The carriage swayed, passing through streets and markets.
Sixteen-year-old Crown Prince Zhao Hong of Wei lifted the carriage curtain, looking out in amazement at the bustling street scene, "Is this Lu Ting? Why does it feel even busier than the capital?"
"That’s a small matter, Your Highness will understand in time."
Shen Fa, who was sitting in front of him, rattled on, "We’ll soon reach Yuelai Inn. About those points of caution I just mentioned, is there anything Your Highness is unclear about? If there is, please ask now while I can still clarify them for you..."
Zhao Hong let the curtain fall, smiling at Shen Fa, he whispered, "Master of Kaifeng... are you a bit nervous?"
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Shen Fa remained silent for a moment, then nodded, "To answer Your Highness, indeed I am quite nervous, and Your Highness should be nervous too."
Zhao Hong curled his lips, lifted the curtain again, and surveyed the street scene... It was his first time out of the capital.
Seeing this, Shen Fa felt a headache coming on, yet dared not reproach the young lord before him, and repeated tirelessly, "Yuelai Inn is not like the palace. Once we reach Yuelai Inn, Your Highness must forget his identity as the Crown Prince. Whatever the Crown Prince’s master says, the Crown Prince should just listen, never argue with him..."
His earnest words were almost like grabbing the young man’s head and shouting in his ear, "Once you’re at Yuelai Inn, drop the pretense of being the prince of the Eastern Palace; your teacher won’t stand for it!"
But Zhao Hong was utterly unappreciative, waving his hand impatiently, "I know, I know, if I don’t listen to him, is he really going to dare spank me..."
His mouth said he understood, but a person as astute as Shen Fa could see the disdain and carelessness between his brows.
Shen Fa, anxious as a tangle of thread, opened his mouth, looked at his impatient demeanor, then closed it again, thinking, "Fine, you don’t want to listen, and I don’t want to say anymore. It’s not me who’ll get beaten anyway, if your father doesn’t care, why should I bother!"
He immediately narrowed his eyes, pondering how he would explain things to that person later...
Soon, the carriage gradually came to a stop, and from outside the curtain came the voice of the accompanying guards, "My lord, we’ve arrived at Yuelai Inn!"
Shen Fa opened his eyes, took a deep breath, steeled himself, lifted the curtain and jumped down from the carriage, then lifted the curtain to help Zhao Hong out.
Finally, he scanned the entrance of Yuelai Inn casually, spotting Yang Ge by the pillar next to the entrance, holding a crooked little teapot, sitting on a rocking chair like a grandee sunbathing, curiously sizing himself up.
Shen Fa’s expression froze, a sheepish smile spreading across his face.
Yang Ge glanced at him, then at the fair-faced young man emerging from the carriage, and scoffed dismissively, turning his face away.
At that moment, Zhao Hong, standing on the carriage step with Shen Fa’s help, looked up at the weathered red sign above the entrance, "This is Yuelai Inn? Doesn’t look all that great..."
Shen Fa slapped his own face, thinking, "You little brat, always touching on the most sensitive topics!"
Yang Ge, who had been completely ignored by Zhao Hong as if he were a mere bystander, heard those words and instantly wiggled in his chair like a maggot, shifting his entire body to the other side, not sparing them another glance.
Zhao Hong did not notice Shen Fa’s expression and stepped off the carriage step nonchalantly, flicked his sleeve, and passed Shen Fa, striding toward the inn’s entrance... Until that point, he had not noticed Yang Ge, lying low as if among the dead, or perhaps his eyes, used to seeing the Gold-topped Jade Belt and silk brocades, simply couldn’t see Yang Ge dressed plainly, blending in with the ordinary folks of Luting coming and going.
Just as Zhao Hong was about to step onto the stair in front of the inn, Shen Fa, unable to watch any longer, stealthily pulled at him and, grinning broadly at Yang Ge, lowered his voice and said, "Looks like the Marquis of Luting is enjoying his days..."
Zhao Hong suddenly realized, looked incredulously up and down at Yang Ge, and exclaimed, "Is this Yang Erlang?"
Shen Fa: ’He’s beyond saving, utterly beyond saving!’
Yang Ge, for his part, seemed unconcerned, lazily reached down and scratched his waist, responding nonchalantly, "The inn’s full. You folks might want to find somewhere else to rest..."
Zhao Hong, puzzled, looked at Shen Fa, ’Are you sure there’s no mistake? This sort of person is fit to be a teacher?’
Seeing this, Shen Fa let out an exasperated sigh, thinking this boy hadn’t reached utter stupidity yet... He was ready to rush up and cover the boy’s mouth the moment he uttered ’How dare you.’
He gave Zhao Hong a calming look, pushed forward with a forced smile, and said, "Shopkeeper, could we have a word in private?"
Yang Ge looked to the other side of the street, responding blandly, "Thanks for the invite, but it’s inconvenient."
Shen Fa:...
Just then, a deer-like nimble footsteps breezed through the inn from inside, getting closer, "Erlang, Bao Qi and the others are calling you to join them..."
The light footsteps stopped at the entrance, and Zhao Cha, mouth full of white sugar cake, looked at Zhao Hong standing outside, shocked enough to drop the cake from his mouth, "The... Crown Prince..."
Zhao Hong furrowed his brows, glaring at Zhao Cha up and down, greatly displeased, "Lin’an? What are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
Yang Ge propped himself up from the rocking chair, looked at the shocked Zhao Cha, then back at the displeased fair-faced youth, somewhat disbelieving, tapped his ear, then pointed at Zhao Hong and asked Shen Fa, "This impolite little brat, is he that miser’s eldest son?"
Shen Fa meekly lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound.