Chapter Seventy-Four

The ancestral hall of the General’s Mansion had been tidied up, and there were two vacant spots beside the old general’s tablet. Yan Mingting solemnly placed the two tablets there.

The two names “Zhao Jian” and “Yu Yin” were written on the tablets respectively, and Housekeeper Qin handed them three more incense sticks. Zhao Yelan was led through the whole process by them, first offering incense and worshiping, and then kowtowing.

All the ancestors of the Yan family were displayed in the ancestral hall. It was a family of meritorious service, and any name picked out at will would be a respected person. Only his parents had not been in the light until now.

After making a name for himself, he also wanted to rehabilitate his parents’ reputations. However, the Marquis of Anqing’s rebellion was a fact, the incident was very complicated, and it was an old story. No one would care who died in the case of the Marquis of Anqing’s rebellion. Instead, everyone would know that he was born as a criminal slave.

According to the regulations of the Xuan Dynasty, criminal slaves were not allowed to serve as officials, but could only be sent to the streets of the market, where they would be picked and purchased like objects.

Because his parents had never confessed that they took part in the conspiracy even until death, he had stayed in prison for more than a month before being released.

It was only that before being released, people like him would be branded with the word “slave” on their backs. When the red-hot iron pressed against his back, he immediately fainted from the pain. When he woke up, he had been locked in a cage for people to watch, laugh at, and purchase.

He had been looked over and rejected by many buyers. He was too immature, too thin, and he didn’t look like a good hand at work. Coupled with his gloomy face and dirty body, he looked like a white-clothed ghost who would come to take their lives. No one bought him as a slave at all.

He also saw Gu Niaoniao passing by the cage, standing with a group of girls as they were led to the brothel in front.

Gu Niaoniao was the daughter of the nanny in the Marquis of Anching’s mansion. The nanny was captured and exiled, but because of her good looks, she was forced to become a prostitute.

The crime of treason implicated the entire family. Men were slaves for generations, and women were prostitutes for generations. This was the most terrifying criminal sentence in the world.

Naturally, Gu Niaoniao also noticed him. They had known each other since prison, but they hardly spoke.

Once, a prison guard slapped Gu Niaoniao, but his mother stepped forward to stop him. After his mother passed away, Gu Niaoniao had no one to protect her, so she subconsciously hid behind him without speaking to anyone, and then the two of them were beaten together. But neither of them cried, only silently gritting their teeth while being bullied.

Life was but a trifle, and crying and fussing was useless.

Zhao Yelan stayed in the cage for a few days, during which it rained all the time. He was shivering with cold and had nothing to eat or drink. The other criminal slaves had almost all been sold, and only a few people remained.

He was lying motionless on a stack of hay, with only a pair of black eyes moving to remind passers-by that he was still alive.

He was not waiting to die. Others were picking slaves, but he was also picking masters.

Suddenly, he saw a well-dressed pampered son of a wealthy family pass by, not a few years older than him.

He heard someone calling that man the third prince.

It was the third prince, ah……the unfavored and ambitious prince must hate the dog emperor very much, right?

Zhao Yelan moved his fingers, turned his head toward the sun, and raised the corners of his mouth – the opportunity had come.

Zhao Xuan didn’t pay much attention to him in the beginning, a little slave who was younger than him, but because he looked pitiful and had a strong will to survive, he brought him back to the manor as a servant. But who would have thought that from time to time, he would make surprising remarks at staff meetings. It was only then that he gradually noticed him, and gradually entrusted him with important responsibilities.

After changing his name, Zhao Xuan asked him what he wanted to do.

“I want to be a master.”

“All right, if there is a day when we succeed, I will definitely let you be an official. No one will know of your origin except me.”

Now, there was one more person who knew his origin, and had fulfilled his long-cherished wish.

— He lived a splendid life as Zhao Yelan, but his parents couldn’t even have an ancestral hall.

“Father, mother.” It was Yan Mingting’s voice.

Zhao Yelan was slightly surprised. Looking at his familiar appearance, he was both amused and moved while Yan Mingting said sincerely to the two memorial tablets: “I am Yan Mingting, and now I am also Mengting’s husband by law. We are living a very good life. If you hear these words, be sure to bless him with good health.”

Zhao Yelan turned his face away. There was a sudden warmth in his heart, which stirred up his blood and almost melted the year-round snow in his eyes into water. 

He suppressed this unknown emotion. It seemed that he had been losing control of his emotions recently, his eyes growing red from time to time, which was a little embarrassing.

