Chapter 95: Drinking Tea

Since the father and son had their long talk, Prince Jing often took his son with him when he went out, and whenever the right opportunity arose, he would impart some life lessons and social skills.

A few days later, one afternoon, as the royal carriage passed by a teahouse, Prince Jing, through the crack in the lifted curtain, saw one of the most talked-about figures in the capital—Master Xiao.

This handsome young man, still as charming as ever, was holding something in one hand, probably because he was tired, and was stepping into the teahouse.

Prince Jing ordered the coachman to stop, and, followed by his son, entered the teahouse. After inquiring about the private room where Xiao Jingyan was, they had someone knock on the door.

Upon learning that it was Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan had no choice but to open the door, whether willing or not. No one dared to reject the prince and his son.

Xiao Jingyan, who had hoped for a quiet cup of tea, had to graciously welcome two honored guests whom everyone else would have begged to meet.

“Master Xiao, such refinement!”

“Master Xiao greets Prince Jing, and the young prince.”

“There’s no need for such formality between us, as long as you don’t mind being disturbed by us.”

“How could that be!” Even if he did mind, he couldn’t say it out loud. Who would be foolish enough to say something like that when they valued their own neck?

“Master Xiao, did you go shopping?” Prince Jing glanced at the items on the table in front of Xiao Jingyan—brushes, ink, and rice paper, along with what seemed to be some food.

Shopping? What’s so strange about that? Can’t a man buy things? Never mind, people like them probably never even spent money themselves, so they wouldn’t understand the joy of it! Xiao Jingyan muttered inwardly.

“I bought these for my two little nieces.”

“Did they save you like a beautiful heroine?” Prince Jing teased.

Xiao Jingyan glared at Prince Jing. He truly had a knack for picking the wrong subject, but he was also rather innocent.

“What’s it like to be saved by your own niece?”

“Very happy, very touched, proud to have such a niece.” How about that? Are you jealous? Our Xiao family always stands united, unlike you all who only engage in schemes and deceit, making it hard to feel genuine emotions.

“I remember you have a niece who is… six years old, right?” Prince Jing tried to recall when Xiao Jingyan’s brother, Xiao Jingkang, first visited the royal residence. He couldn’t remember many details, but vaguely recalled the girl being about the same age as his daughter.

“How do you know that?”

“If I told you I had supernatural powers, would you believe me?” Prince Jing joked.

Xiao Jingyan didn’t respond, elegantly sipping his tea.

“I never expected to see you on the street. I thought you would be keeping a low profile, perhaps staying home and reflecting on yourself.”

“Why should I? I haven’t done anything wrong. If she wants to go mad, what does it have to do with me?”

“You haven’t heard the rumors, have you?” Recently, Prince Jing had been traveling frequently, so he had become quite familiar with the gossip about Xiao Jingyan and Yu Xianrong.

There were rumors that Miss Yu was about to marry someone in the borderlands; others claimed she had committed suicide; some said the Yu family had abandoned her, and there were even rumors that Xiao Jingyan had run away with Miss Yu…

There were all kinds of versions, and no one could think of a version that hadn’t been spread.

“Why should I listen to those absurd rumors? Ping’an once said, walk your own path and let others talk. Let’s see who gets tired first.” After saying this, Xiao Jingyan couldn’t help but laugh. Though the words sounded crude, they made a lot of sense.

“Who is Ping’an?”

“She’s the six-year-old girl I mentioned.”

“Her words are interesting. I like them too. How about you bring your niece to the palace as a guest someday?” A child who could say such profound things must be extraordinary. His wife had also mentioned seeing Xiao Jingyan’s granddaughter at a banquet at the Yuan family’s house and had praised her a lot.

Yun Yichen subtly furrowed his brow. First, his mother was charmed by that little girl and kept speaking highly of her. Now, his father was showing a strong interest in her. Why was no one on his side? Who were they even close to?

