The bandit suppression at Jiulan Mountain had dragged on without any major developments. The emperor issued five consecutive imperial edicts, urging Zhou Jin to complete the bandit suppression as soon as possible.
“Prince, should we speed up our actions?”
“It looks like the emperor is getting anxious.”
Song Xingzhi was worried that Prince Duan would anger the emperor over this matter. Everyone knew that Prince Duan was in a difficult situation, beset by enemies on both sides.
Zhou Jin lowered his eyes, gazing indifferently at the book in his hands. His ink-black long hair hung loosely over his shoulders; he had clearly just bathed.
“No. Proceed according to plan.”
The bandit suppression could not be rushed. Judging from the experience of Baiqu County’s previous failed attempts at bandit suppression, there must be a traitor among the local officials.
Without rooting out this traitor, it would be difficult to achieve complete success in the bandit suppression.
Zhou Jin dismissed Song Xingzhi, then stood alone before the window, gazing at the moon in the sky.
Today was his birthday, yet no one remembered.
The emperor’s five consecutive imperial edicts had only been intended to urge him to carry out the bandit suppression.
Zhou Jin gave a self-mocking laugh. Indeed, no one had expected anything of him since the day he was born. Who would remember his birthday?
His mother, Consort Jing, hated the emperor and her own son to the core. She had originally been the empress, yet had fallen to the rank of consort.
The emperor had killed her childhood sweetheart husband and children, ravished her, and even made her give birth to a bastard. How could Consort Jing not hate him?
“You bastard, why did my Qin Lü not survive, while you did?”
“Whenever I look at that face of yours, I feel sick.”
“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you.”
Zhou Jin painfully closed his eyes, unwilling to recall the past. Often, in his dreams, he would become that barefoot child once more—a child dressed in a single garment, standing in the heavy snow with wounds covering his body.
Everyone was plotting against him, including his Princess Consort of Prince Duan.
Once, Zhou Jin had hoped to find a princess consort with whom he was truly compatible, unwilling to repeat the tragedy of the previous generation.
But the emperor did not give him that opportunity. He designated the xu family's daughter as his Principal Consort, using her to suppress him.
The xu family's daughter, then. If they could not become childhood sweethearts, treating each other with mutual respect as honored guests would do.
Who would have thought that a marriage he had already been dissatisfied with would turn into a farce?
What did it matter if he could strategize on the battlefield? He was still manipulated by others all the same.
Zhou Jin closed the window, shutting the moon outside.
He was surrounded by darkness. If he was destined to have no light, then he would grow accustomed to the darkness.
He would ascend that supreme position and hold everyone firmly in the palm of his hand.
“Knock, knock. Prince Duan, are you resting?”
It was Zhang San’s voice. What did she want with him at this late hour?
The lamp inside had already been extinguished. Zhou Jin did not wish to see anyone at that moment, so he made no reply.
“Prince Duan, are you asleep?”
“Prince Duan?”
Zhou Jin was somewhat speechless. Even if he had already fallen asleep, Zhang San’s repeated questions would have woken him.
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
The dagger in Zhou Jin’s hand glimmered coldly in the darkness.
By the faint candlelight, Xu Bao’er entered with her head poking through the doorway, holding a candle in one hand and a bowl of longevity noodles in the other.
The moment Zhou Jin saw Xu Bao’er clearly, he swiftly concealed the dagger in his sleeve.
“Oh, Prince Duan, you’re not asleep.”
Xu Bao’er pretended not to notice Zhou Jin’s dagger. Happily, she placed the noodles in her hand on the table, then used her candle to light the lamp there.
In an instant, the room brightened considerably.
Zhou Jin glanced at the bowl of longevity noodles: fine noodles, an orange-yellow egg, and clear broth floating with a little oil and chopped scallions.
It looked delicious.
“Today is my birthday, so I cooked an extra bowl of noodles. Prince, please try my cooking.”
Zhou Jin did not believe such a coincidence was possible—that Zhang San happened to have the same birthday as him.
This Zhang San clearly knew it was his birthday and had specially prepared the longevity noodles. What exactly was she plotting?
