Chapter 15

Su Jinzhou sat behind the desk, on which an incense burner was burning, and on both sides were piled books.

Behind him was a bookcase, as high and wide as the wall, also filled with books.

Ji Tang: "There are so many books, can you read them all?"

Su Jinzhou opened the book and said, "I've read most of it." He tapped the table and said, "Grind the ink."

Jitang sat down beside him, and Su Jinzhou stopped flipping through the book.

"Go down there."

"I won't." Ji Tang had seen in her dreams that the maids would kneel at the corners of the table when grinding ink. She didn't kneel, and she didn't go to the corners. She just sat next to Su Jinzhou. "How about you grind it yourself?"

Su Jinzhou ignored her.

Ji Tang curled his lips and circled the ink stick on the inkstone.

After studying it for a while, she asked tentatively, "Did the Imperial Concubine in the Cold Palace really kill your brother?"

Su Jinzhou pressed the tip of his pen hard on the paper, leaving a large blotch of ink.

"What did you dream about?"

"The Imperial Concubine was arrested and kept crying out for justice, saying she didn't harm the Third Prince." Ji Tang looked at him, "I think the Queen is very sad. Isn't the Queen your mother? Then the Third Prince must be your brother from the same mother?"

Su Jinzhou was silent for a while before he said, "Yes."

He raised his eyes and asked, "Can you tell if Concubine Yao lied?"

"I shouldn't be lying."

Jitang put down the ink stick and turned sideways to face Su Jinzhou.

"Some dreams are real, while others are completely unfounded. The Imperial Concubine's nightmare contained many details that clearly indicated it had actually happened. She might lie when she was awake, but not in her dreams."

Ji Tang raised his palm upwards to prevent the ink stain from staining his dress. "Nightmares reflect the most real and fearful things of the dreamer. In my dream, I felt that she was very wronged and afraid, without any luck at all."

Su Jinzhou frowned, "If it's not her, then who could it be..."

Jitang: "Are you looking for the murderer who killed your brother?"

Su Jinzhou's hand holding the brush suddenly tightened.

Ji Tang drooped his eyebrows and said, "Don't be sad, I will help you find the murderer."

Su Jinzhou looked at her in surprise.

Just then, Jitang also looked up.

Their eyes met.

Su Jinzhou turned his face away.

He said, "It's New Year's Day, so there's no need to attend court these days. As per previous years' custom, my father will bring my mother, the empress, and the concubines to the Chiqing Palace outside the imperial city. Important officials and their families can also come along."

Ji Tang: "Chiqing Palace? What does it do?"

Su Jinzhou: "It's the hot spring palace that my father built a few years ago."

"Then tell me who you suspect. I can help you check it when I'm dreaming!" Ji Tang said, then he remembered, "Can I go with you?"

"Well," Su Jinzhou glanced at her inconspicuously, "but we can't go like this."

Ji Tang was puzzled: "Why?"

Su Jinzhou changed the ink-soaked paper, feeling uncomfortable when she looked at it.

"Grind the ink."

"……oh."

Ji Tang really couldn't understand this Crown Prince. He only said half of what he said and swallowed the other half.

But she was in a good mood, so she didn't bother with him.

The Chiqing Palace was like a banquet to her, and she wished she could fly there right now.

*

The next morning, before daybreak, there was a knock on Jitang's door.

She covered her head with the quilt, and a muffled voice came from inside, "Who is it... I didn't lock the door."

The maid pushed the door open and said, "Why don't you lock it? Aren't you afraid of danger?"

Ji Tang spoke haltingly: "Prince's Highness...what kind of danger will there be..."

The maid heard her voice getting weaker and weaker, and knew that she was about to fall asleep again. She hurried forward and gently pushed her, "Don't sleep anymore, wash up quickly, we have to help His Royal Highness change his clothes."

Ji Tang grabbed the quilt tightly and refused to let go. "Let him put it on himself! He's not without arms or legs..."

The maid was so frightened that she pressed down the quilt right on the bulge of her head to prevent her from talking.

