Chapter 27

Since the singing and dancing competition was not to be held until two days later, Nian Nu-er was busy preparing for the contest and had no time to entertain Zhao Yougong. For a while, the young prince of Zhao found himself with nothing to do. Once a person becomes idle, their mind starts to wander, especially for someone like Zhao Yougong, who was leaning softly on the table with his head tilted, while a unique white sandalwood incense burned with a faint light.

Xiao Tan was cracking walnuts nearby, pouting at Zhao Yougong from time to time. The young prince was really enjoying himself, and the walnuts she cracked were never enough for him to eat.

"Prince, can you eat a bit slower? My hands are hurting from all this work!"

In recent days, Zhao Yougong had often come to Xie Fang Tower, and Xiao Tan had come to understand his character quite well. After spending more time with him, she was no longer as afraid. Although the young prince had a bad reputation and was quite a rogue, he wasn't as bad as she had imagined. At least, during his time at Xie Fang Tower, he hadn't truly bullied any of the girls.

Seeing Xiao Tan's sullen expression, Zhao Yougong stretched out his finger and waved it in front of her. "You little girl, why are you so unwilling? Hehe, it was Cui Jie-er who asked you to stay and serve me. If you're not satisfied, you can go talk to Cui Jie-er!"

Mentioning Cui Jie-er, Xiao Tan couldn't argue anymore. Since they returned from the Mystic Valley yesterday, Cui Jie-er's attitude toward the young prince had changed significantly.

There was a knock at the door, and they thought it might be Nian Nu-er returning. But when the door opened, they saw Zhao Fukin, dressed as a man, smiling and walking in.

Seeing this unexpected visitor, Zhao Yougong was quite surprised. He sat up, about to say something, but Zhao Fukin pulled him up by the arm.

"Ling Ge-er, come with me quickly!"

Zhao Fukin's face was flushed, looking very excited. As they walked out, Zhao Yougong asked curiously, "Fourth Sister, where are you taking me? Has someone bullied you?"

Zhao Fukin remained silent until they were outside Xie Fang Tower. Then she whispered in Zhao Yougong's ear, "Ling Ge-er, I secretly went to the Jujube Gate just now, and the big monk is really watching the vegetable garden!"

Zhao Yougong frowned and shook his head, finding it hard to believe that his fourth sister could be so bored as to go to the Jujube Gate to study Lu Zhishen.

"So what? Fourth Sister, you don't need to be so excited, do you?"

"Doesn't Ling Ge-er find this interesting? The big monk is now troubled by those ruffians. Why don't we go and join in the fun?"

"Fourth Sister, that vegetable garden is dirty. Are you sure you want to go?"

"Of course, Ling Ge-er, don't refuse. Let's go together!" Without giving Zhao Yougong a chance to argue, Zhao Fukin pushed him toward the northern city.

The distance from Xie Fang Tower to the Jujube Gate was quite far. On the way, Zhao Fukin managed to send away a group of lackeys, using both persuasion and threats. She didn't want the big monk to know their identities, as that would take away the fun.

Daxiangguo Temple had held a high status since the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty. Even during Emperor Huizong's reign, when Daoism was more prevalent, the temple's reputation remained unaffected. After centuries of development, Daxiangguo Temple had a large number of monks. With so many monks, feeding them became a significant issue, and the temple's vegetable garden became an important place.

The vegetable garden was quite large, covering several acres. To the north, there were a few large willow trees, and next to them were a few houses. At that moment, a robust monk was shaking his head and patting a wooden block, muttering to himself.

"If those ruffians come again, I'll make sure they don't return!"

Suddenly, there was a round of applause, followed by a silver bell-like laugh. "Big monk, you're quite amusing. If you want to deal with those ruffians, what's the point of patting the wooden block?"

"Huh? Why are you two here?" Lu Zhishen looked up, surprised to see the brother and sister.

"Why can't it be us? Big monk, if you want to make those ruffians suffer, just hitting them won't do!" Zhao Yougong squatted down, pointing to the right. "Look, isn't there a pit over there?"

Lu Zhishen considered Zhao Yougong's words for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Zhao Brother, are you suggesting I throw those ruffians into the pit?"

"Hehe, doesn't the big monk think this is a good idea?" Zhao Yougong chuckled, his expression sly.

Lu Zhishen felt a chill run down his spine. For a moment, he was taken aback. Who was Zhao Brother, and why did he see a hint of ruthlessness in him?

Zhao Fukin, however, didn't think too much about it. She just thought Ling Ge-er's idea was too mean. She patted Zhao Yougong's shoulder, pouting, "Ling Ge-er, don't corrupt the big monk. He's a monk, after all!"

