TL: Hua
Chapter 89: Probing – “Yes.”
Pei Xiting, in a daze, felt someone sniffing his face. He thought it was Zong Suiyang and reached out to hug him, but his arms wrapped around a big, fluffy head instead.
When he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of round, amber eyes.
Pei Xiting smiled, patting Little King, and said, “Who let you in, hmm?”
His voice was extremely hoarse, and Pei Xiting coughed.
Little King propped its front paws on the edge of the bed, signaling for Pei Xiting to look at its neck, where a small knitted ball Pei Xiting had made for it was hanging. It shook its head, and the ball rattled. Pei Xiting reached out and felt two candies inside.
He ate one; it was a medicinal throat lozenge. Pei Xiting placed the wrapper to the side and said with a laugh, “Looks like you came in through the front door today.”
Little King proudly lifted its head. Pei Xiting was amused and reached out to hug it. As he turned slightly, a wave of soreness and numbness spread through his body. This time it wasn’t as painful as the first, and he felt cool and comfortable below, as if he had been carefully cleaned.
Pei Xiting carefully turned to the side and played a game of “finger to paw” with Little King lying on the edge of the bed, but his mind was on Zong Suiyang. The sober Zong Suiyang was more intimidating when he was ruthless because his gaze was full of overwhelming desire and never left him. No matter how much Pei Xiting cried or begged, he would not stop. All his gentle coaxing was to lure him into willingly giving in.
“Beast,” Pei Xiting mumbled, holding Little King’s paw, and soon fell back asleep, completely forgetting about his duties.
Someone else was concerned. After the meeting, Qu Zhao specifically asked Yu Shaoyun, “Why isn’t Pei-wenshu here today?” Commander Yu dared not say that Pei-wenshu was exhausted from his night of passionate love-making with His Highness and couldn’t get up. He could only say, “He’s at the Ministry of Works. Why? Does Deputy Minister Qu want to see him?”
“No, no, I was just concerned,” Qu Zhao said with a smile and left.
On his way, he passed the Emerald Lake and saw You Zong sitting in a lounge chair talking to Zong Lu. As he got closer, he realized they were discussing the day’s meeting.
Qu Zhao didn’t interrupt. He stood to the side, listened until they finished, exchanged greetings with the little prince, and watched him leave before walking out of the palace with You Zong.
“Hey, did you notice that Young Marquis Shangguan and Prince Zhao looked at you strangely today? And in a very similar way?” Qu Zhao asked.
You Zong was too sharp not to have noticed. He replied, “It has nothing to do with me.”
“How boring,” Qu Zhao clicked his tongue and added, “I know why they looked at you like that.”
You Zong said coldly, “Are you that idle?”
“I actually am quite idle right now.” Qu Zhao knew it was impossible for You Zong to ask, “Oh, why?” So he had to say, “Because of Pei-wenshu.”
You Zong’s mind turned, and he understood but said nothing.
Qu Zhao smiled. “Hey, what do you think? If His Highness knew they mistakenly thought you and Pei-wenshu were in ‘that’ kind of relationship, would he try every means to clarify this beautiful but unpleasant misunderstanding?”
“No,” You Zong said. “Because the misunderstanding won’t last long.”
“Oh,” Qu Zhao mused.
***
“Brother.” Zhao Yi entered the study and walked to the desk, asking, “Why did you call me… Brother, why do you look so terrible? Are you unwell?”
Zhao Fan hadn’t slept at all last night. His mind was filled with complex and worrying thoughts. He raised a hand and massaged his temples, saying, “I’m fine; I just didn’t sleep well last night. Sit down; I have something I want to ask you.”
Zhao Yi sat on a mahogany chair to the side and said, “Please, brother, ask anything.”
“You…” Zhao Fan chose his words carefully: “Do you know about Xiting’s matters?”
Zhao Yi asked, confused, “What aspect are you asking about, brother?”
“Just… matters of the heart,” Zhao Fan said.
Zhao Yi instantly remembered his startling discovery from the previous night and looked a little uncomfortable. He said, “I don’t know.”
“Are you trying to lie to me?” Zhao Fan said. “Spit it out.”
“I truly don’t know, and even if I did, I couldn’t just tell you, brother. That’s Xiting’s private business.” Zhao Yi looked at Zhao Fan, sensing something was wrong. “But brother, why are you so concerned about this?”
Zhao Fan tried to cover it up. “A friend of mine wants to arrange a marriage with Xiting and asked me to find out if Xiting has someone in his heart or is in an ambiguous relationship with anyone.”
