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Published at 11th of July 2023 07:14:10 AM


Chapter 59

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The Little Prince

 

“What are you doing, Boss?” Bai Jushen asked.

Yan Ge was not busy with official matters in his office; instead, he was cutting paper with a pair of scissors. There were also some pigments and brushes on the table, piquing Bai Jushen’s curiosity.

Yan Ge replied, “Making toys. Do you have something to report?”

Bai Jushen reported, “A few days ago, a jewelry store in Yangzhou City, Jiangnan, placed a large order for jewelry with us. The goods have been prepared and are now ready. I have arranged for Changfeng Escort Bureau, the most powerful escort agency in the capital, to transport the goods. We will depart early tomorrow morning.”

Bai Jushen had been informed Yan Ge of this matter a couple of days ago. The Great Han Kingdom had ten major cities, and Yangzhou City was one of them, located in the prosperous Jiangnan region. Once the jewelry from First Company was sold in Yangzhou City, it would quickly become popular nationwide. Yan Ge put aside his current work and said, “I understand. This batch of jewelry is of considerable value, so make sure to instruct the personnel from Changfeng Escort Bureau to proceed with caution. You can go and take care of it. Also, call Guard Gao Feng and Gao Yun in.”

“Understood.”

Gao Feng and Gao Yun quickly arrived.

“Master, did you summon us?” they asked.

Yan Ge said, “There is a task to go on a long journey to Yangzhou. Which one of you will take it?”

Gao Feng and Gao Yun simultaneously said, “I will.”

Yan Ge chuckled and said, “Although it is a long journey, it is not for sightseeing.”

“It’s been a long time since we went on a long journey, so it won’t hurt to go out for a walk. Let Gao Yun go this time,” Gao Feng, being the older brother, generously offered.

“Thank you, Big Brother,” Gao Yun happily responded.

After Gao Feng left, Yan Ge instructed Gao Yun, “Changfeng Escort Bureau will escort a batch of jewelry to Jiangnan tomorrow morning. I want you to secretly follow them and assist when necessary to ensure the safe delivery of the jewelry to Yangzhou. With one team operating openly and another covertly, I will feel more at ease.”

“Understood!”

Yan Ge reminded, “There is no need to inform anyone else about this matter. If word gets to the ears of Changfeng Escort Bureau, they might think we don’t trust them, and it will only cause trouble.”

“I understand,” Gao Yun replied, “I won’t even tell my older brother.”

“Very well.”

After Gao Yun left, Yan Ge continued working on his jigsaw puzzles. Once he finished cutting the pieces, he painted each paper in different colors and set them aside to dry.

Chunxiang and Taohua entered, holding several rolls of paintings in their hands.

“Master, the paintings you requested are all finished,” Chunxiang said.

“Mhm,” Yan Ge took them, “Have you paid for them?”

“Yes, we have.”

Yan Ge opened the first painting, revealing a fierce tiger with its mouth wide open, leaping out of a green forest. Amid Chunxiang and Taohua’s cries of astonishment, he picked up the scissors and, without a word, cut the painting into pieces.

Chunxiang and Taohua knelt down anxiously, “Master, please calm down!”

Yan Ge paused, then couldn’t help but smile. “I am not angry. Get up.”

Chunxiang and Taohua exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and stood up. They wondered why the master would cut a perfectly fine painting into a mess if he wasn’t angry. The Young Master’s taste and hobbies were truly unique.

Yan Ge wrapped the pieces with paper and proceeded to cut the other three paintings into fragments. He then wrapped them up as well. Seeing that the two maidservants still had dumbfounded expressions, he said, “Go and call back Xiao Chuan.”

“Yes.”

Yan Ge watched them murmur as they left and shook his head. He hoped that there wouldn’t be rumors circulating in the company that the boss had gone mad.

Xiao Chuanzi swiftly entered. “Young Master, this servant is here!” he exclaimed.

Yan Ge smiled faintly, “Do you find it boring lately?”

Xiao Chuanzi shook his head, “Not at all. I work at the Linlang Pavilion every day, and though it’s busy, it’s fulfilling.”

“Good, you haven’t disappointed me,” Yan Ge patted his shoulder. “I have a task for you now, listen carefully…”

Another busy day came to an end as Yan Ge returned to the Tenglong Palace. To his surprise, he found the dining table already set with food.

It was the first time.

