Chapter 64: Wielding the Big Hammer Part 2

He paused, took a deep breath as if forcibly suppressing the last shred of shame, and issued the shocking order:

“Find ones matching… what Yan Xinfeng might prefer! Move fast! This prince has no time to wait!”

The spy froze in place, unable to believe what he’d heard. But then the teapot full of scalding tea came flying, hot water drenching him. He snapped awake, kowtowed in a fluster, and ran off.

…

…

Wei Tingxia and Yan Xinfeng still didn’t know what was coming next, nor that several burly lads and lasses who could wield big hammers were closing in.

The two holed up in the marquis manor living their little life, rarely going out. Yan Xinfeng only went to court; otherwise, he stayed home reading military books and tending flowers and plants.

The jujube sapling brought from the Northern Border had grown into a small tree. Wei Tingxia changed it to a new flower pot and brought it before Ruo Chi for it to see. Ruo Chi did like it and neighed twice, then nearly stripped all the jujube leaves.

The carefully tended little tree was crippled in an instant. Wei Tingxia angrily swatted it a couple times. The horse, inheriting its master’s thick skin, didn’t feel a thing and even shamelessly stuck out its tongue.

Wei Tingxia wasn’t polite either and cut off its fresh grass for two days, until Ruo Chi whinnied and showed some remorse. Only then did the matter pass.

Yan Xinfeng had no objection and even strongly approved.

“It does need a lesson,” he said, leaning against a corridor pillar as he watched the wilted Ruo Chi. “Back in the Northern Border, after it became leader of the herd, it got arrogant, temper no longer as docile as before, always itching for a fight.”

Yan Xinfeng hadn’t had time to deal with it, so Wei Tingxia stepping in was only natural.

Everything was harmonious until two days later, when the Emperor secretly summoned Yan Xinfeng.

The secret decree was delivered personally by a guard from the Emperor’s side. When the message arrived, Yan Xinfeng was watching Wei Tingxia train the horse.

“Marquis, Your Majesty summons you to the palace.”

Yan Xinfeng turned his head and recognized the guard’s uniform embroidery and the token in his hand.

Wei Tingxia sensed something off and lightly tugged the reins. Ruo Chi understood, nimbly jumped the low fence by the field, and slowly walked to Yan Xinfeng’s side. Man and horse moved in uncanny sync, both lowering their heads together to scrutinize the token-bearing guard.

The guard: “…”

The pressure of being stared at by three pairs of eyes at once made him instinctively retreat half a step before he steadied his mind and respectfully presented the secret edict with both hands. “Please, Marquis, enter the palace at once. Do not delay.”

Yan Xinfeng took it, broke the wax seal, glanced at it, and quickly skimmed the contents. His brows furrowed imperceptibly.

Just as he was about to read it closely, he suddenly felt the light above his head dim, and a blast of hot air carrying the scent of fodder sprayed toward him. He turned his head and saw Ruo Chi eyeing the edict eagerly, eager to snatch it into its mouth and eat it.

“This can’t be eaten!”

Wei Tingxia was quick-eyed and handy. He yanked hard on the reins, forcibly pulling back Ruo Chi’s curious big head.

“Please forgive it,” he said with an apologetic smile to the personal guard who had watched everything unfold. “It’s rather playful.”

The corner of the personal guard’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, but he barely maintained his seriousness. “No matter. Please make haste, Marquis.”

Yan Xinfeng pocketed the secret edict. Amid the heaviness stirred by its contents, a new layer of hidden worry was added.

He glanced at the personal guard, who understandingly stepped back.

Once the space held only the two of them, Yan Xinfeng said in a low voice to Wei Tingxia, “I don’t know when I’ll return from this trip. Things have been unsettled in the capital lately. Prince Jin hasn’t come yet, but he should soon. If he…”

“Go without worry.” Wei Tingxia cut him off, his tone light yet carrying an unquestionable reassurance. “I’m not made of paper. What’s there to fear?”

The two shared a final glance. Yan Xinfeng’s gaze was deep and heavy as he turned and left.

The personal guard stood at the corner, watching from afar as he waited, scrutinizing the pair’s interaction.

As an imperial guard trusted by the Emperor, he naturally possessed abilities beyond the ordinary. He was adept at judging a person’s innate talents and potential threat through their subtle movements.

When he looked at Marquis Yan and that physician, he could clearly sense their exceptionally close relationship—a tacit naturalness that words could not quite describe.

They stood very close, with no gap between their bodies, conversing with exceptional ease, their eye contact speaking more than words.

Ten years on the border had tempered their flesh and blood while forging a bond of life and death.

The personal guard silently noted the scene. When Yan Xinfeng approached him, he lowered his eyes and gaze, not lifting his head again.

“Marquis Yan, this way.”

…

Watching him leave, the easy smile on Wei Tingxia’s face faded somewhat. He turned, crooked his finger, and flicked Ruo Chi’s forehead neither lightly nor heavily. “Did you hear that? I told you not to eat random things! If you try shoving everything into your mouth again, I’ll cut off your fodder for three days and make you chew tree bark!”

Ruo Chi shook its head, snorted a faceful of hot air at him—whether in protest or agreement was unclear—then turned its head and perfunctorily rubbed against Wei Tingxia’s head before craning its neck to munch on leaves from the tree.

“This can’t be eaten either…!”

Man and horse chased each other playfully around the backyard for a few laps. Once Ruo Chi was satisfied and ambling back to its enclosure, the butler happened to hurry through the corridor and appear before Wei Tingxia.

A trace of barely perceptible difficulty showed on his face as he reported, “Young Master Wei, there’s a guest at the mansion gate.”