“Oh, I see.” Zhao Yi didn’t seem suspicious. He said with a troubled expression, “But I really don’t know.”
Zhao Fan knew his brother’s character and couldn’t detect any signs of lying or hiding. He said, “You’re with him every day. Have you noticed him being particularly close to anyone? Male or female.”
“Particularly close… no. The people who are close to Xiting are people you also know. There’s no one else,” Zhao Yi said. “Brother, Xiting is a straightforward person. If you want to act as a matchmaker for your friend, you can just tell him directly. He’ll either be willing or not, but please don’t force him.”
Having gotten no information, Zhao Fan felt frustrated. He said, “Go on, I don’t need you to lecture me. Get out.”
Zhao Yi smiled and said, “I’ll be going then. Brother, get some good rest.”
He walked out and ran into Madam Zhao, who had come to bring ginseng soup. He immediately went up to her, “Mother.”
Madam Zhao smiled and said, “Yi’er,” then added, “It’s getting cold, so I have to make sure your brother gets his nourishment, lest he get sick while he’s out.”
“Mother, what are you saying? I’m perfectly healthy.” Zhao Fan came out of the study, picked up the bowl from the tray, and drank it all.
Madam Zhao nodded in satisfaction. “The new year is coming. Don’t go running off again—I’ve made sure to ask around, and the Ministry of Works doesn’t have any off-site assignments right now.”
Her implication was, “Don’t try to deceive me.”
Zhao Yi said, “Don’t worry, Mother. Brother has no intention of running off again. He will surely stay and celebrate the new year with you and Father.”
“That’s more like it! Oh, Yi’er, are you free today?” Madam Zhao’s eyes lit up as she looked at Zhao Yi. “I’ve finished the second volume of ‘Night Records of Pomegranate Flowers.’ If you have time, please go out and buy me the third volume. I want the hardcover edition!”
“Night Records of Pomegranate Flowers? What kind of book do you need my brother to go buy for you?” Zhao Fan watched Madam Zhao with a mischievous smile. “It must not be a decent book.”
“What do you know? It’s better to read an indecent book than to be an indecent person.” Madam Zhao shot a glare at Zhao Fan, who immediately surrendered with a laugh. Zhao Yi chuckled and said, “I’m free. I’ll go get it for you right now.”
Madam Zhao repeatedly said that was great and walked out with Zhao Yi’s arm in hers. “I’ve been so engrossed in it recently. The more I read, the more I feel like the main character is familiar.”
Zhao Yi asked, “Familiar with who?”
“That Yang Pei is a lot like your friend, that child from the Pei family, Xiting,” Madam Zhao said.
Zhao Fan stood in the hallway, watching his mother and brother walk away. His expression shifted upon hearing this, and he immediately followed them.
Madam Zhao, completely unaware, continued, “Every time the author describes Yang Pei’s appearance, I can’t help but picture that child in my mind. And they’re both painters.”
“It’s just a coincidence,” Zhao Yi said. “The world in the book is created by the author. Otherwise, how would they dare to sell it? Likewise, the characters in the book are fictional. You just happen to think it’s similar.”
“But…” Madam Zhao ventured a bold guess. “Yi’er, do you think there’s a possibility that the author, Fengyue Scholar, knows or has met Pei Xiting, was attracted to him, and used him as the model for this book?”
“That’s possible,” Zhao Yi said.
Madam Zhao said, “And I think that Xi Zong also looks a bit like—”
“Mother,” Zhao Yi interrupted in time, afraid she would say the name. “Walls have ears. Be careful with your words. If that were to reach ‘that person’s’ ears, it would be a big problem.”
“Oh, yes, yes, yes.” Madam Zhao held her breath and looked around. She turned her head and met Zhao Fan’s somber gaze, startling her. “Why were you following us secretly!”
“…I was following you openly. You were just so engrossed in your conversation that you didn’t notice.” Zhao Fan reached out to pat Madam Zhao’s back and calm her down. “I’ll see you back to the courtyard. Let Brother go buy the book.”
Zhao Yi nodded in agreement, released his mother’s hand, and left to run her errand. Zhao Fan saw his mother back to her courtyard and instructed his attendant, “Go buy me a copy of that ‘Night Records of Pomegranate Flowers.'”
The attendant left to do as he was told.
***
“Young Marquis,” a guard reported in the study. “After that carriage entered Lanyin Street last night, our men couldn’t get close, so they had to stake out the area. But the carriage still hasn’t come out.”
Lanyin Street was the territory of the Longhe Division. Because it was so close to the palace, there could be Longhe Division spies hidden in every nook and cranny. It was normal that they couldn’t get in. Shangguan Jie was a little annoyed. “I’ve been in Yejing for so many years, and I’ve never seen You Zong travel by carriage.”
