Chapter 48#
Back Mountain: Little Pei Causes Two Troubles in One Day.#
Everyone said the Crane Cage Bureau consisted of the Crown Prince’s close confidants, his disciples from the Eastern Palace. But in the vast court, Pei Xiting was the first who dared to call the Crown Prince “Teacher.” This was different from when he had called him Teacher during the qin lessons.
The Crown Prince watched Pei Xiting brazenly utter that presumptuous title with a docile and obedient expression, but did not correct him. He only said, “You are very clever. I cannot teach you.”
“I am not clever enough, which is why I made a mistake. But neither am I so foolish that I would shamelessly ask my teacher to teach me again.” Pei Xiting spoke with feigned obedience, deliberately pairing it with a fawning smile. Unfortunately, he was born never knowing what those two words meant, so the smile failed to reach his eyes, leaving only a flower-like facade.
“Playing innocent”—the Crown Prince used this phrase to evaluate him, and Pei Xiting accepted it, sincerely promising, “I won’t make similar mistakes again.”
The Crown Prince did not confirm or deny this, instead asking, “Are you still practicing the qin?”
“Yes, I am.” Pei Xiting smoothly latched onto the abrupt shift in topic.
Now that the matter was settled, his heart landed, and the tip of his tail perked up with pride. He added, “Recently, I’ve managed to memorize the ‘Yue Ren Song’ by heart.”
But as the words left his mouth, he suddenly remembered the one hundred copies of the ‘Yue Ren Song’ the Crown Prince had previously punished him to write.
Sure enough, the Crown Prince showed a faint, ambiguous smile. “So you still remember the ‘Yue Ren Song’?”
Guiltily, Pei Xiting said, “I have already copied them, but I haven’t had the chance to see you in recent days, so I haven’t handed them in for your inspection.”
The Crown Prince glanced at him. “Come.”
Pei Xiting let out an “Ah,” but the Crown Prince had already brushed past him and walked ahead. He had no choice but to follow. “Where are we going?”
The Crown Prince said, “I need to go to Lanyin Street. Won’t you take this opportunity to give me the copied pages?”
Pei Xiting hadn’t copied them at all. Struggling, he said, “How could I dare to trouble you to come all the way? I’ll send them to you tomorrow.”
The Crown Prince said, “It’s fine. It’s on the way.”
“But—”
The Crown Prince interrupted, “You don’t mean to say you haven’t copied them at all, but were trying to fool me first and plan to make up for it tonight?”
That hit the mark. Pei Xiting sighed and mumbled vaguely, “Your Highness truly sees through everything.”
The Crown Prince said nothing more and walked on quietly. Pei Xiting followed behind him, his gaze occasionally falling on the Crown Prince’s back, then quietly and lightly shifting away, over and over, until they exited the palace gates.
Yu Shaoyun was leaning against the carriage. Seeing Pei Xiting emerge with the Crown Prince, he was startled for a moment, then quickly stepped forward. “Your Highness.”
“Take out the box from the small table,” said the Crown Prince.
Yu Shaoyun responded with an “Aye,” turned, reached into the carriage, and brought out the item to present to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince handed it to Pei Xiting. “I said before that I would give this to you.”
Inside the box were qin strings, pure white in color and even in thickness. Pei Xiting touched them—they were far better than the ones he had bought himself.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” he said. “I will practice hard.”
“If you have any questions, you can ask me when we meet another day,” said the Crown Prince. “Get in the carriage. I’ll drop you off on the way.”
Pei Xiting did not refuse and got into the carriage.
Yu Shaoyun drove the carriage away. The Crown Prince said, “Did Mother mention anything about me to you?”
“Yes,” Pei Xiting answered truthfully. “Her Majesty the Empress suspects that you like men.”
The Crown Prince: “…”
Pei Xiting said, “I told Her Majesty that you probably like women, you just haven’t met the right one yet. But Her Majesty is not particularly concerned about that; she just hopes you can find someone who understands you.”
The Crown Prince had never said he liked women, but since the topic involved romance and passion, it was not appropriate to discuss it too deeply or seriously with Pei Xiting, so he only hummed in acknowledgment.
