The Pearl in the Palm – Chapter 5
After entering the palace, Ye Jiayou did not sit together with Ye Fu’an. The young scions of the imperial Zhao clan and the heirs of several vassal kings were all gathered there; being roughly the same age, they usually mixed and played together. Right now, while the adults drank at the banquet inside, they sat around the outer banquet tables, joking and laughing.
Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept past. Ye Jiayou and the Prince of Chen’s heir beside him lifted their heads to see a remarkably tall man striding over, heading toward the inner hall.
Ye Jiayou had seen all the high officials and noble dignitaries in the capital, yet he had never laid eyes on the man before him—a man with striking, handsome features, an aura of supreme, majestic nobility, and an undercurrent of chilling authority.
However, watching this man enter the imperial palace about to face the Emperor, yet still wearing a black-gold curved blade at his waist, accompanied by Crown Prince Zhao Yun on his left and trailed by two head eunuchs that even ordinary concubines had to curry favor with, Ye Jiayou easily deduced that this was the Prince of Qin from Xianzhou.
Ti Xiao paid absolutely no mind to the dozen or so little brats outside. He was just about to walk past when, sweeping a casual glance over Ye Jiayou, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
This young master, with his picturesque brows and exquisite features, held a three-part resemblance to the Ye family daughter he had seen that night.
Ti Xiao asked, “Is this the Ye family’s legitimate son?”
Crown Prince Zhao Yun had no idea why his uncle was suddenly asking about this, but he stopped as well and waved Ye Jiayou over.
Zhao Yun patted Ye Jiayou on the shoulder and said to Ti Xiao, “He is the Ye family’s legitimate son, named Ye Jiayou.”
He then turned to Ye Jiayou. “Brother Ye, this is the Prince of Qin.”
Ye Jiayou bowed respectfully. “Your Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness the Prince of Qin.”
Zhao Yun and Ye Jiayou weren’t actually that familiar with each other. Zhao Yun was now seventeen or eighteen, while Ye Jiayou was only seven or eight. With the age gap sitting right there, and considering Ye Fu’an wasn’t part of the Crown Prince’s faction, the two rarely interacted on normal days.
Seeing Ye Jiayou’s delicate and handsome face, Zhao Yun assumed the boy lacked courage. Ti Xiao had a cold face and a heavy, murderous aura that terrified plenty of children, so Zhao Yun smiled gently and said, “Brother Ye, you don’t need to be so timid. According to seniority, when you see the Prince of Qin, you really ought to call him Uncle.”
Ti Xiao’s eyebrows slightly ticked up. “Yun’er, in your eyes, am I already that old? A child this big has to call me Uncle when he sees me?”
Zhao Yun: “…”
If not Uncle, then what? He had just called Ye Jiayou ‘Brother’ a moment ago. He couldn’t exactly have Ye Jiayou calling Ti Xiao ‘Brother’ too, could he?
Zhao Yun took more after his mother, the current Empress Ti. He was gentle and elegant, and his smile made people feel like they were bathing in a spring breeze. Chuckling, Zhao Yun looked at Ye Jiayou, waiting to see how the boy would smooth over the awkwardness.
Ye Jiayou replied smoothly, “His Highness the Prince of Qin is as vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger, and not old in age at all. Standing next to His Highness the Crown Prince, you look just like brothers; it is merely that your seniority is higher, that’s all.”
Ti Xiao slipped off the string of small-leaf red sandalwood prayer beads he was wearing today and placed it right into Ye Jiayou’s hand. “Quite the silver tongue for someone so young.”
Ye Jiayou politely thanked him.
Before leaving, Ti Xiao took two more lingering looks at Ye Jiayou, while his mind vividly conjured up Ye Lizhu’s stunningly pure and bewitching face.
He had already sent people to investigate, but hadn’t managed to dig up Ye Lizhu’s name. Ordinary people on the outside didn’t know it, as the Ye estate’s upbringing was incredibly strict. How could the Eldest Miss’s name be casually thrown around for just anyone to hear? Even now, Ti Xiao had no idea what Ye Lizhu was called.
Only after Ti Xiao and the Crown Prince went inside did Ye Jiayou sit back down. He tucked the small-leaf red sandalwood beads into his sleeve and took a sip of fruit wine.
The Prince of Chen’s heir leaned in close. “How does it feel to be personally graced by the Prince of Qin?”
Ye Jiayou shoved the heir’s head away. “How do you think it feels? I’ll pray the Prince of Qin personally graces you next time.”
