Chapter 23 - 2#
Yanzhi had already spoken to this extent. If he still held onto Xie Yi and the old servant, wouldn’t that be deliberately bullying him?
Last time, he merely locked Xie Yi in the purification room for a few days, and Yanzhi fell seriously ill, pitifully crying and saying he would never like him again.
If he really beat Xie Yi to death, Yanzhi would definitely be furious with him.
He didn’t dare to imagine whether Yanzhi would hit him, kick him, or pinch him.
By then, there would truly be no room for maneuver.
Xiao Cuan didn’t want to think about it, nor did he dare to.
If he thought any further, he could only come to one conclusion—
The current Yanzhi regarded Xie Yi as his only good friend, and Xie Yi’s importance in Yanzhi’s heart…
Far surpassed his own.
After all, currently, on Yanzhi’s favorability panel, his favorability toward Xie Yi was eighty.
His favorability toward him was zero.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Almost instantly, Xiao Cuan fiercely extinguished this thought.
Yanzhi couldn’t possibly dislike him!
This was just temporary, just for a moment!
Once he found Yanzhi, and fed Yanzhi cream puffs and cream cakes, the favorability would immediately rise back up!
Yanzhi would immediately fall in love with him again!
Xiao Cuan tugged the reins, turned his horse around, and no longer looked at Xie Yi.
He finally commanded: “Bring a box of gold biscuits—”
The personal guard was puzzled: “Your Majesty?”
“Give it to the Empress’s only good friend,” Xiao Cuan gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, “As my—”
“Meeting gift—for disturbing them this morning.”
“Yes.” The personal guards were still confused, but they cupped their fists and accepted the order, immediately going to prepare.
This should be enough, right!
This shouldn’t count as bullying Yanzhi anymore, right!
Xiao Cuan tugged the reins, abandoned everything behind him, and galloped down the mountain.
The old man leaned on the door, and Xie Yi took two quick steps forward to stand with him.
The old and young, master and servant, leaned on the door, gazing in the direction the Emperor had departed.
Not until the dust settled and the Emperor’s back was no longer visible did the two men withdraw their gazes and look at each other in disbelief.
“Young Master…” the old man trembled, still shaken, and called out.
“It’s alright,” Xie Yi patted his shoulder. “His Majesty has left.”
“That’s good.”
The Emperor’s imposing presence was too overwhelming, making it hard to breathe.
For a moment, the old man truly thought he was going to unleash a massacre.
Fortunately, he didn’t.
Xie Yi collected his thoughts and asked: “When did Young Master Yanzhi leave? Were those words just now really taught by him?”
The old man dared not conceal anything: “Last night, this old servant guarded the gatehouse as Young Master instructed. In the middle of the night, this old servant was dozing off when the young master suddenly came with a package on his back and woke this old servant up.”
“Young Master Yanzhi said he had slept well and rested well, and feared someone would pursue him, so he would leave immediately. This old servant wanted to come in and tell Young Master, and also wanted to keep him to eat something before leaving, but he didn’t agree.”
“Before leaving, the young master left that deed of manumission with this old servant and also said that His Majesty would eventually send people over. If His Majesty came over with people and went mad…”
Xie Yi hurriedly admonished: “Grandfather, you must not speak ill of His Majesty.”
The old man, however, said: “The young master’s exact words were ‘went mad’.”
“This…” Xie Yi opened his mouth, unable to speak.
“If His Majesty came over with people and bullied Young Master, then this old servant should take out the deed of manumission and say those words. If that still didn’t work, then go directly to him; he would definitely come back to rescue Young Master.”
The old man clutched his chest: “Thankfully His Majesty really left. My heart was pounding when I said those words.”
“Young Master, His Majesty won’t come again, will he?”
Xie Yi gazed into the distance, pondering for a long time: “He won’t.”
“With the ‘gold medal for avoiding death’ left by Yanzhi here, His Majesty won’t come again.”
*
The forest was silent.
Along the way, there was only the sound of horse hooves treading on the snow.
Xiao Cuan rode his horse, descending the mountain path.
He lowered his eyes, gazing at the remaining snow on the ground, lost in thought.
The snowy path was slippery, and the night was dark. Yanzhi left overnight, and he didn’t know how he descended the mountain, whether he slipped and fell on his bottom.
Hmph, if he fell on his bottom, it would be just right. Like riding a sled or rolling a snowball, he would just roll down, saving him the trouble of running on foot.
With his small frame, wouldn’t he fall apart if he fell?
If he broke himself, he would still come back crying to him to fix him.
The accompanying personal guards acted quickly, riding to the nearest government office, and retrieved a box of gold biscuits from the treasury.
Xiao Cuan reached the foot of the mountain, just as the personal guards returned.
The personal guards opened the box and invited him to inspect it.
Xiao Cuan only glanced at it, then flicked his horsewhip and said coldly: “Send it up.”
“Yes.”
Two personal guards took the gold biscuits and went up the mountain to deliver them to Xie Yi.
The remaining personal guards continued to follow Xiao Cuan, awaiting orders.
“Your Majesty, now…”
Xiao Cuan took a deep breath: “Return—”
The next moment, he changed his words: “Leave ten men to guard the foot of the mountain.”
Yanzhi cared so much about Xie Yi; he would definitely come back to see him!
He would send people to guard here, and he would definitely wait for Yanzhi!
Xiao Cuan straightened up and looked into the distance.
