Chapter 161: Recapture

Wow, what a large group of migrant workers… No, they are the pillars of the country…

“You haven’t eaten yet?”

Seeing that his brothers looked strange, Ye Shuo asked tentatively: “Can we have some together?”

Now that he has seen it, Ye Shuo wouldn’t want to eat alone, right?

In order to prevent improper conduct in front of the palace, ministers and princes usually did not eat during the morning court session, so as to avoid wanting to go to the toilet after staying there for too long, or eating the wrong food. They would generally eat after returning home.

The eldest prince and the others snorted in their hearts at the same time. Who would want to eat something so shameful?

The eldest prince and the others were about to refuse when they heard him say, “I’ll treat you.”

The eldest prince and others paused for a moment.

It’s not that they are short of money for this meal. How much does a bowl of fried liver cost?

The main reason is that the emperor gave them too much money, and they felt uncomfortable. Even if the emperor only gave them a minor job, they still felt uncomfortable.

Xiaojiu finally showed his generosity, so how could he not take advantage of it?

The eldest prince and the others finally sat down next to Ye Shuo in silence.

The Taifu, who also came out with the crowd, took the opportunity to get on the carriage, but was afraid of being discovered and caught by him, so he left without looking back.

The man selling fried liver nearby was so happy when he saw this that he farted with joy. He watched as several nobles in dragon robes walked out of the palace gate, chatted with the young man at the stall, and then went straight to his stall.

Oh my God, even the princes and the nobles came to eat the food I made!

My ancestors had done good deeds. They really had done good deeds.

The hawker placed several servings of fried liver in front of the distinguished guests with an extremely pious attitude.

After only one glance, the Fifth Prince subconsciously became picky: “This color… is it for human consumption?”

Ye Shuo rolled his eyes at him and said nothing, but just picked up the bowl and took a sip.

The eldest prince ignored him and took a sip.

Although this thing is not as exquisite as the ones made by the imperial chef in the palace, it tastes good and is enough to fill the stomach.

“You don’t need the chef in the prince’s mansion, but come out to eat this?” The eldest prince didn’t quite understand what his younger brother was thinking.

Ye Shuo shook his head: “You don’t understand.”

No matter how delicious something is, there will come a day when you get tired of it. Changing the taste frequently can keep it fresh and last longer.

Besides, is it a question of what to eat? Rather than eating, getting up in the morning and breathing fresh air is the most important thing.

“Brother, you guys are really boring.”

They have no interest?!

The eldest prince and the others were almost laughing in anger, but what they were thinking was, Xiaojiu, you can be proud for now, wait for the order from the emperor, and see how long you can be proud!

Several people, including the sixth prince, kept cursing.

The fifth prince almost finished the entire meal while complaining.

The Fifth Prince complained that the fried liver was not clean nor tasty, but he ate half a bowl of it in one breath. Ye Shuo had no idea what he was doing.

Seeing that the time was almost up, the brothers stood up.

Xiao Luzi paid the money almost under the gaze of several princes.

They had no idea how much their younger brother was worth now. Looking at the copper coins that Xiao Luzi took out, they suddenly felt even happier than when they had eaten the fried liver just now.

Then the few of them separated at the street corner.

The eldest prince was heading to the military camp, the second prince and others were heading to the six ministries, and as for Ye Shuo, it went without saying that he was heading to the teahouse.

After listening to the book, Ye Shuo planned to go to the medical clinic in the capital and hire two apprentices who were proficient in acupoint massage, and have them come to his home regularly every day to massage him and relax his muscles.

Seeing this, the eldest and second princes stopped in their tracks and asked, “Aren’t you going to report to the Ministry of Works?”

Ye Shuo didn’t even think about it: “I have already asked someone to send a message to the Minister of Works.”

The Minister of Works knew = he had punched in. Besides, his position was just an honorary one, it didn’t matter whether he went or not. If there was any problem, Zou Wu would tell him directly, there was no need for Ye Shuo to go to work every day.

Just like that, the eldest prince and his entourage watched their younger brother walk into the teahouse in front of them.

The eldest prince snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves and left.

