Chapter 164 The Troublesome Sister

The crowd suddenly fell silent, looking at Xie Liuzheng with some surprise, wondering why the normally inscrutable Heir Xie was suddenly playing the good guy today.

Of course, ordinary people dared not say this, but that didn't mean no one else present dared to.

"The matter of Prince Ye's estate is known to all. Their mouths are their own; why can't they discuss it? Heir Xie, can you really control others' tongues? Your concern for Princess Ye seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?"

"With such free time, you might as well explain to everyone who the man you ran off with from the Flower Tower last time was. I bet the crowd would eat that up."

The speaker was Ji Huaiche.

He had the day off today from the Dali Temple, so he had invited a few friends to drink outside.

Unexpectedly, he encountered Xie Liuzheng defending Ji Yuntang and immediately stepped forward to taunt him sarcastically.

Xie Liuzheng raised an eyebrow, a roguish smile curling at his lips. "Oh, I thought it was someone important. Turns out it's you, my defeated opponent. Instead of interrogating people at the Dali Temple today, you're here stirring up trouble?"

Ji Huaiche's face darkened sharply, as if reminded of some unpleasant memory, his eyes dark and threatening.

"Xie Liuzheng, don't go too far. If you hadn't cheated in that last sparring match, how could I have lost to you?"

Both were heirs, often compared by others. Though Xie Liuzheng was a notorious playboy, his status outranked Ji Huaiche's, which rankled Ji Huaiche.

Why should a good-for-nothing rogue be above him?

He was a fifth-rank imperial official—what was Xie Liuzheng?

Xie Liuzheng merely relied on his noble birth and influential father, nothing more.

In what way could Xie Liuzheng compare to him?

A year ago, during a royal hunt, they had both set their sights on the same wild boar and ended up fighting.

Ji Huaiche lost to Xie Liuzheng, a blow to his pride that stung deeply.

The reason was that Xie Liuzheng had cheated: when losing, he grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it into Ji Huaiche's eyes.

Such a victory was unsportsmanlike and petty.

Yet it became a thorn in his side that wouldn't go away.

Thus, whenever they met, it was either mutual mockery and snide remarks.

Xie Liuzheng never indulged Ji Huaiche; he snorted coldly, his face dripping with derision.

"Heir Ji, a loss is a loss. Why make excuses? As Right Assistant Minister of the Dali Temple, you must be blind. You believe everything anyone says? How can someone as devoid of critical thinking as you judge cases fairly for the people?"

"You know Prince Ye's standing in the people's hearts. The rumors about Prince Ye's estate are raging in the capital. Instead of suppressing them, you lead the heckling. One might think you're eager to see Prince Ye's household become a laughingstock."

Ji Huaiche frowned and shot back without thinking, "What's it to you?"

Xie Liuzheng flipped open his fan and sneered, "Why wouldn't it be my business?"

"Princess Ye is my teacher. Her matters are my matters. Isn't it right for me to defend my teacher?"

Meng Fan looked at his own heir with a conflicted expression.

She had only taught him one song, and now Xie Liuzheng was boasting that Ji Yuntang is his teacher—was that really a good idea?

Was he sure their unreliable heir wouldn't tarnish Ji Yuntang's reputation?

Sure enough, Xie Liuzheng's comment invited merciless ridicule from Ji Huaiche.

"Xie Liuzheng, you're regressing. You could pick anyone as a teacher, and you pick her? A country bumpkin—what can she teach you? Or is she just trying to swindle money out of you?"

At that, the crowd burst into laughter.

Xie Liuzheng paid them no heed. He lazily curled his lips, resting a jade-like hand on the railing of the tavern, smiling at Ji Huaiche.

"What can Princess Ye do? You've asked the right person!"

"Can Princess Ye practice medicine? Can you?"

"Can Princess Ye cook? Can you?"

"Can Princess Ye play music? Can you?"

"Can Princess Ye fight? Can you?"

"Can Princess Ye compose poetry? Can you?"

"Can Princess Ye do business? Can you?"

Ji Huaiche: "..."

Hit by six consecutive killer questions, he was left speechless and seething.

He felt Xie Liuzheng was being deliberately annoying, trying to gross him out.

"I am a man. Men should make their mark: fight on the battlefield and serve in the court, share the emperor's burdens, and achieve great things. Those are women's affairs. Why would I need to know them?"

Xie Liuzheng returned Ji Huaiche's contemptuous gaze with a sneer.

"So you mean Second Miss Ji is a woman, so she must also be skilled at all those things Princess Ye can do, right?"

"Where is Second Miss Ji now? Why not call her over and let her show off a bit? Let everyone see how she's better than Princess Ye!"

The crowd started buzzing at the mention of Ji Qingqing, and Ji Huaiche found it gave him a headache.

Ever since he had turned down Ji Qingqing's request to see her during his last visit to the Dali Temple, she seemed to have held a grudge against him.

These days, Ji Qingqing was confined to the mansion by Marquis Yongning, forbidden to leave.

Despite Ji Huaiche's endless attempts to appease her by going to her door and speaking kindly, she refused to see him.

This made Ji Huaiche uneasy. He felt Ji Qingqing was being far too unreasonable.

He was a man, a brother, and an imperial official.

He had his own duties to attend to; he couldn't spend all his time revolving around Ji Qingqing or serve her every whim.

He had already humbled himself to apologize and coax her—wasn't that enough? Shouldn't she take the olive branch?

To his surprise, Ji Qingqing not only refused to see him but even escalated by saying she never wanted to see him again.

This made Ji Huaiche furious.

On regular days off, he would stay home to have dinner and play chess with his father, enjoy flowers and paint with Ji Qingqing, and buy her small gifts to cheer her up.

But today, Ji Huaiche couldn't bear to stay home for long, preferring to go out drinking to escape.

That home, once so warm, had somehow become a madhouse, making him feel oppressed and suffocated.

Mentioning Ji Qingqing now, Ji Huaiche fell silent. Surprisingly, he didn't retort against Xie Liuzheng. Instead, he said a few words to his friends and walked away.

Meng Fan was taken aback. "What's wrong with Heir Ji? He seems a bit off today." "Hit a nerve, didn't he? Didn't you see he doesn't even want to go home? With such a vexing sister, he'd be happy only if hell freezes over," Xie Liuzheng said lazily.

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