So His Highness Does Have a Mind
“Yuan-Yuan.” Jiang Ni called out in delighted surprise.
He hurried forward and excitedly caught hold of Chu Yuan’s hand. “I heard from the steward that you had come, yet I did not believe it. At this great noon hour, you must have been scorched by the heat. Come inside at once.”
Chu Yuan had been well cared for these past days. His complexion was fair, clean, and faintly flushed, and his color was excellent. He curved his pair of moist apricot eyes, his voice clear and gentle in proper measure. “His Highness is not at home. I wished to come stay with Ah-Die for a few days, may I?”
“You may, you may. Stay as long as you please. Your grandfather went out to fish today and will not return until evening.” Jiang Ni’s lips remained lifted with joy.
Even after they entered the room, the smile at his mouth had yet to fade.
Nie Xuxing watched and kept shaking his head. To Nie Siran, who sat at the side eating fruit at leisure, he said, “Look at your Ah-Die. There is no longer any place for the two of us, father and son, in his eyes.”
Nie Siran gave a light laugh. “What is this, Father? Are you jealous?”
Nie Xuxing: “... Yuan-Yuan is still here. You have not the least bearing of an elder brother.”
Nie Siran lifted his eyes and smiled toward Chu Yuan. “We are all one family. Speech grows inevitably less guarded. Ah-Yuan, do not take offense.”
Chu Yuan’s gaze was limpid and pure, like a lake in his eyes, with pretty silver fish gliding within it. “I will not.”
“Yuan-Yuan, come sit. You have not yet taken your midday meal, have you?” Jiang Ni paid that father and son no heed. He led Chu Yuan to a seat, then instructed the steward to prepare lunch. “Have the kitchen prepare more dishes. In my room there is a food-tonic list for pregnancy. Take it to the kitchen and have them cook according to the recipes.”
The steward answered and withdrew.
Chu Yuan looked at Jiang Ni with softened eyes. “Thank you, Ah-Die.”
“You are being polite with me again. When I was carrying Siran, I could neither eat nor sleep properly and was tormented badly. Later, I pondered over some recipes, dishes that were both nourishing and tasty. I searched the house for two or three days and could not find that old recipe book from before, so I wrote out another one anew.”
“In all, I wrote one hundred and seven dishes. Later, I shall have the kitchen make them for you one by one, and we shall see which ones you like.”
Chu Yuan was moved in his heart, and a hundred feelings mingled within him.
He had long known that Jiang Ni treated him well, yet he had not expected Jiang Ni to do so much for him, preparing recipes for him without finding it troublesome, truly cherishing him as his own child.
“To have met Ah-Die is Xingyi’s good fortune.” Chu Yuan lowered his head. He set his voice very light and very slow, as though every word had passed through a solemn vow before being softly chanted beside the ear.
Jiang Ni touched his head.
Nie Xuxing walked over. “Yuan-Yuan, for your Ah-Die and me to have met you in Ye Jing was in truth our good fortune.”
Jiang Ni nodded and looked upon Chu Yuan with tender affection.
Nie Xuxing said, “These past years, your Ah-Die wandered everywhere and never gave up searching for your birth mother. Fifteen years without a trace of news, it had already become the knot in your Ah-Die’s heart. Fortunately, you came and untied the knot that had burdened him for so many years.”
“So it is we who are deeply grateful to you.”
After Chu Yuan had taken lunch at the Nie Residence, Jiang Ni escorted him to Zhuqin Garden.
“This place is close to my own courtyard, and the surroundings are quiet and pleasant. It is very cool to stay here in summer. Yet at night, you must remember to close the windows and light incense, else there will be mosquitoes and insects,” Jiang Ni instructed.
Chu Yuan sat on the bed and nodded obediently.
Jiang Ni took his pulse once more and said with a smile, “This is the first time I have ever seen such a well-behaved little one. Not a bit of trouble for the grown-ups. That is as it should be. You are already somewhat slender to begin with. If your vomiting in pregnancy were frequent, the harm to your body would also be great.”
Chu Yuan raised a hand and laid it over his stomach, which had not yet begun to show. Tenderness spread through his gaze. “Mm, the baby is very good.”
“A good child who knows how to cherish his father. Very well, you must hurry and rest. Sleep for a midday while. When the weather cools in the afternoon, I shall teach you the qin.” Jiang Ni helped Chu Yuan lie down and personally covered him with a thin quilt before leaving with a smile.
Chu Yuan watched Jiang Ni’s receding figure. A pleased, shallow smile rested at the corners of his lips as he slowly closed his eyes.
Le Shu and Xian Shuang stood guard outside.
By dusk, Nie Chouwen returned to the residence wearing old hemp garments and carrying a woven bamboo fish basket.
