“Don’t worry about Su Ziluo—he’ll be fine.”

Jingrong gazed at Ji Yinshu’s deep obsidian eyes, trying to reassure her with these words.

In truth, he really wasn’t worried about Su Ziluo.

Someone as clever as Su Ziluo would always have a thousand and one ways to extricate himself from dire straits.

After Jingrong left, Ji Yinshu returned to her room, her thoughts heavy as she mentally reviewed everything that had happened, connecting each incident together. Only then did she make the startling discovery that some things were indeed strange!

Back then on the boat, although that group of black-clothed people had also harbored murderous intent, their objective at the time was clearly aimed at Prince Jing’an’s remains.

If they had been Su Ziluo’s people, they would have had only one goal—to kill the Wen family brothers!

They wouldn’t have touched Prince Jing’an’s remains at all.

She had been so slow to realize this—she should have thought of it earlier!

“Who exactly could it be?”

…

On the other side, Li Shiyan and Luo Yang were both brought back to the Marquis Manor together.

The two had actually gotten completely drunk at Saixian Tower, not only losing face for themselves but thoroughly humiliating the Marquis of Kangding as well.

They might as well find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Young Steward Lu quickly had someone prepare several large bowls of sobering soup and forced each of them to drink two bowls.

“Young Master, please sober up. If you keep being drunk like this, the Marquis will definitely come and skin you alive.”

Li Shiyan and Luo Yang each sat in a chair while servants pressed them down to pour the sobering soup into them.

“Drink! Keep drinking!” Li Shiyan looked hazily at Luo Yang, whose face was just as flushed red from drink as his own, and tried to reach out and grab him, shouting, “Luo Yang, come on, we brothers will keep drinking, come on!”

Luo Yang had actually sobered up somewhat and wasn’t making as much of a scene. After swallowing the sobering soup in his throat, he waved his hand at him and said: “Young Master, we… we can’t drink anymore. If we keep drinking, someone will die.”

“What death! Just drink—there’s plenty of alcohol.”

“No, we can’t drink anymore.” Luo Yang propped himself up to stand, swaying as he walked forward a few steps, then turned in a circle on the spot: “Where… where is this? How did I get here?”

A nearby servant softly told him: “Young Master Luo, you’re at the Marquis Manor.”

“Marquis Manor? Which Marquis Manor?”

“The Kangding Marquis Manor.”

“Ah? Is there a monkey called by this name? Kangding Monkey? This monkey’s name is too strange!”

Everyone in the room’s faces turned ashen!

Normally, they didn’t dare say a single word of refusal before the Marquis of Kangding, but now this outsider was calling their master a monkey right to their faces!

This was simply plucking hair from a tiger’s backside.

Not satisfied with what he’d said, Luo Yang continued: “If this is Monkey Manor, then isn’t this place a monkey’s nest? You all… you all…” He pointed at the people in the room, saying, “You’re all monkeys—a bunch of little monkeys, big monkeys, and old monkeys. I’m also a monkey, so this is a monkey’s nest.”

Everyone’s faces turned ashen again.

Young Steward Lu quickly came forward to cover his mouth and remind him: “Young Master Luo, please don’t talk nonsense. If the Marquis hears this, you’ll be in for it.”

Luo Yang pushed his hand away: “Mm mm… Monkey Lord? Who’s Monkey Lord?”

“Please stop talking.”

Li Shiyan suddenly jumped up from his chair, pulled Young Steward Lu aside, and said: “Let him talk, let him speak in detail.”

His voice was very loud!

Everyone in the room didn’t dare speak anymore.

The two drunkards squeezed together again.

Li Shiyan’s body swayed unsteadily, more than half his weight pressing on Luo Yang, as he raised his voice and said: “Luo Yang, let me tell you, this place is a monkey’s nest, my father is Monkey Lord, I’m the big monkey, and all the others are little monkeys.”

“Young Master, how did you end up born in a monkey’s nest?”

“You think I wanted this? I’d love nothing more than to run away from here. What monkey or not monkey—I don’t care for it at all. Unlike you, having it so good, free and easy, drinking whenever you want to drink, going wherever you want to go. I’m so envious of you I could die. Not like me—if I have a little drink normally, that… that Monkey Lord points at my head and scolds me, or else beats me half to death. He really treats me like a monkey!”

A drunkard’s words are eighty percent true.

Clearly, the resentment he normally accumulated toward his father ran quite deep.

But these words also sounded somewhat pitiful.

Li Shiyan was used to being arrogant and domineering, and also did as he pleased in Yanjing City, but even the fiercest tiger has a natural enemy—the Marquis of Kangding.

If Li Shiyan was a tiger, then the Marquis of Kangding was a flying tiger!

One thing conquers another.

Having drunk the sobering soup, Luo Yang was gradually becoming clearer-headed. He picked up where Li Shiyan left off, saying: “Young Master, I’m the one who envies you. Look at me—going neither up nor down, pockets empty. If it weren’t for my quick wits, I’d have starved to death long ago. You were born never lacking money—if you wanted the moon in the sky, someone would pluck it down for you. In my eyes, you’re an emperor, a monkey wearing a dragon robe.”

“Shh!” Young Steward Lu quickly stepped forward and said, “Young Master Luo, that could cost you your head.”

“I only have one head and one life anyway. If you’ve got the skill, come take it! I, Luo Yang, have never been afraid of anyone!”

Suddenly—

A voice came from outside the door: “Good lad, you really aren’t afraid of death!”

The Marquis of Kangding, having changed into casual clothes, walked in with a solemn expression, his hawk-like eyes fiercely landing on Luo Yang.

Everyone in the room was frightened and didn’t dare make a sound.

Luo Yang also didn’t speak, staring blankly.

The Marquis of Kangding said: “You actually dare compare the Emperor to a monkey. I see you’ve eaten a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall, not knowing life from death. If it weren’t for the fact that you helped Shiyan at the manor before, I’d skin you alive today!” With that, he immediately ordered, “Throw him out for me. From now on, the Young Master is forbidden from associating with him anymore.”

“Yes.”

Several servants were about to step forward to seize him.

Having drunk alcohol, Li Shiyan was like he was wearing a full suit of armor—he wasn’t afraid at all of this flying tiger before him. He directly blocked the way, chest out and head raised, pointing at the Marquis of Kangding: “You, if you dare touch my brother today, I’ll fight you to the death.”

Uh!

The Marquis of Kangding’s anger immediately rose from his heart, rushing straight to his head, as he roared: “You’re now completely lawless, wanting to climb on top of me.”

“Anyway, you can’t touch my brother.” Because Li Shiyan was still quite drunk, these words came out soft and weak.

It was like punching hard into cotton!

“Fine! You’ve got skill. Today you made such a scene at Saixian Tower—you’ve made me lose all face. It seems I’ve been too indulgent with you normally, which is why you don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. If this continues, one day you’ll lose your life and not even know it.” The Marquis of Kangding was so angry smoke came from all seven orifices. With a forceful wave of his sleeve, he shouted an order: “Someone, throw both these drunkards out together! From now on, the Marquis Manor has no heir. Even if he dies outside, it has nothing to do with me.”