My enemies became my companions

Chapter 631 The Annam Prince's Mansion (Part 2)

Chen Yi stayed in the Prince's mansion for several days. He lived alone in Qingping Courtyard without any maids or servants to serve him. Zhu E had suggested that someone be transferred over, but Chen Yi refused. He was able to take care of himself on his own, so he could only interact with people and chat for a few words when one or two old nannies brought him food.

Whether Chen Yi wanted it or not, arranging maids and servants was still the proper way to treat a guest. The Prince's Mansion was well-established and wealthy, so it was not that they couldn't afford to give him this much courtesy. Right now, it seemed as if they had forgotten about him. It seemed that Qin Qingluo was deliberately not sending anyone, and had the intention of getting rid of him.

Fortunately, Chen Yi is usually thick-skinned enough to not only stay here shamelessly, but also want to take a stroll around the Prince's Mansion these days.

After all, no matter how much one can endure loneliness, it's impossible to just sit idly in the courtyard alone. Chen Yi isn't Zhou Yitang; if he stayed there alone, he'd get sick sooner or later.

This is the inner courtyard, where maids and nannies usually move about. Men are not allowed to enter. So when Chen Yi suddenly appeared, he startled everyone. After a few steps, a maid followed by a strong woman stepped forward to stop and question him. It was clear that the rules of the Prince's Mansion were very well enforced. Chen Yi showed the waist token left by Zhu E and was then allowed to pass. Even so, there were still whispers among the people.

It's not unusual for wealthy families to keep male favorites and male entertainers; although it's talked about, that's all. But for many years, it's unheard of for a prince to be so fond of women, regardless of gender, not even having a concubine, but being devoted solely to the princess. He's a man of deep affection, so Chen Yi's swaggering appearance is undoubtedly a shocking event.

After the man passed by, some of the gossipy maids whispered among themselves, "This man doesn't look petite at all, so how did he get into the private quarters?"

Immediately someone blurted out, "Hey, don't you see how tall and imposing the prince is!"

This is not surprising.

In comparison, that person was just right; otherwise, how could he withstand the prince's abuse?

As a martial artist, he could hear even the faintest whispers. Chen Yi hadn't gone far, so when these words reached his ears, he simply smiled and didn't pay them much attention.

Arriving at a pavilion on a small slope, Chen Yi stopped and gazed around. Though called a prince's mansion, it was even more expansive than the imperial palace, possessing a picturesque landscape unseen amidst the bustling crowds. The entire mansion was built against the mountain, divided into inner and outer courtyards, each separated by layers of walls. There was also a tower at the boundary between the inner and outer courtyards. The layers of walls, though seemingly cluttered and not very wide, effectively separated the terrain. Moreover, the walls were high and sturdy. After surveying the layout of the entire mansion, he understood that if an assassin were unfamiliar with the terrain and rashly entered, they would inevitably get lost.

With its walls, the terrain built against the mountain, the layout of the towers, and the fact that the palace is surrounded by avenues with no houses, this Annamite palace is more like a fortress or stronghold than the palaces in the capital that are purely for living and sightseeing.

Chen Yi's gaze inadvertently swept over a courtyard deep within the inner courtyard, lingering there for a moment.

That was the Prince of Annan's courtyard, the largest courtyard in the Prince's mansion, with all kinds of rooms. There were two greenhouses in the courtyard, which was where Qin Yue stayed.

Chen Yi had previously inquired about Qin Qingluo's whereabouts from Zhu E, which seemed to indicate he had ulterior motives. He himself knew he was not up to any good and was actually planning a night raid. How could the perceptive Zhu E not see through that?

She didn't refuse Chen Yi, but instead explained the layout of the Prince's mansion to him in detail. Finally, she earnestly advised him, "It's good that you want to see Qingluo, but she's stubborn and might not be able to calm down right now. It would be best to go during the day."

Chen Yi knew all too well the concerns in Zhu E's heart.

Qin Qingluo reluctantly accepted his existence, just as she had reluctantly accepted giving birth to Qin Yue in the past.

So this time he swaggered over, and while he was gazing out from the pavilion, he saw a maid go to report to the King of Annam.

Chen Yi slowly descended from the pavilion, then showed the waist token in his hand to himself, and stepped into the courtyard of the Prince of Annam. When someone came up to ask him questions, he said that he had been summoned by the prince.

Without even opening the greenhouse door, one could hear little Qin Yue jumping around and giggling under the care of two nannies.
"One, two, three big frogs, jump!"

He was laughing so happily.

Chen Yi pushed open the door and entered.

Qin Yue's face immediately fell.

She stopped jumping and swayed over to the wet nurses, shrinking into a corner and watching him warily with her small eyes.

"Why did the girl stop jumping?"

"No more jumping, no more jumping." Qin Yue responded twice, then pointed ahead, "The bad, the bad guy... is coming."

The child's sweet, innocent voice was quite endearing, and Chen Yi's heart melted a little.

Qin Yue was clearly on guard. Although she was very young and didn't know what guarding was, she still disliked the person in front of her who called himself "Dad".