Normally, Huangfu Yuchen would only remember to eat when he returned.

Sitting beside the dining table was an adorable child, around five or six years old. He sat upright, behaving like a little adult. He wore a bright yellow garment, with a chubby face and fair, smooth skin, as delicate as a peeled egg. His round eyes resembled two black grapes.

—“Master, this child is incredibly cute!” Yan Jin exclaimed, “Especially his face, it looks so soft. It’s a pity I can’t pinch it!”

Yan Ge also commented, “Indeed, he is quite adorable.” It was hard not to like a child who was innocent and charming.

“Should I use him as a model when I assume human form?” Yan Jin pondered.

Yan Ge quickly stopped him, “Absolutely not. If you were to do that, it would cause chaos in the harem.”

—Yan Jin reluctantly gave up the idea, but continued to mutter, “Cute, so cute…”

“You’re back? We’ve been waiting for you,” Huangfu Yuchen said.

Deng Mande took the things from Yan Ge’s hand, and Yan Ge walked over to pinch the child’s face. It was indeed soft. “Yuchen, who is this little one?” he asked.

When he was present, Huangfu Yuchen would dismiss irrelevant people. At this moment, there were only him, Huangfu Yuchen, the child, and Deng Mande in the hall. Hence, he directly called Huangfu Yuchen’s name.

The child’s face turned stern as he pushed Yan Ge’s hand away, his little face stiffening. “How dare you! Who are you to disrespect this prince?”

“Oh, so you are the Crown Prince,” Yan Ge bowed and greeted, “Greetings to the Crown Prince, may the Crown Prince be blessed.”

The child glanced at Huangfu Yuchen, then lifted his hand in a proper manner, “No need for formalities.”

Yan Ge suppressed his laughter.

Huangfu Yuchen led him to sit down. “Let’s eat first. Has everything gone smoothly today?”

Yan Ge replied, “Tomorrow, a batch of jewelry will be transported to Jiangnan. I have hired Changfeng Escort Bureau to provide security and arranged for Gao Yun to covertly follow the team. However, I still have concerns. Our company’s reputation has garnered many enemies. In case…”

Huangfu Yuchen paused for a moment, then said, “It’s alright. I will assign some shadow guards to accompany them.”

“No, it’s not appropriate,” Yan Ge frowned. “It would be an abuse of power, regardless of the circumstances.”

Huangfu Yuchen stared at him helplessly. “Am I the type of person who doesn’t distinguish between personal and public affairs? I said ‘shadow guards’. Shadow guards are under my direct employment and cannot be considered ‘official means.’”

Yan Ge finally realized, “My apologies, I misunderstood. Thank you.” He quickly smiled charmingly at Huangfu Yuchen to make amends.

“By the way, once the jewelry is delivered, we will receive an income of 100,000 taels. It seems you need to prepare the imperial decree in advance.”

Since the First Company’s establishment, they had accumulated a reserve of 200,000 taels. However, once 200,000 taels were deducted, the remaining funds would be insufficient to maintain the company’s normal operations. But Yan Ge had already made up his mind. After his promotion, he would borrow money from Huangfu Yuchen, but he would need to persuade him first. Borrowing money required a written agreement, which didn’t constitute a misuse of power or an overlap between personal and public matters.

“Yuchen, you work hard with state affairs every day. Eat more,” Yan Ge said, smiling brighter than usual. His attitude was clearly abnormal, causing Huangfu Yuchen to be more cautious. “Are you serious? Can you really produce 200,000 taels?”

“Of course, I am serious,” Yan Ge confidently replied, “Just you wait.”

Their conversation was deliberately kept low, and the little crown prince, Huangfu Yunxi, looked at Yan Ge, then at Huangfu Yuchen, feeling bewildered. He could only lower his head and obediently eat his meal.

After finishing their evening meal, Huangfu Yuchen glanced at Yan Ge and then at Huangfu Yunxi. “I will go bathe first.”

After Huangfu Yuchen left, the little crown prince approached Yan Ge, his demeanor shifting from docile to arrogant. With a hint of hostility, he asked, “Who are you exactly? Why didn’t you pay respects to Father Emperor? How dare you dine together with Father Emperor?”

Yan Ge teased him, “Guess.”

“I don’t need you to tell me,” the little crown prince replied with animosity, “You are someone who wants to steal Father Emperor away from me!”

“Hahaha!” Yan Ge burst into laughter. “What a sharp child!”

