Chapter 36 The silly fox flirts without any restraint... Well, now we're in the same boat...

"Huh?" The fox quickly raised its hand, then stopped in mid-air, blinking in confusion. "Did I hurt you?"

"No..." Tinglan covered her flushed face with her sleeve, the soft fabric slightly damp from her breath.

People with sharp features stand out from the crowd, even when their faces are covered. A high, straight nose leaves a straight curve in the fabric, inexplicably sparking the imagination.

But that silly little fox doesn't know how to appreciate it.

Logically speaking, this should be a truly enchanting scene.

In the afternoon, the light, gauze-like curtains were all hung up. The midday sun shone through the paper covering the windows, but the glaring light was blocked by the curtains, dissipating like wisps of smoke, and casting a hazy, dreary glow on people.

On the soft couch, the young and handsome prince sat reclining, his red robes slightly disheveled, his dark hair cascading over his shoulders. With each movement, his long hair swayed, and a white jade belt flashed by, outlining his slender waist.

He brazenly lifted the large sleeve covering the face of the person on the couch, lowered his head, and let his long hair slip down from his shoulder, falling onto the person's chest. His tone was full of concern, "What's wrong? Is your head feeling unwell?"

It's okay, I can press your head down now.

Hehehe, this is the little fox's all-inclusive massage service! It's all-inclusive.

He reached out and gently touched Tinglan's cheek. "Your face seems a little hot."

Tinglan slightly turned her face away, awkwardly avoiding looking at the little prince.

But when the silly fox flirts, he doesn't know his own strength.

Ji Qing suddenly laughed and lay down, crawling under Ting Lan's sleeve to lie down with him.

The midday light shone through the window paper, through the gauze curtains, and through the sleeves, allowing the Ninth Prince to make out only a slight silhouette of the young prince. But in the silence, his heartbeat could be heard clearly.

Thump, thump, thump, the pulse in my wrist is also pounding, all of this is both silent and thunderous.

As their breaths mingled, their gazes gradually converged. Tinglan finally gave up looking out of the corner of her eye, turned her head back, and looked directly into the little prince's eyes.

He did not kiss the young prince's lips, but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is there anything in Your Highness that you cannot forget?"

The fox blinked.

They were very close, and Tinglan could see the little prince's eyelashes drooping and opening again, like the opening and closing of a dancer's silk fan.

"When I was very, very small, I ate roast chicken for the first time. I was this big back then." The fox gestured with his hand to indicate a length about the size of a palm.

That was such a tiny fox, it felt like you could hold it in one hand, it was incredibly cute.

"That chicken was especially delicious. My sister gave it to me. It was snowing heavily outside. My sister led me back inside and took a fragrant roasted chicken from the stove for me to eat."

The fox's face beamed with a silly yet happy smile.

The silly fox had never actually eaten anything good before. When his sister took him home, she fed him a roast chicken.

The skinny, sickly little fox huddled around the fire, its eyes gleaming as it ate, its mouth greasy. From that moment on, it was convinced that roast chicken was the most delicious thing in the world, and its sister was the best demon.

After listening, Tinglan raised his hand and touched the little prince's cheek, then parted his thin lips and said, "That's good."

The little prince told a good story.

But his story is not good.

“When I was a child, I didn’t receive much love from my parents and family. I really liked a short knife and begged my father for a long time, but he wouldn’t give in.”

Tinglan frowned. For him, rummaging through these memories was extremely painful, like trying to loosen a rusty sword stuck in his brain before shoving it straight back in.

The sword couldn't be pulled out, and the wound remained.

"Later he gave me that knife."

It was just meant to let me use it to commit suicide.

The father's actions were not malicious.

Whether it's better to abandon dignity and live a servile life, or to die a quick and painless death, is something no one can say for sure.

At this point, Tinglan felt a throbbing pain in her temples, as if she had returned to that afternoon.

"But I don't want to use it. That knife is so beautiful; it should be used for something else."

Even though this choice left him with a host of old wounds... he didn't regret it.

The fox nodded in agreement. "It can be used to cut small snacks or slice a roast chicken."

Tinglan covered her eyes and chuckled, "Okay, I'll bring you a slice of roast chicken next time."

Cutting small snacks, slicing roast chicken...it's wonderful.

This was probably the best outcome he could think of for the knife.

*

The daily memorials were like fluttering white paper, but before passing through His Majesty the Emperor's hands, they had to go to the table where the Emperor held the seal.

"Are there officials in the court who support His Highness the Thirteenth Prince?" The Ninth Prince's voice was neither sad nor happy, revealing no emotional inclination whatsoever.

The subordinates could only give a similar reply, cautiously trying to guess the Ninth Prince's intentions: "The desire to follow His Highness the Thirteenth Prince existed before, but now it's just a little more..."

