Chapter 318

Wang Xiujin felt that heaven was against him, determined to drive him to his wits' end; otherwise, why would the people he least wanted to see constantly push themselves into his line of sight? Even though he had no desire to meet them, he still had to feign delight and pay them compliments, all the while sighing internally at his own hypocrisy. As he led the Fourth Prince toward the main hall, he was intercepted by the Prince, who said, "Do not disturb the others; I heard you were planning a barbecue and hotpot this evening, so I thought I would come and join the fun." With that, the Fourth Prince chuckled first.

Wang Xiujin tried his best to make his smile look natural, but he felt his expression stiffening into a mask. He quickly turned his head away, hoping the Prince wouldn't notice. The Fourth Prince, indeed oblivious to Wang's discomfort, rambled on about how his son would be arriving later, noting that the boy had been constantly asking for Yachang ever since they parted ways. Wang Xiujin hastily explained that Yachang had been staying at the Wang residence for the past few days. The Fourth Prince remarked, "What a pity," though Wang Xiujin could not fathom the reason for that lament.

Yachang had indeed been staying at the Wang residence lately. Concerned that his son might be implicated in the recent trouble, Wang Xiujin felt it was safer and more convenient for the boy to stay under his grandfather's roof. To prevent his son from rushing back the moment he heard about the ambush by assassins, Wang Xiujin had sent a message to the Wang house instructing him to remain there for a few more days. While the Li family members said nothing about him sending his son away, Wang Xiujin heard the servants gossiping and promptly dismissed those responsible.

With the Fourth Prince and his eldest son dining at the Li residence, the household was naturally in a state of chaotic activity. Whether through some loose-lipped soul or otherwise, the news leaked out. Hearing of the morning's events, various people arrived at the Li estate under the guise of paying a visit to Wang Xiujin. They brought gifts—none too extravagant, for fear that such offerings would be turned away at the gate. They brought only pastries and fruits, items that would certainly be granted entry. Of course, had anyone dared to hide silver notes or bribes within those gifts, they would have been tossed out along with their offerings, never to darken the doorstep again.

Since guests are guests, and they came under the pretext of concern, Wang Xiujin could hardly turn them away. Yet, he knew perfectly well they weren't here for him; otherwise, they wouldn't have waited until now. The butler handled the reception. These individuals were not of a status that warranted the old master's attention, so if they had the heart, they could seek an audience, but if they lacked manners, the old master would be spared the effort.

Li Linshan returned from the military camp to find a bustling crowd at the gate. He exchanged greetings with an official he barely knew, his face composed while his mind raced with confusion. These civil officials rarely interacted with their family; why were they here today? Could it be to plead for that person? Li Linshan was aware that the Emperor had elevated Wang Xiujin's title, as the decree had already been delivered to the barracks.

Upon entering, he met the butler and, before he could ask, was informed of the Fourth Prince's presence. Li Linshan immediately understood: these people weren't here to see Wang Xiujin; they were here for the Prince. He asked where everyone was, and the butler reported that the Prince and his eldest son were in the training hall, while Master Xiujin was entertaining guests in the courtyard. Li Linshan glanced back at the gate and ordered the butler to close it and decline further visitors. If they weren't here with sincere intentions, there was no need to entertain them. The butler complied immediately.

Li Linshan went inside to pay his respects to his elders before returning to the courtyard. He happened to catch Wang Xiujin seeing off a guest, noting the impatience hidden beneath Wang's composed expression. Li Linshan found it strange; if Wang disliked these guests, why entertain them at all instead of just turning them away? He didn't know that Wang Xiujin had intended to annoy the Fourth Prince, only to find that the Prince was no longer the straightforward man he once was. Having grown cunning, the Prince had slipped away the moment Wang agreed to receive the visitors, using the excuse of wanting a tour. He had visited the old General, wandered the gardens, bypassed the eldest daughter’s courtyard, and ended up in the training hall, where he insisted his son learn from the guards practicing there. When Wang Xiujin heard the report, he nearly fumed—was this the "prank" backfiring on him?

