After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 61
The noise from downstairs continued, with many people in the corridor searching and tidying up. The cacophony of footsteps, commands, and chaotic searching echoed throughout the brothel.
“Master,” the man in black said anxiously, “There are so many people outside. The Emperor of Jing State is… It looks like we can’t resolve this today!”
“Don’t panic.” The young man in purple stood up, maintaining his calm composure despite the situation. “If the Emperor of Jing truly wanted to catch us, he would have done so by now.”
The man in black asked, “What does the master mean?”
“This commotion might be to stir up a reaction. However, given the Emperor of Jing’s ability to find me among thousands in the entire city, he doesn’t seem like someone who would make such a blunder. He’s creating this noise to make me find him—or rather,” a hint of interest and caution flashed in the young man’s eyes, “to let me know he’s looking for me…”
“But why…”
“Knock knock.”
There was a knock on the paper door.
The man in black glanced at the young man in purple, who gestured for him to hide under the bed and remain silent. After the man in black hid, the young man in purple adjusted his collar and walked with a smile towards the paper door.
He opened the paper door from the inside, revealing a soldier and the manager. The young man in purple feigned disinterest and asked sleepily, “What is it?”
“We’re here to return your accommodation fee,” the manager said, handing a bag of silver to the young man. “We overcharged you before; we sincerely apologize…”
The young man in purple:!
His expression darkened.
How did they know he was planning to leave this brothel and no longer stay here?
“Who sent you to return this silver?” he asked.
The manager exchanged glances with the soldier. Wiping sweat from his forehead, the manager replied, “The owner of this place.”
The owner of this place.
‘Under heaven, all land belongs to the emperor, and all the shores belong to the emperor. The owner of this place… is naturally the ruler of Jing State, the Emperor of Dajing.’
The young man in purple thought.
His narrow eyes locked onto the bag of silver. Behind the velvet patterns, he seemed to see a face hidden behind a beaded curtain—a face of someone who was plotting and scheming.
—He had anticipated that I would leave, so he specifically sent a bag of silver?
—He’s warning me that he already knew his plan?
—He already knew I was hiding in this brothel, deliberately making a big fuss to let me know he had arrived. And he calculated that my next move would be to leave, showing both favor and threat by sending this bag of silver…
The young man in purple remained impassive, though his heart was stormy. His fingers slightly tightened.
This rumored tyrant… is even more clever than he imagined!
“…Does he,” the young man in purple finally asked, “have any other messages for me?”
The manager thought for a moment and said, “He said that if you like it here, you can stay a bit longer. Just be careful not to damage anything. If you do, you’ll have to compensate for the damage.”
The young man in purple:…
Here it comes! The rumored eye-for-an-eye!
The young man in purple was suddenly startled.
The Emperor’s implication is that if Daliang dares to encroach upon Dajing’s borders, Dajing will retaliate tenfold?
Apart from that, it’s hard to determine if the Emperor already knows about his uncle’s collusion with local sorcerers to spread the plague in Xizhou… Reflecting on the recent sudden death of the sorcerer and the glimpse of a dark cloak with red clouds that a maid saw in the sorcerer’s residence before his death…
The young man in purple was suddenly drenched in cold sweat.
The Emperor’s words… are deeply significant!
How much does he know? Is there anything in this world he doesn’t understand?!
“…Please tell your master,” the young man in purple said, gripping the wall tightly, “that as a foreigner in his territory, I will naturally abide by the rules of Jing State.”
The manager:…
This guest suddenly seems so polite!
“Good, good,” the manager said with a beaming smile, “Thank you for your understanding.”
The young man in purple nodded.
“By the way,” before leaving, the manager added, “The master also mentioned that if you like it here, you can stay as long as you want. Staying for three to five years is fine. Oh, if you want to stay even longer, that’s fine too.”
The Emperor: It’s rare to encounter such a big spender who has booked a private room for over a month. Of course, I’ll make the most of it.
The young man in purple:…
What does the Emperor of Jing mean by this? Is he trying to persuade or subdue him, or…
Is he warning him that if he stays in Jing State for a long time, he might be detained or confined, or even used as a hostage against Daliang?
Or is he threatening him with death? After all, if he dies in Jing State, it would still count as “staying long-term.”
The young man in purple said, “Tell your master that I will be mindful of my actions.”
