Chapter Eighty-Five: Moving House

After slipping a little silver to the guard at the post station, she helped the prince and his attendant move all their belongings into her little courtyard.

Though the place was remote, the prince seemed quite taken with it.

He was still wearing that long hooded cloak. Beside his pallid face, a glimpse of gold hair could be seen beneath the hood. Kai Ming stood by and watched as the attendant dashed about, carrying in one strange object after another.

Aren’t you going to lend a hand? the impudent little wretch called out to her.

Me? she pointed at herself in astonishment.

Have you lost your mind? I’m the one letting you stay here, and now you want me to do manual labor?

Before she could flare up, the blue-eyed prince turned to her with a faint smile. Thank you for your trouble, Commander.

That stopped her cold. The fury she had been nursing was abruptly swallowed back down. His words and his smile seemed to carry some uncanny force, like a thread tugging at one’s actions.

To her own astonishment, Kai Ming heard herself answer and actually went over to help.

By the time all the vessels had been moved into the cramped little courtyard, Kai Ming finally came to her senses and realized another problem. The prince had brought far too much with him. His belongings nearly filled her entire small house, leaving even the outer room difficult to walk through.

She sprang up and pointed at the attendant. “Who told you to bring everything you own? Do you think this is your own home?”

The attendant rolled his eyes. “This is still little enough. If we really brought everything, three or two of these tiny houses wouldn’t be enough. Tch, tch, who would have thought it was actually this pitifully small?”

“You’ve got the nerve to complain!” She swatted him on the head.

The attendant stared at her in disbelief, then looked toward the prince standing nearby and shrieked, “My lord, he hit me!”

“Shouldn’t you be hit for speaking so rudely?” His master merely gave a cold snort and did not lift a finger to help.

With no one to back him up, the attendant could only grumble under his breath and let it go.

The prince took off his cloak inside, revealing once more that dazzling cascade of gold hair.

He gave Kai Ming an apologetic smile. “That boy speaks without restraint. Please do not take offense, Commander.”

“It’s nothing, no offense tak—”

“We came too suddenly and took over your residence. It is truly rude of us. May I ask to regard it as a rental, and stay for a while? Only then will I feel more at ease.” He turned to the attendant. “Whatever the Commander asks, you pay it. No refusal.”

The attendant was stunned. “My lord, so you’re making me pay too? Are you trying to kill me?”

For a moment Kai Ming was taken aback, about to say it wasn’t necessary, but when she saw the attendant’s pained expression and remembered how sore her back had been from the moving, a wicked thought rose in her.

She deliberately said loudly, “This old house of mine doesn’t really have any special luxuries, but the walls and floors are all made with excellent paint and fine boards. I trust the prince, of course, but as for you, little servant, I’m afraid your rough hands and feet might damage things. A bit of deposit money isn’t a bad thing at all. At least you’ll be extra careful while you’re using the place. Don’t worry, I’ll return every coin when you leave!”

The attendant glared at her resentfully. “What fine paint and floors? This shabby place—aren’t you just extorting money from us?”

She shook her head with exaggerated surprise. “So this is the sort of person you think I am? Forget it, forget it. It isn’t as though I’m the one demanding the payment. It’s only because your master asked—”

“Ying Shi!” the prince interrupted, his tone firm.

With a muttered curse, the attendant pulled a purse from his chest, fished out a silver ingot with obvious reluctance, and tossed it to her.

She caught it nimbly in midair, chuckled, and tucked it into her robes without even looking.

The prince pressed his lips together and ignored the attendant’s wounded gaze, turning instead to arrange the large and small vessels wrapped in black cloth.

“Aren’t you coming to help?” Once his master spoke, the attendant had no choice but to stand up.

Kai Ming quickly seized the chance to slip away. She did not want to be called over again for no reason. Once those bundles were unwrapped, every item inside was a dangerous poison or venomous thing; if she were stung or bitten, it would be no joke.

She could not go far, so she idled around by the doorway.

After what felt like ages, just as she was leaning against the wall and nearly dozing off from boredom, the two finally came out.

The attendant spotted her at once and shouted, “Look at her! She didn’t even come help, and now she’s sleeping here!”

Kai Ming privately cursed: Did I owe you something?

The prince silenced the attendant’s noisy complaints and called to her, “Commander, Commander!”

Too embarrassed to keep pretending to sleep, she hurriedly rubbed her eyes and said, “Hm? What is it?” Seeing the two of them, she asked, “Are you done?”

The prince smiled. “This time, we are in your debt, Commander.”

The attendant coughed heavily behind him.

Kai Ming shot him a scornful glance, then smiled at the prince. “A friend in need is a friend indeed. It’s only right, only right.”

The attendant shot back sourly, “You were paid. Of course it’s ‘right.’”

She gave him another look of contempt, stood up, and dusted herself off. Then she lifted a hand and waved it in the air. “Here.”

The little wretch was quick-witted too; he sidestepped and casually snatched at the air, catching a streak of silver light. He looked at her in confusion.

She smiled. “Open it and see.”

The attendant spread his palm, and when his eyes fell on the silver-white object in his hand, they suddenly lit up. “This is...”

