Chapter 13: Mansion Affairs

　　Little Shan was practically bent over with laughter again. Ever since they had entered the earl's mansion, the girl had not stopped giggling. She had overheard the entire exchange from behind the hall, and had even peeked through a small hole in the partition wall.

　　Su Wuding's silent exit—his composure unshaken, his every movement flowing with effortless control—was the very mark of a master. But Little Shan paid it no mind. At that moment, Su Wuding's mind was in such turmoil that he never noticed the little girl hiding behind the wall, eavesdropping on every word.

　　But this did not escape the young earl's notice. Chen Li sprang up from his chair, ignored Little Shan, and stepped out of the hall. Chen Jiang made a gesture toward him, indicating that Su Wuding had departed.

　　Just then, the sound of slaps echoed from nearby. Chen Jiang paused for a moment, then signaled to the young earl that all was well—though, at the young earl's current level of cultivation, he could not actually hear what was happening at Su Wuding's distance.

　　Chen Jiang transmitted mentally: "Your Highness, this mansion is thick with Wei spies. We must be cautious in all that we do." The young earl nodded to show he understood. "Of course," he said aloud. "Though I had not expected so many of them."

　　Chen Jiang, whose cultivation was on the verge of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, could transmit directly to the Crown Prince. For the prince himself to transmit in the presence of others, however, he would at least need to reach the Core Formation stage.

　　Wei had bestowed upon the mansion twelve guards, eighteen maidservants, and over twenty assorted servants—more than fifty Wei eyes and ears in total. Though the earl's mansion was spacious enough to hold them all, with so many watchers planted around him, every move the young earl made within his own home would be an open secret.

　　The Chen party had brought along their own household stewards and inner-court managers—all seasoned and capable hands. Before long, they had arranged everything in the mansion to their satisfaction. Thanks in no small part to the thrashing Su Wuding and his men had received, the household staff offered not a single word of complaint to any of the arrangements made by the Chen managers.

　　Finding himself at loose ends, Chen Li asked someone to show him the way to the stables. The Shu horses that had come with the party had already been settled there, but perhaps because of the unfamiliar surroundings, they were all restless—the Chen grooms were still busy calming them.

　　Hanhan, already feeling out of sorts, reared up sharply the moment he caught sight of Chen Li and let out a long, piercing whinny. The sound startled a Wei groom so badly that his legs gave way and he tumbled to the ground.

　　This Wei groom had never seen the Shu horses native to Chen before, and was currently assisting the Chen grooms. Caught completely off guard, he had been frightened into collapse by Hanhan's cry.

　　After that, it was clear Hanhan would not stay in the stables any longer. Without waiting to be called, the horse trotted off after the young earl, and the two of them—one boy, one horse—wandered aimlessly about the mansion. After a while, finding the stroll dull, Chen Li swung himself onto Hanhan's back and let the Shu horse roam wherever it pleased.

　　The Shu horse had not been saddled or bridled. The young earl sat cross-legged on its back—one leg tucked under him, the other dangling and swinging lazily with the horse's gait. His eyes were closed, lost in thought, as Hanhan wandered wherever it pleased.

　　The flowers and shrubs along the way bore the brunt of it. Hanhan took a bite here, a nibble there, plucking them up and chewing them with abandon.

　　The horse was as mischievous as its master—sampling every plant it came across. If it found something to its taste, it would chew the tenderest tips; if not, it would simply drop the half-eaten stalk and move on.

　　Several gardeners followed behind, their faces a picture of dismay, hurriedly replanting the discarded flowers and shrubs. They dared not speak a word of protest—only curse under their breath: "Unconscionable! Utterly unconscionable!"

　　Before long, the mansion's gardens had been reduced to a sorry state. What had once been neat and elegant flower beds now looked, after the young earl's mounted inspection, like a balding head.

