The next day.
The rain was falling steadily. The streets were filled with pedestrians holding umbrellas as they went back and forth. From time to time, the shouts of shopkeepers could be heard from the roadside:
"Authentic kiln-roasted chicken. Don't miss it if you pass by..."
The bird stood on his shoulder, staring straight at the golden-brown roasted chicken drumstick, cooing and chirping. It probably meant that after fighting for four or five days, it should be rewarded...
It was drizzling, so Ye Jingtang didn't ride a horse. He walked along the street holding an oil-paper umbrella. Seeing the bird's greedy look, he bought half a roasted chicken. He sat down at a seat by the window of the shop and continued to think about his next arrangements.
Benben was very generous in giving him the Jade Bone Diagram and even allowed him to practice martial arts at Minglongtan. It wasn't easy to repay this favor, so he still had to find a way to earn merit and help Benben solve potential troubles.
Yesterday, relying on the "black silk thighs" (a euphemism here), he obtained crucial information about Duke Cao, Prince Wu, and others.
When he was helping Miss Luo "wash the watermelon" (a euphemism), Miss Luo had analyzed that this matter might be related to the rebellion of the princes. If he could confirm it and eliminate the hidden danger in advance, the merit would be enough to earn him a small title.
According to common sense, such important information should be directly told to Benben, and then investigated through the official intelligence network.
However, the source of his intelligence was obviously inappropriate. Whether it was Duke Cao's Roaming Palm or Prince Wu's conspiracy, these were all secrets that neither he nor Honghua Tower should know. If he directly told the truth, his matter of "standing on three boats and being involved in the black, white, and gray worlds" would be exposed.
Therefore, he still had to investigate this matter himself. Only after obtaining definite clues could he report it on the pretext of accidentally discovering it.
But where should he start the investigation...
Ye Jingtang thought for a moment but had no clue. So he temporarily suppressed his thoughts and recalled what had happened last night.
Yesterday, Miss Luo was obviously very proactive. She helped him scrub his back just like a gentle wife. She didn't refuse when he helped her either. Even under his coaxing, just like that night, she held and fed him "watermelon" herself.
Seeing that Sister Ning'er was so obedient, his bad habit of taking advantage of the situation resurfaced. He held her left leg bend with his left hand and her right leg bend with his right hand, picked up Miss Luo, and even carried her in front of the bronze mirror in the room.
As a result, it was self-evident. Miss Luo, who almost fainted from shame, recovered and gave him a good scratching. She left the house as soon as it was dawn. She was probably going to buy some medicine to reduce internal heat for him.
Thinking that he could only sleep with the bird in the next few days, Ye Jingtang couldn't help but sigh a little. While he was lost in random thoughts, there was some commotion on the street.
Looking out the window, there was a large carriage pulled by four horses passing along the main street. It was escorted by the imperial guards in the rain, heading towards the direction of the imperial city. The people inside the carriage couldn't be seen.
Ye Jingtang thought that the specification of this carriage was somewhat similar to Benben's, but it was obviously not. So he asked:
"Shopkeeper, whose honor guard is this?"
The shopkeeper selling roasted chicken took a distant look:
"It should be the Heir Apparent of Prince Yan. I heard that His Majesty is holding a grand banquet for the ministers today. He's probably going to the palace to attend the banquet."
The Heir Apparent of Prince Yan...
Ye Jingtang came from the martial arts world and didn't know much about these people. He asked out of curiosity:
"Are the heirs apparent of all the princes in the capital?"
"They're all here. You can occasionally meet them on Wutong Street. This Heir Apparent of Prince Yan has a great reputation in the capital. His nickname is the 'Cup Opener'. He hasn't met an opponent since he entered the capital a few years ago..."
"Is the Heir Apparent of Prince Yan also a master in the realm of boxing and kicks?"
"It's the 'cup' for dice. His skill in shaking dice is unparalleled in Yun'an."
"?"
Ye Jingtang suddenly understood and smiled:
"Are the other heirs apparent the same?"
