Chapter 40 Emotions (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
On the day of the spring hunt, Fu Mingzi got up early and dressed himself up carefully. Since it was the royal spring hunt, he dared not wear his old purple riding clothes again. Instead, he changed into the new light blue riding clothes made this year. The color was a bit dull, and he didn't like it much at first. But after wearing it, he looked very dashing. Fu Mingzi looked at himself in the mirror and was very satisfied.
As a high-ranking official, Fu Mingsong naturally went along as well. However, being a civil official, he did not need to participate in the ceremony. Therefore, he only changed into his everyday clothes, while keeping his riding attire with him in case the emperor suddenly summoned him.
The two of them left the Duke's mansion together. The old master personally saw them off, while tirelessly reminding them, "Fifth Prince, don't try to steal the spotlight again this time. Once or twice is fine, but if you always outshine the princes, I'm afraid His Majesty will not be pleased."
Fu Mingzi naturally understood this principle, and simply smiled and said, "Since you're so concerned about us, why don't you go with us?"
"You little brat!" Duke Jingguo raised his foot to kick him, but Fu Mingzi dodged it. "Your old man is already quite old. If I really went, I'm afraid I'd lose half my life at Yuntai." After saying that, he felt a little sentimental and regretful. When he was young, he also liked to ride and hunt.
Seeing the old man like this, Fu Mingzi felt a little sorry for him and quickly changed the subject with a smile: "By the way, we might see Second Brother when we go to Yuntai this time. Is there any news from home to send?"
The old man glared at Fu Mingzi: "If we wait until you come to ask about this, it will be too late." Then he gestured with his chin toward Fu Mingsong: "Your eldest brother has taken care of everything, so don't worry about it. When you get there, don't cause trouble for your second brother."
The spring hunt was held at the Yuntai Palace, so the soldiers of the Yuntai Camp were also responsible for protecting the emperor, and Fu Mingbai, as the commander of the Xiaoji Camp, had no choice but to take on this responsibility.
"I know, I know, you've said it so many times already," Fu Mingzi quickly begged for forgiveness.
Seeing his silly antics, the old man shook his head helplessly: "Alright, you can go now."
Fu Mingsong and Fu Mingzi then bowed to the old man and took their leave.
After leaving the Duke of Jingguo's mansion, Fu Mingsong went to the place where the court officials were gathered, while Fu Mingzi naturally went to find Zhou Xiaoyan.
After dismounting outside the palace gate, Fu Mingzi headed straight for the West Third Palace. However, as soon as she reached the first palace, she saw the Fourth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Seventh Prince coming out of the courtyard. Fu Mingzi cursed her bad luck in her heart, but still instinctively bowed.
"Greetings, Fourth Prince, Sixth Prince, and Seventh Prince." Fu Mingzi's attitude was very proper.
The Fourth Prince smiled at Fu Mingzi: "Young Master Fu, you've come to see Fifth Brother, haven't you? At this hour, Fifth Brother has probably just finished his meal. Your timing is perfect."
The fourth prince and the fifth prince lived next to each other, and they could tell what was happening next door just by listening, so this statement was not surprising.
Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "It is indeed a coincidence."
The fourth prince had to maintain a gentle and refined demeanor, but the sixth prince didn't need to. Zhou Xiaoyan's presence as the emperor had already fueled his anger, and now that he had met Fu Mingzi, he naturally wanted to vent it.
"Fifth Brother really stole the show this time, outshining all the other brothers. Even Young Master Fu, his study companion, has gained face. Young Master Fu is skilled in archery and horsemanship, so he will surely return from this spring hunt with a full load of spoils and outshine all the others."
These words were extremely sarcastic. If Fu Mingzi hadn't known that the person in front of her was a prince, she would have thought they came from some shallow-minded scoundrel.
However, Fu Mingzi would certainly not embarrass Zhou Xiaoyan in such a setting, so he simply smiled and said, "Your Highness, what are you saying? The Fifth Prince is favored by His Majesty because His Majesty's sagacity shines upon him. If there is any dissatisfaction, one should naturally speak to His Majesty, not the Fifth Prince. As for this humble subject, I am merely a companion. In this spring hunt, His Majesty and the Crown Prince were in front, and nobles and generals were behind. Who among them was not outstanding in riding and archery? What kind of person am I? I am not worthy of the Sixth Prince's undeserved praise."
These words, though spoken softly, carried a harsh meaning, making the Sixth Prince's face turn red with anger.
Finally, the Fourth Prince stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, whether you're accompanying the Emperor on his journey or staying in the capital, it's all about sharing the Emperor's burdens. What's the difference between high and low? Sixth Brother is still young; he'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."
The Fourth Prince was being very accommodating to the Sixth Prince by bringing up his age, which somewhat saved the Sixth Prince's face. However, this also put his own face on the ground, since the Fourth Prince was older than the Fifth Prince. Yet, he seemed oblivious to this, looking at the Sixth Prince with a gentle expression.
The Sixth Prince was indeed moved by the Fourth Prince's selfless words and looked at the Fourth Prince with gratitude.
Fu Mingzi watched from the sidelines with a cold smile. This method of winning people over was truly subtle and understated. Someone as naive and young as the Sixth Prince was indeed easy to fall for.
"Alright, I won't take up any more of your time. Young Master Fu, go find your fifth brother. We should head to the study as well." The Fourth Prince looked at Fu Mingzi with a magnanimous expression.
He wanted to appear humble, and Fu Mingzi naturally complied, so he simply bowed his head and responded, then stepped aside to make way for the princes. Only after they left did he walk towards Zhou Xiaoyan's courtyard.
