Chapter 20
Xiao Lezi followed behind Yang Hao, deeply worried.
“Your Majesty, if Her Highness learns that we secretly left the palace, then…”
Yang Hao waved him off fearlessly.
“If you say nothing and I say nothing, who will ever know? I am merely going to see Imperial Sister’s future female Prince Consort. It is not as though I am sneaking around to steal chickens or dogs!”
Xiao Lezi looked at Yang Hao ahead of him.
Yang Hao was walking with his neck hunched, his eyes constantly darting from side to side. Anyone who saw him would find it difficult to believe that he was not sneaking around to do something disreputable.
“Your Majesty, we could come during the day. It is already the middle of the night. The Prince Consort may have gone to sleep long ago.”
Besides, men and women were expected to maintain a proper distance. Even if Mu Xu was Her Highness’s future Prince Consort, she was still a woman!
Yang Hao considered it and realized Xiao Lezi had a point.
He had originally intended to visit the future female Prince Consort earlier that day. Although he had already sent people to investigate Mu Xu’s background, he had never seen her in person.
But before he could even leave Qianqing Palace, he learned that Imperial Sister had taken Mu Xu to the Cai residence.
Although he and Imperial Sister were both Cai Qifeng’s students, Teacher clearly favored Imperial Sister more.
Back then, Imperial Sister and Madam Cai had pleaded and persuaded for a long time before Teacher reluctantly accepted Yang Hao as a student.
Yang Hao had also been rather mischievous in his youth and was often scolded by Teacher.
Ever since he issued that imperial marriage decree, Teacher had given him no end of hostile looks. Yang Hao was not an idiot. Why would he deliberately walk straight into danger?
Besides, had he gone with them, Teacher might have demanded that he withdraw the decree.
Just then, the Left Chancellor happened to arrive and delayed him for quite some time. By the time Yang Hao finished dealing with everything, night had already fallen.
They were almost at Mu Xu’s door now. Surely he could not turn back.
Yang Hao waved his hand.
“Xiao Lezi, you do not understand. As the saying goes, on a dark and windy night, it is perfect for murder—”
Xiao Lezi hurriedly reminded him, “Your Majesty, we mustn’t say such crude things!”
Yang Hao turned and rebuked him.
“Impudent! Whatever I say is correct. How dare a mere eunuch lecture me? Do you believe I will punish you by making you copy Buddhist scriptures?”
Ever since Her Highness ordered His Majesty to copy scriptures, whenever someone displeased him, His Majesty punished that person by making them copy scriptures too.
The servants had suffered terribly.
Their hands aching from writing was bad enough. Even in their dreams, they saw the Buddha.
Xiao Lezi immediately dropped to his knees.
“Oh, this servant knows he was wrong! Your Majesty, please don’t punish this servant!”
“One hundred volumes!”
Xiao Lezi’s hands were still trembling from the previous copying.
If he had to complete another hundred volumes, his hands would eventually become useless!
He threw himself forward and hugged Yang Hao’s leg, pleading tearfully.
“Your Majesty, please spare this servant! This servant knows he was wrong and will never dare do it again…”
Yang Hao struck Xiao Lezi’s hands with his paper fan.
“Get off me! Let go! Let go!”
No matter how Yang Hao hit or pulled at him, Xiao Lezi refused to release him. Instead, he clung even more tightly.
“This servant was wrong! Please spare this servant just this once…”
A young night watchman stood at the corner, staring at the scene ahead in stunned disbelief.
He had merely come to perform the night watch in place of his bedridden father.
How had he stumbled upon something like this?
Because of where he stood, the young man could only see Yang Hao’s back. Another person knelt before him, hugging his thigh while the two pulled and tugged at each other. One of them was even speaking in a tearful voice.
Throughout Canglan’s history, there had indeed been men with a preference for other men.
But surely they had never been this shamelessly open about it!
It might be the dead of night, but how could they engage in such improper behavior in a place without the slightest cover?
The young watchman was about to take another route when the wooden clapper in his hand accidentally struck the gong.
Dong—
Yang Hao and Xiao Lezi both turned toward the sound and fixed their eyes upon him.
