Establishing a business

Although he was only a seven-bead prince, Tang Feng hadn't expected it. He was still figuring out how to get Emperor Yun to ask for this, but this just happened out of the blue. Upon hearing Emperor Yun's words, Li Yunyu quickly knelt down to express his gratitude, while Tang Feng knelt beside him, silent but utterly shocked. Emperor Yun continued, "Tang Feng, what do you want?" Tang Feng hadn't expected Emperor Yun to ask him this, and was startled at first, then bowed deeply, saying, "Tang Feng... asks for nothing." After hearing this, Emperor Yun waved his hand at Li Yunyu and Li Yunye, "You two may leave now. I need to speak with Grand Tutor Tang alone." Li Yunyu was somewhat worried about Tang Feng, but couldn't break the rules at this moment, so he stood up and walked out of the hall. Ning Wan, who had been waiting outside, saw Li Yunyu come out and quickly went to greet him, "Your Highness, what happened? You've been gone for so long."

"My father bestowed upon me the title of Seven-Bead Prince."

"This is a joyous occasion." Hearing Ning Wan congratulate him, Li Yunyu showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, he frowned and said, "But the Grand Tutor has been kept by Father Emperor. I'm afraid Father Emperor will make things difficult for him."

At this moment, Tang Feng knelt in the main hall. He and Emperor Yun remained silent for a long time, until Emperor Yun put down his teacup and broke the silence, "You just said you didn't ask for anything. I suddenly remembered that you said the same thing when you returned from the Qiang and Hu tribes. I agreed to it last time, but not this time."

Tang Feng thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what he wanted, so he said, "Fertile fields and silks are all fine; I'm not picky." Emperor Yun laughed heartily upon hearing this, pointing to the palace entrance and saying, "You once knelt there, weeping and begging me to grant you a marriage. Back then, I didn't think you were without desires." Tang Feng's lips curled slightly, "Back then, I was young and impetuous, and my greed was understandable. Now, I don't have that kind of guts anymore."

"Yunyu, you've taught him very well. I knew I hadn't misjudged him. In a few days, I'll arrange for the Ministry of Works to build a residence for Yunyu. As his tutor, you'll be accompanying him throughout the process." Tang Feng nodded and immediately agreed. "Of course." Emperor Yun didn't make things difficult for Tang Feng. After chatting with Li Yunyu for a bit, he let Tang Feng leave. Perhaps caught by the wind, Tang Feng walked out of the palace, feeling dizzy and unsteady. He finally managed to stand by leaning on a pillar. Thinking that Zhou Ziliang hadn't been summoned and that he still had to leave the palace himself, he felt... A wave of discomfort washed over Tang Feng. The sheer volume of information he had just received was overwhelming, and he couldn't quite process it all. He mentally reviewed the events that had transpired. Tang Feng hadn't expected Emperor Yun to be so lenient this time. Li Yunyu's position as prince had been far too smooth. From his previous court appearances, Tang Feng could sense that Emperor Yun was very strict with his sons. Regardless of Li Yunheng and Li Yunye's situation, even considering Li Yunrui's actions, it was clear that Emperor Yun wasn't satisfied with his performance as crown prince. But why was Li Yunyu acting this time? Tang Feng didn't believe that Li Yunyu had simply gotten lucky and encountered Emperor Yun in a good mood. Tang Feng turned back to look at the towering palace behind him. The red walls and black tiles of the pavilions blocked the setting sun, and the oppressive atmosphere made Tang Feng feel somewhat uncomfortable.

When Zhou Ziliang saw Tang Feng come out with a slightly flushed face, he placed his hand on Tang Feng's forehead to check his temperature, then frowned and asked, "Xiao Feng, do you have a fever? Are you feeling unwell?"

