Pang Jin has been hearing a lot about the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Cai in court lately. Even though his great-grandfather was Emperor Renzong's father-in-law, he is now just an ordinary citizen, and the affairs of the royal court have nothing to do with him.
What worried him most was that Yan Liang had disappeared again. Although someone had delivered a letter to him, in which Yan Liang said he was very busy with family matters and would come to pick him up to visit after he finished dealing with them... Pang Jin had no idea what this person was busy with, and Yan Liang did not explain it in the letter.
Pang Jin couldn't help but ponder Yan Liang's identity, acting mysteriously and furtively... Could it be that Yan Liang is the eldest son of some family?
He struggled with this for a long time, and even when Yan Liang managed to steal a moment from his busy schedule to go find him, he still had no clue.
The day Yan Liang went to see Pang Jin was sunny. There was no morning court session, and Emperor Huizong was too engrossed in the new things Fang Yingkan had presented to him to have time to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football), write calligraphy, and chat with the Crown Prince. So Yan Liang brought a heavy snowfall to find Pang Jin, planning to take Pang Jin to the Crown Prince's residence for grilled fish this time.
This time, he didn't use the main gate. Instead, he carried the heavy snow, leaped onto the wall, and squatted there, calling out, "Pang Jin—Pang Jin!"
Pang Jin was still tidying his clothes in the room when he heard a familiar voice. He pushed open the door and was met with Yan Liang, who was squatting on the wall and waving at him with a grin. He was silent for a moment, then walked to the wall and looked up at him, humming and muttering without saying a word.
"I've come to play with you."
Yan Liang looked down at him, smiling broadly.
"You've finally arrived. Are you done with your work?" Pang Jin looked up and saw the snow on Yan Liang's shoulder, saying, "Daxue has gotten even fatter."
Yan Liang leaped down from the wall and landed lightly beside Pang Jin, the snow clinging tightly to his clothes.
"Not yet, I expect to be even busier in the future." He responded to Pang Jin's question, while stretching out his arm towards him. Snowflakes quickly slid down Yan Liang's arm into Pang Jin's arms. Pang Jin reached out and caught it, his chest tightened, and he almost lost his balance.
"...What did you feed it?"
Yan Liang said innocently, "It was just eating and drinking as usual. It didn't eat too much."
Daxue rolled around in Pang Jin's arms, rubbing against him and meowing incessantly. Pang Jin rubbed it and it rubbed back against him.
Yan Liang stood to the side, hands clasped together, watching the two of them, and said, "Let's go to my house for grilled fish today."
Pang Jin was not surprised at all, and said sarcastically, "So you've finally decided to let me see your golden house?"
Yan Liang grinned mischievously, "That's right, I'll let you see my golden house."
Su Mengzhen received a carrier pigeon from the Crown Prince in the early morning, inviting him to the Crown Prince's residence to grill fish. He recalled the words the Crown Prince said when he saw him off on his first visit to the residence.
Pang Jin is the Crown Prince's friend and the only one who doesn't know the Crown Prince's identity.
Su Mengzhen held the letter in her hand, lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then put the letter down and pushed open the door to leave.
Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi were assigned by Yan Liang to buy fish on the street. The street was lined with stalls, and the smell of fish and shrimp could be smelled from afar.
Seeing this bustling yet chaotic scene, Wang Xiaoshi couldn't help but recall the scene of his first meeting with Bai Choufei. The market below the Yellow Crane Tower was just as lively that day.
The two selected several fish, much to the delight of the fishmonger, who asked if they would like him to clean them. While Wang Xiaoshi hesitated, Bai Choufei nodded in agreement.
"It's better to avoid trouble," Bai Choufei said to Wang Xiaoshi.
Wang Xiaoshi looked at the gutted fish and nodded.
The Divine Marquis's Mansion also received the Crown Prince's carrier pigeon, but only Zhuiming accepted the invitation. Zhuge Zhengwo and the other three were all busy, after all, not everyone is as lazy as the Crown Prince when he has free time. Zhuiming was the exception in the Divine Marquis's Mansion. He wondered if the Crown Prince's Mansion had good wine—ever since that day when he brought the Crown Prince to see Wuqing and Zhuge Divine Marquis, Wuqing had strictly controlled his daily drinking volume, and he hadn't had enough to drink in a long time.