“Okay, my lord’s parents’ tablets have also been moved to the ancestral hall, so I will clean it more often and you can come to offer incense at any time in the future,” Housekeeper Qin said with a smile. He didn’t know what sort of characters these parents were, but he just thought that the old general and his wife would not be lonely in the afterlife. Maybe the four of them could get together and play card games.

After everything was cleaned up, Yan Mingting was about to take him to dinner, but the other party silently lit another three sticks of incense, inserted them into the old general’s incense burner, and bowed with a salute: “……Father, I have been disrespectful in the past. I hope you will forgive me, and I will treat Fangli well in the future.” He offered incense to the old lady. “Mother, the tea you grew is really delicious.”

Yan Mingting listened to him talk to his father and mother, and his heart was so warm, ah, he was so happy. He didn’t simply eat at home, but took that person to Huichun Tower, where he ordered a lot of dishes.

“Why have you started to waste money?” Zhao Yelan teased.

“What is given to you is not wasted.” Yan Mingting happily picked a lot of dishes for him. “Try it quickly, ba, you haven’t eaten here for several months.”

Zhao Yelan ate a few mouthfuls and his appetite improved. After all, he was a native of Beijing, and eating local cuisine was the most appetizing.

“You eat too, ah, why are you watching me?”

Yan Mingting didn’t even eat, just propping up his head and looking at him with a foolish smile: “Mengting, you are very good.”

“How am I good?”

Yan Mingting placed the Chisha Sword on the table. He had been carrying it for a whole day, and the whole capital knew that he had received the Imperial sword. And after his persistent showing off, everyone naturally knew that Zhao Yelan got it for him.

But no one raised any objections. No one was more suitable than Yan Mingting as the master of the Chisa Sword. Everyone focused on congratulating him, and expressed curiosity about their relationship by the way.

But this evening, Zhao Yelan had embraced him in public, and it would likely be known to everyone soon.

Yan Mingting was happy just thinking about it.

“Just because of this sword?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“Isn’t that enough?” Yan Mingting thought for a while, then said, “But it’s actually more than that. How can your goodness be explained clearly by one or two things?”

“This is clearly your love……” Beauty was in the eye of the beholder.

But Zhao Yelan stopped talking in time, and didn’t have the nerve to continue.

After eating for a while, Li Yucheng’s voice sounded from downstairs, asking the waiter which room they were in.

When Yan Mingting opened the door, Li Yucheng raised his head and immediately ran into their room, taking a few sips of tea as soon as he sat down, and saying: “I just went to your place and heard that you were here.”

“What’s the matter?” Yan Mingting asked.

“I was summoned by the Emperor this afternoon! Heavens!” This was the first time that Li Yucheng had been summoned by the Emperor for an important matter. He was excited just thinking about it, and said, “He officially handed over the silk and tea business between Jiangnan and the capital to me, and also conferred upon me some kind of official position as a civilian envoy. I have never heard of it, how should I do this, ah?”

Zhao Yelan smiled: “You can just handle business normally. The Emperor simply wants to make you an official, so as to frighten those merchants in Jiangnan. In this way, on the surface, the officials in court will control the trade between the two places and those people will not dare to mess around.”

“So it is!” Li Yucheng laughed and talked with him about future arrangements.

Zhao Yelan saw that he had a lot of ideas and a wide range of methods. He was a good fellow for doing business, only he easily floated with the wind and had no real talent to learn. It was difficult for one person to maintain such a large business.

“Go and call Yin Pinglu,” Zhao Yelan instructed Xiao Gao.

After a while, Yin Pinglu and Zuo Ran came together. They had been called to eat before they could have dinner.

Only then did Zhao Yelan ask Li Yucheng to keep talking. Yin Pinglu knew that his true intentions would be revealed, so she listened carefully and even forgot to eat.

Zhao Yelan listened to their conversation while eating, and felt a little relieved. With Yin Pinglu to manage and supervise, Li Yucheng should be more steadfast and focused. One worked on the inside while the other worked on the outside, and they matched up quite well.

It took an hour and a half to finish the meal, and they mainly conversed about business. Towards the end, Zuo Ran was drowsy and fell asleep leaning on Yin Pinglu.

Yin Pinglu smiled, patted her head, and continued to talk about business, but she was interrupted by Zhao Yelan.

“All right, now that we’re done talking, let’s go back, ba.” Zhao Yelan glanced at Yan Mingting, who was also fighting with his eyelids.

