The Prince’s Mansion

Chapter 290: The Prince’s Mansion

The Prince of Xin’s residence was not located within the Imperial City proper but was instead built in the Southern District. After Han Li and the others had traveled by carriage for over an hour, they finally arrived at the entrance to the Southern District.

The architectural style of the Southern District was markedly different from the Eastern District, where the Qin family estate was located. Here, the buildings were largely uniform, regulation-standard structures.

For those who lived here, one could immediately discern an official’s rank and status simply by the size and style of their residence. All dwellings in this district were constructed by the government and distributed to officials strictly according to their official rank and noble title. No one dared to arbitrarily expand or renovate their homes, as doing so would constitute the crime of overstepping one’s station.

As a member of the imperial family bearing the title of prince, the Prince of Xin naturally possessed one of the top residences in the Southern District. His estate was even half again as large as the Qin family’s compound, a veritable behemoth of a mansion.

When the carriage stopped before the Prince of Xin’s residence and Han Li cast his gaze upon the estate, he immediately felt the overwhelming aura of worldly wealth and power that only the highest echelons of mortal society could project.

The mansion’s gates stood roughly five to six zhang high and three to four zhang wide. They were completely covered in thick brass sheeting, and dozens of enormous door studs were embedded across their surface, lending the gates an air of unparalleled luxury and solemnity. On either side of the nearly one-zhang-tall stone steps stood a ferocious bronze lion statue, polished to a brilliant, gleaming shine that was extremely eye-catching.

But what truly conveyed the majesty of the Prince of Xin’s mansion were the sixteen fully armored imperial guards standing on the steps outside the gates. These men had been specially borrowed by the Prince of Xin from the Imperial Guard Barracks to prevent any untoward incidents amidst the large crowd.

The steward of the Prince of Xin’s mansion was a lean, wizened little old man. Standing on the steps, he was greeting each newly arrived guest on behalf of the prince himself, his face wreathed in smiles, careful not to slight a single visitor.

By this time, dozens of carriages of various sizes were already parked before the mansion, nearly filling the entire open space in front of it. On the massive grey stone steps, five or six guests who had not yet entered the residence were exchanging pleasantries. All were dressed in fine clothing and moved with elegant grace, suggesting they were people of no small standing.

Witnessing this scene, Qin Yan straightened his robes and descended from the carriage with measured steps.

Han Li scanned his surroundings warily, and upon sensing the presence of other cultivators, he felt reassured enough to alight as well.

As for the young masters and misses of the Qin family, they had already scrambled out of the carriage the moment it stopped. Now they stood before the mansion, chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

Han Li observed the guests still on the steps. Aside from the younger members of the Qin family, he noticed that nearly all the other visitors had brought along their own children, nephews, or other young relatives.

Could they all have been invited by the so-called Little Prince? Or is the Prince of Xin deliberately gathering these young people here under this pretext? Han Li pondered but could find no clear answer. He glanced at Qin Yan, only to see the old man’s brow was similarly furrowed; he, too, seemed taken aback by this.

“Grandfather, let’s go inside! The Little Prince and the others are waiting for us!”

A young master of the Qin family, around sixteen or seventeen years old, had seen that the old master had yet to move from beside the carriage. Urged on by his siblings and cousins, he mustered his courage and stepped forward to say this, half expecting to be harshly rebuked.

“Mm. I understand. Everyone, go on in.”

Much to his surprise, Qin Yan simply nodded casually in response to his words and agreed with a gentle expression. This unexpected leniency left the young man feeling immensely flattered. He excitedly returned to his peers.

Just as Qin Yan was about to lead his party forward, the mansion’s steward, having just finished dealing with another guest, immediately spotted the Qin family procession. A broad smile immediately spread across his face as he proactively came over to greet them. Upon reaching them, he said with extreme warmth:

“Ah, Master Qin! You’ve finally arrived! His Highness has been mentioning you for days, wondering why you hadn’t come by for a visit. Please, do come in! His Highness will be overjoyed to see you!”

“Hehe, it’s just that I’ve been busy lately…”

This Palace Steward was indeed no ordinary talker. With just a few simple words, he made his listener feel as warm as a spring breeze and glowing with contentment.

Qin Yan couldn’t help but smile, and he chatted casually with the steward for a few moments.

However, as more guests continued to arrive, the steward could not spare much more time with Qin Yan. He quickly ushered them into the mansion, excused himself, and hurried back outside.

Han Li had remained silent by Qin Yan’s side the entire time, but now he watched the steward’s receding back, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.

For some reason, although Han Li had sensed no spiritual energy fluctuation from this man, the moment the steward had drawn near, Han Li had felt a sudden, inexplicable shiver run down his spine. It was as if a dangerous demonic beast had approached him. This feeling was extremely unsettling.

Han Li did not understand why this was, but he had always trusted his instincts implicitly. He immediately elevated this Palace Steward to the top of his list of individuals to be wary of and on guard against.

