Chapter 61 Variables, Goodbye, Your Highness

The fox and his little bundle were stuffed into the carriage. Once inside, he sat quietly without making a sound, just looking down at the tips of his shoes.

Because his hands were tied behind his back, the fox sat awkwardly and had to change his posture from time to time.

Seeing this, Tinglan finally couldn't help but ask softly, "Does your hand hurt?"

He thought that he had been angry just now, and perhaps he had tied it too tightly.

"It doesn't hurt."

Tinglan sighed silently, slowly wrapped his arms around the fox, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm just... afraid that Your Highness will leave."

He lowered his head, wanting to take the fox's hand, "Excuse me, Your Highness, I'll let go."

The fox immediately put its paws under its rump and turned its head to the side.

I accidentally broke free when I was changing positions, and I haven't tied it back up yet. Wait a minute.

Tinglan's outstretched hand froze in mid-air. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and asked gently.

"Your Highness, did you leave without reason? Were you uncomfortable in the palace, or is something on your mind?"

The fox glanced back at him and whispered, "Because I need to stay away from you."

What he said was indeed the truth, but the silly fox only told half of it, leaving it incomplete. When it reached Tinglan's ears, the story seemed completely different.

Tinglan's knuckles cracked as he forcefully grabbed the fox's shoulder, forcing the two of them to face each other.

His bloodshot eyes trembled slightly, and he said through gritted teeth, "Your Highness was just saying that in anger, it's not true."

The fox shook its head. "Really, please let me go. I promise I'll come back. I'll give you my money bag and bundle as collateral."

Tinglan lifted the fox's chin with her hand, "If Your Highness goes and never returns, where will we look for you?"

The fox opened its mouth, having gone all out, "How about I give you my home address? You can come find me there."

"What if this servant doesn't let Your Highness leave?"

The fox lowered its head blankly and said softly, "Then let's not let go."

Anyway, my sister will come to pick me up. It's only for a few days, so it shouldn't matter. After I get through this ordeal, we can happily live together again.

The night was still, the palace hidden behind the curtain of darkness, the glazed tiles devoid of color, the jagged eaves revealing a corner of the sharp edge of a giant beast baring its fangs.

The fox did not return to Changqiu Palace; Tinglan took him to a secret room in the Directorate of Ceremonial.

This place was originally intended to store secret files, but it has never been used since its construction. Tinglan occasionally uses it as a bedroom.

"Your Highness, please stay here for now. It's closer, and it will be more convenient for me to take care of you." He bent down, untied the fox's bound hands, and removed the veil.

Tinglan locked the door in front of Ji Qing.

"It's late, Your Highness, this servant will help you to bed."

The fox sat on the edge of the bed, tested the firmness of the mattress with its bottom, and looked up with a bright smile, "Where did you put the roast chicken I brought back? I'm a little hungry."

Tinglan had no choice but to compromise and sit at the table watching the fox devour everything.

He was truly confused about the current situation. He had initially thought he was forcibly forcing the young prince to submit, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all...

His Highness seems to be in a rather good mood.

Tinglan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, don't you dislike me...?"

The fox, who was stuffing a chicken leg into its mouth, looked up blankly. "Why do you think that? How could I possibly hate you?"

"Then His Highness is leaving..."

The fox snorted, "You're overthinking it."

You people are really strange, your thoughts are so complicated.

If we foxes dislike someone, we just go up and beat them up.

I'm just leaving, it's not like I don't like you anymore.

The fox happily finished the chicken leg and spat out the bones.

Upon hearing this, Tinglan slowly exhaled, her expression softening somewhat.

It's good that Your Highness doesn't dislike him...

Tinglan simply couldn't imagine that one day the young prince would show him such disgust.

He leaned back in his chair, gazing intently at the fox beside him.

Without you, I don't know how I would have survived...

Please, don't be so cruel to me.

*

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away from the capital, the Crown Prince's meeting was clearly not going well.

The cups and plates shattered, and the wine spilled all over the floor, flowing down the steps like blood.