So he really did like women. Pei Xiting bit his lip and scratched the wooden box with his fingernail.
“After I left, did Mother bring up the matter of the betrothal?” asked the Crown Prince.
Pei Xiting shook his head. “Her Majesty the Empress is very open-minded. She has no intention of forcing a match.”
“She always likes to worry about these things—if not about me, then about the children of our clan. You don’t need to take it to heart. Mother will handle the situation with the Qu family,” the Crown Prince said calmly.
Pei Xiting hummed in agreement. “Her Majesty asked me to come to the palace more often to keep her company.”
“That means she likes you very much,” said the Crown Prince. “She has a straightforward personality. When you’re with her, just be yourself and don’t be nervous.”
Pei Xiting had some self-awareness. “If I’m myself, wouldn’t I be too presumptuous?”
The Crown Prince said, “Then you’d better hold back a little.”
Pei Xiting smiled. “By the way, Your Highness, how is Little King?”
“He went to Bao Ci Zen Temple to run wild. If you want to see him, you can come along,” said the Crown Prince.
“So you’re going to Bao Ci Zen Temple?” Pei Xiting nodded. “Then I’ll tag along. I have nothing to do anyway, so I might as well take a trip outside the city.”
Yu Shaoyun, listening from outside, did not stop at Lanyin Street when they passed by, but headed straight east toward the city gate.
Once outside the city gates, the surroundings grew quiet. The Crown Prince said, “Show me the results of your recent practice.”
“Such a sudden pop quiz,” Pei Xiting muttered, but had no choice but to walk over to the qin table, sit down, and play the “Yue Ren Song.”
The Crown Prince remained silent throughout. Only after he finished did he say, in an indifferent tone, “With your talent, even if you practiced for ten or twenty years, you might not be able to play ‘Morning Dew on Lotus Leaves.’”
“Is that any way to encourage someone?” Pei Xiting poked at the qin, displeased. “Master You heard me practicing the other day and said it was good.”
The Crown Prince said, “You are my student. Would he dare to say it’s ’not good’?”
“So it’s just social politeness?” Pei Xiting’s voice rose, as if unwilling to believe it. Then he told himself, “Whatever. I think I’ve made remarkable progress.”
The Crown Prince shook his head slightly and said nothing more.
Pei Xiting put the qin back in its place and carefully covered it with a brocade cloth. The carriage rolled steadily along the main road until it stopped before Bao Hui Zen Temple.
Yu Shaoyun opened the carriage door. Pei Xiting glanced at the Crown Prince, got out first, and was greeted by a beautiful, lush green mountain with a winding stone path leading upward.
Yu Shaoyun said beside him, “This is the road to the back mountain. It’s quieter.”
It was Pei Xiting’s first time here. He nodded and followed the Crown Prince up the mountain. The path was shaded by trees and grass, and they encountered very few people.
On both sides of the path, flowers spread in clusters—some wild, some planted. Whenever Pei Xiting saw a beautiful flower he didn’t recognize, he would ask, and the Crown Prince answered each question like an encyclopedia.
“Your Highness’s ‘Hundred Flowers Manual’ really wasn’t a waste of your collection.”
Compared to his earlier voice, this compliment from the little sparrow fell farther behind. The Crown Prince stopped, turned back, and saw Pei Xiting standing three stone steps below, holding his portable notebook and fine brush, sketching something. Beside him was a cluster of wild chrysanthemums growing from the mountain wall.
Pei Xiting hadn’t noticed he had stopped. After earnestly recording the material, he naturally stepped forward and said, “Why did you stop?”
The Crown Prince withdrew his gaze, turned, and continued upward. “If I hadn’t stopped, by now you and I would be ten thousand miles apart.”
This was clearly an exaggerated figure of speech. Pei Xiting chuckled. “If you have urgent matters, don’t wait for me. I won’t get lost.”
“No urgent matters. Just going up to burn some incense,” said the Crown Prince.
Pei Xiting didn’t ask for whom the Crown Prince, who didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas, would burn incense. After reaching the top, he vaguely heard the sound of orderly chanting and couldn’t help looking over.