Tang Feng nodded, then shook his head. "It's nothing, I'm just tired from the past few days. I'm just a little dizzy." Zhou Ziliang noticed that Tang Feng seemed a bit down after coming out, so he asked, "Was things not going well in the palace?" Zhou Ziliang had entered officialdom much earlier than Tang Feng, and he had a pretty good understanding of Emperor Yun's temperament in the previous dynasty. Although Tang Feng had handled things very well this time, it didn't mean that Emperor Yun would agree to all of Tang Feng's requests. Tang Feng shook his head, his voice hoarse, and said, "No... it's too smooth. His Majesty actually bestowed the title of Prince upon the Ninth Prince himself and is even building him a mansion." Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziliang also felt something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. "His Majesty has always been demanding of his princes. These princes, to be granted such titles, are either exceptionally talented or have powerful mothers. The Ninth Prince has indeed accomplished several significant things this year under your guidance, but you were always by his side. His Majesty probably knows perfectly well how much the Ninth Prince has actually done. For His Majesty to bestow the title of Prince upon the Ninth Prince in just one year... it really does seem a bit off."

Tang Feng, feverish and delirious, lay on Zhou Ziliang's lap, barely able to hear anything. He rested his forehead against Zhou's lower back, the cool jade pendant against his face offering some comfort. "Something's wrong... but I can't figure out why. Perhaps His Majesty thinks the Ninth Prince is a late bloomer, and making him a prince early would dispel the rumors of discord between father and son that circulated in the previous dynasty! After all, they are father and son... father and son..." Tang Feng fell into a deep sleep as soon as he finished speaking. Zhou Ziliang sighed, holding Tang Feng's hand, which was gradually warming up. Although he didn't want to think about it, he could clearly feel that Tang Feng's health was indeed declining. Zhou Ziliang sighed again, lifted the carriage curtain, and instructed the driver, "Turn the horse around and go to the Zhou residence."

Zhou Ziliang knew that Tang Feng definitely wanted to see Qin Jiujiu first, but since he went to Wanliang, his health had not been fully recovered. At least Wu Hezou was at the Zhou residence, so having him come and see Qin Jiujiu would put his mind at ease.

Tang Feng was probably truly exhausted; he didn't even notice Zhou Ziliang carrying him off the carriage. When the old steward of the Zhou household saw Zhou Ziliang return, he rushed forward to help, but Zhou Ziliang stopped him in a low voice, "Xiao Feng has a fever and isn't sleeping well. Don't move him. I'll take him back to his room first. You go to my mother's to let her know he's safe and sound, so she won't worry anymore." The old steward nodded repeatedly and went to deliver the message to Madam Zhou.

Tang Feng was burning up with fever. Despite his exhaustion from the journey, his body was screaming for help. He rolled over and slowly opened his eyes, coughing before he could even speak. Seeing Wu Hezou sitting by the bed watching him, he knew he was probably going to have to take medicine. Afraid of Wu Hezou's nagging, Tang Feng quickly closed his eyes again when he wasn't looking. "You're awake, stop pretending. Open your eyes and look. This is your prescription," Wu Hezou said, holding the prescription up to Tang Feng and waving it. "So much! Is it really necessary...? The Zhou family isn't short of money, but you don't need to prescribe so much medicine just to make money."

"Do I care about your little bit of money?" Wu He glared at Tang Feng, put away the prescription, and said while washing her hands, "Your illness is getting worse and worse. Frequent fevers, weakness all over, disrupted sleep—these are all problems, yet you act like you're in good health?" Tang Feng shrank further under the covers, mumbled a desperate attempt to justify himself, "I was going to die anyway... It's normal for it to get worse..."

“I think it’s normal, but you’ve never told the Zhou family that you’re going to die. I’ve told them so many times. The Zhou family will find out sooner or later, given your condition. So many precious medicinal herbs are keeping you alive, and instead of getting better, your health is getting worse. It’s only been a year, young master Tang, you don’t have much time left to explain.” Tang Feng smiled bitterly, sat up, and took the handkerchief from his forehead, throwing it into the wooden basin filled with water under the bed. “There’s nothing to explain. Telling them would only cause them more worry. I don’t want everyone to lose sleep because of me. If I die in my bed one day, they’ll be sad, but at least I won’t know, and I won’t feel guilty.”

"You brat, I don't know why His Majesty appointed you as Grand Tutor. You're still acting like a little kid." Wu Hezou put the prescription on the table and began packing his medicine box.

"Say whatever you want," Tang Feng coughed twice, covering his mouth. "At your age, it's perfectly reasonable and justifiable for you to call me a little kid."

