FIMA Ch55: Living Expenses

Tianyun Pavilion was considered one of the top restaurants in the capital, and it was extremely close to Qingping Temple. Every year during the ritual ceremonies, it was basically booked out entirely by various noble and prominent families.

Wang Xu had also arranged to meet them here.

Therefore, bumping into Shen Changhuan here was unexpected, yet also within reason.

Xie Changyue patted Gu Siyuan lightly and jumped down from his back.

After getting down, ignoring everything else, he wore a shallow smile and walked straight toward the little Ger in the light red shirt who had just spoken.

“Slap!” With a raise of his hand, a crisp sound of a slap rang out.

The air fell silent.

The corners of Gu Siyuan’s mouth hooked up slightly.

Shen Changhuan’s face first paled, and then a hint of schadenfreude faintly revealed itself in his eyes.

“Xie Changyue, you dare hit me!” The little Ger involved covered his face and screamed in disbelief.

He had never imagined in his life that he would be slapped in broad daylight.

The little Ger was named Shan Ying, the second son of Princess Liyang. Princess Liyang was the legitimate daughter of the late Emperor and had always been arrogant and domineering. After the current Emperor ascended the throne, she still hadn’t changed her true colors.

Especially since before the Emperor succeeded the throne, there had been quite a bit of struggle and turbulence. The siblings had either died or left; only two or three saplings remained in the capital, and Princess Liyang was one of them.

In order to show the world his deep sibling affection, and adding to the fact that Liyang was a woman, the Emperor tolerated her greatly. This only further fueled Princess Liyang’s arrogance. Whenever she was slightly displeased, she would go into the palace to cry and make a scene. If the Emperor didn’t agree to her demands, she would run to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to cry and complain before the late Emperor’s spirit tablet.

Over time, she almost became a tyrant of the capital.

Because Shan Ying’s features closely resembled the Princess herself, he had been extremely doted upon since childhood.

Constantly influenced by what he saw and heard, his temperament naturally resembled hers somewhat. However, he was a bit more restrained than the Princess, only bullying those whose status and family background were inferior to his, mocking them for being scheming, restless, or whatever.

As a result, among that group of upper-class people in the capital, he surprisingly even circulated a good reputation as a straightforward and outspoken person of genuine temperament.

And over a year ago, when Shan Ying came of age, the Princess excitedly ran into the palace to beg the Emperor for a favor, hoping to have her Ger titled as a County Lord.

Of course, in the end, no matter how she cried and made a fuss, the Emperor did not agree.

The Emperor wasn’t made of mud. His tolerance for her over the years had almost reached its limit. Still wanting to title her Ger as a County Lord? Wishful thinking! Even the Prince Regent’s Gers hadn’t been titled!

A County Lord had an official rank and a salary. Giving it to a person with such moral conduct—did he think the national treasury was too full?

And this was one of the reasons why Shan Ying verbally abused Xie Changyue today. What he had begged for but couldn’t get was actually obtained by such a country bumpkin Ger; how could he endure it?

Xie Changyue flexed his slender, fair fingers and looked coldly at the person in front of him: “You’re exactly the one I hit. Where did this ruffian come from, daring to mock a County Lord personally titled by His Majesty? Are you using this to express your dissatisfaction with His Majesty? You… want to rebel?”

Shan Ying’s expression changed drastically. His heart full of anger instantly turned entirely into terror: “You… what nonsense are you spouting? When was I ever dissatisfied with… with His Majesty…”

Although, upon learning the news of Xie Changyue’s reward, he was indeed very dissatisfied with his Emperor uncle, this was absolutely something that could not be spoken aloud.

Xie Changyue tilted his head slightly, squinted at him, and said faintly: “Then, why don’t you scram quickly? What are you doing blocking this County Lord’s path here? This County Lord actually thought you were very dissatisfied.”

Shan Ying’s mind went blank, and he dumbly stepped aside a few paces.

Watching his husband’s performance, Gu Siyuan stepped forward with a trace of a smile. He took his hand and walked toward the upper floor of Tianyun Pavilion, whispering along the way: “Truly worthy of being a County Lord, so majestic, I’m so scared.”

Xie Changyue immediately turned his head and wrinkled his little nose at him, looking both arrogant and cute.