After the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince had walked for some distance, the Fifth Prince could not help but sighed, “I really envy my Ninth Brother…”

Among so many princes, only the Fifth Prince told the truth.

The second prince paused and said, “What is there to envy? Everything he has now is nothing but flowers in the mirror and the moon in the water. Sooner or later, he will pay the price for his temporary enjoyment.”

“Ah? Will he really pay the price?” Looking at Xiaojiu’s personality, and with the Imperial Concubine and the Duke of Zhen behind him, it doesn’t seem like he will pay a price.

The fifth prince wanted to say more: “Second brother…”

Second Prince: “Shut up!”

“…oh.”

The other side.

Just like yesterday, Ye Shuo ate and drank his fill today, then went home in the dark.

With money paving the way, the teahouse owner is very efficient. Of course, it may also be that there are more poor intellectuals. This afternoon, the teahouse owner handed him a stack of bills.

If I finish writing everything and show it to him, and if he is not satisfied, the article will be discarded. It is better to let those people write the beginning first. If the boy is satisfied, then let them continue writing. If not, then forget it.

In this way, Ye Shuo actually discovered several articles with great potential.

It certainly can’t be compared with the classics, but it’s also quite interesting.

“This, this, and this. Tell them to hurry up and write. If they write well and quickly, they will be rewarded handsomely.”

As soon as Ye Shuo said this, the teahouse owner became even more excited.

Then we went to the opera troupe and the clinic. We strolled around here and there, and the day passed quickly. I didn’t feel bored at all, but rather very fulfilled.

After all, spending money is a very interesting thing in itself.

As expected, Ye Shuo ran into the same person at the same time and place again.

But this time, the eldest prince had an extra black horse in his hands. The black horse had shiny fur and strong limbs. It was obviously a good horse that was carefully raised.

When the eldest prince stroked the horse, there was even a hint of pity in his eyes: “This is the offspring of my warhorse, named Qingfeng. I am giving it to you now. Xiaojiu, you must treat it well in the future.”

The eldest prince originally used Qingfeng as a spare horse, but now he is back, right? He really can’t use it, and it’s really pitiful for this horse to stay in the barracks every day, so it’s better to give it to Xiaojiu, at least he can go out and have some fresh air often.

Feeling the great prince’s attention, Ye Shuo couldn’t help but become serious: “Of course.”

As everyone knows, the fodder in Beiting is the best and the horses raised there are the strongest. Ye Shuo happens to have several caravans in Beiting, so it should not be difficult to ask them to transport the fodder back.

So Ye Shuo asked: “Does your horse eat the grass in Beiting?”

The eldest prince was stunned for a moment.

After realising what he meant, the eldest prince couldn’t help but sweat: “…That’s not necessary.”

Although the eldest prince had been taken care of carefully before, it was not to this extent.

How much money would it cost to feed it with grass from Beiting every day?

However, for Ye Shuo, money was really nothing. Besides, the caravan was his own, so the cost alone was much less. How much money would it cost to cut some grass in Beiting’s fields?

“Don’t worry, brother. I know what’s going on.”

The eldest prince: “…”

The eldest prince suddenly began to sympathise with the imperial concubine, the Duke of Zhen’s Mansion, and…his father.

How much money does one have to put in to support such a wasteful thing?

Just at this moment, Ye Yan and his brothers, who had just finished their homework, heard a noise outside. When the servant said it was the Ninth Prince, Ye Yan and his brothers rushed out without much hesitation.

It just so happened that Ye Shuo had just got a new horse and was worried about where to go. When he saw them, he asked casually, “I’m going to the enclosure to hunt tomorrow. Do you want to come?”

Knowing that his cheap father doesn’t like entertainment, he hasn’t been to the enclosure for two or three years, and the other princes are the same. Now the various free-range animals in the royal hunting grounds are giving birth one after another, and the grass is almost eaten bald. Every year, guards have to be sent to clean up a batch to maintain balance. Ye Shuo thought, since he is idle anyway, why not let himself help digest it, otherwise it will be in vain to spend so much money on maintenance every year?

