The little prince had no idea that everything was arranged for him in the time it took him to take an afternoon nap. Before he even married his principal wife, they had already prepared the concubines for him.
Yun Jiangli was even more confused than the little prince. He had never thought that the youth might have someone else besides him. Not to mention whether Yuchi Zhao’s words were reliable or not, just thinking about the youth being coquettish and smiling sweetly to others, Yun Jiangli’s heart was already bubbling with jealousy.
Yuchi Zhao successfully explained the difficult problem and proudly told Yun Jiangli all the strange and bizarre fighting skills he had read in the storybooks and heard in the teahouse and then ran to find his Xiao Chentan with a smile on his face that showed his achievements and fame.
Yun Jiangli was left standing alone in the cold wind, doubting his life.
However, today, as if it had been discussed in advance, before Yun Jiangli could think carefully about whether Yuchi Zhao’s words were nonsense or not, Ah Xiao came running over and said that His Highness Prince Cheng had arrived.
As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Cheng strode over through the small garden.
“Xiao Wangye is still asleep, Your Highness may have to wait for a while.”
Yun Jiangli took the initiative to greet him.
Prince Cheng shook his head, looked at Yun Jiangli solemnly, and whispered, “This king came here today mainly to ask Young Hall Master some questions.”
Yun Jiangli heard that his tone was very serious, so he didn’t ask any more questions and nodded in response: “Then please follow me, Your Highness.”
.
As soon as the two entered Jiayue Pavilion, Prince Cheng directly instructed the subordinates who followed him: “I have something to discuss with Young Hall Master Yun, you all don’t have to follow.”
Chen Bai, Ah Xiao, and others bowed and retreated to the door.
Yun Jiangli looked at Prince Cheng’s attitude and couldn’t guess what he wanted to talk to him about, so he simply stopped thinking about it, sat down at the tea table, took the tea set, and started brewing tea.
Both of them are open.
The unique aroma of tea gradually filled the room as Yun Jiangli moved lazily and casually.
Prince Cheng sat opposite Yun Jiangli, and for a moment he hadn’t figured out how to start the conversation. It was not until Yun Jiangli handed him a teacup that he hesitated and said in a low voice, “Walking in the snow late at night, not knowing the way.”
Yun Jiangli paused with his hand holding the teacup, and after a moment of silence, he also said in a low voice, “I met an old friend deep in the bamboo forest.”
“Pah—”
Prince Cheng was so surprised that he slapped the tea table and stood up: “It’s really you!”
Then he seemed to have figured something out, smiled, and shook his head and said, “We have been looking for you for so long, I really didn’t expect it…”
Yun Jiangli bowed his head slightly and said respectfully, “Xuezhu has always been waiting to be called.”
Prince Cheng smiled and waved his hand: “Don’t be so polite to me. I have many questions, and I hope that Young Hall Master can answer them one by one.”
Yun Jiangli lowered his eyes, “Your Highness, please ask.”
Prince Cheng pondered for a long time, seemingly unable to find where to start. He took a sip of tea before saying, “The late emperor passed away suddenly that year, and he did not have time to explain many things to Imperial Brother. That’s why we have been looking for so long…”
He paused and continued, “On the night when Young Hall Master detoxified Prince Yi, I was outside and heard him talking to you about ‘Xuezhu’. I then paid attention to Renji Tang. But I still only found a few clues and could not confirm the relationship between Renji Tang and ‘Xuezhu’…”
“Until a few days ago, Prince Yi mentioned in his confession that he had intercepted a letter from Tao Bo, the governor of Wuzhou, to me. He found out some things about you through that letter.”
“In fact, Prince Yi couldn’t confirm that it was you either, but he just wanted to take a gamble with a glimmer of hope. Unexpectedly, he was right.”
“Afterwards, I sorted out all the clues I had found over the past six months, and then I realized that it should be Young Hall Master.”
After listening to this, Yun Jiangli took the initiative to explain: “I am not the head of the ‘Xuezhu’. The current head of the family is my father.”
“Because the existence of ‘Xuezhu’ is extremely secretive, few people know about it. And before the death of the previous emperor, the domestic political situation was stable, and ‘Xuezhu’ had no mission at that time. Therefore, after His Majesty ascended the throne, my father could not confirm whether His Majesty just had no mission for the time being or did not know about it.”
“According to the rules, Xuezhu cannot take the initiative to contact His Majesty. My father and I have discussed it many times and decided to wait for His Majesty’s will, but we never thought that it would be delayed for so long.”
