Chapter 126 Thump! Bright...
Actually... it's not entirely impossible.
Qi Chengming looked at Liu Nanny and thought she was much more agile than him at climbing over the wall.
"Let's go." Qi Chengming looked up awkwardly, searching for a foothold, preparing to make a roundabout way up to the second floor from the stable. Nanny Liu volunteered, "Let me go first."
She rolled up her sleeves, showing she had more experience.
Before Qi Chengming could even see what was happening, the woman had already climbed up the window in a few quick movements, observing the inside with serious caution.
Qi Chengming: "...!!"
With such skill, it's perfectly reasonable that he was able to escape from criminals on his way to Liuzhou!
Young people become much more clumsy and awkward when climbing trees. Even though Qi Chengming had experience climbing trees when he was a child before he transmigrated, it was a long time and his movements were not as nimble.
The man who had tipped off the prince glanced around twice, then quickly went back to his post in front of the stable to keep watch.
Qi Chengming and his wet nurse held their breath and huddled outside the window, eavesdropping on the sounds inside. He felt a bit absurd; how had things developed to this point?
The wet nurse, Liu, was very careful and experienced. She held Qi Chengming down and placed her warm hands on his neck to prevent his shadow from falling on the window paper.
The inn room fell silent, so quiet it was as if no one was there.
Qi Chengming had doubts in his heart, unsure whether the boy was still in the room or if there had been new developments during their investigation.
The next moment, a low, hoarse muttering voice seemed to rise from the underworld: "Useless... what a piece of trash, can't even buy arsenic! I have to find a way... to get some vouchers."
Qi Chengming felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and was filled with lingering fear.
So, Zhang Ting has even set her sights on arsenic. What is she planning to do?
Without further hesitation, he gave Liu the wet nurse a look. The woman's arms were strong and powerful; with a sudden push, Qi Chengming tumbled inside. Without a word, he rushed forward and covered Zhang Ting's mouth.
"...!!" The boy was so shocked that he stood up, but before he could even ask a question, he was pushed down. His eyes were filled with anger as he struggled.
"Quiet down. What is it that can only be solved with arsenic? Can't I help you?" Qi Chengming said in a low voice, afraid that he would not cooperate and call for help if he opened his mouth. "Besides... we have Prince Rui in Liuzhou. If you have any difficulties, just ask him. He will never ignore you."
The wet nurse, Liu, quietly followed them in, closed the window, and upon hearing this, her expression became subtle before she turned around and helped hold the boy down.
"..." Zhang Ting's struggle was initially intense, but upon hearing "Prince Rui," he paused for a moment, his movements slowing down as if he were pondering something. His gaze then shifted to the newly appeared aged face. He looked at Qi Chengming, his face filled with doubt and confusion: "??"
What kind of outfit is this? It's impossible to tell who they are!
"This is my mother." Seeing his bewildered expression, Qi Chengming introduced her in a friendly manner, "Mother, this is my new friend Zhang Ting."
Zhang Ting: "???"
The boy's struggle froze instantly, his eyes wide open.
Qi Chengming's sudden, intuitive release of his grip—
Zhang Ting immediately scrambled to her feet, reverting to her obedient demeanor and greeting everyone with a smile, concealing her gloomy restraint: "...Greetings, Madam."
“You two can talk things out slowly. I’m just here with… him to come and see.” The wet nurse said kindly, almost forgetting the prince’s pseudonym, and paused for a moment. She then walked to the side and began to examine an embroidery on the wall.
The air in the room returned to normal immediately, tinged with a slight awkwardness.
Qi Chengming tried very hard to keep his expression in check, making himself appear more serious and reliable, rather than subtly trying to laugh.
He never expected that bringing Nanny Liu here would have this effect:
...These are common problems among well-educated and polite families.
Even though Zhang Ting had been acting strangely earlier, somewhat irritable and aggressive, once he learned that the other unfamiliar woman was actually his mother, an unfamiliar elder, Zhang Ting instinctively became restrained, and even on the verge of going crazy, he still remembered to greet her politely.
Some etiquette is truly ingrained in one's bones.
"...You just said that Prince Rui is in Liuzhou? Can he stand up for the people?" Zhang Ting asked in a low voice, sounding somewhat anxious. He no longer seemed to completely refuse to communicate as before.
Qi Chengming sensed an opportunity and calmly began to boast: "Our prince is different from others. He doesn't like bullying others with his power. He likes the characters in plays—you know Bao Zheng, right? He likes to see the government offices uphold justice for the people like Bao Zheng. You can go out and ask around. There are no such dirty deeds of disregarding human life or bullying others in Liuzhou now! Those wealthy families don't dare to do that."