“Is Xiao Ni playing the qin?” The steward came forward to greet him and took the fish basket from his hand. Nie Chouwen removed his outer robe stained with mud and, while washing his hands, asked the question.
The steward smiled. “Prince Li’s Consort has come. Master is teaching His Highness to play the qin.”
“I shall go have a look.” Nie Chouwen shook the water from his hands and did not even take a cloth to dry them. After changing clothes, he went out at once.
“Oh, and I caught two crucian carp today. Have the kitchen stew them into a thick soup for Yuan-Yuan to drink,” he said over his shoulder to the steward.
“Understood.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Nie Chouwen slowly made his way to Zhuqin Garden.
Jiang Ni and Chu Yuan sat within a bamboo pavilion encircled by green bamboo. Both wore white robes. Their fingers moved deftly over the qin strings, sleeves drifting in the air as clear notes flowed forth, like a fresh wind brushing across one’s face, leaving the heart open and at ease.
“Not bad.” Having listened to the piece through to its end, Nie Chouwen raised his voice in praise.
When Chu Yuan saw him, he smiled and made to rise in greeting. “Grandfather.”
Nie Chouwen waved a hand toward him and strode over himself. “Sit properly. At home, there is no need to trouble yourself with those empty courtesies.”
Jiang Ni said to Nie Chouwen with a smile, “Father, Yuan-Yuan is truly clever. He grasps things the moment they are pointed out, and he remembers tunes quickly as well. If he studies for another two days, he may well surpass me.”
Praised so much, Chu Yuan’s cheeks turned red. “Ah-Die, you have praised me all afternoon. Please say no more.”
“Very well, very well, I shall not say more. Yuan-Yuan is truly adorable.”
“...”
Nie Xuxing and Nie Siran had just finished a round of chess at the side. Seeing Nie Chouwen return, they abandoned the board and came over.
“How was Grandfather’s catch from today’s fishing?” Nie Siran lifted the teapot and poured Nie Chouwen a cup of warm tea.
“Passable.” After drinking the tea, Nie Chouwen looked toward Chu Yuan. “Prince Li has left the city?”
“Mm. How did Grandfather know?” Chu Yuan asked curiously.
“My two fishing companions spoke of it today. They were fishing outside the city late in the night and saw Prince Li riding northward on horseback.”
Chu Yuan pushed the qin table aside. “Father Emperor ordered His Highness to go to the Northern Detached Palace. He will not return for several days.”
Nie Chouwen said, “Then stay here these next few days. There is no one at the residence, and we would not be at ease.”
Jiang Ni covered his mouth with his sleeve and laughed. “Yuan-Yuan has already moved in. He is staying right here in Zhuqin Garden.”
Nie Chouwen’s brows opened with satisfaction. “Good. This old man shall not go fishing over the next few days either. Rather, I am quite eager to see how Yuan-Yuan’s recent poems have turned out.”
Nie Siran raised a hand to his forehead, his low laughter rippling out. “Grandfather, Ah-Yuan has only just moved in, and you already wish to test his learning. Take care you do not frighten him.”
Nie Chouwen’s brows shot up. “If you will not accompany this old man in writing poetry, are you now going to forbid Yuan-Yuan from accompanying me as well?”
Chu Yuan gave a soft cough, the smile on his lips light and shallow. “Very well. I shall do so gladly.”
Nie Chouwen nodded, then said, “When this old man returned today, I encountered the Fang family’s carriage.”
Nie Siran’s hand paused slightly in its motion of waving the fan, then slowly resumed. “They were leaving the city?”
“Mm. That young lady of the Fang family has now ruined her reputation, and the Eastern Palace has also met with disaster. The Fang family sent her to a Buddhist nunnery outside the city.”
Jiang Ni said, “The Fang family has come to the end of its road as well.”
Nie Siran found it difficult not to agree. “With Fang Xinhai dead, the Fang family has already collapsed. Fang Shuyu is an unserviceable straw bag, and Noble Consort Fang in the palace has long since had no mind to care whether the Fang family lives or dies, having suffered too severe a blow from Prince Qi’s affair. The Fang family had thought they could climb onto the Crown Prince’s branch, but in the end... heh.”
Nie Xuxing said, “Yesterday, at the capping ceremony, I heard a few bits of idle talk. It is said that after the Crown Prince met with disaster, Fang Shuyu went to Grand Tutor Xu’s residence, wishing to renew a marriage tie with the Xu family.”
“The Xu family will never choose the Fang family again.” Nie Chouwen lifted his eyelids, his eyes keen and clear, bearing a steadiness and wisdom beyond his years. “After misfortune befell the Eastern Palace, the Xu family seemed, on the surface, to preserve themselves wisely and make no move. In truth, Grand Tutor Xu privately went to see the Fourth Prince.”
