Chapter 48 Testing

Hearing the faint cracking sound of the teacup shattering, Cen Yan snapped out of his daze and released his grip.

I wanted to speak, but I couldn't suppress my emotions no matter what.

Cen Yan used almost all his remaining self-control to keep his voice as calm as possible, saying, "I suddenly remembered that I have something urgent to discuss with Liu Qi, so I'll go out for a bit."

After saying that, without waiting for Zhuang Dongqing's reply, she lifted the curtain and went out the door.

When I got to the door, I wondered what Liu Fu was doing, so I avoided him and moved away from the main house.

Cen Yan's face was frighteningly ugly.

Along the way, when servants met them, they bowed and remained silent with their heads down.

They found a pavilion to sit in, and soon Liu Qi arrived.

Normally, Cen Yan's behavior suggests that a vigilant servant must have informed Liu Qi.

Liu Qi approached and was also taken aback, not daring to speak. Only when he got closer did he tentatively call out "Master".

"You've come at the perfect time."

Cen Yan placed the teacup in his hand on the stone table.

With a sudden release, the cup shattered in two.

“The tea set in Zhuang Dongqing’s room has a broken cup. Take the whole set away.”

After a moment of silence, he added, "No need to specifically inform him, just handle it."

Liu Qi's eyes widened slightly when she saw the cup, and she had no choice but to agree when Cen Yan said that.

He stepped forward to take the cup, then worriedly asked, "Master, your hand..."

"It's alright."

"Oh, well..."

Cen Yan interrupted her, saying, "I told him I came to see you because I had something to discuss. If he asks about it... never mind, he won't ask those questions."

Zhuang Dongqing did not participate in any of the official affairs of the Prince's Mansion. Even when she entered the study, she would not glance at the papers with writing on them.

He only cares about whether the pastries on the table taste good.

Cen Yan closed his eyes, and Liu Qi dared not speak again.

After a moment, Cen Yan asked, "By the way, didn't you talk about raising children before? How old do children need to be without someone before they can be? I forgot, could you tell me again?"

Liu Qi was alarmed and said cautiously, "I know all of this before. They need to be taken good care of before they turn one year old, and they need to be extra careful. After they turn one year old, they can walk and talk. They need to be taken care of until they are about three years old."

Cen Yan, who was behind, also understood, "If you start your education early, you can start at three years old, and gradually your parents will be able to let go."

Three years old.

Cen Yan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Liu Qi glanced at Cen Yan, whose expression had softened considerably, and waved to him, saying, "Go and do it. I'll sit here by myself and think things over."

Too decisive, and his attention wasn't even on Liu Qi.

After a few moments of thought, Liu Qi finally nodded.

What the master needs to know, he will tell sooner or later; if he doesn't say, then it's because he doesn't need to know, and it's best not to ask.

*

When Liu Qi went to collect the tea set, he asked the servant on duty before calling him aside, behind Zhuang Dongqing's back.

"I don't know."

"No, there was no arguing. They were just talking inside, but they were too far away to hear clearly."

"Then the prince came out."

"His face looked quite alarming."

The servants reported everything they had seen and heard in detail, and Liu Qi nodded.

Then he asked, "Where was Liufu back then?"

"Oh, at that time, Liu Fu was in the kitchen, watching over the young master's pastries as they were coming out of the oven. He wasn't around. Oh right, he just brought the pastries inside and is now in the main house."

Liu Qi found out and instructed them not to tell anyone about the conversation before letting them leave.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Qi entered the main room. As she passed the tea set, she accidentally bumped into it and dropped the broken cup.

"Oh dear, it's my fault, it was an accident."

"Let's change into a different set."

"There are a few particularly nice ones in the storeroom, Young Master Zhuang, would you like to choose one?"

Zhuang Dongqing didn't really care, but under Liu Qi's strong persuasion that "a broken one makes the set incomplete," "missing a cup is unlucky," and "the Prince's mansion isn't short of such a small thing," she finally nodded and agreed to have it replaced.

There's nothing else to it. I thought that Cen Yan had been here for a while, and he didn't mind, but maybe the other party would. So I decided to change it.

Afterwards, several sets were brought back from the warehouse. Zhuang Dongqing chose one that she liked, and with Liu Qi's hint, she added another set that Cen Yan liked to use. The matter was thus concluded.

Cen Yan told Liu Qi not to tell Zhuang Dongqing directly. Liu Qi thought that if she changed it in secret, even if she could get past Zhuang Dongqing, she would definitely not be able to get past Liu Fu. If he asked, a lot of things would come out. It would be better to just cover things up once and for all.

