tallest building

Chapter 68 Pretending to be a God or Ghost

Gong Baoan was overjoyed that Gong Chang'an would take the initiative to come to him.

“The young master has also arrived,” Gong Bao’an said, unaware that his mother had fallen out with Madam Wu. “Please come in quickly.”

"Oh my, isn't this the young master of the Feng family?" Granny Yang came out from inside, saw Feng Tianzhu, and greeted him with a smile, "Who came with you?"

"Hmph!" Feng Tianzhu ignored her and squeezed into the room from her side, with Gong Chang'an following closely behind.

"Brother, don't worry, this Emperor is very shrewd! We can't let him know we're here to find him, otherwise he'll hide and disappear completely." Gong Chang'an whispered to Feng Tianzhu.

"Hmm." Feng Tianzhu agreed wholeheartedly. He had heard the old women in his family tell the same stories about mountain spirits and monsters; they could become invisible and even burrow underground.

We need to use a clever method to lure them out.

"This is a kaleidoscope I made," Gong Chang'an said, taking two things out of his pocket and handing them to Feng Tianzhu and Gong Bao'an respectively.

"Let me see, wow, this is really interesting." Feng Tianzhu was quickly drawn to the kaleidoscope in his hand, temporarily putting aside the matter of establishing the imperial goods.

Gong Baoan was also captivated by what he saw. With just the slightest movement, different scenes would appear before his eyes, which was indeed fascinating.

"Huh, what just flashed by?" Feng Tianzhu put down his kaleidoscope and looked around the room.

“I didn’t see it.” Gong Chang’an shook his head. “Brother, you’re probably mistaken.”

But after a short while, Gong Baoan was also startled: "It seems like a shadow really flashed by, like...like a child."

"Fifth Brother, don't be afraid. Maybe your eyes are just too tired." Gong Chang'an said, intentionally or unintentionally touching Gong Bao'an's face and hands.

Gong Baoan hadn't seen it clearly to begin with, but with Gong Chang'an's reassurance, he felt relieved again.

But a moment later, he and Feng Tianzhu saw the shadow of a child flash by.

"It really exists! It really does!" Feng Tianzhu put down the kaleidoscope in his hand. "I'm not mistaken. Could it be the thing you were talking about?"

"What is it?" Gong Baoan asked hurriedly.

"Come closer, let's talk quietly..." Gong Chang'an crumpled the paper-cut in his hand into a ball as he told them about the imperial goods. "The book says this thing is a treasure. It would be wonderful if we could find it."

"Is that so? Then how can we find it?" Gong Baoan was eager to know.

"I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone else," Gong Chang'an said solemnly. "You absolutely must keep your word, or I'll never speak to you again."

"Don't worry, Fourth Brother, if I can't do it, I'm not a Gong." Gong Bao'an patted his chest and promised.

"Alright, I'll tell you..." Gong Chang'an whispered in his ear, "It's like this, like this, like this..."

Feng Tianzhu, who was listening from the side, was scratching his head in frustration. Gong Chang'an only gave him a look that said "Don't be impatient," and he immediately quieted down.

After a while, Feng Tianzhu got bored and said to Gong Chang'an, "It's no fun playing inside, let's go out."

"Fifth Brother, then the young master and I will go to the old lady's place first." Gong Chang'an gave Gong Bao'an a look, "I'll come to find you to play later."

"Aunt Yang, Aunt Yang, I want to sleep!" Gong Baoan shouted after the two people left.

"Oh dear, my little darling, why are you sleeping at this hour? Let's talk after lunch." Granny Yang hurriedly came in. "So, have you two left?"

"Yes, I'm sleepy. I'm going to sleep now, and I'll eat after I wake up," Gong Baoan said.

"Alright then!" Granny Yang didn't think there was anything wrong with it. "I'll take off your shoes." Gong Bao'an lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

Now that it's hot, Granny Yang is fanning him from the side.

"Hmm... I want green pants and a red jacket..." Gong Baoan murmured in his sleep, "and I want to eat rose cake too..."

These words nearly scared Granny Yang to death; the fan in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.

"Fifth Young Master, Fifth Young Master, wake up!" Granny Yang pushed Gong Bao'an hard. "Wake up!"

"Aunt Yang, why did you push me?" Gong Baoan opened his eyes, looking impatient.

"Hmm, it's nothing. I just heard you talking in your sleep and was afraid you'd have a nightmare." Granny Yang's smile was a little forced.

"Oh, I just had a dream. I dreamt that a little boy asked me for something," Gong Baoan said seriously. "He wanted a red jacket and green pants, and rose cake. Aunt Yang, why do other families have rose cake, but we never make it?"

"This...this is naturally because nobody likes to eat it," said Granny Yang. "Fifth Young Master, I think you shouldn't sleep anymore, get up and play for a while!"

At this moment, Granny Yang felt a chill. Although it was broad daylight, the room suddenly had a gloomy feeling.

"No, I'm so tired! The boy in my dream made me carry him." Gong Baoan lay back down. He had promised his fourth brother that he would find Li Di Huo. "He said that if I didn't prepare these things for him, he would keep carrying me on his back."

These words were even more terrifying than if they had been spoken in a dream. Granny Yang trembled uncontrollably: "Qiu Hong, where have you gone, you little hussy?!"

She began to call out to the maidservants who served Gong Bao'an through the window.

"Grandma Yang, didn't you ask me to draw the flower pattern for you?" Qiu Hong said as she walked in. "I've only finished half of it so far."

"You stay with the Fifth Young Master for now, don't bother with drawing flower patterns," Granny Yang said, glancing at her before getting up and going to Madam Song's room.

"Young Madam, why would the Fifth Young Master suddenly say such frightening things?" Granny Yang asked anxiously, recounting in detail the situation that had just occurred with Gong Bao'an to Madam Song.

“The East Courtyard girl just came by, could it be…” Madam Song suspected Gong Chang’an.

“Then I’ll call the Fifth Young Master over so you can ask him,” said Granny Yang. “Children don’t keep secrets.”

Gong Baoan was led over, and Madam Song greeted him as if nothing was wrong: "Bao'er, come and sit next to your mother."

Gong Baoan climbed onto the bed and sat down next to Song Shi, but Song Shi's face turned pale instantly.

Gong Baoan exuded a faint, sweet fragrance—the aroma of rose cake—that she would never forget.

However, the mansion has not made rose cakes since then, so how could Gong Bao'an have this taste?

But when he smelled it more closely, the fragrance seemed to have disappeared.

"Bao'er, tell your mother what you and Brother Chang'an played?" Madam Song began to probe her son for information.

"Brother Chang'an made some really beautiful kaleidoscopes for me and the young master," Gong Bao'an said.

"And then? What did he say to you?" Mrs. Song asked again.

“He didn’t say anything!” Gong Bao’an remembered Gong Chang’an’s instructions not to reveal the matter of Li Di Huo, otherwise he would disappear and never be found again. “I just dreamed of a little brother. He always asked me to carry him and asked me for rose cakes. He also said he wanted a red dress and green pants.”

Brother Chang'an said that the emperor likes to wear red clothes and green pants, and also likes to eat rose cakes. As long as you prepare these things, he will appear when it gets dark.

(End of this chapter)