The Prince of Chen’s heir let out a loud laugh. “When he stopped in front of you just now, my heart practically leaped into my throat! Jiayou, did you see that blade at his waist? I heard it’s a peerless, ominous weapon forged from dark gold and phoenix stone, ranking first among all weapons under heaven. Even from this far away, I could feel the freezing aura radiating off his blade.”
Ye Jiayou warned, “We are inside the imperial palace, with eyes and ears everywhere. You should speak a little less.”
The Prince of Chen’s heir chuckled for a bit before suddenly slinging an arm around Ye Jiayou’s neck. “Are we brothers or not?”
“Naturally we are brothers. Just say what you want to say,” Ye Jiayou replied.
The heir said, “I heard from my father that your older sister has returned… Jiayou, in half a month, my second sister is inviting a few young ladies to view the flowers in the Plum Garden. Bring your sister over to look at flowers and drink some tea together.”
Smack! Ye Jiayou slapped the heir’s hand right off. “Go dream your daydreams! Where would you find plum blossoms in the month of May? Produce one for me to see! If you’re going to spin a lie, at least spin a realistic one.”
The heir whined, “Ah—Jiayou, you have to let your sister integrate into the capital’s circle of noble ladies eventually! How will she integrate if she doesn’t come out to play?”
Ye Jiayou smirked. “My sister was born a golden-branched noble lady. Do you mean to say that if she doesn’t play with you all, she’ll lose her status? My father said her constitution is fragile, so she truly cannot casually go out right now. However, for the sake of our brotherhood, I’ll go back and ask for my sister’s wishes, and have someone pass you a message another day.”
Though Ye Jiayou was young, he wasn’t ignorant. The Prime Minister’s estate had suddenly gained an Eldest Miss; naturally, everyone else wanted the news firsthand to see if she was truly as sickly as the rumors claimed. If her health was decent, the suitors coming to propose marriage would definitely trample the Ye family’s threshold flat.
Without his father’s permission, Ye Jiayou would absolutely never bring his sister out to meet people.
The night banquet ended swiftly, and Ye Jiayou followed Ye Fu’an back home.
Ye Fu’an’s complexion looked quite good. He chuckled, “The Prince of Qin won’t stay in the capital for long; this trip is just for the annual tribute. Having him sit in the hall truly sends a chill down people’s spines. You brat, I heard that before the Prince of Qin went in, he stopped to speak with you?”
“He was merely giving face to you, Father, casually exchanging a few pleasantries with your son,” Ye Jiayou replied. “It wasn’t anything important. Oh, here, he casually gifted me a string of beads, it’s quite precious.”
Ye Fu’an sighed, “Just look at the Prince of Qin! Nine feet tall, as bright as the sun and moon, capable in both pen and sword! Today in the hall, he lectured the Second Prince so thoroughly the boy couldn’t speak a word, cursing people out without using a single dirty word, nearly angering that old fool Deng—who supports the Second Prince—to death! Then I look at you. You practice the sword halfway and give up, you ride a horse halfway and fall off…”
Ye Jiayou shot back, “Since the Prince of Qin is so perfect, you should just have him be your son.”
Ye Fu’an blew on his beard and glared. “Absolute nonsense! That is the Empress’s own blood brother, where would I find the spare lives to have him call me Dad?!” —Having Ti Xiao, this cold-blooded King of Hell, call him Dad would truly cost a man his life.
Ye Jiayou laughed, “Your son was just joking! The Prince of Qin is so much older than me, we aren’t even of the same generation. Dad, how can you compare us? Out of everyone in the court, how many can compare to him? In my heart, only you are more formidable than he is.”
Once they arrived home, Ye Jiayou hopped off the carriage. “Dad, Zhuzhu should be awake by now, right? I specifically brought a packet of pastries from the palace for her to eat.”
“Call her Sister!” Ye Fu’an scolded. “Show some manners later, lest your sister laugh at you.”
Yet, when he finally reached her door, Ye Jiayou actually found himself hesitating, suddenly too anxious to go inside.
Since he was little, he had heard everyone talk about this sister raised in a temple, and Ye Fu’an was constantly praising Ye Lizhu, saying “Zhuzhu this” and “Zhuzhu that” all day long.
Ye Jiayou desperately wanted to meet Ye Lizhu. He had lost his mother right after birth. Madam Wu appeared to care for him but didn’t genuinely love him, and the other two concubines only feared and respected him. Ye Jiayou desperately wanted to know if this older sister, born of the exact same father and mother, would truly love him.
Translator’s Anecdote: You know a man is already completely doomed when he starts bribing a seven-year-old with priceless royal beads just because the kid shares thirty percent of his future wife’s facial features.