Rise first.”
Once Chen Zhuo had finished his bout of weeping, Qin Ziyu had Qing’an help him up.
“Imperial Physician Li’s departure was indeed abrupt, but it doesn’t necessarily mean something has happened. He might have been summoned away. Calm yourself first.”
Chen Zhuo said, “My master is the Judicator of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. If someone wished to summon him, why not send a formal invitation and do so openly? The manor was in such disarray; something must have happened. My master’s wife injured her leg years ago and has difficulty moving. I am truly worried and beg Your Highness to show me a way forward.”
His words were earnest, and in a single night, a few strands of his hair had turned white. Qin Ziyu knew that unless he were at his wit’s end, Chen Zhuo would not have come to a sickly person like him, who usually stayed out of worldly affairs.
“You suspect the Prince of Jing?”
Chen Zhuo lowered his head. “I wouldn’t dare.”
“It is simply that Master has been at the Jing Prince’s Manor these past few days. He had no prior intention of retiring, yet he claimed he was returning to his hometown immediately after leaving the manor. There must be a connection.”
As they spoke, the sun climbed above the treetops, its light spilling into the hall and covering half of Qin Ziyu’s body, casting a glow over him like a radiant cloak.
“I understand what you are saying,” Qin Ziyu said. “Where is the Prince of Jing now?”
Jinrong, looking up against the light, squinted his eyes. “The Emperor kept the Prince in the palace for lunch. At this hour, the Prince might be at the Bibo Pavilion.”
The Bibo Pavilion was not actually a pavilion, but a glazed water pavilion located east of the Imperial Garden, built upon the East Lake. The entire structure was crafted from glazed glass, and lake water was channeled to flow upward from the center, creating a water curtain around the pavilion. From afar, it looked crystal clear, airy, and cool.
The East Lake was filled with lotuses. In summer, one could play chess while admiring the flowers—a beautiful sight indeed. Unfortunately, it was now late autumn.
“What is he doing at the Bibo Pavilion?”
Qing’an said, “I entered the palace early and heard that the Prince of Jing is very fond of the scenery at the Bibo Pavilion. He goes there regardless of the season and often stays for two hours.”
Qin Ziyu raised a hand. “I shall go to the Bibo Pavilion to meet him.”
Jinrong ran to find a thick cloak, fastening it meticulously and replacing the coals in a new hand-warmer.
“Your Highness has always been sensitive to the cold. Please return early. I will watch the small kitchen and have them prepare some rose sweet soup for you.”
Chen Zhuo knelt on the ground and performed a deep kowtow.
The Prince of Jing, named Qin Zizheng, was the posthumous son of the Emperor’s elder brother Prince Rui.
When the Emperor first ascended the throne, Prince Rui was dissatisfied. He secretly won over many old officials and nobles, but after the plot was exposed, he drank poisoned wine. The Emperor, unable to bear seeing Prince Rui’s lineage end, spared Prince Rui’s secondary consort, who was pregnant at the time. The consort had been frightened during her pregnancy, and her mind became unstable; after giving birth, she went completely mad.
Later, the mad consort passed away. The Emperor, pitying the young child, personally bestowed a name upon him. At age nine, Qin Zizheng was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jing, enjoying the status of a first-rank prince.
In the original novel, the Prince of Jing collaborated with Xiao Ci for a time, utilizing each other before eventually turning on one another in a spectacular display of mutual destruction.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Qin Ziyu understood this logic well.
Although Prince Rui was the Emperor’s elder brother and several years older, he had no heirs after marriage and died without knowing his consort was pregnant. At that time, Qin Ziyu had just been born, making Qin Zizheng half a year younger than him. Because Qin Ziyu had been frail since childhood, the two had met only a handful of times and were not close.
Currently, there were no lotuses on the East Lake. At a glance, it looked incredibly desolate. This place was only lively in summer; in winter, it was even more bleak.