The young watchman froze as though someone had sealed his acupoints.
He had only come to perform the night watch.
He had not deliberately interrupted their good time!
Turning around, he forced out a smile uglier than crying.
“Gentlemen, this humble one was only passing by. I did not see anything! Please continue!”
Continue?
Continue what?
Yang Hao lowered his head and looked at Xiao Lezi, who was still clinging to him.
Then he connected it with what the young watchman had said.
He pried Xiao Lezi’s hands away, lifted his foot, and kicked him several paces away.
“Ow—!”
Xiao Lezi rubbed his aching backside.
Yang Hao approached the young watchman with a smile.
“Young man, do not misunderstand!”
Yang Hao believed his smile looked perfectly friendly.
In the watchman’s eyes, however, it appeared extraordinarily lecherous.
The young man shook his head desperately.
No, no, he had not misunderstood!
But please stop coming so close!
He might be thin and weak, but he had absolutely no interest in men.
He was the only son in his family and still intended to marry a wife and live a proper life!
“Young man, I…”
Before Yang Hao could finish, the young watchman fled in terror.
This gentleman might look respectable, but he was actually trying to invite the watchman to join them in such shameless behavior!
“……”
Yang Hao snapped his paper fan open and walked back toward Xiao Lezi.
Just as Xiao Lezi was trying to stand, Yang Hao kicked lightly at his foot.
“Five hundred volumes!”
Xiao Lezi felt terribly wronged.
“Waaah… Your Majesty…”
Yang Hao had been the one misunderstood, yet Xiao Lezi was acting aggrieved?
“Six hundred volumes!”
Xiao Lezi blinked pitifully.
“Waaah… This servant knows he was wrong…”
Yang Hao pointed his paper fan at him and ground out through clenched teeth, “One thousand volumes! The moment we return to the palace, copy them all for me!”
Xiao Lezi hurriedly covered his mouth.
He looked at Yang Hao with tears in his eyes, hoping he would withdraw the order.
But Yang Hao flung his sleeve and walked away.
When they reached Mu Xu’s residence, Yang Hao pushed at the main gate.
It did not move.
It was probably locked.
The homes of commoners were not like the imperial palace.
Just as Yang Hao began considering what to do, Xiao Lezi’s voice came from behind him.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This servant looked around just now. The wall here is the lowest. If Your Majesty steps on this servant’s back, you should be able to climb over.”
Yang Hao smiled.
“Xiao Lezi, you really are clever!”
Then he noticed Xiao Lezi staring at him.
The meaning behind his gaze was obvious.
“You little servant. I will pardon five hundred of those volumes.”
Xiao Lezi was delighted.
Even though Yang Hao had not pardoned them all, at least half were gone.
“This servant thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace!”
Xiao Lezi lowered himself so Yang Hao could step on his back more easily.
But after waiting for a while, he still felt no foot pressing down.
Yang Hao was hesitating.
Climbing over the wall of a young woman’s home was utterly improper.
How could a gentleman behave this way?
He had never even done such a thing as a child!
Xiao Lezi had served Yang Hao for more than ten years. How could he fail to understand what Yang Hao was thinking?
“Your Majesty, we are not going inside to steal anything. We are merely visiting the Prince Consort. If we knock now and awaken everyone, the Prince Consort would be unable to explain herself even if she had ten mouths.
“Climbing the wall is much better. We can enter without anyone knowing and avoid causing trouble for the Prince Consort. And should Your Majesty fear Her Highness finding out, who would dare tell her about tonight once Your Majesty gives the order?”
Yang Hao was overjoyed.
Xiao Lezi might usually know only how to flatter him, but at crucial moments, he could still be useful.
“I will pardon another four hundred volumes!”
Xiao Lezi was ecstatic.
If he continued flattering His Majesty before they returned to the palace, perhaps the entire punishment would be forgiven.
“Being able to ease Your Majesty’s worries is a blessing this servant cultivated in his previous life!”
Yang Hao stepped on Xiao Lezi’s back and climbed over the wall.
The moment he landed steadily on the other side, he heard Xiao Lezi call out, “Your Majesty, please trouble yourself to open the gate.”
