He’d asked this question as soon as he came in, also saying it had been settled.
But he hadn’t said who had settled it. After all, in the end Second Master Liang had produced the Grand Tutor’s personal directive, determining that Liang Qiang would enter the capital.
Zhong Changrong glanced at him and said, “Yes, it’s been settled. Liang Qiang will go.”
Xie Yanlai sneered. “Excellent! Well done, Zhong Changrong. You really do act according to other people’s families.”
Zhong Changrong irritably shouted, “What nonsense are you spouting! When have I ever acted according to other people’s families!”
“Not according to other people’s families? Then why did you say I would go, but the moment someone produces the Grand Tutor’s directive, you immediately nod and bow and fawn over them?” Xie Yanlai said.
Zhong Changrong slapped the table. “You scoundrel, what are you saying!”
“I don’t care whose family you’re looking at. You said I would go, so I absolutely must go now.” Xie Yanlai swept his sleeves and stood up, heading outside.
“You rascal.” Zhong Changrong also stood up, blurting out, “This isn’t even a good thing. Why go?”
Xie Yanlai’s steps paused. He laughed. “How is it not a good thing now?”
But without waiting for Zhong Changrong to speak, he tossed out a sentence.
“That’s just perfect then. This is my only hobby, Xie Yanlai—the worse something is, the more I want to join in the excitement.”
With that, he strode out.
Zhong Changrong glared angrily after him, his expression complex. He wanted to say something, but in the end only muttered, “That rascal kid.”
……
……
“Young Master.” Xiao Shan walked in carrying a bundle piled as high as a mountain, poking his head out from behind the bundle with an ingratiating expression. “The journey is long, so I’ve prepared luggage for you. Take a look—”
Xie Yanlai was crouching in front of a chest, apparently searching for something. He commanded troops in Luo City, but because he’d stayed at the commandery office when he first came with Chu Zhao, he had a room here. Whether from negligence or indifference, it had been kept until now, though it had been unoccupied for a long time and was covered in dust.
Hearing Xiao Shan’s voice, Xie Yanlai didn’t turn his head. “Get lost.”
Xiao Shan didn’t argue even half a sentence. He dumped the luggage on the ground and whooshed out, leaving only a choked sentence: “Young Master, I’ll miss you.”
Xie Yanlai spat hatefully and continued searching. Light footsteps sounded behind him.
“Young Master,” someone called.
This time Xie Yanlai still didn’t turn his head, but he didn’t curse either. Instead he asked, “What is it?”
Behind him stood a servant in blue robes. This was Xie Yanlai’s true personal attendant. He hesitated, then said softly, “The family’s intention is that you don’t need to return yet. You’re still young and not in a hurry for merit rewards. Focus on your duties with peace of mind. Accumulate small steps to reach a thousand li—”
Before he could finish, Xie Yanlai turned his head with a mocking smile. “Stop lecturing me with all this. You remember clearly—I came here not because of the family, but because of the Emperor. If you want me not to compete for merit rewards, if you want to tell me how to act, then the Emperor should come tell me himself. Everyone else—stop trying to lecture me.”
The servant lowered his head, but didn’t say much more, only saying, “Yes, this subordinate will listen to Ninth Young Master.”
Xie Yanlai said, “You may go.”
The servant immediately withdrew.
Xie Yanlai turned around and sat on the ground, stirring up dust. He brushed off his sleeves and leaned against the chest, silent.
From the moment that person surnamed Liang produced Deng Yi’s directive, he knew that the so-called return to the capital for evaluation would turn into a struggle for merit rewards.
He also knew that what had originally been Zhong Changrong’s personal wish to have him go would immediately become the situation demanding he go.
For Zhong Changrong, having someone surnamed Xie go was the most advantageous choice.
This way the Chu clan could sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight—only benefits, no drawbacks.
When he was called in the second time, he’d prepared to hear how Zhong Changrong would waste words telling him to go, but unexpectedly—
Zhong Changrong had actually changed his mind and told him not to go.
This—Xie Yanlai clenched his hand, squeezing out from between his teeth: “This honest fool!”
The situation was so clear, the choice so simple, yet Zhong Changrong had unnecessarily asked whether the Xie family wanted him to return. Upon hearing they didn’t, he actually told him not to go!
This Zhong Changrong—at critical moments he had no brains, fussy and indecisive, who knows what he was thinking. Just like his foolish young mistress Chu Zhao!
Xie Yanlai’s clenched fist slowly relaxed.
Of course he knew what Zhong Changrong was thinking. Deng Yi wanted Liang Qiang to enter the capital. The Xie clan surely knew, but the Xie clan had neither written a directive for Xie Yanlai to return to the capital nor privately sent word for him to go back. Clearly this time they were avoiding conflict and not competing.
With the Xie clan not competing, if Xie Yanlai returned to the capital anyway, it would cause some trouble for the Xie clan. If the Xie clan had trouble, he, Xie Yanlai, would become a criminal and would be scolded, blamed, and even punished by the family.
Thinking of this, Xie Yanlai found it amusing again. He clearly bore the surname Xie, yet they always viewed him separately from the Xie family. Chu Zhao was like this, and now Zhong Changrong was too.
He raised his hand before his eyes, looking at the tiger-head pendant he held in his hand.
This had been seized from one of the Xi Liang King’s camps. Although they hadn’t captured any Xi Liang royal nobles at the time, they’d fled in haste, leaving behind rare treasures. The other gold, silver, and jewels were nothing special and uninteresting. He’d made the decision to have the following soldiers divide them among themselves.
Only this pendant—he didn’t know what material it was carved from—depicted a tiger head so lifelike and interesting that he’d kept it, planning to give it to—
Setting aside all this chaos, he hadn’t seen her in a year.
He wanted to go. To see her. Just once.
Return to the capital.
Return to the capital!
Who cares about troubles or disputes! He wanted to see her once!
Xie Yanlai clenched his hand and leapt up like a fish.