Chapter 62
The two of them stayed tangled together on the bed until the hour of Wei (around 1-3 PM). In the end, it was Qi Xiao who couldn't stand the hunger anymore and finally got up. Qi Xiao was in high spirits. After having the maids help them wash up, he went to the outer study first, leaving Bai Ren to slowly get ready in the bedchamber.
After lunch, Qi Xiao urged Bai Ren to change his clothes. Bai Ren was startled. "Sending me back to my residence?"
Qi Xiao smiled. "What are you thinking? You can't go back for now." Bai Ren blinked. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Qi Xiao simply smiled without answering. After Bai Ren finished changing, he led the man out the door. Bai Ren had thought Qi Xiao was just acting on a sudden whim, but the moment they passed through the ceremonial gate, he saw more than a dozen carriages parked in front of the Crown Prince's mansion—one after another. Shunzi jumped down from Qi Xiao's carriage and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, everything is ready."
Bai Ren was dumbfounded. "Where... where are we going?"
Qi Xiao ordered the luggage loaded, then turned to whisper in Bai Ren's ear. "Though we can't compare to newlyweds, we should still follow their example and go out for some fun, shouldn't we?"
Before Bai Ren could speak, Qi Xiao pulled him into the carriage, lifted the curtain, and instructed, "Drive steadily. We just need to arrive before nightfall."
Bai Ren really couldn't process what was happening. He grabbed Qi Xiao's hand and kept saying, "Is... is this really okay? Does the palace know? Shouldn't I at least send a message to Roujia first..."
Qi Xiao laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I've already made all the arrangements."
Such a casual remark naturally couldn't put Bai Ren's mind at ease. The carriage jolted, and when Bai Ren lifted the curtain to look, they had already passed the street corner. He furrowed his brow. "Your Highness... did you really get permission from His Majesty? You're the Crown Prince—leaving the city without an imperial decree is a serious crime if anyone finds out..."
Qi Xiao chuckled. "I wanted to give you a surprise, but you just have to interrogate me like this. How uninteresting. Fine then..."
Though the surprise was ruined, seeing Bai Ren worry for him like this still warmed Qi Xiao's heart. He smiled and said, "Do you remember what I told you a few days ago? That the Ministry of Rites' spring plowing inspection has been transferred to the Eastern Palace?"
Bai Ren nodded, still confused. Qi Xiao picked up an embroidered golden round pillow and propped it behind himself, smiling faintly. "The plowing inspection is just a formality anyway, but the Ministry of Works also needs to supervise the spring farming situation among the common folk... so I took on this task and planned to go out of the city these few days to take a look."
Qi Xiao glanced at Bai Ren with a smile. "Of course, once we're really out, it's not about watching people plow fields. Coincidentally, I have an estate south of the city. The villa there is decent enough for lodging. Let's go play there for a few days."
Bai Ren's eyes widened. "Really? We don't have to go back for several days?"
Qi Xiao nodded. "I told His Majesty that the young prince wanted to see how farming is done in our region, so I'm bringing you along." Bai Ren was overjoyed and immediately rolled into Qi Xiao's arms. "Several days, several days, several days..."
Qi Xiao laughed helplessly. "Stop fooling around! Sit properly. Sit down now... I'm talking to you."
Bai Ren's mind was filled with the fact that he and Qi Xiao would be staying outside for several days together. He couldn't hear anything else. He buried himself in Qi Xiao's arms and squirmed around. Fearing he might hurt himself, Qi Xiao had no choice but to hold him close, chuckling, "It's getting warm, so I've switched to thinner curtains. If you keep carrying on like this, the servants outside will hear everything."
Bai Ren blushed at this and quickly sat up properly. But he still couldn't contain his excitement. He tugged at Qi Xiao's sleeve and whispered, "What's at the estate? I went to play at one of my mother's estates once. They had little chickens and ducklings there—all sorts of cute things. And I remember there was a huge pond with turtles in it. The steward taught me to fish for turtles with worms, and in less than two hours, I caught a dozen!"
The Lingnan Princess Consort, wary of the concubine, had kept Bai Ren tightly leashed since childhood. Even so, he'd still been harmed multiple times. It was only because he was lucky that he'd survived to this age. Opportunities to go out and play like this were even rarer. All Bai Ren could talk about were the things he'd done at that estate. Qi Xiao felt a pang in his heart. He ruffled Bai Ren's hair and laughed. "There aren't any ponds here, but there's a rapeseed flower field you can enjoy. As for little chickens and ducks, I don't know, but I remember this estate produces fine furs, so there should be some small animals. If you like, I'll take you to see them."
Hope shone in Bai Ren's eyes. Qi Xiao curved his lips into a smile. "But all that is secondary. The real reason I wanted to bring you here is... this estate has a hot spring."
Upon hearing this, for some reason, Bai Ren suddenly thought of everything that had happened the night before. His face flushed red. Qi Xiao clicked his tongue. "Soaking in the spring water helps circulate the meridians and nourishes the stomach—it's good for your health. Where did your mind go?"
Bai Ren gave an embarrassed laugh, but Qi Xiao wouldn't let it go. "Go on, young prince... what were you thinking about?"
Bai Ren, having nowhere to hide, buried his face in Qi Xiao's chest and continued bouncing with joy. "Several days, several days, several days..."