Prince Cheng relaxed his sitting posture and sighed, “No wonder. But why did Emperor Father know the Old Hall Master and establish ‘Xuezhu’?”
Yun Jiangli thought for a moment and answered, “According to my father, the establishment of ‘Xuezhu’ was not the late Emperor’s ideas alone but should have been earlier. I heard that when the late emperor was young, he encountered danger and was rescued by my grandfather. That was when he met my father.”
“I don’t know the details of the process. If you are interested, you can go with me to Yun Mansion and ask my father.”
Prince Cheng waved his hand quickly: “Well, there is no need to bother the Old Hall Master. I am more curious about why Renji Tang was chosen?”
Yun Jiangli smiled and said, “Renji Tang is spread all over Dasheng, and it already has its own channels for medicinal materials, making it easier for it to obtain information. And the existence of ‘Xuezhu’ is most significant in preventing foreign invasions. In this sense, Renji Tang is the most suitable choice.”
Prince Cheng nodded thoughtfully: “Yes, this is indeed the most appropriate way.”
Afterwards, Prince Cheng smiled and said, “You are so good. I can finally reply to Imperial Brother without any worries.”
After that, Prince Cheng stood up and prepared to leave: “Oh, by the way, please take care of Lao Qi’s matter. If there is anything, just let Chen Mo come to me at any time.”
.
After seeing Prince Cheng off, Yun Jiangli called Du Zhong to the Yun Mansion to deliver a message to the old hall master. He looked at the time again and estimated that it was time to wake the little prince up, so he walked towards the warm pavilion leisurely.
As he walked, he thought about what Yuchi Zhao said about the concubines, and his heart was sour.
“Lao Qi, how many people are there in Prince Cheng’s room?”
Although these are not secrets, but Yun Jiangli has never been interested in these things and really doesn’t know how many wives these princes have.
Lao Qi was stunned by the question and stammered, “Just, just one principal wife!”
“En.”
Yun Jiangli thought for a moment and asked again, “What about Prince Heng?”
Lao Qi was completely confused. He didn’t know why his boss suddenly showed interest in the princes’ families. Could it be that before marrying into the mansion, he had to first get to know his sisters-in-law, or brothers-in-law? That didn’t seem right either…
Anyway, it’s the legendary knowing yourself and knowing your enemy[mfn]Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated (idiom, from Sunzi’s “The Art of War” 孙子兵法 ).[/mfn]?
Thinking of this, Lao Qi deeply felt that he needed to contribute his own strength to his boss’s future position as princess consort.
So he decided to talk about the family situation of each prince’s mansion. He cleared his throat and said seriously, “Boss, let’s start from the beginning. The eldest brother of Xiao Wangye, that is, His Highness Prince Kang, is famous for being aloof from the world and only caring about music. In addition to his principal wife, there are two concubines in the mansion.”
“We cannot discuss about His Majesty casually.”
“Then what about Prince Yi? You know, he is still single. I heard that he once had a crush on a young man, but that young man was unlucky and died early. Then there is Prince Heng. He is a passionate one. In addition to the princess consort and concubines, he also has two wives and a maid[mfn]This was also called concubine but the rank was low. Both are concubines, but the ranks are different, the upper concubine’s rank was only lower than the princess consort, so in order not to be mixed with the other concubine, I’ll use maid here[/mfn]…”
Hearing this, Yun Jiangli’s face suddenly turned colder, and his hands under his sleeves unconsciously clenched into fists.
He thought to himself, if the little guy dared to imitate his fourth brother and have so many wives, he would definitely tie him up on the bed and give him a good lesson.
Lao Qi, who noticed his boss’s sudden change of expression, hesitated whether to continue speaking. After thinking about it, he decided that there was only one prince left, so he just finished speaking in one breath.
Lao Qi continued: “And Prince Huai, he is a little stupid, but he is a love-sick man. He only has one concubine. Because of his family background, she cannot be named a principal wife, so he has never appointed a principal wife in his family.”
“Also, the two princesses are said to be easy to get along with, and their husbands are also gentle. It seems that there is nothing in the other royal families in the capital that you need to pay special attention to… You don’t have to worry too much, there are also a few princes who marry male concubines, and our Xiao Wangye’s feelings for you are beyond doubt…”
The more Lao Qi spoke, the more earnest and sincere his words became. Yun Jiangli also felt that his words were not quite right.