“Today is the Ghost Festival. There’s an Ullambana assembly at the front mountain,” said the Crown Prince. “If you want to go, the small path you see in front of you will lead you there.”
Pei Xiting said, “I want to play with Little King.”
The Crown Prince raised his hand and pointed to the path on the left. “Go on.”
Pei Xiting bowed, turned, and entered the small path. The half-hanging branch at the bend swayed, and he was gone.
Yu Shaoyun appeared from somewhere, craned his neck to glance at the direction Pei Xiting had taken, and then followed the Crown Prince.
On the road, he said, “Your Highness, why do you think Pei Wenshu and Miss Qu Zhen are not suited?”
This was about what had happened before. The Crown Prince said, “You really are very concerned about Pei Xiting’s marriage.”
A few days ago, Yu Shaoyun naturally wouldn’t dare to ask. But now that His Highness and Pei Wenshu were walking together again, he couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really think they’re not suited?”
The Crown Prince countered, “Do you think they are?”
Yu Shaoyun didn’t dare answer that. “Your Highness’s judgment is precise. If you say they’re not suited, then naturally they aren’t. I’m just curious—what kind of girl do you think would be a good match for Pei Wenshu?”
The Crown Prince had never thought about this question, and at this moment, he could not think of a definite answer. He said, “Qu Zhen has been spoiled and pampered. Naturally, she deserves a good husband who will treat her sincerely. Pei Xiting has no feelings for her in his heart, so they are naturally not suited.”
“But Pei Wenshu doesn’t know Miss Qu Zhen, let alone gotten along with her. He may have no feelings for her now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t in the future,” Yu Shaoyun said in a joking tone. “Your Highness is so certain they’re not suited now—are you giving Pei Wenshu no chance at all?”
As they neared the Hall of Eternal Life, the sound of chanting grew more indistinct. The Crown Prince said, lightly, “Pei Xiting has someone he likes. Even if a young person’s affections are like morning dew, fleeting and transient, it’s still not appropriate to discuss marriage with Qu Zhen right now.”
So Pei Xiting has someone he likes—Yu Shaoyun seized on this key point.
Although Yu Shaoyun was a bachelor, he frequently visited pleasure houses to listen to songs. He hadn’t eaten pork, but he’d seen pigs run. He had no firsthand experience with romance, but he had some knowledge of the subject. At this moment, he finally had a revelation.
“On the day of the Lotus Picking Festival, did Pei Wenshu confess his feelings to you?”
The Crown Prince paused mid-step and turned to look at Yu Shaoyun standing on the stone steps below.
“But you rejected him,” Yu Shaoyun added.
After that day, the atmosphere between the two had become somewhat strange. His Highness was cold and distant, yet he hadn’t completely cut off Pei Wenshu. Pei Wenshu chatted and laughed as usual, but he had significantly restrained himself. This wasn’t because one had angered the other; it was avoidance.
But if Pei Wenshu had someone he liked, why would His Highness need to avoid him? Unless that person was His Highness himself.
Actually, during this time, Yu Shaoyun had more or less figured out the flavor, but he hadn’t dared to be certain. The Crown Prince’s silence now was an admission.
The Hall of Eternal Life was a standalone Buddha hall, surrounded by pomegranate trees. From a distance, they looked like a blazing fire along the path, extremely gorgeous. There were no monks chanting sutras here, and what was enshrined inside was not a Buddha statue, but the Crown Prince’s late mother, Consort Wan.
The treetops rustled in the wind, and the Crown Prince’s sleeves fluttered slightly. His tone also seemed to carry a hint of indescribable emotion. “Do you think I’m too heartless?”
“If Your Highness doesn’t like someone, naturally you must reject them directly. After all, you’re not a libertine who leaves a trail of affairs.” Yu Shaoyun fingered the hilt of his knife as he chose his words carefully. “But Your Highness’s heart is not without ripples. So why did you still reject Pei Wenshu?”
The Crown Prince said, “How do you know my heart is not without ripples?”
