xymnovel Chapter 19 Yao Jin
Chapter 19 Yao Jin
When Cheng Chumo came in, his father was holding the stone lock halfway up, the muscles in his arms taut like iron.
He stopped and didn't say anything. His father hated it when people interrupted him when he was lifting the stone weight.
When he was a child, he made a fuss when his father was lifting a stone weight, so his father lifted him up with one hand and spun him around three times.
Cheng Yaojin placed the stone lock firmly on the ground with a dull thud. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the cloth draped around his neck.
"What are you standing there for? Get to the point."
"Father, I saw something in the city these past few days." He sat down on the stone bench under the jujube tree. "For several days in a row, Princess Chang Le and Princess Si Zi have been running out of the city every day."
"Oh. Where did you go?"
"A farm outside the city. The owner is a young man."
Cheng Yaojin stopped. He turned to look at his son, his eyes suddenly shifting from "I just finished lifting the stone weight and am resting" to something else entirely.
How did you know there were two princesses?
Cheng Chumo recounted his observations in detail.
The carriage driven by Chen Laosan of the Qianniu Guard left the city at the same time for several days in a row, and he sent people to follow it from a distance, not daring to get close.
When he got to this point, he made a point of emphasizing that he hadn't alerted anyone.
Then it was mentioned that the servant heard his young mistress call him "Guoguo" (meaning "brother").
"Brother." Cheng Yaojin repeated the title, tossing the cloth on the stone table. "The year His Majesty caught locusts in the southern suburbs, the rhinoceros hadn't even been born yet."
This child was shy when she was little; she would hide behind her mother's skirt whenever she saw court officials. Someone who can get her to call him "brother" is interesting.
He stood up and paced around the yard. He was shirtless, the sweat on his back still damp, casting a long shadow on the ground.
"What's the background of that farm?"
"I don't know. My son didn't investigate, for fear of alerting the Imperial Guards. All I know is that the fields in the west of the city are well-cultivated and kept in good order."
"You did the right thing," Cheng Yaojin said, tapping his fingers twice on the stone table. "The fact that the Imperial Guards drove the carriage means His Majesty knows about this. The fact that the princess has been allowed to leave the city for several days in a row means His Majesty is not stopping her."
The fact that His Majesty didn't stop him shows that His Majesty trusts this person, at least for now.
Sending someone to investigate at this time is a way of telling His Majesty that you don't trust the people His Majesty trusts.
Cheng Chumo nodded to himself.
He didn't check earlier; it was purely intuition that he felt he needed to discuss this with his father first.
Now, after hearing what his father said, I realize that my intuition was right.
Cheng Yaojin sat down on the stone bench, poured himself a bowl of cold water, and gulped it down.
After finishing his drink, he put the bowl on the table and wiped his mouth.
"Kid, do you know what's been going on in court lately?"
Cheng Chumo thought for a moment: "I heard my father mention a while ago that the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works argued for half a month over the money for repairing the irrigation canal."
The west is in turmoil, and military spending is tight. Other than that... I haven't heard anything particularly noteworthy.
"That's because there's something even more special that hasn't spread yet."
Cheng Yaojin picked up the water bowl and took another sip, his eyes becoming somewhat deep. "Yesterday, His Majesty summoned several senior officials for a meeting. Although I did not attend, I met Fang Xuanling after court."
Old Fang's face is usually as still as water, without a ripple, but yesterday it was a little different.
"Why is it different?"
"It's like...having something on your mind, but not being able to say it."
Cheng Yaojin put down the bowl. "I laughed with him and said, 'Old Fang, the weather is nice today.'"
He glanced at me and said, "You're such a rascal, but you have a very keen sense of smell."
Cheng Chumo was stunned: "Prime Minister Fang, what is this...?"
"This is telling me that he realized I knew something was wrong with him."
Cheng Yaojin chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes, "Now that you've said that, I think I understand."
"What His Majesty and Chancellor Fang are plotting is most likely related to that farm outside the city."
"What Father means is..."
"What I mean is," Cheng Yaojin stood up, placing his large, fan-like hand on the stone table, his knuckles as thick as bamboo joints,
"His Majesty can get the princess to run there every day, can get the Imperial Guards to drive the carriage, and can even alarm an old fox like Fang Xuanling—that farm boy is no ordinary person."
He paused, then looked at his son: "Find a day and take your younger brother out of town for a stroll. Treat it as a spring outing, and when you pass by his village, go in and ask for a bowl of water."
"Young people, going out for a horse ride, checking on the crops, and maybe stopping by someone's house for a rest—it's perfectly normal."
Cheng Chumo grinned: "Dad, this is my specialty. No need to pretend."
"Don't pretend, we're just going out to have fun."
Cheng Yaojin picked up the cloth and draped it over his shoulder. "Take Chu Liang with you. It's more natural for two young people to ride horses and enjoy the spring scenery than for one person to wander around alone."
When you arrive at someone's village, you should greet them and ask for water if necessary.
You're about the same age, so if you can chat, chat a bit longer; if not, just sit for a while and leave. Don't start off like you're checking someone's background.
"Don't worry, Dad, this isn't the first time your son has made friends."
"That's why I'm saying this, precisely because it's not the first time."
Cheng Yaojin's voice suddenly turned serious, no longer the half-joking tone from before, "Don't I know your personality? After three cups of wine, you start calling people brothers."
This person is different. The manor that His Majesty and the Empress have both visited—every word you say there could potentially reach the palace.
So you better remember this: don't go around telling people about your dad, and don't come up to him and say you'll need his brother's help if you ever need anything.
Just think of it as passing by, bumping into someone you get along with, sitting for a while, and then leaving. When you get back, tell me what that person was like.
Cheng Chumo said solemnly, "I've remembered."
Just remember that.
Cheng Yaojin stood up, picked up the stone lock again, and weighed it in his hand. "Go. You decide when to go; you don't need to come back and report to me. Oh, by the way—"
"What?"
"Don't keep a long face when you meet people. You look just like me, and if you have a long face, you'll scare a child to tears."
Cheng Chumo walked to the courtyard entrance, turned around and said, "Father, I'll take Chuliang with me. That kid's been feeling cooped up in the mansion lately, it'll be good to take him out for some fresh air."
Cheng Yaojin had already raised the stone lock above his head, and let out a groan, indicating that he had hit the target.
Two days later.
When Cheng Chuliang was dragged out of bed, he cursed and swore for a long time.
"Dude, are you crazy? What time is it? The rooster hasn't even crowed yet!"
"The rooster hasn't crowed because it's still asleep. Hurry up, don't dawdle."
Cheng Chuliang is seventeen years old this year, four years younger than his brother. (Due to plot requirements, the ages of the Cheng brothers, including the Yuchi family members who will appear later, have been appropriately adjusted.)
His face hadn't fully developed yet, but his build was already about the same as his brother's. Being from the Cheng family, his bone structure was naturally a size larger than others.
He was dragged off the bed by Cheng Chumo, who haphazardly threw on a worn-out blue cloth round-necked robe, tied his hair up in a haphazard way, and muttered as he did so.
"Where are we going?"
"Leaving the city. Going for a spring outing."
"What are you going for a spring outing? It's only March!"
"If you don't go for a spring outing in March, are you going to wait until August?"