The atmosphere in the Ministry of Justice was very tense. Xiao Rong felt frustrated, and the officials were deeply resentful.

 

Their last workday before the New Year was turning out to be so unpleasant, which they saw as a bad omen. They worried that this might mean their days after the New Year would be even more difficult.

 

Seeing their expressions, Xiao Shan felt hurt that he was so unpopular. He leisurely wandered around the Ministry of Justice, and then, standing in front of Xiao Rong, he sighed and said, "Enough, enough. My health is not well; I shall return to the prince's residence."

 

Xiao Rong forced a smile and said, "Leaving so soon?" Though his words seemed to be an attempt to make Xiao Shan stay, inwardly he was thinking, Please leave quickly.

 

Xiao Shan looked shocked, "From what Eldest Brother is saying, it seems you don't want me to leave. In that case, I'll stay a bit longer." With that, he happily lifted his robe and sat down firmly in the seat closest to Xiao Rong.

 

The other officials of the Ministry of Justice subtly glanced at Xiao Rong.

 

Xiao Rong: "..." That wasn't what I meant, really.

 

Knowing that his skin wasn't as thick as Xiao Shan's and that he couldn't match his brother's sharp tongue, Xiao Rong decided to use his feet instead. If he couldn't outtalk him, he could at least walk away.

 

It was actually his clever wife, Princess Rui, Gu Linglong, who came up with this idea.

 

One time, after hearing about the fallout between the Empress and Consort Lan, Xiao Rong had a few too many drinks. In his slightly drunken state, he vented to Gu Linglong about how much of a scoundrel Xiao Shan was and how he often fantasized about knocking him down but couldn't actually do it, leaving him feeling very frustrated.

 

At first, Gu Linglong tried to comfort him, agreeing that Xiao Shan was indeed a troublemaker.

 

But as Xiao Rong continued to rant for a long time, Gu Linglong started to feel sleepy. She yawned a few times and said, "It's simple. If you see things going south, just find an excuse and walk away immediately. Just avoid him. I don't believe Prince Li would cling to your leg to stop you from leaving."

 

In the past, Gu Linglong would often say agreeable things to him, mixing in some sensible advice. Her way of speaking was similar to her father's, and even if Xiao Rong was displeased, he would still listen to some extent, though he would still feel a bit impatient.

 

When he heard Gu Linglong's suggestion, Xiao Rong was stunned, staring at her without moving his eyes.

 

Gu Linglong's drowsiness vanished instantly.

 

She knew very well that her family was not one of the great aristocratic families; her father climbed up step by step on his own. Gu Linglong was acutely aware that Xiao Rong married her as the best option among limited choices.

 

Xiao Rong was a stubborn and self-centered person, so after their marriage, Gu Linglong didn't try to control him. As long as things were manageable, she would usually go along with whatever he said.

 

That night, feeling extremely sleepy, Gu Linglong spoke her mind plainly and directly.

 

As she quickly thought about how to smooth over her words, she maintained a calm exterior and even managed a smile. However, before she could say anything, Xiao Rong suddenly clapped his hands and laughed heartily, looking very excited. "Good, this is a great idea."

 

Gu Linglong's smile froze slightly, and her gaze towards Xiao Rong changed subtly.

 

Xiao Rong didn't notice and continued, "Why didn't you mention this earlier?" If she had, he wouldn't have had to suffer so much humiliation from Xiao Shan.

 

Hearing the grievance in his tone, Gu Linglong thought to herself, And you think you're the one who's been wronged?

 

However, what she said was, "It's not too late for you to know now, Your Highness. It's getting late; you should sleep."

 

Having found a solution to his major annoyance, and with Gu Linglong's soothing words, combined with his deepening drunkenness, Xiao Rong quickly fell asleep.

 

The next morning, recalling his conversation with Gu Linglong, the first thing that came to Xiao Rong's mind was her suggested method.

 

So, when he encountered Xiao Shan again at the Ministry of Justice, he put it into practice.

