“Repeat after me: ‘Tyrant!’ ‘Tyrant!’”
Mu Xueshi was having an especially good time playing with the parrot called Little Short-Legs, because he felt this parrot was the ugliest and carried quite a bit of his former style.
It was unclear whether Mu Xueshi’s excessive attention toward Little Short-Legs had drawn the jealousy of the other parrots, or whether those parrots already held a grudge against Mu Xueshi to begin with. As Mu Xueshi stood in the open space of the courtyard, he was pecked several times back and forth by the parrots. Those parrots flew noisily around the courtyard, and Mu Xueshi was quite happy to play around with them, but the servants who were used to peace and quiet suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.
“Eunuch Shangde, let’s send all these parrots back. Those households must be very reluctant to part with them. Leaving me this one Little Short-Legs is enough.”
Eunuch Shangde looked very troubled after hearing this. “Judicial Affairs Minister, you should discuss this matter with His Highness. After all, the parrots are a token of His Highness’s feelings for you.”
“I know, but with so many birds in the courtyard, they’ll make the small courtyard dirty and messy. Besides, he likes quiet so much. Being disturbed by this many birds must annoy him. I only wanted you to give me some advice. Don’t you think sending them back would be good?”
“This…” Eunuch Shangde drew in a breath and said, “I’m afraid it would not be good… Think about it, my lord. If you send these birds back, should the silver that was given out be taken back or not?”
“Of course it should. Don’t tell me that just because those parrots took a trip to this small courtyard, we have to pay them one hundred taels of silver?”
“Uh… That is true, but has my lord thought about this? Would those households still be willing to take the birds back?”
“Why wouldn’t they be willing?” Mu Xueshi looked astonished. “Those birds are so intelligent and have followed them for so long. Surely they have feelings for them. A mere hundred taels of silver can be earned again.”
“That is not how this servant sees it.” Eunuch Shangde narrowed his eyes and said solemnly, “If one hundred taels of silver were used to buy parrots, who knows how many could be bought? Feelings can be cultivated again, but silver cannot be obtained for nothing again!”
“Hmph. I never would have thought it, Eunuch Shangde. So you are someone who opens his eyes wide at the sight of money.” Mu Xueshi gritted his teeth, his obsidian-like eyes glaring fixedly at Eunuch Shangde.
After being glared at by Mu Xueshi like this, Eunuch Shangde submitted on the surface, but inwardly muttered, You have lived deep in the imperial palace and do not know the suffering of common people…
“How about this? Send someone to those households to ask whether they are still willing to take the birds back. If they are willing, let them come claim them. If they are not willing, then release the birds into the forest.”
After hearing this, Eunuch Shangde nodded and turned to walk outside.
“Wait.” Mu Xueshi called Eunuch Shangde back again.
“Does Judicial Affairs Minister have any other instructions?”
Mu Xueshi thought for a while, then frowned deeply and said, “Remember this. When those commoners come to the small courtyard to claim the birds, the guards at the entrance must be informed ahead of time. Also, have all the guards in the small courtyard make preparations, in case there is disorder then…”
Who would come?… Eunuch Shangde swallowed, but he still obediently nodded and continued walking into the distance.
After Eunuch Shangde left, Mu Xueshi patted the dirt off his body and prepared to go inside to change clothes before heading out. In the end, he ran into the Third Prince standing at the doorway, watching him. Mu Xueshi immediately walked over with a smile as bright as flowers.
“I’m leaving now. You have to take good care of yourself.”
Mu Xueshi held the Third Prince’s hand as though he were about to leave on a long journey, his expression full of reluctant attachment.
“Where are you going?” the Third Prince asked.
Without even thinking, Mu Xueshi said, “Changxin Courtyard!”
The lines of the Third Prince’s face, which had only just softened a little, instantly became much colder again.
Mu Xueshi vaguely remembered what Eunuch Shangde had reminded him earlier, saying that the Third Prince did not allow him to enter Changxin Courtyard. After he had gone inside that time, the series of events that happened afterward had left an unforgettable impression on Mu Xueshi…
The more he thought about it, the more he could not help shivering.
“I won’t go. I’ll just call Li Qian to the small courtyard instead.” Mu Xueshi quickly changed his words.
The Third Prince paused, then said lightly, “If you want to go, I can accompany you.”
“No need. You also have your own matters to busy yourself with.” Although Mu Xueshi said this aloud, his heart had already bloomed with joy.
The Third Prince placed his hand over Mu Xueshi’s chest and slowly slid it around. “Is that truly what you think?”
Mu Xueshi was tickled by the Third Prince’s movements and dodged repeatedly. In the end, he circled behind the Third Prince, jumped up, and clambered onto him.
