Chapter 13: What kind of scheming is this? Giving the Crown Prince a shocking dose of idiocy...

The Crown Prince and Zhou Yiqing were still discussing metaphysics and Taoism.

Tinglan closed her eyes and counted the prayer beads in her hand again and again.

Meanwhile, a certain fox under the table very consciously found a comfortable spot to sit cross-legged, and even leisurely leaned against Tinglan's legs.

Wow, my friend's legs are so long, it feels so comfortable to lean against them," the fox thought happily as he glanced back.

Feeling the pressure on her calves, Tinglan put the prayer beads on the table, took a deep breath, but didn't move her legs at all, thus serving as a backrest for the fox.

My mind is filled with countless thoughts.

After the Crown Prince and Zhou Yiqing finally finished their conversation and discussion, Tinglan, using the book in his hand as cover, reached out and gently patted the back of the young prince's head through the cloth hanging on the table before standing up.

I'm leaving now, be careful not to bump into anything.

Zhou Yiqing still held his whisk, adopting the demeanor of a reclusive sage, a faint smile on his face, watching the distinguished guest leave.

Before leaving, the Ninth Prince stopped and turned back to look at him, asking, "Is the Daoist Master married?"

This sight gave Zhou Yiqing goosebumps all over. "Although marriage and having children are not forbidden within the sect, I have no such plans for the time being."

This question just doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it. It's definitely implied, otherwise why would the Ninth Prince suddenly care about his marital status?

Once everyone had left, Zhou Yiqing flicked his whisk, ran to a nearby table, and pulled the fox out from underneath.

Seeing the fox grinning foolishly, he immediately slapped his thigh and asked, "Does Tinglan know you're here? I knew you were up to something, and now look what's happened. It seems the Ninth Prince has misunderstood."

The fox nodded.

Zhou Yiqing's vision went black. "Immortal!" he thought. He had initially doubted whether he was overthinking things, and that the old house fire was just a wild guess. But he hadn't expected to be right... It seems my divination skills have improved again.

But then again, why would such a high-ranking figure as the Ninth Prince take a fancy to Ji Qing? It's not that Ji Qing is bad, but what does the Ninth Prince see in him?

Is it because the fox eats a lot, or is it because the fox is silly and strangely cute...?

Zhou Yiqing felt like the sky had fallen. "Little Ji Qing, stop laughing. The Ninth Prince is probably jealous."

The fox shook its head, looking bewildered. "What's wrong with being jealous? I like to dip my dumplings in vinegar, and then add a little soy sauce and minced garlic."

That's strange. You can't just not let others eat vinegar because you think it tastes bad.

"Oh dear." Zhou Yiqing slapped her forehead. "Good child, I can't explain it to you clearly. You have to figure this out slowly. I can't tell you. You should quickly find some time to go find Tinglan and spend some time with him. He's angry today."

The fox nodded blankly.

“I’m completely innocent.” Zhou Yiqing scratched his head anxiously, pacing back and forth. “If Tinglan asks what you’re doing here, just say I came to ask you about Pei Yue.”

The fox nodded, still somewhat confused. "Then how can I keep him company?"

"Oh dear, how would I know about this? I'm a Taoist priest, and you're a fox spirit. You're more of an expert in this. Think about the experience of your predecessors and trust yourself."

The fox stared blankly at Zhou Yiqing, who was gesturing wildly, and walked away, completely bewildered.

Did he do something wrong? Is that why Tinglan is angry?

The fox moved nimbly, scaling the wall through the back door. The sound of horses' hooves could still be heard from the front yard, indicating that the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince were not far away.

The fox skillfully scaled two walls, and once it was far from the alchemy room, it walked slowly down the road, dejected, and plucked a few foxtail grasses from the flower bed, twirling them around its fingers.

He just wanted to bring Zhou Yiqing some good food today and didn't want to cause trouble for others.

The sound of carriages and horses came from behind. The fox turned around and moved to the side of the road.

A luxurious carriage stopped beside him. The Crown Prince lifted the curtain and said gently, "Isn't this my thirteenth brother? Why are you walking alone on the road?"

The fox looked up, bewildered, at the people in the carriage.

"Since you've never met me before, just call me Fourth Brother." The Crown Prince smiled, lifted the carriage curtain, got out, and asked, "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

The fox grabbed the foxtail grass in its hand, looked up and smiled brightly, "Thank you, Fourth Brother, I'm going back to Changqiu Palace."

The second carriage also stopped silently. The usually expressionless Ninth Prince, with a gloomy face, quickly walked over and stood behind the Crown Prince.

Upon seeing Tinglan, the fox's lips curled up, and it subtly moved in his direction.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Thirteenth Prince. Your Highness the Crown Prince is busy with official duties, so let me escort you back." Tinglan's eyes were fixed on Ji Qing.

The fox immediately nodded happily, turned around and waved to the crown prince, then skipped and hopped away with Tinglan.

The Crown Prince stood there with his arms crossed, watching the two figures disappear into the distance. Suddenly, he chuckled and whispered to the person beside him, "Do you think this Ninth Prince is flattering me, or is he after Pei Jiqing?"