Ye Yan and the others were excited and subconsciously wanted to agree, but when he looked up, he saw his father’s eyes.

Ye Yan and others suddenly woke up.

They forgot that they have to report to the study room tomorrow.

The study room only gives a few days of leave a year: New Year, birthday, and Tianchang Festival, and that’s it. No leave is allowed at other times without special circumstances.

However, these are not a big deal in Ye Shuo’s eyes.

“I’ll ask someone to tell Lord Cen tomorrow.”

Ye Yan and the others looked at their father expectantly. The eldest prince did not hesitate and shook his head decisively, saying, “Don’t even think about it!”

Then the eldest prince looked at his younger brother and warned him, “Don’t lead Yan’er and the others astray!”

OK then…

Ye Shuo shrugged his shoulders, gave them a helpless look, then took Qingfeng’s hand and went back home.

Ye Yan and his brothers were almost crying.

Ye Shuo kept his word and rode his horse to the royal hunting ground on the outskirts of the city the next day.

It is called a hunting ground, but it is actually very large. You can’t even see the end of it at a glance.

Not many people hunt in this hunting ground, so naturally no one wants the hunting dogs that are raised all year round.

Ye Shuo was very interested in the group of hunting dogs, especially those fine dogs with long limbs and bright eyes. It was obvious that they were good hunters.

Ye Shuo waved at them. The hounds were slow to react at first, but after being reminded by the trainer, they came over with their tails wagging.

Adult dogs have already recognized their trainers as their masters after a long time, which is probably enough, but the puppies are just born now, so Ye Shuo had an idea and decided to raise a few of them at home.

The house is indeed a little quieter now.

The trainer naturally would not refuse. He was already worried because this group of hunting dogs gave birth to another litter two months ago, and all the dogs that could be donated from nearby areas had been sent here. If no one wanted this litter, they would have to be given to the nearby villagers.

After all, following the villagers is not as good as following the princes and nobles to enjoy life. If possible, the animal trainer would like to let them live a wealthy life.

“There are six in this litter. Apart from this one, I’ve seen all the other little ones. They all have good qualifications.”

Looking at the five strong puppies and one obviously weak one, Ye Shuo didn’t care if there was one more or one less, so he said, “Leave these six to me, I’ll take them away at night.”

The trainer was immediately delighted.

Xiao Luzi was so excited at the sight of the prey that he couldn’t help but reach out and touch it.

In this way, Ye Shuo, with a group of hunting dogs and several guards, spent a whole day in the enclosure.

When he left, in addition to the six weaned puppies, he also took away two hares and a deer.

After returning to the mansion, the dusty Ye Shuo handed the hare and deer to the kitchen, asking them to help cut them and then marinate them with spices. He planned to have a barbecue in the pavilion on the mountain in the evening.

By the way, Ye Shuo sent the servants in his mansion to knock on every door. He couldn’t finish all the food by himself, so he asked them to ask his brothers if they were interested in having a barbecue together.

However, the eldest prince and his men had worked all day and were exhausted. At night, they had to sleep in the rooms of the princes’ wives and concubines. How could they have the leisure time to eat barbecue?

Ye Yan and the others wanted to go, but they haven’t finished memorising their books yet!

When Ye Shuo came out of the hot spring wearing a robe, he heard the news that he was rejected.

Forget it, if they don’t want to eat it, just eat it yourself.

So Ye Shuo brought musicians and a few storybooks with him. They listened to the music, read the storybooks, and grilled meat at the same time. After a short while, the deer legs on the grill were sizzling and oozing with oil.

Although the mountain behind the Ninth Prince’s Mansion is not very high, only about a hundred metres, it is high enough for people around to see clearly.

Especially the hanging lanterns swaying in the wind and the distant sound of the piano made the Sixth Prince’s hand that was turning the pages of the book suddenly pause, and the Sixth Prince almost opened his mouth with gritted teeth.

“Someone! Close the window!”

The Sixth Prince was fine, but the people in the First Prince’s mansion, which was the closest to the palace, were suffering.

The barbecue itself is not attractive, what is attractive is the leisurely feeling.