“That question is better answered by the prayer bead you unknowingly crushed in your hand,” Yu Shaoyun smiled slightly. “At the very least, you must have felt some pity at that moment.”
The Crown Prince’s eyes once again conjured that pair of slightly reddened phoenix eyes. “He looked very pitiful.”
“Is that ‘pity’ sympathy or affection?” asked Yu Shaoyun.
The Crown Prince said, “I think it was definitely not sympathy.”
Yu Shaoyun said in surprise, “I thought Your Highness wouldn’t admit it.”
The Crown Prince turned and entered the Hall of Eternal Life. On the altar, the painting was free of dust. A young, beautiful woman with slightly upturned phoenix eyes smiled at him cheerfully. He lowered his eyes, lit incense, bowed three times, and went into an adjacent meditation room.
On a small table were brushes, ink, and paper. The Crown Prince sat down and said, “Whether I admit it or not, whether it exists or not, is meaningless. He and I have no fate.”
Yu Shaoyun stepped forward to grind the ink. “If Your Highness had nodded that day, wouldn’t fate have come? Even if you had no romantic intentions, you could have kept Pei Wenshu by your side as a confidant. That way, you could have satisfied the Empress’s wishes as well.”
The Crown Prince wrote on the paper. “If he was just a young man with a budding heart, looking for a moment of pleasure, I naturally wouldn’t trifle with him. If he is a devoted soul, why should I tether him to my side? Better to cut off his hopes early and let him go find someone who truly cares for him.”
Yu Shaoyun said, “Your Highness, don’t you think you’re taking matters of the heart too seriously? Matters of love—most of the time, they have no rules. Even if someone loves you to death today, there’s every chance they will hate you tomorrow. Pei Wenshu likes you today, and you are not unmoved. So get together today, and if the feelings fade another day, just part ways.”
The Crown Prince frowned slightly. “Come as you please, leave as you please, pursuing only momentary pleasure—do you think this is whoring around?”
“…” Yu Shaoyun stared at the Crown Prince and couldn’t help but hiss. “Your Highness, suppose, just suppose, one day you decide to take a consort. What kind of Crown Princess would you want to marry?”
The Crown Prince lifted his brush to dip in ink. “Probably someone dignified, generous, intelligent, and sensible.”
That was indeed one of the standards for a Crown Princess. Yu Shaoyun thought for a moment and said, “If the Crown Princess meets those requirements, she would most likely be someone who understands etiquette, knows her place, and respects hierarchy—someone who wouldn’t dare to get too close to you.”
The Crown Prince said, “That would be good.”
“And what if one day the Crown Princess no longer wants to be Crown Princess?” asked Yu Shaoyun.
“Someone else will take her place.” The Crown Prince looked up at Yu Shaoyun. “What exactly are you trying to ask?”
“It’s very strange!” Yu Shaoyun leaned slightly forward to look at his master. “The Crown Princess—the mistress of the Eastern Palace, the future Empress of the Central Palace—even a slight change can affect both the front court and the rear palace. You can say you’ll replace her if it comes to that. So why do you have to require that Pei Wenshu cannot leave once he comes?”
The Crown Prince was taken aback. “When did I ever make such a demand?”
“Wasn’t that the implication of what you just said? You can’t pursue momentary pleasure—doesn’t that mean you want lifelong permanence?” Yu Shaoyun scratched his head in frustration. “Your Highness, there’s nothing wrong with that thinking. If you had agreed that day, whether Pei Wenshu stays or leaves in the future, wouldn’t that be up to you?”
The Crown Prince did not refute. He only asked, “If he is determined to leave, how would you force him to stay? Break his legs?”
Yu Shaoyun slapped the table. “Lock him up, make him lose his memory, keep him by your side forever!”
The Crown Prince gave an indescribable look to this subordinate who had apparently picked up a belly full of rotten ideas from who knows where, and parted his thin lips. “Get lost.”
“Yes, sir.” Yu Shaoyun rolled out, then rolled back in, squatting by the door and whining. “You finally have a chance at love, and it’s blown away just like that. I can’t stop feeling restless!”
