Unintended Immortality-Chapter 505: A Hint

“Daoist priest! Daoist priest!”

Downstairs, the noise remained as lively as ever. Countless voices overlapped—perhaps because daily life was normally so dull, holidays felt especially precious. The New Year’s festivities had yet to fully fade, and with the new Emperor’s ascension, there was even more cause for celebration.

As mentioned before, this was not empty cheer—the imperial court had introduced real benefits for the people. Policies such as free porridge distributions, grain handouts, and rent reductions were all standard measures.

The entire city was abuzz, and discussions had been ongoing for days.

Even though the coronation ceremony had already concluded, public enthusiasm had yet to diminish.

Yet Song You, still groggy from sleep, simply sat up in bed, quietly listening to the conversations drifting up from below.

Just then, a soft, delicate voice called up from the staircase.

A young girl in a tricolor outfit appeared, only her upper body visible as she peeked over the stair railing, announcing, “Someone’s here to see you! Three of them! All familiar faces!”

She did not step fully into the room. Instead, she paused just before reaching the second floor, her small body half-leaning over the railing, stretching her neck forward to stare at the Daoist with a serious expression.

“Three?”

“One of them is surnamed Yu. I think we met in Yizhou before, and we also saw him once when we returned to Changjing. But I can’t quite remember.”

“Another is Magistrate Liu. We met him in Yizhou and Hezhou. We also saw him last time we came back to Changjing.”

The little girl paused, then fixed her stern gaze on him.

“And the last one—he was our neighbor in Yizhou. He once brought me some fish, but I forgot his name.”

“I see.” Song You shook his head. He really didn’t feel like getting up, but he couldn't keep lounging in bed any longer. He turned to the young girl and said, “Since they are old acquaintances, please entertain them properly on my behalf. Tell them I will come down as soon as I finish dressing and washing up, and kindly ask them to wait a little while. Remember, do not be discourteous.”

“Understood!” the little girl responded crisply.

Since she hadn’t fully stepped onto the second floor, she simply twisted her body and swiftly turned back. The old wooden staircase creaked and groaned beneath her hurried footsteps as she headed downstairs.

Meanwhile, Song You got dressed and began washing up.

From below, he could faintly hear her voice, “Our Daoist priest is a lazybones. He’s only just woken up, so I must trouble you to wait a little while. He’ll come down as soon as he’s finished dressing and washing up.

“I will make you some tea.

“Oh, right! Have you had breakfast yet? I just finished making dumplings. They’re freshly cooked!”

“...”

Her voice was clear and well-mannered, adhering to etiquette.

However, cats had their own social customs—no matter what the guests said, she simply ignored their protests and insisted on serving them dumplings.

Song You said nothing and splashed cold water on his face.

Once he had finished washing, he walked over to the window and pushed it open, glancing outside.

The sky was clear and blue, with bright sunlight streaming down. A wave of crisp, cold air rushed in, carrying with it the faint scent of fresh vegetables from the market stalls below.

Beneath the window, a group of scholars, all of them fairly aged, had gathered together. It seemed they were waiting for a friend or former classmate. Most of the discussion he had overheard earlier had come from them.

Song You decided not to close the window, letting the fresh air circulate in the room. After straightening his robes, he headed downstairs.

The wooden door below had only been partially opened. Though small in stature, the little girl was diligent, now working to fully open the doors so that the room could be properly lit.

At the table, three figures sat.

There were only three of them—no servants, no guards, and they were not wearing official robes. Instead, they were dressed plainly. One man sat calm and composed, another appeared slightly reserved, and the last one sat upright and formal.

On the table sat a teapot, three cups, and a plate of freshly boiled dumplings, along with three pairs of chopsticks. Unable to refuse the little girl's enthusiasm, the three each took one piece with their chopsticks and tasted it, as if sampling a snack. However, afterward, they were too shy to take another.

As soon as they saw Song You coming downstairs, they immediately stood up.

“Greetings, sir.”

“Sir, it has been a while. I hope you’ve been well.”

“Greetings, sir.”

“Since you are my old friends from Yizhou, there is no need for such formality,” Song You quickly said. “Please, have a seat.”