 

Realizing he couldn't outtalk Xiao Shan, Prince Rui stood up and walked towards the door.

 

Xiao Shan, seeing this, asked in surprise, "Eldest Brother, where are you going?"

 

Xiao Rong smiled slightly, "To the restroom."

 

Xiao Shan frowned, sensing that this was a perfect excuse, albeit an unusual one. No matter how close the brothers were, there was no reason for them to go to the restroom together. This wasn't typical of Xiao Rong's behavior. Could it be that his eldest brother changed his strategy?

 

Seeing Xiao Shan's expression, Xiao Rong felt inexplicably pleased. As he walked out of the room, he even whistled a cheerful tune to express his joy.

 

Xiao Shan remained in the room for the time it took an incense stick to burn, then slowly stood up and left.

 

As he stepped out of the Ministry of Justice, he looked up at the sky, feeling certain that Xiao Rong used the restroom as an excuse to escape.

 

Xiao Rong had always been the type to stubbornly persist even when faced with a dead end. Today, he stopped after just one collision, showing a surprising amount of maturity. Xiao Shan wondered who managed to successfully influence him.

 

As Xiao Shan walked down the street, Xiao Rong already hurried back to Prince Rui's residence.

 

Upon returning, he went straight to the backyard to see Gu Linglong, only to find out that she was taking a nap.

 

Excited, Xiao Rong woke her up and, without waiting for her to get up, sat by the bed and recounted everything that happened at the Ministry of Justice.

 

He laughed heartily and said, "You weren't there to see it, but Third Brother's expression was priceless. It's the first time I've seen him like that. He was definitely waiting to see me make a fool of myself, but he didn't expect me to change my approach. He thought I was the same as before, but I wasn't. My actions completely caught him off guard."

 

After finishing, he stood up and walked excitedly around the room a couple of times.

 

Gu Linglong took the opportunity to stifle a yawn while he wasn't looking, then smiled warmly, her eyes full of admiration. "Your Highness did wonderfully. That's exactly how you should handle Prince Li. If we can't outtalk him, we just avoid him. Without an audience, let's see what he can say."

 

Inwardly, she thought, After so many years as brothers, how stubborn must he have been to only realize this now?

 

If she were in his shoes, the moment she saw she was at a disadvantage, she would have stepped aside immediately.

 

But as the Princess of Prince Rui's residence, she had to share in Xiao Rong's fortunes and misfortunes, unable to reason with him directly.

 

Now, finally, her long-held hope came true. In her lifetime, she witnessed a prodigal son turning over a new leaf.

 

The phrase might not be entirely appropriate, but that was exactly how Gu Linglong felt. She already prepared herself for Xiao Rong to at least curse Xiao Shan a couple of times.

 

Thinking about it, she felt a bit excited.

 

Xiao Rong wandered back to the bedside. As his excitement waned a bit, he suddenly asked, "What if we can't avoid him?"

 

"That shouldn't be the case," Gu Linglong replied, frowning slightly. "Prince Li won't chase us all the way to our residence, would he?"

 

Xiao Rong thought about it and agreed.

 

However, their joy was short-lived. The doorman came to report that Prince Li had arrived.

 

Xiao Rong's face changed dramatically upon hearing this, and he exchanged a look of shock with Gu Linglong.

 

He really did chase him all the way home.

 

Xiao Rong swallowed the curses that were on the tip of his tongue and croaked, "What should we do?"

 

Gu Linglong raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you afraid of? This is Prince Rui's residence, not Prince Li’s. You stay here; I'll go see him. I don't believe he can do anything to me."

 

Xiao Rong wanted to say that he shouldn't hide behind Gu Linglong, but he really didn't want to face Xiao Shan. So, he watched as Gu Linglong tidied her clothes and walked out of the hall. Still worried that she might suffer at Xiao Shan's hands, he decided to sneak out and eavesdrop. If things went awry, he could step in.

 

Xiao Rong's worries were somewhat excessive. Xiao Shan and Gu Linglong exchanged only a few words.

