Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Night Wanderer (1)

Chapter 437: Night Wanderer (1)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The new residence was very large. There were lanterns hanging everywhere after the move, but not many people lived here. Only the embroidery building on the east side and the courtyards on the west side were occupied.

After the housewarming banquet ended, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The huge residence had long become quiet, and it was already late at night.

The lights in the master bedroom of Plum Blossom Courtyard were already off, but the lanterns hanging outside the door still brought some light.

The light golden curtain hung on the curtain hook, and the Hornless Dragon Saber hung beside the bed frame.

Ye Jingtang was leaning on the light golden pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks, looking at the carvings on the top of the bed and silently thinking about all kinds of messy things.

Third Lady had changed into a gauze nightgown and was lying beside him with her back facing him. The weather was not cold, and the blanket was only draped around her waist. Her plump breasts were still faintly visible.

After dinner last night, the two of them had returned to the bedroom to rest.

Third Lady had drunk a little too much. It was unknown if it was because she had drunk too much, but after being intimate once, she had actually said she would keep her promise and let him do whatever he wanted. She had even specially gone to take a bath and made herself clean, ready to do whatever he wanted.

Ye Jingtang was afraid that Third Lady wouldn’t be able to take it, so he didn’t intend to do it for real, but he had overestimated his composure. Third Lady cooperated obediently, so he naturally took advantage of the situation.

It was difficult to describe the process in detail, but the Third Lady was indeed woken up from her drunkenness. Afterward, she even said that he was unruly and took advantage of a girl’s drunkenness to mess around, refusing to admit that it was voluntary for her to do such a shameful thing.

Ye Jingtang benefited, so he naturally had to take the blame. After coaxing Third Lady, who had tears in her eyes, to sleep, he lay on his pillow and silently practiced the Jade Bone Dragon Form Picture. He was in a half-awake, half-asleep state.

After he practiced for an unknown period of time, light footsteps came from the corridor outside the courtyard. They stopped at the courtyard door, and then someone called out softly, “Young Master?”

It was Xiuhe’s voice.

Ye Jingtang opened his eyes and turned to look at Third Lady, who was sleeping soundly beside him. Then he got up quietly, covered Third Lady with the thin blanket, put on his robe, and went out the door.

Because it was the first day after moving, lanterns had been hung everywhere in the house. According to custom, the lights had to be on all night.

At this moment, the courtyard was very bright. Xiuhe, who was wearing a light blue dress, was standing at the round door at the end of the crosswalk, holding a stack of papers in her arms and looking around.

Ye Jingtang closed the door and waved for Xiuhe to come over. When she got closer, he asked, “You didn’t sleep all night?”

“I went to sleep. Just now, someone came over and said that they had investigated information overnight. He was afraid that you would need it urgently, so he specially sent it over.”

Ye Jingtang took the stack of papers. Because it was inconvenient to look at it in the courtyard, he and Xiuhe went to the study room in the main wing.

Third Lady was in charge of everything in the residence. Basically, she would never pick the cheap items if she could use the expensive ones. The furniture was all made of precious wood. To say that it was too extravagant was an understatement. For example, nanmu wood was reserved for the exclusive use of nobles in Great Wei. Commoners could be punished for misusing it.

However, two days ago, the Imperial Court had sent over the title-conferring edict. Although the Marquis of Yunzhong was a false title, the privileges of food, clothing, housing, and transportation were still calculated according to the status of a marquis. For example, marquises could use a carriage pulled by four horses and a sedan chair carried by eight people in other places. In the capital, they could use a carriage pulled by three horses and a sedan chair carried by four people.

For this reason, Third Lady had specially gone to replace a set of furniture for him in the past two days to make their home look like a marquis’s residence. As for things like desks, because they were especially important to nobles, even though Ye Jingtang basically had no use for them, Third Lady had still tastefully chosen them. There were unopened brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the table, as well as the little jade turtle, wooden donkey, and other ornaments he had bought for the bird.

Ye Jingtang sat down behind the desk. Xiuhe skillfully lit a lamp, placed it on the table, and helped him grind ink.

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly. “There’s no need. I’m not writing anything. Sit down and help me explain these people and their official positions.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Hearing this, Xiuhe quickly moved over a round stool from the side and sat beside the armchair. She picked up a piece of paper and explained seriously, “Chen Cang, an official from the Ministry of Rites. His ancestral home is in Yan Province’s Ningyuan County…”

The Pei family had been doing business in the capital for many years, and they had the background of the Red Flower Pavilion in secret. They didn’t know everything about the bureaucracy like the back of their hands, but they still knew who the officials were, where they came from, and where they lived. This information was basically ready-made. Xiuhe had been Third Lady’s secretary for years and was very professional.

Ye Jingtang listened attentively to Xiuhe’s explanation and silently analyzed the feasibility of these people committing rebellion. For example, if they could mobilize troops, constables, or people related to the imperial guards, as long as there was the possibility of assassination, he would rather kill the wrong person than let them go. He wrote down all their names and examined them one by one.

Because the major imperial examination provinces were in the central and southeastern parts of Great Wei, and Yan Province was a frontier province, there were not many high-ranking officials holding important positions in the capital. Ye Jingtang listened and felt that these people would be crazy if they rebelled until Xiuhe reported the last person.

“There’s also a Yan Province person with a very high status in the capital. His name is Dongfang Shuoyue, and he’s the heir of the Prince of Yan. He entered the capital ten years ago. After he finished studying at the Imperial Academy, the Imperial Court gave him an idle position in the Ministry of Rites. However, he has a lazy personality and has never gone to work. He often goes to Parasol Street to play. People gave him the nickname ‘Cup Opener’, and his gambling skills are second to none in Yun’an…”

Ye Jingtang had heard the nickname ‘Cup Opener’ before. When he heard this, his eyes moved slightly. He took the paper and looked at it carefully.. “Is the heir of the Prince of Yan very powerful in the capital?”