The shopkeeper nodded: "The heirs apparent of our Great Wei Dynasty all have unique skills. The Heir Apparent of Prince Liang is known as 'Liang Badou' and once drank eight dou of wine in a row for three days. And the Heir Apparent of Prince Wu, nicknamed the 'Golden-Tongued Gentleman', even the most powerful famous chefs in the capital can't deceive his tongue. For example, with this kiln-roasted chicken, as soon as he takes a bite, he can tell how many days the chicken has been raised and what it was fed with..."
Ye Jingtang's eyes showed surprise: "That's really amazing. There's already 'eating, drinking, and gambling'. Is there finally going to be a 'whoring to the point of heartbreak'?"
The shopkeeper gently waved his hand: "It's hard for outsiders to see their skills in courting women, so it's hard to say for sure at the moment. I think with your appearance, sir, you deserve the words 'bringing disaster to the country and the people'. Come to think of it, you can give it a try. There are quite a few widowed ladies from wealthy families in Yun'an City..."
Ye Jingtang smiled and waved his hand. After chatting casually for a while, he saw another carriage coming from the street, heading towards the imperial city.
This time, the imperial guards were also clearing the way, but there were also constables from the Black Yamen following behind. It was self-evident who was sitting inside.
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang stood up, settled the bill, and carried the bird towards the carriage...
——
Shasha sha...
Fine raindrops fell on the top of the carriage. Outside, there were the noisy streets and the soft sound of horses' hooves, while inside the carriage, it was very quiet.
Dongfang Liren was sitting on a small couch. He was still wearing a silver python robe, but it was now a "court robe" with wide sleeves. The belt outlined the python pattern and was inlaid with jade. His demeanor was majestic and calm. He was holding an ancient book in his hand, looking like a diligent prince who couldn't put down his book.
But the content of the book... had already reached the part of "The Flower in the Rear Courtyard of the Jade Tree with Rain" (a metaphorical and perhaps inappropriate reference here) ...
While he was fully engrossed in reading the book, an old woman with white hair silently entered the carriage and placed various letters and reports that had come in the morning in front of him:
"Your Highness, the people sent to Guangji came back yesterday. They examined Cheng Shilu's injuries. He was hit by fourteen spears, all of which were from the Black Lin Spear. Judging from his death condition, it seems that he was also poisoned... Young Master Ye's way of doing things is indeed steady. He tries not to leave any survivors if possible."
Dongfang Liren calmly closed the book and rubbed his forehead:
"I told him that people die wherever he goes, and he didn't believe me. When he went out to teach the rules of the martial arts world, it would have been enough to subdue them. He had to stab the person more than a dozen times."
"Cheng Shilu had an ordinary reputation in the martial arts world. He was arrogant and looked down on others relying on his connections. It was only a matter of time before he was killed. However, Cheng Shilu was after all related to Prime Minister Li and was also the in-law of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works. He was in charge of the mine on Tiefo Ridge for the court. If Young Master Ye went there to kill without any reason and we don't issue an arrest warrant, it will be difficult to explain to the court."
Dongfang Liren naturally knew it was difficult to explain, but he couldn't not protect his capable subordinate either. After thinking for a while:
"Ye Jingtang values chivalry and righteousness. Since he entered the capital, he has had several private fights, but he has always been measured. He wouldn't kill innocent people without reason... I'll wait for him to come back and ask him. First, I'll reply to the Ministry of Justice that Cheng Shilu died of suicide."
?
The old woman with white hair had a complicated look in her eyes: "Your Highness, dying of suicide with fourteen spear wounds is a bit too blatant, isn't it..."
"Cheng Shilu indeed died of suicide. Just say that Cheng Shilu used poison to launch a sneak attack. After being seen through and taught a lesson by Ye Silang, he was so ashamed that he committed suicide. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. Although Ye Jingtang is also involved, at least we don't need to issue a wanted notice."