Zhuiming and Su Mengzhen met at the entrance of the Crown Prince's residence. They were both surprised to see each other. Zhuiming greeted her with a smile: "Master Su, are you here to try the Crown Prince's cooking too?"
Su Mengzhen nodded in greeting.
The guards of the Crown Prince's residence had been informed by Yan Liang in advance that they recognized the two men, so they allowed them to enter the residence.
The two entered the mansion and found Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi in the kitchen, where they were cutting fish.
Zhuiming chuckled: "His Highness ordered the two of you to do this? Where is he?"
Wang Xiaoshi, holding the kitchen knife, looked at him and said, "He went to find Pang Jin."
Bai Choufei fiercely cut off a piece of fish: "He went to slack off."
Su Mengzhen wanted to laugh, but Zhuiming didn't hide it and laughed loudly. Seeing Zhuiming's gloating, Bai Choufei forcefully shoved the kitchen knife into his hand, forcing him to cut the meat.
Zhuiming gripped the hilt of his sword in disbelief: "...I'm a guest!"
Bai Choufei: "So what if he's a guest?"
Shifting the blame: "...Why didn't you give it to Master Su?! He's a guest too!"
Bai Choufei glanced at Su Mengzhen. The young man's expression was reserved, but there was a hidden smile in his eyes. He then said, "Even guests have different levels of respect."
Zhuiming was furious, but resignedly began cutting the meat. Bai Choufei pulled Wang Xiaoshi over, and together with Su Mengzhen, they stood at the door watching him cut.
The kitchen was filled with the deafening sounds of knives clattering and thumping. Zhui Ming cried out in grief and indignation, "You've gone too far!"
Wang Xiaoshi felt apologetic, but Bai Choufei grabbed his wrist to stop him from going forward, so he could only stand there and watch him, but he couldn't help but smile.
Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi had already dealt with most of it, leaving not much for Zhuiming. Just as Zhuiming heard the noise coming from the courtyard, he had just cut off the last piece of fish. Hearing the sound, he relied on his superb lightness skill to run outside, intending to complain to Yan Liang, but when he saw the people in the courtyard, he couldn't speak for a moment, his mind went blank.
At this moment, Su Mengzhen and the others also came out of the kitchen and saw the four people and one cat in the yard.
Pang Jin, holding Da Xue, looked completely bewildered. Beside him stood a young man in white with his head bowed, and another casually dressed young man with an innocent smile.
The innocent-looking young man greeted her naively, "Master Su, are you after Third Master?"
Logically, Su Mengzhen should have returned the smile, since the other party was extremely shrewd and he felt that if he didn't respond with a smile, everything would be seen through. But at this moment, he couldn't smile.
Yan Liang tucked his hands into his sleeves and smiled at them: "There are two more of you. How many fish did you buy?"
Wang Xiaoshi answered him blankly, "Ten."
Yan Liang calculated that, with the side dishes, there was just enough for them, so he nodded and went over: "Alright, let's grill the fish."
As Zhuiming passed by, he grabbed him and asked him with his eyes what had happened.
Yan Liang touched his nose and responded solemnly: He didn't understand what had happened either.
It's all Pang Jin's fault.
——
The first person they met was Fang Yingkan, the young master Fang.
Yan Liang and Pang Jin left the mansion, crossed a street, and encountered Fang Yingkan's magnificent carriage.
The young marquis, holding up the curtains, gave them an innocent smile: "Young Master Pang, Young Master Yan."
Young Master Yan calmly looked at him, while Pang Jin stepped forward and greeted him cheerfully, "Young Master Fang!"
"Where are you going?" Fang Ying asked in a friendly manner. "I can give you a ride."
Pang Jin looked at Yan Liang, his eyes questioning. Yan Liang smiled and replied, "It's not far, there's no need to trouble you, young marquis."
On a whim, Pang Jin extended an invitation: "Yan Liang is going to grill fish at his house. Would Young Master Fang like to come along?"
Yan Liang: "..."
He returned Pang Jin's inquiring gaze with a friendly smile, which boosted the latter's confidence, and he continued to extend invitations to Fang Yingkan.
