The three little fellows had already slept for half an hour. The three of them lay in Yan Jiuchao’s arms, their little heads resting on his arms and chest. Their little hands were tugging at his clothes, and there were still tears on their eyelashes.
“Young Master.” Uncle Wan walked into the house. “It’s almost dawn. Carry the little young masters back to the room. You should rest too.”
After a tiring night, it was time for him to rest. It was not like he was made of iron.
Yan Jiuchao did not say anything. He carried the three little fellows back to his room and placed them on the soft bed. He used to sleep on a hard bed, but the three little fellows loved soft beds. Although they did not come to his room often, he always prepared them.
The three little fellows suddenly left their father’s arms and rolled around uncomfortably. They only curled up and fell asleep when the three brothers were tightly pressed against each other.
Yan Jiuchao had never seen too many children. He wondered if others also slept in this extremely insecure posture.
“Young Master?” Uncle Wan reminded him to rest.
Yan Jiuchao’s gaze landed on the three sleeping little fellows and he said indifferently, “They’re naughty and mischievous, and they’re skinny. I thought the four of them had suffered.”
Uncle Wan understood what he meant. In the past, he had thought so too. Now, it seemed that it was not the mother and children who were suffering, but the three little young masters.
It would be a lie to say that they had a good life growing up beside a woman who was not their biological mother. They refused to speak even when they were two years old. If he had not heard them laugh like pigs in the Yu family, he would have thought that they were born mute.
Why was all this happening? Who knew what they had suffered?
“You’ve brought them back. They won’t suffer anymore,” Uncle Wan said comfortingly.
“I’m someone who’s going to die,” Yan Jiuchao said.
Uncle Wan glared. Could he not pour cold water on him at this time? It wasn’t easy for him at his age, okay? Besides, how could anyone curse themselves like this?
Uncle Wan suppressed his anger and said earnestly, “What are you saying, Young Master…”
“Twenty-five. There are still two years, but they can’t even wait two years.” Yan Jiuchao interrupted Uncle Wan.
Uncle Wan was speechless. He had found out about this the night before the Princess Consort married into the Xiao family. If Xiao Zhenting hadn’t risked his life to find a pill to protect his heart, Young Master would have died when he was eight, let alone twenty-five.
Young Master had endured something that he shouldn’t have at his age, and so had Prince Yan.
Yan Jiuchao continued, “I don’t care who schemed against me. So many years, how many people wanted me dead? When have I not been living in schemes?”
Uncle Wan was even more speechless.
Poison in the food when he was eight years old, poisonous insects crawling out of the bedding when he was nine years old… Ten years old, eleven years old, he was frightened everytime, and he was frightened every year.
It was only after the Young Master had turned seventeen, an adult, that these situations had lessened.
Yan Jiuchao said, “But I can’t die, at least not so easily. If I can be an eyesore to them for a day, then I’ll be an eyesore to them for a day. If I’m unhappy, no one can think about being happy!”
“Young Master…” Uncle Wan’s heart ached.
“That’s what I thought in the past.” Yan Jiuchao’s tone softened as he looked at the three sleeping little fellows. “Not anymore.”
Uncle Wan’s eyes lit up. You’ve finally thought it through and decided to pull yourself together, treat your illness, and live well?
Yan Jiuchao said, “If I die, I’ll drag everyone with me!”
The corners of Uncle Wan’s mouth froze: “…”
Yan Jiuchao tucked the corners of the blanket around the three little fellows. His eyes flashed with the gentleness of a loving father, but his expression was almost crazy. “If they’re all dead, the Capital will be clean.”
… .
Yan Jiuchao had two powerful secret guards by his side. This matter was not a secret in the Capital. After all, Young Master Yan always set people up openly, so his secret guards could not really be that secret.
However, on this day, the secret guard called Shadow Six disobeyed Young Master Yan and was punished by Young Master Yan by a few hundred strokes. He would probably have to spend the next month in his room.
It was naturally impossible for Shadow Six to really be beaten up. He had secretly gone to Gong City. He wanted to investigate what had happened to Yan Ruyu three years ago and who she had obtained Yan Jiuchao’s three children from.
It was impossible for them not to have investigated Yan Ruyu, but that was in Prefecture Xu. Prefecture Xu had already been carefully “cleaned” up. What they found was what others wanted them to know.
But Gong City had barged into their vision. Gong City should have been “cleaned up” as well. However, it would not be as thorough as Prefecture Xu. After all, no one expected Yan Jiuchao to investigate Gong City.
As long as they did not alert the enemy, Shadow Six might be able to pick up the spoils in Gong City.