The old woman with white hair nodded and accepted the order. After thinking for a while, she said:
"There is also news from Baoyuanmen."
Dongfang Liren sat up a bit straighter: "Did he also kill Li Hunyuan?"
"That's not the case. Li Hunyuan was smart. He set up a martial arts arena and called a bunch of people from the martial arts world to watch. If Young Master Ye killed him, it would ruin his reputation. So he only beat him half to death and demolished half of Baoyuanmen."
Dongfang Liren let out a sigh of relief: "That's good. If he killed Li Hunyuan again, he wouldn't be able to go out under the name of Ye Silang in the future."
The old woman with white hair was a bit puzzled: "According to rumors, Li Hunyuan was knocked down by a single punch from Young Master Ye. It's true that Lei Gong's Eight Extremes Palm is extremely masculine and powerful, but with Li Hunyuan's ability, he shouldn't have lost so miserably."
"Maybe it's because Li Hunyuan is too old and was taken advantage of. After all, boxing is afraid of the young and strong..."
While the two were chatting, there was a commotion outside the carriage:
"Young Master Ye, when did you come back?"
"I just came back in the early morning. I wonder if His Highness the Prince of Jing is available now?"
...
Outside the carriage.
After showing his waist token to the guards, Ye Jingtang carried the bird and jumped onto the carriage. He bowed to the old woman with white hair who came out and then lowered his head and entered the carriage.
Because of the rain, the windows of the spacious carriage were closed. The noble Princess, maintaining an imposing manner even without showing anger, was sitting on the small couch.
"Ji~"
When the bird saw Sister Fat-headed Dragon, it quickly jumped off his shoulder, ran over, and tilted its head to look at the loose court robe.
Dongfang Liren had a rather serious expression. After motioning for Ye Jingtang to sit down, he said in a deep voice:
"Ye Jingtang, do you know what crime you should be charged with?"
Ye Jingtang had expected this and sat down by the window:
"I went to Tiefo Ridge just to teach a lesson. As a result, Cheng Shilu had the intention to kill. He poisoned me with the Bone-Burning Hemp. Then he accidentally got poisoned himself. He couldn't stand it and jumped off the cliff. I wanted to stop him, but I also got poisoned. I could only retreat first."
Dongfang Liren frowned and carefully examined Ye Jingtang:
"The Bone-Burning Hemp is a strange poison from Beiliang. Although it's not fatal and the effect of the poison is short, those who are poisoned have a slim chance of survival. How did you survive it?"
"The people from Honghua Tower tied me up, and I endured it. The poison Cheng Shilu used was quite special. I don't know what it was. After that, my cultivation even increased a bit."
"Medicine, when used properly, can save lives. When used improperly, it can kill. Poison is the same. The Bone-Burning Hemp itself has the effect of tempering the meridians and forging the body, but its medicinal properties are too strong for people to withstand."
Dongfang Liren stood up and sat in front of Ye Jingtang. He raised his hand and pressed his wrist:
"Even if you were tied up and wouldn't commit suicide, you still had to endure the pain of the burning bones. You..."
Ye Jingtang felt Benben's concern and smiled:
"I might have a relatively high resistance to poison. And Ning'er helped me divert my attention. I wasn't particularly uncomfortable at that time."
Dongfang Liren carefully felt his pulse and found that his pulse was normal and his qi and blood were strong. Then she retracted her fingers into her wide sleeves and asked curiously:
"The pain of the burning bones is so intense that you can be woken up even if you faint. How did she help you divert your attention?"
Ye Jingtang couldn't explain it clearly, so his eyes moved down and then quickly came back up.
Dongfang Liren looked down and took a glance. Then a trace of murderous intent flashed in her eyes, and she reached out to touch Ye Jingtang's therefore Dragon Ringed Saber.
Ye Jingtang quickly pressed the saber:
"I'm telling the truth."
"I don't believe it!"
Dongfang Liren felt that Ye Jingtang was just making up nonsense to take advantage of her. Holding the saber handle, she glared at him slightly:
"You can suppress the pain of the skin being cut by molesting women, right? I'll test if you really have this ability."