The snow had stopped, and the sun was faintly rising in the sky.
Xiao Cuan sat steadily on his horse, like a wild beast that had just experienced a chase and hunt. He clenched his hands into fists, turned his neck, and loosened his muscles.
“To Yanqi Village.”
Yanqi Village was Yanzhi’s hometown, the place where Yanzhi was born.
Xiao Cuan only said he would let Xie Yi go, but he didn’t say he would let Yanzhi go!
He wouldn’t let go; he would never let go!
No matter where he went, Yanzhi could only fly back into his hands in the end!
*
The heavy snow had just cleared, and the sun was rising.
The remaining snow on the ground, illuminated by the sunlight, gradually melted, making it even colder.
On the mountain road, Yanzhi was wrapped tightly in thick clothes, riding a small donkey.
He had bought this little donkey.
When he left Xie Yi’s estate, he specifically asked the old man where he could buy a horse, whether it was a warhorse or a good horse, even a poor horse or a farm horse would do.
The old man pointed him to a path, saying that the estate on the mountain ahead was larger, with more land, and should have horses.
Yanzhi rushed there overnight, thinking of buying one for himself.
He also had to save some energy; he couldn’t just run all the way.
If he ran to the south on foot, his legs would be worn short!
However, when Yanzhi arrived at the mountain ahead, the owner refused to sell the horse, saying that good horses were rare and were to be kept for their own use. No matter how much Yanzhi offered, they wouldn’t sell.
In the end, Yanzhi had to buy a small donkey.
After riding it, Yanzhi found that the donkey didn’t walk slower than a horse, and it was even more stable!
So he hung his package on the donkey, held Tanggao, and continued on his way.
Tanggao initially gritted its teeth, wanting to bite the donkey, but Yanzhi gently patted it twice, and it then settled down.
“Don’t bite it. If you bite it badly, I’ll make you carry me.”
Tanggao “ao wu” whined twice and nestled obediently in his arms.
Yanzhi turned his head and glanced into the forest.
He hoped Xie Yi and the old man would be alright.
Yanzhi wasn’t stupid. He knew that if His Majesty intended to catch him, he would definitely go to Xie Yi.
Even if he hadn’t stumbled upon Xie Yi’s estate, His Majesty would still have gone to Xie Yi.
After all, outside the palace, he only knew Xie Yi.
So last night, he only slept for two hours before climbing out of bed.
He took his package and Tanggao, and quietly left under the cover of night.
He woke the old man, gave him the deed of manumission, and taught him how to deal with His Majesty.
He thought that he had served His Majesty for ten years, and even if there was no merit, there was still hard work.
He used ten years of hard work to ensure the safety of his only good friend. Shouldn’t that be acceptable?
His Majesty understood him, and he also understood His Majesty.
Once those words were spoken, he was absolutely certain that His Majesty would not touch Xie Yi again.
Yanzhi lowered his eyes and stroked Tanggao in his arms.
Tanggao purred comfortably twice.
His Majesty always called him a “little dog” and raised a “tiny little dog.”
But in reality, His Majesty was a thorough “big dog.”
To pet a dog, you have to stroke it with the fur, and the dog will be obedient.
But if the dog goes mad and bites people, you have to immediately raise your hand and hit it!
Beat it into submission! Beat it until it’s well-behaved! Beat it until it no longer dares to bite people!
His escape from the palace was already a heavy blow to His Majesty.
Now he couldn’t show weakness. He had to be tough, speak harsh words, and continue to beat the dog to scare His Majesty away and protect his friend!
This was the experience Yanzhi had gained from raising Tanggao recently.
This was also the experience Yanzhi had gained from pleading with His Majesty to spare Xie Yi not long ago.
His tears and pleas were useless to His Majesty; they only made His Majesty more excited.
Just then, Tanggao, emboldened by favor, stealthily poked its head out, nudged the little donkey, and opened its mouth wide, revealing its somewhat sharp teeth.
Yanzhi reacted, unhesitatingly slapped its head, and pinched its muzzle.
“I told you not to bite it!”
Tanggao let out an “ao-wu” and looked up at Yanzhi, as if saying it could also carry people and pull a sled.
Yanzhi didn’t understand what it was saying, so he sternly said: “If you dare to bite it, I won’t want you anymore!”
This time Tanggao understood, retracted its teeth, and whined as it burrowed into his arms.
Yanzhi felt a bit reluctant and stroked its head again: “Of course, if it bites you, I won’t want it either. Neither of you can bite each other; you must live in peace, understand?”
The little donkey lowered its head and diligently walked forward. Yanzhi also stroked the mane on its back.
“You also have to be good; don’t bully Tanggao.”
Yanzhi suddenly remembered something: “Let’s give you a name too. Hmm…”
He thoughtfully stroked the little donkey’s mane.
The donkey’s fur was dark brown, with only a bit of white fur around its eyes and muzzle.
“You’ll be called—” Yanzhi thought for a moment, “Peanut Cake!”
Peanut cake is dark brown, with a bit of white filling inside.
Yanzhi had eaten one when he was little; his mother bought it for him in town. It was exactly the same!
Moreover, Tanggao and Peanut Cake both had “cake” in their names, clearly indicating he raised them!
Speaking of these snacks, Yanzhi’s mouth watered a bit.
He gently patted the little donkey’s bottom: “Come on, let’s go back and see Mother.”