Entertaining Guests - 'What should I do, I'm angry.'

"Young Master Jiang, Lord Censor has instructed that you be brought to the main hall to be seated."

Hearing this, Shen Mengzhi slowly withdrew his water-dampened hand and gathered his sleeves, but his gaze remained on the few koi in the center of the lake scrambling for fish food.

"I understand."

He rose leisurely and followed the attendant out of the lakeside pavilion, heading towards the banquet hall.

The two took a quiet, secluded path, intentionally avoiding the bustling officials, which passed through a bamboo forest. The attendant led Shen Mengzhi onto a small path in the woods and said, "Once you pass through this bamboo forest, you will see the main hall. Young Master, please proceed on your own."

Shen Mengzhi asked, "Have all of Lord Censor's guests arrived?"

The attendant replied, "They have all arrived."

Just as his voice fell, there was a rustle of bamboo leaves, and a person suddenly emerged from the side. Upon seeing the two, he first froze, then his face lit up with joy. "Hey, I finally found someone. I've been wandering in this bamboo forest for half the day and still can't find the way... Can I walk with you?"

This was a youth of about fifteen, dressed in a goose-yellow, practical outfit. His face was handsome, his eyes and brows lively. The fabric of his clothes was extraordinary, suggesting he was the scion of a wealthy or noble family. But when he spoke, he was somewhat carefree, likely having grown up without worry for food or clothing, which nurtured such a straightforward personality.

His spirited appearance was quite similar to Qi Yu from his academy days. Shen Mengzhi couldn't help but take a second look, then said, "Of course, you can."

The attendant had already retreated silently. The youth breathed a sigh of relief and followed along, secretly peeking at Shen Mengzhi while striking up a conversation. "My name is Tingxia, what's yours?"

Shen Mengzhi said, "Jiang Zhen."

"Jiang Zhen..." Tingxia softly repeated the name, committing it to memory. "Never heard of it. Judging by your appearance, you don't seem to be an official of Fengling?"

"I am a student of Heshan Academy," Shen Mengzhi glanced at him. "I came at the invitation of Lord Censor."

Tingxia nodded. "Oh, I see. Heshan Academy... I remember, the Prince Regent stayed there for three years? Do you know him?"

He had slipped away when Chu Jin wasn't looking, heading straight for this Senior Brother of the Prince Regent. That damn Chu Jin wouldn't tell him anything, and Tingxia was itching with curiosity, so he decided to take the initiative.

After asking, he felt his disguise was flawless. His face remained impassive, but inside, he was eagerly waiting to see the other's reaction.

Shen Mengzhi imperceptibly curved his lips, his gaze flitting over Tingxia like a dragonfly skimming water.

"I do," he said. "Are you interested in the Prince Regent?"

Seeing a chance, Tingxia added, "Yes, yes! To be honest, I really admire him! Since you were his classmate, you must be very familiar with him?"

"Me," Shen Mengzhi had been focused on the path ahead, but upon hearing this, he lowered his head and chuckled. "Hmm, I can't say very familiar. We could only be considered... to have kept to ourselves."

Hearing Tingxia's particularly disappointed "Ah," he curved his eyes and deliberately added, "The Prince Regent was the Heir back then, his status was different from ordinary people. He was free-spirited and playful, and he found people as staid as me the most annoying. Our natures were different, so naturally, we didn't get along."

"Hey you... that's not right," Tingxia heard something amiss. "That's not right, clearly..."

Clearly, the Prince Regent liked him to death, in both his words and his heart. Where was there any hint of annoyance!

Shen Mengzhi stopped and turned his head to the side, looking at him with a hazy smile. "Clearly what?"

Tingxia was jolted by his gaze and reacted in an instant. "You tricked me!"

Shen Mengzhi said, "You wrong me."

Tricked or not, he had been completely exposed. With a dejected face, Tingxia looked at Shen Mengzhi again, now feeling that although this Senior Brother of the Prince Regent appeared to be a gentle and beautiful person on the outside, on the inside, he was just as slyly wicked as that person surnamed Chu!

