Chapter 46 The jealousy continues to fester! Her virtuousness is all an act! ...
The fox happily returned to the palace. On the way there, it hid under the carriage seat, but on the way back, it could finally do so openly.
After the carriage entered the palace gates, it first went to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs so that the young prince could change into clothes suitable for meeting the emperor, and then went straight to the Imperial Study.
The fox was dressed very smartly, in a red brocade robe with a dark gold pattern and a round neck, with a matching silk sash around his waist and a white crane cloak over it. At first glance, he looked very respectable and had a royal air about him, but one had to ignore the tacky little floral bundle on his leg.
His precious bundle was full of delicious food, which he would eat later, so he couldn't put it down.
"Should I go too? What if I accidentally say something wrong?" The fox didn't want to see the emperor, so it hung its head and clung to Tinglan's sleeve.
"Your Highness need not be afraid. Given His Majesty's temperament, he will not interfere."
The fox nodded, still looking worried.
Inside the Imperial Study, the Crown Prince stood to one side with his hands hanging down. When he saw Ji Qing enter, his gaze towards him was complex.
It's truly baffling that this younger brother ultimately chose to side with Tinglan, abandoning the future crown prince and instead choosing to associate with a eunuch.
The Crown Prince looked away. Oh well, there was never any brotherly affection to speak of anyway... but he still felt a little regretful, thinking they would have been on the same path.
The emperor's eyes showed a hint of surprise. He hadn't really taken this new son seriously; he had just suddenly remembered him and casually sent someone to bring him back. He was handsome, quiet, and didn't cause trouble—a perfect pretty face.
Now that I've discovered it's a multi-functional vase, not only can it be displayed, but it can also be used as a jar. It might come in very handy in the future, which is a pleasant surprise. So I casually rewarded it with some gold, silver and jade items.
As Tinglan had expected, the emperor did not mention anything about disaster relief. He simply listened to Tinglan's report while casually fiddling with the newly acquired ornaments on the table.
Finally, the emperor seemed to ponder for a moment, then put on a sorrowful expression, "I dreamt of your mother a few days ago; she misses you dearly."
The fox below was completely dumbfounded. It blinked, but didn't dare to speak or nod. It just stood there with its head down, looking very sad, but in reality, it was completely baffled.
Mother? It's been too long; the fox has no recollection of her.
My sister said that my mother must have encountered some dangerous or calamity, which is why she left me behind and that's how she found me.
The Emperor frowned again, as if reminiscing about the past. He suddenly sighed, full of emotion, "You've been in the palace for a year, and I haven't had a chance to bestow a title upon you yet. Today is a perfect auspicious day."
“An is a good word. It means peace, tranquility, and harmony. Your mother should like this word as well.” The emperor was already immersed in his own world, murmuring to himself.
Tinglan was already used to the emperor's monologues. He stood upright and subtly tugged at the young prince's sleeve.
The fox then realized what was happening and quickly bowed in greeting.
Prince An, that sounds good too.
Another strange name has appeared, and even the fox can't remember them all. He is now Ji Qing, Pei Ji Qing, a prince, a prince, and Prince An.
Good heavens, who has so many names? The fox sighed quietly. Being human is so troublesome, having to remember so many names.
In the future, when you knock on the door, people will ask who's at the door.
The fox would then have to say, "I am Pei Jiqing, the thirteenth prince of the current dynasty, Prince An."
People will grumble, "Who gave themselves such a long name?"
Our Prince An scurried out the door, climbed onto the carriage with his bottom sticking out, and put his rustic little floral bundle on his lap. He then took out a dried apricot from it and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing away.
He poked Tinglan's waist. "Tonight, shall I sleep at your place, or will you sleep at mine?"
Having been away for many days, he had gotten used to sleeping with his good friends. Now, he felt a little uncomfortable sleeping alone in a bed, as if his hands and feet were empty and he needed to hold onto something.
“...Either is fine.” The palm print’s ears turned slightly red.
"Then sleep at my place," the fox said excitedly. "I'm going to pile up lots of good food by your bedside. If you want some, just reach out and grab it."
Tinglan looked at the little prince's profile and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
But clearly the fox can't go back yet, so he can continue eating the snacks he's been longing for while carrying his bundle.
He's attending a banquet tonight.
Moreover, His Highness Prince An, who was at the height of his fame, was undoubtedly the center of the banquet.
The musicians played light music, the underground heating was burning brightly, and the entire palace was enveloped in a light and warm fragrant breeze. Even before drinking any wine, people felt lightheaded and tipsy.
The civil officials present were all eager to show off, hoping to catch the eye of Prince An. Although he seemed to have no hope of winning the throne, they had heard that he was of excellent character and conduct. Following such a master would not be bad, at least they wouldn't be easily beaten with a cane.
The fox swallowed the delicious food in its mouth with great difficulty, turned its head away, and refused to look at the group of scholars. Good heavens, isn't the banquet supposed to start with eating as soon as you sit down? Why are they starting to recite poetry while they're eating?
