The Double
Chapter 91 - 91 74 Imperial Archery_4

91: Chapter 74 Imperial Archery_4 91: Chapter 74 Imperial Archery_4 This is “confidence”.

…

In the western part of Yanjing City, at the Mansion of Duke Su, there was a tranquil silence at the moment.

Duke Su had an affinity for vibrant and diverse things, hence his Mansion was intricately complex, renovated with extreme sophistication and opulence.

In front of the gate flowed the Anding River, alongside which stood countless splendid buildings, yet none of these high-rising and sweeping-eaved edifices could match the prominence of that vermilion mansion.

Today, there were no familiar opera tunes drifting from the Duke Residence, a silence that was oddly unsettling.

The old general—Duke Su’s grandfather, Jih Dachuan, was squatting in the courtyard practicing with swords.

The yard was very spacious, surrounded by scattered fragrant flowers and plants, many of which were rare species.

Sadly, quite a few had been chopped down by the “swish swish swish” of the sword wind raised by Jih Dachuan, falling to the ground, exceedingly fragile and stirring pity.

The guards hiding under the eaves immediately moaned and groaned.

This batch of Persian Chrysanthemums had been acquired by the Duke for a hefty sum from sea merchants and was looked after with great care for several months.

Just as they had started to bloom, they were ruined by the old general.

When the Duke saw this, he would again have to “understand” them thoroughly.

It was truly terrifying.

Jih Dachuan, now over the age of sixty, still had a robust physique.

With his youthful face and white hair, one could faintly see that he was a handsome man in his youth; thus, despite his age, he remained an old but handsome man.

His face had wrinkles, yet his eyes were still sharp and spirited; in the summer, he would go shirtless, tying a piece of red silk around his wrist and wielding a saber in each hand, practicing dual sabers.

If things went on like this, the Duke’s whole batch of Persian Chrysanthemums would be wiped out.

A seemingly honest guard couldn’t bear it any longer and finally stepped forward to stop Jih Dachuan’s action, saying, “General, it’s getting late, let’s go for a meal first.”

Upon hearing this, Jih Dachuan paused, then with a “whoosh,” he withdrew the two curved sabers in his hands and asked, “Where’s that rabbit scion Jih Heng?”

The guard said, “…Sir has just returned to the Mansion.”

“Didn’t he go to listen to someone play the Zither today?

Who played well?” Jih Dachuan asked loudly, as if suggesting that Jih Heng had gone to a brothel to listen to music and would come back to report which girl sang prettily and looked beautiful.

The guard held back and said, “The Second Miss from Chief Minister Jiang’s Family took the top spot.”

“Second Miss?” Jih Dachuan tossed on a piece of clothing and headed outside while saying, “Don’t know her, she’s from the Chief Minister’s Family, that tortoise Jiang huh…”

The guard looked at the scattered flower petals on the ground and sighed in frustration.

Inside the room, Jih Heng leaned on a couch, casually playing with a fan.

If someone could enter Jih Heng’s room, they would surely be surprised.

The room of Duke Su, who had a natural taste for splendor and opulence, was unexpectedly plain and could even be called austere.

The whole study was so spacious it nearly felt empty, all made of black and white pear wood, without any superfluous decoration, giving off a hollow feeling.

However, when one’s gaze fell upon his handsome face, suddenly the hollow room seemed to become fulfilling.

The lamp emitted a subtle radiance, and another person was sitting in the room.

Lu Jiu, still dressed in his green robe and sporting a goatee, said with a smiling face, “Sir, how did you find the Zither Music at the Inspection Field today?”

“Extremely boring,” Jih Heng said languidly.

“But you will have to continue to observe the Imperial Archery tomorrow, I’m sorry for the trouble, Sir,” Lu Jiu said.

Jih Heng lifted his eyelids, seemingly a bit impatient.

Not only was he the examiner for the Zither Music event, but he was also the examiner for the Archery event, hence he had to visit the Inspection Field again tomorrow.

“Why did His Majesty appoint you as an examiner?” Lu Jiu wondered.

Jih Heng said, “Lu Jiu, I did not bring you into my service to have you question me.”

Lu Jiu’s heart tightened, but then he heard the man in front of him respond indifferently, “Because the Emperor wants me to keep an eye on Prince Cheng.”

Prince Cheng?

Lu Jiu was startled, then came to a realization.

Although Emperor Hongxiao was the emperor now, the Crown Prince was young, and as long as Prince Cheng was alive, he was a thorn in Emperor Hongxiao’s side.

But with Empress Dowager Liu backing Prince Cheng and Emperor Hongxiao exercising “benevolent rule,” failing to find fault with Prince Cheng, the emperor could only let him live for the time being.

Yet a monarch after all is never at ease; since Prince Cheng was going to observe the inspection, Emperor Hongxiao simply had Jih Heng join the scene.

But then, Lu Jiu could not help but glance at the young man before him, suspecting Emperor Hongxiao might not know that the recent growth in Prince Cheng’s power had been aided and abetted by Jih Heng himself.

Having Jih Heng keep an eye on Prince Cheng?

Unless Jih Heng seized the opportunity to expand Prince Cheng’s influence instead.

“The Right Chancellor gets along well with Prince Cheng,” Jih Heng said nonchalantly, “and I see that the Assistant Head Writer will soon follow.”

“Shen Yurong?” Lu Jiu said, “He and Princess Yongning seem to…” With just a thought of the implications, Lu Jiu found it astonishing.

After all, she was a princess, and to be involved in such a scandal was truly unbelievable.