Chapter 21: The Second Visit

At the entrance to the Du residence, Agui, dressed as a servant, paced anxiously back and forth. Every so often, he lifted his gaze to peer into the distance, as if awaiting someone. Just as he looked up again, he abruptly froze.

"Young master, it's the young master! He's finally back!" Agui shouted with excitement, rushing toward the familiar figure approaching from afar.

"Agui? Were you waiting for me?" Du Long caught sight of Agui running over, and a puzzled smile curled at his lips.

"Young master, thank heavens you're back! Madam asked me to wait for you here, and she wants you to hurry home. Princess Fire Phoenix is waiting for you inside!" Agui explained breathlessly.

"Oh? Princess Fire Phoenix is here?" Only then did Du Long recall their visit to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, and the favor that Miss Qinglian had asked her to arrange. "Come, let's hurry back. How long has the princess been here?"

"Her Highness arrived at the residence early this morning and has been here ever since. Miss Cai Ni and Madam have accompanied her all day," Agui answered, quickening his steps to keep pace with Du Long as they hurried toward the east wing where Du Long's family resided.

Du Residence, East Wing, Dining Hall.

"Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and that rascal Du Long still hasn't come home. He could have cultivated here, yet he insists on training at Lingyun Mountain?" At the dining table, Du Cai Ni's voice rang out, tinged with displeasure. She was accompanying Princess Fire Phoenix along with Du Long’s parents and grandfather.

"We’ve troubled the princess to wait all day—truly, we are sorry! When that scoundrel returns, I’ll see to it he’s properly punished!" Du Zhentian apologized to Princess Fire Phoenix. He had been away all day on official business and only learned upon returning for dinner that the princess had been waiting for his son the entire day.

"Please, General Du, you needn’t be so harsh. It’s not Du Long’s fault—I didn’t notify him in advance about my visit. As they say, ignorance is no crime," Princess Fire Phoenix replied with a gentle smile, defending Du Long. She knew Du Zhentian was strict; if she didn’t intervene, the young man would surely be punished.

"Tell us, Little Phoenix, what urgent matter do you have with Du Long? Why is it so pressing?" Du Cai Ni asked, not for the first time, yet the princess remained evasive, fueling her curiosity. With her forthright nature, the suspense was almost unbearable.

Not only was Du Cai Ni curious, but Du Long’s parents and even Old Master Du at the head of the table were perplexed. What could be so urgent that Princess Fire Phoenix would visit twice and wait all day?

In truth, the princess wasn’t the sort to wait for others so patiently. The reason was that starting tomorrow, the palace would be hosting several days of New Year festivities, and as a princess, she couldn’t leave. She hoped to find Du Long quickly to help redeem Xia Qinglian, but didn’t wish to let the Du family know.

After all, if the Du family learned that the princess had visited such a disreputable place, Du Long would surely be in trouble!

As Princess Fire Phoenix again tried to dodge the question, Du Cai Ni rolled her eyes. "Little Phoenix, stop being mysterious! Please, just tell us—I’m begging you!"

"Cai Ni is right! Your Highness, did our Du Long do something wrong? If so, don’t hide it from us. The sooner we know, the sooner we can help him—it's for his own good!" Zhou Ruoxue added, her mind wandering in the same direction as Du Cai Ni’s.

"No, no! Du Long did nothing wrong—quite the opposite, he did something good!" Princess Fire Phoenix hurriedly shook her head.

"Something good?" The whole Du family was astonished. Du Cai Ni pressed, "If it’s a good thing, why can’t you say it? I refuse to believe that rascal would do anything good!"

Princess Fire Phoenix, cornered, sighed and reluctantly explained the situation from beginning to end.

"That rascal! He actually took the princess to such a place—what if the emperor finds out?" Old Master Du was the first to break the silence after hearing her story.

"Well... my father already knows," Princess Fire Phoenix replied, blushing.

All four members of the Du family rolled their eyes. Bad news really does travel fast!

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the dining hall, and the five people at the table looked up to see Du Long striding in.

"Du Long greets Princess Fire Phoenix!" Du Long first bowed respectfully to the princess, then his eyes lit up as he scanned the table laden with delicacies. Without ceremony, he found an empty seat.

