Upon hearing his eldest son’s request, the Emperor was stunned for a moment. Then came boundless delight. He was so overjoyed that he did not even care that the old prince was still present.
“Good!” he agreed immediately. “The Deposed Prince has committed countless crimes. He deserves the harshest punishment.”
How the ministers might argue about it no longer concerned him. All he knew was that his child had finally allowed a crack to open in the thick shell around his heart.
From the moment the child-swapping case had been uncovered after the Deposed Prince’s imprisonment until now, nearly three months had passed. More and more evidence of the Deposed Prince’s crimes had surfaced. Yet Huai’er had behaved like a clay figure devoid of emotion. He neither asked about nor cared about the Deposed Prince’s fate, as though the man’s life and death had nothing to do with him.
But the Deposed Prince had separated them for ten years. He had subjected Huai’er to endless suffering. How could he not hate him?
The Emperor had often been afraid. Afraid that his eldest son no longer possessed joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Even more afraid that he held no expectations for the future. Fortunately, things had finally begun to change. Even the smallest hint of change was enough to fill him with happiness.
Ling Yanhuai saw the delighted smile on the Emperor’s face.
When the Emperor noticed him looking, the smile faded slightly, mixed once more with the caution and apprehension Ling Yanhuai had seen countless times before.
“Thank you, Father.” Ling Yanhuai lowered his head and stopped looking at him.
The Emperor wanted to pat his son’s shoulder. But when he reached out, he hesitated. Staring at the jade crown atop his son’s head, he tried to gauge whether he was in a good mood or a bad one. In the end, he withdrew his hand. Almost unconsciously, he reached toward the pouch at his waist. Then he remembered.
His eldest son had left his side at the age of two years and ten months. Long ago, he had outgrown the age when a child would reach for his father’s pouch and curiously ask what was inside.
The Emperor clenched the pouch tightly in his hand. Doing his best to make his smile appear gentle, he said: “You are my son. There’s no need to thank me for something so small.”
Father and son fell silent once again.
“Your Highness is concerned for the nation and its people and speaks on behalf of the common folk,” the old prince broke in. “Such a prince is a blessing to the people, and a blessing to Great An itself.”
The old prince saw that the atmosphere was growing more and more awkward, so he spoke up to break the silence. Next time, he really ought to move a little faster. Then he wouldn’t have to stay behind and rescue conversations like this.
The old prince’s words struck right at the Emperor’s heart.
“Great-Uncle flatters him,” the Emperor said happily.
His mouth claimed it was flattery, but his eyes were completely honest. They remained fixed on the old prince, clearly waiting for more praise.
For a moment, the old prince was at a loss for words. To be fair, he neither particularly liked nor disliked Prince Ruining. He even felt some sympathy for his childhood misfortunes. Yet their closest interaction had happened only yesterday.
Prince Ruining had visited his residence for less time than it took to drink two cups of tea, during which he made three or four requests.
None of them had been major matters, so the old prince had agreed to every one.
That tiny amount of interaction simply could not support the Emperor’s enormous expectations for further compliments.
Remembering that the Emperor seemed inclined to bring Prince Ruining into court affairs, he added: “Once His Highness begins participating in government, he will surely help Your Majesty shoulder many burdens.”
Enter government affairs? Ling Yanhuai raised his head. His eyes met the Emperor’s, filled with pride and expectation.
“Father, your son lacks both talent and ability. For now, I am not fit to participate in government affairs.” He lowered his head again.
The smile on the Emperor’s face faltered briefly before returning. “That’s all right. If you don’t wish to enter government service yet, we can discuss it after spring arrives and the weather grows warmer.”
The old prince silently rubbed his leg. Next time he needed to be quicker on his feet and stop lingering around to watch excitement unfold.
See? Now everyone felt awkward.
Fortunately, the Emperor’s tolerance toward his children was practically limitless. It did not take long for him to cheer himself up.
Not only did he cheer himself up, but he also bestowed many rewards on Prince Ruining and lavishly praised him for caring about the welfare of the people.
