“What do you mean?” Prince Xiang asked.
Yu Jin slightly curved his lips: “I’m just reminding Eighth Brother not to rush forward after being sweet-talked by someone, only to end up being sold out and still counting money for them.”
Prince Xiang sneered: “No need for Seventh Brother to sow discord!”
At this point, if he didn’t stick with Fourth Brother, could he turn around and throw himself at Seventh Brother instead?
Wavering now would be the biggest joke of all.
Yu Jin smiled faintly: “If Eighth Brother takes well-intentioned advice as sowing discord, then let’s pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“Ridiculous!” Prince Xiang snorted coldly, striding past Yu Jin back inside.
Inside the hall, the aroma of wine permeated the air, and many cups were empty.
After Yu Jin and Prince Xiang returned and had a few more drinks, Prince Qi said: “We’ve been out for quite a while, it’s time to head back. Eighth Brother, keep your spirits up, we’ll come see you again later.”
Prince Qin put down his wine cup and smiled: “That’s right, if Eighth Brother feels troubled, just send a message to Big Brother anytime.”
Only Prince Lu, hiccupping from the wine, complained: “We’re leaving already?”
He hadn’t had enough of watching Eighth Brother’s embarrassment yet and was reluctant to leave.
Not to mention coming again next time, after giving Eighth Brother some time to adjust, how could they laugh at him once he’s adapted to his status as a Jun Wang?
Prince Lu had quite some experience with this, after all, he had vaguely adapted now…
Worried that Prince Lu might cause trouble, Prince Shu grabbed his arm: “Fifth Brother, let’s go. If we’re late getting back, you’ll have to explain to Fifth Sister-in-law.”
“She wouldn’t dare!” Prince Lu glared, “A man goes out drinking, how dare a woman say anything? Sixth Brother, if you can’t control your wife, let Big Brother teach you. Women, you know, don’t spoil them. Just beat them once without reason and they’ll behave.”
Prince Shu chuckled.
He had seen people putting on a brave face before, but never someone so shameless. If he hadn’t seen Fifth Sister-in-law chasing Fifth Brother with a kitchen knife, making him cry out in fear, he might have believed him.
“Let me see you brothers out,” Prince Xiang said, mustering his spirits to send off his guests.
As they reached the hall entrance, Yu Jin suddenly paused and looked back.
The others stopped with him.
“Seventh Brother, why have you stopped?” Prince Qin followed Yu Jin’s gaze and saw the big dog happily gnawing on a meat bone, holding it with both front paws.
Everyone’s mouths twitched simultaneously.
Yu Jin was also a bit annoyed.
This good-for-nothing dog is usually picky about food at home but is now unwilling to leave because of a single meat bone at Prince Xiang’s mansion.
“Er Niu, come here.”
Er Niu paused, looked down at the half-eaten meat bone, reluctantly put it down, and ran over.
Yu Jin frowned in disgust: “Wipe off the oil from the corners of your mouth.”
Er Niu opened his mouth, looked left and right, then suddenly pounced on Prince Xiang’s foot.
Prince Xiang instinctively wanted to jump back, but heard Yu Jin shout: “Don’t move!”
“Eighth Brother, don’t move rashly, be careful Er Niu might bite.”
“What is it doing?” Prince Xiang asked through gritted teeth, his whole body frozen.
Before Yu Jin could explain, Prince Lu was already laughing and stamping his feet: “Eighth Brother, can’t you see? Er Niu is using your shoe to wipe his mouth!”
Prince Xiang: “…”
Fortunately, Er Niu moved swiftly, quickly licking his tongue as if to clean himself, then wagged his tail at Yu Jin.
Yu Jin looked apologetic: “Eighth Brother, I’m sorry. Er Niu has become somewhat disobedient lately—”
Prince Xiang stared at the obvious oil stain on his shoe and squeezed out two words through his teeth: “It’s fine.”