Those who actually dared to do it are probably reincarnated by now.
Qi Chengming added half a sentence in his mind.
"So, whatever it is, the Prince can take care of it!"
Zhang Ting remained silent for a while, then his attitude softened back to the gentle one he had shown when they first met. He said in a low voice, "...I can't get out, and my servant can only move around inside the inn."
"Is it because your uncle's family won't allow it?" Qi Chengming asked pointedly.
Zhang Ting glanced at him with some surprise, then tacitly agreed.
"What's wrong? You look like... you're old enough to be out in the world doing things." Qi Chengming carefully controlled the pace of his questions, pondering each word carefully, afraid that Zhang Ting's hard-won softened attitude would revert to its original firmness.
Zhang Ting is younger than him. Although she speaks very maturely, she would still be considered a primary school student by modern standards.
Zhang Ting sighed deeply.
The boy's eyes held a mixture of resentment, fear, and deep-seated unwillingness as he began his story: "...My father died young, and my stepmother passed away later as well. From then on, my sister and I lived with our grandmother and uncle."
Fortunately, Zhang Ting was precocious. He vaguely remembered his father, recalling how his father would smile, lift him up in his strong arms, teach him poetry, and praise him, saying he would surely become a top scholar in the imperial examinations. He remembered how he was pampered when he was so loved.
Unfortunately... Zhang Ting was too young to hide his true feelings—he became aware of the differences in his uncle and aunt's upbringing compared to his father, and developed resistance and wariness:
“My uncle and aunt were kind and loving, and treated my sister and me very well, but... a little too well. Behind their backs, I was always subjected to some underhanded tactics by my siblings. If I went to complain, it usually came to nothing. After a while, I realized that this was not right.”
Zhang Ting paused for a moment: "But... I shouldn't have shouted it out. After that, my uncle and aunt stopped caring about me."
"My tutor scolded me, saying I was hopeless and forbade me from attending classes with my brothers and sisters, arguing that I would hinder their studies." Zhang Ting's expression was indifferent, calm as if he were talking about someone else's affairs.
"It is said that I could never keep up with my older brothers' studies when I was young. In the end, I studied the Analects on and off for three years, and I was never scolded for skipping school. I secretly listened to my brothers' and sisters' lessons—and I had no problem with it."
"Heh, I knew I hadn't thought too much about it." Qi Chengming stroked his chin, a series of palace intrigue and domestic power struggle scenarios unfolding in his mind.
After the head of the eldest son's family passed away, Zhang Ting's grandmother was still alive, leaving the family business in disarray. His uncle's family may not have intended to harm Zhang Ting, but they likely wanted to spoil him and ruin him, so that the family business would naturally pass to his uncle in the future.
The excessive pampering, which was actually a form of over-indulgence, did not genuinely show love and care. This led to numerous discords, which provoked Zhang Ting to erupt in anger. Ironically, this anger made her appear to be the one who was the younger sibling, always being unreasonable, spoiled, and unloving towards her brothers and sisters.
The uncle's family naturally became the image of heartbroken, innocent elders who "love their nephew but are not appreciated"... From then on, they could pretend to be disappointed and let go, as long as things didn't look bad on the surface. Then, isn't it easy for him to go astray? Not going to school, always being suppressed and scolded at school, it's reasonable for him to develop a dislike over time.
"You're very smart; you even know to sneak away to study." Qi Chengming couldn't help but praise him.
If Zhang Ting were completely manipulated by that novice, he would be truly ruined.
"..." Zhang Ting looked ashamed and dejected after hearing the praise. "No, I..."
He took a breath and weakly admitted, clenching his fists: "I only went there for a while... and then I became obsessed with cricket fighting, cockfighting, playing cards, and watching plays. I know those things are bad, and the people who led me to do them didn't have good intentions. I should have continued to learn them secretly and become a top scholar in the future, but at that time... I just couldn't stop."
Qi Chengming quickly comforted him, saying, "Someone is deliberately trying to lead you astray. If you are too young, you can't resist on your own."
"Later, I pretended to be naughty and secretly changed these habits, focusing on learning by stealth and studying on my own with only a superficial understanding." Zhang Ting's tone turned cold.
He was still young then, but he had already realized that these things couldn't be known by anyone, not even his personal servant. Moreover, he couldn't make a scene anymore.
"But I'm getting older, and I'm still spending my time in the inner quarters..."
"They keep a close eye on you?" Qi Chengming narrowed his eyes, realizing the crux of the matter. "Has your grandmother never interfered?"
