The Red Mansion

Chapter 41 The Thirteenth Prince vs. Wang Ziteng

After Qin Ye's body was carried away, Prince Zhongyi inspected the old house with great interest.

His eyes swept over the mottled walls, faded window frames, cracked cypress columns, and moss-covered stone steps. He even glanced into the main room. After leaving the main room, his eyes fell on Jiang Nian. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "Fourth brother is so cruel to this son. It's fine that he didn't recognize him for more than ten years, but now he has allowed him to come to Beijing, but he only arranged such a house for him."

This old little house was actually deliberately arranged by Emperor Taishun...

Prince Zhongyi withdrew his thoughts and turned to ask Ma Peicheng: "Where is Wang Ziteng now?"

Ma Peicheng looked embarrassed and glanced at Cheng Xu.

Prince Zhongyi pointed his gaze at Cheng Xu with a sharp knife-like gaze: "Where is he?"

Cheng Xu felt as if a knife was at his neck, and tremblingly said, "At... at the Patrol Office of Zuoying."

Prince Zhongyi snorted coldly and said to Jiang Nian, "Young man, come with me to meet Wang Ziteng."

Jiang Nian naturally would not refuse and said respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness."

Prince Zhongyi immediately walked towards the gate of the house, followed closely by Jiang Nian. As soon as the two of them stepped out of the gate, a shrill cry of pain came from the Qin family next door.

Although Jiang Nian couldn't identify it, he knew that Qin Keqing's crying must be mixed in. He had never seen Qin Keqing before, so naturally he didn't know what she looked like when she cried.

Prince Zhongyi was moved by the crying. He stopped outside the house and listened for a while.

But he soon regained his composure, gave Jiang Nian a playful smile, and said, "Ride in the carriage with me."

Jiang Nian paused, but did not refuse and said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Prince Zhongyi boarded the carriage first, followed closely by Jiang Nian.

Ma Peicheng and Cheng Xu were surprised again when they saw this scene.

It was already unbelievable that Jiang Nian had sent a steward to invite the Thirteenth Prince today. And now, the Thirteenth Prince had actually asked Jiang Nian to ride in the same carriage with him!
What exactly is the connection between Jiang Nian and the Thirteenth Prince? Are they so close?

In fact, today was the first time that Prince Zhongyi met Jiang Nian. He had never seen him before.

But Prince Zhongyi wanted to protect Jiang Nian.

Firstly, Jiang Nian was the son of Emperor Taishun, and Emperor Taishun had instructed Prince Zhongyi to be Jiang Nian's contact person after he arrived in Beijing. Secondly, Prince Zhongyi felt sympathy for Jiang Nian, thinking that compared to Emperor Taishun's other sons, Jiang Nian was pitiful.

Prince Zhongyi's mother came from a less-than-privileged background. She initially entered the palace as a maid, but thanks to the favor of Emperor Jingning, she gave birth to Prince Zhongyi and later two daughters. Before her death, she had never received a higher title, and only after her death did Emperor Jingning posthumously confer the title of consort on her.

When his biological mother died, Prince Zhongyi was only thirteen years old and was raised by Emperor Taishun's biological mother.

Because of his difficult background and his mother's early death, Prince Zhongyi felt pitiable compared to some of the other princes and was often bullied by his brothers. Fortunately, his fourth brother loved him. Although they were not born of the same mother, their brotherly bond was strong. Now that his fourth brother had become emperor, he pledged his loyalty and dedication to him.

He knew Wang Ziteng very well and therefore disliked him.

This dispute between Jiang Nian and Wang Ziteng made him think that this might be a good opportunity to suppress Wang Ziteng...

Now he asked Jiang Nian to ride in the carriage with him because he wanted to ask more about Jiang Nian, the Xue family, and Wang Ziteng. He was also curious about the situation of Jiang Xuelian and Jiang Nian. In addition, he did it deliberately for Wang Ziteng to see, so that Wang Ziteng would know that Jiang Nian was close to him and would not dare to retaliate against Jiang Nian easily in the future.

