Inside the Hall of Preserving Harmony, there was singing and dancing. The Fourth Prince had drunk quite a bit today, and everyone knew that he couldn't hold his liquor very well. So when the Thirteenth Prince quietly moved from behind to the Fourth Prince's side with a bowl of hangover soup, no one noticed anything unusual.
The flickering lamp on the table made Thirteen lower his eyes to avoid it, as if to hide his unease. He pushed the hangover soup towards Fourth Master, his voice coming from his throat as if a gust of wind could blow it away.
It blew into the endless darkness outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Fourth Master raised his eyes, his long eyebrows and deep-set eyes as cold as ever, only his face was slightly red from drinking. He picked up the hangover soup, and his dormant ambition and ferocity could only be glimpsed in the slightly swaying soup, but it was fleeting.
"Is everything arranged? Don't panic."
The candlelight still flickered, casting the shadows of the two men onto the cloud screen behind them. Also illuminated by the lamplight was Yinxiang's expression. Under the Fourth Prince's gaze, he finally calmed down and wiped the sweat from his palms. His demeanor was more composed than before.
"Yes, just wait for the fireworks at the night watchman's bell." He swallowed, but nothing came out.
Just then, Honghui and the others went up to report to the Emperor. The Fourth Prince had already finished the hangover soup, and his abdominal injury was almost healed. He lowered his hand, and the calluses from years of holding a pen were now rubbing against the fine lines on the table.
Fourth Master was just comforting Thirteen, but he himself may not have been without unease.
He is not a god, and he is not entirely confident that he can predict everything accurately.
We must strive for absolute certainty.
This year, without Third Master pulling Fourth Master to drink during the New Year celebrations, Fourth Master was still a little unaccustomed to it. Fourth Master had already asked Su Peisheng to take care of Hongxi and Hongsheng. Thirteen did not stay by Fourth Master's seat for long. The brothers exchanged glances and quickly returned to their seats with the empty bowl of hangover soup.
Fourteenth Brother was back by now, peeking around curiously: "Where did you go? You really did go to see my Fourth Brother. Did you go to offer a toast? Hmm, it doesn't smell like alcohol..."
He was loud and boisterous, asking all sorts of questions, but at this age when he's about to get married, a look of displeasure flashed in his eyes.
Thirteen wasn't angry when he saw this: "Fourth Brother originally said he would ask you to deliver the hangover soup, but he didn't see you, so he sent me to deliver it. Did Mother De call you over?"
Fourteen hesitated for a moment, then laughed after hearing Thirteen's words: "It's just that Mother asked me to go and nag, nothing..."
Thirteen saw through it but didn't say anything. He just sat next to Fourteen, holding a wine cup, drinking alone to bolster his courage.
But he did not regret it.
Although Fourteen was usually carefree, he still noticed that Thirteen was acting a little differently today. He didn't say anything, but just kept a close eye on him.
After the banquet, just like the previous two days, there were fireworks to watch. Everyone moved with His Majesty to the outside of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The night wind was a bit chilly, and the Fourteenth Prince stood behind his elder brother to shield him from the wind, which was better than nothing.
The wind blew from all directions, howling and tearing incessantly. The Fourth Master's braid was blown into a mess, but he did not straighten it. For once, he did not put his hands behind his back, but let them hang down at his sides.
The cold wind and light snow could not dampen the joy of the New Year. The fireworks in the sky were dazzling. The Fourth Prince couldn't help but wonder what Li Chenjiao and Aman were doing in the mansion at this time.
Whether the mother and daughter were eating hot pot together or something else, Li Chenjiao was probably going to eat until her face was flushed, and she might even complain about how hot the charcoal fire in the room was...
Unlike him, who has to stand here in the wind and get cold, he doesn't know what the point of watching fireworks every year is.
Fourth Master finally raised his hand slightly, and Fourteenth Master behind him seemed to see the wrist guard on Fourth Brother's wrist. He was stunned.
It was already past midnight when the fireworks ended. The Fourth Prince first had Fulu escort a few children out of the palace. When the Thirteenth Prince saw this, he took Honghui and the others with him. The Fourth Prince said he would take the Fourteenth Prince back to the Fourth Palace in Ganxi.
In the darkness, Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master exchanged a glance. Fourth Master was unusually polite: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Thirteenth Brother."
It was rare for Yinxiang to see the Fourth Prince without smiling. He composed himself and looked quite relaxed: "It's just what I should do, it's all my duty."
Fourteenth Brother remained silent and followed Fourth Master toward Ganxi Fourth Office.
At this moment, Father Emperor had already gone to the Qianqing Palace, and only the tail of the imperial procession could be seen from afar.
Fourth Master glanced at it and then looked away. The closer the moment got, the calmer his heart became.
Fourth Master had long since sobered up. He escorted Fourteenth back to Ganxi Fourth Prison, but didn't go in: "Go back and have a bowl of ginger soup to warm yourself up. If you're hungry, eat something to fill your stomach. Get settled in as soon as possible. Go on."
Fourteen paused, having no intention of saying what he had been so eager to say. He said very seriously, "Fourth Brother, you're getting more and more talkative these days. Alright, alright, go back to the manor now. I'm not a child anymore."
Fourth Master watched as Fourteenth Master went inside, stood there for a while, and then turned around.
The Fourth Prince could navigate the palace roads with his eyes closed. He took a shortcut through the Imperial Garden and heard a commotion in the distance. The servants looked alarmed, and the Fourth Prince seemed to be "frightened" as well. He called two guards to follow the sound and see what was going on.
Su Peisheng remained motionless, staying close to Fourth Master throughout.
He looked terrified, his voice trembling as he spoke: "This servant thinks the noise is coming from the Yuqing Palace..."
Fourth Master then revealed just the right amount of concern: "No... I need to go and take a look."
His heart was actually cold, and he even felt a little disgusted with himself.
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