“Young Master.” After lunch, Shadow Thirteen came to the study.
Yan Jiuchao was looking at the toy that the craftsman had made for the three little lads—Kong Ming Lock. When he heard Shadow Thirteen’s voice, he nodded indifferently. “What is it?”
Shadow Thirteen felt that it was a little funny for a man like Young Master to play with such a small toy. He cleared his throat and said, “Shadow Six has already set off. Young Master, do you think… that we need to comfort Miss Yan?”
“Comfort her for what?” Yan Jiuchao asked casually.
Shadow Thirteen said, “We can’t let her discover that the Young Master suspects her. Young Master, at least use some handsome tricks to coax her first!”
Yan Jiuchao glanced at Shadow Thirteen indifferently. “It would be suspicious if I bothered with her.”
Shadow Thirteen choked. That’s right, how could he have forgotten his Young Master’s nature? If he really fawned over a woman for no reason, that would be terrifying.
Yesterday, when they met Miss Yan, it was Yan Congming who had used “eighteen kinds of martial arts” and “flashy words” to beg him. The little young masters “coincidentally” returned to the manor, so it was not good to embarrass their “grandfather” in front of his sons.
It would be unreasonable if he still rushed to fawn over Yan Ruyu today.
But why did he feel that Young Master didn’t ignore Yan Ruyu because of this? Young Master was actually too lazy to care! He should be pretending to be a grandson, but he was still a god. There was no one else who could be so arrogant!
Yan Jiuchao suddenly pointed at the two wine jars on the table. “Send these wines to the Yan Manor.”
“Didn’t you say you were ignoring Yan Ruyu?” Shadow Thirteen asked with a dark expression.
Yan Jiuchao snorted. “Who said it’s for her?”
Shadow Thirteen was stunned. “Then who are you giving it to?”
“Young Master! Young Master!” A pageboy came to Mrs. Yan’s courtyard excitedly. However, he was a boy and was stopped by the old woman guarding the door.
The pageboy said angrily, “Why are you stopping me? Quickly call Young Master out! The Shadow Guard of the Young Master Manor came! He sent two jars of wine to our Young Master!”
Yan Xie was afraid that Yan Ruyu would assassinate him and hid in his mother’s courtyard. When he heard the pageboy’s words, he rushed over in confusion. “What did you say? The Young Master Manor sent me wine?”
The pageboy said proudly, “That’s right! Young Master! The Shadow Guard personally sent it over!”
How could the pageboy have the chance to recognize Shadow Thirteen? It was Shadow Thirteen who introduced himself.
“Shadow… Shadow Guard? Young Master Yan’s personal guard?” The two secret guards’ surnames were both Shadow Guards. No matter which one it was, they were still Young Master Yan’s trusted aides. Why would Yan Jiuchao’s trusted aide send him wine?
“The Shadow Guard… didn’t say anything?” Yan Xie stammered.
The pageboy’s eyes lit up. “Yes! He said that Young Master Yan asked him to send it!”
“Young Master Yan asked someone to deliver wine to my brother?” The news quickly reached Yan Ruyu’s courtyard. Yan Ruyu had been drunk all night and still felt a little dizzy after drinking the hangover soup. After asking this question, her head hurt again.
Cai Qin said truthfully, “That’s what Lihua said.”
Lihua was a maidservant in Mrs. Yan’s courtyard and was from the same hometown as Cai Qin.
“Do you know what wine it’s for?” Yan Ruyu asked.
Cai Qin shook her head.
“Forget it, this isn’t important.” Yan Ruyu rubbed her aching head and muttered, “Why did the Young Master give my brother wine? Hasn’t he always looked down on my brother?”
Aunt Lin said, “Perhaps last night, Young Master was… moved by Miss?”
Yan Ruyu said thoughtfully, “You mean he likes me and wants to please my family? Then he should start with my parents.”
Last night, her father had gone to visit him. This gift should be returned to her father.
Yan Ruyu frowned and said, “No matter how I think about it, I think there’s something wrong with this matter.”
Aunt Lin smiled. “Miss, you’re thinking too much. Young Master lost his father when he was young and his mother remarried. Without an adult by his side to teach him, how could he know how to be well-mannered? The fact that he could send gifts shows that he’s considerate. As for who he sent it to, Miss, you don’t have to care.”
Yan Ruyu knew that Aunt Lin’s words made sense, but she just couldn’t be happy. On the contrary, she became even more uneasy. “Do you think he suspects that I said something after I got drunk last night…”
“Miss.” Aunt Lin gave her a look in time.
Yan Ruyu looked at the servants in the room and swallowed her words.