Watching the two leave, Shen Changhuan frowned slightly and looked at Shan Ying beside him: What a good-for-nothing!

Usually, towards those Gers and young ladies of ordinary officials’ families, he was sarcastic and sharp-tongued, making who knows how many people cry from his scolding. Now, being frightened by Xie Changyue, he acted like a fool.

However… he still had utility value.

He took a step forward, grabbed Shan Ying’s hand with a face full of worry, and said: “A’Ying, are you okay? Has Changyue gone mad, for him to actually dare… If the Princess knew, who knows how angry she would be?”

Shan Ying’s face flushed red as he suddenly snapped back to his senses, seemingly realizing what he had just done.

His eyes filled with flames, he gritted his teeth: “Good… what a good Xie Changyue, a cheap seed of a country bumpkin, daring to humiliate and bully me like this! Hmph, just wait. If I don’t make him kneel and apologize to me in person, my surname isn’t Shan.”

After speaking, he turned and walked toward the street.

Today, under the watchful eyes of the public, he had lost all face. If he couldn’t get it back a thousand times over, who knew how others would secretly mock him; he would no longer have the face to mingle in this capital.

Shen Changhuan stood at the entrance of Tianyun Pavilion, watching under the heavy setting sun as even Shan Ying’s back seemed to carry extreme fury, as if about to combust. He couldn’t help but hook up the corners of his mouth slightly, his expression flickering.

Right then, with a few neighing sounds, Xiao Jingchuan and Shen Changye jumped down from their horses together.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Jingchuan frowned and asked: “What happened here? That person I just saw running away angrily, wasn’t that the Ger from Princess Liyang’s family?”

As he spoke, he even cast an unpredictable glance at Shen Changye.

Everyone knew that this Ger from the Princess’s family had recently taken quite a liking to Shen Changye; his star of romance was moving.

Shen Changye’s expression was one of disgust.

Shen Changhuan blinked, restoring a clear smile to his face, and asked the two: “Why are you only arriving now? I’ve been waiting for quite a while.”

Shen Changye looked at Xiao Jingchuan.

Xiao Jingchuan had a helpless expression: “Before leaving, my mother pulled me aside for a good long lecture.”

“Oh,” Shen Changhuan nodded, saying no more, and just pulled the two toward the building behind him.

After Gu Siyuan and Xie Changyue went up to the second floor.

Wang Xu stood up and waved at them. The two immediately walked over to where he was.

The second floor didn’t have private rooms, but rather numerous small cubicles formed by screens half-opened around the stairs and railings. It provided a certain level of privacy while also allowing one to join in the bustle upstairs and downstairs, perfectly matching this guy’s style.

Once Gu Siyuan and his husband sat down, Wang Xu immediately began mocking them like an old sage: “Look at that, back then you had the nerve to say I fought people in the capital all day. Your ability to cause trouble is no less than mine! Just you wait, Princess Liyang dotes on this Ger of hers named Shan Ying the most. She might go into the palace to complain right this instant.”

Xie Changyue immediately glared at him unconvinced.

Gu Siyuan held his tea and took a shallow sip, looking calmly at the person opposite him and asking: “Hearing this, you have a lot of experience dealing with Princess Liyang.”

Wang Xu blinked mysteriously: “What do you think?”

Gu Siyuan set down his cup and said faintly: “I’m not thinking anything.”

“…” Wang Xu.

After a good while, he said in exasperation: “Do you not have a single bit of curiosity in you?”

Xie Changyue raised an eyebrow at him smugly: “My husband isn’t as childish as you.”

Wang Xu threw his hands up: “Alright, I won’t beat around the bush. Before leaving the capital for Wuqing County, I beat up the Princess’s fat son, Shan Xiong, twice.”

Gu Siyuan finally asked: “And then, she went into the palace to complain?”

Wang Xu nodded: “Of course.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Why does your tone sound so smug?

Wang Xu was indeed very smug: “Let me tell you, don’t listen to people saying how unruly this young master is. Some people in the capital deliberately ruin my reputation. Those I beat up all deserved it. I beat that fat Shan twice. Once was when he rode his horse wildly down the main street and trampled a vegetable farmer, yet unexpectedly wouldn’t even pay silver for compensation. Another time, he bullied a little girl who was only seven or eight years old in a teahouse. What a fucking idiot! Beating him to death wouldn’t be an overreaction, okay!”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “Indeed, well done.”

