If Yan Liang wanted to build a good relationship with someone, it would be easy. After chatting with the boy for a few minutes, the boy gave his name.

"My name is Pang Jin."

That's what the boy said.

Yan Liang smiled and said, "My name is Yan Liang."

Upon hearing this, Pang Jin displayed a peculiar expression, seemingly surprised, yet mixed with other emotions.

"This rain is really heavy," Yan Liang exclaimed. "It was a bright sunny day before I went out, and there was no warning at all."

Pang Jin nodded in agreement. He had left the inn to stroll around Bianliang City because of the nice weather, but a sudden downpour had separated him and his servant from each other in the running crowd. Now he could only wait for the rain to stop in this unfamiliar place.

As he thought this, a hint of worry appeared on his face.

"It's alright, the rain will stop in a couple of quarters of an hour," Yan Liang said.

Pang Jin looked at him strangely, wondering why Yan Liang was so certain.

He took Yan Liang's casual remark as nothing more than a casual remark and didn't take it to heart. He then changed the subject and started talking to Yan Liang about other things.

Both were talkative people, and they got carried away talking in the pouring rain. Pang Jin, who was traveling alone, was completely unguarded. He felt that everything Yan Liang said was to his liking, and he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Years ago, his grandfather had met a friend named Yan Liang. Could it be that he could also make a friend named Yan Liang?

Overjoyed, Pang Jin couldn't help but mention that his grandfather had a friend named Yan Liang.

Yan Liang smiled broadly: "What a coincidence."

What a coincidence! I was just thinking about my old friends when their grandson appeared right in front of me.

Moreover, the grandfather and grandson both encountered the same Yan Liang.

If possible, Yan Liang hoped for more coincidences like this.

Yan Liang did not press Pang Jin's grandfather for details. After all, it would be strange for even the most oblivious person to be suddenly asking him about his family affairs.

Pang Jin and Pang Yu look very alike, even their silly smiles are quite similar to his grandfather's. However, Pang Yu doesn't know martial arts, while Pang Jin does.

Yan Liang glanced thoughtfully at the calluses on Pang Jin's palm.

After the rain stopped, it was already evening and dark. Yan Liang asked, "Where do you live? If it's on the way, let's go together."

Pang Jin hesitated for a moment, then, under Yan Liang's questioning gaze, said, "I'm staying at the Jinli Inn..."

"I don't know the way."

The boy said bitterly.

Yan Liang: "...What a coincidence, I've never heard of this inn before."

Pang Jin was shocked: "Aren't you from the capital?"

Yan Liang said helplessly, "I am, but who says people in the capital necessarily have to know the way?"

Even the emperor, being from the capital, might not know the way.

Moreover, Zhao Huan rarely left his home. In the past few days, he had only visited a few places that he remembered, relying on his past memories. He had never even heard of the name Jinli Inn.

As people around them gradually went home, Yan Liang and Pang Jin stood silently facing each other on the street.

Yan Liang thought for a moment, then asked a passerby for directions to Jinli Inn. Jinli Inn was located in the opposite direction from the Crown Prince's residence. He then said goodbye to Pang Jin and they went their separate ways.

He was in a good mood when he met the grandson of an old friend. After crossing two streets, Yan Liang turned a corner and happened to run into Pang Jin, who was standing miserably in a corner.

Yan Liang: "...Isn't Jinli Inn located in the west of the city?"

Pang Jin saw him as if he were her savior, clung to Yan Liang's arm and wouldn't let go, crying, "I thought I could walk back!"

According to Pang Jin, he remembered the route the kind person had pointed out and walked carefully toward his lodgings. However, he lost his way and, just as he was feeling troubled, he ran into Yan Liang.

"I have no sense of direction!"

Pang Jin spoke loudly.

Not knowing the way and not knowing how to find the way are different.

Yan Liang understood; this guy had no sense of direction, no wonder he hesitated to speak before.

Thinking that this guy was Pang Yu's grandson after all, Yan Liang acted as a good elder and led Pang Jin back to Jinli Inn, pulling Pang Jin back to the right path several times along the way when he went astray.

"...If you don't know the way, why did you come all the way to the capital?"

Yan Liang couldn't help but ask him.

“My grandfather’s friend is buried in the mountains outside the capital. I’m here to sweep his grave.”

Pang Jin replied.

Yan Liang paused for a moment: "...That friend named Yan Liang?"

Pang Jin nodded.

Yan Liang was at a loss for words.

When they arrived at Jinli Inn, Pang Jin's servant was standing anxiously at the door, waiting for him. After seeing that Pang Jin had returned safely, he thanked Yan Liang profusely and even thought of calling a carriage to take him back.

Yan Liang politely declined, saying with a smile, "The road isn't far; consider it exercise."

Pang Jin tentatively asked, "Are you free tomorrow? How about we arrange another time to meet?"

Yan Liang agreed: "I will come to find you at Shenshi (3-5 PM) tomorrow."

After bidding farewell to the master and servant, Yan Liang turned and walked towards the Crown Prince's residence.

Tomb sweeping...

Yan Liang strolled slowly down the street, thinking about what Pang Jin had said earlier.

He was filled with mixed feelings and silently returned to the Crown Prince's residence under the cover of night.

The servants had already sent people to look for the Crown Prince because he had returned later than usual. They were all relieved to see that he had returned safely.

Since recovering from his illness and moving out of the palace, the Crown Prince has become much more lively and is always running around outside. He has also received much praise from his teachers for his studies, and even the Emperor has become a little more enthusiastic towards the Crown Prince because of the novelties he has discovered.

Seeing that they looked relaxed, Yan Liang knew they had been worried for a long time, so he said apologetically, "It's my fault for making you worry."

Everyone was flattered and quickly waved their hands, saying it was nothing.