“I don’t like you, and Father Emperor won’t like you either!” The little crown prince clenched his fist, threateningly waving it at Yan Ge.

Yan Ge leaned on his chin, looking at him with a hint of regret. “Is that so? But I quite like you. What should I do?”

The little crown prince paused, his expression conflicted. However, he quickly responded with righteous indignation, “Even if you like me, I won’t like you!”

Yan Ge smiled without saying a word.

Huangfu Yuchen, now dressed in casual attire, stood at the doorway. “Both of you, go and bathe.”

The little crown prince immediately stood obediently, waiting for the eunuch attendant to lead the way and followed closely behind.

Yan Ge chuckled softly. Such a young child, yet he knows how to put on a show. Truly befitting of the imperial palace, mature beyond his years.

After all three of them finished bathing, they retired to the dragon bed. The little crown prince, wearing a small white robe, sat alone in the corner, glaring at Yan Ge.

To avoid arousing suspicion from Huangfu Yuchen if the scar suddenly disappeared, Yan Ge, as usual, pretended to apply scar-removal ointment. He picked up the bundle placed by the bedside and gestured to Huangfu Yuchen with a glance. “Yuchen, I thought of an interesting game today. Will you play with me?”

Huangfu Yuchen nodded.

Yan Ge took out a tangram puzzle. “These are triangles, squares, parallelograms… We can use them to form different animals. Let me start with a fish… Do you see the resemblance?”

Huangfu Yuchen half-raised himself and pondered for a moment. “Interesting. Let me try.” He rearranged a few pieces of paper. “What does this look like?”

“Like a crouching cat,” Yan Ge pointed to two pieces of paper at the top. “These are the ears.” He keenly noticed the little crown prince subtly shifting closer and pretended to look in the distance, a playful twinkle in his eyes as he took out a paper bundle.

“Let’s play another game, a puzzle game. These small paper pieces can form a picture. Can you guess what it is?”

“I can’t guess,” Huangfu Yuchen replied.

“We’ll know after trying.”

Huangfu Yuchen watched as Yan Ge assembled the pieces one by one, deep in thought. “These games are all intellectual challenges.”

“Indeed,” Yan Ge caught sight of the little crown prince drawing nearer, curious and sneaky. He discreetly kicked Huangfu Yuchen, then whispered, “If you’re tired, you should go to sleep.”

Huangfu Yuchen closed his eyes and lay down, regretting bringing the crown prince so early. He secretly extended his hand behind Yan Ge and gave his buttocks a squeeze.

Yan Ge wiggled his backside, evading his hand and sighed playfully. “Falling asleep so soon? I wanted to play the puzzle game. Who will accompany me now?”

After hesitating for a while, the little crown prince crawled over, patting his chest impatiently. “Considering how pitiful you are, I’ll accompany you.”

Yan Ge played with the little crown prince, engaging in tangram and puzzle games until the young prince fell asleep from exhaustion. Yan Ge was also tired and collapsed onto the bed. Taking care of a child was no less demanding than any other job.

Huangfu Yuchen carried the little crown prince to his own small bed. When he returned, he found Yan Ge had closed his eyes, as if asleep, and pressed his lips against Yan Ge’s in dissatisfaction.

Yan Ge opened his eyes. Huangfu Yuchen’s hand slid to his waist, pulling him closer. “Are you tired?”

“I’m fine,” Yan Ge asked. “What do you think of the toys we played with tonight?”

Huangfu Yuchen nodded. “They are indeed beneficial for developing a child’s intelligence. Do you have any other new ideas?”

“Yes!” Yan Ge’s eyes gleamed at the mention of business. “I plan to open a unique toy store in the capital, selling one-of-a-kind children’s toys. I even have the advertising slogan figured out.”

“Advertising slogan?” Huangfu Yuchen didn’t understand.

Yan Ge explained, “A statement used to promote something.”

“What is it?”

Yan Ge said, “Let your child outshine others!”

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled. “Not bad. It’s quite inspiring. Accompanying the crown prince is not easy. Those two toys will keep him occupied for a while. I’ll bring him here again in a few days. That way, you’ll have more leisure time.”

Yan Ge leaned closer and exchanged a kiss with him.

“It’s late now. Let’s sleep,” Huangfu Yuchen said, watching Yan Ge tiredly close his eyes. He covered them both with a thin blanket and closed his eyes as well…





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