Chapter Thirteen: Espionage

  Coaxing Zhu'er back to Xiaolinbao, Su Tang was obedient for less than half an hour before he couldn't sit still again. He turned around and headed towards the east wing of the inner courtyard, but this time, there was someone tailing him - it was Ke'er. Zhu'er had repeatedly instructed that under no circumstances should Su Tang be allowed to leave their line of sight.

  Arriving near the East Wing, Su Tang found a large locust tree and climbed up, parting the branches to gaze towards the East Wing. There was no one in the courtyard, as if they were all resting. However, in the bamboo forest at the back of the courtyard, there seemed to be a girl playing on a swing. Su Tang observed carefully for a moment, confirming that she wasn't mistaken - the girl's age was around fifteen or sixteen, similar to Ke Er's age, and should be a maid.

  Su Tang crawled over and walked towards the backyard along the wall root, with the child following closely behind.

  The position was roughly correct, Su Tang looked around and jumped up, his hands grasping the wall, with his current physical ability, flipping over this wall should not be a problem at all. However, as he exerted force with both arms, his body did not rise but instead sank downwards.

  "What are you doing? Let go!" Su Tang shouted in a low voice.

  "I won't!" Ke'er firmly refused, her pouted mouth revealing her stubbornness, while her arms were tightly wrapped around Su Tang's legs.

  "You little scamp... your pants are almost being pulled off, let go!" Su Tang was getting a bit embarrassed, he could feel his pants slowly slipping down, and if it went on for another 20 or 30 seconds, it would be a joke.

  "I won't!" Ke'er still insisted firmly.

  "Alright, alright, you let go first, I'll come down, won't that be enough?" Su Tang said.

  "I won't!" Ke'er panted back: "Young master is cheating again!"

  "You..." Su Tang could only back down, releasing his hands, but Ke'er was quick-witted and felt Su Tang coming down, hastily retreating to the side, otherwise he would have been sat on by Su Tang's buttocks. After Su Tang stood firm, she approached again and grabbed Su Tang's sleeve with her hand.

  "What exactly do you want to do?!" Su Tang stared at Ke Er with a very stern gaze.

  "Master..." Ke'er not only didn't get scared, but instead replied in a serious and sincere tone: "Uncle Shang has said it several times, never provoke those guests, I'm doing this for your own good!"

  Looking at Ke'er's serious expression, Su Tang almost burst out laughing and couldn't bear to continue scaring her. With a flicker of his eyes, he decided to use the same old trick again.

  "Alright, listen up." Su Tang shook his head with a helpless expression: "Let's go, come with me to take a walk over there."

  Su Tang walked ahead, but Ke'er pulled on Su Tang's sleeve, not leaving his side. After walking for a few minutes, Su Tang yawned and sat down on the stone bench at the edge of the flower cluster: "It's a bit hot... Ke'er, go to my room and bring me my green bamboo fan. Oh, and bring me a pot of tea water too." Su Tang's expression was very natural, and he deeply inhaled the fragrance of the flowers scattered in the air, seemingly enjoying the scenery here.

  Ke'er glanced at Su Tang with a slanted gaze, then gave him a big white eye and responded in a nasal tone: "Hmph..."

  "What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear what I said?" Su Tang yawned again, he always used various actions to give the other party psychological hints, the meaning was very clear, I'm a bit sleepy, won't mess around...

  "Master, do you need me to bring another outer garment for you?" Ke'er said with a tone of sarcasm. The little maid was vengeful, earlier in the morning Su Tang had said it was a bit cold and asked her to find an outer garment, but she vanished into thin air, only to find out later that Su Tang had run off to the forest again, getting her scolded severely by Zhu'er sister.

  Su Tang's expression remained calm, without any sign of embarrassment or guilt, as if she hadn't heard Ke'er's words at all. After a moment, she spoke to Ke'er in a serious tone: "Ke'er, you said... why would Shang Shu be afraid that someone would disturb those guests?"

  "Because they are big shots!" Ke Er explained patiently: "Shang Shu also said that if we offend people, just a casual blow of air, our small Linbao will be affected!"

  "It's a great nobleman......" Su Tang murmured, and then his eyes suddenly lit up: "If I can become friends with them, won't it be greatly beneficial to my future?"

  "Uh..." Ke'er was stunned.

  "Shang Shu recognized the tokens in their hands, which only a general could possess... To have a general as an attendant, their master must be extremely powerful!" Su Tang became more and more excited: "If their master likes me and is willing to cultivate me, with just one word, I can become a county... no, I can become a city lord, definitely!"

  "Castle... castle owner..." Ke'er started stuttering, that's a really big and powerful master!

  "By then, I'll take all of you to the big city, and we can eat whatever we want, buy whatever we want, haha..." Su Tang slapped his thigh forcefully, as if his dream was about to come true: "That's right, I should go find them now!"

  Su Tang had just stood up, but Chi'er blocked her way again. Although her mind was a bit confused, she wouldn't forget her main job.

  At this time, two inner city guards patrolling outside the East Courtyard walked over and saw Su Tang and Ke Er shrinking at the edge of a flower cluster talking, they didn't pay attention, only asking a distant safety question before walking past.

  Ke'er suddenly remembered something and looked at the backs of the two housekeepers, opening her mouth to call out. However, Shang Bin had given a strict order that no one was allowed to approach the East Wing, and Young Master wanted to cause trouble. She alone might not be able to stop him, so she could only seek help from the housekeepers.

  "Could it be that you want to ruin my bright future?!" Su Tang said in a low voice, his lips trembling slightly, his eyes filled with sorrow, his emotions sincere and heartfelt.

  Ke'er was as if struck by lightning, this crime she could not afford to take on at all, as long as she could be good for the young master, she would do anything, so now rather than angering the young master, she would hold onto him tightly and not let go, but, regarding the young master's future, she didn't know how to make a judgment.

  If it were Zhu Er and Shang Bin, they would never believe Su Tang's nonsense, but Ke Er, who had not experienced the world, was no exception.

  Seeing those two houseboys had already passed the corner of the wall, Su Tang let out a breath and waved her hand saying: "Let go!"

  Shaking off Ke'er, Su Tang took only two steps before Ke'er grabbed his sleeve again and said in a pleading tone: "Young Master... but... what if we offend them?"

  "If someone comes to find you and wants to be friends with you, will you get angry?"

  Ke'er shook her head, someone wanted to be friends with her, this was a good thing, of course she wouldn't get angry.

  "So why should they be angry?"

  "That... young master, I'm going too!"