The crown prince stood amidst the chaos, his hand trembling slightly, pointing at the person before him, "General, are you planning a rebellion?"

The person seated laughed heartily, clapped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, you are mistaken. The Emperor is seriously ill, and treacherous officials are in power. My actions are to purge the court of corrupt officials."

"How dare you! I am the Crown Prince, how could I possibly engage in such a scheme with you?"

"If this matter were only handled by your humble servant, it would naturally be considered treason. However, with the Crown Prince's assistance, the situation would be quite different."

"General, you should take care of yourself."

The crown prince steadied himself, flicked his sleeves, and stepped down the stairs.

This is terrible! I never expected this villain to have such rebellious intentions. The court has treated him well, and my father, the emperor, had repeatedly relied on him and promoted him beyond the usual ranks...

The Crown Prince's original intention was to form a faction and seize power, which was not a respectable matter. Therefore, only a few close confidants knew about his visit.

It's likely that his entourage has already been taken into custody.

We've really been caught off guard and won't be able to escape unscathed today. We need to think of a way to send a message out.

The general sitting at the table watched the crown prince's retreating figure, chuckled twice, and gave a wink to those around him.

The sound of a sharp blade being drawn rang out.

The next second, a sword gleaming coldly was pressed against the prince's neck.

"Your Highness has heard my words today, so you cannot simply leave. Why don't you stay and let us, as ruler and subject, have a long talk?" The general rose from his seat, laughing as he walked over.

Even if the Crown Prince hadn't come today, it wouldn't have hindered his plans; it would simply have made him illegitimate.

After all, the word "treason" is just too offensive.

But Heaven has eyes. Now that the Crown Prince has arrived, things are completely different. He can use the Crown Prince's name to start a rebellion.

The emperor, having lost power, was forced to withdraw his troops to purge the court of corrupt officials and restore order.

It is appropriate both emotionally and logically.

The next morning, the fox woke up early. He glanced at Tinglan beside him, then tiptoed off the bed and circled the room.

He pushed the door open first.

It wasn't a wooden door; it was cast iron, thick and heavy, and locked so the fox couldn't open it.

Having no other option, he went to look out the window again.

It's so high, it's hard to jump up, and it's so small, a person can't even squeeze through.

The fox sighed. If his sister came to pick him up, how would he get out?

He started feeling strange again; his vision was blurry, his head was spinning, and his legs felt heavy.

Unlike last time, this time the fox could clearly feel discomfort.

He could only hang his head and lean against the wall, panting heavily, until he finally caught his breath a little.

There's a flower stand by the wall with an orchid on it. It looks quite sturdy, and I feel like I could stand on it without any problem.

The fox heaveed and carried the flower stand to the window, intending to try climbing up it.

But as soon as it climbed onto the trellis, a wave of dizziness hit it, and the fox almost fell off. It jumped back and landed, staggering a few steps before crashing to the ground.

The fox, leaning against the carpet, couldn't understand what was going on. "I'm usually very agile..."

The flower stand hit the wall with a loud thud.

Tinglan was startled awake, sat up, and saw this scene.

A tall paulownia wood flower stand leaned against the wall, and the young prince sat on the ground, looking bewildered.

"What does Your Highness want to do?" Tinglan straightened his clothes, got out of bed and slowly walked over, looking up at the small window.

In his view, the answer was obvious.

The fox lowered its head guiltily, stammering and unable to say anything, "I...I didn't..."

"So what you said yesterday was all a lie. Your Highness dislikes me and doesn't want to be close to me."

Tinglan bent down and coldly looked at the little prince lying on the ground.

"Did Your Highness hurt yourself in the fall?"

The fox's rump hurt a bit from the fall. He tried to get up, but his limbs were weak and he couldn't get up no matter how many times he tried.

Oh no, the Taoist priest was right, my condition really is getting worse.

The fox reached out his hand, wanting Tinglan to help him up.

Tinglan didn't move; she just stood to the side.