Smelling the aroma of meat wafting in the air, Ye Yan and the others were drooling in their dreams that night.

Ye Shuo did what he said, and now he is like a bird out of a cage, wandering and flying everywhere.

But human nature is inherently mean. The more he behaved like this, the more the eldest prince and the others wanted to know what he did every day, and then they could not help but ask him about it.

Then, Ye Shuo’s itinerary slowly unfolded before everyone’s eyes——

On the first day, we ate fried liver, went to a teahouse to drink tea and listen to storytelling, and listened to opera in the afternoon.

The next day, we went hunting.

On the third day, they went fishing, relaxing and having a picnic in the wild, and they ran into Prince Su. In the end, Xiaojiu returned with a full load. The Ninth Prince’s Mansion had a fish banquet that night, but as for Prince Su… as expected, there was no feast.

On the fourth day, Xiaojiu went hiking and stayed overnight in a temple on the mountain. He had a vegetarian meal in the morning and then came back.

The fifth day, the sixth day, the seventh day…the eldest prince and others gradually became numb.

In just over a month, Ye Shuo’s goal was no longer limited to Shangjing City. He began to ride his horse directly and headed towards several other cities.

The nearest city was about two days’ journey from Shangjing, so it was impossible for Ye Shuo to return on the same day, and he stayed there for nearly half a month.

It can be seen that Xiaojiu’s itinerary is gradually expanding. If this continues, it won’t be long before he can no longer be found.

Half a month later, Ye Shuo came back. When he passed by the enclosure on the outskirts of the city, he couldn’t help but go there again.

This time, he gained more than just the six puppies.

What Ye Shuo didn’t expect was that he actually encountered a little tiger that had albinism, was abandoned in the wild, and was now dying.

This tiger is about the same size as a three-month-old puppy.

Ye Shuo thought about it, and finally picked it up and took it back.

It’s not that he felt pity or anything, it’s mainly because this thing looked so cute that he really couldn’t help himself.

At worst, we can wait until it grows up and send it back to the wild.

It is illegal to keep this thing in modern times, but nowadays, you can do whatever you want with it.

After Ye Shuo returned home, he specifically asked the kitchen for goat milk. It took him a lot of effort to feed the goat milk to the little white tiger.

The arrival of the little tiger made Ye Yan and others unable to sit still anymore. They stopped reciting books and the first thing they did after school every day was to come and see this little thing.

In addition to the little tiger, there were also six puppies, barbecued meat and fish to eat, and hot springs to soak in. Oh my god, is this a fairyland? !

The eldest prince almost watched helplessly as his sons, who he had high hopes for, became less hardworking than before.

This is simply outrageous!

The eldest prince eventually had an unprecedentedly violent quarrel with Ye Yan and his brothers.

The eldest prince was so angry that he seemed a little frustrated: “Why are you guys competing with him? Why don’t you compete with Ye Xun more!”

“Your Ninth Uncle has no ambitions. Do you want to be like that, too?”

In fact, Ye Yan and his team aren’t not working hard, they are just not working as hard as before.

The most important thing is that they also feel that such days seem to be quite good.

Thinking of this, Ye Yan said: “But, I don’t have to do anything. I just need to go out and play every day. It’s really happy…”

As for Ye Yan’s three younger brothers, they couldn’t help nodding when they heard this.

When the eldest prince heard this, his eyes went dark.

It’s over. My sons have been led astray by Xiaojiu.

After sending Ye Yan and the others to the study room to kneel as punishment, the eldest prince took a deep breath and decided that he could not go on like this.

Coincidentally, other people thought so too.

Xiaojiu has only been here for a few days, and their house is already in turmoil!

On the other side.

In the first five days, Emperor Jingwen was able to keep his composure and resisted the urge to check what his son was doing.

On the tenth day, Emperor Jingwen began to frown.

On the fifteenth day, Emperor Jingwen finally couldn’t help it and started cursing.

“Ignorant wolf! I really raised an ungrateful wolf!”

It’s quite blatant.

“I am still healthy, but he is like this. Wang Ziquan, tell me, can I still count on him in the future?!”