The manager: “Alright.”
The manager left the fourth floor, and after the door was closed, the young man in purple leaned against the paper door, slowly sitting down on the floor, drenched in cold sweat.
The man in black crawled out from under the bed, looking at the disheveled prince: “Master…”
“Nothing,” the young man in purple said coldly.
After a moment, he added, “Get some paper and ink for me. I need to write a letter to my uncle, asking him to stop meddling in the plague affairs in Xizhou.”
The man in black nodded, his loyalty ensuring he would not question his master’s decisions.
The young man in purple remained seated on the floor, gazing at the sky, and sighed slowly.
“The Jing State, the City That Never Sleeps…” he said slowly, “truly is a treacherous dragon’s den.”
The Emperor was unaware that, by coincidence, he had uncovered a major conspiracy against Xizhou.
Zhou Xun was also unaware.
He sat in a chair thinking about his next steps, which included many tasks.
One was to learn from the elder named Shen Xiaoliu… no, Shen Haiju. Shen Haiju said they would meet every three days for lessons, and if he had time, he could also assist at the bookstore in Youqiang Alley daily.
The second was the spring exam next year. Since he had made up his mind, he couldn’t delay. Compared to the spring exam, other matters were less important.
The third involved the Zhou family. One breakthrough was the injured Zhou Xiaodi, and the other was the woman he had just seen…
The brothel woman.
Thinking of her face made Zhou Xun feel a surge of acid rise in his stomach.
The Emperor was still making his rounds in the brothel while Zhou Xun wandered around the back courtyard. The brothel named Zhaoying Pavilion indeed covered a vast area, almost like a small official residence. Besides the elaborate building facing the flower street, there was also a garden with small houses at the back, which might be for guests or the girls to live in.
He wandered in the garden for a long time and, as he passed by a certain building, Zhou Xun glanced at it.
This particular building was surrounded by many flowers, not for viewing, but rather to…
“Eh, Zhou Di,” someone came out from that building, his face pale, and after seeing Zhou Xun, he was momentarily stunned. He patted Zhou Xun on the shoulder and said, “What are you doing here too?”
Zhou Xun: …
The visitor was Xie Zhengqing.
Noticing that Zhou Xun was staring at the building he had just come out of, Xie Zhengqing awkwardly cleared his throat and explained, “This place is where one goes through the cycle of the Five Grains. Last night, I had a stomach upset, so…”
Zhou Xun: …
He recalled seeing Xie Zhengqing in the palace’s imperial garden last time. At that time, Xie Zhengqing was also having stomach issues, and after getting lost in the garden’s restroom, he had trouble finding his way.
Why does it seem that every time Zhou Xun sees Xie Zhengqing, he has just emerged from the cycle of the Five Grains?
Xie Zhengqing was completely unaware that he had become known as the “Reincarnation Brother” in Zhou Xun’s mind. He looked at Zhou Xun, feeling guilty about his past misunderstandings, and said, “It’s been a long time since we last met. How have you been lately?”
Zhou Xun replied, “Not bad.”
Xie Zhengqing continued, “I should have visited you first, but I’ve been quite busy lately. The Emperor has put forward many new insights on military matters, including formations, tactics, and new weapons. I’ve been so swamped that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you…”
Zhou Xun said, “I understand.”
Xie Zhengqing talked at length but felt Zhou Xun’s demeanor was unexpectedly cold, as if he could barely be bothered to exchange a few words. Zhou Xun’s usual friendly and polite nature seemed missing today, making Xie Zhengqing wonder if he had offended him somehow.
He pondered this while trying to ease the situation. He wanted to mediate between Zhou Xun and Zhou Cai and discuss Zhou Xun’s younger brother, but as these were private matters, he found it difficult to broach the topic directly. Instead, he tried to introduce the subject indirectly.
Until…
“Master Xie.”
Xie Zhengqing heard Zhou Xun call his name, and Zhou Xun’s voice sounded a bit peculiar.
Xie Zhengqing quickly asked, “Is there something you need, Young Master Zhou?”
Zhou Xun smiled warmly, though his voice was—
“Let’s change the place where we talk,” he said, looking at the cycle of the Five Grains behind them. “Perhaps you… are accustomed to this place?”