His eyes were red, his voice trembled slightly, but a cold smile played on his lips as he spoke.

"Was I too gentle with Your Highness, making you think that it was okay for you to leave whenever you wanted?"

The fox stared blankly up at Tinglan, not understanding why he suddenly said such a thing.

The fox is stupid and doesn't understand the situation. Even if you ask him to explain, he won't be able to explain it clearly; he'll only make things worse.

He wasn't angry. He reached out and grabbed Tinglan's sleeve, saying with difficulty, "I feel a little unwell."

Tinglan seemed to wake from a dream, her eyes regaining some clarity, and she knelt down to help the person up.

...

The young prince's condition seems to have worsened.

He was perfectly fine when he came back last night, but he's completely different this morning.

Tinglan didn't care about anything else, and wasn't afraid that the fox would take the opportunity to escape. He carried the person directly to his bedroom.

The doctors we invited a few days ago all examined me, but none of them could give me a definitive answer.

"How is Your Highness feeling now?"

The fox pulled back the blanket covering her face and said listlessly, "Could you ask Zhou Yiqing to come over?"

“Zhou Yiqing can’t cure diseases, why would I want to see him?” Tinglan frowned slightly, feeling a little puzzled.

"I..." The fox tugged at Tinglan's sleeve, made up its mind, and decided to tell the truth, "Actually, I am a fox..."

Before he could finish speaking, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open, and Chen Yu burst in, panting. Before he could even catch his breath, he held up a letter and exclaimed, "Chief, something terrible has happened! The Western Expeditionary Army has rebelled!"

Tinglan released the young prince's hand and stood up abruptly. "Where did you get this information?"

"The news from the Eastern Palace must have come from the Crown Prince..."

Oh no.

"The Western Expeditionary Army that has entered the capital this time numbered only a little over a thousand. How could they have such audacity?"

"Reporting to the Emperor, the traitors have kidnapped the Crown Prince, used his name to purge corrupt officials from the court, forged military tallies, and mobilized troops in the capital region, numbering as many as ten thousand."

Tinglan was taken aback, then said in a deep voice, "Take my handprint now and go to mobilize the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Bodyguards, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards."

Chen Yu accepted the order and left.

Tinglan turned to look at the young prince on the bed and gave a bitter smile.

"Your Highness wanted to leave, now you can."

It was fate, I couldn't keep you.

*

At this moment, the capital was still a place of peace and prosperity, filled with singing and dancing.

The young prince was packed into a carriage by Tinglan and quickly drove away from the capital with a group of Imperial Guards.

Time was of the essence, and Tinglan had to mobilize troops, so he was unable to personally see the young prince off.

He stood on the city wall, watching the dust kicked up by the carriage, and waved with a smile.

Goodbye, Your Highness.

Ultimately, man proposes, God disposes; life is unpredictable.

Tinglan lowered her head, blew on it, and then wiped the thumb ring on her thumb with her sleeve. It was a gift from Ji Qing.

The carriage sped out of the city, while the fox, completely bewildered and still happy, clutched his bundle.

Why has Tinglan become so understanding?

Now that's good, I can go find my sister.

Perhaps because they were getting further and further away from Tinglan, the fox regained some strength. He excitedly lifted the curtain, poked his head out, and asked the Imperial Guard driving the carriage ahead with curiosity, "Where are we going?"

Unexpectedly, the person driving the carriage suddenly broke down, his voice trembling with sobs, "Your Highness, please forgive my dereliction of duty, I wish to return to the capital to provide support."

The fox stared at him blankly. "What's wrong?"

"The rebel army is about to besiege the city, and the capital is in dire straits. Although the rebels are not a significant force, they should not be underestimated. It would be good for me to go back and do my part."

The fox dropped his bundle to the ground with a thud, and asked in a daze, "Can I go back with you?"

Tinglan is still in the palace.

We absolutely cannot leave like this.

I want to go back to him.

I promised to protect Tinglan, so I can't go back on my word.