The guard hesitated to speak. Shangguan Jie noticed and said, “Speak your mind! Who put a stopper in your mouth!”
“Yes!” The guard had no choice but to say, “But if that carriage really belongs to Left Commissioner You, it’s probably used to pick up and drop off Pei-wenshu.”
Shangguan Jie: “…”
That’s right. You Zong didn’t have a habit of taking carriages because he was used to working with efficiency and moving without a trace. But Pei Xiting was different. If the two of them were in a relationship like that, then it would make perfect sense for them to take a carriage back to Lanyin Street and even do “that thing” on the way.
“Dammit!” Shangguan Jie slammed the table and plopped back into his chair, utterly frustrated. The more he didn’t want to believe that Pei Xiting and You Zong were in that kind of relationship, the more he felt that they were.
No wonder Pei Xiting suddenly entered the Crown Prince’s court. Maybe You Zong had helped him get in. The two of them… could they have already gotten the Crown Prince’s blessing?
“Young Marquis,” a man entered the study to report. “Prince Zhao did not leave the estate today, but he sent someone to buy a book. It’s a popular storybook called ‘Night Records of Pomegranate Flowers.'”
Shangguan Jie had assumed that investigating alone would be difficult, and since Zhao Fan’s mind was in turmoil, he wouldn’t be completely calm. So he sent people to keep an eye on Zhao Fan to see if they could get any clues. Hearing this, he sneered, “Since when did Prince Zhao become so obsessed with storybooks?”
The guard said, “I heard the Duchess likes to read storybooks, so he probably bought it for her.”
“But my man saw Fourth Young Master Zhao at the bookstore, and he also bought a copy of ‘Night Records of Pomegranate Flowers,'” the spy said.
“Zhao Yi passed the provincial exam and should be preparing for the Imperial exam next year. How could he have time for storybooks?” Shangguan Jie said. “Go buy me a copy. I want to see what all the fuss is about.”
“I’m afraid you can’t buy one,” the spy said with a troubled expression. “The last copy was snatched up by Prince Zhao’s man.”
Shangguan Jie: “…”
He thought for a moment and said, “If you can’t buy it, borrow it. Ask the young lady to help. Have her find an opportunity to visit the Duchess.”
The guard assented and withdrew. Shangguan Jie then added, “What’s the situation at King Ning’s mansion?”
“Fifth Young Master Zong did not leave the estate today. There’s nothing unusual for now,” the spy said.
“Fifth Zong has been a little off since he returned from Enzhou. Last night, I saw a strange atmosphere between him and Prince Zong, but I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Shangguan Jie said, tapping the armrest thoughtfully. “Something must have happened in Enzhou. Keep a close eye on them, and report any discoveries to me immediately.”
The spy replied, “Yes.”
***
“Since Fifth Young Master Zong had bad intentions. Why don’t you tell the queen?” Qing Lingling cut the embroidery thread without looking up.
Zong Rui leaned back in his recliner and said, “My mother pities him for losing his own mother at a young age, and she saw how gentle and sensible he was. She’s raised him for many years. Even though he’s not her biological son, she has developed an affection for him. How would she feel if she knew her adopted son intended to murder her biological son and usurp his heirship?”
“She would surely be heartbroken and full of regret,” Qing Lingling said. “But if Fifth Young Master Zong is truly involved with rebels, won’t it implicate King Ning’s mansion?”
Zong Rui laughed at this, reaching out to pinch Qing Lingling’s chin. “Are you worried about me?”
“Of course I am.” Qing Lingling looked up at him with a smile. “You’re my reliance, my lord. What would I do if something happened to you?”
“I’m not your only reliance,” Zong Rui said. “If I were gone, you’d still have Pei Xiting. He wouldn’t abandon you.”
Qing Lingling looked away and said, “Please, it’s not the same.” Zong Rui asked, “How is it not the same?”
“The family names are different. His name isn’t Zong,” Qing Lingling said. “If I attached myself to him, I wouldn’t be able to offend people as freely. I wouldn’t want to drag him down with me.”
Zong Rui was amused by his matter-of-fact tone. “Well, my dear Lingling, you are truly considerate.”
“Of course, I am. So please, don’t be careless and get hurt by your own brother. Look,” Qing Lingling held up a sachet for Zong Rui to see. “What do you think? Should I embroider another flower here?”
Zong Rui looked at the bright red sachet and said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Qing Lingling asked, “What do you mean?”