“We have been quite occupied. By the time we learned of your return to the capital, it was already close to the New Year. The start and end of each year are always busy, and after the year began, we were preoccupied with His Majesty’s ascension. Only now have we found the time to visit you.”

The once Prefect Yu of Yizhou, now Prime Minister Yu, cupped his hands in a respectful salute—his demeanor as courteous as ever.

“Sir, please do not take offense.”

“Sir, please do not take offense,” echoed another.

“I have been in the capital for two months, yet I only learned yesterday that you were also here. I am truly ashamed,” Constable Luo said.

“Not at all, not at all,” Song You responded warmly, “Though I have not had the chance to see the three of you since my return, I have often heard of your tireless efforts. Last year was full of turmoil—it is only natural that you have been busier than usual. To serve the nation and its people is the duty of officials. I can only admire your dedication.”

After speaking, Song You turned specifically to Constable Luo, whom he had not seen in many years. With a smile, he said, “After we parted like drifting clouds, ten years passed like flowing streams. How has life been?”

“Thanks to your blessings, sir, all has been well.”

“When we parted in Yizhou, I never expected we would meet again here and now. I had thought it would take another twenty years, when I finally returned to Yizhou, before we would cross paths again.” Song You cupped his hands. “Fate truly works in mysterious ways.”

“I never expected it either,” Constable Luo admitted.

“You have grown a little more weathered with time, Constable.”

Song You then glanced at the other two men. He noticed that the one who once had no white hairs now had some, and the one who already had a few strands now had even more.

He sighed, “Time has changed us all.”

“We are getting old.”

“It has been nearly a decade of storms and hardships.”

“And yet, sir, you remain unchanged.”

Each of the three men had their own reflections on this.

At that moment, Lady Calico, who had just finished opening the doors, walked over. Without saying a word, she set down a pair of chopsticks and a teacup in front of Song You, then quietly poured him a full cup of tea.

Afterward, she simply stood beside him, her large, bright eyes darting back and forth between the guests.

Though she did not say a word, her quiet and obedient demeanor softened the air of nostalgia that had lingered over the reunion.

Only when the four men had fallen silent did she finally speak up—and her first words were, “Why aren’t you eating the dumplings?”

“We ate some already!” the three men hurriedly answered in unison.

She then turned to Song You, blinking. “Daoist priest, why aren’t you eating? I specially made these dumplings for you.”

“Lady Calico, go buy me a bowl of tangyuan, preferably with a fermented rice wine soup base.”

Song You didn't even touch his chopsticks. “Today is the Lantern Festival—it’s proper to have a bowl of tangyuan.”

“Aren’t you going to eat the dumplings?”

“As long as you eat them, it’s fine.”

“Why won’t you eat them?”

“I want tangyuan.”

“Then eat the dumplings first!”

“Hurry up, I’m hungry.” Song You waved his hand dismissively, urging her to leave.

The three men at the table did not dare to interrupt. They only turned their eyes toward the young girl in her tricolor robes, silently observing.

Not a word was spoken.

Only after the girl had walked away did they finally retract their gazes—though their hearts were filled with unspoken questions.

Song You, however, remained calm and said with an indifferent expression:

“My young attendant is perfectly well-behaved, but she does have one particular preference—she enjoys eating rat meat. Of course, I’m not saying that today’s dumplings are necessarily made from rat meat... but in the future, should she offer you anything to eat, I advise you to think twice before tasting it.”

“...”

The three men froze in place.

Then, their expressions turned complex as their eyes drifted toward the plate of dumplings on the table.

They were still steaming.

The filling had been finely minced, mixed with cabbage and wood-ear mushrooms—who could possibly tell what kind of meat was inside?

All they knew was that when the immortal child had brought them the dish, the dumplings had been hot and delicious. They had enjoyed every bite, delighted by the taste. It was only out of etiquette that they had stopped after a few pieces—who would have thought that such a lovely and adorable celestial child would serve them rat dumplings?

And yet...

Now that they thought about it, it somehow made perfect sense.

The three of them exchanged glances.