Qin Ziyu boarded a boat, with Qingkang attending to him. The young eunuch rowing the boat did not speak much, simply following orders.
After disembarking, there was a long flight of steps, fifty feet high. Just climbing them exhausted Qin Ziyu’s strength, leaving him breathless and his legs aching.
From a distance, Qin Ziyu saw a figure in black sitting under a tree drinking tea.
In such cold weather, where every breath was a chill, he was sitting outside drinking tea? The man across from him was likely ill and quite seriously so.
Hearing footsteps, the man in black raised his head casually. His gaze suddenly fixed on Qin Ziyu, unable to look away for even an inch. It wasn’t until Qin Ziyu reached him that the man in black dazedly recovered his senses.
“I heard that Brother Zheng was ill recently. Now that you have just recovered, why are you out here in the high places catching the cold wind?”
Golden maple leaves drifted down, swirling and dancing in the air. Qin Ziyu’s voice seemed wrapped in the cold wind as it entered Qin Zizheng’s ears. The latter blinked his dry eyes and murmured in a low voice, “So it is my little elder cousin.”
Qin Zizheng rose and clasped his hands. “Greetings, Imperial Brother.”
Just as he was about to speak, a hand emerged from the cloak, enveloped in the scent of pear blossoms, and supported him beneath his wrist.
Warm and soft.
Qin Ziyu smiled. “We are family; there is no need for such formalities.”
“Why is Brother Zheng drinking tea alone outside the pavilion?”
Qin Zizheng withdrew his hand and straightened his back. “I didn’t know where to go, so I wandered until I reached the Bibo Pavilion. It happens to be quiet here, with no one to disturb me.”
“I heard you were ill some days ago and was very concerned. I’ve been meaning to meet you in person to set my mind at ease.” Qin Ziyu withdrew his hand as well, burying himself back into his cloak. His movements were careful, momentarily revealing the red garment underneath.
Qin Zizheng lowered his gaze and said impassively, “Thank you for your concern, Imperial Brother. I have fully recovered. As for you, didn’t the imperial physicians say you shouldn’t be exposed to the wind? If you wished to see me, you only had to send word, and I would have appeared before you immediately.”
“It is true that I shouldn’t be in the wind.” Qin Ziyu turned around, looking at the withered trees in the distance. “But what is the interest in staying indoors all the time? A square of sky, four square walls—I’ve grown tired of looking at them.”
“I wanted to come out for some fresh air. There are fewer people here, making it easier to talk.”
There was no surprise on Qin Zizheng’s face, as if he had expected this visit.
Qin Ziyu said in a heavy tone, “An honest man does not speak in riddles. Imperial Physician Li has looked after me for many years. Now he claims to be retiring to his hometown, yet his manor is a wreck. Does this have anything to do with you?”
“Is that so? I didn’t know.” Qin Zizheng let out a light laugh, his chest vibrating with a slightly mocking sound.
Qin Ziyu withdrew his gaze from the distance. “Brother Zheng does not look like someone who doesn’t know.”
“Whether I know or not, he is but an imperial physician. He eats the Sovereign’s stipends and serves the Sovereign’s affairs; this is his duty. Now that he has left, wouldn’t it be better if Imperial Brother simply assumed he has returned home?” Qin Zizheng strolled to the table. The tea was already cold, but he didn’t seem to notice as he tilted the cup back and drained it. His long sleeves rose with the wind, masking the expression on his face.
Qin Ziyu followed slowly. Qingkang came to support him, but he shook his head. “Go outside for now and stay at a distance.”
“Yes,” Qingkang bowed and retreated.
Qin Ziyu walked to Qin Zizheng’s side, needing to look up slightly to meet his gaze.
“There are no outsiders now. Can Brother Zheng speak plainly?”
Qin Zizheng feigned ignorance. “What does Imperial Brother want me to say? I know nothing.”