Just hurry up and take this shameless dog away. If he ever opens the doors of Prince Xiang’s mansion to this man and dog again, he’d slap himself!
“Let me see you brothers out,” Prince Xiang repeated, his urging obvious.
The others wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, so they quickened their pace.
Just as the group passed through the courtyard, the big dog beside Yu Jin suddenly turned and ran in a certain direction.
Everyone was startled by this unexpected move.
“Er Niu—”
Yu Jin called out, but Er Niu quickly disappeared through the flowers and trees.
Everyone looked at the dog’s owner.
Yu Jin rubbed his nose, looking innocent and helpless: “This dog is getting more and more disobedient. I shouldn’t have brought him—”
Hearing this, everyone looked at Prince Lu.
Prince Lu was nonchalant: “What’s wrong with me bringing Er Niu?”
“But now he’s running wild!” Prince Xiang felt inexplicably uneasy, though he didn’t know why.
“We’ll just find him, I’ll go look, okay?” Prince Lu said as he went off in the direction Er Niu had disappeared, leaving the others looking at each other.
“I’ll go check. It wouldn’t be good if Er Niu bites Fifth Brother,” Yu Jin hurriedly followed.
Seeing Prince Xiang’s face darkening, Prince Qi patted his arm reassuringly.
Prince Shu suggested: “Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother have both gone to look for Er Niu, why don’t we all go and see?”
Prince Xiang could only nod.
As the host, even if Prince Shu hadn’t said anything, he would have to follow.
Prince Lu, running at the front, had already spotted Er Niu and shouted from afar: “Er Niu, stop running around, come back quickly!”
The agile big dog ahead paid no attention and quickly widened the distance.
Prince Lu got annoyed: “You, Er Niu, I don’t believe I can’t catch up to you!”
His speed was well-trained, ordinary people couldn’t keep up.
A strange sight appeared in Prince Xiang’s mansion: a big dog running in front, a string of princes chasing behind, causing numerous servants to join the pursuit.
Prince Lu watched helplessly as Er Niu ran more and more off course, suddenly leaping over a courtyard wall and jumping into a yard.
Prince Lu caught up and realized the yard was in a remote corner of Prince Xiang’s mansion. The gate was locked, looking as if no one had entered for a long time.
What was Er Niu doing running here? Even if he was greedy for food, shouldn’t he have run to the main kitchen?
Prince Lu thought, panting and puzzled.
Suddenly, fierce barking came from beyond the wall. Prince Lu hesitated briefly, then raised his foot and kicked the gate hard.
The locked gate held strong for a moment but was soon kicked open.
Prince Lu took a breath and strode in.
He wanted to see what Er Niu was up to.
“Er Niu, Er Niu—”
The yard was full of withered plants, desolate and empty, echoing Prince Lu’s calls.
The dog’s barks came, seeming to respond to Prince Lu’s shouts.
Prince Lu looked around, pinpointed the source of the barking, and quickly passed through a moon gate into an even more empty and dilapidated backyard.
Er Niu was barking furiously at a well in the backyard.
Prince Lu walked over quickly and saw a large stone pressing down on the well, its bottom covered in moss, clearly unmoved for a long time.
Er Niu barked twice, then grabbed Prince Lu’s trouser leg with his teeth and pulled hard towards the well.
“Er Niu, what are you doing?”
Er Niu let go and started barking at the well again.
Prince Lu thought for a moment and tentatively asked: “Do you want me to move the stone?”
“Woof woof!” Er Niu’s barks became more urgent.
“I guessed right, watch me!” Prince Lu rubbed his hands together, took a deep breath, and moved the large stone away.
Before Prince Lu could look into the well, Er Niu jumped down and started digging frantically with his front paws.
After who knows how long, the big dog jumped back up, shook off the dust and dirt, and barked twice at Prince Lu.
Prince Lu somehow heard a sense of pride in the barks and instinctively peered into the well.