“Ahem... I have heard that in Yuzhou, some people consider snake and rat meat to be delicacies. Eating a little rat meat... is not necessarily a big deal.” Prime Minister Yu, ever the composed statesman, remained calm and unshaken.

“Yes, yes, back in my younger, rougher days, I also ate snake and rat meat when I had no choice. It doesn’t bother me at all!”

Constable Luo, ever the bold and straightforward one, spoke more casually. To prove his point, he picked up another dumpling, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed heartily, showing that he truly did not care.

Even Magistrate Liu, now a high-ranking court official, quickly nodded in agreement. In his flustered state, he both affirmed Prime Minister Yu’s words and followed Constable Luo’s lead, hastily picking up another dumpling and eating it.

“There’s no need to force yourselves,” Song You remarked lightly, sipping his tea. “After all, I never eat them.”

Internally, however, he was thinking, If Lady Calico saw this, realizing they knew it was rat meat but were still eating, she’d be absolutely delighted. And then she’d have even more reason to pester me into eating rats.

Just then, Prime Minister Yu suddenly shifted the conversation, “Sir, have you heard about the order to repopulate the north and His Majesty’s appointment of the Imperial Guardian Duke Imperial Duke?”

Song You took a sip of tea and replied, “I heard about the order to repopulate the north yesterday. As for General Chen’s appointment as a Guardian Imperial Duke—only this morning, half-asleep, did I hear the people downstairs discussing it.”

The tea was bitter—extremely bitter.

It must have been because Lady Calico, wanting to properly host her guests, thought tea leaves were precious and was afraid they wouldn’t taste the full flavor—so she had added far too many.

Yet amidst the bitterness, there was a distinct sweetness. It was high-quality honey, and she had poured in quite a lot.

As a result, the tea had a strange and complex taste where bitterness and sweetness coexisted.

If the bitterness came first, it turned into a sweet aftertaste. If the sweetness came first, it soon gave way to a bitter undertone.

An odd mix, indeed.

“I heard that the Imperial Guardian Duke’s injuries have worsened,” Prime Minister Yu said lightly. He paused for a moment, then added,

“This was the idea of Miaohuazi—the one by His Majesty’s side. Oh, that Daoist happens to be a direct disciple of the State Preceptor.”

“How so?”

“Great Yan’s customs have long differed from the previous dynasty. Sir, do you know that for over a century, there has not been a single living first-rank official? And apart from the founding era, no one has ever been granted the title of Imperial Duke while still alive?”

“That, I do know...”

Song You nodded calmly.

Great Yan had always been stingy with titles and ranks. Even the Prime Minister sitting before him was, in terms of official ranking, only third-rank—though, of course, his actual power far exceeded such limitations.

As for noble titles, aside from the founding era, when a select group of generals had been granted ducal titles, no one—no matter how great their achievements—had ever been made a Imperial Duke while still alive. Only those who had died could be granted the posthumous title of Imperial Duke.

“If that were all, it wouldn’t matter much,” Prime Minister Yu continued.

“The Marquis of Wuan had already achieved unparalleled merit—first securing eternal glory in war, then reclaiming the capital and restoring the rightful heir to the throne. His accomplishments rival those of the founding generals.

“Even if he were named Imperial Guardian Duke, and even if there had been no living Imperial Dukes for the past two centuries, no one would dare object.”

Prime Minister Yu paused again before speaking in a more pointed tone, “However, His Majesty followed Miaohuazi’s counsel—he granted only the title of Imperial Duke, without any tangible rewards. Instead, he granted noble ranks to General Chen’s still-young children, reassuring him to focus on recovery.”

Song You listened to his words and immediately understood what he was trying to say.

“This is a hint.”

“Indeed.”

Yu Jianbai sighed. He sighed for the fate of a hero, whose greatness now made him a subject of imperial caution.

He also sighed at the new Emperor, who—when faced with such matters—chose not to consult his ministers and prime minister, but instead trusted the advice of a single Daoist.

And yet, this method was subtle and effective. It was a flawless move.

As expected of someone trained at Fengtian Temple on Mount Luming.

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on free(w)ebnovel(.)com