As soon as he entered, he saw Zhou Xiaoyan standing by the door, and judging from his appearance, he seemed to have been standing there for a long time.
"Your Highness heard it all?" Fu Mingzi wasn't surprised. Given how close they were, it would be strange if Zhou Xiaoyan didn't know about this.
A cold glint flashed across Zhou Xiaoyan's indifferent face: "He's just a clown, don't take him to heart."
Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "How could I possibly take such a small matter to heart?" Then she glanced at Wei Baocheng, who was standing obediently behind Zhou Xiaoyan like a quail and asked, "Eunuch Wei, are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?"
Wei Baocheng's heart skipped a beat. He didn't dare to look Zhou Xiaoyan in the eye and forced a smile: "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Fu. I'm fine. I just caught a gust of wind in my haste."
This was obviously a lie. Wei Baocheng felt a little heavy-hearted. He had just heard from his servants that the princes had encountered Young Master Fu and were talking in the road. He knew the rumors circulating these past few days and also knew how much the Fifth Prince valued Young Master Fu, so he didn't dare to delay and hurriedly went inside to talk to the Fifth Prince.
However, he did not expect that he still underestimated the importance that the Fifth Prince attached to Fu Mingzi. When the Fifth Prince heard this, the teacup in his hand fell from his hand and shattered, and his front was soaked. He was very anxious and hurriedly went up to change the Fifth Prince's clothes.
But to his surprise, Zhou Xiaoyan couldn't even wait for that and immediately went out to see. Wei Baocheng tried to stop him, but Zhou Xiaoyan kicked him in the leg, and he immediately knelt down on the ground. Startled, he subconsciously looked up, only to find himself staring into Zhou Xiaoyan's eyes, which were filled with ruthlessness and murderous intent.
Wei Baocheng's heart skipped a beat; he had never seen the Fifth Prince look at him like that before.
In the end, the Fifth Prince still came out wearing clothes with the front wet, but he covered them with a cloak, so from the outside, there was no trace of it.
Because of this incident, Wei Baocheng became even more wary of the Fifth Prince, and at the same time, he valued Fu Mingzi even more.
"Alright." Zhou Xiaoyan didn't even look at Wei Baocheng. "If you choked on the wind, go drink some hot water. Don't do this again."
These words were spoken casually, but Wei Baocheng's heart tightened; he knew Zhou Xiaoyan's true meaning.
"This servant obeys." Wei Baocheng lowered his head, his tone respectful.
Fu Mingzi was unaware of the intricacies involved, so she didn't take his words seriously. She simply said to Zhou Xiaoyan, "Then let's go. I reckon all the princes and ministers have arrived."
Zhou Xiaoyan frowned; the wet patch on his shirt still felt uncomfortable.
“Your Highness, your riding attire today is somewhat inappropriate. The color seems a bit too similar to that of His Highness the Crown Prince. Perhaps you should change into another outfit?” Wei Baocheng naturally understood his master’s dilemma and quickly found an excuse to give Zhou Xiaoyan a way out.
Fu Mingzi raised an eyebrow. Wei Baocheng's words were somewhat impolite. Zhou Xiaoyan hadn't even spoken yet. Logically speaking, someone like him shouldn't make such a mistake.
Surprisingly, Zhou Xiaoyan didn't get angry; he just gave a faint "hmm."
Fu Mingzi was somewhat surprised. She looked up at Zhou Xiaoyan, whose lips were tightly pursed. His jade-like face looked exceptionally handsome against the backdrop of his dark red riding outfit.
"I'll go change my clothes first. You go to the front hall and have some hot tea. It's still early." Zhou Xiaoyan said a few more words to Fu Mingzi.
Although Fu Mingzi was surprised, she didn't dwell on it. She smiled and nodded, then watched Zhou Xiaoyan leave.
Fu Mingzi waited until Zhou Xiaoyan entered the backyard before slowly entering the front hall. As she went in, she saw several eunuchs wiping the floor and tidying up the tables.
Fu Mingzi glanced at it but didn't ask any questions. He simply sat down in his usual spot, and someone immediately served him a teacup.
"This tea is quite good today," Fu Mingzi praised, then glanced at the eunuchs who were finishing up and leaving, and casually asked, "Why are you only cleaning the floor now? Were you delayed this morning?"
The young eunuch serving tea froze for a moment, then hurriedly bowed his head and said, "No, it's not that. Your Highness just accidentally broke a teacup, so I came in to clean it up."
Fu Mingzi raised an eyebrow. How could someone as calm as Zhou Xiaoyan accidentally break a teacup? What had startled him?
These things happen in the blink of an eye these days, so Fu Mingzi didn't think much of it. He waved his hand, signaling the tea server to leave.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Zhou Xiaoyan finally came out. This time he changed into a slightly lighter riding outfit, which didn't look as old-fashioned as the dark red outfit, but instead gave him a more youthful vibrancy.
"This outfit is nice," Fu Mingzi said with a smile.
His eyes swept over Zhou Xiaoyan again, only to find that he had even changed his undergarments. The original one seemed to be a bamboo-patterned stand-up collar, but this one had become a swastika-patterned stand-up collar.
A hint of doubt flashed through Fu Mingzi's mind.
"Let's go once you're all packed up." For some reason, Zhou Xiaoyan felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look Fu Mingzi in the eye. He turned and walked out.
Fu Mingzi didn't have time to think much before she hurriedly followed.
Wei Baocheng, who was at the back, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a sigh of relief. These two masters were really difficult to deal with! In just a few words, his lifespan had been shortened by half.
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