C63 Chosen 3

Xie Jin felt like his daughter was nothing but trouble. After finishing her studies at the Imperial Academy, he waited at home for her, but by early evening, she still hadn't returned. Frustrated, he went door to door looking for her and finally dragged Xie Ruxuan back from a guesthouse. The plan to apologize at the Marquis Mansion was ruined. Xie Jin thought a day's delay wouldn't matter and decided to take Xie Ruxuan to apologize after the morning court session the next day.

Unexpectedly, during the session, Qin Chun accused him of colluding with a Martial Academy instructor to give his daughter a pass in the second round, urging the Emperor to investigate. Xie Jin denied the charges, leading to a heated argument with the Martial Peace Marquis. As a result, Xie Ruxuan no longer needed to apologize.

Meanwhile, Beiming Yuan was more intrigued by why his Royal Uncle suddenly changed his ways and spent a fortune on a tin and iron mine. Standing outside the Carefree King Mansion, Beiming Yuan felt a wave of nostalgia. It had been two years since he last visited and saw Beiming Di, highlighting how little presence his uncle had.

As the mansion gates opened, the butler was about to announce his arrival, but Beiming Yuan stopped him. Even though he was accustomed to sitting on the throne in the Imperial Study Room, Beiming Yuan never forgot his identity; he was just the Crown Prince.

On a frigid winter day, Beiming Yuan assumed his uncle would be inside keeping warm, but the butler led him to the back garden. There, in a spacious pavilion, Beiming Di, dressed in a dark robe, was staring intently at an unfinished game of Go.

Beiming Yuan entered respectfully, "Nephew greets Uncle."

"Come, come!" Beiming Di didn't look up, merely gesturing for Beiming Yuan to sit beside him.

As Beiming Yuan took his seat, he glanced at the board. Despite being outnumbered, the white pieces held a commanding position.

"Help me out here," Beiming Di said, pointing at the black and white pieces with a look of frustration. "I'm stuck!"

Beiming Yuan pondered for a moment, then moved a black piece forward. The white piece retreated. Another move, another retreat. Within ten moves, black claimed victory.

"Aren't you cold, Uncle?" Beiming Yuan asked, noting the lack of a heater in the pavilion. Even wrapped in a fur coat, he felt the chill.

Beiming Di, however, was fixated on the board, finally muttering through clenched teeth, "I need to clear my head."

He had thought Beiming Yuan wouldn't be able to solve such a complex puzzle, or at least not so quickly.

"Uncle?" Beiming Yuan called softly.

"Huh? Oh!" Beiming Di tore his gaze from the board, looking at his nephew with a warm smile. "When did you get here?"

Beiming Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, "It's been a while, and you still have that sense of humor, Uncle."

Beiming Di laughed heartily, his chiseled features still striking despite the passage of time. "What brings my nephew to visit me today?"

"I have something I don't quite understand and came specifically to seek your advice," Beiming Yuan replied, wrapping his fur coat tighter against the cold.

Beiming Di nodded, "Go ahead, ask."

"I heard you've taken over the business at the Fish Market's No-south House. I wasn't aware you had an interest in the Fish Market," Beiming Yuan said, not directly mentioning the Meixi Workshop.

"Everyone in the capital seems interested in the Fish Market these days. If I didn't show some interest, I'd probably seem out of touch, wouldn't I?"

Beiming Yuan was momentarily speechless, thinking, "You have a point." But then he recalled that his uncle had never really fit in with anyone as long as he could remember. If he suddenly did, that would be unusual.

"You're right, Uncle. But the Meixi Workshop has a tin and iron mine behind it. Why are you so determined to take it over?" Beiming Yuan decided to be direct, not fearing to offend this eccentric relative who had neither power nor connections.

"A tin and iron mine?" Beiming Di looked puzzled, "Are you saying I've struck it rich?"

Beiming Yuan wiped the sweat from his brow. "So, you really have no idea what you bought?"

"Did you seriously spend 30 million dollars without knowing what it was?" Beiming Yuan, being the Crown Prince, had never been so extravagant.

Beiming Di shook his head earnestly. "The No-south House was bullied at the Fish Market, and I thought I should do something to save face for Lyi Xiaotian."

Beiming Yuan was speechless. His Royal Uncle had spent 30 million dollars just to save a street performer's reputation. What more could he say?

"Uncle, about the Fish Market..."

"Just having a little fun, why are you so worried?" Beiming Di shrugged, smiling innocently.

There was no point in continuing the conversation. Beiming Yuan pressed his lips into a thin smile. "No reason, just curious."

Because it was cold, Beiming Yuan exchanged only a few pleasantries before leaving the Carefree King Mansion. As for the No-south House, after seeing Beiming Di's current state, he felt there was no need to worry.

He couldn't even solve such a simple chess problem...

After Beiming Yuan left, Rong Qi walked in.

"Did you see that? The kid beat you in just nine moves!" Beiming Di pointed at the chessboard with a serious expression.

Rong Qi said nothing, picking up a black piece.

Five moves, black wins.

"I think you should find a new hobby. Chess isn't your thing," Rong Qi said sincerely.

Beiming Di was stunned for a moment, then ignored Rong Qi, resetting the chessboard with a slightly grave expression. "What do you know!"

Rong Qi didn't understand, nor did he want to.

"Use the back door!" Beiming Di called out as Rong Qi turned away.

Rong Qi paused.

"Ever since Beiming Yuan came in, Feng Tiange has been standing guard outside. She probably thinks Beiming Yuan might try something with me..." Beiming Di shrugged, then seemed to remember something. "Where did that girl get three million dollars?"

Rong Qi suddenly clutched his chest and walked away...

At the Fish Market, Meiniang's Shop.

After the bidding, the purple wind chimes in front of Meiniang's shop turned a silvery white. Meiniang instructed her staff to open the shop for business, and the first customer was Huang Qing.

Dressed in a bamboo-green silk robe, his usually messy hair was neatly styled, adorned with a silver hairpin.

As soon as Huang Qing entered, he headed straight for Meiniang. "Hey, boss, see if you have a hairpin that suits me. Help me pick one out?"

"The hairpins are over here. Try whichever catches your eye, Mr. Huang. Qiao'er, come assist him."

Meiniang offered a token smile, and Huang Qing, as if entranced, instinctively leaned closer to her, his eyes greedily scanning her figure.

"Mr. Huang, the hairpins are over here. Are you going to look or not?" Qiao'er, with her twin buns, shouted in frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm looking..." Huang Qing swallowed hard, reluctantly moving next to Qiao'er and pointing to the counter. "Bring these out for me!"

He spent a good half-hour just browsing.

Inside the shop, Huang Qing held a hairpin in his hand, but his eyes were glued to Meiniang, his expression as sleazy and contemptible as could be.

Meiniang didn't care, but Qiao'er couldn't stand it anymore. "Mr. Huang, are you really planning to buy anything? If not..."

"Who's not buying? What, you open a shop and don't let people look?" Huang Qing slammed the counter, the scar on his face twisting into a menacing snarl, making him look downright vicious.