"They didn't think the Thirteenth Prince could win the struggle for the throne; they just thought that the Prince was kind and benevolent and a good master."

Kind and benevolent, Tinglan silently recited these four words in his heart, and strangely felt relieved, thankfully he hadn't tarnished the young prince's reputation.

Outsiders naturally wouldn't understand; the young prince is not only kind and benevolent, but also naive and ignorant of the ways of the world.

The servant handed over another memorial, saying, "This is a letter from Prince Wei to the Emperor. It was discovered and confiscated by our people and has not been opened. Please, Your Excellency, take a look."

Tinglan raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a cool and playful smile. She used a silver knife to break open the beeswax sealing the letter and took out a thin piece of paper.

After reading the whole thing, there's basically only one sentence: the identity of the thirteenth prince is questionable.

He moved the thin, translucent letter to the candle, tossed it into the tin box, and watched it slowly burn to ashes.

Even when he's imprisoned, he's still so unruly. It seems like they won't stop until he's killed.

The subordinate who was reporting left.

Tinglan's gaze shifted to the side of the wooden door to the inner room, where a small, fluffy ball had rolled out.

It's probably something the young prince used to tease his fox.

Even if the prince's identity is in doubt, so what? If I say he is of noble birth, then he is of noble birth.

Unaware that he had been completely exposed, the fox was still running around in the backyard, kicking his ball with his paws, having a great time.

With a ball in his mouth, tail held high, and four short legs striding, he opened the door with his head and scurried to Tinglan's side.

I nuzzled him with my head.

Stop sitting there, come and play ball with the fox!

Tinglan bent down, picked up the ball, and squeezed it; the ball squeaked.

The fox's large tail swished back and forth, clearly excited.

"Do you know where the little prince has gone again?"

Seeing that his good friend didn't immediately play ball with him, the fox was dissatisfied. He nudged Tinglan's leg with his muzzle, pawed at him with his two paws, and jumped onto Tinglan's knee.

Originally intending to jump onto the table and cause trouble, the fox then remembered that its good friend's knee was uncomfortable, so it sighed and lay still.

Ah, I am such a good fox.

Tinglan was genuinely surprised this time, and touched the little fox on her lap, feeling quite flattered.

"What's wrong with you today? Have you changed your ways?" Tinglan shook the ball in her hand and threw it outwards.

The little ball rolled away.

The fox's eyes followed the ball, but its body remained completely still, diligently warming Tinglan's legs as promised, obediently lying on Tinglan's lap.

A fat fox lying on someone's lap is fine for a short time, but if it lasts too long, it becomes a sweet burden.

Just as Tinglan's legs were going numb from pressing down, his subordinate rushed over, "Master, the Crown Prince has launched an attack, submitting a petition to abolish the Eastern Depot."

Tinglan raised her eyes and said slowly, "Severing the Eastern Depot? Let's leave it for now and wait to see His Majesty's decision before making a final decision."

This new crown prince is quite interesting; he's openly hostile towards him.

Upon hearing the familiar name, the fox quickly raised its head.

What do you mean? Knife-cut noodles are delicious, but what is this "cut frozen sausage"? It sounds delicious!

I didn't expect the Crown Prince to be such a good eater. Not bad, not bad.

The fox nodded with great satisfaction.

He finally released Tinglan's knee, jumped down contentedly, and swaggered through the hall with his tail held high.

The subordinates, who had been looking very serious, were dumbfounded.

Goodness, there's a handprint on it. He's sitting so dignifiedly, yet he's actually petting a puppy.

Oh my, the little chubby dog ​​is so cute.

But what kind of dog is this? Its tail is so big!

The fox first found his ball in a corner, then carried it out the door.

Having regained its human form, it had just turned a corner when it bumped into Pei Yue, who was rushing over.

"Thirteenth Brother, you're actually here? Is the seal of the Grand Master of Ceremonies inside the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

The fox nodded.

“That’s great, I’ll go see him. Do you know our plan…” Pei Yue said, then scratched his head. “Oh, why am I telling you this? We can handle these things.”

The fox was displeased when he heard this.

There's something you can't let my little fox know!

He followed Pei Yue closely, ready to eavesdrop.

With the fox's agility, if he didn't want to be discovered, no one could find him.

But eavesdropping is one thing, listening is another.

I can steal it, but I can't understand it...

The fox was completely bewildered, but he was a very inquisitive person. If he didn't understand something, he would ask for help. So he came out and tugged at Tinglan's sleeve.

"What does regicide mean?"

The room fell into a deathly silence. Pei Yue lost his grip on the cup, and it fell to the ground and shattered.

Tinglan regained some composure and asked slowly, "Did Your Highness hear everything?"

The fox nodded; it had heard, but it didn't understand.

Tinglan smiled and touched the little prince's cheek. "Then we're accomplices now."