Wang Ziquan didn’t dare to speak, thinking, Your Majesty, you can’t count on the Ninth Prince anyway…

In the end, Emperor Jingwen failed to fulfil the promise he had made in his heart.

Emperor Jingwen initially thought that the little bastard had grown up and it was time to let him go. It was pointless to keep holding on to him.

As a result, now…

Bullshit, let him go!

He shouldn’t have let him leave the palace in the first place!

Freedom? That little bastard doesn’t deserve this word.

This thought reached its peak after he asked the secret guards to investigate what he had been doing recently.

Every day outside the palace, he either listened to operas or storytelling, or went fishing and hunting. He even went to the capital city and stayed there for half a month before returning.

When Emperor Jingwen received the news from the commander-in-chief, he was in disbelief for a moment.

“Are you sure he went out alone?”

After receiving the affirmative answer from the commander-in-chief, Emperor Jingwen couldn’t help but take a breath.

“Then why are you still standing there? Why don’t you bring him back to me?!”

Xiaojiu has never travelled far since he was a child. The only time he went far was to the temporary palace, he was with so many people. Could he know the way?

If he didn’t know the way, what if he accidentally went into the deep mountains and forests and couldn’t find his way back?

Although the official road was relatively safe, it was not without its problems. If he really encountered danger, would he want to bite the enemy’s ear to escape? He had grown up so much, why was he still so ignorant!

Emperor Jingwen was almost furious.

However, it was too late for the commander-in-chief to chase him. Qingfeng was the eldest prince’s precious warhorse. How could ordinary horses catch up with him when he really ran?

By the evening of the third day, Emperor Jingwen received news that his son was staying at an inn in Yuancheng near Shangjing.

And the following half month, when he spent lavishly in Yuancheng.

If Emperor Jingwen didn’t realise that the little bastard was enjoying himself here, then his reign would have been in vain.

It seems that after the little bastard was left alone outside, he had completely forgotten about his father, the emperor, and his mother.

He doesn’t want to come back at all!!!

Emperor Jingwen waited and waited, and finally Ye Shuo came back. He thought that he would finally come back to the palace this time, right?

As a result, a little tiger cub once again held him back.

Just when Emperor Jingwen was planning to capture him regardless of the consequences, the eldest prince, the second prince and the fourth prince, who had children and whose children were old enough to remember, came almost together. What’s more, Prince Su and Prince Jin were also among them.

How could Prince Su not come? There were only so many good places for fishing in the suburbs of Beijing, and he and his nephew would bump into them almost every time. Prince Su was busy helping Emperor Jingwen with his work on weekdays, and he could not stand being deprived of such a hobby.

As for Prince Jin, before Ye Shuo came out, he was the most comfortable person in the capital. But… Ye Shuo spent a lot of money, and all the good things came to him first. The storyteller that Prince Jin was used to listening to would always tell stories that his nephew would like to hear every time he went to the teahouse.

The Prince of Jin is not inferior to him, but the key is that the Prince of Jin has no money!

The shop under the name of King Jin is certainly profitable compared to that of ordinary people, but it is far from enough compared to Ye Shuo.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Wasn’t Prince Jin coming to the palace to complain?

Soon, several people started to complain to each other in the Qinzheng Hall.

Soon Emperor Jingwen understood the demands of the eldest prince and his two brothers.

No matter what method, we must get Xiaojiu back!

Emperor Jingwen: “…”

The little bastard is really capable of angering so many people at the same time.

Emperor Jingwen was very angry at first, but now he is not angry at all. Instead, he is worried that his son will be eaten by his brothers and uncles.

Emperor Jingwen had no choice but to clear his throat and quickly call the secret guards over.

About an incense stick later, Ye Shuo was lying comfortably on a recliner, enjoying the apprentice’s massage service while stroking his little white tiger and listening to songs. When he saw his cheap master Wu Yi, Ye Shuo was stunned.

Why is he here?

What happened?

Before Ye Shuo could react, Wu Yi spoke: “Your Highness, I am sorry for your wrongdoing.”

Then, Ye Shuo was taken back to the palace.

Wow!