“Whether you embroider that flower or not,” Zong Rui said, “it’s still ugly.”
Qing Lingling glared at him. “Why does it matter if it’s ugly? It’s not for you anyway.”
“Is a sachet something you can just give to anyone?” Zong Rui pinched Qing Lingling’s cheek. “Tell me, who is it for?”
“Oh, it’s for Brother Pei,” Qing Lingling said. “It’s his birthday soon, and I need to get him a gift. I can’t afford anything expensive, and I’m not good at choosing painting supplies, which I’m sure others will give him. So since I’ve been learning needlework, I’ll make him a small sachet. It’s the thought that counts.”
Zong Rui’s eyes darted around upon hearing this. “Just a sachet is too little. Shouldn’t you put something in it?”
Qing Lingling looked up and said, “What do you think I should put in it?”
“Pei-wenshu is a different person now. He has someone,” Zong Rui suggested considerately. “The two of them are in the throes of love. What do you think would be the most appropriate gift to give?”
Qing Lingling rubbed his chin, and a look of understanding spread across his face.
The snow came a few days earlier this year. On the first day of the eleventh lunar month, the first snowfall began. Pei Xiting went to bed early that night. When he got up, he heard the wind outside was different from usual. He walked to the window screen and peeked outside to see snowflakes drifting down from the sky.
Pei Xiting exclaimed, “Wow!” and quickly returned to the bed. Zong Suiyang had woken up at some point and was playing with Little King’s knitted ball that had fallen on the floor. Pei Xiting burrowed under the covers and lay on Zong Suiyang, saying, “It’s snowing outside.”
“Hmm,” Zong Suiyang wrapped his arms around Pei Xiting’s lower back. “Where would you like to host your friends for your birthday tonight?”
“Where do you think would be a good place?” Pei Xiting poked Zong Suiyang’s face with his chin, but Zong Suiyang subdued him, making him turn over and lie on the other side of the bed.
Zong Suiyang turned and held him, resting his chin on Pei Xiting’s shoulder, and said with his eyes closed, “How about Yufeng Terrace? You can enjoy the snow, and it’s warm.”
Yufeng Terrace was halfway up a mountain, surrounded by a sea of flowers and a forest of trees. It was an excellent place to enjoy the snow in winter. Pei Xiting said, “I thought about that place, but I heard it’s very expensive, and most importantly, you need to book it a month in advance.”
“It’s fine,” Zong Suiyang said, turning his head to sniff the scent on Pei Xiting’s neck drowsily. “You can go straight there tomorrow.”
“You already booked it for me?” Pei Xiting rolled over into Zong Suiyang’s arms, excitedly saying, “How did you know I would choose that place?”
“I guessed you might be interested. It was just one of the options. It wouldn’t have mattered if you hadn’t chosen it,” Zong Suiyang said, holding the little fox that was wiggling around and gently pinning him down. “Behave, go to sleep.”
“Alright,” Pei Xiting said obediently, stopping his movements. He lay there with his eyes open, looking at the face that was so close to his. Zong Suiyang seemed to notice and suddenly opened his eyes. His long, slender eyelashes fluttered, brushing against Pei Xiting’s eyelids.
Pei Xiting’s heart skipped a beat and started racing. He stared intently at Zong Suiyang. After a moment of eye contact, Zong Suiyang reached up and caressed his sideburns. He kissed him on the nose, then on the lips, and whispered, “Happy birthday, Xiting.”
“This is the first snow I’ve ever seen,” Pei Xiting said softly. “And it’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say ‘happy birthday.'”
It snowed in Yejing almost every year, yet Pei Xiting, who had just turned nineteen, said this was the first snow he had ever seen. This statement was full of questions, but Zong Suiyang didn’t press. He only said, “Next year there will be a second snow, a second ‘happy birthday,’ and it will increase every year, yes?”
Pei Xiting nodded and said, “Yes?”
“Yes.” Zong Suiyang’s answer was gentle and steady, like a quiet and firm vow.
Pei Xiting closed his eyes with a sense of security, burying his face in Zong Suiyang’s chest, believing that the biting cold wind got nothing on him.
The next day, when Pei Xiting woke up, Zong Suiyang was no longer beside him. With the new year approaching, the Crown Prince was as busy as a spinning top.
Upon hearing Pei Xiting stretching and yawning in bed, a servant immediately brought a set of freshly scented clothes to him, saying, “Please take a look; these just arrived from the palace.”
Pei Xiting rubbed his eyes, climbed out of bed, and said, “Is this the gold-threaded cloud brocade?”