Not only was she disguised as a man, she had also delivered noodles in the middle of the night. No matter how he looked at it, something seemed suspicious.
“Prince?”
Xu Bao’er had never seen Zhou Jin like this before. He was dressed in white undergarments, his long hair loose, and his bare feet planted on the satin-patterned carpet.
Zhou Jin seemed far less aggressive like this. Beneath the candlelight, his brows and eyes appeared considerably gentler.
“I do not eat after noon.”
“This prince is going to retire for the night. Leave.”
Regardless of the other party’s purpose, Zhou Jin would not eat this bowl of noodles. He dismissed her with a cold command.
“Prince, I have admired you since I was young. You are a hero who protects the country and its people. Now that I finally have the chance to approach you, it is only natural that I should feel overwhelmed with excitement.”
“Actually, today is not my birthday. I know that today is your birthday, prince. I wanted to give you noodles, but I was too embarrassed, so I came up with this clumsy excuse. Please forgive me, prince.”
Xu Bao’er gazed at Zhou Jin and solemnly said, “prince, may you live a thousand years and remain healthy and free of worry.”
Zhou Jin’s gaze shifted from scrutiny to astonishment. He had not expected the woman before him, who was using the false name Zhang San, to have truly come for his sake.
Admiration? Once she learned that he was an ambitious man who coveted the imperial throne, she would no longer admire him.
Going into battle to kill enemies had merely been his only means of protecting himself.
“Leave.”
Zhou Jin hated those who deliberately approached him with the intention of using or harming him. He had encountered too many such people as a child. Every time he placed his trust in someone, they pushed him into an even more terrifying abyss.
“I have disturbed you, prince.”
Xu Bao’er knew that Zhou Jin was deeply suspicious. Of course, she did not believe that a single bowl of longevity noodles could open his heart.
As for Zhou Jin, she had to proceed gradually and could not rush things.
The door was gently closed. Zhou Jin walked to the table and looked down at the bowl of longevity noodles.
Healthy and free of worry?
His birthday was the memorial day of Qin Lü, his half-brother on his mother’s side.
The emperor had deliberately chosen this day to kill Qin Lü. He had believed that Consort Jing’s willingness to bear his child meant that she had feelings for him.
He did not know that Consort Jing had endured humiliation and compromised herself solely to preserve Qin Lü’s life.
After Qin Lü’s death, Consort Jing went completely mad. With a single fire, she had wanted nothing more than to burn down the entire imperial palace.
Zhou Jin turned and walked toward the bed couch. With a wave of his sleeve, he extinguished the candle on the table.
The following morning.
Zhou Jin wore a black satin robe of simple design and sat beside the bed couch with his eyes closed, resting his mind. He wore black cloth boots of the same color.
Several maidservants quickly tidied the room while Song Xingzhi stood to one side, supervising.
“Prince, there’s a peace amulet beside this bowl of noodles.”
“Throw it away with the noodles.”
Song Xingzhi picked up the peace amulet. A golden bead was strung on its exquisite black braided cord, and the character for Jin was engraved on the bead. It was plainly prepared especially for the prince.
After glancing over and seeing that the prince’s eyes remained closed, Song Xingzhi secretly kept the peace amulet.
“Clean all of this up. Don’t let it obstruct the prince’s view.”
Song Xingzhi directed the maidservants guiltily, afraid that the prince would notice something amiss.
Zhou Jin was going to inspect the foot of Jiulan Mountain, and Xu Bao’er hurriedly led her little donkey out.
“I’m coming too.”
Song Xingzhi glanced at Xu Bao’er’s little donkey and teased her.
“Young Master Zhang, we’re going to inspect the area beneath the mountain bandits’ stronghold, not visit a market. If the mountain bandits attack, you won’t even be able to escape.”
“But I don’t know how to ride a horse. What should I do?”
Xu Bao’er knew how to ride a horse, but even now, she had to pretend that she did not.
“Forget it. I’ll take you there. You can ride with me.” Song Xingzhi sighed, guided his horse over to Xu Bao’er, and extended his hand.