The two wet nurses smiled shyly and embarrassedly at Chen Yi. These were the wet nurses who brought Chen Yi his meals; they had all met him before and were familiar with him. In addition, they were not surprised by Chen Yi's arrival because of Zhu E's instructions.

Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively and asked some questions about Qin Yue, all of which were trivial.

What have you been eating lately?

"We ate whatever the kitchen made, usually rice porridge, and some bits of mutton or beef. We were too young to eat pork, and we drank milk once or twice a day, morning and evening."

"You haven't given up the habit of drinking milk yet?"

“Sir, what you’re saying is wrong. You have to feed them until they’re four or five years old.” “Not only that, I heard some families feed them until they’re six or seven, and some are still drinking them at eight…” The two wet nurses started discussing back and forth.

Listening to this, Chen Yi was quite interested, but he knew that these matters should still be handled by the wet nurses, and it wasn't appropriate for him to interfere. After the two finished explaining, he asked:

When is Yue'er going out to play?

pat.

Chen Yi looked down and saw the ball bounce a couple of times after landing.

It turned out that Qin Yue had thrown the ball at him.

She mumbled, "You're playing very naughty games, you won't go out."

"You're not going out to play, you're just going to stay here and play?"

"I...I'm here...I'm having a lot of fun." With that, Qin Yue picked up the ball that had slid back and threw it out again with all her might, "Throw the ball, the ball turns into a tiger...eats you."

Chen Yi caught the ball mid-air.

Qin Yue's eyes widened in disbelief.

Chen Yi squatted down and lowered his voice, saying, "Yue'er, how about going out to play with Daddy? You'll have a lot of fun."

Qin Yue snapped out of her daze and shook her head vigorously.

Chen Yi tried to persuade her a few times, but she just shook her head. In the end, she simply covered her ears and closed her eyes, looking as if she was not susceptible to any persuasion or interference.

Chen Yi thought for a while, then pushed open the door and went out, instructing a maid to bring some sugar.

Soon a small plate of icing was brought over. Chen Yi picked up a few pieces and put them in his hand. He then pushed the door open and went in. Qin Yue was still covering her ears and closing her eyes tightly.

Chen Yi half-squatted down in front of her, pried open her ear with one hand and said, "There's candy here. I'll give you candy if you go out to play with Daddy."

"Bad, bad, I won't eat it." That's what she said, but her eyes were glued to the screen.

"Did you get this candy from here? Is it spoiled candy?"

"Oh, that's good candy."

"Then will you eat?"

Qin Yue's face was full of hesitation, as if she was struggling. Her mouth was slightly agape and she was about to drool. The choice in front of her was obviously causing her great distress.

She finally made up her mind and said, "Eat."

Chen Yi then pushed the candy in front of her, and Qin Yue quickly grabbed a piece and popped it into her mouth.

She smacked her lips for a while, unable to contain her joy, and soon she had another piece. Before long, she had finished all the candy in Chen Yi's hand.

"Let's go out and play."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Yue ran back quickly.

"Haha, you've fallen for it!"

Chen Yi looked completely bewildered.

Qin Yue was even happier, giggling as if she had gotten her revenge.

Just then, the door opened.

A tall shadow squeezed in from behind the door.

Qin Yue's laughter quickly subsided.

Without turning around, Chen Yi knew who had come.

………………

"I just came to see the child, why are you so nervous?"

In the corridor, Qin Qingluo walked in front, with Chen Yi following closely behind.

Without even looking, Chen Yi could tell that the prince's face was gloomy, and the shadow cast by his tall figure grew ever darker.

“In the end, that’s our child too,” he said. The tall woman stopped abruptly, her vertical pupils narrowing to the corner of her eye as she stared directly at him. “What has she had to do with you these past two years?” she asked.

His eyes held a chilling intent.

Chen Yi did not back down, but said calmly and sincerely, "I am her father after all. All I have done is come to see you and her. I have not cared about anything else."

I thought that although these words were not enough to break down my defenses, they were sincere enough to touch my heart slightly.

Unexpectedly, Qin Qingluo's eyes flashed with even more murderous intent, and she sneered, "You should save those words for other women; they disgust me."

Chen Yi blinked.

After thinking for a while, he still couldn't quite understand why those words had made Qin Qingluo even more displeased.

Perhaps it was because she had always disliked him.

As for whether someone was interfering, Chen Yi didn't think about it. After all, his relationship with Qin Qingluo was very strained, both internally and externally, and he was only allowed to stay for the time being.

As they ventured deeper into the area, Chen Yi, unaware of their destination, simply followed silently. After crossing a threshold and passing a screen, a pagoda-like pavilion came into view. Qin Qingluo pushed open the door and entered. Chen Yi looked around and saw rows of bookshelves surrounding the walls, clearly indicating that this was some kind of library.

Go up to the top floor, where there are tables, chairs, and a pot of warm wine. There are pillars on all sides but no walls, offering a wide and open view.

The entire palace and even a large part of the city can be seen at a glance, including the place where one lives.

