[It all began with curiosity]
Hearing the summons, Hu Buyu, who had been waiting there for a long time, raised his eyes toward the distance.
The palace was quiet. The Emperor had summoned no one else. As the First Prince emerged from the hall, he saw Hu Buyu entering for his audience under the guidance of a palace attendant.
The Prefectural Magistrate from Anlong wore a kind, gentle smile when he grinned—the sort that easily caused others to lower their guard. As he brushed past the First Prince, he gave a respectful nod and stepped into the Qianqing Palace.
“Your Highness?” the attendant beside the First Prince asked.
Outside the hall, the First Prince stood his ground, in no hurry to leave. Seeing Hu Buyu being summoned, he lingered and waved his followers away. “Has the Sixth Prince left?”
The attendant replied, “He has. Nothing unusual was noted.” He then updated the Prince on recent palace affairs. “Lately, following the incident at Huguo Temple, Consort Ning has been grounded. The Empress Dowager has been making all the arrangements regarding the Sixth Prince.”
‘If only it were that simple,’ the First Prince thought. At a time like this, Imperial Father had actually summoned Ying Fusheng here; it seemed his favor was indeed extraordinary. He reflected privately, ‘If used correctly, this Sixth Brother would make an excellent pawn.’ With such imperial favor at his disposal, there were many ways to exploit him—especially if his relationship with the Ning family continued to sour.
The immediate priority, however, was Hu Buyu. Recommending him was one thing, but whether the man could be brought to heel was another. Bringing Hu Buyu into the court was a variable. ‘If he couldn’t be used…’ In the midst of his thoughts, a sound came from the distance, and the First Prince paused.
Less than an hour had passed, yet Hu Buyu was already emerging from the hall, accompanied by Eunuch Rong, the Emperor’s personal attendant.
The First Prince knew exactly how suspicious his Imperial Father could be.
And yet, Hu Buyu had been inside for less than an hour before being sent out?
Seeing Hu Buyu walking toward the exit, the First Prince dismissed his sedan chair and walked alongside him. “What a coincidence, Master Hu.”
Hu Buyu bowed slightly. “Your Highness.”
“I was just about to leave the palace; we are heading the same way,” the First Prince said.
The two walked toward the palace gates. Before they reached them, a voice called out from the end of the path—
“Imperial Brother.”
The First Prince looked toward the source. A few palace attendants had stopped, and standing among them was a prince wrapped in a fox-fur cloak against the cold, clutching a hand warmer. It was Ying Fusheng, who had left the Qianqing Palace not long ago.
“Sixth Brother? Why are you here?” The First Prince was surprised.
Ying Fusheng had seen them coming from a distance; his timing was perfect.
“Imperial Father was right—I am in good spirits today and thought I’d head out of the palace to find Yunfei,” Ying Fusheng explained, his gaze drifting to the background. “But I didn’t mention it in advance, so the carriage to take me out of the city hasn’t arrived yet.”
Noticing his shivering state, the First Prince said, “Next time you wish to leave the palace, send word to the Internal Affairs Office.”
“I happen to be leaving now. Let me give you a lift.”
Ying Fusheng’s face lit up with joy. “Is that alright?”
“It’s a small matter; no need for such politeness with your brother.” The First Prince beckoned him over.
Ying Fusheng walked over with his belongings. As he drew near, he acted as though he had only just noticed the other man. Seeing Hu Buyu lingering behind, he looked up slightly while clutching his hand warmer. “Is this gentleman not coming along?”
Hu Buyu looked at him upon hearing this. The First Prince immediately seized the opportunity. “Indeed. Master Hu and I have found much to discuss; as you’ve just arrived in the capital, you likely haven’t prepared a carriage. Why don’t I drop you off on the way?”
Hu Buyu’s expression remained natural, his peripheral vision fixed on Ying Fusheng. “This subject can simply walk.”
“But that would be so tiring.” The Sixth Prince tossed the comment out light as a feather, his expression one of natural, innocent curiosity. It seemed a mere casual remark, yet it gave the First Prince a perfect opening.
The First Prince followed through: “Exactly. It’s just a ride; surely you won’t decline my goodwill, Master Hu?”
Hu Buyu replied respectfully, “Since Your Highness puts it that way, this subject can only obey.”
The First Prince had just recommended Hu Buyu and noticed he held significant weight in the Emperor’s eyes. He had been worried about finding a chance to pull Hu Buyu closer. To his surprise, the opportunity arrived so quickly. His subordinates soon brought the carriage around, and the First Prince invited Hu Buyu to board.
