Chapter 40 Don't try to learn everything, Your Highness! A gentleman's conduct is refined...
The fox got up in the morning, went downstairs to have breakfast. Three baskets of steaming hot fried dumplings, along with soy milk and tea eggs, were just enough to make him half full, since he needed to save room for snacks on the way.
After finishing his meal, he casually grabbed a glutinous rice cake from the palm print plate and stuffed it into his mouth. When he turned around, he saw Xie Yunchuan staring intently in his direction.
The fox grinned at him, then turned away, chewing on a pastry, and whispered to Tinglan, "This cake is delicious, I want to have another one."
Xie Yunchuan was pondering deeply, his chin in his hand, when His Highness took a pastry from the palm print plate. What was his intention?
The book says that taking food from someone else is to plunder and provoke, but judging from the palm print's reaction, it seems to be lifeless... Could there be some deeper meaning that I am too ignorant to see?
As he was pondering this, he saw the palm print take some more snacks from the plate and hand them over. The two were even whispering something to each other. He was now even more confused. His Highness was actually eating what the palm print had left over...
Helpless, unable to figure it out, he could only silently encourage himself, take a bite of the fried dough stick in his hand, and comfort himself, "It's okay, I'll keep watching. Even if His Highness is unfathomable, I'll eventually understand."
There were still a few days' journey to their destination, Lingyang City. Xie Yunchuan packed his bags and prepared to go with the convoy. He had previously been in charge of bandit suppression in Lingyang City, so he was quite familiar with the local customs and had some connections there.
After finishing his meal, the enigmatic fox, carrying his little bundle, hopped onto the carriage, settled comfortably on the soft couch bearing the palm print, and then began issuing commands.
"You are not allowed to read in the carriage, it's bad for your eyes. I brought you storybooks so you can read them when you get off the carriage."
Tinglan sighed helplessly and put down the book in her hand. "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. However, things happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to learn more about Lingyang City. I can only take advantage of the time on the road to read more documents."
The fox scratched its head, sat up from the soft couch, and leaned closer to look at the scroll in Tinglan's hand.
Although it has pictures and illustrations, it doesn't look like a storybook, and he can't understand it anyway.
"So this is important, and we absolutely have to see it?"
Tinglan nodded.
The fox immediately deflated, drooping its head and remaining silent, squatting in the corner of the soft couch in a daze.
After a while, Tinglan raised her head and found that the little prince was still in the same position.
"Your Highness?"
The fox looked up happily. "Have you finished reading?"
No.
The fox lowered its head again, this time not even counting the hairs on its tail. Feeling rather bored, it lifted the curtain and looked out of the carriage.
As soon as he poked his head out, he saw Xie Yunchuan riding a horse outside, flashing his white teeth, holding the reins in one hand, and grinning at him incessantly.
Xie Yunchuan knew that His Highness's identity could not be revealed, so he asked very cautiously, "Does Your Highness have any instructions?"
It was rare to encounter something offered to a fox like this, so the fox was delighted. After thinking for a moment, it said, "I'm hungry. Could you get me a dried chicken from the carriage at the back?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunchuan immediately sensed a deeper meaning in His Highness's words. After all, he had seen His Highness eat so much for breakfast, how could he be hungry so quickly? There must be some secret arrangement or instructions to be given to him.
I never expected His Highness to be so magnanimous. I offended him with disrespectful words yesterday, but he didn't take it to heart at all. His Highness is indeed extraordinary.
A gentleman's refined conduct serves as a model for the world; he is indeed worthy of my emulation.
Xie Yunchuan solemnly bowed to His Highness and rode his horse toward the wagons loaded with supplies.
Although he felt that the dried chicken was just a pretext, he still dutifully selected a golden-yellow, high-quality chicken.
Back in front of the carriage, Xie Yunchuan, carrying a chicken, nervously said, "Your subordinate is here," and then lifted the curtain and jumped into the carriage.
Tinglan looked up from his book. "Young General, you've come at the perfect time. I happen to have something I need to ask you."
Xie Yunchuan respectfully handed the chicken to the young prince, then cautiously asked, "What is it, Master?"
The two of them were talking about serious business, which the fox couldn't understand anyway, so he happily tore into a chicken leg. This chicken was good, and the fox liked it.
Xie Yunchuan caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but admire in his heart that His Highness was indeed extraordinary in his composure and that he was putting on a complete show.
But... Your Highness ate such a big breakfast, how could you still eat?
Xie Yunchuan told Tinglan about his previous experience in suppressing bandits and the situation of the local powerful clans. He scratched his head and asked honestly, "You know my family is like this. My father is old and I'm not very useful. All I know is this. Do you think it will be of any use?"
“Very useful. We will have to rely on the young general a lot for this disaster relief.”
This made Xie Yunchuan very happy. He smiled and tilted his head to look at the young prince.
The fox devoured the chicken bone like a whirlwind, spitting it into a small plate. The dried chicken that had just been delivered was now completely devoid of any meat.
