Chapter 16: The Child Must Never Let Down Their Guard

This left Shaotian Qin feeling a restless frustration, so much so that he could only vent his pent-up annoyance on the maids in the mansion.

“Shen Xuan really hasn’t changed one bit!” Qin Shujun, sitting with her arms crossed nearby, wore a displeased expression, clearly dissatisfied with Shen Xuan’s visits to the brothel.

Madam Song, seated at the head of the room, also looked displeased. With Qin Wunian absent from the household, she, as the primary wife, naturally made all major decisions.

She felt uneasy about Shen Xuan moving out without a word. After all, the prefecture had neither blamed him nor withheld food and clothing since his return. Even a block of ice would have thawed by now, yet Shen Xuan persistently wore that sour expression, humiliating them by belittling himself. How could Madam Song not feel disheartened?

“Sigh, never mind. Tomorrow, I will have someone bring Xuan’er back. It’s truly unreasonable to refuse such a good home,” Madam Song sighed. Though she agreed with Shaotian Qin, she couldn’t help but soften, feeling a pang of guilt for the past three years and hesitating to be too harsh.

As for the matter of going to the Flower Full Tower, she didn’t even mention it.

Seeing Madam Song’s attitude, Shaotian Qin’s irritation grew. Just as he was about to speak, a deep, commanding voice interrupted.

“It’s so late already, and you’re still not resting—what are you doing here?”

Upon hearing the familiar voice, everyone turned toward the door.

There stood a middle-aged man in the official attire of the Great Qian dynasty, his chin bearing a long beard, a square face, and eyes sharp as an eagle’s. He stood silently, radiating an oppressive presence as vast as a chasm or mountain.

“Master!”

“Father!”

Madam Song and Qin Shujun exclaimed almost simultaneously upon seeing him. This man was none other than the head of the Qin household, Prime Minister Qin Wunian of Great Qian!

A true figure second only to the emperor, he was unrivaled in power and prestige throughout the empire.

“Father!” Shaotian Qin stepped forward two paces, bowing respectfully.

“Hm, I’ve been away these past few days; have your studies fallen behind?” Qin Wunian’s eyes gleamed with a faint smile, his voice gentle.

“Father, rest assured, I would never slacken my efforts,” Shaotian Qin replied confidently.

“Good. The autumn imperial examination is not far off. As the legitimate son of the Qin household, even if you don’t top the exam, your name must be among the top three,” Qin Wunian nodded in approval, tirelessly admonishing his son.

“Father, I promise I will never bring shame upon you,” Shaotian Qin’s expression grew serious as he pledged.

Qin Wunian smiled, heartened by his son’s resolute gaze.

“By the way, where is Xuan’er? If I’m not mistaken, he should have returned a few days ago,” Qin Wunian said as he took his seat, scanning the hall but finding no sign of Shen Xuan. His brows knit in puzzlement.

“Father, the situation is like this—” Before Madam Song could speak, Shaotian Qin hurriedly took over.

He exaggerated Shen Xuan’s recent behavior, recounting everything to Qin Wunian.

“That scoundrel! He’s even discarded the Qin name. Does he want to sever ties with us? Such an ungrateful white-faced wolf!” Qin Wunian slammed his fist on the table, anger surging as he learned of Shen Xuan’s actions.

Any lingering guilt he felt had vanished, and he loudly scolded him in front of everyone.

“Master, Xuan’er would never mean that,” Madam Song tried to speak in Shen Xuan’s defense, but Qin Wunian cut her off without a care.

“Then what does he mean? This is all because of your indulgence. Look at what this boy has become, and you still defend him!”

“Hasn’t he already moved out? Then let him leave. Unless he comes back on his knees. If anyone dares to bring him back without my knowledge, they’ll be gone along with him!” Qin Wunian’s words were resolute, startling Madam Song into silence.

After all, the true authority in the Qin household was Qin Wunian.

If a mere woman had any real say, Shen Xuan wouldn’t have been demoted to the Sima Supervisor three years ago.

Shaotian Qin’s expression stiffened. He had wanted to propose bringing Shen Xuan back for punishment but reluctantly withdrew the idea, disappointment filling his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Tian’er? Is something amiss?” Qin Wunian asked, puzzled by his son’s troubled face.

“Nothing, Father. I will obey your every command,” Shaotian Qin quickly replied.

Qin Wunian nodded hurriedly.

As for Shen Xuan, he remained completely unaware of the happenings in the Qin household.

The next morning, Shen Xuan rose early once more. With a substantial sum of money in hand, he chose not to set up his stall again. Instead, he decided to hire some help.

If Liu Ruifeng was reliable, the restaurant could open in just a few days. It would be a shame if everything else was ready but staff was lacking.

Rather than heading to Vermilion Bird Street, Shen Xuan veered in another direction, toward Celestial Blue Street.

Vermilion Bird Street was primarily an entertainment district, populated mostly by the wealthy. It was the right place to buy fine goods.

But to hire servants or footmen, one had to come to Celestial Blue Street.

Also known as Black Street, it lay in the southwest of the capital. In a city where a single thrown stone might hit a high-ranking official, Black Street was a place where such things simply didn’t happen.

Only commoners lived here.

Casinos were abundant, and fights and killings were all too common.

Transactions ran rampant; as long as you had money, you could buy people or anything else.

Shen Xuan was puzzled by how such a volatile place could exist in the capital.

He wondered why the emperor would tolerate such an unstable area.

“Enough pondering. It doesn’t concern me anyway, and this Black Street just happens to make my affairs easier,” he shook his head and entered Black Street.

The street was crowded, but the people’s clothes were shabby.

The roads were disorderly, a stark contrast to the prosperity and cleanliness of Vermilion Bird Street.

As Shen Xuan scanned his surroundings, his eyes suddenly fixed on a particular spot with a strange expression.

There knelt a tall but extremely thin youth. Beside him stood a makeshift banner of cloth, bearing four large characters painted in some crude pigment: “Selling self to bury father.”

Such scenes were not uncommon on Black Street or throughout Great Qian. The times were harsh, and countless commoners suffered.

What drew Shen Xuan’s attention was that despite the boy’s frailty, his height was notable—he should be in demand.

Yet after watching for a long time, no one had approached to inquire or negotiate, which filled Shen Xuan with puzzlement.