Their actions were in plain sight. Many people were moving about the palace grounds, and the surrounding attendants and guards masked their probing stares.
Before long, news that the First Prince and Master Hu were riding out of the city together began to spread quietly.
Inside the spacious imperial carriage, there was plenty of room for the three of them.
Ying Fusheng held his hand warmer and leaned against the window, staring outside with rapt attention. This caught the First Prince’s eye, who studied his younger brother with newfound scrutiny. “Is it so interesting out there?”
“I rarely leave the palace; I haven’t seen much of the street scenery here,” Ying Fusheng said with a bashful smile. He was smiling, yet the warmth did not reach his eyes. Instead, his gaze moved past the First Prince to land on Hu Buyu.
A Hu Buyu ten-odd years younger… though middle-aged, he still dressed as a scholar. ‘So, this is what he looked like.’
The official robes looked slightly loose on him. When he narrowed his eyes and smiled, it was incredibly easy for others to drop their guard. This demeanor allowed him to navigate local government like a fish in water; people found it easy to confide in him—a true fox through and through. Compared to the few meetings they had when Ying Fusheng was imprisoned in the Cold Palace in his previous life, the younger Hu Buyu lacked that later madness. Beneath his gentle exterior, he had the air of an upright gentleman.
Neither Hu Buyu nor his wife were simple people. Ying Fusheng had used the fox-fur secret to gain Madam Hu’s trust, but the couple would surely find it strange once they spoke. He understood Hu Buyu too well—knew his roots, his methods, and his style. Even his Imperial Father might not know about the fox-fur code, yet a prince confined to the deep palace had exposed it. Because of this, Ying Fusheng knew that until the situation was fully clear, Hu Buyu would not jump to conclusions, nor would he alert anyone—including the Emperor.
And this detail was intentional on his part, because he needed Hu Buyu to be curious about him.
Hu Buyu was as sharp as they come; one should not be fooled by his surface appearance of a kind, “good old man.” There was a reason his Imperial Father had summoned this man to the capital. It was a pity that in the previous life, he had resigned before even taking office, frustrating the Emperor’s intentions and spending the subsequent years in a state of decadence.
The military pay case was merely an opening. Now that the wars had ceased, his Imperial Father had a mountain of old accounts that needed settling, and the Ministry of War was the most critical. The issue of political factions would remain the focal point of the Emperor’s efforts to balance the court for generations to come. His father wanted straightforward, loyal officials, but in the entire court, there was only the Qi family… Therefore, the person suited for the position of Vice Minister of War could not be someone stubbornly upright to the point of death; otherwise, they would just become the next Shen Changcun.
With the court in turmoil, the Imperial family needed a counterweight. No matter how much the Emperor tried to protect someone, it was hard to withstand the tide of public opinion. Too many people wanted Hu Buyu dead—it was true when he was in Anlong, and even more so now that he had faced multiple assassination attempts before even reaching the capital. What he needed now was to establish a foothold. To be a man who could please all sides and enter the tiger’s den, yet remain loyal to the Imperial family—that was the kind of person his father truly wanted.
The First Prince was a “thick thigh” to cling to; as long as that opportunity was dangled in front of Hu Buyu, that old fox would wait for the right moment to strike.
Hu Buyu noticed the gaze coming from across him. It was just a young boy, wrapped tightly in his clothes. The skin from his neck upward was a pallor rarely touched by sunlight, with the faint tracery of veins visible at his throat… He seemed nothing like the person his wife had described.
“Master Hu has just arrived in the capital; it seems you are also very interested in the world outside,” the First Prince remarked.
Hu Buyu replied, “Anlong is remote and treacherous; it naturally lacks the prosperity of the capital.”
People bustled past the carriage, and the savory scents from the street wafted inside.
Ying Fusheng leaned sideways to look out, his eyes filled with an indescribable curiosity. As the carriage slowed down—especially when passing a certain restaurant—he stared without blinking. The First Prince gave a slight wave, and someone poked their head inside the curtain. He instructed, “Go and buy some for the Sixth Prince.”
Ying Fusheng added at the right moment, “Imperial Mother said I shouldn’t eat too much.”