 

When Gu Linglong arrived at the front hall, Xiao Shan was questioning Chang Shun, an eunuch who served Xiao Rong, making him break out in a cold sweat despite the chilly weather. Upon seeing Gu Linglong, Chang Shun's face showed relief, and after bowing to her, he retreated to the side.

 

Gu Linglong looked at Xiao Shan with a surprised expression and said, "Third Brother is truly a rare visitor. Your sudden arrival has startled me. Is there something urgent that you need me to pass on to His Highness?"

 

Such words often contain multiple layers of meaning.

 

Gu Linglong's statement was no exception.

 

"Rare visitor" implied that they did not usually have much interaction.

 

"Sudden arrival" implied that he did not send a visiting card and relied on his status to enter. As a prince, he had the privilege, but an ordinary person would not even have the right to step through the gates of the residence.

 

"Pass on" suggested that as a woman at home, Gu Linglong found Xiao Shan's visit too abrupt and indicated that she did not intend to keep him long.

 

However, because Chang Shun was present, Gu Linglong did not directly say that Xiao Rong was not at home.

 

Xiao Shan showed no reaction to Gu Linglong's words. He said, "Sister-in-law, you are too polite. I was just concerned about my eldest brother's safety. Having asked Chang Shun and confirmed that my brother is fine, I am relieved. Farewell."

 

After saying this, Xiao Shan turned to leave, prompting a sigh from Gu Linglong.

 

Xiao Shan did not stop and quickly disappeared from sight.

 

Gu Linglong turned to Chang Shun and asked, "What did Prince Li ask you?"

 

Swallowing nervously, Chang Shun replied in a low voice, "In response to Your Highness, Prince Li asked me why His Highness had not returned from the Ministry of Justice after such a long time in the restroom. He was genuinely worried and couldn't find him, so he came to our residence to check if His Highness fell into the latrine and was too embarrassed to inform him before returning home."

 

Gu Linglong: "..."

 

Alright, she underestimated Xiao Shan.

 

It turned out that there really were people in this world who would come to curse others at their doorstep, without fear of being thrown out.

 

Xiao Rong jumped out from behind a pillar, his face flushed red and his eyes wide open in the cold weather. "That bastard Xiao Shan! He came here just to disgust me, didn't he?"

 

Gu Linglong thought to herself, He really did.

 

She intended to keep Chang Shun's words from Xiao Rong, but she didn't expect him to be eavesdropping.

 

Now, Xiao Rong was back to his furious self, his earlier excitement and pride vanishing in an instant.

 

Gu Linglong had no choice but to step forward and soothe him. "Your Highness, there's no need to get angry with someone like that. Our residences are far apart; we can just avoid interacting with them in the future."

 

Xiao Rong said, "We don't usually interact with him anyway."

 

Gu Linglong replied, "Then just continue to ignore him. We can pretend he doesn't exist."

 

Xiao Rong felt deeply aggrieved. Such a large presence, and he wasn't blind—how could he pretend Xiao Shan didn't exist?

 

After wandering around for a while, Xiao Shan returned to his residence later than usual.

 

When he arrived, Xie Zhui was by the open window, writing a letter to Xie Chen.

 

Seeing Xie Zhui's resolute expression through the window, Xiao Shan stood there, unmoving.

 

Previously, Xiao Shan asked Xie Chen to investigate some matters, but there had been no response. Recently, however, he received a few letters from Xie Chen, which mentioned nothing specific, only that everything was fine.

 

If it weren't for the secret marks known only to the two of them, Xie Zhui would have thought Xie Chen had been kidnapped.

 

Despite this, he was still very worried. As the weather grew colder, he was anxious to know where Xie Chen was and whether he would return to the capital for the New Year.

 

Xiao Shan waited until Xie Zhui sealed the letter with wax before deliberately making his footsteps louder as he approached.

 

Xie Zhui looked up and, upon seeing Xiao Shan, gave a faint smile. "You're back?"

 

Xiao Shan walked to the window and looked at him, smiling. "I'm back."

 

In their brief exchange, warmth and affection were evident.