Chapter 9
As they spoke, they arrived at the separate courtyard, guarded by two sword-bearing guards.
Xiao Yun looked around with disdain. “What kind of place is this? Why did you bring me here, Zhang Bo?”
Zhang Bo said respectfully, “Young Marquis, our favored consort lives here.”
“Lives… hahaha!” Xiao Yun suddenly burst into laughter. “It seems Ji-gege really dislikes him!”
With an air of triumphant boastfulness, he strode towards the courtyard. Two swords immediately blocked his path.
“Zhang Bo, tell them who I am,” Xiao Yun said, pouting.
“Young Marquis, I forgot to tell you, the favored consort’s residence is off-limits to outsiders,” Zhang Bo said calmly.
“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier! I walked all this way for nothing!” Xiao Yun frowned angrily.
If I’d told you earlier, what if you caused more trouble? Zhang Bo remained calm. “Young Marquis, perhaps I could first take you to a nearby courtyard to rest.”
“No, I’m not leaving. I can’t have walked this far for nothing.” Xiao Yun’s eyes rolled. He shouted loudly, “Song Beiyao, come out!”
Zhang Bo was shocked. “Young Marquis, you shouldn’t do this!”
“Why not? I must see this person today!” Xiao Yun continued shouting. “Song Beiyao, don’t hide! I know you’re inside!!!”
After shouting several times, his throat was sore. He coughed a few times. “Coward, scaredy-cat, good-for-nothing.”
Zhang Bo, unable to bear it any longer, was about to speak up for the favored consort when two servants carrying a soup pot approached.
Xiao Yun glanced at it and called out, “Hey, wait.”
The two servants stopped. Xiao Yun lifted the lid, his eyes widening. “Wow, boneless chicken soup! It’s clearly high-quality. Let me have a sip.”
Zhang Bo quickly stopped him, gesturing for them to leave quickly. “Young Marquis, this is specially prepared for the favored consort; it contains herbs and wouldn’t be suitable for you.”
“Tsk, living in such a wretched place and still able to drink such good soup?” Xiao Yun narrowed his eyes at Zhang Bo. “Attendant Zhang, tell me, did you secretly have someone provide him with tonics!”
Zhang Bo said solemnly, “Young Marquis, you mustn’t speak such nonsense. The favored consort’s meals are all personally checked by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“That’s impossible! Ji-gege wouldn’t agree to let him eat so well! I don’t believe it!!” Xiao Yun was so angry his face turned red again. He yelled hoarsely, “Song Beiyao, you must come out now, or I will, I will…”
Suddenly, the two servants who had delivered the soup ran out, kneeling before Zhang Bo. “Intendant Zhang, please go inside and have a look; the favored consort and his servant are gone!”
Hearing this, Zhang Bo’s expression changed drastically. He immediately entered the separate courtyard and found it completely empty.
The situation was sudden; Xiao Yun seized the opportunity to enter, looking inside from the doorway and gloating. “I told you Ji-gege dislikes him! This small and dilapidated house—even the servants in my Marquis of Nan’an’s manor live better than this!”
“Oh no!” Zhang Bo exclaimed in dismay upon hearing this. “Perhaps the favored consort escaped because the living conditions were too poor!”
“Escaped?” Xiao Yun’s eyes lit up, his mind working quickly. “Oh, so he committed a crime and was imprisoned here, which explains why there are so many guards. Heh, I’ll tell Ji-gege right now. They can’t have gone far; once they’re caught, they’ll be executed!”
After the previous commotion, several more guards were stationed at the study door, and Xiao Yun couldn’t get in. Zhang Bo arrived, and after the guards informed him, he was allowed inside.
“Your Highness.”
After Zhang Bo entered, Peng Yu left. Pei Ji propped his hand on his face, his eyes closed, with a hint of weariness between his brows. “What is it?”
“The favored consort… the favored consort is gone,” Zhang Bo hesitated before speaking, but the matter was serious and had to be reported.
Pei Ji didn’t react much, still keeping his eyes closed. “I understand.”
Zhang Bo was somewhat surprised. “Then, Your Highness plans to…?”