“Okay.” After Li Yucheng finished speaking, he also brought up another thing, “By the way, Fu Qian is back today.”

Zhao Yelan raised his eyes: “What? Does their family really plan to send him to the General’s Mansion as the second wife?”

Yan Mingting immediately woke up: “What second wife? Whoever speaks to me about a second wife, I’ll lose my patience with them, even if it’s you.”

Li Yucheng: “Tsk, tsk, you are so brave, oh. Aren’t you afraid of sleeping in the study at night?”

Yin Pinglu smiled silently, woke Zuo Ran up, and the two of them left first.

“Don’t worry, ba, the rumors about him and Fu Qian have long been self-defeating. After he received the letter from his family in Beijing, he was so frightened that he quickly clarified that it was a rumor, and he didn’t dare to have anything to do with you.” As Li Yucheng was speaking, he suddenly noticed that Yan Mingting had been touching the sword on the table, and said in surprise, “Is this the famous Chisa Sword?!”

“Yes, ah.” Yan Mingting raised his chin.

“Can I touch it?”

“You have to ask his opinion first.” Yan Mingting gestured to Zhao Yelan.

“Why?”

Zhao Yelan also didn’t understand. Since it was already his sword, why did he ask for his permission?

“Because he asked the Emperor for it as a reward for me,” Yan Mingting said. “Do you know how difficult it is to get this sword? Do you know how hard he has worked?”

Li Yucheng: “……”

Zhao Yelan: “……”

“Won’t touch, I won’t touch! This unmarried person can’t bear such grievance!” Li Yucheng ran away angrily.

“I haven’t finished talking yet,” Yan Mingting called, then turned to look at Zhao Yelan.

Zhao Yelan pressed his forehead, but the corners of his mouth were curled up: “Let’s go, we should go back.”

There was still work to be done.

The mansion had already prepared hot water. Ever since Zhao Yelan moved into the General’s Mansion, these servants had become accustomed to his lifestyle and would boil hot water every night, waiting for their master to take a bath.

After mixing the water, Yan Mingting was about to go out, but Zhao Yelan grabbed his wrist: “Where are you going?”

“I’m going out, ah.” Due to force of habit, every time the other party took a bath in the past, he would be driven out. 

Zhao Yelan didn’t allow him to go: “Wash my back.”

“Okay, ah.” A gleam of light flashed in Yan Mingting’s eyes. Perhaps it was because he knew of the secret on his back that he invited him so generously.

Yan Mingting looked down at his fingertips. There were many calluses, and he was afraid they would scratch the other’s skin, so he washed his hands first and specially used soap.

After washing, he sniffed it. It was fragrant, like sweet-scented osmanthus.

He picked up a clean handkerchief, walked behind the screen, and was stunned at the sight before him.

Zhao Yelan stood beside the bathtub with his back facing him. His clothes were draped over the screen, and his inner layer was halfway off, exposing his smooth, firm back. His shoulder bones protruded slightly, like a butterfly about to take flight.

Hearing movement, Zhao Yelan turned his head to glance at him, and then took his shirt off casually. He knew that Yan Mingting was looking at his back and the brand mark. He could even feel a bit of distress in the other party’s fiery gaze.

Taking a deep breath, he removed his trousers. Then he raised his hand to take off the jade crown, and the black hair poured down like a waterfall, hanging softly down his back to cover the brand mark that was neither deep nor shallow.

As exquisite as he was, he also felt a little worried at this time, wishing his body could be as smooth as satin, without any wounds or scars. But when he turned around, he saw the heat in Yan Mingting’s eyes that was hotter than the hot water in the tub, to the point where it could burn someone if he wasn’t careful.

The last time they faced each other so frankly was at night. Yan Mingting hadn’t had time to take a closer look at his body, but now when he saw it for the first time, his heart beat fast. Then he watched Zhao Yelan step into the water. His hair floated on the water, but his body was glowing white under the surface.

“Then I’ll start to wash, ah.” Yan Mingting’s throat was itchy as he announced this shakily, and then he wiped his back with the handkerchief.

After a while, Zhao Yelan said: “You rubbed it into my ear.”

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry.” Yan Mingting quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to have fantastical thoughts, but heard him say: 

“You haven’t washed yet, ba, do you want to come in and wash together?”

Could this be refused?

Overjoyed, Yan Mingting quickly stripped off his clothes and entered the bathtub in two or three movements. The water level immediately rose and rushed out.