After changing the clothes, I reported it to Cen Yan, and as expected, I received Cen Yan's approval.

Liu Qi intuitively felt that the root of the problem lay with Zhuang Dongqing.

While the master and servant were each lost in their own thoughts, Zhuang Dongqing, having already mentioned the matter of the property to Cen Yan, also pulled Liu Fu aside and explained his plans.

Liu Fu was stunned: "From now on, we won't stay in the Prince's Mansion?"

Zhuang Dongqing gave an affirmative reply, "No."

Liu Fu was puzzled. "Isn't the Prince's Mansion good enough?"

“It’s not a matter of good or bad,” Zhuang Dongqing said while eating pastries. “As the saying goes, there’s no place like home. If you’re in the Prince’s mansion, you have to follow the rules. You can’t eat with me when the Prince is here. Only when we move out on our own will it be our own home.”

Liu Fu thought there was some truth to it, but not much.

Zhuang Dongqing: "Besides, we had already discussed it with the prince before. He would keep the child, and we would raise him together. He would also give me some property to make a living."

Liu Fu was stunned: "Huh? It's already been discussed?"

Zhuang Dongqing thought about it. She had said so much back then, and her biggest worry was that Cen Yan didn't want the child. Since he did want it, he had agreed to the most important things. He hadn't been short of food or supplies during this time. Surely the Prince's Mansion could afford a small amount of property?

After thinking for a moment, he realized that Cen Yan was not such a petty person.

Zhuang Dongqing nodded and said, "Well, I guess so."

"……oh."

Since both masters had reached an agreement, Liu Fu had no choice but to accept it.

He always listened to Zhuang Dongqing.

On second thought, Liu Fu said, "Then can I be the housekeeper from now on?"

"If you want to manage it, I can take care of it for you." He's lazy anyway.

Liu Fu was delighted to hear this.

*

Cen Yan returned to the east wing before dinner that day.

Zhuang Dongqing assumed it was something important, and seeing that he was busy, she didn't mention the business again.

Anyway, there's still plenty of time, no rush.

Cen Yan, knowing that he was in a bad mood, didn't bring up the matter, and the day passed peacefully.

Two days later, when Cen Yan felt he could completely suppress the matter in his heart, Zhuang Dongqing was cornered on the bed after waking up from his afternoon nap.

My mind was still foggy, and a kiss only made me more confused.

She instinctively tried to push Cen Yan away, but his hot breath was pressed against her ear as he asked, "Is it not allowed?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "No, no, let me catch my breath."

I'm breathing heavily, I'm about to suffocate from being kissed.

Once the breath had calmed down and the ties were almost completely loosened, long, jade-like fingers stroked her body, causing Zhuang Dongqing's back to tremble.

Only then did he realize what Cen Yan was about to do.

My first reaction was that it was in broad daylight, and that it was something was off.

But when her gaze fell on Cen Yan, she couldn't help but reach out her wicked little hand...

Haha, handsome guys definitely look better in good lighting.

Everything that followed fell into place naturally.

It went even more smoothly than at night.

Although Zhuang Dongqing blushed, she did not avoid it once she realized she was being asked for something.

With Cen Yan exercising a little more restraint, Zhuang Dongqing's initiative and cooperation became quite obvious.

She's very well-behaved.

Cen Yan let Zhuang Dongqing sit on his lap. Even though they were very unfamiliar with each other, after a few words of coaxing, Zhuang Dongqing would blush and cooperate.

Even when she held his hand halfway through, Zhuang Dongqing would only offer a few soft words of refusal, without any force or real anger. Once she had served him well, she would be so dazed and loyal to her feelings that she would agree to anything.

In the evening, the east wing's washroom was put to use.

Zhuang Dongqing was soaking in the bathtub, but she still felt dizzy.

It was Cen Yan who tidied him up as usual. He was sleepy and muttered, "I want to sleep a little longer."

So tired.

It felt like riding a wild horse all afternoon.

"Okay, I'll get everything ready and carry you there. You can sleep until before dinner, how about that?"

Cen Yan patiently coaxed him.

Zhuang Dongqing was pleased. "Okay."

After thinking for a moment, he whispered in Cen Yan's ear, "This time he didn't run away!"

Hearing this, Cen Yan laughed, "Yes, our young master has worked hard. Come on, hurry up so you can go get some sleep."

Okay.

After putting him in the quilt, Zhuang Dongqing fell into a deep sleep in no time.

