4
“Have you just finished with court affairs, Duke?” Zhao Changnian, walking ahead, was completely unaware of the gaze behind her. She bounced along as she spoke, smiling. “You’re so busy, yet you came to help me in person.”
Withdrawing his gaze from her hand, Ye Jiangbai gave a light smile. “It’s only right.”
Before slaughtering cattle or pigs, one had to fatten them up nicely—let alone when dealing with a person.
“Is there anything you’d like, Duke?” Zhao Changnian looked back, her dark, glistening eyes gazing at him innocently. “I can’t afford anything too expensive, but I’ve saved up my monthly allowance over the years—about a thousand taels or so. I could buy you a nice little trinket as a token of thanks.”
Any other prince would have a personal fortune of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands. But this one? She’d saved up her monthly allowance to barely a thousand taels, and still wanted to buy him a thank-you gift?
This time, Ye Jiangbai truly laughed. He cupped his hands and said, “You’re too kind, Your Highness.”
His expression was somewhat strange. At first glance, he seemed to be mocking her, but when she rubbed her eyes and looked again, it felt like an illusion. Zhao Changnian stopped walking and said hesitantly, “I’m not used to following rules, and I’m not good at dealing with court officials. If I’ve done anything improper, please point it out, Duke.”
He lightly pressed his index finger to his lips, then tucked his sleeves properly and said with a serious face, “You’ve done nothing improper, Your Highness. Compared to the slickness of others, you are truly sincere and endearing.”
To put it nicely: sincere and endearing. To put it bluntly: foolish. A normal person would have been on guard against him by now—after all, unsolicited favors often signal ill intent. But the Seventh Prince? She actually opened her heart and spoke to him with complete candor.
For a brief moment, Ye Jiangbai even thought of the conscience he had long since forgotten.
Of course, the conscience he recalled had already been fed to the dogs, so it was useless. Ye Jiangbai looked up at the palace path ahead, his smile still gentle but not reaching his eyes. “Have you thought about how you’ll explain this to the Crown Prince?”
“That’s simple.” Zhao Changnian’s expression was light and relaxed. “I don’t have the money to buy such expensive pearls. Obviously, someone made a mistake. As long as my imperial brother calms down a bit, he’ll be able to figure it out.”
“And if the Crown Prince doesn’t believe you and decides to take it out on you instead?”
Hearing this, Zhao Changnian’s little face crumpled. “He wouldn’t be that petty, would he?”
He absolutely would be that petty. The current Crown Prince had a vindictive nature and cared above all about saving face. Losing face at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet had already been infuriating enough for him. Having the supposed culprit show up to apologize today would only add fuel to the fire.
But Ye Jiangbai had no intention of telling Zhao Changnian any of this. He simply smiled and continued leading the way forward.
Before long, a palace attendant came running up from not too far away.
“Duke of Fuguo!” The attendant’s face was full of urgency. He rushed over and whispered something into Ye Jiangbai’s ear.
Ye Jiangbai’s smile faded. He listened gravely, then looked up at Zhao Changnian. “Your Highness may have to go to the Crown Prince’s palace on your own.”
“Ah?” Zhao Changnian was shocked and instantly shrank into a ball of fear. “I won’t be able to see my imperial brother if I go by myself, will I?”
“It’s all right. I’ve already sent word ahead. The Crown Prince will receive you.” Ye Jiangbai’s eyes were full of apology. “Once matters at His Majesty’s side are settled, I will come to pick you up.”
Zhao Changnian thought for a moment, then nodded. “All right. You go attend to your business. As long as my imperial brother is willing to see me, that’s enough. I can find my own way back later.”
With that, she grinned at him and set off for the Eastern Palace with complete peace of mind.
Ye Jiangbai stood still, watching that small, thin figure fade into the distance.
The fact that the Fourth Prince had been sent to his fief had not yet made His Majesty feel that the Crown Prince was overbearing and brutal. But what if an innocent Seventh Prince were added to the mix? Perhaps that would give His Majesty something to think about.
The palace attendant who had looked so anxious moments ago was no longer in a hurry. He lowered his head and said quietly, “Everything has been arranged.”
“Mm.” Ye Jiangbai stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Then we wait.”
Once the Seventh Prince came out of the Eastern Palace, she would surely no longer wish to send him a thank-you gift.
Remembering how earnestly she had spoken of that thank-you gift earlier, Ye Jiangbai still felt like laughing. How could there be someone so foolish in the palace? She needed to experience a few things to gain some sense.
Flicking his sleeves, Ye Jiangbai led the attendant to a side hall of the Council Hall. He sat leisurely drinking tea, occasionally listening to updates.
“The Seventh Prince has entered the Eastern Palace.”
“The Seventh Prince is kneeling outside the main hall of the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince has not permitted her to rise.”
“The Seventh Prince knelt for an hour. She couldn’t hold out any longer and moved her legs. The Crown Prince has punished her with twenty lashes for ‘disrespect toward the heir apparent.'”
Blowing the tea foam aside, Ye Jiangbai remarked ruefully, “Our Crown Prince is truly very petty.”
The attendant standing beside him nodded in agreement, then said, “After the lashing, the Seventh Prince did not return to her own palace. She seems to be heading this way.”
Coming to settle scores with him? Ye Jiangbai raised an eyebrow, elegantly straightened his collar, then rose and put on a warm smile as he walked toward the door.
He was someone who had never feared confrontation, especially after tricking someone. He didn’t like to hide. He enjoyed listening to people furiously curse him for being duplicitous, for having a honeyed tongue and a dagger heart. After they had finished cursing, he would bow to them—thoroughly polite, elegant, and composed. No matter how much they gnashed their teeth in hatred, they could do nothing to him.
Standing at the entrance of the Council Hall, he saw the Seventh Prince being carried over on a shoulder-borne sedan chair from afar. Ye Jiangbai had already prepared his lines.
However, as the sedan chair stopped at the entrance, Zhao Changnian—her face pale and wincing in pain—looked up at him and said instead—
“I’m so sorry, Duke. I’ve disgraced you.”
Hmm? Ye Jiangbai stiffened. For the first time in his life, he felt that he couldn’t understand human speech. He looked down at her half-dead state and took a moment to react. “Disgraced me?”
“Yes.”
How had she disgraced him? Beaten to this state, and she still hadn’t figured out what had happened today?
Ye Jiangbai was silent for a long time. He didn’t know what to say anymore.
Zhao Changnian muttered to herself, “You went out of your way to arrange an introduction for me, but I couldn’t make my imperial brother believe me. Instead, I made him so angry that he didn’t even consider your face and had me beaten. If word gets out, it’ll be such a disgrace to you. I didn’t mean to… I just couldn’t help moving.”
“Ah, but I can’t blame myself entirely either. The stones in front of his palace gate are uneven, and he made me kneel for so long. Anyone would have to move eventually. My knees hurt.”
“…”
Ye Jiangbai pinched the bridge of his brow and gave her a long, deep look. “Your Highness need not blame yourself. You’ve just been punished. Go back and rest.”
She gave him an awkward glance. “The reason I came is that I still have one more favor to ask of you, Duke.”
“What is it?”
“In the state I’m in, if I go back to my palace like this, Hongti will be scared to death.” She pouted, glancing at her own backside, then braced her hands on the arms of the sedan chair and said with difficulty, “Could you find me some medicine? Let me rest here with you for a while until I feel better before going back.”
Since she was this foolish, Ye Jiangbai couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. “I do carry bruise medicine with me. Please come inside, Your Highness.”
**