Test?
Ye Jingtang looked up and down at Benben: "How will Your Highness test it? Just cutting me without anything to distract me, I definitely can't bear it."
Dongfang Liren originally wanted Ye Jingtang to look at her, but this idea obviously wasn't right. So she turned back and took a book from beside the small couch and threw it into Ye Jingtang's arms:
"Read this. If you dare to frown today, you will be deceiving me, and you know the consequences yourself."
Ye Jingtang picked up the book and opened it — it was an older version of "The Tears of the Female Hero". The content was the same, but the style of the illustrations was completely different. The previous version focused on the expression and demeanor, being freehand. This version was realistic...
When Ye Jingtang turned to the first illustration, his eyes became serious. He even wiped his hands before carefully turning the pages of the old book...
?!
Dongfang Liren didn't expect that Ye Jingtang would care more about the book than about her. She couldn't really cut Ye Jingtang to test him either. After thinking for a while, her slender jade finger pinched the man's waist. She exerted a little force...
Ye Jingtang sat up a bit straighter and turned the book to the page of "The Flying Dragon Mounts the Face" (a metaphorical and perhaps inappropriate reference here). He sat there like someone reading "Spring and Autumn Annals" while having his bones scraped. He even nodded thoughtfully:
"The painting skill is, in one word, superb."
Dongfang Liren pinched him several times with force and found that this lecherous young master in front of her really didn't frown. She was shocked. After thinking about it, she leaned over to see what kind of illustration was so powerful. As a result, she found that it was an illustration of "a woman riding on a man's head in an unorthodox way". An ordinary woman who dared to do this would probably be divorced on the spot...
"Ye Jingtang, as a man of seven feet, you can be distracted by looking at this kind of thing? A woman riding on a man's head, don't you feel humiliated?"
Humiliated?
Ye Jingtang considered for a moment: "Maybe a little. But I think it's also a kind of intimacy between husband and wife."
?!
Dongfang Liren didn't know what to say. She raised her hand and snatched the book back.
Seeing that Benben was about to get angry, Ye Jingtang didn't continue this topic. Instead, he said:
"By the way, when I came here just now, I heard passers-by chatting about something called the 'Four Extraordinary Heroes in the Capital'. Is there such a saying?"
Dongfang Liren hid the book away, afraid that Ye Jingtang would take it away again:
"They're just a few playboys in the capital. Why do you ask?"
Ye Jingtang asked this to help Benben investigate the case. But his source of intelligence was special. Reporting the Heir Apparent of Prince Wu on a whim without evidence would easily cause trouble. So he casually said:
"Just out of curiosity. The 'Liang Badou' is still relatively normal, but the 'Cup Opener' is remarkable. Just from the name, it implies 'absolute feel'. Could the Heir Apparent of Prince Yan be a hidden master in the court?"
The Heir Apparent of Prince Yan, Dongfang Shuoyue, was Dongfang Liren's cousin. She disdained it and said:
"He's just good at gambling skills. He can't be considered a master. However, the Heir Apparent of Prince Wu, Dongfang Yin, is indeed really powerful. I didn't believe it before. I called him in front of His Majesty and prepared a roasted suckling pig for him. I asked him how old the suckling pig was. With one bite, he could determine its gender, with two bites, he could determine the slaughtering time, and with three bites, he could determine its age. All the civil and military officials in the court were amazed..."
Ye Jingtang's eyes were serious: "This ability is really amazing. I really want to see it someday. Where does the Heir Apparent of Prince Wu usually show up?"
"He usually stays in the Heir Apparent's Mansion in the eastern suburbs. When major restaurants in the capital open, he will also go to taste the new dishes."
When Dongfang Liren said this, her expression became a bit more serious, and she admonished:
"You should try to have less contact with the heirs apparent of the vassal princes. Since the founding of the country by the late emperor, among the descendants of the royal family,