Who is whose?
Listening to the dean's reprimand, Tang Feng, kneeling on the cushion, was drowsy, his head nodding off. He was practically falling asleep on Zhang Mobai's lap. He didn't even know what the teacher said at the end before Zhang Mobai pulled him up and forced him to bow. "Little brother, wake up! The teacher's gone, we can go back now." Tang Feng stood to the side, regaining his composure, and looked at Zhang Mobai. "We can go back now! That's wonderful! He's been lecturing for two hours straight, my ears are about to fall off!"
"Oh my! Isn't this Young Master Tang from the Tang family? It's been so long!" Tang Feng turned his head and saw Lu Changyuan swaying as he walked over. Because of his large belly, his school uniform was stretched taut, and the belt around his waist was tightly stuck to his waist.
Tang Feng had intended to simply close his eyes and slip away, but Lu Changyuan called out again, "Brother Tang, now that you've seen me, don't run away! You don't think you're so great just because you wrote a poem, do you? Lishan Academy is full of talented people; we don't need anyone like you." Tang Feng rolled his eyes at Lu Changyuan with his back to him, then turned around and said, "I've never been arrogant because I wrote a poem. On the contrary, Brother Lu, you've blocked my door time and time again, claiming you wanted my poems. I wonder how comfortable those cobblestone paths were back then?"
Zhang Mobai, suppressing a laugh, said, "Lu Changyuan, if you don't have any real skills, don't show off. I advise you not to go too far; this is Lishan Academy, not your Purple Gold Grand Master's Mansion."
"You even know that Brother Lu's father is a Grand Master of the Palace! I thought you didn't! Zhang Mobai, you'd better show us some respect." Two men stepped forward from behind Lu Changyuan. One was as thin as a bamboo pole, and his appearance was rather unpleasant; he had small, squinting eyes, a mole on his nose, and a protruding jaw—the infamous underbite. The other stood on Lu Changyuan's other side, holding a fan. He was fairly normal-looking, except his mouth was slightly crooked and his eyes were a bit slanted.
Just then, Zhou Ziliang grabbed Lu Changyuan's arm and twisted it sharply backward, causing Lu Changyuan to instantly kneel on the ground, howling in pain. "Who is it! How dare you touch me! Do you know who my father is?!" Lu Changyuan struggled to turn his head to see who it was, only to see Zhou Ziliang behind him, looking down at him and tightly gripping his arm. "Zi... Brother Ziliang... Ha. Long time no see."
Zhou Ziliang released Lu Changyuan's hand, then pulled Tang Feng behind him, saying, "I don't care who your father is. Tang Feng is my man, let's see who dares to touch him." Lu Changyuan's leg trembled, and it took the two people beside him a lot of effort to help him up.
"I wouldn't dare... I wouldn't dare, how could I dare touch Brother Ziliang's men... Haha... Hahaha," he said, his legs giving way, and he walked away laughing.
Originally, Zhou Ziliang and Yang Fei, being in the martial arts class, weren't supposed to perform the apprenticeship ceremony at Xuejutang. However, because there were few students, they were dismissed early and waited at the entrance of Xuejutang. After waiting and waiting, no one came out, so Zhou Ziliang decided to go in and check. What he saw there was something unexpected: Tang Feng and Lu Changyuan arguing. Tang Feng watched Lu Changyuan walk away, feeling a surge of satisfaction. He glanced at Zhou Ziliang, wanting to say thank you, but then, for the sake of saving face, said, "Who...who's your person! Let me tell you, the engagement is definitely off! No discussion!" With that, he turned and left.
Zhang Mobai followed behind, walked to Zhou Ziliang's side, and whispered, "Brother Ziliang is awesome!" After the three of them went out, Yang Fei sat leaning against the railing and pointed to a puddle on the wooden bridge, saying, "Do you see that puddle? Walk around it, Lu Changyuan is scared to death!"
"Ugh~" Tang Feng said with some disdain, "He's got the guts of a rat, yet he acts like an elephant. Lu Changyuan is still the same as before, incompetent but obsessed with saving face." He turned to Zhou Ziliang, "But he's actually quite afraid of you."
