Su Ruhe Bent at the Waist, Coughing as Though His Heart and Lungs Were Tearing Apart.
“Wah, why are all the fruits on this plate sour? So sour, so sour, my teeth are about to sour right out of my mouth.”
Lu Rongshen spat out the sour pear from his mouth, his brows twisting into knots.
Bai Qingyu handed him tea. “Your Highness, rinse your mouth.”
Lu Rongshen gulped down several mouthfuls of tea in a row, then Bai Qingyu fed him a preserved sweet fruit. Only then did his brows relax, and his tongue seemed to come back to life.
Nie Siran pointed the tip of his fan at the tabletop. “That plate of fruit was prepared for Ah-Yuan. Ours is this one.”
Lu Rongshen looked from one fruit plate to the other, his expression growing progressively more puzzled. “Do they not look exactly the same? Could it be that the fruits on the other plate are all sweet?”
“Exactly so.”
“...” Lu Rongshen looked at Chu Yuan with eyes full of admiration. “Third Sister-in-Law, you are truly remarkable. Are you not afraid your teeth will ache from the sourness?”
Chu Yuan curved his lips, the smile in his eyes light and soft. “I do not find them sour at all.”
Hearing that, Lu Rongshen felt his gums go sour all over again, and even his tongue seemed to flood with tartness. He covered his mouth as though his teeth hurt, while his other hand gave Chu Yuan a great thumbs-up.
Nie Chouwen was discussing court affairs with Su Ruhe. Su Ruhe answered every question put to him and hid nothing he knew. After hearing about the Crown Prince’s conduct in court, Nie Chouwen let out a heavy sigh.
Nie Xuxing comforted him. “Father, you have already left the court. Why burden yourself with needless worries?”
“This old man is merely wondering how much of the Crown Prince’s conduct over these years His Majesty truly knows.”
Chu Yuan’s eyes grew intent as he looked over. He said softly, “Perhaps Father Emperor has seen it all along, he simply does not care.”
Nie Chouwen thought of Emperor Hongjia’s face, grown increasingly vacant with the years and in the end could only sigh inwardly.
Emperor Hongjia was so deeply obsessed to Daoist arts that he was nearly led into deviation. If he kept tormenting himself like this, his body would inevitably collapse.
Lu Rongshen had not caught the deeper meaning in their words, but he agreed very much with what Chu Yuan had said.
“Father Emperor does not even like going to the consorts anymore. The moment court ends, he goes to find that Daoist Zhengqing instead, to take some sort of... some sort of pellet. Not long ago that Daoist got another whole box of it. Father Emperor has nearly become addicted to them.”
After hearing this, everyone fell silent for quite a while.
Speaking rashly of the Son of Heaven in private was a capital crime. All of them understood one another without words and changed the subject, no longer pursuing it further.
Nie Xuxing suddenly smiled. “These past two days, I have wandered about the capital and heard some rather interesting things.”
Everyone turned to look at him.
Jiang Ni’s interest was piqued. “Oh? Let us hear them.”
“Do you still remember, when we returned to the capital two years ago for the New Year, how the people in the capital spoke of Prince Li?”
After a brief moment of thought, Jiang Ni smiled as well. “How could I not remember? At that time Prince Li was only eighteen or nineteen, yet his fearsome reputation had already thundered far and wide.”
“Indeed. Everyone cursed him as vicious and tyrannical. Some said he had strung prisoners’ heads together and hung them around his horse’s neck as he paraded through the streets. Others said he had hacked a man in two and dragged the body behind his horse. All manner of stories.”
Jiang Ni glanced at Chu Yuan. Seeing that Chu Yuan’s expression remained calm and that he had not been frightened, only then did he relax. He turned and glared at Nie Xuxing. “Those are old matters. Why bring it up now?”
“That brings us to what I have heard these past few days in the streets, the newest judgments upon Prince Li.” Nie Xuxing slowly took a sip of tea.
Everyone was looking at him with curiosity. Only Nie Siran lowered his head with a faint smile, studying the painted surface of his folding fan, while the others could barely wait for him to continue.
“None of you have heard?” he feigned surprise.
Lu Rongshen shook his head. “It is not easy for me to leave the palace even once. Where would I find the time to listen to this sort of gossip?”