He reached out and placed a whole roast game bird before himself. The little golden snake, eager for the feast, darted onto the plate and began devouring with gusto. Only then did Du Long start piling his own plate and eating heartily.

"Mother, if I may, you’re quite partial—when Sister Fire Phoenix visits, you prepare all these rare delicacies, but you never treat me so well," Du Long complained, his mouth full.

"You child! Can’t you behave in front of the princess? Even with your mouth stuffed, you still find a way to complain," Zhou Ruoxue chided lovingly, her maternal affection plain in her gaze.

Ignoring the grease on his lips, Du Long turned to Princess Fire Phoenix with a radiant smile. "Haha, Princess Fire Phoenix is like my sister—surely she won’t mind? After days in the mountains eating dry rations and drinking cold water, my taste buds are about to forget what food is!"

The princess blushed under Du Long’s gaze, but forced herself to remain calm, glancing at him without saying much. Her expression made it clear she accepted his words.

"Hey! You’ve still got the appetite to feast? You took the princess to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion—even the emperor knows now! Aren’t you afraid of punishment?" Du Cai Ni, unable to stand his carefree manner, tried to frighten him.

"Hmph! Must be those scheming Li Xiaojun and Fan Wei who tattled. Never mind—since the princess will speak for me, I doubt the emperor will bother with a mere child like me!" Du Long seemed unconcerned, continuing to devour his meal, his voracious appetite contagious to all present.

Even Princess Fire Phoenix couldn’t help but chide him. "Hmph! Though I pleaded for you, my father still said, ‘The crime cannot be forgiven!’"

Du Long’s parents, grandfather, and Du Cai Ni all grew somber at her words. If the emperor said so, what hope was left for Du Long?

As the patriarch, Du Zhentian worried whether Du Long’s actions might implicate the entire Du clan.

Du Long, however, remained unfazed. "‘Cannot be forgiven’ can mean many things—one is strict punishment, the other is simply requiring punishment, but leniency is also punishment. I trust the emperor to be magnanimous. Besides, I didn’t take the princess there—she insisted on coming! I couldn’t refuse, could I?"

Everyone burst into laughter, the previously tense atmosphere dissolved by his playful excuse.

"You’re such a rascal!" Zhou Ruoxue chided her son affectionately, then turned to Princess Fire Phoenix with a smile. "We’ll need Your Highness to speak kindly of Du Long before the emperor. If not, and strict punishment is imposed, it’ll be disastrous!"

"Madam Du, rest assured—no matter what, this matter truly has nothing to do with Du Long. I’ll definitely speak well of him to my father," Princess Fire Phoenix promised.

"Young man! Here’s the pardon order—keep it safe. With this, you can go to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and redeem your old flame, Xia Qinglian!" The princess handed Du Long a golden pardon order, deliberately emphasizing the words ‘old flame’ so everyone could hear.

"Hehe, Sister Fire Phoenix! Is it just the pardon? Didn’t we agree you’d lend me the ransom money?" Du Long shamelessly asked for money in front of his family.

"Oh my! I never thought you’d dare ask the princess for money to redeem your old flame from such a place. You’ve brought shame on the Du family!" Du Cai Ni glared at him, mocking him without restraint.

"Well, big sister, you know I don’t have that kind of money—just a bit of pocket money each month. How could I possibly ransom Xia Qinglian? Besides, she’s not my old flame—I’m just helping out of pity. The idea to redeem her was the princess’s, and after she’s freed, I have no idea where to settle her!" Du Long deftly shifted all responsibility elsewhere, making it impossible for anyone to refute him.

"In that case, I’ll provide the ransom myself. Our family has enough to redeem one person. As for Xia Qinglian, I hear she’s a good girl, though fallen from grace, she remains pure. She’s also pitiable. We’ll bring her into the Du residence, and I shall take her as my adopted daughter, freeing her from servitude." Zhou Ruoxue decided swiftly.

She wanted to preserve her son’s dignity. Xia Qinglian had once been a proper young lady; it wouldn’t do to redeem her only for servitude. As an adopted daughter, she could stay in the residence openly and recover in peace.

More importantly, she wanted Princess Fire Phoenix to be reassured. From the princess’s tone earlier, Zhou Ruoxue sensed something deeper. By adopting Xia Qinglian, Princess Fire Phoenix could accept the outcome more easily.