"This is Hanhai Tower, a collection of martial arts classics and secrets of the martial arts world from various schools," Qin Qingluo paused, then continued, "If you have too much free time, you can come here."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, there are conditions." The tall woman continued indifferently, "Come once, leave behind one page of martial arts. Once you have left all your martial arts, you may not come again."

Chen Yi nodded very seriously.

That's what she said, but it gave him a reason to come here. As for visiting the greenhouse and taking a walk in her yard, that was just a side trip.

Without a reason, Chen Yi would feel embarrassed to come over.

A cool breeze was blowing. Qin Qinglu poured two bowls of wine, and Chen Yi drank them down in one gulp without any hesitation.

She scoffed, "Aren't you afraid it's poisonous?"

"I'm afraid, but the poison won't kill me," Chen Yi said.

The words were so simple and easy that Qin Qingluo didn't pay much attention to them at first. But after she took a sip from her bowl, she paused for a moment and vaguely sensed the hidden meaning in those words.

She turned her face away and said coldly, "It's different from before."

Chen Yi nodded expressionlessly and said slowly, "It's always been the same."

"You can't fool me." Qin Qingluo clearly didn't believe him; he must be deliberately hiding his abilities. She then smiled arrogantly and said, "I have returned to the fourth rank."

Chen Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "I have also returned to the fourth rank."

"."

"But perhaps, in your eyes, I do seem to have come to a realization of something new."

Qin Qinglu was silent for a moment, as if recalling the battle three years ago, "...You weren't afraid before, otherwise, how could you have defeated the strong with the weak?"

“But I found that I was actually still afraid, just pretending not to be.” Chen Yi paused, then said, “Being afraid doesn’t mean I’ll die.”

The tall woman narrowed her eyes. "You've grasped something new."

"Isn't this exactly why you sent me here?" Chen Yi smiled and said, "You know I fell from the third rank back to the fourth rank?"

"Aunt Zhu told me." She held the wine, gently swirling it, and then said with a hint of sarcasm, "What a fall from the third rank to the fourth rank, with meridians shattered. So many people have fallen like this, their martial intent dissipated, but your martial intent remains unchanged. This is more surprising to me than when you weighed out a celestial official kneeling down."

Chen Yi poured himself another drink and countered, "Didn't you also return to the fourth rank? What's so surprising about that?"

Almost imperceptibly, Qin Qingluo paused, then continued drinking without showing any emotion, and said:
"If I had tried to kill you with all my might before, what would have been my chances of success?"

"You can't kill me, I won't die."

What if I lose to you?

Chen Yi grinned and then said, "I'm prepared to be defeated by you."

Qin Qingluo's punch felt like it hit cotton, so she squinted.

Chen Yi abruptly threw down the wine bowl in his hand, retreating a foot along with his chair, and exclaimed in astonishment, "Are you crazy?"

There was a deep scratch, several inches deep, like a knife or sword cut, where he had just been sitting.

Qin Qingluo said expressionlessly, "Didn't you say you were prepared?"

Chen Yi used his Qi to retrieve the wine bowl and slowly said, "I thought we weren't going to fight anymore."

"I have never seen what it's like to be a third-rank official. I happen to have a handy sandbag, so why can't I practice?" the female prince said.

Chen Yi remained silent. Unbeknownst to him, Qin Qingluo had already arranged a job for him here, which was nothing more than a martial arts instructor invited by a typical martial arts family.

He simply didn't want to confine himself to this situation, so he calmly asked, "That's possible, but it's not really appropriate to just sit around doing nothing. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You want to interfere in the affairs of the Prince's Palace?"

"It's just a small favor, and I'll sweep up the trash outside for you and Yue'er."

………………

After a brief chat, Chen Yi returned home, and Qin Qingluo also had to deal with Nanwei's political affairs.

The storm surrounding the assassination attempt at the ancestral temple has not yet subsided, and the ripples it has caused will not be easily quelled.

On the way, we passed by the courtyard and saw Qin Yue throwing a ball around in the grass, having a great time.

After a moment's thought, Chen Yi turned around and went to the small kitchen to get some things.

"Yue'er."

When Qin Yue turned around and saw who it was, her face fell again.

Didn't you say you weren't going out to play?

Qin Yue turned her face away from him and said, "I'm not playing with you."

"Not going to play with Daddy?"

"I'm not playing along."

Chen Yi looked helpless, and after a while, he pulled his hand out.

Qin Yue took a look and saw that it was a sugar cube. She smacked her lips and drooled.

"Do you want to play with Daddy?"

Qin Yue hesitated for a long time, but then decided to use the same trick again, first deceiving him by saying, "If you give me food, I'll play."

"A very enjoyable game?"

"A very enjoyable playtime."

Chen Yi then offered the sugar cubes he had in his hand.

That person is really stupid.

Qin Yue thought to herself, afraid he would notice, and quickly stuffed the sugar cube into her mouth, her lips curving upwards in a smile.

Soon, her smile froze, and her features gradually slumped.
"Salty, salty, salty! Ugh!!!"

She burst into tears.
"You...you tricked me with salt! Waaaaaah!!!"

Chen Yi laughed heartily, stretched out his other hand, and stuffed the real candy into his mouth.

(End of this chapter)