Chu Yuan said, “I also go out rarely and have not paid attention to such things.”
Nie Xuxing laughed heartily, then said in a clear voice, “Prince Li’s reputation now may truly be called extremely good. At first, I nearly thought I had misheard.”
“His reputation... extremely good?” Lu Rongshen looked utterly incredulous.
What did those words have to do with his third brother?
“Yes. I heard many common people praising him.”
Lu Rongshen’s eyes widened. “Praising... my third brother? Praising him for what?”
Nie Xuxing said, “For many things. Civil and military talent, courage paired with wisdom, that sort of thing. But what left the deepest impression on me was that a great many people were also praising him as, well... a devoted and doting husband who cherishes his consort.”
Everyone: “...”
Su Ruhe, who had just been about to pour himself tea: “...”
Heat rose across Chu Yuan’s face. He quickly lowered his head and lifted his teacup, beginning to drink, as though he was covering his ears while stealing a bell.
Nie Chouwen stroked his beard. “This old man knows of it. Many storybooks about him and Yuanyuan have spread among the common folk. The people enjoy reading them, and over time, that gradually changed the public’s view of Prince Li.”
Jiang Ni held back a laugh. “Then that is a good thing.”
“Not entirely,” Nie Xuxing turned the conversation and pointed toward his own son. “I also heard no small number of romantic tales about Siran and the Crown Prince.”
“Pfft—” Su Ruhe sprayed out a mouthful of tea.
Lu Rongshen happened to be sitting directly opposite him. At nearly the same instant, Bai Qingyu raised his sleeve to shield Lu Rongshen.
Su Ruhe reacted violently, coughing so hard that his whole clean and delicate face turned red at once.
Nie Siran smiled as he reached out to pat his back. “How is it that Vice Minister Su can choke even while drinking tea? What did you hear that stirred you so much?”
Su Ruhe bent at the waist, coughing as though his heart and lungs were being torn apart.
Jiang Ni rolled his eyes at his own son and went over to support Su Ruhe. “Xiao Su, it is all right, all right. And you, Xuxing, look how you have frightened the child.”
Nie Xuxing was chastised by his wife and at once turned the spearpoint toward Nie Siran.
“Explain yourself properly. How did you get entangled with the Crown Prince? You have been back in the capital barely half a year and you are already quite capable of stirring up trouble.”
Nie Siran said, “This matter cannot be blamed on me.”
Su Ruhe gradually managed to stop coughing.
Nie Siran continued, “Why do I not go seize that writer and let you question him thoroughly?”
“Cough, cough, cough...” Su Ruhe began coughing all over again.
Nie Xuxing looked over at Su Ruhe. Su Ruhe was coughing so hard that tears had come to his eyes and decided he would settle accounts with Nie Siran later once they returned home.
Nie Chouwen suddenly understood. “No wonder, some time ago, when this old man went out to visit friends, quite a few people kept asking me, openly and in secret, whether I had gone over to the Crown Prince’s camp. So that was the reason.”
“They are only a few frivolous storybooks. There is no need to take them too seriously.”
Chu Yuan turned his smiling eyes toward Su Ruhe and nodded. “Grandfather is right.”
After the evening meal, Chu Yuan escorted them out.
Jiang Ni walked at the end. He took hold of Chu Yuan’s hand, his whole face full of a father’s tenderness and concern. “In two days, I will have Siran come fetch you. Ah-Die will teach you the qin, all right?”
Chu Yuan’s eyes instantly brightened. “All right. Thank you, Ah-Die.”
“Silly child, why thank me? Later on, when your months grow larger, I will not dare let you run back and forth. At that time, I will come to the residence myself to care for you.”
“Mm.” Chu Yuan nodded happily.
“His Highness still has not returned. You should go back quickly, and walk more slowly.” Jiang Ni instructed him with concern.
Listening to those earnest words of care, Chu Yuan felt warmth flowing through every limb and every bone. This long-lost tenderness, since his mother’s death, he had once thought he would never possess again in this life.
The great doors of the Prince’s Residence slowly closed.
Xian Yu and Le Shu walked at his left and right as they accompanied him back, while Xian Shuang remained hidden in the shadows as always.
Le Shu had been smiling all day long. On the way back, he was even hopping lightly as he walked.