Ji Tang struggled a bit and threw back the quilt, "Are you trying to suffocate me to death?"

The other party did not answer.

Ji Tang looked at her sleepily and saw her standing stupidly by the bed, motionless.

Jitang propped himself up and sat up, rubbing his eyes and asking, "What's wrong with you?"

The maid's eyes were fixed on Jitang, unable to take her eyes off him.

Jitang's black hair was slightly messy, scattered on his chest and back.

She was tinged with the morning chill, looking even cooler and more lazy. She was still sleepy, and yet she was rubbed with a softness and tenderness.

The plain quilt covering her made her look even smaller and more delicate.

Her skin was as white as cream, and perhaps because she had been covered in the quilt for too long, her cheeks were a light apricot pink.

Her peach blossom eyes were filled with a hint of water, shimmering with light. Because of sleepiness, her eyebrows were obediently drooped.

A strand of hair fell from her lower lip, hooked at the corner of her lip, and swayed gently with the wind brought in by the door.

She is extremely beautiful and picturesque.

Just by looking up, you can see all kinds of charm.

The maid took several steps back.

Jitang: “?”

"Birui?" Jitang heard Su Jinzhou call her that. She threw back the quilt and got out of bed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Birui stretched out one hand to stop her from coming over, covered her face with the other hand, her heart beating very fast.

Yesterday she met Jitang for the first time, but because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was there, she didn't see Jitang clearly from beginning to end. Most of the time she kept her head down, her eyes either on the bricks or the hem of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's robe.

When she saw him today, she was so shocked that she was speechless.

There were three thousand beauties in the harem, and she had seen many stunning concubines, but none of them were like this one today——

It made her breathe faster, her heart beat faster, and her blood rush to her head.

Even if she tried to imagine it, she couldn't imagine such a face.

Jitang was woken up by the noise and turned around to change his clothes.

Birui stuttered: "You, you, change first, I'll wait for you outside the door!"

"It's cold outside, so you..."

Before Jitang could finish his words, Birui ran out as if escaping.

Jitang: “…”

She put on a lotus-pink palace dress and went to the main palace bedroom with Birui.

Birui was holding a palace lantern and said to Jitang, "Bow your head."

"Why?" Jitang leaned over and reached to Birui's side.

Birui could see Jitang's face by just turning her eyes slightly. For some reason, her face suddenly felt hot. "Just, just don't, don't let them see..."

Ji Tang was puzzled, "I can't see people?"

Birui took a few quick steps, not daring to look at Jitang's face again.

The people in the Prince's Palace only spoke half of their words.

Ji Tang caught up with him, and when they reached the bedroom, he lowered his head obediently.

The maids waiting outside had been up all night and looked sleepy. They bowed to Birui and didn't notice Jitang behind her, so they stepped aside to open the door.

After entering the house, Jitang went straight to Su Jinzhou's bed.

"Your Highness, please stand up!"

Birui was too slow to stop her and saw her lift the curtain of the Crown Prince's bed.

“!!!”

Her heart was beating uncontrollably just now, but now she felt a sudden chill all over her body and her heart stopped beating.

Birui gasped continuously and was so scared that she couldn't stand steadily.

Ji Tang lifted the bed curtain and met Su Jinzhou's cold and impatient eyes.

Although he was still sleepy, his sharpness was already showing.

Ji Tang: "Are you grumpy when you wake up?"

Su Jinzhou: "I've never seen you so eager to die."

His voice was slightly hoarse, and it was obvious that he had just woken up.

Birui's body softened and she knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, please forgive me!"

Ji Tang still had a pair of smiling eyes, "We are going to Chiqing Palace today, get up quickly!"

Food, all of it!

Birui was almost shaking like a sieve.

Su Jinzhou closed his eyes, trying to suppress the thought of "drag her out and behead her."

Suddenly, I felt lighter—

Jitang pushed the brocade quilt aside.

Jitang came closer, grabbed Zhu Jinzhou's hand, and tried to pull him up, "Don't be lazy in bed!"

