CH 12

During the four or five years of staying at Nan Ning Wang Residence, Jing Qi had been keeping his ears to the ground and staying informed about the world behind those walls — there was no way that he would just wholeheartedly read books about the sage’s teachings; however, this young prince who never wanted to walk past his gate and received a tremendous amount of love from the emperor as hearsay had always remained a mystery to outsiders.

Originally, he was the kind of person who never knew their place nor wanted to settle. Going through seven reincarnations with only about 40 years actually living in the human world, he spent the remaining hundreds of years sitting idly next to the Three-Life Stone — this had effectively extinguished such tendency in him. Otherwise, if he had still embraced the same nature from his first life, despite making others mistake that his body had been taken over by a fairy fox, it would be very difficult to isolate himself at Nan Ning Wang Residence for such a long period of time.

By that time, he was roughly at the age of 15, which meant he could already start attending court and listening to state’s affairs, and no longer be considered a little child. For a bereaved teenage son, occasionally saying a few lines that seemed somewhat more mature for their age would not bring too much surprise to others — hence, when He Lianyi summoned him, he just pushed the boat along the current and went out. 

As expected, Wu Xi did not disappoint at all. He seized every single opportunity to return Jing Qi’s favor — it seemed like “no one being indebted to each other” was the sole realm that he had been persistently pursuing for the past few years. Jing Qi and He Lianyi had yet finished the tea in their cups, they already heard someone announce the South Xinjiang sorcerer youth’s arrival. 

He Lianyi reached over and poked the other person’s shoulder, laughing: “Compared to my Second Imperial Brother who always has to rack his brain to please that respectable person, your reputation seems to be much more superior.”

The hand that Jing Qi was holding the teacup with trembled a little. He slightly raised his gaze to glance at He Lianyi; once he confirmed that the other was just joking and implied nothing else, his heart could finally feel at ease. He secretly mocked himself for panicking at the mere rustle in the wind(1), and casually said: “We’re all neighbors with each other. Even with a dog that comes and scratches on his door everyday, he should at least open the gate and throw out a steamed bun. Since His Highness the Crown Prince is here, he wouldn’t go as far as not giving me any face upon my invitation.”

He Lianyi gave him a side-eye and bent his fingers to flick the other person’s forehead, a scold woven in his laugh: “What nonsense is this?” Then he rose to his feet and adjusted the lapels of his robe, “Come, follow me to meet this mysterious young sorcerer who is like a dragon with his head seen but not his tail(2).”

Actually, the moment Wu Xi set foot outside, he immediately regretted it — unfortunately, he had already gave his answer to Ping An. To him, once the promise was made, regardless of whom that was for, not even death could stop him from fulfilling it — thus, he had to choice but to brace himself and bring A Xin Lai and another guard, Nu A Ha, along with him to Nan Ning Wang Residence.

Nan Ning Wang was indeed the first prince of Da Qing who had a different surname. During the time when the late emperor was quashing rebellion and pacifying the nation, he and Jing Qi’s grandfather, Jing Rui, shared a life-long, profound friendship. Later, Jing Rui died protecting him; with his gratitude for the former’s loyalty and righteousness, the late emperor raised Jing Lianyu himself and bestowed the Prince title upon him. Jing Lianyu and He Lianpei grew up together since childhood, in addition to being the same raucous and erratic type, thus were more or less considered as soulmates. Rumors had it that the princess consort who Jing Lianyu married that year was also the love of He Lianpei’s heart.