Mu Jue held “Fireball” in his arms, stroking the little white cat’s fur along its spine. The kitten lay obediently on his lap, its paws playfully batting at the jade pendant hanging from the youth’s waist.
Fireball’s diet had improved significantly of late. With plenty of fish and meat to eat, it had grown a size larger, its soft fur as fluffy as a dandelion. It was warm to hold, like a living hand-warmer.
“Your Highness, Consort Li has finished her dinner.”
Mu Jue nodded and rose, gesturing for Xia Ming to bring a book as they headed to his mother’s quarters. Consort Li showed no reaction to his entrance; her eyes remained dull as she ate her pastries.
Mu Jue pulled up a chair and sat beside her. As was his habit before she retired for the night, he would come to say a few words, even though she never responded.
“Mother,” he began, opening the book as usual. “I have been studying at the Hall of Literary Brilliance these past few days and have learned many new texts. Would you like to hear them?”
Cradling the kitten, he turned the page. The book Xia Ming had brought was the Classic of Poetry. The candlelight reflected off the youth’s clear, jade-like face as he recited in a slow, gentle voice:
“Green is your collar, deep is my longing. Though I do not go to you, why do you send no word? Green is your jade pendant, deep is my thought.”
Consort Li’s eyes flickered. Her focus seemed to shift toward him or more accurately, toward the book in his hands. She listened quietly as he read for nearly an hour, without screaming, crying, or driving him away.
Mu Jue took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and checked the time.
“Mother, it is time for you to rest. If you enjoy hearing me read these poems, I will come every day.”
As he stood to leave, she let out a series of urgent, raspy sounds and reached out for him, as if asking for something. Mu Jue tried pouring a cup of water, but she pushed it away.
“Your Highness, perhaps Her Ladyship wants that copy of the Classic of Poetry…”
Mu Jue handed the book over. Consort Li clutched it to her chest as if it were a priceless treasure. Then, she actually looked up and gave him a faint, fleeting smile.
The youth’s eyes widened, but he soon realized the smile was just that—a momentary flash. Holding the book tight, she walked toward her bed, her expression a confusing mix of laughter and tears, not sparing him another glance.
“Your Highness! Her Ladyship reacted! If you read to her every day, perhaps her illness will truly get better soon!”
Mu Jue turned his face toward Xia Ming. “She smiled at me just now. You saw it too, right?”
“I saw it, I saw it… Perhaps she remembered something about holding you and reading to you when you were little.”
He was more than willing to believe this hope; it felt like a dream he could finally touch. Mu Jue nodded, the smile in his peach-blossom eyes so deep it nearly overflowed into the night.
“I will find more books. I’ll read to her every single day.”
The next morning at the Hall of Literary Brilliance, Mu Jue saw that the Ninth Prince who had skipped the previous day was already seated behind his desk.
The youth cautiously inspected his desk and the books he had left behind. He feared that due to a moment of negligence, a dead rat or toad might fall out of his pages the moment the Preceptor arrived.
“Hey.”
Mu Jue looked up at the sound of the Ninth Prince’s voice. The boy was facing away from him, but he was clearly the one being addressed.
“Hey. Brother Crown Prince said I could go out of the palace to play in a few days. Do you want to come?”
Mu Jue was stunned, then quickly shook his head.
“You’re just worried I’ll play a trick on you,” the Ninth Prince huffed. “If it weren’t for Brother Crown Prince insisting I ask or else he’d make me memorize texts, I wouldn’t have bothered. Come or don’t come, I don’t care. It’s better if you don’t!”
The Ninth Prince snorted and turned back to a study partner. “You heard him. It’s Sixth Brother himself who doesn’t want to go. Go tell Brother Crown Prince at the Eastern Palace; this can’t be blamed on me.”
Mu Jue hesitated. “…Will the Crown Prince be going?”
“Brother Crown Prince is busy with state affairs. How could he have time to play outside? I’ll be taking my own attendants. It’s obvious you’ve never seen the world outside.”
The Ninth Prince then began chatting with his partner about what they would do. They spoke of street snacks and folk toys Mu Jue had never even heard of.
“A new style of silk has arrived from the Jiangnan region,” the partner suggested. “Should Your Highness take a look? If you buy a few bolts for the Empress, she will surely praise your filial piety.”
The Ninth Prince hummed in satisfaction. “Naturally. If I don’t coax my mother, she’ll start nagging again about how I’m not as good at studying as my brother.”
“But Your Highness excels at riding and archery; the Empress always praises that.”
“As long as Brother Crown Prince is here, what does it matter if I can’t study? When I go to my fief in the future, won’t he and Mother arrange advisors for me? I won’t do those annoying chores.”