Fang Yingkan was surprised, then chuckled and agreed, "Okay."
Since Yan Liang said the journey wasn't far, Fang Yingkan condescended to travel with the two of them.
Pang Jin struck up a conversation with him, his words filled with admiration. Fang Yingkan was a legendary figure in the martial arts world, and he never expected to be able to converse with this legend in the capital. Fang Yingkan responded to him patiently, his expression innocent and his smile amiable.
Yan Liang remained strangely silent as he led the way.
Next, the three of them met Di Feijing.
Yan Liang was disturbed by the conversation between a simpleton and a fox behind him. He looked up to get some fresh air. He had learned this from Bai Choufei. That guy would look at the sky all the time. Although the sky was very beautiful, Bai Choufei could look at the sky for an hour if no one interrupted him.
He looked up and saw Di Feijing looking down at him. Their eyes met.
Di Feijing's eyes were very bright; it was the first time Yan Liang had ever seen his eyes.
The young man smiled at him, and Yan Liang subconsciously returned the smile.
Pang Jin, that simpleton, saw Yan Liang look up and laugh for some reason, so he also looked up and immediately saw Di Feijing.
In the days since Yan Liang hadn't come to see him, Pang Jin had run into Di Feijing many times. Although he still didn't know his name, he had become somewhat familiar with him. When he saw Di Feijing, he went up to greet him. Yan Liang and Di Feijing had met before at Yuquan Mountain, and the other party knew his identity, so Yan Liang had no choice but to go up and greet him.
Fang Yingkan followed behind them with a smile, amazed that the Crown Prince could enter the territory of Liufenbantang so openly.
At this point, it's all normal greetings between friends or acquaintances.
Pang Jin found it strange and asked them, "When did you two meet?"
Yan Liang said, "I met him once before because I was busy with family matters."
Pang Jin suddenly had a brilliant idea and exclaimed to Di Fei, "We've met so many times, and I still don't know your name. It just so happens that Yan Liang is hosting a dinner party, and Young Master Fang is also coming. Why don't you come with us to Yan Liang's house for dinner?"
Yan Liang returned Pang Jin's questioning gaze with a friendly smile once again, and Pang Jin then extended an invitation to Di Feijing.
Di Fei was surprised and agreed.
...He agreed.
On the way, Pang Jin asked Di Feijing for his name, and Di Feijing honestly told him. Pang Jin was stunned. He had run into two legendary figures in the martial arts world, Fang Yingkan and Di Feijing, and even invited them to Yan Liang's house for grilled fish. He never dared to do such a thing in his dreams.
He was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Yan Liang had said he had met with Di Feijing once before because of family matters. He couldn't understand it at first, until Yan Liang led them to the Crown Prince's residence, at which point Pang Jin was completely dumbfounded.
Yan Liang is the Crown Prince... No wonder Young Master Fang sent him off, no wonder Yan Liang met with Di Feijing because of family matters.
...But Crown Prince Zhao Huan is only fifteen years old this year?
Pang Jin had only one thought in her mind.
——
"This is how we met."
Holding a plate in his hands, Yan Liang solemnly gave his summary.
Zhui Ming: "..."
Su Mengzhen: "..."
Bai Choufei: "..."
The three of them followed Yan Liang to the kitchen, wanting to find out what Yan Liang had done on the way there before bringing Fang Yingkan and Di Feijing back, but after learning the whole story, they could only remain silent.
Zhui Ming stated a fact: "They are your enemies."
Yan Liang said straightforwardly, "It's alright, they can't possibly kill me right here in the Crown Prince's residence."
Bai Choufei said coldly, "Even if you don't die in the Crown Prince's residence, you will die in the capital because of your arrogance."
Yan Liang humbly accepted the criticism, but he dared to do it again next time.
Author's Note: I'm here!!!
Just writing something relaxing OTZ, and bringing Pang Jin out for a brief appearance hhhh
Thank you to every little angel who cheered me on!
muamuamua——
The comments section was even more awesome than mine! The little skits you guys wrote in the previous chapters cracked me up, hahaha, I couldn't even write them myself! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2020-03-29 14:47:25 and 2020-03-30 09:52:40!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Zimo (7 bottles); Qianxi (2 bottles);
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