"Oh?" Zhao Yougong stood up, crossing his legs on another stool. "Fourth Sister, you're wrong. Who says this is a bad idea? Big monk, what do you think of my idea?"

"Haha, it's a good idea, of course. Zhao Brother, are you interested in helping me deal with those ruffians?"

"Of course, I wouldn't be here otherwise!" Zhao Yougong chuckled, winking at Zhao Fukin.

Feeling triumphant, Zhao Fukin stomped her foot in anger but soon laughed. Ling Ge-er had always been a bit of a rogue; why should she be upset with him?

In the vast vegetable garden, yellow rape flowers bloomed, forming a warm yellow sea. In the warm spring, the willow branches were green, but the rape flowers were the most vibrant. Mid-April was the most beautiful time for rape flowers. Although they lacked the charm of peach blossoms, the purity of lotus flowers, or the fragrance of peonies, they had a practicality that no other flower could match. From planting to blooming to withering, rape flowers quietly played out a grand and loyal life.

In Zhao Yougong's heart, rape flowers were like the common dogtail grass, not outstanding, not needing attention, but with a strong vitality.

If he could become a rape flower, how wonderful that would be? Unfortunately, he was already lonely, yet always like a peony, attracting attention. A shadow flashed by the wall, and Zhao Yougong smiled lightly. That imperial uncle was truly thoughtful; no matter where he went, those annoying flies never disappeared.

In the evening, the Zhao sisters chatted in their room, while Lu Zhishen lay under a large willow tree, as he always did. Under the willow tree, there was a wooden board, and with some dry grass, it became a bed.

Although he came from a military background, Lu Zhishen always exuded a rugged air. Perhaps deep down, he yearned for the life of a wandering knight, living under the sky and the earth. He hated evil and sought justice, but in the late Northern Song Dynasty, such heroes were often unwelcome.

The dim sunlight shone in the garden, and a few heads appeared on the wall. They were sneaky, and after observing for a while, a black-faced man with a bandana said, "That bald monk is still watching. Horse Face, ?Gan, you two go from the north to lure him away, and I'll steal the vegetables."

"Sure, but boss, you have to be quick. That bald monk is fierce. If we fall into his hands, we'll get a good beating!"

"Don't worry, we've done this many times. Nothing has ever gone wrong." The leader, Fang Dashan, said confidently. After Horse Face and ?Gan left, he prepared the tools and entered the garden.

At this time of year, the main vegetables to steal were leeks and spinach. Fortunately, the monks often placed the cut vegetables in the garden's storage room, so it wasn't too difficult.

Fang Dashan was used to stealing from the garden. He came from a poor family, and stealing vegetables to sell had become an important source of income. This was why he was so persistent in stealing vegetables.

A light footstep sounded, and Lu Zhishen flipped over, grabbing the water-fire staff and shouting, "Hey, it's you again! If you have the guts, don't run! Watch me break your dog legs!"

Holding the water-fire staff and with his fierce appearance, Lu Zhishen looked truly intimidating. The ruffians didn't dare to fight him, swallowing their saliva and running away. Lu Zhishen shouted a few curses and followed them.

Fang Dashan spat and cursed, watching Lu Zhishen chase after Horse Face. He couldn't help but laugh, knowing the monk would fall for it.

Jumping into the garden, the ruffians, led by Fang Dashan, headed straight for the storage room. They had been to the garden many times and knew the layout well. As they approached the storage room, Fang Dashan's steps quickened. Just as he took a step, the ground, which was usually hard, suddenly felt soft, and he heard a cry of pain.

With that cry, Fang Dashan's face changed. Looking down, he saw a large mousetrap, which had been modified with sharp teeth. In the warm spring, they wore thin shoes, and the mousetrap's teeth immediately drew blood.

"Damn, that bald monk set a trap! Hey, you guys, what are you standing there for? Help me get this trap off!"

Shouted at by Fang Dashan, the ruffians hurriedly tried to pry open the trap. But as they approached, one of them was hit by a flying stone, striking his face.

"Ouch, who did that? Which bastard, come out if you have the guts!" The ruffian's face was in pain, but he couldn't find the culprit.

Fang Dashan felt a chill. He sensed something was wrong. Just as he was about to run, the monk who had left earlier came running back, laughing and holding two people. Upon closer inspection, they were Horse Face and ?Gan, who had been luring the monk away.

To the east of the garden was a manure pit, which was quite watery due to frequent watering. Lu Zhishen carried the two men to the edge of the pit, lifted them, and threw them in.

Seeing this, Fang Dashan felt as if he had lost his mother. It was truly karma. They had often thrown the monk who watched the garden into the pit, and now it was their turn.

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