"I will teach you from midday to just before midday. I will teach you how to write and read. I will also teach you arithtic and history. You will be molded into great Little Lords and Ladies, so that you may et our expectations," the old man said as he gazed at the two children. "We will start classes tomorrow morning, so do not be late," he warned them. Yan Xiaobao saw satisfaction reflected in the man’s eyes.
"Will I really learn how to read and write?" Lao finally hesitated. "I have talent in training, but nothing else. Would it be better if I simply trained to cultivate?" He seed more timid than before, and his question made Yan Xiaobao sigh lightly, though he understood the source of the child’s doubts.
"If I wanted you to beco a guard, then yes, reading, writing, manners, and history would be of no use; but I do not intend for you to beco a guard. I brought you into the Hui Clan, you are the eldest. You are my heir, and you need to know how to live and behave in a noble household."
Upon hearing Yan Xiaobao’s words, both the child and the teacher were stunned. Here was a child with no blood ties, and yet this young man was willing to make him his heir. What sort of boy was this frail little youth? No matter how the teacher regarded the child, he found nothing extraordinary about him, yet he understood that his duty was to cultivate an heir. Even if he had previously been unhappy about the arrangent, he was now completely invested in the work, his eyes burning with the fervor of teaching the children. He had to admit that he had made a grave mistake in judging Yan Xiaobao purely based on his mixed heritage.
At dinner, Yan Xiaobao had the opportunity to introduce Tang Mu, the teacher, to everyone in the household, even including Cai Jie, Sha Yun, and Wang Julong. Although everyone was shocked to hear that Yan Xiaobao had adopted two children, none of the other children objected to it, and they were quickly accepted by the rest of the household. They all knew that Yan Xiaobao had his reasons for doing what he did, and if he adopted children, then it was with purpose.
"Hmph, do you have a mont?" Gao Yan stopped Yan Xiaobao just as he was about to leave the banquet hall. The young man with white hair looked surprised but quickly nodded, and together they went to Yan Xiaobao’s room, a place where they could speak privately.
"For the past two weeks, all the Saints and the Emperor of the Kingdom have gathered within the Royal Castle, and unfortunately, I have been unable to obtain any information about what is happening. I have sent various experts to investigate, but none have returned. Even the maids and servants, who usually provide us with all the gossip we could use, have remained silent, as if with an execution sentence looming over their heads," Gao Yan said, shaking his head helplessly.
"The Third Prince told you that you can visit him anyti; perhaps you could go and see him, hoping to learn sothing there? Obviously, we cannot sell this information, but this mysterious silence makes uneasy. I want to know what’s happening. Honestly, I think you need to know as well," he continued.
Yan Xiaobao agreed, nodding slowly. He, of course, wanted to know what was happening, and there was no doubt he might find out if he visited the Third Prince.
"I will go tomorrow morning," he said, his decision already made. "When I return, I will tell you what’s going on," he said with a smile to Gao Yan, his elder friend, who quickly left the room, leaving Xu Yue behind.
"I want to know what has happened," he mused to himself as he looked at the descending sky. Letting out a deep sigh, he cleared his mind of all his worries before sitting on the ground to wait for moonlight and the cold yin energy hidden beneath it.
Just like last ti, a servant greeted Yan Xiaobao as he entered the castle grounds and led him toward the Third Prince. Yan Xiaobao was easily spotted in the crowd, and the Third Prince instructed all the guards and servants to welco him as any important guest. Whatever the Third Prince was doing, he had ordered that Yan Xiaobao be brought directly to him.
The Third Prince was by no ans foolish. He was well aware that Yan Xiaobao, though a newcor to Muchuan City, had significant backing—a magical beast, and not just from any beast tribe, but one belonging to the massive tribe under the rule of the Divine Domain.
Forming a friendship with the Great Marshall could help him avoid situations like those with the Spanish Empire, but more importantly, gaining his support might push him over the edge and make him the next King under the sun.
Yan Xiaobao understood the opportunities he brought to the Third Prince. Though he was pleased to help the Third Prince, he had to use his charm to extract so information from the man. For now, a mutually beneficial relationship was what Yan Xiaobao needed. He grasped the aning of keeping one’s friends close but one’s enemies even closer.
This ti, they did not go to the mansion or garden where Yan Xiaobao had t him before. No, this ti, the servants led him to the actual main castle—the castle where the King resided and where decisions regarding the Kingdom were made. Knowing they were headed there, Yan Xiaobao held his breath, hoping he might overhear sothing of interest. Even if the Third Prince decided not to tell him anything, who could bla him for using his enhanced hearing to catch a thing or two?
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