Yan Liang smiled and said, "It rained today, so I came back a little late. How about this, from now on, if I go out, I will take people with me, so you won't have to worry anymore."

He said this because he was worried that his constant running around might attract unwanted attention and be reported to the emperor. After all, being the crown prince was a big problem in itself, so taking someone with him when he ran away was understandable.

In the stillness of the night, candlelight illuminated the room, casting a warm glow.

Yan Liang lay on the bed, watching Da Xue gently nibble on his finger. The kitten's teeth hadn't fully grown in yet; it only felt tingly and itchy, not painful.

You're feeling conflicted today.

System bubbling.

I hope you can be happier; this is not only out of a need for energy, but also out of concern for you.

Thanks. It's complicated, of course, but I'm not actually that sad, just a little... uneasy.

Yan Liang responded to it.

Death is inevitable in life, and I suppose I'm lucky. I'll sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow, still a fine man.

The system sensed that Yan Liang was indeed as he had said, so it felt relieved, chatted with Yan Liang for a while longer, and then fell into a deep sleep.

Yan Liang glanced at Da Xue, who was biting her finger, and then thought of the system, feeling as if she had raised two pets.

*

The next day, Yan Liang was summoned to the palace by the emperor once again.

Yan Liang was puzzled. Logically speaking, the Crown Prince only entered the palace on a fixed number of days. Why was he being summoned in for two consecutive days?

When Yan Liang arrived at the palace, he learned that someone had reported his recent solo outings.

Yan Liang wasn't really angry, and he was too lazy to go find the person who reported it. After all, it was indeed inappropriate for the crown prince of a country to be constantly running around, even if that person's intentions were good.

Although Emperor Huizong summoned the Crown Prince to the palace because of this incident, he didn't really care about it. He was just putting on an act, since he himself was addicted to sneaking out of the palace.

"If you want to go out for a stroll, take more guards with you."

When Zhao Ji met Yan Liang, he said this first thing.

Yan Liang nodded in agreement.

Zhao Ji continued, "The Grand Tutor said that you have made progress in your studies recently and praised you highly. You can play, but don't neglect your studies. Bianliang City is indeed lively, but there are too many people from the martial arts world. The Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion and the Six and a Half Hall are still mortal enemies, so it is too dangerous."

"Your subject understands."

Yan Liang nodded.

Zhao Ji thought for a moment, put down his paintbrush, and asked, "How are your martial arts skills?"

Yan Liang humbly replied, "My skill level is below average; I cannot compare to the masters in the martial arts world."

He was still somewhat confident in his abilities. Even if he encountered someone he couldn't defeat, he still had the medicine he had made back then, so he wouldn't die.

Zhao Ji said, "If you want to stay safe in Bianliang City, you still need to practice your martial arts properly."

Yan Liang felt something was off about what Zhao Ji was saying. It was clear that Zhao Ji had a deep understanding of the dangers in Bianliang City and was even still fearful of them, as he kept emphasizing how dangerous Bianliang City was.

As Yan Liang had suspected, Zhao Ji had secretly slipped out of the palace at the end of last year and gone to a brothel in the city, where he happened to witness a brawl among江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world). He was almost implicated and hadn't dared to leave the palace since then. Seeing the Crown Prince always running away, he couldn't help but worry about him.

As for why he suddenly remembered this, it was because he was itching to do it again.

Homegrown flowers are never as fragrant as wildflowers. Even with three thousand beauties in his harem and children everywhere, Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji) still preferred the flowers and grasses outside the palace walls.

When he heard that the Crown Prince was wandering around the capital, Zhao Ji felt a little envious. Unlike the Crown Prince, who was always being supervised when he left the palace, he could understand the Crown Prince's behavior of going out without anyone. However, the capital was indeed chaotic, and Zhao Ji did not want the Crown Prince to be involved in the conflicts of the martial arts world. He was afraid that he would face a flood of memorials. Zhao Ji was very afraid of this.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Ji casually mentioned to Yan Liang that Zhuge Shenhou had said during the morning court session that since the Crown Prince had been appointed, he should enter the court to attend to state affairs as soon as possible. These matters were being prepared by others; he was just informing Yan Liang in advance so that he would have a better understanding of the situation.

Emperor Huizong always chose personal interests over political affairs, and his perfunctory attitude towards politics was obvious.

Yan Liang saw this and, after leaving the palace and sitting in the carriage, he couldn't help but think: Why not usurp the throne?

The Song Dynasty is now decaying and showing signs of decline, and is full of parasites. If it continues, it will only develop along the trajectory it knows: the Northern Song will fall and the Southern Song will rise.

He lifted the curtain and saw the bustling scene along the street, thriving and prosperous.

The sky was a clear, bright blue, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers through the streets and alleys, just as he had seen when he first arrived in Bianjing and was in Bai Yutang's carriage.

No one could bear to let such a scene disappear.

The young man in brocade robes gazed at the scene on the street from inside the carriage. His eyelashes were slightly lowered, and for some reason, he revealed a sense of compassion for the world. Some people saw it, some remembered it, some were indifferent, and some watched coldly.

However, he was just thinking—

Is it difficult to usurp the throne?

If you don't do it right, you might lose your life.

No one could have imagined that the current crown prince would have such a rebellious thought in his mind at this moment.

Despite his thoughts, Yan Liang understood that usurping the throne was impossible. He had neither power nor influence; he was merely a figurehead crown prince. Even if he wanted to usurp the throne, he would probably be caught before he could even finish writing the word "usurpation."

Yan Liang lowered the curtain, leaned lazily against the wall, closed his eyes, and tried not to think about the matter for the time being.

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:40:33 on March 10, 2020 and 11:59:10!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Fish Head (6 bottles);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!