The partner’s lip twitched. “…Your Highness is right.”
Mu Jue had little interest in the acrobatics or the restaurants, but he truly wanted to buy some new silk for his mother. She had lived in Jiangnan before entering the palace; perhaps he could find other things unique to her homeland there. She would surely love it.
Besides… he could take Xia Ming. He would just buy the silk with the Ninth Prince and come back immediately. It would take two or three hours at most.
Mu Jue said softly, “I must trouble the Ninth Prince to tell the Crown Prince that…”
“That you want to go?” The Ninth Prince frowned, the baby fat on his cheeks tightening. “I knew it. You act all high and mighty by refusing first, only to give in. I don’t know why Brother Crown Prince even cares about you!”
When the morning lessons ended, Mu Jue informed the Preceptor that he would be leaving the palace in a few days and requested a half-day’s leave. After getting approval, he returned to his desk and saw a flash of deep, chilling crimson on the path outside the window.
The same color looked bright and bold on a flowering branch, but on Lu Shiting, it only brought to mind the clotted blood on the floors of the Depot prison.
Mu Jue laid out several food boxes. When Lu Shiting entered with his agents, Mu Jue handed the boxes out one by one. Cao Yi looked at the box pressed into his hands; it looked no different from the Director’s. He held it like a hot potato, stammering.
“This Sixth Highness… this… Director, may I?”
Could he actually take it?
Lu Shiting glanced at his subordinates, who were silently swallowing their saliva. “It is a reward from the Sixth Prince. Take it.”
Cao Yi chirped an acknowledgement and hurried to the next room to eat.
Having eaten with Lu Shiting once before, Mu Jue efficiently set out the utensils. He waited for the man to move his chopsticks first, then immediately began eating with focus. Today’s lunch included his favorites: kumquat rice dumplings and roasted flower duck.
The youth stole a few glances at Lu Shiting. Seeing that the man hadn’t touched the roasted duck at all, Mu Jue immediately scooped the most tender piece of meat onto his own plate. Later, he used his chopsticks to wrap the crispy duck skin around his rice and ate it in one big bite.
Lu Shiting watched the Sixth Prince’s little maneuvers with a blank expression. Since the start of the meal, the boy had been watching him. But it wasn’t to see what he liked so he could serve him politely. Instead, the boy was observing what Lu Shiting didn’t like—like a starving wolf cub that had successfully stolen a scrap, he immediately dragged the “unwanted” food toward himself.
The plate of roasted duck had started in the middle of the table. By the end of the meal, the “wolf cub” had moved it right in front of himself, and it was nearly empty.
Mu Jue only stopped when he was slightly overfull. Since the Imperial Kitchen realized Lu Shiting ate with him daily, the meals they prepared were comparable to the Emperor’s. But there were too many dishes, more than a dozen and the two of them couldn’t finish them. So, Mu Jue simply divided them up and put the extras in boxes for Cao Yi and the others.
“Director Lu, have you finished?”
Lu Shiting nodded and wiped his hands. Seeing him finish, the “wolf cub” immediately snatched up the last two kumquat rice dumplings.
Lu Shiting narrowed his eyes slightly. Outside, Cao Yi and the agents had finished their meal and hurried back to their posts.
“Director.”
“Mhm. Let us go.”
Mu Jue, biting into a rice dumpling, escorted them out of the classroom. He spoke to Cao Yi first. “In the future, when you accompany the Director, you may all have lunch here.”
Several sets of eyes turned toward Lu Shiting. After the Director gave a nod, the men bowed. “We thank the Sixth Prince for the reward.”
Mu Jue then turned to Lu Shiting. “Director, I will be leaving the palace in a few days to buy some fabric for my mother. I likely won’t be able to bring you lunch that day.”
Actually, eating with Lu Shiting was quite nice. The man didn’t talk, and their food preferences were exact opposites. The man didn’t touch what Mu Jue loved, and he ate what Mu Jue didn’t care for. No food was wasted; it was perfect!
The youth didn’t realize that a hint of regret had crept into his voice. The regret that missing a lunch with Director Lu meant missing a plate of roasted duck.
Lu Shiting suddenly let out a low laugh. “Very well. Would the Prince like me to send a few Imperial Guards in plain clothes to accompany you?”
Mu Jue had been worried about potential mishaps outside the palace. Hearing this, he agreed instantly. “How many men can the Director spare?”
Cao Yi’s eyelids twitched. He felt as if his future lunches had just grown wings and flown away—one didn’t often get to eat food from the Imperial Kitchen even at the Eastern Depot!
However, his master’s mood seemed quite decent today.
“As many as the Sixth Prince desires. Cao Yi, you shall handle this matter.”