“……” Zhao Yelan turned his head to watch the water rushing out. At least a third was missing, and when he glanced back at the other party, he was smiling like a silly dog and stepping on his foot.

Zhao Yelan stepped on him back.

The two stepped on each other silently for a while before Zhao Yelan said: “Childish.”

“Yet you’re still playing with me?”

Zhao Yelan scoffed lightly and turned his head away from him. At this time, he heard the sound of water as Yan Mingting approached him, but he didn’t move.

Then the other party came over and kissed his cheek. Zhao Yelan turned his head sideways, and when the other was about to touch his lips, he moved back as if nothing had happened.

Yan Mingting watched his mouth retreat and couldn’t wait to kiss him. He grabbed the rim of the tub with one hand and imprisoned him in his other arm, very tough and domineering, not giving him a chance to escape at all.

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth twitched imperceptibly and he responded: “Come in?”

Of course Yan Mingting wanted to come in, but he was afraid of failure. It would be too embarrassing for his wife, and he would never be able to look at anyone again in this life.

Seeing that he was silent, Zhao Yelan didn’t ask any further questions, but simply put his arms around the other’s neck and kissed his lips, neck, and ears back and forth. He deliberately elevated the sound of his breathing, deep and shallow, puffing hot air until Yan Mingting’s soul departed from him.

Yan Mingting wanted to endure, but couldn’t help himself, and was so uncomfortable that he was about to explode. He picked the other party up, and the water splashed around.

Zhao Yelan said, “Go to the bed and wait for me first, I’ll put on some clothes.”

“ ? ” What clothes should be worn at this time?

Yan Mingting still did as he was told. After drying himself off, he hurried to sit on the bed, then lowered his head and muttered internally: You can do it, ah!!

After a short time, Zhao Yelan came out from behind the screen, casually wearing an undershirt. Yan Mingting’s throat rolled, and he stretched out his hand to pull him in, but was pushed back.

“I’ll do it.” Zhao Yelan sat on him, pretending to be calm, and leaned over to kiss him. After feeling that he had begun to relax, a suspicious blush appeared on his face and he whispered confidentially, “I just made some preparations.”

As Yan Mingting wondered about this, he was suddenly taken into the Peach Blossom Spring.

He looked at the owner of this hot and humid land in disbelief. The other party frowned tightly, as if he had encountered a winding and difficult road. He was a little lost, and his forehead was sweating a bit, but he still insisted on leading the way.

Yan Mingting’s heart was in a mess. He sat up and embraced the other, feeling his eyes grow a little hot: “Mengting, Mengting, why are you so good? I love you so much, what should I give you in return?”

Because he sat up suddenly, Zhao Yelan was caught off guard and walked to the end of the path. He let out a muffled grunt, and heard him repeat this again after a while. He replied uncomfortably: “Why don’t……you move, ba.”

Yan Mingting obediently moved a little, and hearing the other’s uncontrolled voice, he seemed to have found pleasure.

The lowered curtains swayed until the middle of the night.

Zhao Yelan was exhausted, and felt a little regretful. He had helped Yan Mingting solve the cause of his ailment, but felt that he was going to be ill himself. Yan Mingting seemed to realize that his problem had healed, and was eager to show off his abilities. He was as energetic as a dog and never stopped.

Zhao Yelan pushed him away, angry and annoyed: “That’s enough, go to sleep!”

Yan Mingting reluctantly got up and opened the door. Then he knocked on Housekeeper Qin’s door and looked at him hesitantly.

Housekeeper Qin looked up at his expression, then at the moon, guessing the time, and suddenly understood: “I see, hot water!”

Yan Mingting gave a thumbs up.

A drowsy Zhao Yelan was carried by him to the bath again. He felt sleepy as soon as his head touched the pillow, but he kept hearing Yan Mingting whispering in his ear.

“Mengting, are you asleep? I can’t sleep.”

“Mengting, I’m so happy, extremely happy.”

“I want to do it again right now.”

“Mengting, why are you so beautiful?”

“Mengting, Mengting, wake up and take a look at me, I’m swollen again……”

“Mengting, I am pleased with you and admire you, what about you?”

Zhao Yelan also forgot whether he answered his questions or not. He probably did. Who could refuse such an annoying whisper?

He only remembered that when he weakly opened his eyes, the other party couldn’t wait to pull him in and rock together until dawn.

The bath was wasted again.