Feudal Dregs - Chapter 6

Li Yuqing was a regular in the pleasure quarters of the Eight Great Alleys. Just mention the name "Second Master Li," and there wasn't a soul who didn't know it.

Such a man—Lan Yu admitted to himself that if he weren't the Ninth Concubine of the Li family, he might have entertained the idea of playing along and engaging in superficial pleasantries. But now, as the Ninth Concubine of the Li family, he naturally had to keep his distance, cutting all ties cleanly.

He had once heard of the Li family's Fourth Concubine, who was discovered in an improper relationship with a servant and was subsequently thrown into a well.

Old Master Li might currently hold him in high regard, but if he were to become entangled with Li Yuqing, there was no doubt—death would be his fate. Lan Yu understood this perfectly, yet he hadn't anticipated that Li Yuqing would prove far more persistent than he had imagined.

Li Yuqing was reckless and mad, behaving as though he genuinely harbored deep affection for Lan Yu. Even the most proper address of "Stepmother" rolled off his tongue with lingering tenderness. Lan Yu was utterly exasperated. He knew full well his precarious position in the Li household—countless eyes watched him in secret, and a single misstep could spell disaster.

Li Yuqing seemed to have figured out Lan Yu's apprehensions. As the young master of the Li family, the worst he'd face was a scolding from his father for his absurdity, perhaps a punishment. Lan Yu, however, was different.

At best, Lan Yu was merely a concubine in the Li household—and a man at that. What leverage did he have to play such games?

Still—watching a caged prey struggle in its death throes held a certain perverse amusement.

In previous years, Old Master Li would often visit the Guanyin Temple outside Beijing to offer incense. This year, despite being bedridden, he still intended to stay at the temple for a few days.

In the past, it was always Li Mingzheng and his mother who accompanied him. But this year, Lan Yu was unexpectedly included—and, astonishingly, Li Yuqing also insisted on joining. He claimed earnestly that he wished to pay respects to Guanyin and pray for his father's blessings.

With Li Yuqing making such a request, Old Master Li naturally allowed it, though the old madam's expression darkened noticeably.

The group set off in two carriages, accompanied by over a dozen servants, leaving Beijing for the Guanyin Temple. As the carriages rolled down the bustling main street, the clamor of street performers hawking their acts and lively conversations mingled with the crisp jingling of camel bells, creating a lively atmosphere. Lan Yu peeked through the carriage curtain and caught sight of a few wretched women and children huddled pitifully in a corner. A grubby child with a straw marker stuck in his hair—likely another case of families selling wives and children out of desperation.

Lan Yu's face remained impassive. From another direction, however, came the clear, resonant voices of young men, their words forceful as they spoke of national independence and other such ideals, standing out amid the clamor with undeniable vigor.

The old madam frowned. "Those voices—"

Old Master Li heard them too. He lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, spotting a bespectacled young man standing tall among the crowd, waving papers in the air. His expression immediately darkened. "That unfilial son!" he barked.

"Stop the carriage!" he shouted.

The coachman outside tightened the reins. "Master?"

Old Master Li opened the carriage door and ordered, "Go fetch Third Young Master for me."

The coachman acknowledged and jumped down.

In the other carriage, Li Yuqing crossed his arms, gloating. "Honestly, Third Brother really should have picked a better spot. This is just asking for trouble, isn't it?"

Li Mingzheng kept his eyes closed and said nothing.

Li Ming'an had tried to flee the moment he spotted the family servants, but then he noticed the carriages and remembered—this was the time of year his father made his pilgrimage to the Guanyin Temple.

The servant bowed. "Young Master, the master is waiting for you."

Li Ming'an was a bit displeased, but given the crowd around them and the fact that the person addressing him was his father, he had no choice but to bid his companions farewell and step down from the wooden bench he'd been standing on. He quietly warned the two servants, "Don't call me 'young master' in public."

The servants replied, "Yes, young master."

Li Ming'an: "..."

The short distance felt endless as Li Ming'an reluctantly trudged over to the carriage and called out, "Father."

Old Master Li said coldly, "So you still remember I'm your father?"

"Your father's been bedridden, yet you've barely come home. Do I have to die before you reluctantly return for my funeral?"

Li Ming'an said, "Father, I have visited you. And with so many people attending to you at home, I could hardly get close." Old Master Li roared, "Li Ming'an!"

Li Ming'an fell silent, then raised his head and whispered, "Father, your son was wrong."

Old Master Li said icily, "I sent you to study properly. Is this how you repay me?"

Li Ming'an replied, "I haven't neglected my studies."

Old Master Li snapped, "This is dereliction of duty! Spending all your days marching in protests and giving speeches on the streets! Keep this up, and don't expect your second brother to bail you out of prison again!"

Li Ming'an dismissed this, saying, "Father, they have no right to detain students. Even if they do, it won't be for long."

Old Master Li was exasperated. He said indifferently, "You're going home now and won't take a single step outside."

Li Ming'an grew anxious. "Father, this is house arrest! It's illegal!"

Old Master Li sneered, "A father disciplining his son is only natural."

Li Ming'an protested, "Father, you're being unreasonable!" As he lifted his head indignantly, his gaze fell upon the young man seated beside his father through the open carriage door. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, with fair skin and dressed in a blue changshan, exuding an air of refined gentleness. Yet his fox-like eyes sparkled with curiosity as they studied him.

Their eyes met.

Lan Yu observed Li Ming'an. The third son of the Li family was nothing like his two elder brothers. At eighteen or nineteen, clad in a student's uniform with glasses perched on his nose, his delicate features brimmed with youthful vigor. Currently locked in a dispute with his father, he resembled a feisty young leopard, all puffed up and ready for battle.

Lan Yu smiled faintly at him.

Li Ming'an froze, his ears burning red as every thought fled his mind.

Old Master Li ordered, "Take the third young master home."

He fixed Li Ming'an with a stern look. "If you continue acting willfully, consider your education over."

Li Ming'an widened his eyes, but before he could speak, the door slammed shut. The coachman cracked his whip with a shout, and the carriage slowly began moving.

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