“If you have time, of course I’d be happy for you to accompany me outside for a stroll. It’s better than you being in the palace, flirting with someone on a little bridge… Ah… I won’t say it, I won’t say it. Don’t hit me in front of Little Short-Legs. He’ll laugh at me…”
Changxin Courtyard was packed with people, and there were also no small number of high-ranking officials and nobles. Fortunately, each had their own private room. Otherwise, if they had seen the people coming in, the entire Changxin Courtyard would likely have fallen to its knees.
Mu Xueshi was still wearing that hat veil. If not for the Third Prince being beside him, seeing so many beauties might have made him so excited that he would have lifted it.
“Young Masters, inside… please… please…”
Several women dressed in gorgeous, eye-catching clothes came out to welcome guests, but the moment they saw the Third Prince’s face, they were so stunned they could not even speak clearly. There were countless handsome men in the imperial capital, but a man truly handsome to this degree was absolutely one of a kind.
“Sisters, hurry and come look! The young master who came today is truly dazzling enough to charm people’s eyes!”
No one knew which bold woman called this out, but in an instant, twenty or thirty women came out from every corner. Even the woman playing music on the high platform seemed unable to control her fingers, and the melody slipped out of tune.
The two had only just entered when they were surrounded on all sides. Fortunately, the Third Prince was holding Mu Xueshi’s hand, or else Mu Xueshi would have been squeezed out by that group of women.
Hmph… Mu Xueshi felt indignant in his heart. This man attracts eyes wherever he goes, making me stand at the side and drink dry vinegar, yet I’m not allowed to take off my hat and have a little flirtatious fun too.
The Third Prince’s expression grew darker and darker. He swept a cold glance around, and those women immediately fell silent.
“Where is your proprietress?”
Hearing the Third Prince’s question, those women looked at one another and all shook their heads to show they did not know.
A woman who had just come down from the second floor passed through the crowd and walked to the Third Prince’s side, her voice soft and alluring as she said, “This young lady must remind this young master that the proprietress does not entertain any guests… Why not allow this young lady to perform a dance for you while you wait here for a moment?”
The woman who spoke was the courtesan queen chosen some days ago, named Ruzui. On ordinary days, she only received honored guests, and even then, it depended on her mood. Today, for her to take the initiative to strike up a conversation without even knowing this young master’s identity was truly rare.
The Third Prince’s gaze suddenly turned cold. Just as Ruzui’s hand was about to rest on his shoulder, there was suddenly a crisp crack. This graceful woman immediately screamed and collapsed onto a chair nearby.
“Ah…” The women around them abruptly scattered, all looking at the Third Prince with terrified eyes.
“I will ask once more. Where is your proprietress?”
Mu Xueshi quickly walked to the Third Prince’s side and held his hand as he advised, “We can ask the waiters or the attendants. There’s no need to be this anxious, right? What you did just now was a bit too ruthless!”
Toward the end, Mu Xueshi’s voice grew quieter and quieter.
When the Third Prince saw this group of women, he could not help remembering the scene from that day when Mu Xueshi had done that sort of thing with someone else in a certain room of Changxin Courtyard. Although that woman was already dead, in the Third Prince’s eyes, all of these people were cut from the same cloth.
“Miss Ruzui, how long do you intend to make my lord wait? Must he personally come out to invite you?” From one of the rooms on the second floor, a man unafraid of death suddenly came out, wearing an arrogant expression as he looked down at the people below.
Seeing no one pay attention to him, the man walked straight downstairs. As he passed through the crowd, he said loudly, “What high official has come here, making our lord wait there for so long, yet not a single person has gone up to receive him?”
As he spoke, the man’s eyes swept over the Third Prince’s face. His breathing suddenly tightened, and he subconsciously muttered, “Why does this person look so familiar…”
Before he could finish speaking, the man collapsed at the Third Prince’s feet.
“Ah!!” A woman could not help screaming loudly, only for her throat to be sealed by someone. She spat out two mouthfuls of blood.
“Enough, Xi. Stop making trouble. Let’s go.” Mu Xueshi had also been stunned just now. Now that he came back to his senses, he quickly grabbed both of the Third Prince’s hands.
The lord that man had been calling could no longer sit still either. With a dark expression, he walked out of the room. But after seeing who was standing downstairs, his expression immediately changed, and he quickly jogged to the Third Prince.
“This lower official greets Your Highness the Third Prince. My subordinate failed to recognize Mount Tai before his eyes. I hope Your Highness will forgive the offense.”
When the people around heard that this was actually the Third Prince, they immediately dropped to their knees with a thud. Some of the women who had always stayed here still remembered what the Third Prince had once said, and for a moment, they were so frightened they trembled nonstop.
“Your Highness the Third Prince once said you would wash my Changxin Courtyard in blood. Are you truly here today to fulfill your words from back then?”
A sentence from the entrance broke the deathly silence inside.
Mu Xueshi turned his head and saw Li Gui dressed in plain clothes, with Li Qian standing beside her.
Futile Devices Scans 
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