Hearing this, Wang Xu immediately beamed: “I knew it, you understand this young master.”

Gu Siyuan looked at him, asking persistently: “So? What happened after she complained?”

“…” Wang Xu was helpless and had to continue: “And then, the next day after my Minister old man returned from the morning court, he whipped me a few times and grounded me for a few days. What else could happen? Let that damn fatty beat me up in return?”

Wang Xu’s family background and status were different, so it didn’t have much reference value.

Gu Siyuan lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and asked: “By the way, do you know why that Ger has such malice toward Changyue? The emotion in his eyes when he looked at Changyue was too intense; it didn’t seem like he was purely fighting an injustice for Shen Changhuan.”

Xie Changyue looked at his husband, confused: “Eh, is that so?”

Wang Xu was shocked: “No, you’re asking me this? How would I know? I’m a grown man, could it be that I would run off to inquire about the gossip among little Gers?”

“I might know.”

At this moment, a gentle and warm male voice came from the cubicle behind them.

Gu Siyuan and the other two turned their heads simultaneously to look back.

Subsequently, two slender figures walked out of the cubicle.

“Fi…” Wang Xu instantly widened his eyes, stood up, and called out, but seeming to remember something, he immediately corrected himself: “Cousin… and… Eldest Brother.”

Gu Siyuan looked at one of the figures, who was quite familiar. A few months ago, they had seen each other up close in Huangyang Village.

His brows raised slightly, and he slowly cupped his hands: “I would like to hear the details.”

Hearing this, faint smiles also hung on the faces of the two opposite them.

A short while later.

Only the three of them were left in the cubicle again. Wang Xu patted his chest: “Good thing I didn’t do anything else today. How did my brother, this guy, actually run out here too?”

Saying this, he looked at Gu Siyuan: “Hmph, you sure have a lot of face.”

Gu Siyuan shot him a light glance: “That only goes to show that your status in your family is truly low.”

Xie Changyue immediately covered his mouth and giggled.

“…” Wang Xu.

How could there be such a person in this world, actually even more annoying than himself?

Suddenly, a high-pitched sound of gongs and drums rang out from outside the building.

The ritual ceremony had begun.

The three exchanged a glance and unanimously walked toward the window not far away.

At this time, it was already past the exact hour of Xu (8:00 PM).

October nights darkened very early, but today, the capital city was brightly illuminated.

The cold wind of late autumn rose, but after passing through the dense crowds, not a trace of chill could be felt.

By the Yongding River not far away, fireworks of various colors soared into the sky. On the river surface were countless painted pleasure boats and lantern ships, the sounds of string and bamboo instruments intertwining.

Around the spacious ritual altar, bursts of intense cheers rang out, seemingly enough to lift the roof right off.

Standing by the window watching, Xie Changyue also couldn’t help but jump up and down in joy.

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, but he hurriedly reached out an arm across the window, afraid this person would get carried away and accidentally fling himself straight out.

After an unknown amount of time, Xie Changyue’s excitement slightly subsided. He pulled Gu Siyuan, preparing to return to their previous cubicle to sit down and drink some tea.

Right then, a male voice sounded: “Changyue?”

Gu Siyuan and Xie Changyue turned their heads together, looking toward the source of the voice.

It was astonishingly Shen Changhuan, Shen Changye, and Xiao Jingchuan. And the one who had just spoken was clearly Shen Changye.

Xie Changyue narrowed his eyes, nodding in greeting: “…Second Master Shen?”

Hearing him address him like this, Shen Changye lowered his face somewhat displeased, his voice also turning a few shades colder: “Changyue, I heard long ago that you returned to the capital. Why didn’t you return to the Earl’s Mansion to visit?”

Ignoring his chilling tone, Xie Changyue just continued: “I had already sent someone to the Suining Earl’s Mansion to deliver greetings previously. Perhaps Young Master Shen is unaware of this matter? If you mean meeting in person again, then that is truly unnecessary. Since the beginning was a mistake, the ending should be even cleaner and more decisive. This is better for everyone. This was also the reason why I decisively left back then after learning the truth.”