The Crown Prince said coldly, “Cut out your heart and liver, and it’ll be over.”
Yu Shaoyun hugged his small self. “Let me tell you, since Pei Wenshu joined the Crane Cage Bureau, quite a few families have taken an interest in him. If a marriage is arranged one day, don’t come crying to me.”
The Crown Prince said, “If he can meet someone sincere, that’s a good thing. Nothing to regret about it.”
Yu Shaoyun: “Sigh!”
The Crown Prince was about to tell him to go farther away when a shadow guard appeared outside the meditation room. “Your Highness, there is news concerning Little King and Pei Wenshu. I’m not sure if I should report it.”
The Crown Prince did not look up. “Speak.”
“Pei Wenshu took Little King and got into a fight with Marquis Mei. Pei Wenshu tried to command Little King to eat Marquis Mei. Little King obeyed and charged out. Pei Wenshu also charged out and wrestled with Marquis Mei. But he was accidentally knocked down the slope by Little King and took a fall.” The shadow guard calmly and concisely reported the battle situation on the back mountain.
“Slap.” The Crown Prince set down his brush and walked out.
Pei Xiting had been in a foul mood these days—heavy in body and heavy in heart. After running around with the little beast, he had lightened up a bit. But he hadn’t expected some bastard to come looking for trouble.
Pei Xiting had been playing hide-and-seek with Little King. From a distance, he heard someone spouting nonsense, saying that when the heir, the young marquis, got tired of someone, he would have a go at Qing Qingling, that little slut. The language was inevitably vulgar.
Pei Xiting stood behind a tree and looked at that colorful butterfly. “Hey.”
Mei Xiu turned his head and was immediately met with a pair of cold, clear eyes. His eyes lit up. He licked his lips, smiled with what he thought was grace, and said, “Pretty one, what can I do for you?”
Pei Xiting also smiled, a cold and evil smile, a captivating one. A loud “boom” sounded in Mei Xiu’s head. Before he could say anything, Pei Xiting said, “Fuck you.”
Mei Xiu and his attendant were stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. But before they could laugh twice, they were startled by Little King, who had darted out of the woods. But then they thought—just a little beast, what was there to fear?
They rolled up their sleeves, ready to skin the little beast alive. Little King stamped his foot, charged, and bit.
Pei Xiting stood behind with his arms crossed, commanding Little King to eat them, saying lazily, “Come over here, drop your pants, and lie down, and I’ll spare you.”
Mei Xiu dodged wildly, cursing, “You shameless whore! Do you know who I am?”
“Sure I do. A worthless piece of goods who can’t sell his own ass and is always thinking about other people’s asses.” Pei Xiting’s tone was sharp, but his face was smiling as he watched the two scrambling in panic. “Once you’re both half dead, I’ll skewer your asses together and hang them at the city gate for everyone to appraise. How about that?”
Mei Xiu finally understood. “So you’re that little slut Qing Qingling’s man! Fuck! Not satisfied with pleasing the heir, you have to go with him too, that whore who’s been ridden by a thousand—”
Pei Xiting stopped smiling. He walked over and kicked Mei Xiu. Mei Xiu was good on horseback, not a weak playboy. He stumbled two steps, then charged forward and swept Pei Xiting’s legs. Pei Xiting grabbed his collar, and they fell together, wrestling with fists and feet.
Seeing this, Little King lowered his head and charged at Mei Xiu, who was pinning Pei Xiting down. Mei Xiu was quick and rolled aside, but still got knocked a yard away by Little King. Covering his face, he cried out in pain. But he saw Pei Xiting fail to dodge in time and get knocked down the slope by the accidental collision. “Serves you right! You deserve—ow!”
Little King glared at him. Mei Xiu shuddered, hurriedly called his attendant, and ran off.
Little King ran down the slope, nudged Pei Xiting, who was lying on the ground like a corpse, with his head, and whimpered pitifully. Pei Xiting hugged him, ruffled his fur, and smiled. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”
At least half of the gloom and irritation of these past days had been vented. Pei Xiting pressed his head against Little King’s, and said, “Little treasure, how come you’re so mighty?”
