Mu Jue was in the courtyard of the side hall playing with Fireball.
The Internal Affairs Bureau had sent him some cat toys—a long string with beautiful feathers tied to the end and a few woven yarn balls.
Fireball chased the feathers all around the yard with joy. Mu Jue eventually tossed one of the yarn balls.
“Fireball, go get it.”
The little white cat gave a “miau,” and bolted out of the courtyard like an arrow.
Mu Jue sat on the stone steps and snacked on some dried fruit. He had eaten two pieces and Fireball still hadn’t returned. Just as he stood up to look for the cat, he saw Lu Shiting walking in.
The man wasn’t wearing his official uniform. Instead, he wore a deep black robe with rolling cloud patterns and a green jade belt. Against the dark fabric, his handsome features looked like cold jade carved from frost and snow.
If it weren’t for the Imperial Guards in their flying-fish uniforms following him, one might have mistaken him for a young nobleman from a prestigious family out for a ride in the capital.
In his hand, he was dangled the little white cat. Fireball had been caught by the scruff of the neck; its limbs were curled up obediently, and it didn’t move an inch.
Mu Jue walked over. “Chief Lu?”
Cao Yi had said Lu Shiting was busy with an urgent case. How did he have the time to come here?
“I have come to see Your Highness regarding your trip out of the palace the day after tomorrow.”
Mu Jue listened quietly.
“The day after tomorrow, no matter where the Ninth Prince invites you, you must agree to go.”
Mu Jue glanced at Lu Shiting, feeling a bit lost. The man offered no explanation, but he also left no room for refusal.
He nodded. “Alright.”
After a moment of hesitation, he asked, “And the hidden guards you promised me earlier, Chief?”
“Your Highness will be perfectly safe.”
“I understand.” Mu Jue reached out tentatively, wanting to take Fireball back from Lu Shiting.
As soon as the cat was back in his arms, it became restless. With a struggle, it jumped to the ground and actually walked over to Lu Shiting’s feet, affectionately rubbing its fur against his boots.
Mu Jue was surprised. “Who is the one feeding you dried meat every day? You heartless little thing.”
Lu Shiting didn’t seem to mind, letting Fireball cover his boots in cat hair.
Speaking of food…
“Chief Lu, did you try the dried fruit I asked Commander Cao to bring you?”
Lu Shiting glanced at him indifferently. “I tried it. It looks quite ugly.”
“As long as it tastes good, that’s what matters,” Mu Jue whispered. “I’ve made a new batch. Do you want more, Chief?”
Lu Shiting stayed in the side hall for a cup of tea and a few pastries. Before leaving, he didn’t say whether he wanted the fruit or not.
However, as they left, Cao Yi kept looking back and making faces.
He mouthed the words: Your Highness, make more dried fruit and send it over!
Mu Jue returned a knowing smile.
Even now, he didn’t know exactly what Lu Shiting wanted him to do. But on the day he left the palace, he expected he would return safely.
The next day, he took Xia Ming to the palace gates, where the Ninth Prince’s carriage was already waiting.
Since they were traveling incognito, they couldn’t wear royal attire.
Mu Jue had removed all his expensive jade accessories and wore only a plain white robe. His dark hair was neatly bound with a jade crown, making his features look as clear and cool as a painting.
He boarded the carriage. The Ninth Prince was lying lazily on soft cushions, popping grapes into his mouth one by one. Seeing Mu Jue arrive, he reluctantly moved over to make a little room.
The driver cracked the whip, and the carriage rumbled toward the city.
“I’m going to the East Street to watch the acrobatics first. After that, we’ll go to Xiao Yun Restaurant for drinks and food, and then to the tailor shop to pick out silk for my mother. Stay close to me. If you get lost, I won’t send anyone to find you.”
Mu Jue nodded. When the carriage reached the busy market, he lifted the curtain to look outside.
The roads were lined with shouting street vendors and rows of shops. Workers stood at the entrances, warmly greeting passing customers.
Perhaps because the Northern Di envoys were in the capital, there were many people dressed in Northern Di clothing on the streets.
“Candied haws! Sweet and sour haws, two copper coins a stick!”
“Rouge! Fresh rouge! Bring a box home for your lady!”
“Come one, come all! We are an acrobatic troupe from the north! If you have money, please tip us; if not, just give us your support!”
“Stop here,” the Ninth Prince said, jumping off the carriage. “Hey, I’m going to buy snacks and watch the show. If you’re not coming, stay in the carriage.”
Mu Jue had noticed a small shop selling Jiangnan-style pastries not far back.
He and Xia Ming got off the carriage together. The Ninth Prince had already ignored them, taking his servants and squeezing into the crowd watching the acrobats.
“Your… Young Master, shall we go buy some pastries?”
“Yes. I heard the chef at that shop is from Jiangnan. My mother would have liked them. We’ll buy some for ourselves and bring some back.”
“You got it, Young Master!”
Mu Jue bought two large bags of pastries. He shared one with Xia Ming and carefully tucked the other away.
On the way back, he noticed a fork in the road where the crowd was particularly thick. He glanced over.
In the distance stood a three-story restaurant with a steady stream of guests. The sign in front featured elegant calligraphy that read “Xiao Yun Restaurant.”
“Young Master, that must be the restaurant the Ninth Prince mentioned. It looks very grand.”
Tassels hung from the eaves of Xiao Yun Restaurant, and a colorful decorative arch made of long wooden poles stood out front, faintly showing carvings of mountains, birds, and fish.
As they spoke, several carriages stopped at the entrance. A line of graceful women dressed in colorful silk dresses stepped down.
Xia Ming said, “Young Master, those look like carriages from a brothel. Someone must be hosting a banquet and invited the girls to keep them company.”
Mu Jue’s mother had been a singer in Jiangnan. She had performed her art but did not sell her body, and she only entered that life because her family was poor and her parents forced her.
He knew that many of these girls had no other choice.
The restaurant area grew even louder.
He looked away. “Don’t look. Let’s go.”
They returned to the carriage and waited an hour before the Ninth Prince returned with his servants, who were carrying a pile of trinkets.
“Let’s go, let’s go. I’m starving! Is the private room at Xiao Yun Restaurant ready?”
“Everything is arranged, Your Highness.”
As soon as they stepped out of the carriage, they heard the sound of flutes and string instruments coming from inside. A glimpse of a dancer’s colorful skirt fluttered past the Ninth Prince, leaving behind a thick scent of incense.
Mu Jue instinctively took a few steps back. The Ninth Prince turned around with a sneer.
“They’re just some brothel girls performing for the guests in the private rooms. What’s with that face, Sixth Brother? Could it be you’ve never touched a woman and are still a virgin?”
In the royal family, princes were usually taught about “men and women’s affairs” by specific palace maids when they turned fourteen, but Mu Jue clearly had not been.
He pursed his lips, suppressed the slight discomfort in his heart, and followed the Ninth Prince into the restaurant.