unedited

“……”

This was only the first day.

Already meeting with Lin Bozhou?

Wouldn’t it be a bit too impatient?

Meng Huan muttered in his heart as he carried the lantern all the way to the prison of the prince’s residence. Chen An was really good at acting and said, “It’s not good to wake up the subordinates in the middle of the night. If Nephew is not asleep, help Uncle take a lantern. It would be best to familiarize yourself in front of the prince.”

Chen An had always been serious, but surprisingly, he even had to say lies earnestly to let him meet the prince. Meng Huan was really quite embarrassed.

The imperial prison was eerie in the middle of the night, holding some disheveled men and women who had committed crimes in the residence. Meng Huan smelled the familiar smell of blood. The candle shadows before him wavered as a man with long fingers half-propping up his forehead sat in a chair. His royal clothes were brightly colored and noble, and he held a cup of tea in one hand.

“……”

From a distance, he met with Lin Bozhou’s eyes.

Lin Bozhou narrowed his eyes and moved his gaze away indifferently.

“……”

Quite able to act.

Chen An went up to speak while Meng Huan stood silently by the door, playing the role of a competent servant. Only then did he notice another person hanging from the ceiling beam, covered in blood and flesh, and he took a step back unconsciously in fright.

“Your Highness,” Chen An asked, “is there something urgent?”

Lin Bozhou looked grave. “Cui Lang has escaped.”

Hearing these words, Meng Huan couldn’t help but look over.

Chen An was also surprised. “What?”

“This prince ordered Qianhu Luo to block him on his way back to Cui Residence and kill if he can. However, he should have known that this prince was watching him and did not return to Cui Residence after leaving the imperial palace but went out of the city and hid in the mountains. It is unknown in which friend’s house or deep mountain temple he is hiding.”

Lin Bozhou raised his eyes to signal. “Qianhu Luo’s people rushed there and only caught a servant who returned to the house. Now we are counting on whether we can interrogate a few sentences.”

“So that’s how it is.” Chen An was full of thought.

He was the Changshi of the prince’s residence, responsible for the household’s political affairs, so he obviously couldn’t sleep tonight and had to interrogate this servant to find out a few things.

He coughed, not knowing whether it was intentional or not. “This subordinate understands. This subordinate will interrogate the person. Your Highness should take care of your body and go back to rest.” After he finished, he gestured sideways to Meng Huan. “Nephew, go back and tell your aunt I won’t be back tonight, so she can turn off the lights and rest early.”

Meng Huan let out a sound and was about to leave.

Lin Bozhou glanced sideways, and only then did he speak casually as if he had just seen Meng Huan. “Chen An, is this your nephew?”

Chen An pulled out his long-prepared lines. “It’s this subordinate’s mother’s sister’s youngest grandson, who is incapable and sent to the capital for a job. He just arrived this afternoon.”

Meng Huan paused in his steps and looked up at Lin Bozhou.

A servant behind him whispered, “The prince is asking you a question! Kneel quickly.”

“…………”

Kneel, kneel what? No way!

Meng Huan was at a loss for words, glancing at the servant and Lin Bozhou. Lin Bozhou obviously heard the remarks here; his voice was very low. “No need to stick to the courtesy. Chen An’s little nephew, raise your head.”

Lin Bozhou’s voice was distant and indifferent, but the tone was low and inexplicably provocative.

He obviously just wanted to talk to Meng Huan.

Meng Huan raised his head and met his gaze.

Lin Bozhou’s voice was gentle, and his eyes swayed with a slightly dim light. “How old are you this year?”

Meng Huan: “Eighteen years old.”

“You look young,” Lin Bozhou seemed to smile, “Coming to the capital to make a living, what can you do?”

Meng Huan: “I know calligraphy and painting, drawing human portraits and maps.”

“Is that so?” Lin Bozhou’s end tone lifted slightly. “Coincidentally, the princess also knows how to draw.”

“…………”

–This sentence.

It really seemed like.

The scum was out there.

Looking for a replacement for the white moonlight.

Ah.

Meng Huan said quietly, “This humble servant is incompetent and does not dare to compare with the princess.”

The corner of Lin Bozhou’s lips raised slightly.

All right, he learned how to test his bottom line.

Chen An smilingly said, “The prince and the princess are deeply in love and very affectionate. The princess just went to the Mingbo Temple, but the prince has been thinking about it all day.”

Lin Bozhou responded, “This prince and the princess are indeed very affectionate.”

He spoke with a pause, like an elder advising his junior, and casually said: “Little nephew, since you want to settle down and pursue your path in the capital, then learn from your uncle, Changshi Chen. He is intelligent, not arrogant, and thoughtful. Follow him for a few years to learn, and you will definitely have great achievements in the future.”

This statement was a tacit agreement that Meng Huan and Chen An would follow the army.

Meng Huan: “Thank you, Your Highness, for the advice.”

One after the other, the conversation was distinctly structured.

But according to Lin Bozhou’s distant and cold character, even if he thought highly of Chen An, these few words with his nephew were already benevolent, and it was a bit strange to say more.

Lin Bozhou really did get up and ended the conversation with Meng Huan, and the eunuch immediately helped him up.

“Chen An, you take your time. This prince is going back.”

Chen An hurriedly said, “Sending off Your Highness.”

Lin Bozhou walked from the dark corridor to this side. When walking to Meng Huan’s side, his footsteps paused, and he looked at him sideways. His cold, dark eyes flickered on his face, and the corners of his lips seemed smiling but also not.

Meng Huan retreated to the side of the road and looked at him.

His eyes only lingered for a short time.

Lin Bozhou walked into the dark corridor, dropping a statement. “The night is deep. Someone, come and hold the light for Chen An’s nephew.”

And the figure walked away.

Meng Huan raised his head and looked at the gradually leaving lantern.

The words that Lin Bozhou said to him were very clever. Not asking his name, he used Chen An’s nephew to refer to him, as if it was for Chen An’s sake that he condescended to talk to him for a few minutes.

But……

Meng Huan lowered his eyes and felt ripples in his heart.

He understood what Lin Bozhou was thinking.

Walking from the imperial prison to Chen An’s courtyard would take about ten minutes. It was dark, and the road was eerie, so Meng Huan was definitely scared to walk alone. Lin Bozhou had this in mind and asked someone to accompany him.

Meng Huan turned his head and looked at Chen An again.

Chen An smiled benevolently. “There is no need for Nephew here. Go back to sleep and tell your aunt not to wait for me.”

Meng Huan eventually nodded and returned to Chen An’s courtyard with the royal guards.

The night was as cold as water. Zhang-shi sat under the moonlight with a lamp lit, sewing Chen An’s clothes for this trip with the army with brand-new fabric placed next to her, and made a set for Meng Huan as well.

It was only a matter of time before Lin Bozhou went to war, and the relatives of the staff in the residence had long been busy with their husband’s upcoming military service, reinforcing the soles of their shoes and sewing their clothes.

Lin Bozhou was also busy preparing for the war, fighting the Cui family, mustering troops, and quarreling with the court.