When the Crown Prince arrived, Pei Xiting was lying on top of Little King’s head, muttering to himself. Man and tiger were inseparable.
“Where are you hurt?”
A familiar voice sounded above him. Pei Xiting looked up abruptly and said in surprise, “You… how did you come here?”
The Crown Prince looked at him and repeated, “Where are you hurt?”
Even though it was still that cold, indifferent demeanor, Pei Xiting mysteriously sensed a chilling aura. He got a bit timid. “I think I twisted my ankle. I’ll go down the mountain later and get a plaster.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Shaoyun was about to bend down and check Pei Xiting’s foot, but the Crown Prince had already crouched down, reached out, and gently pressed Pei Xiting’s right ankle. “Here?”
Even through the shoes and socks, Pei Xiting shuddered. The Crown Prince thought he was resisting, so he withdrew his hand.
Pei Xiting said, “It’s here, but it should be fine. It doesn’t hurt much.”
The Crown Prince said, with a hint of coolness, “So what are you two doing, lying around here?”
Pei Xiting: “…Soaking up the sun.”
The Crown Prince glanced at Little King. The big cat dared not meet his eyes, let out a whimper, and cautiously got up from beside Pei Xiting and hid behind Yu Shaoyun.
Yu Shaoyun hadn’t expected Pei Xiting to win Little King’s heart so quickly. He shielded the cowering big cat with his body, looked at Pei Xiting’s foot, and said, “If the bone is injured, that’s not good. Your Highness, how about taking Pei Wenshu back first and getting a doctor from the front mountain to check on him?”
The Crown Prince said, “Can’t he heal himself? Where would a doctor be needed?”
His Highness the Crown Prince sometimes really liked to be sarcastic. Pei Xiting cleared his throat and said, very pitifully, “I was just talking tough. It actually hurts a lot. I think I’m going to be lame. Your Highness, please find a doctor to save me!”
With this smooth talk, His Highness the Crown Prince gave him a lukewarm glance, then got up and walked away. Seeing this, Yu Shaoyun reached out and hoisted him up. Pei Xiting thanked him in a low voice, leaned on Commander Yu’s arm, and limped forward.
Hall of Eternal Life. Pei Xiting glanced at the name of the hall, and Yu Shaoyun helped him into the meditation room. A bamboo mat was spread on the wooden couch. He plopped down, and Yu Shaoyun let go and stepped aside.
Little King peeked in from the doorway, not daring to enter. This made Pei Xiting’s heart melt, and he couldn’t help making faces at him.
“Eyes hurting too?”
His Highness the Crown Prince glanced over coolly. Pei Xiting cleared his throat, lowered his head very obediently, and said, “Reporting to Your Highness, they don’t hurt.”
Little King “swoosh” retracted his head.
The doctor arrived quickly. He examined Pei Xiting’s ankle and said it was fortunate the bone wasn’t injured, but he needed daily applications of medicine and rest for a while.
When the doctor applied the medicine, Pei Xiting sucked in a breath. The Crown Prince paused in his writing and looked up. That slender, delicate ankle was bright red and swollen badly.
The doctor left the ointment and a prescription, then quietly withdrew.
Pei Xiting sat like a mermaid, looking at his bandaged right ankle, carefully stretched out his leg, and bent down to put on his shoe.
The boot wouldn’t go on. It hurt even to touch it. Pei Xiting asked Commander Yu to help. One cut, and the boot was torn into a single shoe.
Pei Xiting shoved his foot in, looked up, and saw the Crown Prince writing something, sheet after sheet.
No one spoke in the room. Pei Xiting had been bold enough to command Little King to fight someone, but now his temper had subsided, and he felt a bit guilty, not daring to break the silence. But the Crown Prince never called him out. His guilt gradually turned into drowsiness. He was just starting to doze off when someone outside said that the young marquis had been brought back by Marquis Mei and was kneeling outside.
The Crown Prince did not look up. “Let him kneel.”
Pei Xiting’s yawn was halfway through when he choked on the words. He pondered this in his heart—was this going to be a “punish both parties equally” situation?