Xie Yunchuan was shocked and immediately concluded that the young prince must practice martial arts, since ordinary people do not have such a large appetite.
It seems Your Highness is skilled in both literature and martial arts, which makes you even more admirable.
The fox had no idea that he had grown even more important in someone's eyes. He leaned back on the soft pillow, patted his round belly, and felt sleepy.
Hehe, foxes love to sleep soundly after eating their fill; it's one of the happiest things in a fox's life.
But the fox still had some sense of propriety. With outsiders discussing serious matters, he couldn't just lie down and fall asleep. So he sat somewhat awkwardly by the couch, yawned slightly, and ate some fruit with a fork.
Xie Yunchuan thought to himself, "Eating fruit with a fork definitely makes one look more elegant. I'll eat it like that from now on."
But Tinglan noticed that overly obvious gaze. His eyes swept between the two of them, and he asked casually, his tone sounding perfectly normal, yet inexplicably unsettling, "Does the young general have something to say to His Highness?"
"No, no." Xie Yunchuan quickly waved his hand to deny it. "Your Highness has an extraordinary temperament. I was momentarily distracted and took a few extra glances."
Upon hearing someone praise him, the fox couldn't help but wag its tail, propped its chin on its hand, and sat on the edge of the couch, pushing a plate of peeled and chopped oranges toward Xie Yunchuan.
Hehe, thank you for praising me. I'll treat you to something delicious.
Xie Yunchuan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
Tinglan's eyes suddenly darkened as he looked at the former's face. Apart from being younger, the former was not as good-looking as him.
He looked up and said gently, "Thank you very much, Young General."
After everyone left, Tinglan could no longer bear to look at his files. He tidied up the small table and turned to sit down next to the young prince.
The fox was pleasantly surprised and asked, "Aren't you going to look at those important things?"
Tinglan lowered her head, raised her hand, and her sleeve fell down, revealing her pale and delicate wrist. Her slender fingers gently pressed against her temples. "I have a bit of a headache."
The fox, hands on his hips, said, "See? What did I tell you? You should have listened to me. It's definitely not comfortable to read in a carriage."
After saying that, the fox felt a little sorry for his friend. He hugged his friend from behind, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Then lie down and I'll rub it for you."
Tinglan leaned against the couch, and the little prince sat in front of him, gently massaging his acupoints.
The young prince's strikingly beautiful face was so close that it was almost uncanny, making it difficult for Tinglan to concentrate and think.
The fox lowered its head and suddenly said, "Tinglan, you have one white hair."
Upon hearing this, Tinglan was stunned for a moment, her fingers clenching tightly, but she pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Then Your Highness, please remove it for me."
The fox responded and obediently plucked the white hair from Tinglan's head.
The fox had no idea what Tinglan was thinking; it just found it amusing that there were white foxes, black foxes, and red foxes, just as there were white and black hair among humans.
Tinglan's thin lips parted several times before he finally couldn't help but speak, "Your Highness..."
The fox quickly covered his mouth and said very seriously, "Don't talk, rest quietly."
The Ninth Prince had no choice but to close his eyes and rest. Although his mind was racing, he still had to appear calm and collected on the surface.
At noon, the convoy rested on the spot, and the fox could continue eating.
He happily jumped off the carriage, greeted Chen Yu, found a place to sit down, skewered glutinous rice cakes and steamed bun slices with bamboo skewers, and roasted them over the fire.
I've eaten too much meat and feel a bit greasy. I'll have some light steamed buns, and then some dessert in the afternoon. A sweet and savory combination will be more balanced.
However, Xie Yunchuan saw this and was immediately moved. His Highness was so frugal and did it himself. He was truly a role model for the noble children of the time.
He immediately followed the fox's example and roasted slices of bread over the fire.
Tinglan, draped in a black cloak, walked slowly over, blocking Xie Yunchuan's gaze, and asked in a gentle voice, "Does Your Highness need anything else?"
Seeing the palm print's warm concern, meticulous care, and gentle tenderness, Xie Yunchuan was truly taken aback.
He knew the way the Ninth Prince usually acted, and for the prince to show such concern for him, the prince must be a wise and extraordinary ruler.
As the saying goes, a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. When choosing a master, one must choose a good one. Xie Yunchuan became even more determined in his heart. The Master Seal was so smart, the person he chose to follow could not be wrong.
With unwavering resolve, Xie Yunchuan tilted his head, and through the black cloak covering the palm print, he could vaguely see...
The Ninth Prince lowered his head, his long hair falling down, and opened his mouth to gently take a bite of the glutinous rice cake that the little prince had eaten.
Um?
What's going on?
Xie Yunchuan stared wide-eyed, utterly bewildered. Was this some kind of exemplary model of a ruler and his subjects showing respect and courtesy to the virtuous?
After all, there are stories of people sleeping side by side in ancient times, but I've never heard of a subject biting the pastries his master had eaten.
Won't this... this get too intimate?
Well...maybe we shouldn't learn this.
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