Chapter 22 - Bed And Breakfast

The further we got from the palace, the merrier my humor became. When we finally reached Jin Port that night, I was practically skipping. We led the horses to an inn and asked for three rooms and food for the night and morning.

Or we would have if a messenger hadn’t arrived when we were talking to the innkeeper. He fell to one knee and saluted us with great reverence.

“Esteemed Honorary Prince Shen Long Mu! This soldier was sent by his lord to invite you to dine with his family.”

I blinked and stared. Having practically lived in the imperial library for the past four months, I had completely forgotten I was a public figure. Around me, everyone but my party kowtowed to me.

I gazed at Fa min who shrugged.

“Very well, lead us to your lord’s place.” I turned to the innkeeper with an apologetic smile, only to remember that they were all on their knees. “Please rise. I too am a mere servant of the Empire.” It was unlikely that they’d treat me normally now, but I had to try at the very least.

They did rise but didn’t dare look directly at me. In the end, I shrugged and left with the messenger. Outside was a party of eight soldiers. I pointed at our horses and immediately two of them ran to retrieve them.

We were led through the main street and I could see people whispering on the streets. It was unlikely that they had recognized me, but I knew that in small towns like these, news spread fast.

The Lord’s house wasn’t as grand as the Shen residence, but it still was in much better shape than most of the constructions we had seen on our way there.

“Good evening, Honorary Prince Shen Long Mu!” The master of the house knelt and bowed low, while the rest of the household touched the floor with their foreheads. “This servant’s name is Wen Shi, and I am the Lord of the house. We are honored you have decided to spend the night with us. Me, my family, and my men are at your disposal.”

Most of the people I could see were women, so I could pretty much see where this was going. It was no secret that I held the favor of the emperor… and that I was still single.

“In the name of the Yan Province, this Duke thanks the Wen family for their hospitality.” The man blinked in confusion. Of course, he did, most people overlooked my other title, centering on the ‘Prince’ part. What they didn’t know was that my title as the prince came with strings attached. If I wanted to keep it, I had to marry a princess and the only one in this country was Meiling, who I didn’t fancy whatsoever. Not that she wasn’t easy on the eyes, but she was clingy and conceited, something I didn’t want in my life if I could help it.

I was secretly hoping that the empress would get pregnant with a girl… and now that I think about it, I think she is too.

On top of that, if I ever became a full prince, I would then be a part of the competition for the throne. Just watching Heng Li and Heng Shuo glare at each other during meals was enough to make me decide against participating. I would prefer if Heng Li became Emperor. Friends in high places and all that, but I wasn’t really interested in the whole matter.

A long session of introductions followed our admittance to the household. I introduced Fa Min as my master’s grandson and Xiao Ling as my personal maid.

Many of the girls in the room had been not-so-secretly glaring at her during the introductions. After all, they were mostly wearing wool or cotton hanfus, where every piece of clothing Ling wore was made of the best silk. If she were to use a bit more makeup, she would make a fine princess… but then, she would probably end up looking like a half-melted clown after a day of following me everywhere.

The dinner was simple but delicious and when we retired to sleep, Wen even offered the master bedroom to me. I accepted with reticence, and only after Min and Ling had been given the rooms around mine.

I felt restless after dinner, so I sat in meditation with the lights off.

That was the reason I was able to hear the interaction between three of the five Wen siblings.

“Can you believe it? A Prince!”

“We know, Ping!” the girl sighed “do you think that he... has done that with his maid?”

“I’m sure they have. For what other purpose can a man want a female servant?”

‘Ah, dearest Ling, how little do they know. While sex with a beautiful girl like you wouldn’t be displeasing, these girls know very little of the pleasures you can provide with your hands, and the sound mind you have over your shoulders.’

“What I wouldn’t give for a piece of that. I mean, have you seen his arms?”

“How couldn’t I? I sat at his side for the whole evening! Even after traveling in a fishing boat, he still smelled delicious.”

They giggled before another voice joined, making them lower their voices.

“I’ve heard he can read a person’s thoughts just by being close to them. So, you better not be thinking something naughty, lest the Prince finds out.”

“I wouldn’t mind him finding out about my thoughts, I bet he’d even ask me to act on them!”

“Ping!!!”

“Eww! Do you have to be so graphic?”

I shook my head and was about to retire when they said something that caught my attention “Do you think any of them suspect…”

“Impossible! I was told the cook was very careful. And it’s supposed to act slowly. Tomorrow morning, all they’ll know is that they feel weak, but after a couple of days…”

‘Wha-?!’

I almost panicked and returned to my meditation, searching for any change in my Chi or body chemistry, and surely there it was...

‘I’ve been poisoned’ I had confirmed it, but my mind refused to believe it. ‘WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD POISON A PRINCE IN THEIR OWN HOUSE?!? ARE THEY STUPID?’

I couldn’t identify the poison, but seeing where it accumulated, I deduced it had to do with the lungs.

I was angry.

No.

I was pissed.

With a burst of chi, I cleansed my body and was about to rise and massacre the family, when a thought occurred to me.

‘Who in their right mind would poison someone in their own house?’ There were only two kinds of people: a fool and a scapegoat.

And while I had begun hating them with a passion, I couldn’t deny the fact that it was likely that another player with higher stakes was trying to get rid of me.

The problem was that I didn’t know who.