Zhang Ting admitted with some difficulty, "My grandmother's health is not very good. She has never interfered with us juniors or outside affairs. I thought about asking her to back me up... Although I have no basis for it, Cansi is my personal servant, and he should also be someone arranged by my aunt."
"Are all the people from your main branch gone?" Qi Chengming asked thoughtfully, noticing that the young man could only shake his head.
If the entire inner courtyard was controlled by his uncle's family, and the elders of the main house were scattered to insignificant places or sent away, it would be really difficult for a child like him to do anything, and he would be completely in the dark.
Qi Chengming frowned as he listened.
This is really difficult.
For example, even though he was expelled from the palace, he could at least hide in Liuzhou and develop his power discreetly. Isn't that how it's written in those time-travel novels? If the protagonist has a hard time in the inner palace, he is often neglected and goes unnoticed.
What's going on with Zhang Ting's family? Although they intend to ruin him, they're controlling his freedom of movement way too much...
If she can't operate in secret, how can Zhang Ting develop her business covertly?
Qi Chengming mentally calculated Zhang Ting's age and then found it strange: "If you keep going like this for another two years, you should be able to leave the inner courtyard by now, right? Even if you still have to study every day, shouldn't a man have the freedom to go out occasionally?"
It's still better than when I was a child.
Whether it's expanding her workforce, finding a way to escape, studying, or finding a new patron, it all sounds like there's hope. Why, at this juncture where hope is so clear, does Zhang Ting seem to be driven to a dead end?
Zhang Ting gave him a gloomy look, her expression filled with resentment and hatred.
He swallowed his words and only said, "...My sister is getting old, and my aunt never thinks about her."
"..." Zhang Ting shut her mouth as tightly as a clam shell, her heart aching as if it were being boiled in water.
He only regretted that he, as the elder brother, was incompetent. During his youth, he watched helplessly as his younger sister married into a seemingly respectable family, thinking it was a good one. However, he could do nothing but listen to her cries and complaints. His sister was tormented to the point of almost losing her life. On the one occasion when the maid secretly sent a letter back to her parents' home... Cansi encouraged him to run errands for his elder brother, who had passed the imperial examination and become an official, so that he could stand up for his sister.
Zhang Ting looked and saw it was about doing business in his hometown...
To put it bluntly, he was trading his future for his sister's life.
Zhang Ting gritted her teeth and agreed.
From then on, the family fortune, connections, and resources all went as his uncle wished, and had nothing to do with him, the self-degrading eldest son of the illegitimate branch of the family.
If Zhang Ting hadn't been so perceptive, things would be much better. He's doing quite well now, with no worries about food or clothing, and could easily continue living like this, indulging in a life of pleasure and dissipation.
But Zhang Ting couldn't swallow this insult and couldn't get over this hurdle.
What tormented him most was the clear realization that no matter how much he resisted for the rest of his life, he would find no way out. His spirit remained unyielding, yet he was no longer able to take the imperial examinations. He could only be like a breathing wooden ornament, manipulated and obeyed by his high-ranking uncle's family.
He can never escape.
Zhang Ting had also meticulously plotted how to exact revenge on his uncle's family, his dark thoughts churning within him. By then, his uncle's family had already risen in rank. He, however, had neither the opportunity nor the means to achieve it, and thinking of his sister who had no family to back her up… he could only let it go. Until his death… he was constantly condemning his own cowardice and incompetence.
At that time, he heard that Prince Rui had become a wise ruler, praised by all.
Perhaps it was only for a moment? Zhang Ting was struck by extreme pain.
He was simply too incompetent. He'd heard that Prince Rui had also been neglected and had a difficult childhood. Yet that prince had managed to rise to become the crown prince. And him?
I'm so unwilling... If Prince Rui were in his situation, could he have given my sister a better future?
It's hard to say whether it was madness, resentment, accusation, envy, or despair. Zhang Ting died, suffocating amidst a complex mix of emotions. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in his youth, accompanying his uncle's family on a trip to take up their post.
Although the place was unfamiliar and he had no recollection of this time, he surprisingly left his personal servant behind and stayed here alone... in front of him was a river.
At that moment, Zhang Ting, filled with hatred, remained expressionless.
He didn't think about anything.
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Author's note: This chapter is from Zhang Ting's perspective... He was indeed spoiled, but that doesn't mean he's truly incompetent.
Pay attention! Here comes a classic example (and counterexample) of the legitimate succession system! (Since this is a novel about a power struggle for succession, it will also include stereotypical family dynamics created by the original author!)
Here's a belated update. I got my period yesterday, and with the weather getting colder, I also had a fever. Sigh, I need to continue taking care of myself. If there are any plot holes in this chapter, I'll fix them when I'm better. I was feeling a bit dizzy writing this today.
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