chuckled awkwardly, “Indeed, Ninth Prince, your eloquence is remarkable.”

“I think so too,” Li Jifeng said cheerfully, “Where did I leave off just now?”

Chang Liu continued the conversation, “Familiarity breeds affection.”

Li Jifeng exclaimed, “Exactly! Familiarity breeds affection. Xie Tingzhou is doomed.”

“Ninth Prince, you’re going the wrong way.” Seeing Li Jifeng excitedly walking in the wrong direction, Chang Liu reminded him.

“I need to verify something first,” Li Jifeng said with his head held high as he strode towards Xie Tingzhou’s courtyard, “My closest friend is facing a major life challenge. How can I abandon him at this moment?”