Qi Xiao laughed softly. Those two scoundrels Wen Yu and Kang Tai had been giving Bai Ren trouble for days. Qi Xiao knew that taking him out for some fresh air would hit the mark perfectly.
The two of them chatted and laughed all the way there, dozing off in the carriage in between. By the hour of You (around 5-7 PM), they finally arrived at the estate. It was already dark, so Qi Xiao didn't take Bai Ren on a tour. They went straight to the villa.
The villa was small but exquisitely crafted. The courtyard was filled with exotic flowers and rare plants—every five steps revealed a new scene, every ten steps a new view. Even under the moonlight, its beauty was apparent. Bai Ren hadn't expected a mere estate to be decorated so finely. He gasped in silent admiration. The night air was heavy with dew, so Qi Xiao didn't let Bai Ren linger outside. After a brief look around, he led him inside.
A few stewards from the estate came in to pay their respects from behind a screen. They went on and on with their flattery and offered to present the estate's accounts and income to Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao waved his hand. "Not necessary. First, move the screen away."
The maids quickly pushed the folding screen aside. Qi Xiao glanced at Bai Ren and said, "Since you're all here, let's get acquainted. This is the Young Prince of Lingnan. I've already transferred this estate to the young prince. From now on, he's your master..."
Before any of the stewards could respond, Bai Ren was startled. He quickly laughed and said, "Your Highness is joking... what is this about?" Bai Ren desperately signaled to Qi Xiao with his eyes, but Qi Xiao acted as if he didn't see. He simply said coolly, "In front of all these people, would the young prince refuse me?"
Bai Ren immediately fell silent.
Qi Xiao took the account books the steward had presented and flipped through them briefly. He continued, "Since the estate is transferred to the young prince, from now on, send the quarterly income to the Lingnan Prince's residence. However..."
Qi Xiao paused, then said slowly, "The young prince is still young and probably can't manage the accounts yet. So all the estate's income and expenses, big and small, as well as any changes in the household, are still to be reported to my mansion. Understood?"
The stewards caught on quickly. So His Highness the Crown Prince just didn't want the income from this estate anymore—he still wanted control over everything else. They were all familiar with Qi Xiao's temperament, so they quickly kowtowed in agreement. Qi Xiao nodded. "You may go."
The maids went to the outer room to prepare dinner. Bai Ren lowered his voice and said urgently, "What are you doing, Your Highness? Such a large estate..."
Qi Xiao smiled faintly. "Then tell me—if you don't take this estate, what income does your household have left?"
Bai Ren was speechless.
Qi Xiao glanced outside, then pulled Bai Ren further into the inner room. He sighed softly. "Did you think you could hide your household's accounts from me? I've heard that the wedding hasn't even happened yet, and you've already borrowed nearly ten thousand taels from the Household Department. After Roujia's wedding is over, how do you plan to settle that debt?"
Bai Ren pressed his lips together. "I've already discussed it with the steward... after the big wedding, I'll sort through the gifts we received. Whatever can be sold, I'll sell; whatever can be pawned, I'll pawn. That should... that should cover it."
Qi Xiao laughed. "Sell? Pawn? If people find out, you'll never shake off the reputation of a fallen family."
Bai Ren didn't seem to mind much. "So what? The shame falls on the whole princely house anyway. If the south won't send money, how am I supposed to conjure it out of thin air? I'm actually being considerate—I'm leaving face for everyone. If they push me further, I can only start selling the manor itself. If His Majesty asks, I'll just tell the truth. No money to spend—I can't be expected to starve while sitting in a huge mansion, can I?"
Qi Xiao couldn't help but laugh. "I'd love to let you provoke your father like that, but I can't bring myself to be that ruthless. Fine then—keep what I give you. I have plenty of estates like this. This one is nothing. I'll manage this season's affairs for you, and when summer comes, I'll hand everything over. You'll have time to learn how to manage things."
Bai Ren tried to refuse again. Qi Xiao frowned. "Do you really want to be this careful about even such things with me?"
Bai Ren gave a helpless smile. "Alright... thank you, Your Highness."
"Who needs your perfunctory words." Qi Xiao took Bai Ren's hand and led him out to dinner. He said lazily, "Later... show me your sincerity."
After dinner, it was already past the hour of Hai (around 9-11 PM), so Bai Ren didn't get to experience the hot spring. He only freshened up a bit before lying down. When Qi Xiao finished changing into his inner robe and lifted the bed curtain, he saw Bai Ren lying there obediently. He couldn't help but smile. "You really are obedient..."
Qi Xiao rolled over and pressed himself on top of Bai Ren, whispering with a laugh, "What are you thinking about, young prince? Do you remember what I told you this morning?"
Qi Xiao's hands were restless. While speaking, he slipped his hand inside Bai Ren's sleeping robe and fondled and kneaded freely. Bai Ren quickly grabbed Qi Xiao's hand and said softly, "Wait... let me ask you something first..."
Qi Xiao thought Bai Ren was deliberately stalling. He smiled and said, "Go ahead, ask."
Bai Ren hesitated, then said slowly, "I was thinking just now... do you have something planned in the capital? Otherwise... why would you suddenly bring me out here? And it's not a spontaneous trip—you made preparations on both ends. Am I overthinking this?"
Qi Xiao stared steadily into Bai Ren's eyes, then laughed softly. "So it really can't be kept from you..."