Wang Xiujin was too embarrassed to voice these grievances. He explained the Prince's arrival to Li Linshan, though whether it was a genuine visit or a pretense was a matter of perspective. Regardless, the Prince's visit was a public display of favor, signaling the royal family’s regard for him. Even if the Prince merely came for a meal, it showed a level of intimacy that only the General's residence could command.

That evening, the Fourth Prince’s eldest son ate with gusto, shedding all palace decorum. With his mouth smeared with oil, the boy ate heartily, and instead of reprimanding him, the Prince laughed, recalling how he too had been covered in grease the first time he ate a steamed bun. Wang Xiujin couldn't recall if he had ever seen the Prince in such a state, but he reflected on their years of acquaintance. He had been just a child then, and in the blink of an eye, the Prince’s own son was grown enough to eat with such vigor. How time flew.

The Fourth Prince eventually departed with his son, leaving Wang Xiujin to sigh in his heart. He realized he would likely never again sit with the Prince at a roadside stall eating noodles as they had in their youth. Friendship from those days... well, it wasn't necessarily pure. Perhaps it had been pure for the Prince, but for Wang, it had been a matter of utility. Now, there was nothing left to lament.

After the assassin incident, the Li family remained vigilant. Li Linshan continued to escort Wang Xiujin daily, and Wang kept a close eye on his surroundings. The only change was that Yachang had been brought back to the Li residence. The boy began attending school, but after classes, he would spend an hour with his grandfather, and in the mornings, he would practice martial arts with his father.

Wang Xiujin felt a twinge of pity for his son but could not intervene. Such was the educational philosophy of the era; while a free-spirited upbringing might work in a small village, it was impossible in a major clan. Watching his son, he realized the boy didn't seem to mind, appearing rather in his element. He shook his head, wondering if his son would rebel when he reached his teens. Thinking further, he decided he was just bored—perhaps he should modify a carriage into a human-powered tricycle to create some jobs?

Action followed thought. Wang Xiujin drew a design for a tricycle and handed it to the workshop manager to study. He even imagined an advertisement, though in an era without television, it would have to be an illustration in a pictorial magazine: a filial child riding a tricycle with his parents, perhaps to the market or to visit relatives, the parents’ faces beaming with happiness.

The manager didn't commit, saying he needed to check if an illustrator would take the job. Wang Xiujin wasn't in a hurry; the product didn't exist yet, so the ad could wait.

The manager, looking as bashful as a shy maiden, caught Wang Xiujin before he left. "There is something else. I have heard the stories from your school and wish to adapt them into drawings so more people can understand them." He requested that Wang condense the stories without losing their essence.

"Why not serialize them?" Wang Xiujin asked curiously. "Like a novel, releasing a little bit at a time to keep people hooked for the next issue." He walked away without giving a definitive answer; in an age without patent or copyright laws, authorization was meaningless.

The manager stood stunned, eventually shaking his head, thinking himself a scholar-merchant who couldn't match the cold, profit-driven mindset of a pure businessman. Had Wang Xiujin known this, he would have been furious—he was a scholar-merchant too! If he hadn't been afraid of hardship, he would have taken the imperial examinations himself, sparing himself the constant reminders from his father about what might have been.

As Wang Xiujin’s pictorial was released, he saw Li Linshan waiting outside the shop. "Why didn't you go inside?"

Li Linshan replied with only two words: "A scholar's place." Wang Xiujin laughed. "Let's go home. Yachang is probably pouting because he didn't get his barbecue."

"Yachang will be sad if he hears you say that." Mentioning his son softened Li Linshan’s expression, though he found Wang’s teasing of the boy rather helpless.

"Who told him to cry and then lie, claiming it was because he missed the barbecue?" Wang Xiujin recalled how the boy had clung to his leg, tears streaming down his face. Wang had been heartbroken, almost crying himself, until he asked why, and the boy, with great pride, had insisted it was just because he didn't get his barbecue. It left Wang Xiujin stifled between laughter and tears.

Li Linshan recalled the scene, finding it quite humorous, especially Wang Xiujin’s expression at the time.