"So you were lying to me before," Tingxia said. "I knew it! The version I heard from that person surnamed Chu is completely different!"

Shen Mengzhi's expression became slightly peculiar when he heard the words "that person surnamed Chu." He said with some helplessness, "I apologize. When others inquire about him, I always have to be cautious... Are you one of his people?"

Tingxia shrugged. "I have no parents. He adopted me when I was seven. Technically, I should call him father, but he complained it made him sound old, and I felt it was letting him off too easy, so I became his personal guard."

Then, he saw a rare look of astonishment on the other's face. Shen Mengzhi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the fact that Chu Jin had quietly raised a child was truly shocking. He was rarely, for the very first time, at a loss for words.

"But not many people know about this," Tingxia quickly added to salvage the situation. "He told me not to mention it to others."

Shen Mengzhi barely managed to find his voice. "Then why did you tell me all this?"

Without a second thought, Tingxia said matter-of-factly, "You're not others."

Shen Mengzhi was taken aback for a moment, then he let out a laugh.

"Your trust in me actually makes me feel a bit guilty."

Tingxia's eyes lit up. He feigned a dignified cough. "Then... can you tell me about his past? He never tells me no matter how I ask!"

This was the Senior Brother who could one-up that person surnamed Chu. The things he could expose would definitely be explosive secrets about Chu Jin! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Shen Mengzhi slowed his pace, thought for a moment with a pensive look, then slowly began to speak.

"What do you imagine he was like in the past?"

Tingxia had imagined this a thousand times over, and he immediately said, "He must have been very punchable."

"... " Shen Mengzhi said, "In a way, that's not wrong. The Prince Regent was exceptionally rebellious back then. Whatever was written in the academy's regulations, he would do the opposite."

It was the first time Tingxia had heard someone describe Chu Jin as "rebellious," and he found it particularly novel. "So he didn't get punished?"

"He was punished for almost everything. There's one thing I didn't lie about: he did find me exceptionally annoying at first, so he went against me in every way." Shen Mengzhi said with some amusement, "Never mind violating the rules to secretly raise a bird, he even stuffed firecrackers into the waterfall to blast fish, which ended up soaking me. Knowing my dietary restrictions, he snuck into my medicinal garden at night and replaced my Lingzhi Mushroom with carrots... truly so childish."

Tingxia: "............"

The rebellious Prince Regent was so unique even then.

That was just too punchable... Tingxia raised his eyebrows, feeling indignant for him. "Did he apologize to you or not?!"

Hearing this, Shen Mengzhi's expression turned unnatural for a moment. "...He did."

One night after they confirmed their relationship, a certain Heir had apologized while kissing him. With every apology came a self-righteous kiss, which was exceptionally improper.

"That's good," Tingxia was relieved, not noticing the other's expression. "He made so many mistakes, and he still wasn't expelled?"

Shen Mengzhi returned to his senses, chuckled softly, and said in a low voice, "Of Heshan Academy's three hundred regulations, there has never been one severe enough to warrant expulsion."

"Only a traitor to the country would be expelled from the academy, never to return."

Tingxia asked, "Has there ever been such a person?"

Shen Mengzhi said, "Since ancient times, there has only been one precedent. But the matter was concealed, and no one has known about it since."

"Oh..."

Tingxia walked a few steps in silence, finally unable to resist asking the question he cared about most. "So, back then, were you on good terms with the Prince Regent?"

Chu Jin's feelings were obvious, but he was curious about the attitude of the person before him.

This question seemed rather difficult to answer. Shen Mengzhi thought for a long time before saying with exceptional reservation, "It was alright."

The two words "it was alright," the pinnacle of perfunctory replies, translated to "not very familiar, don't care, just so-so."

Who knew what expression Chu Jin would make if he heard this. Tingxia was particularly gloating and drew out his tone, "Ooh~ alright~"

At the end of the bamboo forest, the clamor of guests could be faintly heard. The banquet hall must not be far.

Shen Mengzhi turned to look at Tingxia. "Are you coming in with me?"