“Fine, you needn’t say anything. I only ask one thing: Are Imperial Physician Li’s family members currently safe? A nod or a shake of the head will suffice.” Qin Ziyu stared intently at Qin Zizheng. Whether for the original host of this body or for Chen Zhuo, he needed an answer.
That was a living human life. Just thinking of Imperial Physician Li’s aged, clouded eyes made his heart heavy.
The two stared at each other for a long while before Qin Zizheng gave a single nod.
Qin Ziyu felt as if a weight had been lifted. “That is good then.”
“Though I do not know where they are now, as long as they are alive, there is hope. As for what happened to Imperial Physician Li, I will find out sooner or later.”
“It is almost noon. Why doesn’t Brother Zheng come to the Eastern Palace with me for lunch?”
Just as he finished speaking, Qingkang shouted, “Your Highness, Prince of Jing! Eunuch Qinghai from the Emperor’s presence has come to deliver a message!”
Qin Zizheng put down his teacup and said in a low voice, “It seems I must decline Imperial Brother’s kind offer.”
Qinghai climbed the steps and appeared before them, waving his fly-whisk. He had a square face with a slightly wide gap between his eyes, making him look particularly upright and incorruptible.
Seeing Qin Ziyu there, Qinghai bowed and said, “The Emperor is hosting a luncheon in the side hall of the Chonghua Palace for the Prince of Jing to celebrate the Prince’s recovery. His Highness the Crown Prince should also come and join the festivities.”
“Since Father is specifically hosting Brother Zheng, I shall not go. I hope Eunuch Qinghai can deliver a message on my behalf, offering my regards to Father.” Qin Ziyu was tactful; the Emperor felt no fatherly affection for him, and there was no need to go and invite annoyance.
He was about to leave when Eunuch Qinghai took a step to the left to block him, bowing half-way. “Your Highness should ask the Emperor in person; the Emperor will surely be pleased.”
Qin Zizheng said, “Imperial Brother, come with me. If I were to leave you behind, the Emperor might be angry if he found out. At that time, a great disaster would surely fall upon me.”
Qinghai bowed even lower. “The Emperor also misses the Crown Prince very much.”
These words were an implicit signal. From the moment Qin Ziyu left the Eastern Palace, the Emperor had known. Inviting someone else’s son while leaving one’s own aside would damage the Emperor’s reputation for benevolence if word got out.
“It was my lack of consideration; I should have gone to the Chonghua Palace to pay my respects earlier. We shall trouble Eunuch Qinghai to lead the way.” Qin Ziyu smiled.
“I wouldn’t dare.”
The group boarded the boat together. Qingkang remained half a step away from Qin Ziyu, serving him closely for fear he might lose his footing and fall. There was a cabin on the boat equipped with tables and chairs, but no one went inside.
A sedan chair was already waiting on the shore of the East Lake, prepared specifically for Qin Ziyu.
Outside the Chonghua Palace, security was tight. Black iron armor gleamed, with sentries every five paces and guards every ten. Not even the sound of a cough could be heard.
Passing the first gate, the second gate opened accordingly. Qinghai said, “Your Highness and the Prince may enter; this servant will not accompany you further.”
“Very well. Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch.” Qin Ziyu nodded.
He took off his cloak and handed it to Qingkang. “Stay here and keep Eunuch Qinghai company.”
Qingkang obeyed. “Yes.”
Qin Ziyu and Qin Zizheng entered the hall together. They were of similar height, but Qin Zizheng remained half a step behind. Their movements were coordinated and elegant; from a distance, they looked like a pair of handsome brothers.
Neither of them expected someone else to be in the hall besides the Emperor.
It was the Governor of the West Depot Xiao Ci.
After finishing his greetings, Qin Ziyu looked toward him, and their gazes met mid-air unexpectedly.
Xiao Ci’s eyes suddenly narrowed, seemingly stung by the bright red of the clothes Qin Ziyu was wearing.
He hated the color red.