"Ah! You mean this? Lu Changyuan was beaten by Brother Ziliang before, and was even tied to the back of a horse and dragged around." Zhang Mobai looked up at Zhou Ziliang, then leaned on Tang Feng's shoulder and whispered, "I heard he came here to avenge you back then." Tang Feng curled his lip after hearing this, "He's pretty good!"
“That’s right. In the previous dynasty, no one would dare to mess with Ziliang. Now, the struggle for the throne has become increasingly fierce. Both sides hope to be the first to seize military power. Ziliang’s family commands 400,000 border troops, which should not be underestimated!” Zhang Mobai said as he pulled Tang Feng along, completely ignoring Zhou Ziliang and Yang Fei who were lagging behind.
"So what? There are plenty of Imperial Guards in Xiling City too!" Tang Feng rolled his eyes. They're all soldiers, why single out Zhou Ziliang as the biggest victim? He wondered if these people all had masochistic tendencies.
"Of course they're different. The Imperial Guards are just for show, fed and cared for by the people every day. The border troops are different; they're real soldiers fighting in the field, every single one of them a ruthless killer. How can they be the same?"
Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai discussed this topic the whole way. "Who are those two people next to Lu Changyuan? I've never seen them before," Tang Feng suddenly asked as they approached the courtyard gate.
"Those two! The one with the protruding underbite is Bai Wuren, the son of a high-ranking official; the one with the crooked mouth and eyes is Chen Liang, the second son of a high-ranking official." "Pfft! Those two! One's timid and cowardly, the other's weak and sickly. The three of them together won't amount to anything. You don't need to be afraid. Besides, you still have your husband!" Yang Fei crossed his arms, a blade of grass he'd picked along the way dangling from his mouth.
Tang Feng shoved Yang Fei aside, saying, "What do you mean, 'my wife'?" Then he turned to Zhou Ziliang, who was standing to the side, and said, "Our engagement is definitely off, no questions asked. Don't secretly share a room with Yang Fei and say anything shady."
Zhou Ziliang smiled but didn't reply. He simply stepped forward, pushed open the courtyard gate, and went inside.
"Brother Mo Bai! Brother Yang! Brother Tang!" Following the voices, Tang Feng looked over. The speaker was handsome with refined features and a gentle smile. He walked up to them and bowed. His demeanor was elegant; one could describe him as a refined gentleman, unparalleled in the world. "I was originally at Xueju Hall, and I was thinking of greeting you when I saw you, but Brother Jieming dragged me away."
The group quickly returned the greeting, and then Zhang Mobai said, "Brother Qinghang, it's been a long time since we parted at Putuo Temple! Come in and sit for a while." The man didn't refuse and followed Tang Feng and the others inside. While Zhang Mobai was making tea, Tang Feng slipped into a side courtyard and suddenly stood behind Zhang Mobai, asking, "Who is he?"
Zhang Mobai was startled, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Tang Feng, saying, "He is Shen Qinghang, the young master of the Grand Tutor's mansion. He's a staunch supporter of Prince Duan and is usually quite close to me."
"So you're also a member of Prince Duan's faction?"
"Of course not. I don't get involved in these things. My friendship with him is solely based on his talent and character. The risks of vying for the throne are beyond your imagination. If you succeed, you'll be a hero, but since ancient times, no hero has ever escaped unscathed; if you fail, your entire family will be executed, and your nine generations of relatives will be exterminated." Zhang Mobai poured boiling water into the kettle. "Little brother, don't stand here, let's go."
After Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai came out, they found a stool and sat down, listening to Zhou Ziliang, Yang Fei, and Shen Qinghang discuss matters of the previous dynasty. "I heard that Prince Duan is coming at the end of this year."
"Yes! I originally wanted to come earlier. Lishan Academy is an opportunity, full of talented people from all walks of life, but I'm currently so busy with the pawnshop business that I really can't get away. So I had to come here with Prince Yu and Prince Cheng."
Yang Fei was a little shocked. "The pawnshop issue hasn't been resolved yet? I remember the Protectorate was already dealing with this matter before!"