Xie Zhengqing: …
Zhou Xun: ^_^
Walking through the garden, Zhou Xun felt his suffocation ease considerably. Halfway through their walk, Xie Zhengqing finally got to the point: “Actually, I’ve always been a friend of your brother Zhou Cai…”
Zhou Xun: …
When Xie Zhengqing spoke, it was almost as if he wanted to be beaten up.
“I had heard many rumors about you, but after meeting you a few days ago, I found that the rumors were not entirely true,” Xie Zhengqing said sincerely. “Perhaps there’s a misunderstanding between you and Zhou Cai, which is why people think of you this way…”
Zhou Xun: …
“You’re not the first to speak to me like this,” Zhou Xun said coldly. He knew Xie Zhengqing didn’t seem like a bad person, but the more sincere he was, the more irritating his words became. “Yes, many people think that I misunderstand my brother Zhou Cai…”
Xie Zhengqing said, “Oh, I didn’t say you misunderstood him. I think it’s Zhou Cai who misunderstood you and judged you wrongly.”
Zhou Xun: …
Xie Zhengqing continued, “Rumors are often false. With three people, you get a tiger; with many voices, you get forged gold. Misunderstanding someone is easy with just a few words.”
Zhou Xun suddenly smiled and said, “But in others’ eyes, is there a bond closer than that of siblings? As my brother Zhou Cai is my family, living together day and night, whatever ‘misunderstanding’ he expresses is bound to be the truth.”
Xie Zhengqing said, “However, even though the Zhou family might not be significant in the capital, they are a prominent family in Jiangzhou.”
Zhou Xun: …
Xie Zhengqing continued, “You must have several servants and maids serving you, living in different courtyards. Since you live separately and are not siblings sleeping in the same bed, misunderstandings are quite normal.”
Zhou Xun: …
Seeing Zhou Xun’s “…” expression, Xie Zhengqing was puzzled and asked, “Uh, did I say something wrong? Your family… isn’t that well-off?”
Zhou Xun: …
Zhou Xun couldn’t help but remember a certain straightforward character named Lu Xiandao, who was irritating in his own way. Yet Xie Zhengqing, despite his sincerity, was just as annoying.
He began to understand Xie Zhengqing’s perspective. This young general, the legitimate son of the Xie family, had grown up surrounded by flowers and applause. His greatest challenges were the sandstorms on the battlefield and the enemies facing him directly. During the imperial examinations, he would not encounter favoritism or have his results replaced by others. On the battlefield, no one would dare to skimp on his army’s provisions. To him, misunderstandings and rumors could be resolved through genuine reconciliation, much like dealing with enemies on the battlefield.
Sometimes, those from privileged backgrounds are kinder and less suspicious of malice because they believe that the world’s goodwill is always at their disposal.
Thus, Xie Zhengqing thought the misunderstanding between Zhou Xun and Zhou Cai could be resolved openly and honestly. Just as he could shoot an enemy with an arrow or sever a head with a sword, he found it hard to understand that personal misunderstandings could be as bloody and complex as battles without clear-cut resolutions.
But Zhou Xun found it difficult to be harsh or outright reject those who meant well. He said, “Master Xie, there’s no need to continue. The matter between me and Zhou Cai is not as you understand it to be.”
Xie Zhengqing was taken aback, bit his lip, and fell silent.
“By the way,” he suddenly added, “Zhou Cai came to see me before and mentioned that… your younger brother had an incident. Are you aware of it?”
Zhou Xun replied, “I’ve been in the palace for a long time. I heard he injured an innocent merchant and is now imprisoned.”
Xie Zhengqing nodded, “The merchant surnamed Lu has been unlucky but also fortunate. He woke up a few days ago but still has some mobility issues. It’s truly a shame. Did you know? His father passed away, and he settled his mother in the capital. He originally planned to risk going to sea for a better future. Unfortunately, he encountered a storm on the way, and everyone thought he was dead…”
“…Who would have thought he ended up on a deserted island? He ate some fruits and discovered hidden treasures and maps on the island. Later, a pirate ship passed by, and he managed to board it and return to Jing State…” Xie Zhengqing sighed, “He made a fortune and planned to bring his mother back. Who would have thought this would happen?”
**Author’s Note:** Xie Zhengqing: I’m back from the end of reincarnation, kufufu
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
