Chapter 49

TRANSLATED BY MYPEN_22

The following morning, Yan Shi woke up in Hua Ling's arms again. He tugged on the quilt and covered Hua Ling's shoulders.

"Your Majesty, are you awake?" Zhao Chunhai gently snapped the door and called in a whisper from outside.

Yan Shi gently crept out of the nest, put on a piece of clothing and gently opened the door "What is it?"

"Gao Jieyuan is waiting for you downstairs." Zhao Chunhai said.

Yan Shi didn't expect him to be here so early, "Be good, I'll be right down."

Before he reached the bed, he saw Hua Ling rubbing his eyes and crawling up, "Brother, who is it?"

"Did I wake you up?" Yan Shi took a few steps forward and wrapped the quilt around him, "It's cold in the morning, don't get cold. It's Zhao Chunhai, he said that Gao Changgeng is here. You can sleep a little longer, I'll go down and check."

"I want to go with brother too." Hua Ling stared in confusion and reached out his hand to touch his clothes haphazardly on the bed.

Yan Shi looked amused and took the clothes from the nearby shelf, like a child, "Come and stretch your hands."

"I can put them on myself, brother." Hua Ling stretched out his arm in a somewhat squirming manner.

"It's cold outside, wear it yourself for fear of catching a cold again."

Hua Ling looked at Yan Shi and saw that he was not wearing any clothes, so he became a bit anxious. "But you are not wearing any clothes yet, aren't you cold standing there?"

"I have internal strength to protect my body, I'm not cold." As he spoke, Yan Shi had already helped Hua Ling to put on his clothes.

The two of them had finished freshening up and went downstairs with each other.

Qu Liujing had already been downstairs with Gao Chang Geng.

"Master Gao has waited for a long time." Yan Shi clasped his fist.

Gao Changgeng returned the greeting "I came too early and disturbed your rest."

After a few words of courtesy, Gao Changgeng invited Yan Shi into the house, and Yan Shi agreed.

Gao Changgeng prepared a carriage for Yan Shi, but Yan Shi didn't take it, he took his own carriage.

When they arrived at the place, Gao Changgeng invited them to the main hall, and after dismissing the servants, he suddenly fell to his knees and bowed to Yan Shi, "I see Your Majesty, Your Majesty is a thousand years old, a thousand years old."

Yan Shi and Hua Ling looked at each other and although they were surprised, they did not deny their identities "Please rise, Gao Jieyuan."

Gao Changgeng stood up as ordered, and Yan Shi added "I wonder how Gao Xieyuan recognised me?"

Gao Changgeng said, "In reply to Your Majesty's words, after I returned to my house yesterday, I heard a report from my subordinates that there were some gentlemen from the Imperial City who had come here on a study tour. One of them is surnamed Yan. Yan is the surname of the country, and the prince has come from the Imperial City, and there are no rich merchants surnamed Yan in the Imperial City. I don't think an ordinary royal relative would come to me, but I have no power or influence, and I don't help the nobles in the imperial city with anything important. Although my family is wealthy, it is a far cry from the wealthy merchants in the Imperial City. After thinking about it, the only thing that can make the nobles in the Imperial City look at me with respect is my talent. The only ones who need talent the most are the four adult princes, in addition to His Majesty."

Yan Shi's fingertips gently rubbed his teacup, this Gao Changgeng had a brilliant mind and was really not simple, he hope he could use it for him "Since you guessed the identity of this Prince, then maybe you can guess which prince this Prince is?"

"Naturally, it is possible." Gao Changgeng's temperament was calm and his tone was full of certainty, "Your Majesty is the current Grand Prince. Only the current Grand Prince is so weak that he needs to go around and personally select talents."

"Then are you willing?" Yan Shi was also not selling the official, and was very straightforward.

"As the saying goes, 'A good bird chooses its wood, and a wise minister chooses his master to serve. I am sure I will be a wise servant in the future, but I don't know if the Prince will be a wise master?"

Gao Changgeng's words could be described as very rude, but they were also unexpectedly frank, and if he had admitted him on the spot, he would not have found him credible.

Yan Shi smiled faintly "The Prince will not let Gao Jieyuan down."

"If you don't mind staying here, why don't you stay here for a few days?" Gao Changgeng said.

"Then I will trouble Gao Jieyuan." Yan Shi looked at him and said, "Also, our identities still need to be kept secret, Jing Chu is one of my courtesy name, Gao Jie Yuan can just call me Jing Chu."

Gao Changgeng agreed, but at that moment, a servant came in and said, "Master, the Second Master is here."

Gao Changgeng narrowed his eyes, "Invite him in."

Yan Shi's expression remained unchanged, but Hua Ling was a bit subdued, his buttocks on the chair lifted slightly, and Yan Shi quickly held his hand, before he honestly pretended to drink tea again.

"Changgeng, I heard that there are guests at home?" Only then did Yan Shi get a good look at the man, who was tall and handsome and really had a good skin.

Yan Shi and the others stood up from their chairs and Gao Changgeng nodded "I saw that you were still asleep, so I didn't bother to call you, these are all gentlemen from the Imperial City." Gao Changgeng introduced Yan Shi and the others to Cha Nan one by one.

"I am this gentleman's male wife." When Gao Changgeng had finished his introduction, Hua Ling added very dominantly.

"A few of you have come a long way, I'm really sorry for the disrespect." Cha Nan smiled and arched his hand, his demeanour modest and measured, if he did not know this man's true face, he would really be fooled by this skin.

Yan Shi smiled and said, "I am sorry to have come here uninvited, but we were rude in the first place, so please don't forget to take offence. I wonder who you are?"

"My name is Cha Nan, and I am married to Chang Geng, so please call me by my first name." Cha Nan introduced himself.

Yan Shi arched his hand "So it's brother Cha."

Hua Ling rolled his eyes and ignored him, quietly moving towards Qu Liujing when no one was looking and said something to him.

A servant soon came in to report that breakfast was ready, so Gao Changgeng invited Yan Shi and the others over for a meal.

The Gao family is indeed a large family, and the breakfast on the table was prepared with care.

Cha Nan sat beside Gao Changgeng, sometimes whispering and laughing with him, sometimes giving him something to eat, looking affectionate.

"Brother Gao and Brother Cha's relationship is really enviable." Yan Shi said.

Cha Nan laughed and said, "Sir Yan, I have to be honest, I owe it all to Chang Geng, without him I would not be who I am today. I am not capable of much, so all I can do is to help him keep the family business and let him study in peace. It is a great destiny for two people to come together. A person's life is actually very short, and after eating, sleeping and other daily chores, the time spent with the person you love is even shorter. It is natural to cherish every moment of such a short time, and to be happy every moment, don't you think so, Mr. Yan?"

Gao Changgeng's hand clenched his spoon, his face still wearing a faint smile but he did not say a word.

Hua Ling pushed the bowl forward, "I'm not eating."