Wei Tingxia paused in his actions. “Who?”

“Prince Jin.”

He never came when Yan Xinfeng was in the mansion. The moment he left, everyone who shouldn’t come showed up.

“Have Prince Jin wait in the front hall. I’ll go right away.”

The butler acknowledged and left.

Wei Tingxia set down the water scoop, straightened the robe slightly wrinkled from Ruo Chi’s rubbing, and asked System 0188, “Does Prince Jin have anyone with him?”

[Yes,] System 0188 replied. [Eight.]

“Not many.”

A prince always traveled with a swarm of people. Eight was truly nothing.

But System 0188 denied it. [Not eight guards. Eight attendants.]

Wei Tingxia’s tidying motions stopped. “What does that mean?”

System 0188 struggled to describe it, simply saying, [It’s strange. You’ll know when you see.]

Thus, harboring doubts, Wei Tingxia arrived at the front hall. Before he even rounded the screen, he saw the front hall packed with people.

In the center of those people stood a man in python robes, extraordinary in bearing, with a golden crown binding his hair and sharp eyes.

He was none other than the current Prince Jin, the Emperor’s own brother, Li Yan.

Wei Tingxia’s footsteps rang out clearly. Prince Jin behind the screen seemed to sense it and slowly turned around. At the same time, Wei Tingxia rounded the screen and strode into the front hall.

Their eyes met abruptly.

An impeccable mild smile instantly appeared on Wei Tingxia’s face as he cupped his hands in salute toward Prince Jin, Li Yan.

“Your Highness Prince Jin honors us with your presence, yet I failed to greet you from afar. Please forgive any discourtesy.”

Li Yan’s gaze swept over Wei Tingxia like a tangible weight.

He recalled the physician his spies had mentioned, the one who saved Yan Xinfeng’s life—said to have a gait like a clear breeze and a face like a bright moon. Li Yan had thought his spies exaggerated, but now he saw it was well-deserved.

Recognizing the man’s identity, the dissatisfaction Li Yan had prepared to vent quietly subsided somewhat.

A polite smile also surfaced on his face, though it did not reach his eyes. “Mr. Wei is too courteous. It is I who intrudes uninvited.”

With that, he changed tack, his sharp gaze brushing past Wei Tingxia’s shoulder to the empty corridor behind, his tone carrying deliberate probing. “I wonder, is the Yunzhong Marquis in the mansion at present?”

Wei Tingxia’s smile remained unchanged, his response flawless. “To answer Your Highness, the Marquis had urgent business and left alone without attendants.”

“Is that so?” Li Yan raised a brow. “How convenient. I just arrive, and your Marquis leaves. He’s not avoiding me, is he?”

“Your Highness jests. Why would he avoid you? He must have gone to the Capital Suburbs Military Camp to inspect the troops,” Wei Tingxia said with lowered eyes and a smile. “May I ask what brings Your Highness here in person? I might convey it on his behalf.”

Oh?

Li Yan’s gaze was unwittingly drawn to Wei Tingxia, especially lingering on the faint yet clear scar breaking his left brow.

On a face as pure and jade-like as white jade, that single flaw not only did not detract from its refinement but added an indescribable sharpness and sense of story, which Li Yan found quite novel.

Hearing Wei Tingxia casually offer to convey the message, Li Yan’s brow arched slightly, laced with playfulness and testing. “Oh? Can you speak for the Yunzhong Marquis?”

Wei Tingxia met his gaze, his smile deepening at the corners of his lips.

His tone was firm. “I can.”

“Interesting.”

Li Yan chuckled lowly, the scrutiny in his eyes intensifying.

Far from anger at the other’s overstep, he seemed to find it more amusing.

With that, Li Yan slightly turned sideways and gestured toward the eight towering figures standing like iron pagodas behind him.

“Since that’s the case, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ve heard the Yunzhong Marquis has returned to the capital, but his mansion’s staff is still sparse. I come today out of consideration for his labors, specially selecting a few capable hands to send over, to bolster the household and assist in managing affairs.”

With his gesture, the eight attendants who had stood silent as mountains seemed to receive a silent command and stepped forward in unison. This motion made the air in the entire front hall feel heavier.

Wei Tingxia’s gaze froze as he sensed the situation’s implications. He looked past Li Yan’s shoulder.

Sure enough, as System 0188 said, the eight attendants were four men and four women—but what it hadn’t mentioned was their astonishing builds. Crowded in the corner earlier, they were fine, but now standing out, they nearly filled the front hall.

The men had broad shoulders and thick backs, arms as thick as ordinary men’s thighs; the women were no less imposing, tall and sturdy, with muscle lines bulging clearly even through their clothes.

Wei Tingxia looked at them and couldn’t help wanting to step back.

His throat quivered as he asked System 0188, “Are these prepared in case talks fail, to have them hammer Yan Xinfeng to death?”

Yan Xinfeng might be mighty in martial prowess, but these eight were too intimidating. With fists that size, one smash—who could survive?

Wei Tingxia’s eyelids twitched. He could no longer muster a smile.

Looking closer, he saw each had a cloth-wrapped long-handled heavy object slung at their waist or back, judging by the shape and outline…

They’d even brought their own weapons?

If Yan Xinfeng didn’t cooperate, one order, and these eight would hammer one each, turning the Yunzhong Marquis Mansion into tough meatballs.

“Wow…”

He let out a dry exclamation. “Your Highness is truly… thoughtful and considerate.”

Li Yan either truly missed it or pretended not to hear the sarcasm. Hearing the praise, he even smiled.

“Since that’s settled, I’ll leave them here. I hope Mr. Wei will take good care of them. It’s a token of my regard.”