“Lao Qi.”
Yun Jiangli interrupted the man who was talking excitedly and said, “It’s almost the end of the month. Do you want to go to Liansa?”
Lao Qi immediately showed a terrified expression: “Master, if I, Lao Qi, were not by your side, would you be able to rely on Ah Xiao or that little ice cube Du Zhong for your future life in the Prince’s mansion?”
Yun Jiangli gritted his teeth. The prince’s, mansion, life, and future?
Why are they all starting to worry about his future today?
Could it be that he really has to start a family fight?
Yun Jiangli, who was too lazy to talk to Lao Qi, snorted coldly and ordered, “Go prepare medicine for Xiao Wangye.”
Lao Qi responded readily, “Alright, boss, I’ll leave now.”
Yun Jiangli ignored his increasingly abnormal subordinate and stood in front of the warm pavilion. He calmed himself and took a deep breath—
Concubine?
Haha, wishful thinking! If the little prince dares to have such an idea, he will directly suppress it!
.
“You are up?”
Yun Jiangli entered the warm pavilion and happened to see Yan Muning sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
He poured a cup of warm tea from the stove, sat on the bed, and held the youth’s arm to feed him half a cup.
The little prince, who had just woken up and was still dazed, had messy long hair and a dull look in his eyes. He looked so adorable. Yun Jiangli approached him and wanted to kiss him, but he didn’t expect that he would turn his head away before he touched the youth’s lips.
Yun Jiangli: “??”
The person who was already jealous became even more unhappy.
Yun Jiangli put one hand over the person’s shoulder and got closer to him, ready to attack again, when the little prince suddenly leaned over and leaned on the edge of the couch: “Yuck—”
Yun Jiangli: “……”
Fortunately, when the young hall master’s sudden possessiveness was about to explode, reason prevailed, and he hurriedly supported the youth’s shoulders to help him breathe and give him water.
Yan Muning finally calmed down for a while, leaning listlessly in Yun Jiangli’s arms, with red eyes and an aggrieved lip.
At this moment, Yun Jiangli had thrown away the jealousy in his heart, and now only heartache remained.
He hugged the youth, his warm palms covering the youth’s stomach that was churning and uncomfortable, and spoke to him in a low voice, trying to help him divert some of his attention.
“Are you feeling better?”
Yun Jiangli asked softly, “Do you want to go out for a walk? It’s warmer today.”
The little prince’s eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly.
Soon, a little prince wrapped up like a ball was seen moving slowly in the garden of the mansion.
In winter, people wear thick clothes. Yun Jiangli puts a fluffy, pure white fox fur cape on Yan Muning. His long black hair was tied behind his head, and he did not wear a crown. He also had a small heater in his hand.
“It’s too thick! I can’t walk!” The little prince complained.
Yun Jiangli coaxed him like a child: “You can, take a rest when you get to the front.”
Yan Muning was someone who could not sit still. He could not go upstairs to the rooftops after he had a baby, which made him feel very depressed.
He finally came out for a walk, but he was so wrapped up that he could hardly walk. The little prince was angry. He glared at the big beauty and ran away.
After receiving a soft glare from the youth, Yun Jiangli was not annoyed at all. Instead, he just thought that the youth was extremely adorable.
Seeing the two of them flirting with each other, the servants following them all smiled with satisfaction behind their two masters, but this also came at a price—
It was not even dinner time yet, but everyone was already feeling a little anxious.
.
Since Yuchi Zhao taught him the nature of pillow talk last time, Yun Jiangli has been trying to find the so-called right time to talk to Yan Muning about Prince Yi for several days in a row already, but he swallowed the words back every time it got to his lips.
In two days, it will be the day when the emperor will personally interrogate Prince Yi. Yun Jiangli stood in the courtyard, looking at the sky and feeling worried.
Shiyi came over with the midnight snack for the little prince, and seeing him standing in the courtyard, he asked, “Young Hall Master, why don’t you go in? It’s cold outside at night, so be careful of catching a cold.”
Yun Jiangli turned around and took the midnight snack from Shiyi: “I’ll go in now, go and help check on the hot water prepared for Xiao Wangye to bathe.”
Shiyi nodded in agreement.
After walking a few steps, he hesitated for a moment and turned around and said, “Young Hall Master… Actually, you can also see that Little Master is worried, right?”
Yun Jiangli paused as he was about to enter the house: “En.”
