Chapter 2 The Silly Fox Asks, "What does 'bewitching' mean?"
The wicked fox followed his new friend out of the sedan chair and into a palace.
It looks similar to his house, with a roof and a yard, but it's not as big. There are no fruit trees, fountains, or grape trellises in the yard, and no free-range chickens. What are you going to do if you want to eat roast chicken? There are no mountains or forests here, so there's nowhere to catch wild chickens.
well.
It's still more convenient at home.
We're going to go hungry from now on.
The fox looked up at the palace's gleaming glazed tiles. He didn't know what they were, but they were a little dazzling. Bored, he lowered his head and hopped on one foot to step on the small stones on the ground.
Tinglan stood behind the fox. From his angle, he could only see the little prince sway slightly, as if he couldn't stand steadily. After all, no one in the palace would suddenly hop on one foot for no reason. The young prince lacked experience and thought the little prince was about to fall.
Honestly, he could fall even on flat ground. He frowned slightly and reached out to support the little prince's wrist.
The cuffs were thin, and he could feel the temperature of the other person's skin through the fabric. It was warm and cozy, higher than the average person's body temperature, like holding a pool of hot water.
The little fox stared blankly at the hand on its arm, then stopped hopping around and stood still, carefully placing its own hand on top of the hand.
As their fingertips touched, Tinglan felt a pang of regret; he shouldn't have been the one to fetch the new prince today.
The fox was still grinning foolishly.
Hehe, I held hands with my best friend.
Sister, don't worry about me. I've already made a good friend outside. He's a nice guy and handsome, but he doesn't like eating fruit. But that's okay, I'll eat it for him.
Several palace maids and eunuchs carrying trays came out from inside the door and bowed in unison, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty, and His Highness the Thirteenth Prince."
Tinglan abruptly pulled her hand back.
Ji Qing had never seen such a scene before. He tilted his head to see Ting Lan's reaction. He saw that Ting Lan only nodded slightly, so he followed his example and nodded to the palace servants. But the Ninth Prince was expressionless and his eyes were unreadable. The little fox, however, showed his bright white teeth to people.
He gripped his sleeve, counted the fruit, then counted the people. He should have brought more. There were six of them; what if there wasn't enough fruit to go around?
If they don't like it either... maybe we should keep it for ourselves.
The little fox harbored deep worries about the future. There was a pile of stones in the yard, not a single cabbage in sight. Who knows if they would have enough to eat in the future? Sigh.
"Your Highness, please go change your clothes first." Tinglan's palms were a little hot, and he tucked his hands into his sleeves as he spoke softly.
The fox nodded obediently.
The palace servants filed out and back in, leading the fox inside. Incense was burning in the room, and wisps of white smoke carrying a sweet woody scent filled the air.
The fragrance was so enticing that the fox took a deep breath and then started sneezing.
As expected, a mountain fox cannot eat fine chaff.
"Has Your Highness caught a chill?" the head palace maid Qiu Yuan asked in a low voice.
The fox rubbed its nose, embarrassed to admit that it was from the smell, and shook its head, saying, "It's nothing."
"It's windy outside, give Your Highness an extra layer." She turned and instructed, bending down to unbutton Ji Qing's clothes. "This servant, Qiu Yuan, will be responsible for taking care of Your Highness's daily life from now on."
"Hmm...can you wait a minute?" Ji Qing reached into her sleeve and took out a handful of fruit, an embroidered money pouch, three pretty pebbles, and a little chick made of colorful feathers. She piled all these odds and ends onto the tray before standing back up and smiling at Qiu Yuan. "It's all done now."
He was still holding a red fruit in his hand.
When Qiu Yuan helped him change his clothes, the little prince stood obediently the whole time, his eyelashes fluttering as he looked at her. He would raise his arm when she asked him to, and turn around when she asked him to, unlike some difficult people who would find fault with everything.
Just as she was about to express her feelings, a round object was secretly slipped into her hand.
Qiu Yuan lowered her head, holding a red fruit in her hand.
I don't know what kind of fruit it is, but it looks delicious.
Looking up again, I saw the little prince's bright eyes.
There are many beauties in the palace, and no matter how beautiful someone is, they don't stand out here. But the little prince is different. He is so beautiful that he is almost eerie. He always reminds people of the gods and ghosts in the strange tales who can easily bewitch people. Perhaps Qiu Yuan is also bewitched now.
A sudden warmth welled up in her heart, and she said, "Thank you, Your Highness," before quickly putting the fruit into her sleeve.
The fox, tugging at the hem of its clothes, happily twirled around in front of the bronze mirror.
The people here are really nice; it's okay if they don't have roast chicken.
It's not impossible.
A young eunuch knocked on the door, urging, "Your Highness, it's almost time to see His Majesty."
Before Qiu Yuan could answer, Ji Qing, wearing her little boots, ran over and pushed open the door, saying, "Coming."
Qiu Yuan stood there, touching her sleeve.
A palace maid leaned over and asked, "What good things did His Highness reward you with just now?"
"Go away, I'm not telling you." She waved her hand and walked away, taking out a piece of fruit from her sleeve and taking a bite.
So sweet.
*
The fox got into Tinglan's sedan chair again and stared blankly at the pastries on the table.
The fried cakes and fruit only filled the fox's stomach a little; he was still a bit hungry.