“I don’t plan anything. Let him go if he wants to; this King won’t pursue it,” Pei Ji opened his eyes, a cruel glint flashing in them. “Eloping with a servant is a capital offense. If he dares to return, this King will kill him.”
Zhang Bo: ！！！！
Zhang Bo was terrified and could only ask softly, “Your Highness, why would you say that? What if the favored consort just wanted to go out for a walk or buy something? How could he possibly… elope with his servant?”
Pei Ji sneered inwardly. Eloping or not was merely an excuse. As long as Song Beiyao dared to return to the Prince’s Manor, he would have a legitimate reason to kill him.
Last night, after drinking wedding wine with Song Beiyao, he had the same precognitive dream.
The face was identical, even the mole at the corner of his eye. He showed no mercy in killing him; he was so hateful, so detestable.
As he had done in the past, he would have killed this person at their first meeting. He only spared Song Beiyao’s life because he still had some use for him.
If Song Beiyao had been obedient and not done anything out of line, he might have considered letting him live.
But now, everything showed that his thoughts were superfluous.
Yesterday, he had spoken sweetly of forever together and being his person, yet today, he had escaped the manor.
Inconstant, unpredictable. This person shouldn’t have been spared.
Pei Ji opened a case file, his gaze fixed on the words, his expression growing colder.
—
After sunset, a carriage slowly stopped in an alley outside the Prince’s Manor.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Song Beiyao got out of the carriage, coughing incessantly, blood seeping from between his fingers.
Ling Feng quickly handed him a handkerchief, looking bewildered and frowning. “What kind of drug suppresses martial arts skills? It’s been several days, and the side effects are still so severe.”
Song Beiyao shook his head, comforting him. “I’m just too tired today; I’ll feel better after sleeping tonight. Let’s go, carry me into the manor.”
They scaled the west wall of the Prince’s Manor and quietly entered the separate courtyard. They both noticed something was wrong; the courtyard and house doors were sealed, and the surroundings were pitch black.
At that moment, several torches lit up, and more than a dozen guards in gray robes suddenly appeared, surrounding Song Beiyao and Ling Feng. Qu Lan, the green-robed top guard, was among them. “Favored Consort, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence.”
Song Beiyao patted Ling Feng’s shoulder. “Put me down.” He whispered in his ear, “Remember what I said on the way back.”
After getting down, he patted the object hidden in his bosom and said to Qu Lan, “Lead the way.”
The two were taken to a beautiful garden in the Prince’s Manor. Song Beiyao hadn’t even been here before. In the center of a large pond was a viewing platform with an exquisitely crafted pavilion, surrounded by lights and braziers. Under the warm moonlight, two people were playing Go at the stone table inside the pavilion.
“Ah! Wuu!! No, no, I need to replay that move!” The young man on the left was wearing a blue robe with an ermine-fur collar. His cheeks were flushed from the brazier, his face beautiful, his expression somewhat coquettish. “Ji-gege, let me win!” His whining could be heard from afar.
The man on the right was wearing a black embroidered robe with a silver kirin, and a large cloak. Even sitting down, his posture was upright and his figure slim. His brows were lowered, his gaze fixed on the Go board, his voice low. “No, I’ve let you win so many times. Otherwise, we won’t play.”
“Oh, fine. Hmph!”
Song Beiyao was brought there under guard. Standing on the viewing platform, several steps below the pavilion, he couldn’t feel the warmth of the brazier. The cold wind made him cough a few times.
Pei Ji heard the sound and looked up. Xiao Yun, who was opposite him, was speaking; seeing Pei Ji look away, he followed his gaze.
Xiao Yun saw several guards escorting two people to the pavilion. His gaze was quickly drawn to one of them.
The man looked young, perhaps a few years older than him, in a thin white robe without a cloak, his figure slender. His black hair was half-loose, blown by the wind.
After suppressing a cough, he lowered his hand and looked up at the pavilion. Xiao Yun felt his brain go blank.
He didn’t know how to describe that face; he only knew that the wall of confidence he had built over seventeen years of being admired for his looks had crumbled to dust.
The stunning beauty was shocking and speechless. He didn’t need to ask to know who he was.