“When the right opportunity comes, I’ll definitely visit,” Xiao Jingyan said with a slight smile. As for when the right time was, that was another matter.

Hearing the implied meaning in Xiao Jingyan’s words, Prince Jing didn’t press the issue further. He had long known that the Xiao family was different from others and had no interest in flattering the royal family. So, hearing this answer, Prince Jing felt it was perfectly reasonable.

Because of this reply, Yun Yichen held Xiao Jingyan in higher regard. This man was smart and knew how to play the game. Unlike others, who would grab any opportunity from the prince, Xiao Jingyan had politely declined. It seemed that the Xiao family still had some people worth paying attention to.

“I heard Prince Jing is about to travel far. I, Xiao, offer this tea instead of wine, wishing you victory and success,” Xiao Jingyan raised his cup.

“Master Xiao, this is too perfunctory! If this were wine, I’d feel there’s some sincerity in it.”

“Alright! Then I’ll treat you to wine another day,” Xiao Jingyan replied.

“Master Xiao, instead of being a conversation piece for others, have you considered changing your environment?” Prince Jing asked.

“Change where?” Xiao Jingyan thought for a moment. He had promised his mother he wouldn’t leave the capital again, and without a compelling reason, it wouldn’t be easy to leave.

“Well, if you’re going to the northwest, would you be in need of someone who can write and draw?” Prince Jing’s suggestion came just at the right moment, as if it were a coincidence.

“You want to go to the northwest with me?” Prince Jing asked in surprise.

“I would love the chance to serve Prince Jing,” Xiao Jingyan responded earnestly.

“And if, just hypothetically, we run into danger or unforeseen circumstances…”

“I won’t have any complaints,” Xiao Jingyan replied. Traveling with the younger brother of the emperor would be dangerous? Who would believe that!

“Isn’t the cost a bit too much just to avoid Miss Yu?”

“You don’t understand my predicament! The biggest headache isn’t Miss Yu, but my mother’s incessant nagging. It’s strange. When I was younger, I had no interest in marriage, but now that I’m older, I feel indifferent, yet I can’t find the right person.”

It was rare for Xiao Jingyan to share his feelings with Prince Jing. At home, though he had a close confidant, there were things he couldn’t discuss with a child. Today, however, he finally had the chance to vent.

“If someone else can’t find a wife, I’d believe it. But if you, Master Xiao, can’t find a wife, I refuse to believe it. If it’s like you said, there are only two reasons: either your standards are too high, or fate hasn’t come yet, and you need to wait patiently.”

“Thank you for your good words. I’ll continue waiting,” Xiao Jingyan answered with a radiant smile.

“You!” Prince Jing shook his head and chuckled. There wasn’t a trace of sorrow on his face. The real reason he wasn’t married probably was that he wasn’t done playing around yet!

“Son, you must forget about what your father said to Master Xiao today. We can learn from the good things, but we must never learn the bad ones. Do you understand?” Your father and mother are still waiting for grandchildren! You can’t delay marriage until you’re over twenty. If that happens, your mother and I will be gray-haired with worry.

“Okay,” Yun Yichen nodded, vaguely understanding his father’s meaning. It seemed that he was supposed to avoid learning from Master Xiao, but he didn’t quite get what exactly he should avoid.

“It’s getting late. I should take my leave to avoid spoiling the young prince. I’ll be waiting for good news from Prince Jing,” Xiao Jingyan said, already preparing to leave.

“Don’t forget, you still owe me a drink,” Prince Jing reminded.

“I’ll be accompanying Prince Jing on his journey to the northwest, and we’ll have several months to spend together. When the time comes, feel free to ask for as much wine as you want,” Xiao Jingyan’s voice carried a hint of pride as he walked away.

“Stingy,” Prince Jing suddenly regretted his earlier suggestion. He should have had the emperor issue an imperial decree to marry Xiao Jingyan to Miss Yu. Then, Xiao Jingyan would no longer be so smug.

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