"Things are probably not that simple. I've suspected many times that it might have been done by the Jade King and the King Cheng's men, but I just can't find any evidence."
"The Third Prince?" Zhou Ziliang put down his teacup, somewhat puzzled. "When I was in Xiling, I often heard people say that the Jade Prince studied poetry and books diligently, hoping to become a renowned poet in Xiling. How come he's now embroiled in the struggle for the throne?"
"Sigh, how long have you been at the border? Even a scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days' absence! Let alone three years. Now, compared to before, Consort Xiao is crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide, summoning her son three or four times a day. She's begging him to compete for the crown prince position. Although the Jade Prince has no such intention, he's inevitably influenced by others' gossip. In the palace, people's hearts are unpredictable!"
"Consort Xiao is simple-minded; she probably just wants to live a comfortable life. However, the position of Crown Prince remains undecided for so long, yet His Majesty entrusted the entire pawnshop to Prince Duan long ago. Perhaps the Crown Prince's position is already already in his heart." Yang Fei picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup.
Shen Qinghang shook his head. "As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; one wrong move and you never know when you'll be able to recover. His Majesty is capricious these days; who dares to fathom his intentions?"
Zhou Ziliang placed his teacup on the table and stood up. "Since we can't fathom the past, let's not presume to discuss the affairs of the previous dynasty."
"Brother Ziliang, are you interested in the Prince Duan faction?" Shen Qinghang also stood up, fanning himself with his fan, and looked at Zhou Ziliang as if waiting for an answer.
Zhou Ziliang bowed and said, "Brother Qinghang, you are too kind to me. I have never been interested in political matters."
A sudden silence fell over the room. Tang Feng wasn't interested in the politics of the previous dynasty, but who doesn't enjoy gossip? He'd heard every word Zhou Ziliang and the others were saying, even finding it somewhat fascinating. However, when Shen Qinghang stood up, Tang Feng clearly sensed that he might be a little angry about Zhou Ziliang's refusal. Zhang Mobai and the others also stood up without saying a word. Just as Tang Feng was wondering what to say to ease the awkwardness, Shen Qinghang smiled.
"Hahaha," Shen Qinghang closed his folding fan, his fingers tracing the fan ribs. "Ziliang, I know your temperament, but I'm also a stubborn person; once I've made up my mind, I won't back down until I hit a wall. So I'll come back to ask you again." After saying this, Shen Qinghang returned the greeting to Zhou Ziliang, then walked to Tang Feng's side and said, "Young Master Tang, I wasn't present when His Majesty bestowed the marriage upon us, so I couldn't offer my congratulations. But now that the wedding has been postponed, don't forget to invite me to your and Ziliang's wedding feast." With that, he left.
"It seems the previous dynasty is in turmoil and chaos," Zhang Mobai said, sitting down slowly after Shen Qinghang had walked away. He picked up his half-finished tea and drank it all in one gulp.
“His Majesty is now in his prime and detests these factional disputes the most,” Yang Fei said, standing to the side without moving.
“What good is youth? A crown prince will eventually have to be chosen. As long as a pawn hasn’t been eliminated, everyone will feel they still have a chance to win,” Zhou Ziliang frowned. “Without a crown prince, this matter will never end.”
At this moment, Tang Feng no longer wanted to hear these convoluted stories from the previous dynasty. He didn't know why Shen Qinghang had suddenly said that to him. It seemed that he hadn't had any interaction with him before. Could it be because of Zhou Ziliang? Tang Feng shook his head. No, he wanted to win over Zhou Ziliang because Zhou Ziliang held military power, but what did that have to do with him? Did he still think that he was still the same person who was hopelessly in love with Zhou Ziliang? Thinking of this, Tang Feng almost laughed in anger. How out of touch was his older brother? Wasn't the commotion he caused in Xiling big enough?
"Hey bro! What are you doing? Shaking your head like that, are you going to eat in the corridor?"
Tang Feng snapped out of his daze and saw that Zhang Mobai and the others were already waiting for him at the door. Without thinking too much, he quickly answered and went out.
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