Chapter 41: The Thirteenth Prince Versus Wang Ziteng

After Qin Ye’s remains were carried away, Prince Zhongyi inspected the dilapidated little residence with keen interest.

His gaze swept over the mottled walls, the faded window lattices, the cracked cypress pillars, and the stone steps overgrown with moss. He even stepped into the main room for a brief look. Upon exiting, his eyes fell upon Jiang Nian, and he could not help but sigh inwardly: "My fourth brother is truly heartless toward this son. It is one thing to have left him unrecognized for over a decade, but now that he has finally allowed him into the capital, he has arranged only such a wretched dwelling for him."

This dilapidated little house had, in fact, been arranged by Emperor Taishun quite deliberately.

Prince Zhongyi withdrew his thoughts and turned to ask Ma Peicheng, "Where is Wang Ziteng now?"

Ma Peicheng looked embarrassed, his eyes darting toward Cheng Xu.

Prince Zhongyi’s gaze turned sharp as a blade, fixed directly on Cheng Xu: "Where?"

Feeling as if a blade were pressed against his throat, Cheng Xu stammered, "At... at the office of the Left Patrol Battalion."

Prince Zhongyi gave a cold snort, then said to Jiang Nian, "Young man, come with me to meet Wang Ziteng."

Jiang Nian naturally would not refuse. He bowed respectfully and said, "As you wish, Your Highness."

Prince Zhongyi immediately stepped toward the gate, with Jiang Nian following closely behind. Just as they stepped out of the gate, a piercing sound of wailing erupted from the neighboring Qin household.

Though Jiang Nian could not distinguish the voices, he knew that the cries of Qin Keqing must be among them. Having never met her, he naturally did not know what the weeping Qin Keqing looked like.

Moved by the sound of the wailing, Prince Zhongyi paused outside the gate, tilting his head to listen for a moment.

Before long, however, he regained his composure. He turned to Jiang Nian with a playful smile and said, "Ride in the carriage with me."

Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment, but did not decline. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Prince Zhongyi boarded the carriage first, followed by Jiang Nian.

Seeing this, Ma Peicheng and Cheng Xu were both astonished. It was already incredible that Jiang Nian had managed to invite the Thirteenth Prince over just by sending a steward. But now, the Prince was actually letting Jiang Nian ride in the same carriage as him!

What kind of connection did this Jiang Nian have with the Prince? Could they really be so close?

In truth, this was the very first time Prince Zhongyi had ever seen Jiang Nian; they had never met before.

Yet, Prince Zhongyi wanted to protect Jiang Nian. Firstly, Jiang Nian was Emperor Taishun’s son, and the Emperor had designated the Prince as the contact person for Jiang Nian’s arrival in the capital. Secondly, the Prince felt sympathy for Jiang Nian, finding him more pitiable than the Emperor’s other sons.

Prince Zhongyi’s birth mother was not of high status; she had entered the palace as a maid and given birth to him after catching the eye of Emperor Jingning, later bearing two daughters. She never attained a high title before her death, and it was only posthumously that Emperor Jingning elevated her to the rank of Consort.

When his mother died, the Prince was only thirteen and was raised by Emperor Taishun’s mother. Because of his humble origins and the early loss of his mother, he felt himself more wretched than his brothers and had suffered his share of bullying. Fortunately, his fourth brother had always cared for him; though they were not born of the same mother, their bond was profound. Now that his fourth brother was Emperor, he was sworn to serve him with his life.

He knew Wang Ziteng well, and for that reason, he despised him.

He believed the conflict between Jiang Nian and Wang Ziteng might be an excellent opportunity to suppress Wang Ziteng.

Currently, by having Jiang Nian ride with him, he intended to further inquire about the situation with the Xue family and Wang Ziteng, while also satisfying his curiosity about Jiang Xuelian and Jiang Nian. Furthermore, it was a deliberate display for Wang Ziteng’s benefit, letting him know that Jiang Nian was under the Prince's favor, so that he would not dare to seek easy revenge.

...

Prince Zhongyi and Jiang Nian arrived at the Left Patrol Battalion office, located outside Chaoyang Gate.

The twilight stained the bluestone road outside the office and shrouded the two ferocious stone guardian lions before the vermilion gates.

The carriage did not stop until it was inside the office grounds, the bronze ornaments and gilded shafts glimmering faintly in the dusk.

Prince Zhongyi deliberately stayed in the carriage, and just as deliberately, did not allow Jiang Nian to disembark.

He sat upright within the carriage, his fingertips tapping rhythmically against the sandalwood table.

Jiang Nian sat quietly at his side, eyes lowered, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps outside.

"Your humble servant Wang Ziteng, respectfully welcomes the Thirteenth Prince."

Wang Ziteng’s greeting rang out from outside the carriage.

Prince Zhongyi lifted the curtain, glanced at the half-kneeling Wang Ziteng, and said indifferently, "Rise."

Only then did he step out of the carriage with Jiang Nian, the hem of his python-patterned robe brushing against the carriage shaft.

When Wang Ziteng saw Jiang Nian riding with the Prince and stepping down alongside him, his back stiffened, and his pupils contracted. His gaze darted between the two, and he understood at once: Jiang Nian was truly close to the Thirteenth Prince!

A shadow crossed Wang Ziteng’s heart, but he was forced to suppress it. With a mask of respect, he invited the Prince into the building.

Inside, Prince Zhongyi took his seat.

His gaze, sharp as a blade, pierced Wang Ziteng: "Nian'ge has done a great favor for the Xue family. It is not unreasonable to ask for their daughter as a concubine in return. The Xue family even wrote a formal agreement for the concubinage. Yet, you threatened Nian'ge to abandon this notion, to surrender the document, and to gag his servants so the matter would not spread. When your threats failed, you actually mobilized troops to seize his entire household, causing the death of Qin Ye, a secretary of the Ministry of Works. Are you aware of your crime?"

Wang Ziteng remained dismissive. He glanced at Jiang Nian and said to the Prince, "In reply to Your Highness, it was he who coerced the Xue family into agreeing to this arrangement. I find that unjust."

Prince Zhongyi replied, "From what I know, there was no coercion."

Wang Ziteng insisted, "It was indeed coercion. The Xue family had no desire to agree to this, but because he insisted on taking my niece as a concubine, they were forced to comply."

Prince Zhongyi asked, "Did he threaten the Xue family with words? Or did he use force?"

According to what Aunt Xue had told Wang Ziteng, Jiang Nian had not used verbal threats, much less physical force. At most, Jiang Nian had simply emphasized that if the Xue family did not agree, they would be failing to repay a kindness.

Wang Ziteng paused, then said, "He insisted the Xue family give him my niece as a concubine and even declared that if they did not agree, they would be ungrateful. Is that not coercion?"

Prince Zhongyi sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm: "If that counts as coercion, then you, Wang Ziteng, have committed far more acts of coercion yourself."

Wang Ziteng was incensed, but dared not show it. He suppressed his rage and said, "Even if he did them a favor, to demand such a return—taking my niece as a concubine—is nothing short of arrogant."

Prince Zhongyi sneered again: "If that is arrogance, then you, Wang Ziteng, have been guilty of far greater arrogance yourself."

Wang Ziteng: "..."

Prince Zhongyi held back one final thought: If it had been Wang Ziteng who held such a great debt over a wealthy merchant family like the Xues, he might well have swallowed the entire family whole.