The fox didn't understand, and the fox felt panicked. When the fox panicked, it would tug at its best friend's clothes.
What if they ask me to write a poem?
Through the cover of the table, Tinglan gently patted the little prince's hand, a smile playing on her lips. She thought to herself, "His Highness just loves to act cute."
Fortunately, with the Nine Thousand Years Old's presence as a deterrent, no one dared to go looking for trouble.
When the palace banquet ended and the music stopped, the lingering warmth still hadn't dissipated. The fox, wrapped in a robe, stood outside the hall waiting for Tinglan.
Suddenly, a young man dressed as a scholar stepped forward. He seemed to be one of the few people at the banquet who hadn't recited poetry. Fox recognized him; Tinglan had introduced him before. He seemed to be a high-ranking official with a very long name, which Fox couldn't remember.
"Your Highness Prince An," the man said in a low voice.
The fox, with its sleeves tucked in, smiled and nodded at him.
The man looked at the young and beautiful Prince An in front of him and suddenly felt a pang of pity.
"I shouldn't be saying this to you, but to work with the Director of Ceremonial is like asking a tiger for its skin. Since Your Highness is so capable, you should make plans as soon as possible."
The fox didn't understand, but it would be embarrassing to admit it directly, so it just smiled and nodded.
"It's good that Your Highness knows what's going on."
Yu Wenhuai breathed a sigh of relief, bowed slightly, and gave a salute.
He had studied Prince An's performance during the disaster relief efforts. He was shrewd yet gentlemanly, possessing both strength and gentleness, which was quite rare. Moreover, he was under the command of the Ninth Prince, and it was unknown how he struggled to cope, which made him even more remarkable.
How could someone like that be associated with Tinglan?
Yu Wenhuai didn't understand, but he couldn't say anything. He could only mention that the prince was young and intelligent and must know what was going on.
Tinglan came out of the hall. He had drunk a few cups of wine and smelled of alcohol. His cloak was casually draped over his shoulders. Although he had drunk wine, his eyes were still sharp and his face was still as pale as snow.
From a distance, it has a chilling beauty.
He slowly walked over to the young prince, placed his long, well-defined hand on the prince's shoulder, and lowered his head to ask, "Was that Yu Wenhuai just now? What did he say to Your Highness?"
His tone was gentle, even somewhat virtuous, but it was completely at odds with his appearance.
The fox thought for a moment, then put his hands behind his back and said happily, "He just praised me for being smart. This person really has a good eye; I am indeed very smart."
Tinglan frowned slightly and smiled helplessly, "Your Highness is naturally exceptionally intelligent." He looked at the distant figure with cold eyes, and said nothing more. He simply took the little prince's hand, and the two boarded the carriage.
The New Year holidays are here again.
The palace was finally less busy, although the daily memorials still flew into the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs like snowflakes.
Many of the memorials contained sycophants who praised Prince An highly.
Upon seeing this, Tinglan first smiled, then took out his memorial separately and burned it in the brazier.
These things don't need to be presented to the emperor; they will only arouse suspicion and distrust in the emperor and the crown prince.
As for what will happen to the young prince in the future, Tinglan will naturally make arrangements for him, without even needing the emperor's intervention.
Tinglan tilted her head and, through the gap in the screen, could see a white hem of clothing. It must be the little prince squatting there, fiddling with something.
Your Highness only needs to stay by his side; you don't need to go anywhere else, and no one else needs to say anything.
He will arrange everything for His Highness.
Tinglan smiled, looking at the flames leaping from the brazier.
Just as he was thinking this, the little prince suddenly darted out from the inner room like a cannonball and stood in front of his desk. "I want to go find Xie Yunchuan to play. Has he come to the capital yet?"
"No," the palm print said decisively without hesitation.
"Oh." The young prince lowered his head in disappointment. "Alright then."
"Is Your Highness bored?"
The fox nodded. "If he's not here, I'll go find Zhou Yiqing."
The man with the palm seal immediately gritted his teeth, how could he forget that there was a Zhou Yiqing in the palace?
He put down his pen, stepped forward, and gently took the young prince's hand. "Zhou Yiqing has caught a cold and is recuperating. It's best not to disturb him."
His face was all smiles, but his knuckles were clenched so tightly they were white.
He couldn't quite describe his feelings; was it jealousy? Or fear?
Zhou Yiqing and Xie Yunchuan were both quite young, at least younger than Tinglan, and both were handsome and good-looking. Besides, they were both men...
The palm print's eyes were dark. He lowered his head, placed his hand on the young prince's shoulder, and led him into the inner room.
It's not that he doesn't believe in His Highness's sincerity, it's just that sincerity is fickle, and he dares not gamble on it, nor can he afford to.
He wasn't joking that day; he was genuinely afraid that the young prince would one day abandon him.
After all, his parents were going to abandon him... so what reason did the young prince have to stay by his side?
A Taoist priest who was diligently refining elixirs suddenly sneezed loudly, "Amitabha, who is thinking of this humble Taoist?"
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Author's note: The flu is really bad lately [crying emoji], everyone please take precautions!
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