Su Jinzhou didn't know whether he was stunned by her bold action or surprised by her enthusiastic and unconcerned behavior. In short, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was really pulled up by her and sat on the edge of the bed.

Su Jinzhou: "..."

Ji Tang looked at him with a smile, but there was still sleepiness in his eyes, his expression was dazed, and he looked dull.

"Birui, come quickly and help the prince change his clothes!"

Birui forced herself to stand up, took her robe and walked forward tremblingly, looking at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince with fear and trepidation.

...After all, he is just a fifteen-year-old boy. He certainly can't resist seeing such a peerless beauty.

Birui winked at Jitang.

Jitang: "What?"

Birui whispered, "Help His Highness put on his boots."

Ji Tang nodded, picked up the beautifully embroidered boots from the side, and placed them at Su Jinzhou's feet, "Put them on."

Birui was about to cry.

Su Jinzhou put on his boots by himself. He stood up with a cold face and Birui immediately came forward to serve him.

Jitang also followed suit and tidied up Su Jinzhou's robe, sleeves and belt, but it seemed more like he was making things more complicated.

In a short period of time, Birui had new ideas about Jitang.

Although she was so bold, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not really punish her. It seemed that the identity of a maid was just the first step for His Royal Highness to let her stay in the Crown Prince's Palace. He would definitely let her take him as his concubine later, so he indulged her.

Has their Highness finally come to his senses...?

Just as this thought came to Birui's mind, she heard the Crown Prince say in a cold voice: "If you do it again, I will chop off both of your hands."

Birui knew His Highness wasn't talking about her, but seeing His Highness's sharp eyes, she was so frightened that she knelt down again after just one glance, and all her thoughts were gone. "Your Highness, please forgive me!"

Ji Tang, however, acted as if nothing had happened, and said with an undiminished smile, "Yes, Your Highness."

I didn't take this seriously at all.

Su Jinzhou's eyebrows twitched, and he lowered his eyes to Birui: "Wrap her tightly."

Birui nodded repeatedly and said, "I obey your order. It's time to wrap it tightly."

*

The royal trip was grand.

The prince's chariot was extraordinarily luxurious.

Jitang and Birui followed the chariot all the way.

She tried to get on the sedan chair many times, but was stopped by Birui.

If she had not secretly used nightmare energy to protect her feet, from the palace to the imperial city, and then to the Chiqing Palace, she would have been crippled. This made her admire other people even more.

When they finally arrived at Chiqing Palace, she followed Su Jinzhou into Liuguang Pavilion, kicked off her feet, took off her shoes and climbed onto the couch.

When the boat is full, just pretend you can’t see it.

There were only two of them in the room, so Ji Tang didn't need to pretend or hide anything.

She took off the velvet neckband she was wearing, which was much larger than the one worn by the other maids, and only then did she feel able to breathe more freely.

Su Jinzhou was practicing martial arts on the other side of the couch.

Jitang lowered his voice and lay on the kang table between them to catch up on his sleep.

At noon, the prince had lunch in Liuguang Pavilion.

Jitang followed Birui and served by her side. As he was serving, Jitang sat down.

Birui suppressed her twitching eyelids and served food to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Since Jitang appeared, His Highness rarely had anyone serving him closely wherever he appeared.

Just as Birui was thinking this, the door was suddenly pushed open.

She looked over when she heard the sound and saw the Seventh Prince rushing in.

"Brother, let's go horseback riding after lunch! I even called..."

The Seventh Prince fell silent as he was speaking.

Behind him, eunuchs and maids followed in.

The Seventh Prince was of noble status, so they did not dare to stop him. They could only kneel on the ground and beg His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to forgive his sins.

Ji Tang glanced at the Seventh Prince and saw that he seemed to be under a spell and looked extremely stupid, so he looked away without any interest.

The Seventh Prince was silent for a long time before he said, "Brother, where did you find this maid? I want her!"

Jitang's chopsticks poked the bottom of the plate, deforming the dish.