CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 56: LEAVING THE CITY, LEAVING THE CITY

Three days later, in the morning.

The residence of the Seventh Prince, in the backyard.

Zhang Feng sat quietly by the pond.

Whoosh—

He scattered a handful of fish food, and the little goldfish gathered together joyfully.

’By the timing, my elder brother should be coming to pick me up soon.

I wonder why he asked me to go to Hu City with him?’

Zhang Feng watched the goldfish while waiting for the Eldest Prince to pick him up.

Ever since Zhang Feng left the Eldest Prince’s residence a few days ago,

he hadn’t gone anywhere these days.

Because everywhere was filled with the Empress Mother’s ’matchmaking traps’.

After all, how could a normal person step out the door and immediately encounter several genteel young ladies conveniently passing by their house?

Then, suddenly, a palace maid from the Empress’s side would pop out from around the corner, asking which one he liked?

It was truly terrifying.

If an assassin popped out, Zhang Feng wouldn’t panic, but if it was a palace maid from the Empress Mother’s side, he couldn’t just reflexively throw a punch, right?

Simply put, Zhang Feng spent the past few days resting at home, avoiding going anywhere.

Zhang Feng figured that once the Empress Mother’s eagerness to have a chubby grandchild passed, it would basically be fine.

Hiding and staying silent was the best strategy for now.

After all, these gentle and frail women couldn’t possibly climb over the walls from outside, could they?

’Family nature is loving, beneficial, but also has drawbacks.’

At this moment,

Zhang Feng shook his head inwardly while feeding the fish,

’The benefit is my mom dotes on me, not just doting, but excessively so. The drawback is that because she cares too much, my major life events have become her top priority to resolve.

However.

The "turning to silence" technique often used by my dad against me seems like a pretty good solution to my mom’s enthusiastic matchmaking.’

Thinking of this, Zhang Feng suddenly chuckled out loud,

’People often say, where there are venomous snakes, there’s an antidote within seven steps, and indeed, it doesn’t lie to me.

My dad’s "turning to silence" is the perfect antidote.

But my mom isn’t a venomous snake.’

Zhang Feng quite liked this family. Sometimes thinking of the Empress Mother made him unconsciously smile.

Thinking of the Emperor Father, he was actually quite good too.

After all, he ate meals prepared by the Imperial Chef at his house every day.

Lost in thought briefly.

Tap tap—

Suddenly, faint footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Zhang Feng subconsciously glanced toward the wall, and when he saw it wasn’t anyone absurd coming over the wall, he accurately looked toward the little courtyard’s entrance as the sound grew louder.

"Master!" Xiaowuzi came from afar in a housekeeper’s attire, bowing and greeting, "The Eldest Prince is about to arrive."

...

Over a hundred yards away on the street.

In the Eldest Prince’s convoy, although lacking the imperial dust brushes, incense boxes, and gilded sedan chair of an emperor’s outing, there were a few civil officials and a guard and entourage of more than a hundred people.

Outside the city, another five hundred soldiers were to accompany the Eldest Prince, traveling together to the distant Hu City.

Firstly to ensure the Prince’s safety, and secondly to manifest the royal presence externally.

However, more wouldn’t be permissible.

The Eldest Prince was not yet a king, and could not command too many, and even if crowned, within the Lin Dynasty regulations, he could not take more than fifteen hundred soldiers.

Expeditions are counted separately.

And at this moment,

the convoy inside the city was heading toward Zhang Feng’s residence.

Tap tap—

As they neatly passed by Zhang Feng’s residence, there was a dedicated path-clearing entourage, who borrowed the path early on, and bystanders gave way respectfully.

When the convoy arrived before the residence,

Zhang Feng, who had already come to the front of the residence, was observing the Prince’s convoy.

There was no cumbersome welcoming ceremony.

The curtain of one of the luxurious carriages was lifted.

The Eldest Prince looked gently at Zhang Feng and said, "Join me on the journey, my brother."

"Yes." Zhang Feng bowed respectfully in return, demonstrating basic courtesy to his elder brother, leaving no room for criticism from the watching bystanders.

However, when bystanders saw the physique of the Seventh Prince,

while they dared not speak, they couldn’t help but glance thoughtfully.

’This is the Seventh Prince?’ A robust blacksmith thought with an impulse to take him as an apprentice,

’Truly a mighty and majestic person! If not for the Seventh Prince’s noble status, I would certainly take him as an apprentice! He’s clearly born to be a great blacksmith!’

’I heard he spends his days in the palace indulging in pleasure?’ Another idle rich young man heard somewhere, ’If he weren’t a Prince, I’d definitely make him a sworn brother! To have fun and leisure together!’

’Hmm? I heard Master Zheng doesn’t give him an appraisal.’ Another scholar found it perplexing, ’It shouldn’t be! Such a well-bred person, why doesn’t he have an appraisal?’

Since people in Lin City mostly had heard about the Seventh Prince’s stature, no one paid much attention to Zhang Feng’s currently mountain-like physique.

After all, for over ten years, many people had come and gone from the palace, and some couldn’t control their mouths.

News of the Seventh Prince’s plumpness naturally spread.