Officials who secretly wished to support Prince Luo began asking around what Prince Ruining had done to earn such lavish praise from the Emperor.
Unfortunately, the attendants around the Emperor kept their lips sealed tighter than clams.
As for the old prince, he returned home and immediately closed his doors to visitors, citing a flare-up of his old rheumatism.
“Yun Qiya!”
Yun Qiya had only just reached the vicinity of the Marquis Chengping residence when someone blocked her path.
“Where have you been running off to lately? I can never find you these days!” Lu Mingzhu threw open the carriage curtain with considerable force and glared at her unhappily.
Yun Qiya froze. Now that she thought about it, she really hadn’t gone to see Lu Mingzhu at all during the past half month.
“Elder Sister Mingzhu.” Seeing that Lu Mingzhu was angry, she hurried over to the carriage in a few quick steps and looked up at her, a bright smile spreading across her face. “You came looking for me?”
“Wh-Who came looking for you?” Faced with that cheerful smiling face, half of Lu Mingzhu’s anger immediately disappeared. “I was just passing by.”
“Oh.” The uplifted head drooped at once. “I thought Elder Sister Mingzhu missed me.” Her voice sounded pitifully dejected.
Seeing her wilted appearance, Lu Mingzhu felt oddly uncomfortable. Keeping a stern expression, she said, “Get in. I’ll take you out to eat.”
“Thank you, Elder Sister Mingzhu!” The drooping head instantly sprang back up. Like a flower just watered, she looked dazzlingly cheerful and impossible not to like.
“Hurry up and get in.” Pulling Yun Qiya into the carriage, Lu Mingzhu eyed her suspiciously. “You haven’t been visiting Sister Song either. What exactly have you been busy with recently?”
Sneaking into the Imperial Clan Court by clinging to a powerful patron wasn’t something one could casually tell others.
Yun Qiya wrapped an arm around Lu Mingzhu’s and laughed. “There have been some family matters to take care of.”
“Really?” Lu Mingzhu still looked doubtful. “I was starting to think you’d found yourself some new sisters or friends.”
“Mhm, mhm!” Yun Qiya nodded without the slightest trace of guilt. “In the entire capital, you and Sister Song are my very best sisters.”
After all, Ling Shou’an was her little partner, not a sister. Therefore, she wasn’t lying. Yun Qiya’s reasoning was impeccable, and her confidence equally so.
“Who’s being good sisters with a little country bumpkin like you?” Lu Mingzhu muttered under her breath.
Even so, she made no move to pull her arm out of Yun Qiya’s embrace. Tsk. This little bumpkin is awfully clingy.
As the carriage rolled slowly through the streets, two men dressed like traveling merchants emerged from a nearby alley.
“Lu Mingzhu only met with Yun Qiya again after half a month. What kind of close friendship is that?”
“Lu Mingzhu has always been withdrawn and never takes the initiative to befriend people. The fact that she personally came to the Yun residence to look for someone is enough to prove Yun Qiya is special.”
“I see.”
“Then we can proceed with the next stage of our plan. The Yun family’s eldest branch is capable and accomplished, but the second branch is uneducated and lacking in ambition. If we want to get close to them, all we need is profit.”
Gold and silver were more than enough to turn fools into their most useful tools.
“Hiss.” Yun Qiya touched her ear. Why did the tip of it suddenly feel so hot?
“You run around all day. You’ve probably frostbitten your ears.” Lu Mingzhu set a bowl of hot soup in front of her, reached out to touch her reddened ear, and instructed a maid to fetch some salve.
“Or maybe somebody’s talking about me behind my back.” Yun Qiya picked up the bowl and took a sip. Immediately, she launched into effusive praise.
“As expected of the soup personally brought to me by Elder Sister Mingzhu. It’s as exquisite as nectar from the heavens, leaving a fragrant aftertaste that lingers on the lips.”
“You little flatterer.” The corners of Lu Mingzhu’s mouth shot upward uncontrollably, though she stubbornly continued resisting. “Don’t think saying things like that will win me over.”
A maid quietly looked away. Miss, if you’d just stop smiling so cheaply, that statement might actually be convincing.