“Consort Ning is really something. Even if you have dietary restrictions, how can you miss out on such fine food and drink?” The First Prince spoke with a hint of reproach toward Consort Ning. Noticing that Ying Fusheng’s expression turned somewhat lonely at the mention of her, he concealed his leading tone and comforted him: “I’ll say no more. Your mother has been grounded by the Empress Dowager recently, so you must feel troubled… That restaurant over there belongs to me; the food provided to you will naturally be clean.”
Given that, Ying Fusheng had no choice but to comply.
Seeing a golden opportunity before him, the First Prince put on an air of brotherly concern and turned to Hu Buyu. “This might delay Master Hu for a moment. My sixth brother usually stays in the palace and is kept under tight watch.”
Hu Buyu nodded, saying it was no trouble.
The First Prince naturally did not waste the chance, using the delay to discuss the capital’s local customs with Hu Buyu. Ying Fusheng watched from the side, casually lifting the carriage curtain—just enough so that the sight of the two men talking harmoniously was visible to any observant eyes outside.
The two had emerged from the palace together and were now sharing a ride; countless spies were watching them along the way.
At this moment, the carriage was parked by the roadside. Onlookers wouldn’t care about the food; they would care more about how long Hu Buyu and the First Prince stayed together in that carriage.
His Imperial Brother was desperate to be tied to Hu Buyu. Even if nothing actually happened, this fact alone was enough to give others room for imagination.
Ying Fusheng maintained a leisurely expression. Using his curiosity as a cover, his peripheral vision swept across the street, casually landing on the tea houses. He noticed many pairs of eyes silently observing from within.
Suddenly, as if noticing something, he looked up.
He happened to lock eyes with someone on the second floor. The person was leaning against the window, looking down with a sword held to his chest. Qi Hanzhou stood there, showing no intention of looking away from Ying Fusheng’s probing gaze. He seemed to have just finished his shift; he was still in his official robes, looking uncharacteristically solemn. Others were there for Hu Buyu, but Ying Fusheng knew that Qi Hanzhou was watching him.
The street was bustling, but high up in the tea house, the youth stood leaning—sharp and vigilant.
He, too, was different from the man in the previous life. The fourteen-year-old Qi Hanzhou was not yet the inscrutable ruler of the North.
Ying Fusheng continued to study him, noting that the young General Qi’s brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were displeased.
“Is there something out there? If you fancy anything, I’ll send someone to buy it,” the First Prince offered.
‘That is something money likely cannot buy…’ Ying Fusheng’s gaze shifted slightly, landing on the tea house. “Is the tea house next door also yours, Imperial Brother?”
Noticing Ying Fusheng’s curious look, the First Prince followed his gaze.
Although a prince lives in the palace, his maternal clan always schemes behind him.
For instance, this entire area was the First Prince’s property. In the busy streets of the capital, where many nobles came and went, famous places like restaurants and tea houses appeared to be civilian establishments, but were actually owned by the Imperial family or other high-ranking officials.
“You aren’t so young anymore. Has the Ning family not set these things up for you?” the First Prince asked probingly.
Ying Fusheng shook his head and let the curtain fall, his face once again masked by curiosity. “How does one set up a shop like that?”
Hearing this, Hu Buyu suddenly let out a small laugh.
The First Prince, who was constantly monitoring Hu Buyu, saw the smile. “It’s just a few shops. I’ll gift you a couple another day.”
The carriage remained stopped on the street for a good while. It wasn’t until Ying Fusheng said he couldn’t eat any more that the First Prince ordered the journey to continue. They arrived first at the Hu Residence. Hu Buyu disembarked and took his leave, parting ways with the First Prince.
The First Prince personally stepped down from the carriage to see him off. “I enjoyed our conversation today. If there is a chance in the future, let us share a drink.”
Hu Buyu gave a slight nod, neither refusing nor agreeing.
The smile remained on the First Prince’s face, but inwardly he cursed the man for being ungrateful.
Inside the carriage, Ying Fusheng watched Hu Buyu enter the manor. Seeing the First Prince’s calculating expression, the curiosity he had been performing all along gradually vanished.
Ying Fusheng let the curtain fall. The young Hu Buyu was indeed a fox.
With this “push” from Ying Fusheng, Hu Buyu had quietly followed the lead.
Inside the Hu Residence, Hu Buyu turned back to look at the departing carriage as an old servant approached.
“I have just incurred a favor,” Hu Buyu remarked.
The old servant was confused. “From the First Prince? It was thanks to his help that we were able to enter the capital this time.”
Hu Buyu shook his head. “The capital is truly a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.”
With that, he stepped inside.