Just kidding. That little bit of money wouldn’t even fill my teeth! she laughed.

The attendant flushed with embarrassment, while the prince’s blue eyes curved with amusement. “The Commander would hardly quibble with such petty sums. You think far too little of her.”

The attendant’s face went scarlet with humiliation, as though he wished the ground would open beneath him. The prince folded his sleeves and asked her, “Beigong Huo, may I ask for the Commander’s honorable name?”

Kai Ming broke out in a sweat. So all the times she had given her name before had been for nothing; this lord still had not even remembered it. She dared not be rude and quickly returned the courtesy. “I am Kai Ming, commander of the Thirty-Sixth Squad. I am unworthy of such courtesy from the prince.”

The prince smiled. “A title is only something bestowed by outsiders. There is no need for such formality between us. If we are friends, you may call me by name.”

“How could that be?” She was astonished that he could be so gracious.

“The Thirty-Sixth Squad?” The attendant poked his head out from behind the prince, looking at her in confusion. “You never reported a number that long before, did you?”

Kai Ming gave him a blank stare. He never remembered what mattered, yet remembered the useless things so well. In irritation she said roughly, “Can’t I be reassigned?”

The prince flicked his long sleeve behind him, and the attendant caught the signal and obediently shut up.

“Will you not be tinkering with these today?” Kai Ming asked, pointing inside.

“Remaining out in the daylight too long is inconvenient. If someone from the Inner Palace were to come, we would have no way to deal with it. Better to come at night,” the prince said calmly.

She nodded. Thoughtful indeed.

Then she remembered something and drew a set of keys from her robes, removing several and placing them into the prince’s hand. “Keep these safe. Without them, you won’t be able to get in.”

The prince looked down at the colorful cluster in his palm, momentarily speechless.

She went inside, locked the inner room, then came back to the front door and secured it with layers upon layers of locks. Iron chains and heavy padlocks—there was hardly a prison more secure than this.

The attendant stared, dumbfounded, and shouted, “What is this for? Are you hiding gold in there?!”

Kai Ming shot him a glare. The little fool had shouted nonsense, and yet he had guessed right; there really was gold, heh.

“I’m rather serious about theft prevention. You’ll get used to it, you’ll get used to it!” She gave a strange laugh and waved them off. “All right, go.”

After seeing the prince off, she hurried back toward the general’s residence. It had been several days since she had seen Xiao Wan, and she was thinking of going to visit her. Before she had even crossed the threshold, a ladle shot out from somewhere and tugged her urgently outward.

“Come in! Come over here! Over here!”

“What is it?” she asked curiously, following the ladle.

The ladle brought her to the wall, glanced around left and right, and lowered his voice. “How did it go moving that treasure of yours?”

That little brat had bright, sharp eyes indeed.

Amused, she smiled. “Why do you keep thinking about your mother’s treasure?”

“It’s not that!” the ladle said anxiously. “The woman in the general’s residence is very wrong!”

“What happened? Did she hit you?”

“Worse than hitting.” The ladle blinked, his brows tightly knit. “The way she looks at people is not right. Straight through you, as if she wants to eat you alive.”

Kai Ming covered her mouth and laughed. “That woman in the general’s residence always looks at people like that. Your mother gets chills just meeting her gaze, let alone you, a little brat.”

“No, no, that’s not it. I can’t explain it. Anyway, it’s wrong.” Seeing no sympathy, the ladle grew frustrated. “And my sister too—she’s shut up in her room, and we don’t know whether she’s dead or alive. They won’t even let us see her. Tell me, isn’t that strange?”

Kai Ming patted his little head. “Xiao Wan is her own daughter. Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs, much less a human being. Don’t you think?”

“It seems so, and yet it doesn’t.” The ladle nodded and shook his head at once, then tugged at her sleeve. “Hurry and move those treasures of yours. Let’s leave this place as soon as we can.”

“Your mother is already taking action.” She crouched down and whispered in his ear, “I bought a house out in the outskirts. When the time comes, I’ll secretly bring your sister there, and we can all live together.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” the ladle said brightly.

She raised one finger and deliberately lowered her voice. “During this very special time, we need to learn patience. We should try to accommodate the general in everything. Xiao Wan still has to rely on you, her brother, to save her. Can you do that?”

The ladle puffed out his chest, flattered by her praise, and nodded hard like a little man.

“Go on.” She tapped his tiny head. He smiled in delight and ran back into the residence as if flying.

Watching his back, Kai Ming could only shake her head helplessly. That irresponsible man had left so lightly, and in the end had dumped these two burdens on her. The next time she saw him, she would have to demand child-rearing expenses and compensation for the loss of her youth.

But would she ever have the chance to meet that elusive fake husband again?

While she was still lost in random thoughts, she heard a series of urgent questions beside her. “Is this Commander Kai Ming?”

She gave a start and answered reflexively, “It’s me.” Looking up, she saw an unfamiliar young soldier leading a horse.

“Why didn’t the commander report to Lord Royal Guard this morning?” the soldier asked bluntly, leaving her completely bewildered.