Yang Hao finally understood.
“Hey! You scoundrel!”
Xiao Lezi chuckled.
“Xiao Lezi would also like to climb over and open the gate for Your Majesty, but Xiao Lezi is too short to get over the wall. As for asking Xiao Lezi to step on Your Majesty—even if this servant borrowed ten thousand measures of courage, he would never dare!”
His master had climbed the wall.
Why should he climb too?
“Hah! You little servant always have an excuse. Fine. I will open it for you.”
Yang Hao opened the gate, and Xiao Lezi walked in with a broad smile.
“Your Majesty, this servant will close the gate.”
Yang Hao watched him and took a step backward.
The moment Xiao Lezi turned around to close it, Yang Hao kicked him viciously in the backside.
Xiao Lezi had not expected the kick.
Losing his balance, he crashed into the gate.
Bang—
“Ow… Mmph…”
Yang Hao hurriedly covered Xiao Lezi’s mouth and whispered, “Shut up!”
Xiao Lezi nodded.
The two stared cautiously toward the house.
Mu Xu stopped what she was doing.
Cuizhu and Taohua had already gone to sleep. Even if either of them rose during the night, they would have called out first.
They would never make such a noise.
Could thieves have entered?
“Meow… Meow… Meow…”
Hearing the sound of a cat, Mu Xu finally relaxed and put the scissors back down.
When no one came outside for a long time, Xiao Lezi whispered, “Your Majesty, that cry you made just now truly sounded like a cat!”
Yang Hao struck Xiao Lezi’s head with his paper fan.
“Stop flattering me! Be careful. If you attract anyone’s attention, I will reward you with a beating!”
“Yes. This servant obeys!”
“You search over there, and I will search over here. We will meet outside the room where the candle is burning. There are only three rooms. Checking them one by one will not take long.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
After searching, they discovered that one room was the kitchen, while two people slept inside another.
That meant the room with the candlelight must be Mu Xu’s.
The two crept toward Mu Xu’s door.
Just as Yang Hao raised his hand to knock, he hesitated again.
He pulled Xiao Lezi closer and whispered, “What do you think the Prince Consort is doing awake in the middle of the night?”
How would Xiao Lezi know?
Whatever she was doing, she certainly was not climbing over someone else’s wall at midnight like His Majesty.
“Perhaps the Prince Consort is reading?”
Yang Hao nodded.
That was reasonable.
Since Mu Xu was a teacher, there was nothing strange about her reading more books.
“She truly is diligent!”
Mu Xu’s hands trembled.
She stared at the two shadows outside the door.
Judging from their figures, they were undoubtedly men!
With trembling hands, Mu Xu picked up her scissors.
She could not hear what the two intruders were whispering about.
She had often heard stories of lecherous criminals who entered women’s bedrooms at night, violated them, and then murdered them to silence them.
But those stories had been from Suzhou.
She had never imagined such criminals would exist in Chang’an as well, directly beneath the emperor’s feet!
Mu Xu drew several deep breaths to summon her courage and slowly edged toward the door.
By the time she crouched beside it, her entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
But when she looked at the scissors in her hand, she hesitated.
If she stabbed someone to death, she would face imprisonment at the very least.
No.
She could not use the scissors.
But if not the scissors, what could she use?
Mu Xu looked around and finally spotted something suitable.
She picked up the wooden laundry club beside her.
Her grip tightened around it as she repeatedly reassured herself.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be afraid.
This would surely knock the intruder unconscious!
Knock, knock, knock—
Yang Hao knocked on the door.
No one opened it.
He knocked again.
Still, there was no response.
Yang Hao stroked his chin, his expression turning grave.
She was neither opening the door nor answering.
Could she be elsewhere?
But it was already the middle of the night!
If she truly was not inside, where had she gone?
And why had she left a candle burning?
Could it be…
Excellent!
She was actually meeting a lover behind Imperial Sister’s back!
Today, he would see for himself whether she was in this room!
Yang Hao reached out and pushed.
The instant the door opened, before he could see anything inside, a wooden laundry club swung directly toward his face…
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