The servant noticed his hesitation and immediately said, “His Highness personally chose the fabric from the Imperial Wardrobe in Fengyi Palace, and they were made to your measurements. Her Majesty specifically instructed the embroiderers to finish your winter clothes first so that you could wear them on your birthday. Since both His Highness and Her Majesty chose them for you, why would you have any reservations?”
No wonder. When Pei Xiting had visited Empress Qu a few days ago, he had felt that her gaze was particularly intense. He had guessed that his and Zong Suiyang’s relationship had been discovered. It turned out that the Crown Prince had already come out to Empress Qu.
The servants who had come to assist with his morning routine entered quietly and wished Pei Xiting a happy birthday in unison. Pei Xiting thanked them with a smile. He took a small box from the bedside cabinet and handed it to one of the servants, saying, “It’s my birthday today. Please take this money and give it to everyone as a token of my gratitude and to spread some cheer.”
The servant quickly took the box and, along with the others, thanked him in unison.
“Pei-wenshu, do I get any money?” Zong Lu entered with Little King, waving for the bowing servants to rise. He walked to the bed and said, “Fifth Uncle gave me permission not to attend lessons today, so I can play with Pei-wenshu.”
“That’s great. You don’t get any money, but you’ll get something else. Wait,” Pei Xiting said. After Pei Xiting finished washing up, he stood up, took out a box from the antique shelf outside, and turned around to hand it to Zong Lu.
“What’s this?” Zong Lu took the sketch box and placed it on the small table. He opened the box, carefully took out a painting, and saw that it was a portrait of the late Crown Prince Yuanhe.
“What do you think?” Pei Xiting said, rubbing Little King next to him and smiling at Zong Lu. “Does it look like him?” Zong Lu’s eyes were slightly red. “It looks like him, but the brushwork seems to be from two different people.”
“Oh, that’s very observant. Your Fifth Uncle and I painted this together,” Pei Xiting said. “I was originally going to give it to you for the new year, but since you came to ask for a gift and I’m now broke from giving out money, I’ll give it to you now.”
Zong Lu carefully rolled up the painting and said, “Thank you, Pei-wenshu.”
Pei Xiting patted Zong Lu on the head, “No need to thank me.”
At this time, in the Mingzheng Hall, all the ministers left one after another, leaving only the heads of various departments in the hall to discuss matters.
Pei Yan walked out distracted. He ran into several officials who congratulated him, such as “your son getting a good post and having a bright future.” How could he have the heart to tell them that Pei Xiting barely spoke to him, let alone brought any fortune to the Pei family? He could only smile and thank them, afraid that they would see through him.
“Lord Pei,” Shangguan Jie walked up to Pei Yan and smiled slightly. “It’s Xiting’s birthday today. Why didn’t the Pei family host a banquet?”
Pei Yan heard Shangguan Jie call Pei Xiting by his given name and remembered how Pei Xiting had successfully persuaded Shangguan Jie to spare Wang Qi’s arms. He thought they had a good relationship and that the young marquis had come to hold him accountable on Pei Xiting’s behalf. He immediately clarified, “Xiting is hosting a banquet on his own. He’s only invited a few friends, and we, as his elders, didn’t want to interfere.”
Shangguan Jie had assumed that the Pei family had no intention of hosting a banquet for Pei Xiting. It turned out that Pei Xiting was hosting one himself, and clearly, he had not been invited.
Although it was expected, Shangguan Jie’s expression couldn’t help but turn ugly.
Pei Yan’s heart skipped a beat when he saw this, thinking he had said something wrong. Just as he was about to apologize, Shangguan Jie turned and left with a dark expression.
“…Right, if they were good friends, why wouldn’t he have been invited and come to ask me?” Pei Yan was slow to realize as he watched Shangguan Jie’s retreating figure.
Shangguan Jie hurried out of the Crown Prince’s court and ran right into You Zong, who was just entering. Their eyes met, and Shangguan Jie forced a smile. “Lord You.”
You Zong stopped and nodded. “Young Marquis.”
Shangguan Jie stared at You Zong, thinking he looked extremely pleased with himself. He swallowed a mouthful of bitterness and said tentatively, “I’ve prepared a gift for Xiting. I’d like to ask Lord You to deliver it on my behalf.”
You Zong raised an eyebrow at this and said, “My attendant is outside the palace gates. You can give the gift to him, and I will deliver it to Xiting later.”
“…Alright,” Shangguan Jie said through gritted teeth. “I’m grateful for your trouble, Lord You.”
You Zong said, “It’s no trouble at all. You don’t need to thank me.”
Shangguan Jie: “…”
The misunderstanding 😂😂😂