The Fifth Prince turned at the sound.
The ground, wet from the rain, reflected the figures of people in the light from the hall.
Qu Dubian ran to his side in a few steps, tilting the umbrella in his hand. He looked at the doors of Zichen Hall, then at the Fifth Prince, not knowing how to persuade him for a moment.
“Fifth Brother, come back with me first.”
The drizzling autumn rain fell on the umbrella surface, making a monotonous sound.
The Fifth Prince raised his head. His face was pale, his lips purple, and his whole body was cold.
Even though it was early autumn, he was dressed thinly and had been soaked by the rain. Kneeling outside, with the night breeze blowing, his body was even trembling slightly.
He said: “I don’t believe my mother would harm someone. She couldn’t think of such a vicious method.”
Qu Dubian could only say: “The matter hasn’t been concluded yet. Fifth Brother, if you really kneel here all night, your body will collapse. Your mother wouldn’t want to see this.”
Fifth Prince: “Then why won’t Father Emperor see me? Right now, I’m the only one who can save her.”
As he grew older, he understood more about his mother’s ‘control’ over him, so sometimes he really didn’t like her and wanted to escape, but she was still the birth mother who had raised him.
Ten years of feelings, he couldn’t easily sever them.
He properly kowtowed toward Zichen Hall again, “Father Emperor! Your son requests an audience!”
Ye Xiaoyuan silently sighed.
Looking toward this majestic hall.
The eunuchs guarding the door all lowered their heads, like statues silent in the rainy night.
Da Hei whimpered twice, nudging Qu Dubian’s palm with its nose tip. The two-legged cub’s hand was also growing cold.
Qu Dubian crouched down, gave his umbrella to the Fifth Prince, then took off his cloak and draped it over him, “Fifth Brother, wait here, I’ll go in and see.”
He also rubbed Da Hei’s head: “Be good, help block some wind for Fifth Brother.”
After speaking, he covered his head with his hand and ran into Zichen Hall. The eunuchs at the door all recognized him, merely glanced at him, and didn’t stop him.
Da Hei sat upright beside the Fifth Prince. Its thick, dense fur was wet with water, but could still block most of the wind.
The Fifth Prince held the umbrella, with the cloak on his shoulders solidly blocking the cold air from outside. A hint of warmth rose from his shoulders, and his eyes gradually reddened.
–
Emperor Chongzhao was sitting by the window, turning the pages of a book on a small kang table.
But his brows were slightly furrowed, and he hadn’t turned a page for a long time.
“Father!”
Qu Dubian came in through the rain, his fluffy, messy hair wet and clumped together.
Because he ran so quickly, no one had time to announce him. Head Eunuch Yu was startled: “Oh my goodness, Young Highness? Why have you come at this hour?”
Emperor Chongzhao also suddenly awoke from his thoughts, put down his book, and after seeing the state the boy was in, his expression darkened, “It’s raining outside! Quick, bring a cotton towel to dry him.”
“It’s fine.”
Qu Dubian shook his head and used the cotton towel to wipe his hands and face, “Father, Fifth Brother is outside.”
Emperor Chongzhao: “You came for your Fifth Brother?”
Qu Dubian honestly said: “Fifth Brother is my brother. I heard about Noble Lady Rong being punished, so I quickly went to check on Fifth Brother. He wasn’t in Changxin Palace, and I asked a palace servant before learning he had come here.”
He tugged at the sleeve of Emperor Chongzhao’s robe.
“It’s very cold outside, Father, please see Fifth Brother.”
Emperor Chongzhao: “I know why he came, just to plead for Noble Lady Rong. I’ve already had Yu Decai tell him that we will investigate and handle it properly. Right now, Noble Lady Rong is only being detained in the inner prison, not yet formally convicted. If he still insists on kneeling outside, what can I do?”
What can you do?
You could comfort him!
Fifth Brother is not even ten years old yet. You only sent Head Eunuch Yu to talk to him without appearing yourself. With such a big incident, how could he not be anxious?