Stroking Zhuang Dongqing's hair to confirm that she was truly asleep, Cen Yan's smile gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression on his satisfied face.

Zhuang Dongqing did not resist him.

Even looking at him face to face, one would be more proactive.

He was distracted and paid close attention, so he saw all the details more clearly.

In complete darkness, it's impossible to be entirely certain.

The afternoon light was bright, and Cen Yan didn't miss a single expression or movement from Zhuang Dongqing.

She would take the initiative to kiss him.

They will actively pursue comfort.

I also try to be considerate of his feelings and hope that he can be comfortable.

Cen Yan paused slightly as his long fingers, which were stroking Zhuang Dongqing's hair, confirmed that the problem did not lie with him.

At least, it's not because I dislike him as a person.

After some time, after dinner, the two sat idly on recliners. Cen Yan talked about the recent rumors about him in the court, which Zhuang Dongqing vehemently denied and comforted.

"Don't pay attention to these things."

"People can say whatever they want, but only they know what they really think."

"At least in my eyes you are not that kind of person."

Cen Yan lowered his eyes and smiled, "Mm."

He stopped her, saying, "Don't take it seriously. I'm just telling you about the recent situation in the capital. If you don't like it, that's fine."

Zhuang Dongqing didn't catch the implication at all. "Stop talking, let them be."

"We just need to take care of ourselves."

us……

Cen Yan's smile became more genuine. "Mm."

*

Another day, Cen Yan formally brought up the matter of the business with Zhuang Dongqing.

They found a person in charge of this matter and watched him talk to Zhuang Dongqing.

After asking her carefully, Cen Yan discovered that Zhuang Dongqing was very sensible; she had already thought about what she wanted and what she didn't want.

Halfway through the question, the steward glanced at Cen Yan, received a look, and continued.

Cen Yan sat to the side, drinking tea and listening.

After chatting for a while, I found that Zhuang Dongqing was very organized and that the conversation was not just something she brought up on a whim.

He is genuinely planning to start his own business and make a living by managing these industries.

Tsk.

That evening, before going to bed, while drying her hair, Cen Yan asked Zhuang Dongqing again, "So when are you planning to leave?"

"We're not trying to kick you out. You can stay as long as you want."

"I heard Liu Qi say that children need constant care when they are young. I have to work every day, and if you are not in the palace, I am afraid that the servants will become lazy and not take good care of the children."

He paused, then brought up the story of a county princess whose twins had died young.

They weren't even given to servants, but to their mothers-in-law to take care of. The mothers-in-law favored boys over girls and didn't care much about the girls. Children are fragile when they are young, and a moment of neglect could mean their death.

Zhuang Dongqing listened, stunned, and swallowed hard. "That's terrible..."

"It's a real pity."

Cen Yan lowered his eyes, feigning regret, but his heart remained calm and undisturbed.

Zhuang Dongqing: "Originally, I was thinking of moving out when he was a little over one year old," she said, "but I didn't really feel comfortable staying at the Prince's Mansion indefinitely. However, if that's the case, how about I take care of him until he's three?"

“Indeed, you don’t have much time either. Supervisor Liu, Commander Hao, and Commander Xu all have their own things to do…”

On a sudden inspiration, he suggested, "How about we let you raise it with me after it turns one year old?"

“It’s possible, but…” Cen Yan said with concern, “Children get sick easily. I’ve heard that many choke and die. Master Zhao was left to me by my father, and he’s always been there for me. What if he gets into an emergency…”

Cen Yan's comment startled Zhuang Dongqing.

Thinking about it, that makes sense.

In ancient times, medical care was underdeveloped; what if something happened...?

Zhuang Dongqing immediately shrank back, "Then I'll stay here until he's three years old."

Cen Yan: "That's for the best. Let's see how he is when he's three years old, and then we can discuss it further."

This inadvertently pushed time back even further.

Zhuang Dongqing, completely oblivious, replied, "Okay."

A few days later, after chatting on and on until midnight, when Zhuang Dongqing was sleepy, Cen Yan asked Zhuang Dongqing for his opinion on the Prince's Mansion.

It received very positive feedback.

Therefore, it's not that she dislikes the Prince's Mansion.

"I'm so sleepy, I want to go to sleep."

Zhuang Dongqing buried her face in the blanket, wanting to end the conversation.

Cen Yan: "Wait a minute, one last question."

"Hmm, huh?"

His eyes were already closed.

Seeing that Zhuang Dongqing was really sleepy, Cen Yan asked him softly, "Who is Hao San?"

