Chapter 2648: Playing the World Without Reverence, the Great Young Master He

"This..." The person before him was a prince; since he had come to the government office himself, would the local officials dare not to assign someone to protect him properly? "Where would you like to go?"

"My He family's old residence, and also the Hongyan Tower."

"Hongyan Tower?" The official was startled, "There are four Hongyan Towers in the city; which one do you mean?"

"The one that my great-uncle took over and began operating."

His great-uncle? The local official froze for three or four breaths before the renowned title flashed in his mind.

"Oh... oh oh, you mean the tower once presided over by the Nine Abysses Great Emperor!" The official immediately perked up, "It's on the eastern street, but it has since been renamed; it's no longer called Hongyan Tower. Let me take you there!"

He was also sharp-witted; though the Prince did not allow him to send people to follow, the official himself would certainly have his attendants accompany him.

These people are following the official, not the prince, right?

He Lingchuan secretly rolled his eyes, but did not object.

As a result, the official accompanied him on his outing, with about thirty people around him, each a skilled hand.

He Lingchuan found it amusing: "Official Jia, do you usually travel with such grandeur?"

"The Prince jests." Official Jia had a thick skin and conversed easily, "The borders are too unsettled; caution is paramount."

He Lingchuan wondered: "This is your territory; does anyone dare to openly attack in the bustling market?"

"No, there hasn't been." Official Jia swiftly changed the subject, "The former residence of the King, after the King was transferred from Heishuicheng, changed hands three times, but ultimately returned to royal hands. Please, please, let me show you around properly."

After touring, He Lingchuan remained unsatisfied: "It's actually this small?"

The He family's old residence, from the easternmost end to the westernmost, took less than a quarter of an hour to tour completely.

"Which room did my great-uncle live in?"

"Please, this way; this is the room."

"The eastern courtyard?" This was the finest courtyard in the He residence aside from the master's own. He Lingchuan walked around inside and found it clean and tidy, yet lacking any distinctive features.

Seeing his disappointment, the official hurriedly said: "This residence has changed hands many times; it's very difficult, very difficult to retain any traces of the Young Master He."

"Young Master He?"

"Yes, that is your great-uncle, whom the world calls the 'Nine Abysses Great Emperor.' During his time in Heishuicheng, everyone addressed him thus."

Title of respect? He Lingchuan sensed from it a tone of irreverent frivolity.

"Then where does my father reside?"

The official again led him to the western courtyard: "This set is it."

Grandfather once let slip, saying he had always loved the eldest son most. Seeing the old residences of great-uncle and father, it seems not mistaken.

He Lingchuan urged: "Let's go, to the Hongyan Tower."

The Hongyan Tower that the Great Emperor He once took over and operated himself has now been personally renamed "Changsheng Tower" by the Prince of Shen, so the murals inside do not depict how the Nine Abysses Great Emperor pacified Shanjin and established Changyan, but rather the founding process of the Prince of Shen and his father—

This content, He Lingchuan already knew by heart and could recite backward, thus he felt deeply disappointed.

The dishes at Changsheng Tower, of course, are not as exquisite as those of the grand towers in Ducheng. However, the signature dish here is a red-oil hot pot, with charcoal lit beneath, the red oil boiling and bubbling. He Lingchuan had never tried this level of spiciness, eating until sweat poured from his forehead, uttering "huh-hah" between breaths, yet he could not put down his chopsticks.

"This is the dish developed by the Great Emperor He, now also the signature dish of Changsheng Tower."

"Delicious, delicious, delicious!" He Lingchuan spoke with food in his mouth, his words muffled, "Something this delicious, why hasn't it been transmitted to Ducheng?"

Ducheng also has similar dishes, but they are not this spicy, hence not this refreshing.

Before Official Jia could reply, a voice from nearby interjected: "Because eating it makes one's face red and ears flushed, which is improper."

He Lingchuan turned back and saw the speaker was a guest at a few tables away, a gaunt man in his fifties: "Eating this, one either sweats or has a runny nose; the nobles of Ducheng cannot afford to lose face over this."

The prince came to Changsheng Tower to eat; Official Jia originally wanted to clear the venue, but He Lingchuan stopped him.

One who has always had grandeur does not need to constantly speak of grandeur.

Thus the compromise was for He Lingchuan and Official Jia to share one table, while the guards and attendants occupied another four or five tables, surrounding them.

This man sat just outside the guard circle, separated by three or four tables.

"Indeed." He Lingchuan was well aware of how the nobles of Ducheng usually behaved; if receiving guests while eating in such a sorry state, the scene would also be unsightly.

He again asked the official: "Then, what kind of person was the... Great Emperor He?"

"Naturally, he was unparalleled in strategy, full of hidden plans." The official had early on noticed this young prince greatly admired the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, so he would say a few more kind words, after all, the Nine Abysses Great Emperor and the He family are not of one household?

"I am not asking about his abilities, I am asking about his character." The young prince was not so easily fooled.

"This..." It was too difficult for people. The image of the Great Emperor He in Heishuicheng was not that of traditional righteous brilliance.

"I know this." The official, unable to continue, the gaunt man took over: "You know, what is called a 'second-generation heir'?"

He Lingchuan pursed his lips: "I know."

The previous generation had power and influence; the next generation only eats, drinks, and plays—this is called a second-generation heir.

He Lingchuan felt this title grating, for he himself was a genuine "third-generation imperial descendant," indeed relying on the residual grace of his grandfather's generation.

"The Great Emperor He is truly a second-generation heir; otherwise, how would the title 'Young Master' have come about?" The gaunt man sipped his wine, "In those days in Heishuicheng, he was the most lawless brat, having done countless shameless deeds, never having tried bullying men and domineering women, but regardless, even if he pierced the heavens, the Heishuicheng commandant would back him. By the way, the Heishuicheng commandant is today's Son of Heaven of Shen."

He Lingchuan froze for several breaths: "Nine Abysses Great Emperor? Second-generation heir?"

He simply could not connect these two titles. In his youth, was my great-uncle a wastrel?

No way, a wastrel who only eats, drinks, and plays—how could he rise to become a powerhouse who governs Shanjin and is feared by heavenly demons?

Every time he asked about He Lingchuan, the He family would only relate some amusing old anecdotes, thus giving He Lingchuan a particularly positive impression of this great-uncle. Only his grandmother occasionally muttered, saying the great-uncle was "a prodigal son returned, worth more than gold."

Official Jia narrowed his eyes at the gaunt man: "Who are you? On what grounds do you slander the Nine Abysses Great Emperor?"

"Slander?" The gaunt man shoved a peanut into his mouth, "You people in Heishuicheng, find any local over forty, and none cannot recount the Nine Abysses' past antics with vivid detail."

He pointed at He Lingchuan: "Shen now relies on He Chuanhua's breath and dares not say the Nine Abysses is wrong in the slightest; the whole family bands together to keep you ignorant juniors in the dark."

This man not only directly called the Prince of Shen by name, but also said "the whole family," clearly knowing He Lingchuan's identity!

Official Jia slammed the table, pointing at him and shouting: "Seize him!"

(End of Chapter)