“Song… Song…” He stuttered unconsciously. Song Beiyao glanced at him indifferently. Xiao Yun was struck dumb, then reacted, his face turning red. He stamped his foot and stood up, angrily shouting, “Song Beiyao, you dare return!”
Zhang Bo, standing beside him, looked at Song Beiyao worriedly, giving him several warning glances.
“Is Intendant Zhang’s eye twitching? Should we call a physician?” Pei Ji’s voice sounded neither cold nor warm, and Zhang Bo quickly lowered his head.
Song Beiyao received Zhang Bo’s message. So far, everything was going as expected.
Pei Ji played with a few black Go pieces, his dark, cold eyes fixed on the people below the pavilion; he didn’t speak.
Song Beiyao had to speak first. His voice was hoarse from the cold wind. “Your Highness is in high spirits today; admiring flowers, moon, and beauty.”
His words hinted at jealousy, easily understood by others.
“You!!” Xiao Yun, who had been near a fit of rage upon hearing the word “husband,” had his anger mostly extinguished upon hearing the word “beauty.”
He praised me as beautiful.
Xiao Yun curled his lips and raised his neck. “It…it’s none of your business.”
Song Beiyao smiled charmingly. “I’m my husband’s concubine; why wouldn’t it concern me?”
Xiao Yun, speechless, sat back down on the stone stool, complaining to Pei Ji, “Ji-gege, he’s bullying me!”
Pei Ji put the black Go pieces back in the box, stood up, his hands clasped in front of his chest. He looked down at Song Beiyao. “Fourth Prince, your preemptive strike is quite impressive. Perhaps you could also tell us what you’ve been doing today?”
Song Beiyao lowered his head slightly, his expression seemingly troubled.
“What? Is it so difficult to recall today’s events? Did you perhaps meet someone and report your mission progress?” Pei Ji’s voice turned cold.
The cold wind swept, and Song Beiyao laughed helplessly and sadly, his face growing paler. “I didn’t expect Your Highness to suspect that I was… cough, cough, cough…”
Xiao Yun suddenly didn’t understand their conversation. He whispered to Zhang Bo, “What are they talking about? What mission report? What are they suspecting him of?”
Zhang Bo didn’t fully understand; he only remembered that the favored consort was imprisoned in the dungeon upon his arrival and suffered greatly. He had also blocked a sword for the Prince, and his health deteriorated day by day, evoking pity.
He lowered his head. “This old servant doesn’t know.”
At this moment, Ling Feng suddenly spoke. “Your Highness, if my master truly intended to do what you suspect, why wouldn’t he have prepared an answer beforehand? Your Highness’s repeated suspicions will inevitably hurt my master.”
He then turned to Song Beiyao, his expression anxious. “Master, just tell His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Xiao Yun continued whispering to Zhang Bo, “Who’s that? He’s quite handsome.”
Zhang Bo glanced at him. “The favored consort’s personal servant, Ling Feng.”
“Tsk, just a servant,” Xiao Yun scoffed dismissively.
Song Beiyao looked at Ling Feng, his eyes full of dissuasion, then at Pei Ji, and slowly said, “Today is the end of the year, and the weather is better. I’ve been cooped up in the separate courtyard for a while, and I wanted to go to the streets of Li Du to see the festive atmosphere.”
Pei Ji looked coldly at the person below the pavilion. “If that’s the case, why did you look troubled when this King asked you? If you wanted to leave the manor, why didn’t you have someone inform this King? When you want to see this King, you’re quite good at ordering people around.”
Song Beiyao seemed taken aback, his expression stiff, his gaze lowered as if he were thinking.
It seemed that he did have something to hide, caught red-handed.
Pei Ji sneered. “Bring forth the whips. Flog him until he tells the truth.”
“Your Highness, no!” Ling Feng suddenly broke free from the guards, kneeling down. “My master is unwell and can’t withstand flogging. If Your Highness insists on punishing him for leaving the manor without permission, I am willing to take the punishment for him; I helped him leave.”
“Ling Feng…” Song Beiyao said unwillingly.
Pei Ji looked coldly at the master and servant, remembering the servant’s report in the study about them sharing a bed, the coldness in his eyes deepening. “Very well, your loyalty is touching. Give him fifty lashes.”