Zhuang Dongqing was confused. "Hao San, Commander Hao?"

Cen Yan: "Not this one."

After thinking for a moment, he coaxed her further, "When we first met at Guangyuetai, you said Hao San sent you, do you remember?"

Zhuang Dongqing didn't remember: "Hmm?"

The sentence was too long, and Cen Yan felt that Zhuang Dongqing probably couldn't understand it at the moment.

Then they changed their tune, "Who is this Hao San you call Third Brother?"

"Third Brother?"

Zhuang Dongqing mumbled, "Oh, Third Brother, yes, he's my roommate."

"but……"

Cen Yan: "However?"

Zhuang Dongqing fell silent, unable to stay awake any longer, and fell asleep.

But that's enough.

That's enough.

Cen Yan let out a long breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

I've been investigating these past few days, and there's absolutely no one named Hao San around Zhuang Dongqing, so...

It seems it's time to find some time to visit Daci Temple again.

After sitting quietly for a while, Cen Yan blew out the candle and fell asleep with Zhuang Dongqing in his arms.

*

Once the turmoil in the capital had completely subsided and Cen Yan was able to attend court, he had already learned most of the answers to his doubts through subtle questioning.

Zhuang Dongqing doesn't dislike him.

I like his appearance.

I don't dislike it; in fact, I quite like the Prince's Mansion.

They also love children and can spend time and energy on them.

But that's how it is.

Zhuang Dongqing was also very determined to have an industry and to start his own business.

even……

Cen Yan could sense that Zhuang Dongqing's way of thinking was quite different from his, and even from that of ordinary people.

Based on this, he still hasn't fully figured out the fundamental reason why Zhuang Dongqing insisted on leaving.

Even the worst thoughts have crossed my mind.

Cen Yan subtly inquired with Liu Fu whether Zhuang Dongqing had ever been particularly close to anyone before.

The answer I received was Li Yang.

But Cen Yan wasn't blind; Zhuang Dongqing and Li Yang were truly friends.

They weren't the kind of friends who would risk their lives for each other.

We're just ordinary friends.

Having already canceled his sick leave at the Ministry of Personnel and publicly declared that he was fully recovered, Cen Yan summoned Liu Qi into his study the day before he was to return to court.

He informed Liu Qi about Zhuang Dongqing's desire for property.

Cen Yan let out a soft sigh, "You handle it. Give some to those in the capital, those in the surrounding areas, and those in their fiefdoms."

Liu Qi was dumbfounded.

"Is the young master leaving?"

Liu Qi: "But, but I've already drafted the document requesting the official title of Empress!"

Cen Yan glanced at Liu Qi, and Liu Qi shut up.

After a moment of silence, Liu Qi asked, "Why?"

"Is it that you dislike the Prince's Mansion, or that you dislike... Your Highness?"

Cen Yan: "..."

Cen Yan still answered, "Neither."

"The specifics are not clear at the moment."

Liu Qi: "Huh?"

After thinking for a moment, Liu Qi said, "Then, why don't we just ask the young master?"

That's how it is.

Moreover, Liu Qi wasn't blind. As a servant who had grown up with Cen Yan, he could tell that Cen Yan was extremely fond of Zhuang Dongqing.

My master has never liked anyone this much since he was a child.

Cen Yan: "No."

Liu Qi: "?"

The rejection was too hasty.

Cen Yan realized he had lost his composure, paused for a moment, and repeated, "No, don't ask yet."

Liu Qi was puzzled.

Cen Yan took a deep breath. "No rush."

“I’ve been subtly probing too much lately. If I just ask him directly, he and Liu Fu will know everything.”

Zhuang Dongqing is not smart, but he is not stupid.

He spent so much time asking questions slowly and deliberately, because he didn't want to have a direct confrontation.

Of course, there were still unspoken worries in my heart.

Just hearing Zhuang Dongqing say that he wanted the property and wanted to leave made him smash a cup. What if he asked directly and the result was not satisfactory?

Should we get angry in front of Zhuang Dongqing, or force her to stay?

In this case, there is no room for reconciliation in the relationship between the two.

Cen Yan sighed:

"Take it slow. As you said, the child needs someone to look after him until he is three years old. He has already promised to take care of the child at the Prince's residence until he is three."

All things considered, there are still nearly four years left.

Thinking this way, Cen Yan's troubled mind calmed down a little.

He patiently said, word by word, "No rush, take your time."

He paused, then gritted his teeth and added,

"He's timid."

"Don't scare me."