“Why are you so happy today?” Seeing him like that, Chu Yuan could not help smiling as well.
Le Shu trotted up beside Chu Yuan, gesturing happily with both hands. “Today is Prince Consort’s birthday, and such a grand coming-of-age ceremony too. This servant is happy for Prince Consort.”
Le Shu began counting on his fingers. “One, two, three... eight, nine, ten. Prince Consort has not celebrated a birthday in ten years. Things are so good now. In the future, Prince Consort must celebrate every birthday properly.”
Chu Yuan’s eyes were bright and limpid. He lightly tapped Le Shu on the head. “I know. You are very noisy.”
Le Shu giggled another round of “heh-heh-heh,” then went right back to bouncing along, the laughter in his eyes impossible to suppress.
He lifted his head to gaze at the sky full of stars and thought secretly to himself, how wonderful. His young master had survived that stretch of dark years, and now more and more people cared for him and cherished him. The late Empress, watching over them from the heavens, would surely be very glad as well.
“Xian Yu, tell the kitchen to keep the food warm. When His Highness returns, he can eat at once,” Chu Yuan said as he turned his head.
“Master may rest easy. Everything has already been instructed,” Xian Yu replied.
Seeing that the night was still young, Chu Yuan had originally wanted to go to the study and read for a while. Yet he had sat too long today and was somewhat tired, so in the end he decided instead to go back, wash up, and lie down.
The weather in the sixth month was gradually turning hot, but fortunately Fuju Courtyard was planted with many phoenix trees, and at night a coolness drifted in waves through the air.
Chu Yuan reclined against the head of the bed and read. As he read, his body began to slip downward of its own accord, his head nodding little by little.
Le Shu, who was keeping watch by the bed, saw this and hurried over with light steps. He took the book from Chu Yuan’s hands, then carefully helped him lie down and covered him with a thin, soft quilt.
Chu Yuan opened his sleep-muddled eyes, his voice soft and sweet. “Has Your Highness... returned yet?”
“Not yet. Prince Consort should sleep first,” Le Shu said gently.
Chu Yuan closed his eyes again and murmured something in a low voice. Le Shu did not hear it clearly. Very soon, Chu Yuan’s breathing became even and light.
Le Shu placed the shade over the luminous pearl, then lightened his steps and went to the courtyard gate. Pulling the door open to a narrow slit, he slipped outside.
Xian Yu turned his head and asked in a breathy whisper, “Has Master fallen asleep?”
Le Shu nodded.
“You keep proper watch inside. Leave the outside to us,” Xian Yu said.
Le Shu quickly pulled the door shut again.
Xian Yu raised his head and looked at the clear moonlight. He walked beneath the corridor and raised his foot to nudge Xian Shuang, who had nearly merged into one with the night.
“Hey, I want to tell you something.”
Xian Shuang stood there holding his sword, not moving in the least. He merely gave Xian Yu a look.
Xian Yu walked over and looked him up and down, his gaze finally settling on the sword in his arms.
Clearing his throat, he asked with a grave face, “If I and your sword both fell into a river, who would you save?”
Xian Shuang: “...”
The only answer he received was the faint whisper of the wind.
“Do not look at me with that gaze you use for fools. I have not gone mad. Hurry and answer my question.” Xian Yu poked him.
Xian Shuang raised his head to look at the moon. “I would save the sword.”
“...Good. I have now confirmed that you are currently sober.”
“The thing is this.” Xian Yu leaned close, raised a hand to cover the side of his mouth, and whispered in his ear, “Prince Consort is with child.”
“Ow, why did you hit me?” Caught completely off guard by a sharp knock to the forehead, Xian Yu covered his head in outrage.
“Still claiming you have not gone mad.” Xian Shuang withdrew his hand and remarked in a flat voice of dry disdain.
“His Highness said it with his own mouth. It is true!”
Xian Shuang ignored him.
Xian Yu kicked him again. “Do you know why Imperial Physician Li died? It is because he knew Prince Consort’s secret, and that is why the Liu family set their eyes on him.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu the dog: This prince was gone for a moment and you were all having a wonderful time.
Yuanyuan: Come on then, let us all die of embarrassment together.
Little Bird: Died at age twenty.
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