But passersby do not like these old news stories; on the contrary, they prefer some newly acquired gossip.

For example, which Prince indulges in pleasures, or some palace intrigues.

This curiosity and scrutiny lasted until Zhang Feng’s figure entered the carriage and the team resumed their journey, slowly putting away their doubts.

...

Drive~

The convoy continued on its journey and gradually exited the city.

Since it was a royal carriage, the escorts also had special tokens.

When they reached the city gate, the guards did not check or speak, they directly saluted and allowed passage.

Swish—

The soldiers stationed outside the official road also followed the convoy, merging with it.

Some soldiers rode fast horses to scout the road ahead, while skilled crossbowmen spread out around, accompanying the convoy.

And in the center of the convoy protected by hundreds of soldiers.

Bang~

"General!"

Zhang Feng and the Eldest Prince were playing chess; at this moment, Zhang Feng was about to trap the Eldest Prince.

It was just that, although the Eldest Prince seemed to be looking at the chessboard, he asked questions unrelated to the game,

"Xiaoqi, today as you left home, what thoughts did you have?"

"What thoughts?" Zhang Feng picked up a teacup beside him, "No thoughts."

"No thoughts?" The Eldest Prince suspiciously looked at Zhang Feng, "Won’t you ask why I’ve brought you out?"

"I don’t know." Zhang Feng replied straightforwardly: "A few days ago, my royal brother sent someone to convey a message, telling me to wait for you, and so I waited.

And now."

Zhang Feng pointed to the chessboard, "I only know my royal brother is about to lose."

On the board, Zhang Feng had two chariots, a horse, and a cannon piece left.

But the Eldest Prince only had the old general piece remaining.

"Hm, Xiaoqi is formidable in chess." Seeing the situation on the board, the Eldest Prince earnestly replied:

"It appears I should lose, but while chess has a long history, my energy is limited, and I only learned Go.

Chess is just a shallow study."

"Winning over me isn’t surprising."

As he spoke, the Eldest Prince took a Go board from the side, "I wonder how Xiaoqi’s Go is?"

"Go?" Zhang Feng, who didn’t know how to play Go, simply slumped on the soft backrest and waved his hand dismissively, "No, no, little brother is a bit tired."

"Since little brother is tired, my victory would be unworthy." The Eldest Prince was quite serious, carefully packed up the board, then took out a roll of documents from a nearby small cabinet,

"Shall we discuss this journey then?"

"Please speak, royal brother." Zhang Feng sat up suddenly, no longer feeling tired.

The Eldest Prince did not focus on this but earnestly said again: "This journey is to investigate an old case of the martial world."

He handed the documents to Zhang Feng, "Initially, Mother didn’t want you involved, but I thought you have grown up and shouldn’t just indulge in pleasures.

So, take a look."

"Alright." Zhang Feng picked up the documents and saw that they contained records of certain matters.

The documents recorded.

Three years ago, in Hu City, Anqing County, a murder occurred.

’Hengchen Vineyard’ and its dozens of people were slaughtered overnight.

Rumor has it, the vineyard owner seemed to possess a ’forbidden book.’

The perpetrator was likely someone from the martial world.

But local investigations for years have yielded no results.

Zhang Feng glanced through and looked at the Eldest Prince, "Is royal brother going to find the murderer or pursue the whereabouts of the forbidden book?"

"Oh?" The Eldest Prince looked slightly surprised at his little brother, "In this journey, I will investigate both the murderer and the forbidden book.

Impressive, Xiaoqi grasped the two purposes of this journey in a single statement, seems Xiaoqi has matured."

"..." Zhang Feng looked speechlessly at the appreciative Eldest Prince.

Goodness, is he treating me like a child?

Isn’t it just answering a very routine question, yet receiving praise?

But after thinking closely, Zhang Feng felt that perhaps it wasn’t wrong.

Because last time they met, they barely spoke, and he kept eating, looking somewhat dazed.

And further back, the last meeting, he was only fifteen, half a head shorter than he is now.

That indeed resembled a child.

It’s right for the elder brother to often praise the younger brother.

Moreover, Zhang Feng recalled how when he was young, his royal brother often protected and cared for him.

When he saw other Princes not playing with him, even when he was fifteen or sixteen, he would bring toys to play with him, afraid of his loneliness.

But Zhang Feng was not a child and truly didn’t want to play.

However, to not hurt his ’bookworm royal brother’s’ feelings, he could only ’two adults’ play with toys together.

"Royal brother, still let’s talk about the main topic." Zhang Feng sighed helplessly in remembrance, returned the documents to the Eldest Prince, "Where to start investigating this case?"

"First go to the Hu City government." The Eldest Prince assumed a serious thinker’s expression as he approached the main topic, "We’ll start with the governmental office, then investigate the vineyard."

"Does royal brother mean..." Zhang Feng speculated slightly, "The authorities might be covering up?"

"Yes." The Eldest Prince nodded slightly, "Three years have passed without finding any clues; if not a cover-up, then this case is indeed bizarre, or the County Magistrate is incompetent.

If incompetent, what use do the people of Anqing County have for such a useless person?"