Tingxia shivered. "No, no."

He had snuck out; he wouldn't dare to swagger in with his Senior Brother right in front of Chu Jin.

His refusal was too obvious. Shen Mengzhi smiled. "Then I'll go ahead."

He turned to leave but heard Tingxia suddenly say, "Wait!"

He was so nervous he stammered a little. "Are, are you... alright?"

At these words, Shen Mengzhi froze. Tingxia's question was out of the blue, but he understood in an instant, his fingers subconsciously touching his neck.

The next second, he remembered that he had already covered the bruise with powder. His hand paused, and then he pretended to casually adjust his collar and chuckled lightly, "I'm fine."

The guests attending the hundred-day banquet at the Censorate were all the bigwigs of Fengling City. Any one person picked from this crowd could make Great Qin tremble three times with a stamp of their foot.

Shen Mengzhi was happy for the peace and quiet, sitting in a corner arranged for him by Li Sheng. Compared to the lively scene of court officials fawning over each other, his spot seemed deserted and ignored.

Li Sheng sat at the head seat, a rare smile on his face. He raised his cup and said, "Gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to attend my humble son's hundred-day banquet today. I have specially prepared fine wine and delicacies on this auspicious day to enjoy the wine and the moon with all of you."

The location was indeed well-chosen. Situated on higher ground with a wide view, one could turn their head and see a full moon in the sky. The heavens were clear and bright, the moon luminous, and the stars sparse.

Shen Mengzhi picked up the cup of tea before him, silently composing his words in his mind. He hadn't had a chance to speak with Chu Jin since entering the banquet hall. The Prince Regent was surrounded by a crowd of officials, major and minor, some toasting, others flattering. And he sat in the middle, responding carelessly, extremely perfunctory, appearing somewhat listless compared to the enthusiasm of those around him.

Only when Shen Mengzhi entered did he lift his eyelids for a glance, before immediately averting his gaze with a look of indifference.

Holding his teacup, Shen Mengzhi contemplated the meaning of that glance. He found that he seemed to have instinctively understood the Prince Regent's thoughts. For instance, just now, amidst the chattering noise, the other person seemed to be enduring his impatience, waiting for him to arrive before casting a restrained look at him under the cover of others.

This was not Xufang; the slightest carelessness could arouse suspicion from others, so both of them had to be extra cautious.

The best way was to pretend they were not familiar with each other. Shen Mengzhi steadied his mind.

The banquet soon began. Tingxia ran back just in time, still catching his breath when Chu Jin called out to him, "Where have you been?"

"It was too stuffy here, so I went for a walk," Tingxia said with righteous indignation.

Chu Jin said, "Where did you walk to?"

Tingxia said, "The bamboo forest. I got lost."

Chu Jin said, "Oh."

Just as Tingxia thought he had gotten away with it, he heard him say leisurely, "You went to see him?"

"!!!" Tingxia's eyes widened, but he remembered to keep his voice down. "How did you know?!"

Chu Jin couldn't be bothered to explain and just asked, "What did he say to you?"

His tone carried a hint of displeasure, seemingly because he was particularly annoyed at having to learn about Shen Mengzhi from someone else. Tingxia thought for a moment, a plan forming in his mind, and said with great pride, "Your Senior Brother did tell me a lot! Do you want to know what he thinks of you? First, promise you won't get angry, and I'll tell you quietly."

After speaking, he tiptoed over and whispered a few sentences into Chu Jin's ear.

These were sentences Tingxia had carefully selected. After hearing them, the Prince Regent was silent for a while. After a long moment, he put down the wine cup in his hand.

Tingxia was horrified to discover a fine crack had appeared on the silver wine cup.

A deep smile touched Chu Jin's lips, but it was definitely not out of happiness. "What should I do, I'm angry."

Tingxia swallowed hard. "It has nothing to do with me! You can't use me as a punching bag!"

At that moment, the Prince of Liang at the opposite table suddenly slammed his wine cup down and laughed loudly. "Third brother, I haven't seen you in a long time. What, after being a Hostage Prince in Yanling for three years, you've become much more composed, have you?"

