Chapter 130: Chapter 130: The ’Left Out’ Emperor

Jianzhen soon came over and whispered a few words in Li Yan’s ear.

The bright smile on Li Yan’s little face from a moment ago was instantly replaced by a dark cloud.

"He certainly has some nerve. I was unaware the Xu Family had been granted the authority of the government, allowing them to search restaurants at will." Away from Ming Lingyi, Li Yan instantly reverted to the imposing Crown Prince he was, young but full of authority.

It seemed that while the mother and son were enjoying their conversation, Xu Qian’s men had failed to find the judge of the poetry competition behind the restaurant, so they had decided to simply search the entire building.

It was unclear whether the staff of Wangxian Building had failed to stop Xu Qian’s men, or if there was some other reason, but in any case, the person who had just knocked on their door was one of Xu Qian’s servants.

For a mere servant to disturb the Crown Prince’s leisure was a grave offense.

At that moment, outside the door, the men from the Xu Family saw the sword-wielding guards blocking their way. Shortly after, a fair-skinned, very young man who looked like the young master of a wealthy family emerged. Just as they were about to bow, a token appeared before their eyes.

The Xu Family’s guards were startled. The token vanished from their sight in an instant. Then they saw the young man they had mistaken for a young master tuck his hands into his sleeves. "My prince does not wish for word of his presence here to be spread in the slightest. Understand?"

The doorway quickly fell silent.

Xu Qian’s expression flickered several times when he heard from his guards that the Crown Prince was also at Wangxian Building today.

However, though he was extremely self-confident, he wasn’t a complete fool.

He was crystal clear about who in Shangjing City he could afford to offend and who he could not.

And someone like the Crown Prince, Xu Qian knew he absolutely could not afford to offend.

"Have everyone fall back." Xu Qian gazed at the private room across the way. A gauze curtain hung over the entrance, obscuring his view of the people and things inside, allowing him to see only faint silhouettes.

But even with just a silhouette, Xu Qian keenly sensed that the Crown Prince was not alone in his room.

He paused, taken aback. The person beside the Crown Prince appeared to be a woman.

Moreover, judging by her figure, she seemed to be a young lady who had already come of age.

Xu Qian was a little curious.

’Who could it be?’

’Who could have earned the Crown Prince’s favor? To be invited into the Crown Prince’s private room, she must be no ordinary person.’

But that curtain was too much of an obstruction. Even if he stared with wide eyes, he couldn’t see through the gauze to get a clear look at the person.

Xu Qian’s personal attendant, who knew him best, couldn’t help but ask after hearing his master’s order, "Young Master, are you just going to let Wangxian Building off the hook like this?"

After all, given his young master’s usual temper, he would typically argue with them for three days and three nights.

Xu Qian scoffed, "Let them off? Why should I let those blind fools off? It’s just that with the Crown Prince at Wangxian Building today, making too big a scene might displease His Highness. You’ll send men to keep watch on Wangxian Building. I refuse to believe I can’t find one person!"

Ma Ji breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xu Qian was finally willing to back down.

Likewise, Feng Baiqiang, who had witnessed the entire event, secretly wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.

The person who had selected the poem was the father of his dear mistress. If he were caught, it would be a small matter if the little widow became upset and refused to see him anymore. But if his elder brother found out he was seeing someone on the side, that would be no small matter at all. It would be hard to say if he could even keep his job at Wangxian Building.

Li Yan followed Ming Lingyi back to Ming’s Restaurant. As she stepped out of Wangxian Building, she happened to run into Xiao Chun and the others, who had come out earlier to watch the commotion.

Xiao Chun, relying on her agility as a "flexible fatty," had successfully squeezed her way to the front of the crowd.

When she emerged, her face still held a look of someone wanting more of the excitement.

"Miss?!" Xiao Chun’s eyes widened in surprise when she saw Ming Lingyi.

Just then, Shi Mingyue and Wu Zhao Yu were also brought out from another room by Li Yan’s guards to join them.

Ming Lingyi didn’t explain much. "Let’s go. It’s getting late, and the curfew is about to start. Little Huachao will be staying at our restaurant tonight. Let’s go."

After saying this, Ming Lingyi took the lead, walking ahead with Li Yan.

The street vendors, who wouldn’t close up shop until the very last moment before curfew, kept the street quite lively.

As Ming Lingyi led Li Yan past a peddler with his carrying pole, she bought him several little trinkets: woven bamboo dragonflies and grasshoppers, handmade flower lanterns, and little clay figurines. Compared to the treasures in the Imperial Palace, these things were certainly much cruder, but Li Yan adored them.

Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue walked behind them. Xiao Chun gulped. "The Crown Prince is staying in the courtyard of our restaurant tonight?"

Although Xiao Chun had come to accept that her miss and the Crown Prince had become friends despite their age gap, having such a pampered and noble Crown Prince stay in their backyard was a bit too shocking, wasn’t it?

’It’s... it’s like... a phoenix falling into a sparrow’s nest, isn’t it?’

Shi Mingyue’s expression remained unchanged as she nodded.

Xiao Chun asked, "Don’t you think this is a little too strange?"

Shi Mingyue replied, "If the Miss has no objection, then neither do I."

Xiao Chun was speechless. "..."

’Who’s asking if she has an objection! This is clearly not normal!’

Xiao Chun couldn’t help but look at Wu Zhao Yu. They had gotten somewhat familiar with each other recently, but Xiao Chun felt that Wu Zhao Yu was even colder than Shi Mingyue and didn’t like to talk at all. On a normal day, if Xiao Chun didn’t initiate a conversation, Wu Zhao Yu might not say a single word.

"Wu Zhao Yu, what do you think?" But at this point, Xiao Chun couldn’t resist asking her.

Wu Zhao Yu was silent for a moment. ’Her Little Prince is going home with Her Ladyship. What’s so surprising about that?’

"It’s fine," Wu Zhao Yu said.

Xiao Chun was speechless again. "..."

’I feel like I just can’t get through to any of these people!’

News that Li Yan had followed Ming Lingyi back to Ming’s Restaurant quickly reached the Imperial Palace.

Although Li Yun gave Li Yan a great deal of freedom, he didn’t let him run completely unsupervised.

Whenever Li Yan stayed overnight at the Crown Prince Mansion outside the palace, someone would report back to the Imperial Palace, detailing when the Crown Prince returned, whom he met, and what he did.

Li Yun had only one son, his and Ming Lingyi’s only child. He knew that many people in the imperial court were watching the Crown Prince. He would not allow anything unexpected to happen to Li Yan under his watch.

Over the years, there had been no shortage of people with ulterior motives trying to get close to the Crown Prince.

Especially after learning that the Crown Prince sometimes lived outside the palace, many people with crooked minds began to get other ideas.

However, not a single one of these people had ever managed to get near the Little Prince.

They had all been dealt with by the people Li Yun had secretly arranged long before they could.

Otherwise, how could Li Yun possibly feel at ease letting a little tyke just a few years old stay outside the palace alone?

And now, upon hearing the report that the Crown Prince was staying in the backyard of Ming’s Restaurant tonight, Li Yun’s expression turned a little sour.

He wasn’t worried with the boy by Ming Lingyi’s side, but with his family of three split up like this—the other two together, and him all alone in the palace—Li Yun suddenly felt a subtle sense of being left out.