This dessert is so delicious, I really want to have another one.
Ji Qing silently swallowed, struggling to look away.
Tinglan remained silent throughout, her eyes occasionally glancing at Ji Qing's profile. Her fingers were curled inside her sleeve, her palms touching her fingertips before quickly releasing them.
Seemingly somewhat embarrassed and angry, he turned his head away, refusing to look at Ji Qing.
The Ninth Prince was sitting perfectly fine in the sedan chair, but suddenly his face flushed slightly, and even his earlobes turned red. It was unclear whether he was angry.
Tinglan is usually known for his ruthlessness and meanness, but his actions today are quite unlike his usual self.
Perhaps because he was not used to interacting with others like this, he glanced sideways at the little prince who was excitedly looking out the window and occasionally turning back to smile at him, and suddenly opened his thin, watery red lips and uttered, "A vixen-like appearance."
This statement may have been sincere, since he was indeed entangled with a vixen, which had caused him considerable distress.
The young prince, who was laughing happily in front of him, was stunned, looking at him with disbelief in his eyes.
Tinglan felt a sense of satisfaction; knowing my true nature would keep her at a distance.
The fox plopped down in front of him, almost jumping up but holding back, and asked in a low voice with a hint of expectation, "You really think so?"
Tinglan hesitated for a moment, then did not react.
The fox took it as a tacit agreement, gave a small cheer, and grabbed Tinglan's icy hand.
Yay!
I finally look like a fox!
Hmph, those Taoist priests said I didn't look like a fox spirit, but look, they're praising me to my face now.
You are truly my best friend!
I like you!
Tinglan was stunned. He felt like someone in the freezing cold had been stuffed with a hot coal, unsure whether to take it or throw it away. He just looked at the little prince and asked excitedly, "Can I have one of those snacks?"
Tinglan had no time to think about the snacks. He rubbed his forehead, propped his elbows against the window, and nodded haphazardly.
Another cheer rang in my ears.
In a daze, an idea inexplicably surfaced in the mind of the Ninth Prince.
Is he... stupid?
Forget it, why bother arguing with an idiot... The Ninth Prince rubbed his temples.
The silly fox really knew nothing; he was happily eating his snacks, oblivious to everything else.
This was given to me by my good friend, hehe.
When the sedan chair stopped, the fox stood in front of the imperial study, wiping the crumbs from the corner of his mouth. He stared blankly at the long sword of the imperial guard, and was about to go up and ask if he could touch it when Tinglan pulled him back.
The other person's expression was rather complicated. He stared at him for a while before speaking, his voice tinged with resentment, "Let's go, don't say anything more."
"Oh." The little fox responded and followed behind Tinglan like a little tail, darting into the imperial study.
Two heavy, carved wooden doors opened, and then the brocade curtain embroidered with dragon patterns was lifted, finally revealing the appearance of the imperial study.
The fox peeked out from behind Tinglan, curiously looking around. He remembered that he was supposed to be someone's son, and felt a little guilty, so he quickly stuck his head back in.
I hope I won't get caught... Please don't hit me.
The emperor sat at his desk, his expression unreadable. He sighed deeply over the mutton-fat jade pendant that had been presented to him before turning his gaze to the people below.
The moment he saw Ji Qing's face, he suddenly froze, got up and walked to the bronze mirror on the other side, looking at himself in the mirror.
He had forgotten what the woman looked like back then, only remembering that she was extremely intelligent. He never expected that the child she gave birth to would have such an appearance.
When he turned back to look at Ji Qing, his eyes were filled with admiration. "Not bad, you can tell from his appearance that he is my child."
Ji Qing breathed a sigh of relief and stuck out his head, nodding vigorously in agreement.
"How old are you?" The emperor asked, unusually adopting a kind and benevolent demeanor.
Ji Qing was about to say "two hundred and thirty years old" when he realized his mistake and immediately stopped talking.
Oh no, how old should I be? The fox racked its brains but still couldn't figure it out.
Fortunately, Tinglan answered for him, "Your Majesty, the young prince is seventeen years old this year."
"Seventeenth," the emperor leaned back on his dragon throne, toying with the ring on his finger, "Take good care of the emperor's seal; send over anything that's lacking."
Tinglan bowed to receive the decree, and the fox followed suit, bowing as well.
The news of the new prince's arrival at the palace has spread, and everyone in the palace is waiting for the emperor's arrangements for him.
At this moment, the Eastern Palace was brightly lit, and the Crown Prince was bent over his desk, frowning as he looked at the secret report brought by his subordinates.
"Brother, aren't you worried? We finally managed to bring down the second and third brothers, and now another one has come along." It was Prince Ning who was speaking, pacing anxiously around the room.
Prince Ning was a military man who was always self-aware and knew he was not cut out to be emperor, so he wholeheartedly assisted his elder brother.
"He's only sixteen or seventeen, and he has no maternal family to support him. It's pitiful for him to be all alone in the palace. Don't wander around aimlessly; it's making me dizzy. If you're so eager to know, take some gifts and go see him." The Crown Prince didn't even look up, pointing towards the direction of the storeroom.
Prince Ning turned and left, sword in hand.
A gift? It depends on whether he deserves it!
The crown prince put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and sighed as he watched his younger brother's departing figure.
When will the storms in this palace finally end...? He was truly exhausted.
A note from the author:
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