Hearing Tang Feng's words, Wu Hezou was so angry she jumped up and down. She took a few steps forward, put her hands on her hips, and looked at Tang Feng. "Are you really that clueless or just pretending? The Zhou family hired me to treat you every day, and you want me to keep it from them? You don't even tell them yourself! What would they do if you suddenly died? Haven't you experienced that? Your father also passed away overnight!" Wu Hezou suddenly realized she had said the wrong thing, took two steps back, and looked somewhat at a loss.

Tang Feng didn't seem to care after hearing this, and smiled, "These things don't matter to me anymore. Please, I'm about to die, why should I worry about so much when I'm about to die?" Wu He Zou rolled her eyes at Tang Feng's indifferent attitude, "Whatever, I don't care about you anymore. I'm not going to save you when you die in bed."

Tang Feng watched Wu Hezou leave, then touched his burning forehead. "I just care too much, so I want some peace and quiet before I die." He then got out of bed, sat down at the table, picked up Wu Hezou's prescription, and examined it carefully. "The old man doesn't hold back at all. What kind of medicine... it takes over a hundred kinds of herbs to brew..."

"Xiao Feng? Why are you up?" Tang Feng looked up and saw Zhou Ziliang come in, so he put the prescription aside. "You've been lying down for too long, why don't you sit up for a while?" Zhou Ziliang saw Wu Hezou's prescription, picked it up and glanced at it, his brows furrowing. "It seems this illness is indeed serious; Old Wu prescribed so much medicine. Oh, by the way, Li Yunye came while you were unconscious, but Mother sent him away." Tang Feng chuckled upon hearing this. "Li Yunye is probably a little anxious after hearing about the Ninth Prince's investiture as a prince today." Tang Feng put his prescription down. Tang Feng looked at Zhou Ziliang through his teacup. "I want to see Dad and Mom. I haven't seen them in a long time." Zhou Ziliang didn't stop him. "When you're feeling better, we'll go together tonight. My mother has been worried about you. She was just in the living room nagging me about not taking good care of you." Tang Feng covered his mouth and laughed. "You're right, you didn't take good care of me! Look how thin I've become after my trip to Wanliang!" Zhou Ziliang knew Tang Feng was teasing him, so he reached out and pinched Tang Feng's waist. "You have lost weight. There's hardly any flesh left. What would you like to eat later, Xiao Feng? I'll go tell them."

"Are you asking for my opinion?" Tang Feng asked tentatively. Seeing Zhou Ziliang nod, he quickly said, "Then I want to eat pig's trotters! The braised kind, and stir-fried beef too." Zhou Ziliang frowned subconsciously. "Xiao Feng, eat something light. You still have a fever." Tang Feng was unhappy to hear that. "Then why did you ask me? You got all excited for nothing. Porridge, porridge, porridge, okay?" Then Tang Feng got up and got into bed, stubbornly pulling the blanket over his head and refusing to speak. Seeing that Tang Feng was angry, Zhou Ziliang didn't say anything more, sat down next to Tang Feng and patted his back. "Okay, you know you need to drink Chinese medicine, so you definitely can't eat spicy food. How about this, I'll ask the kitchen to make you a bowl of pig's trotter soup, okay?" Hearing this, Tang Feng slowly pulled the blanket down. "You're not lying to me?"

"No lying"

"Alright, I'll trust you this once." Tang Feng sat up and asked again, "Is Mother in the main hall? I'll go over now." Zhou Ziliang touched Tang Feng's forehead; it was still a little warm. He then found some thick clothes and placed them on the bed. "Yes, she's talking to Father. We'll go over now. Put your clothes on properly so you don't catch a cold." Tang Feng didn't say anything, obediently sitting on the bed and starting to put on his clothes. When he was almost dressed, Tang Feng slowly said, "Let's go see Li Yunye tomorrow morning, and visit the Ninth Prince while we're at it."

"You want to meet with both of you?"

Tang Feng shook his head. "Of course we have to separate. I don't want to cause trouble for myself. Li Yunye had a prior agreement, and he can't escape the Ninth Prince's presence. His Majesty wants to build him a residence so he can establish his own household, and he asked me to keep an eye on things. I guess I'm just doing this to fulfill a promise."