Shiyi continued: “Little Master is very sensitive, and… some things are stuck in his heart, and he can’t just let them go without mentioning them. We can see and only worry about it, but you are different.”
Yun Jiangli understood, and it was because of these reasons that he had been hesitant these days.
The youth looked heartless, but in fact he was more thoughtful than anyone else. However, this little thing was really in poor health at the moment. He was injured and sick this year. He was suffering a lot.
He can’t afford to go through another hardship right now, not to mention he’s pregnant. Even though he’s young, but he’s suffered a lot and needs to make up for it for a while.
But if the little prince can’t get over this hurdle in his heart, it’s not a solution to keep it in his heart either.
Yun Jiangli sighed and nodded slightly: “Alright, I understand.”
Shiyi and Yuchi are right. Now the only person who can help the little prince overcome this hurdle in his heart is him.
.
“I’m sleepy.”
Yan Muning had just finished a warm medicinal bath, and his whole body was warm and pink. At this moment, he was only wearing a jade-colored undergarment, leaning in Yun Jiangli’s arms, and his eyelids began to fight.
“Wait a little longer, your hair is not dry yet. If you go to sleep like this, you will have a headache again tomorrow.” Yun Jiangli was holding a cloth and gently wiping the water off the hair of the person in his arms.
“Humph, I want to sleep.”
The little prince was so soft and coquettish that Yun Jiangli was furious.
These days, Yun Jiangli felt like he was practicing Buddhism, hugging the sweet and soft youth every day, but he could only look and not eat.
The youth’s beautiful appearance may be due to the pregnancy, and recently he has a different charm, but he can only try his best to hold it in.
At first, the little prince would be shy every time he felt Yun Jiangli’s reaction that could not be ignored, but these days he seems to have gotten used to it, and he looks like, ‘You can do whatever you want’. Anyway, this Xiao Wangye doesn’t care.
Yun Jiangli suppressed the fire in his heart, turned his head, and kissed the youth’s forehead and said carefully, “Xiao Qi, are you willing to tell me about your worries?”
The little prince, who was originally relaxing in the big beauty’s arms, suddenly stiffened. He lowered his eyes and whispered, “I don’t have, have worries.”
“Ai—”
Yun Jiangli sighed softly, looking at the youth’s trembling eyelashes, which were reflected in the candlelight in the room, flashing like a butterfly about to spread its wings and fly.
“You—you are not good at lying at all.”
Yun Jiangli put the towel used to wipe his hair aside and held the little prince in his arms, coaxing him helplessly and distressedly: “You don’t even want to tell me?”
Yan Muning closed his eyes and said nothing, but Yun Jiangli knew clearly that he was not asleep at all, and the person in his arms was tightly wrapped around him, as if resisting.
Yun Jiangli hardened his heart and asked directly, “Xiao Qi, do you hate him?”
“The day after tomorrow, His Majesty will personally interrogate him. Do you want to meet him?”
After the words fell, the bedroom was quiet for a long time, until one of the candles seemed to have burned out and suddenly made a slight “crackling” sound, disturbing the tranquility in the room.
“He… he admitted everything?”
Yan Muning asked softly with a trembling voice.
Yun Jiangli said without hiding anything, “Yes.”
When Yan Muning spoke again, his voice was slightly nasal: “Then, what will happen to him?”
Yun Jiangli: “I don’t know. We should wait until the day after tomorrow to get the result.”
The bedroom fell into silence again. Yun Jiangli felt the youth sobbing slightly, and his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He suddenly couldn’t bear it. Why did his youth have to go through this?
Yun Jiangli regretted speaking.
“Xiao Qi, don’t cry. Let’s not go see him and never mention him again, alright?” Yun Jiangli tightened his arms around the youth and stroked his slightly wet hair with his lips.
The only sounds in the room that could be heard were Yan Muning’s somewhat rapid breathing and soft sobs.
After a long while, he spoke in a hoarse voice: “I will go the day after tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to see him, but I want to hear him in person.”
The author has something to say:
Ah, as mentioned before, Prince Yi was really good to the little prince, and they were blood brothers, so the little prince must be feeling very complicated right now.
Also, also, the two lines of poetry in the code of “Xuezhu” were made up by a certain person[mfn]The certain person was referring to the author xD[/mfn] based on the background setting of “Xuezhu”. My dears, please don’t bother with the neat parallelism and rhyme… QAQ;
T/N: Happy New Year, guys ^^
🥰🥰
This is so heartbreaking TT I completely understand how conflicted he’s feeling