His words were almost deliberately stepping on Chu Jin's sore spot, hitting the mark every time. Tingxia looked incredulous. A silence instantly fell over the banquet, and everyone's gazes subconsciously converged on Chu Jin.

An official said, "Prince of Liang, this is the current Prince Regent of our Great Qin. Do not be insolent!"

Hearing this, Chu Rong's single eye glanced at the speaker with a contemptuous look. "What are you? Who are you to interrupt a conversation between us brothers?"

The man's face flushed with anger and he was about to speak again, but Li Sheng suddenly slammed his hand on the table. The wood shuddered, immediately drowning out the voices below.

Seeing that no one else was speaking, he relaxed his expression and said faintly, "Gentlemen, today is a joyous day for my manor. It is not a day for anger."

Everyone quickly agreed. Seeing this, Chu Rong's lips curled up in a smug smile. He leisurely shifted into a more comfortable position and picked up the wine cup on the table.

But before he could take a sip, he heard someone from across the table say unhurriedly, "Second brother was ordered to stay at the border for so many years. He also rarely goes out due to his eye ailment and can't bear the light. It's perfectly normal for him not to know my current status."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into an even deader silence. Even Li Sheng's expression froze, his hand suspended in mid-air, not knowing whether to retract it or leave it there.

Only Tingxia, who knew the inside story, gave Chu Rong a sympathetic look.

Of all the times the Prince of Liang could have spoken, he just had to pick this one. The Prince Regent was already in a bad mood; if you weren't the unlucky one, who would be?

With a loud 'bang,' the previously intact wine cup instantly shattered into pieces, clattering to the floor.

Chu Rong didn't look at his bleeding palm, but stared fixedly at the calm and composed Chu Jin opposite him, his voice hoarse and terrifying. "What did you say?"

Being sent to the border was Emperor Yan Chu Guansong's decree, and it had been a thorn in Chu Rong's side for years. Chu Guansong had used the excuse of valuing his strength and wanting him to guard the border, but in reality, he was wary of him usurping the throne. Meanwhile, Chu Jin, that good-for-nothing who had never been taken seriously, had escaped this fate and remained in the capital. When Chu Guansong fell gravely ill and his power was usurped, he transformed and climbed to the position of Prince Regent.

Every time he thought of this, Chu Rong would grind his teeth in hatred. He hated that he wasn't the one who had stayed in Fengling City back then, wasting several years eating sand at the border.

And that eye ailment was a taboo he could not bear to have mentioned. Chu Jin's light-hearted phrase 'can't bear the light' was a pun, thoroughly scolding him.

Seeing the Prince of Liang's expression grow darker, on the verge of exploding in the next second, Tingxia sneered and looked at Li Sheng in the head seat, reminding him, "Lord Censor, today is not a day for anger."

—He returned Li Sheng's earlier words to him, verbatim and complete.

Li Sheng's face was grim. After a long moment, he ordered in a deep voice, "Change the cup for His Highness, the Prince of Liang."

"..."

The Grand Censor had intervened. Chu Rong forcefully suppressed his anger. Thinking of the men he had ambushed in the city, he gave a cold laugh and said no more.

The start of this hundred-day banquet was truly terrifying. A single glance at the blood-stained shards of the wine cup on the floor was enough to make everyone's faces show awkwardness, and the initial lively atmosphere was gone.

Li Sheng took in everyone's expressions, feeling he was losing face. He took a deep breath, called an attendant over, gave a few instructions, then raised his cup and said, "Gentlemen, that was just a small matter, no need to dwell on it. It is a rare occasion for us to gather today. Let us not waste this fine time, beautiful scenery, and exquisite delicacies. Please, drink this cup with me!"

Everyone raised their cups one after another, looking at each other from afar.

Li Sheng was the first to drain his cup, then he clapped his hands and announced in a loud voice, "Let the banquet begin!"

The author has something to say:

All the bullying is just the young couple's unconscious flirting.

In front of Zhizhi, Chu Jin is just a very childish Prince Regent.