“Nephew Han, let’s go. I’ll introduce you to a few old friends you haven’t met yet,” Qin Yan said with a smile to Han Li once the steward had left.

His words immediately left the other Qin family members standing nearby feeling rather sour. They felt the family patriarch was being far too partial to Han Li.

Han Li, however, just smiled to himself. He knew that Qin Yan was merely creating an opportunity for him to stay close by his side. Without any false modesty, he readily agreed.

He then followed Qin Yan into the main reception hall of the Prince of Xin’s residence.

There were roughly over a hundred people in the hall. While the number seemed large, most of them had arrived in groups of two or three. Naturally, only a handful of families, like the Qin family, had brought along as many as seven or eight members.

The Prince of Xin had yet to appear in the hall; it seemed he would not show himself until all the guests had arrived.

The moment Qin Yan appeared at the entrance of the hall, several families who were old acquaintances immediately enthusiastically called him over.

Qin Yan naturally clasped his hands and exchanged pleasantries with each in turn. After sweeping his gaze across the room, he offered his apologies to those around him and made his way towards a sickly-looking old man seated nearby. Beside this old man sat a young man and a young woman—a brother and sister.

The young man had thick brows and large eyes, with a steadfast expression. The young woman, though of ordinary appearance, had a pair of fiery, bold eyes that roved without ceremony over the younger generation behind Qin Yan. Han Li naturally fell within her scope of scrutiny.

“Old Brother Hua, I didn’t expect you, a great physician, to appear here! I thought, knowing your temperament, you would have declined an occasion like this,” Qin Yan said, sitting down unceremoniously beside the old man and teasing him in a low voice.

“Cough! I originally didn’t want to come, but I heard that the Prince’s ailing concubine had been cured. I was curious to see who possessed such remarkable skills to bring her back from the brink,” the old man, whom Qin Yan addressed as Brother Hua, replied with a faint smile, showing no formality.

“Oh? So it wasn’t just a rumor that the Prince of Xin asked you to treat his consort. Is her illness truly beyond even your medical expertise, Old Brother?”

Han Li could see the astonishment on Qin Yan’s face. It seemed this old man’s medical skills were very famous throughout the Yue Capital.

“Heh, the world is full of strange and wonderful ailments. For me to have achieved my current reputation with my meager skills is pure luck! That there should be incurable and untreatable diseases is no surprise at all!” the old man laughed unconcernedly, appearing to be very open-minded.

“I still find it hard to believe there’s a physician in the Yue Capital with skills surpassing yours,” Qin Yan said, shaking his head. His faith in the old man’s abilities was clear.

Upon hearing this, the old man surnamed Hua simply smiled faintly without replying. Instead, he pointed to the young man and woman beside him.

“Hua Nan, Hua Fang. You’ve met them before. Come, pay your respects to your Granduncle Qin.”

The old man clearly commanded immense authority in the eyes of the young duo. Without a moment’s hesitation, they quickly came forward and bowed to Qin Yan.

“Hehe, I hadn’t realized your grandchildren had grown so much in just a few years. I don’t have anything valuable on me, but this pair of jade-inlaid pendants will do as a meeting gift,” Qin Yan said kindly, reaching into his robe and producing a pair of pure white jade pendants inlaid with green emeralds. They were clearly of no small value.

The young man was composed, though a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes before quickly disappearing. The young woman, however, was beaming, her gaze fixed on the pendants with fiery intensity.

“No manners! Since you want them, take them. Brother Qin is no outsider to our family!” the old man surnamed Hua scolded with a chuckle.

Hearing this, the young pair dared to accept the pendants from Qin Yan, the woman’s expression one of sheer delight.

“Besides this one, I’ve seen the rest of the younger generation behind you a few times before. Is this the nephew from the capital you mentioned?” The old man finally turned his attention to Han Li, sizing him up with considerable interest.

“Yes, this is Han Li, a descendant of an elder of mine.”

“Nephew Han, this is your Uncle Hua, one of the two great physicians of the Yue Capital, equal in fame to Court Physician Ye, who treats the Emperor,” Qin Yan said, suddenly remembering that he had yet to introduce Han Li to his old friend.

“Greetings, Uncle Hua!” Han Li called out obediently.

“Mm, not bad, not bad,” the old man surnamed Hua said casually. He hadn’t noticed anything particularly outstanding about Han Li.

But then he thought of the recent rumors circulating about this young man. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached a dry, withered hand into his bosom and pulled out a small white bottle, which he handed to Han Li.

“This is a carefully concocted bottle of Heart-Protecting Pills. I dare not claim it can cure all ills, but common minor ailments are well within its abilities. Consider it a gift for Nephew Han to keep on his person for emergencies.”

No sooner had these words left the old man’s mouth than Han Li immediately felt waves of envy and jealousy emanating from the Qin family juniors behind him. Hua Nan and Hua Fang also revealed expressions of surprise, indicating that the fame of these “Heart-Protecting Pills” was considerable.