Hearing this, Shen Changye’s face looked even uglier.

Shen Changhuan stepped forward, acting as if he found it unbearable: “Changyue, how can you speak like this? Do you completely disregard the Shen family’s years of teaching and rearing, and the warmth of pleasing our parents at their knees for so many years?”

Hearing this, Xie Changyue looked at him as if he were a marvel.

“So, did the Xie couple of Huangyang Village treat you poorly? Did they not let you enjoy the warmth of teaching and rearing? Otherwise, why don’t you go back and visit them?” Gu Siyuan lifted his eyelids slightly, looking at Shen Changhuan as he asked.

Shen Changhuan’s words caught in his throat slightly.

Because the Old Madam of the Shen family had a very eccentric personality and disliked the Xie family, and also disliked him contacting the Xie family again. Additionally, Xiao Jingchuan’s mother was an extremely rigid person who believed country folks were vulgar and rude, and therefore didn’t want him to have much contact with the Xie family.

Furthermore, his returns were inherently to handle other secretive matters, not to visit the Xie family. Therefore, the few times he returned to Huangyang Village were completely kept hidden; only Xiao Jingchuan, Gu Zhen, and a few others knew.

But…

He looked at Gu Siyuan in confusion. This person in front of him had clearly bumped into him once in the countryside. Why was he actually using this point to gag him now? Did he know early on that he wouldn’t dare admit it?

On the other hand, upon hearing this, Shen Changye directly frowned and said coldly: “The Xie family are merely farmers, how can they be mentioned in the same breath as my Suining Earl’s Mansion?”

Gu Siyuan gave a cold laugh: “I wasn’t aware that parental affection actually had a distinction between high and low, noble and lowly? Tsk, perhaps it really does. After all, on the cliff back then, the Xie family was willing to sacrifice the life of their biological child, Changyue, for Shen Changhuan, this adopted son. Not to mention, Changyue’s biological mother also died back then to save Shen Changhuan.”

“So, who exactly should cherish the grace of rearing more? Who exactly should go back to visit?”

Inside Tianyun Pavilion today were all children of the capital’s noble and prominent families. They had long heard the rumors regarding the switched children of the Suining Earl’s Mansion. Now, from these few isolated words, they roughly pictured the story in their heads and couldn’t help but begin discussing it spiritedly.

“Tsk, there was actually such a backstory… Then the Xie family truly did everything humanly possible for Shen Changhuan.”

“Saying the Xie family treated him a hundred times better than their own biological child? Then Shen Changhuan just returned to the Suining Earl’s Mansion without looking back, not feeling reluctant to part at all?”

“Tsk, one is an Earl’s Mansion, the other is a peasant family, is there a need to say more?”

“If that’s the case, when Xie Changyue directly left the Earl’s Mansion back then to let Shen Changhuan return, doesn’t that exactly show he doesn’t cling to wealth and status? Is the Shen family still unsatisfied with this?”

“They didn’t urge him to stay when he left back then, yet now seeing him titled as a County Lord, they start talking about upbringing and warmth. Are they trying to use their past grace to demand a return? Hehe…”

Seeing the atmosphere turn sour, Shen Changhuan hurriedly showed weakness, saying earnestly: “That is not the case. I am a thousand times grateful to the Xie family, and the Earl’s Mansion also does not want to use past grace to demand a return. Changyue grew up in such an incomparably noble place since childhood, doesn’t he know the situation in the mansion? How could they…”

“Hmph, the Earl’s Mansion has a large family and a great estate, how could we care for that tiny bit of return.” Shen Changye had directly become flustered and exasperated. He never expected this Gu Siyuan to be so lacking in tact, directly laying bare these secrets in front of the public.

“Oh, I understand. You brothers, on the left say the Xie family cannot be mentioned in the same breath, and on the right say the Earl’s Mansion is a noble place with a large family and great estate. So, you just feel that Changyue spent quite a bit more silver growing up than Shen Changhuan did.”

Gu Siyuan said, paused again, and looked at the two brothers: “So, did your Shen family come today specifically to ask Changyue for living expenses? So, exactly how much is it? You know, Changyue recently just made a fortune.”

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