Chapter Twenty-Five: The Dilapidated General’s Residence

The steward smiled faintly, saying nothing. Having served in the Prince’s estate for over twenty years, he knew well what should be said and what should remain unspoken. Shen Jifeng did not hear a reply, but she did not mind; it was as if she had merely been talking to herself.

"Since the house next door has a new owner, keep a close eye on Qianqian. Don't let it wander into their yard again."

The steward nodded in acknowledgment. When he looked at Wei Xiao, a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes; he sensed a faint aura of battle and slaughter about the man.

"This is a guard from the mines, named Ma Yao. Find him a place to stay and let him follow me for a while."

The steward felt it was inappropriate, but seeing the trust in the Princess's eyes, he could not bring himself to defy her order. Instead, he found an excuse: "This young brother is likely unfamiliar with the capital. Let Qiufeng accompany him as well, and perhaps show him the ropes."

Shen Jifeng naturally agreed.

Back home, nestled in her soft bed with plush pillows, Shen Jifeng felt as comfortable as a cat basking in the sun, hugging her pillow tightly. Jin Chai watched her and felt a twinge of pity. Her Princess was like this: she could endure hardship, and she knew how to enjoy comfort, but if enjoying comfort required spending money, she would rather go without—unless, of course, someone else was paying.

When she left this time, she would have to bring her own pillows and quilts; the ones in the Western Capital villa simply could not compare to those in the estate.

Just past midnight, Wei Xiao opened his eyes. The guards of the Prince's estate lived in the outer courtyard, three to a room; the other two were already snoring like thunder. Using his pillow and quilt to create the illusion of a sleeping figure, Wei Xiao slipped out of the room on light feet.

With a gentle push of his toes, he vaulted over the wall between the two estates and stepped onto the grounds of his own residence.

"Meow. Meow." A fat, white cat with large ears pricked up, its fur standing on end as it hissed at him.

*Is this Qianqian?* He had thought it was a dog; to his surprise, it was a cat.

"Qianqian?" Wei Xiao whispered its name.

"Meow-woo, meow-woo." The fat cat smoothed its ruffled fur and leapt, pouncing onto Wei Xiao.

Wei Xiao caught it instinctively. What a heavy cat—at least twenty pounds.

"What have you been eating to get this fat?" Wei Xiao pinched the three layers of soft flesh at the back of the cat's neck.

Chu Yi heard the commotion in the courtyard and rushed out, sword in hand. "Who dares intrude upon the General’s residence at night?"

"It’s me." Wei Xiao walked toward Chu Yi, holding the cat.

"Oh, it's this fat cat. It even stole the fish I caught yesterday." Noticing that his first concern had been the cat, Chu Yi offered an apologetic smile, revealing a small canine tooth, and bowed. "Greetings, General."

Wei Xiao wandered through the residence in the dark. It was truly dilapidated. The water in the pond had become stagnant, lacking any fresh inlet, and it emitted a foul, fishy stench. The garden was overgrown with weeds, and the decorative rocks were toppled and askew, as if they had just survived an earthquake.

"The rooms are actually not bad. Many of them still have complete furniture made of fine rosewood—very valuable. It's just that the windows and doors are in poor condition."

As they spoke, a gargantuan rat scurried brazenly past them. Wei Xiao set Qianqian down. "Qianqian, charge!"

The moment its four paws touched the ground, the cat let out a meow and scrambled back into Wei Xiao’s arms, clinging to his sleeve and refusing to let go.

It was a cat that was afraid of rats.

Watching the interaction between the General and the white cat, Chu Yi thought to himself: the General must be truly strapped for cash if he even named his cat "Money."

"I haven't appeared in public since I reported for duty. What are the courtiers saying?"

"There are all sorts of theories. From your appearance to your temperament, these ministers are no different from the gossiping matrons at the corner of the street—only far more capable of spreading rumors."

"Oh?" Wei Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear them."

Finally finding someone to vent to, Chu Yi cleared his throat and launched into a long discourse.

"Because so few people have seen you, they claim you haven't appeared because you are hideously ugly, with a green face and fangs, ashamed to be seen. Others say you are extremely cruel; otherwise, you couldn't have committed the slaughter of the Southern Yue royal family. Most infuriatingly, because you took in the widows of the Southern Expeditionary Army, some are even spreading rumors that you have a penchant for married women."

"What nonsense is this?" Wei Xiao grew agitated, accidentally hurting Qianqian, which earned him a protest meow.

"These ministers have nothing better to do. I hear that every morning court session is like a brawl in a vegetable market. Aren't scholars supposed to be refined?"

Wei Xiao let out a cold snort. Scholars were people too; when it came to their own interests, they were the ones who quoted classics while hurling insults, acting just as shrewish as any street-brawler. He had learned that lesson many years ago.

"Has no one accused me of holding onto military power, defying orders, or showing no regard for the Emperor?"

Chu Yi hesitated, then said, "Well, there is that, too. But the Emperor has refuted those claims."

"General," Chu Yi added with a touch of anxiety, "they say these things about you only because you are absent. As long as you return, these rumors will fall apart on their own. A few days ago, Minister Gan from the Privy Council even sent word asking you to return to the capital soon. If you drag it out any longer, it will truly look as though you are arrogant and ungrateful for the Emperor's grace."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Wei Xiao looked around his General's residence once more. It was so ruinous, it would have been better if it hadn't been granted at all.

As the night deepened, the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels drifted from the street corners. The end of the *chou* hour was approaching; the ministers in Bianjing were preparing for the morning court.

Chu Yi mused that it was no wonder the General didn't like coming back. Court sessions were not work for mortals. The only advantage of this broken-down residence was its proximity to the Imperial City, allowing for an extra hour of sleep. Those who lived far away had to rise at the beginning of the *chou* hour; those with means took carriages, while others had to rely on their own two legs.

No matter how high an official one became, one still had to attend court—not a shred of freedom to be found.

Wei Xiao carried the fat cat and leapt back into the Prince’s estate. The moment he landed, Qianqian vanished from his arms and disappeared in a flash.

Shen Jifeng slept soundly, and it was well past the *chen* hour when she opened her eyes. After a hurried breakfast, she instructed the steward to send the estate guards to every blacksmith and tin shop in Bianjing to purchase lead.

A few hours later, they returned one after another, empty-handed. Every piece of lead in the city had been bought up!

"Even lacquerware has gone up in price lately. Some families conducting funerals can't find lead foil for spirit money anywhere."

Shen Jifeng lowered her eyes, remaining silent. Fearing she might be distressed, Jin Chai consoled her, "Princess, didn't Huang Bo say you could source lead from Liyang? It shouldn't be difficult to petition the Emperor for a directive."

"It is indeed not difficult." Shen Jifeng toyed with a small silver bead. "But if I do that, I will provide them with ammunition against me."

Providing a pretext for using imperial authority to open a mine would contradict the Emperor's original intent of opening mining to the public. It wasn't that she couldn't use the Emperor's favor, but she had to save it for a last resort. Clearly, now was not the time.

"Get ready. We are going into the city. I want to see exactly who is hoarding the goods."