“Prince Rui?” Nie Xuxing pondered for a moment, then laughed. “The Xu family is truly throwing medicine at an urgent illness. How could His Majesty ever pass the throne to a sickly prince?”
No one spoke.
The sun slanted westward, and evening clouds spread across the whole horizon, like thick pigments flung open, splendid and beautiful.
Wind rose within the bamboo grove and carried wave upon wave of coolness.
After a long while, Chu Yuan spoke slowly, his voice gentler even than the evening breeze. “What is least likely is often what is most likely.”
Chu Yuan then lifted the teacup before him. The tea within had long since gone cold. He dipped his fingertip into the water and slowly wrote a single character upon the bamboo mat below.
“Wang?” After seeing the written trace, Jiang Ni voiced the word in puzzlement.
Chu Yuan inclined his head. His gaze was sharp and clear, and not a shred of emotion stained the clean purity in his eyes. “Grandfather, do you recognize this handwriting?”
Nie Chouwen stared at that character for a long time, then in the end shook his head.
“This old man has served at court for many years and has read memorials from officials great and small beyond number. This handwriting is very ordinary. Nothing in particular distinguishes it.”
Nie Siran tapped the mat. “Ah-Yuan may as well write a few more characters.”
Chu Yuan did as he said and wrote two more words in water.
“Kill Prince Li?” Nie Siran raised a brow and said leisurely, “Whom has Prince Li offended again? Quite a number of people seem to have designs upon that life of his.”
The other three, however, stared at the writing for a long while. Only when the water marks had dried completely did they straighten up.
Nie Xuxing said, “There is something strange about the edge of these strokes.”
Jiang Ni said, “Mm. I cannot quite put it into words, yet when one looks closely, one still cannot see where the problem lies.”
Nie Chouwen stroked his beard, thoughtfulness surfacing in his eyes. Then he suddenly asked, “Yuan-Yuan, can you imitate another person’s handwriting?”
Chu Yuan set down the teacup. From the moment he had begun writing, he had never intended to hide this matter from the Nie family.
Only upon hearing Nie Chouwen’s question did Jiang Ni and the others abruptly come to their senses. One by one, they looked at him in astonishment.
“Mm, I can.” Chu Yuan smiled calmly and casually dipped his finger in water again, writing Nie Siran’s name.
Nie Siran: “... If this handwriting were taken outside and said to be mine, even I myself would not doubt it.”
He then wrote out Jiang Ni’s hand as well.
Jiang Ni widened his eyes. “It is truly identical.”
Nie Chouwen sighed and told him earnestly, “It is enough that you have told us. You must by no means let others know. This could bring a great calamity upon you.”
“Grandfather may rest assured.” Hearing Nie Chouwen’s concerned words, the smile in Chu Yuan’s eyes did not fade, and he gave his promise softly.
Worry gathered between Jiang Ni’s brows. “Yuan-Yuan, does Prince Li know you possess this skill?”
Chu Yuan’s lips curved slightly. “Mm. I even helped him write a false letter and present it to Father Emperor.”
“What?!” Jiang Ni’s voice rose sharply at once, so much so that it cracked.
“What did you help him write? Foolish child, this is far too dangerous. Prince Li truly is... his courage is too great!” Jiang Ni stamped his foot in anger. By the look of it, had Prince Li been here at this moment, he would not have escaped a scolding.
Chu Yuan looked at him blankly. “Uh, it was merely that when we were in Ping Cheng, we intercepted a letter. The letter had come from Ye Jing, and it sought to take His Highness’s life...”
“His Highness turned the scheme back upon them and laid plans in secret. After returning to the capital, he had me imitate Duke Liu’s handwriting and recopy the contents of the letter, then present it to Father Emperor. He first planted a seed of suspicion in Father Emperor’s heart, then step by step placed the evidence before him, and in the end brought down the Liu family.”
After Chu Yuan finished recounting the whole sequence of events, the bamboo pavilion once again fell into silence.
After a long while.
Nie Siran gave a deeply unexpected sigh. “So His Highness truly does have a mind.”
Nie Xuxing said, “He is not entirely without use.”
Nie Chouwen said, “He is of some little use, at least.”
Jiang Ni alone was still angry.
“He has a treacherous mind! If he truly had a mind, he ought not to have dragged Yuan-Yuan into it! This is the crime of deceiving the sovereign. How many heads does he think he has? If he wishes to die, he need not drag my Yuan-Yuan along with him!”
Everyone stared in stunned silence as the gentle, refined Jiang Ni suddenly erupted.
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Gentle reminder: the mother-in-law has lost his temper.
Lu the dog: A generation’s hero, fallen at last. (Yes, I mean myself.).
0 Comments