…………

Prince Zhongyi and Jiang Nian rode in a carriage together and arrived at the Zuoying Yamen of the Patrol Office located outside Chaoyang Gate.

The dusk cast a shadow over the bluestone pavement outside the Patrol's Left Camp Yamen, and also over the two ferocious stone lions in front of the vermilion lacquered gate.

The carriage stopped only after entering the yamen. The bronze horse ornaments and gilded shaft glowed dimly in the twilight.

Prince Zhongyi deliberately did not get out of the car, and also deliberately did not let Jiang Nian get out of the car.

Prince Zhongyi sat upright in the car, tapping the small rosewood table with his fingertips from time to time.

Jiang Nian lowered her eyes and sat quietly beside Prince Zhongyi, hearing the clattering footsteps approaching outside the car.

"Your subordinate, Wang Ziteng, respectfully welcomes the Thirteenth Prince."

Wang Ziteng's greetings were heard outside the car.

Prince Zhongyi lifted the carriage curtain, glanced at the half-kneeling Wang Ziteng, and said calmly, "Get up."

He then got off the carriage with Jiang Nian, the hem of his python robe brushing against the shaft.

When Wang Ziteng saw Jiang Nian and Prince Zhongyi riding in the same carriage and then getting out together, his back straightened and his pupils constricted. His eyes flickered between Jiang Nian and Prince Zhongyi, and he immediately understood: Jiang Nian and the Thirteenth Prince were truly close!
Wang Ziteng felt a gloom in his heart, but he had to suppress it, put on a respectful look, and invited Prince Zhongyi into the house.

Inside the house, Prince Zhongyi took his seat.

His gaze was like a knife, piercing Wang Ziteng. "Brother Nian has shown great kindness to the Xue family. Asking his daughter to become a concubine in return is not excessive. The Xue family even personally signed the promise of a concubine, yet you threatened Brother Nian to give up this thought, hand over the contract, and keep the servants silent about this matter. When your threats failed, you mobilized troops to capture his entire family, and in doing so, you even caused the death of Qin Ye, a member of the Ministry of Works. Do you acknowledge your guilt?"

Wang Ziteng disagreed. He glanced at Jiang Nian and said to Prince Zhongyi, "Your Majesty, it was he who forced the Xue family to allow me to have a concubine. I feel unfair about this."

Prince Zhongyi said, "As far as I know, it was not forced."

Wang Ziteng said, "He indeed forced me to do it. The Xue family didn't want to agree to this, but he insisted on making my niece a concubine, so the Xue family had no choice but to agree."

Prince Zhongyi asked, "Did he threaten the Xue family with words? Or did he threaten the Xue family with force?"

According to what Aunt Xue told Wang Ziteng, Jiang Nian did not threaten him with words, let alone with force.

At that time, Jiang Nian just emphasized that if the Xue family did not agree, they would be ungrateful.

Wang Ziteng paused for a moment and said, "He insisted that the Xue family give him my niece as a concubine, and even threatened that if the Xue family didn't agree, they would be ungrateful. Isn't this coercion?"

Prince Zhongyi sneered, his tone becoming sarcastic: "If this is considered coercion, then you, Wang Ziteng, have done many other coercive things."

Wang Ziteng was furious when he heard this, but he didn't dare show it. He suppressed his anger and said, "Although he has done a favor to the Xue family, he is so eager to ask for a reward from the Xue family right after doing a favor. He wants my niece to be his concubine. It's rather arrogant."

Prince Zhongyi sneered again: "If this is considered arrogant, then you, Wang Ziteng, have done many arrogant things."

Wang Ziteng: "..."

Prince Zhongyi had something in his mind that he hadn't said out loud, which was: If it were Wang Ziteng, who had such a great favor to a wealthy merchant family like the Xue family, Wang Ziteng might have swallowed up this wealthy merchant family!
(End of this chapter)