After mentally criticizing, Qu Dubian said, “Then could you tell Fifth Brother to come back with me?”
Emperor Chongzhao: “The eldest, second, and third haven’t come. Do you know why?”
He placed his palm against his young son’s slightly cool cheek and pinched it, “Framing an imperial offspring, causing a consort’s death, these are capital offenses punishable by beheading. No one wants to get involved in this troublesome affair.”
“Yet only you come in the middle of the night to plead for your Fifth Brother.”
Royal family affection was typically thin, but Xiao Qi had developed a deeply emotional nature.
Good, but also not so good.
Qu Dubian: “Father, please call Fifth Brother in.”
Emperor Chongzhao was silent for a moment: “Just this once.”
He patted Qu Dubian on the shoulder and called for someone to bring a cotton blanket to drape over him.
When the Fifth Prince heard the summons, he quickly stood up from the ground, but his knees gave way and he almost fell. It was Ye Xiaoyuan who steadied him.
The Fifth Prince gratefully said: “Thank you.”
Ye Xiaoyuan picked up his umbrella, stood guard outside the hall, and said softly: “Go in quickly, Fifth Prince.”
The Fifth Prince hurriedly entered Zichen Hall, and upon seeing Emperor Chongzhao, he immediately lifted the hem of his robe and knelt down.
“Father.”
He recited the plea he had rehearsed and pondered countless times.
Emperor Chongzhao nodded, “Mm.”
In the Fifth Prince’s eyes, the coldness of the night autumn rain that had soaked his body finally gave way to some hope. He kowtowed to Emperor Chongzhao.
“Father, may I go to the inner prison to see-”
Emperor Chongzhao raised his hand: “Enough.”
The Fifth Prince’s words were immediately cut off.
Emperor Chongzhao: “You’ve seen me and said what you wanted to say. You may return to Changxin Palace now. I had originally thought to wait another two or three months until you were of age to move to the princes’ residence, but now with no one in Changxin Palace, you can move out earlier.”
The Fifth Prince’s heart instantly turned cold.
He couldn’t help but look up at his father, whom he had always regarded as majestic, but in his father’s eyes, there was only calmness, without a trace of warmth.
The Fifth Prince suddenly felt that it was colder in this hall than outside in the wind.
Emperor Chongzhao: “Xiao Qi, go with your Fifth Brother.”
Qu Dubian: “Mm.”
He helped support the Fifth Prince, and the two walked out of the hall together.
They were silent all the way.
When they reached a fork in the path, Qu Dubian said: “Fifth Brother, come back with me to Shunning Palace. Let’s go, have some ginger soup. Changxin Palace is too far; you’ll be frozen through by the time you get back.”
The Fifth Prince gently pulled his hand away.
“No need, Xiao Qi.”
Qu Dubian stopped.
Fifth Prince: “I’ll go back and pack up. And, thank you for today.”
He held the umbrella Qu Dubian had given him and patted the cloak on his shoulders, “These are enough, I’m not cold.”
After saying goodbye, the Fifth Prince turned and took another path.
Qu Dubian stood at the crossroads watching his silhouette disappear into the darkness, and only when he could no longer see him did he say: “Banban, Da Hei, let’s go too.”
Ye Xiaoyuan sighed inwardly and responded with a sound of acknowledgment.
–
Shunning Palace.
Peaceful and tranquil.
The drizzling autumn rain was kept outside the eaves.
The small kitchen was filled with rising steam, with hot ginger soup sweetened with brown sugar simmering in the pot.
Qu Dubian squatted in the bathtub, wearing only small shorts, leaning on the edge of the wooden tub, his fair little face flushed from the heat.
Concubine Xuan was both nagging and adding cold-dispelling herbs to the bath, looking as if she were brewing a soup.
“Autumn rain may not seem much, but it’s actually the easiest way for cold to seep into one’s body. Just now your hands felt ice-cold. If we don’t thoroughly dispel the cold, you’ll suffer tomorrow morning.”
Qu Dubian stirred the water in the wooden tub-it had already turned a deep brown color.
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