"Of course, that's flattering you. What is that thirteenth prince? He's not even a county prince," the subordinate replied respectfully, his words full of disdain.

The prince flicked his sleeves, lifted his robes, and boarded the carriage.

As soon as the fox got into the Ninth Prince's carriage, it swiftly stole one of his pastries.

Tinglan sat down next to Ji Qing, and before she could figure out how to start the conversation, her sleeve was tugged.

Ji Qing handed over a small fox woven from foxtail grass, saying, "This is for you. I wove it on the way here."

Tinglan took it. The little fox made of green foxtail grass was fluffy and very cute. He held it in his hand and looked at it for a while. "Is this the fox that His Highness keeps?"

Ji Qing pursed her lips, but still insisted, "It's a fox I know, not one I keep."

Tinglan held the straw fox in her hand, examined it closely, and asked, "What did Your Highness go there for today?"

The fox shrank back, looking guilty. After hesitating for a moment, he finally told the truth, "I'm going to deliver some good food."

"Does he want to see you, or do you want to see him?"

The fox was at a loss, so it cautiously followed Zhou Yiqing's instructions and said, "He wanted to know about Pei Yue's recent situation, so I went over and told him."

Tinglan lowered her eyes. "Okay, I understand. I'll arrange for them to meet."

He pushed the fruit plate towards the young prince, his tone softening involuntarily, tinged with helplessness, "Didn't Zhou Yiqing tell you not to let anyone know you were there?"

The fox looked over in confusion, "But you're not just anyone."

The Ninth Prince was stunned for a moment. After a while, he turned his face away, lifted the curtain to look out the window, and his bright red earlobes were particularly noticeable under his black hair.

The fox picked up a grape from the table, popped it into its mouth and chewed it, then looked at Tinglan with a blank expression.

Is this considered making amends?

Zhou Yiqing's statement is also incorrect. Tinglan doesn't seem angry at all; she's perfectly fine without any problems.

The fox happily ate another grape.

Tinglan sighed, turned back, and picked up a handkerchief to wipe the fox's mouth. "Stay away from the Crown Prince; he's not the same as his brother, Prince Ning."

The fox nodded. "Yes."

He never questioned Tinglan's words without asking why, and even if he did ask for the reason, he wouldn't understand it anyway...

Tinglan escorted the fox back to Changqiu Palace. The fox hopped in and saw Qiuyuan standing at the door. It happily went up to her and asked, "Qiuyuan, is there any more grape juice at home? I want to drink some more."

Qiu Yuan wiped the sweat from her forehead, glanced inside the door, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness... His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you in the hall. The grape dew will be brought up to you in a bit."

Ji Qing tilted his head and looked into the hall, where he saw the Crown Prince, dressed in a golden robe, sitting upright at the table, smiling at him.

It was nearly evening, the sun was setting, and candles had been lit in the hall, casting dappled shadows on the prince's face.

Remembering Tinglan's words, the fox swallowed hard, slowly walked over, and bowed, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Didn't we already agree? Ji Qing can just call me Fourth Brother. We're all family." The Crown Prince took the initiative and poured Ji Qing a bowl of tea, pushing it towards him.

"Are you getting used to living in the palace?"

The fox nodded.

"I heard that the Emperor has assigned the Ninth Prince to take good care of you. It seems that the Ninth Prince is doing his best."

The fox nodded vigorously.

The Crown Prince stood up and tapped the vase next to him with his finger. "If you need anything, just write to the Eastern Palace."

“I don’t need anything; Tinglan has taken care of everything for me.”

"Oh? You call him Tinglan?" The Crown Prince turned around abruptly, looked directly into Ji Qing's eyes, and asked, enunciating each word clearly.

The fox clutched the hem of its robe, blinked, and said, somewhat puzzled, "It was the Ninth Prince who told me to call him that."

Tsk tsk tsk, Tinglan hasn't even raised any objections yet, and you're already complaining.

What's wrong? That's my good friend, humph.

"Be careful, he's a cunning and two-faced person." The Crown Prince's words may not have been entirely untrue, but saying them now had another purpose.

The Crown Prince, who had seen countless people, had already realized that his new younger brother wasn't very bright, much like Xinze. He probably wouldn't understand roundabout ways, so he couldn't have been more direct.

But His Highness the Crown Prince is young, inexperienced, and lacks worldly wisdom. After all, those who appear before him are all intelligent people, and he has never seen such a pure fool.

I've certainly broadened my horizons and gained some experience.

The fox didn't understand anything the prince said except for the word "be careful".

What kind of chicken is "new chicken"? Is it a very fresh chicken? That would taste delicious.

If the chicken is young and plump, it's a big, fat chicken, which tastes even better. When roasted over high heat, it sizzles and oozes oil. Add some cumin and chili powder, and it's incredibly fragrant.

So he nodded vigorously, drooling.

So Tinglan's place raises big, fat chickens! They must be raising them for me. I definitely have to go and try them next time; they must taste amazing.

Tinglan is the best, hehe.

The Crown Prince chuckled lightly. It seemed that his new younger brother wasn't too foolish and knew to prioritize the future emperor.

A note from the author:

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