　　Having witnessed Hanhan's destructive power firsthand, no one dared regard this imposing Shu horse as an ordinary beast again. From now on, in this household, the earl came first—and Hanhan came second.

　　Of course, such thoughts were not to be spoken aloud.

　　At supper that evening, the mansion's "second-in-command" made no move to return to the stables. He kept poking his head over the young earl's shoulder, sniffing at everything within reach. The Chen party, long accustomed to this, took it in stride. The Wei maidservants kept their eyes lowered and their faces demure—no matter how strange the sight, they simply pretended not to notice.

　　Thus, on the vast dining table, the young earl barely touched his food—taking only a few bites before the beast had reduced the entire spread to a mess of scattered leftovers. The young earl set down his chopsticks, lifted his chin, and strode into his bedchamber. The beast clip-clopped along behind him and, with utter nonchalance, settled down at the doorway.

　　The maidservants were at a loss. Fortunately, Little Shan appeared and signaled that all was well, so the others dispersed. After the meal, it was time for cultivation practice. The day had been eventful, but everything had gone smoothly. Aunt Hui had not come by, and Little Shan was uncertain whether she should practice alone—she decided to see what the young earl was up to first.

　　Little Shan entered and found Chen Li looking at her with an ambiguous smile. "Had your fill of amusement today?" he asked.

　　"You made a fool of those guards, that's fine—but why did you have to leave the garden in such a state?" she asked.

　　"What's wrong with it? I just can't stand things that are too neatly arranged. By the way—who was that boy on the roof today?"

　　Little Shan, whose cultivation was near Core Formation, naturally had sharper eyes than Chen Li. She had already seen that the boy on the eaves was at the Qi Refining stage like the prince, but had entered the Nurturing Qi Stage—at least two levels above the prince.

　　"That's all I could tell. Why didn't you have Chen Jiang seize him?" she asked.

　　"Heh—that boy is definitely no ordinary kid. Otherwise, those guards wouldn't have let him escape so easily. They think the earl's mansion is some kind of playground—come and go as they please, like some kind of hero?" Chen Li shook his head and continued, "As for his identity, that's not hard to figure out. No need to grab him now. He'll come looking for trouble again—and when he does, I'll catch him with my own hands."

　　The young earl was brimming with confidence. Little Shan, however, let out a "Heh heh." "Don't get too full of yourself," she said. "That boy doesn't look any older than you, but he's got a higher cultivation level than you do. Don't try to catch a chicken and end up losing your bait."

　　It was precisely this that made them such natural rivals—what Chen Li could not stand most was the way this little girl always had a cold remark ready, perfectly timed to deflate his confidence. As the old saying goes, "Rivals are made for each other." Though he had never once gotten the better of her, his resilience never wavered—otherwise, there would be no rivalry at all.

　　So he let out a cold laugh and said, "Today is my day of investiture—I won't lower myself to argue with you." With that, he ignored Little Shan and prepared to sit down for his cultivation practice.

　　Just then, Aunt Hui and Chen Jiang arrived together, and Little Shan fell silent.

　　Chen Jiang spoke: "In three days, the King of Wei will host a banquet. Those of our status will not be permitted to enter the palace. Your Highness must take care when you are inside."

　　Chen Li nodded. "I understand." Chen Jiang continued, "However, Little Shan, as your bestowed companion, may enter with you. She can look after you—but if anything unexpected arises, it is best to yield first and foremost."

　　"This kind of banquet should not pose any great danger," Aunt Hui added. "The alliance is newly sealed, and it is unlikely anyone will openly challenge you. Still, it is always wise to be cautious. Shan'er, you must ensure Li's safety no matter what."

　　Hearing her master's command, Little Shan dared not be mischievous. She quickly nodded in agreement.

　　Chen Li, however, suddenly thought again of the boy who had thrown that fruit at him from the rooftop earlier that day.

　　With the arrangements settled, everyone settled down over the next two days, quietly waiting for the palace banquet three days hence.