“What flattery?” Yun Qiya shook her head.
“These are heartfelt words. The sun and moon may bear witness to them. Not a hint of falsehood is mixed in.”
“Hmph.” This time, even Lu Mingzhu couldn’t keep up her stubborn front.
The maid quietly hid in a corner and laughed. When women started sweet-talking each other, what role was left for men? If some young nobleman wanted to win their young lady’s favor in the future, and his tongue wasn’t as sweet as Miss Yun’s, he would probably have no chance at all.
Yun Zhongsheng spent over half a month behaving himself at the marquis’s residence. Only after sorting out the capital’s current web of relationships and interests did he finally take his birdcage and go visit the dandified friends he had known in his younger days.
A wastrel in youth was called a young wastrel. A wastrel in middle age was called an old wastrel.
Though they had not seen each other for years, shared interests were powerful enough to overcome the distance of time. Within two days, Yun Zhongsheng was getting along with his old companions as if they had never been apart.
“I heard His Majesty wanted Prince Ruining to participate in court affairs, but Prince Ruining refused.”
“What’s so fun about governing? If it were me, I’d refuse too.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. His family actually has a throne to inherit!”
“Ahem, ahem. Let’s all say a little less and drink more.”
After gathering with his friends and comparing the birds each of them kept, Yun Zhongsheng strolled home carrying his birdcage. Along the way, he bought a few things as gifts for the old marquis, the old marchioness, and his beloved elder brother.
“Ow!” An elderly man accidentally bumped into him and knocked over his birdcage.
“My apologies, my apologies!” The old man was richly dressed and clearly not short of money. “This old fellow wasn’t watching where he was going. Please forgive me, honored sir.”
Yun Zhongsheng glanced at the overturned birdcage, then at the old man, who apologized profusely and even insisted on treating him to tea to make amends. He picked up the birdcage and nodded. “In that case, I shall graciously accept.”
It wasn’t every day he met someone so determined to compensate him. The least he could do was oblige.
Two hours later, Yun Qiya returned home. The first thing she saw was her father dividing up a pile of silver with her mother.
“Father,” she asked, “did you go sweet-talk Eldest Uncle into giving you money again?”
“This silver has nothing to do with your eldest uncle.” Seeing his daughter come home, Yun Zhongsheng reluctantly divided off another small portion of the money and handed it to her.
“Today, someone knocked over my birdcage and the bird inside flew away, so he compensated me with this pouch of silver.”
“Father, if I remember correctly, that birdcage was woven by the gatekeeper, and the bird was one you caught with a grain trap.” Yun Qiya swiftly pocketed the silver. “Was it really worth this much?”
That wasn’t a fool being taken advantage of. That was outright blindness.
“I don’t care what he was after. Silver delivered to my doorstep is still silver.” Yun Zhongsheng crossed his legs, feeling extremely pleased. “As long as I stay home for a while, there’ll be nothing he can do about it.”
On the first day, the old man passed by the Yun residence’s front gate.
Yun Zhongsheng did not go out. On the fifth day, he still stayed inside. On the eighth day, he finally went out, but used the back gate. On the eleventh day, he went out again, but this time he used neither the front gate nor the back gate. He climbed over the wall.
By the thirteenth day, a man was squatting beside that wall from dawn until dusk. Rubbing his sore, numb legs, he asked, “Teacher, are we still waiting?”
The old man wore a dark expression. “We’re done waiting. Let’s go back and come again tomorrow!”
There was no way he was going to let his two hundred and fifty taels of silver go to waste. That wastrel from the Yun family’s second branch was a complete blockhead too. If all else failed, he would just have to approach someone else. He remembered that Yun Qiya’s mother owned a silk shop on the western side of the city. The Yun family’s second branch loved money.
The old man refused to believe that after he had already paid that wastrel such a large sum of silver, and then spent lavishly buying goods from the silk shop owned by Yun Qiya’s mother, the members of the second branch wouldn’t be tempted. Sooner or later, someone from the Yun family’s second branch would take the bait.