Chapter Forty-Two
The next day, Bai Ren and Qi Xiao entered the palace together to pay their respects to the Emperor. While waiting in front of Chengqian Palace, Bai Ren grew bored, and Qi Xiao softly explained the capital's New Year customs to him.
"Today, Empress Feng will lead all the consorts in the 'sweeping of dust' ceremony. After it's done, the Empress will bring the consorts and princes and princesses to the front hall. Those with lower ranks will be dismissed, and the remaining group will go to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices." He caught a glimpse of Qi Hua approaching in the distance, and Qi Xiao furrowed his brow, speaking quietly and slowly. "You don't need to go. Just stay in my palace. I've had them prepare fruits and pastries for you in advance. Sit for a while, and we'll be back after noon."
Bai Ren had also spotted Qi Hua, a flash of disgust flickering in his eyes. Hearing Qi Xiao's words, he lowered his voice and asked, "In your palace?"
Qi Xiao nodded. "The Shuiyun Hall where you rested before has already been cleared out and prepared for Fifth Brother to move into after the New Year. Besides..." A palace servant passed by, bowing in greeting as they passed Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao waved them off, glancing at the approaching Qi Hua before speaking softly, "Besides, aside from my palace, there's nowhere else I can trust you to stay... Hehe, Second Brother, no need for formalities."
Qi Hua had spotted the two of them talking from a distance, and sure enough, when he got closer, he found them chatting cozily together. Qi Hua still believed that Qi Xiao and Bai Ren had only become close because of what happened in the side chamber of Qianqing Palace. His resentment burned even hotter—he had originally wanted to teach Bai Ren a lesson, but instead of succeeding, he had gotten himself into trouble and had even inadvertently brought these two together.
Qi Hua forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes, turning to Bai Ren. "Good day to you, Your Highness the Prince."
Bai Ren smiled faintly. "Good day to you, Your Highness the Second Prince."
Bai Ren turned to look at Qi Xiao with a smile. "The dust-sweeping and ancestor worship happen on the same day? In Lingnan, we sweep dust on the twenty-fourth and worship ancestors on the twenty-fifth. It's a bit different here. What do you do on the twenty-sixth?"
Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Why doesn't Your Highness tell me about the customs of the twenty-sixth in Lingnan first?"
The two of them continued chatting as if Qi Hua wasn't there at all. Qi Hua's face flushed red, then turned pale. In the end, it was only when the Fourth Prince arrived and spoke with Qi Hua for a while that he wasn't completely humiliated. Qi Xiao watched Qi Hua from afar and冷笑. "He's been flattering the Emperor quite a bit lately. If nothing goes wrong, after the New Year, the Emperor will probably let him return to court."
Bai Ren frowned slightly. Qi Xiao gave a reassuring smile. "It's the New Year; let's not talk about such things. I wasn't exaggerating earlier—starting today, we probably won't be able to leave the palace for a while. In previous years, I would have entered the palace on the twenty-third. I'm late this year. As for you... The Emperor will definitely say you're too young and have no relatives in the imperial city, so he'll want to keep you in the palace for New Year... Don't worry. I'll make sure you stay in my palace."
Bai Ren thought for a moment and shook his head. "Perhaps... we should find another place instead."
Qi Xiao laughed softly. "Relax. We're in the palace. The Emperor may summon you at any moment. I wouldn't dare do anything. What if you ended up going to court limping... Hehe, if word of this reached Lingnan, the Prince of Lingnan would have grounds to mobilize his troops."
Bai Ren愣了一下, only then understanding what Qi Xiao meant. His face instantly flushed red, and he urgently lowered his voice, "That's not what I meant... Qi Hua is still racking his brains trying to harm me. Staying in your palace would inevitably drag you into it..."
Bai Ren grew even more flustered, not daring to look at Qi Xiao. He lowered his voice. "I was only... trying to prevent problems before they occurred."
Qi Xiao glanced around. Unfortunately, there were far too many people around. Otherwise, Qi Xiao would have really wanted to pull Bai Ren into his arms and kiss him. His smile was barely containable. He spoke softly, "Would it be so bad to implicate me? If I die, you would be better off..."
" Your Highness!" Bai Ren was indignant. "You clearly know I... I've never thought that way. It's the New Year—jokes are jokes. Why must you keep talking about life and death so casually?"
Qi Xiao laughed and apologized. "Yes, yes. I won't say it again."
Bai Ren muttered grumpily, "Touching the wood."
Just then, Fuhailu, the Emperor's personal eunuch, came out from inside. He bowed to Qi Xiao with a greeting, then saluted all the princes and Bai Ren in turn before announcing, "The Emperor summons His Highness the Crown Prince, all the princes, and His Highness the Prince of Lingnan into the hall."
The group followed Fuhailu into the main hall. Inside, the Emperor and Empress had just finished their morning meal. Empress Feng set down her teacup and said warmly, "The ground is cold. Please, rise quickly. Xiaos... You haven't entered the palace for two days. Did you offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God on the twenty-third?"
Qi Xiao lowered his eyes. "Thank you for Your Majesty's concern, Empress. I've done it."
Empress Feng nodded with a smile. "Good, that's settled. I was just worried you young ones might overlook such things. Bai Ren? This Empress has been meaning to summon you to the palace for the New Year celebration, but with all the New Year preparations, it slipped my mind. Now that you're here, stay for a few days. You may return after New Year's Day."
Bai Ren bowed slightly and replied coolly, "Thank you for Your Majesty's kindness."
The Emperor glanced at Empress Feng with satisfaction. "The Empress has thought of everything..."
After sitting for a while, everyone prepared to depart for the ancestral temple. Qi Xiao kept Jiang Deqing behind, and Bai Ren followed Jiang Deqing to Haiyan Hall.
"His Highness the Crown Prince instructed that Your Highness may do as you please." Jiang Deqing guided Bai Ren to the inner chamber and smiled. "If there's anything you'd like to eat or play with, please don't hesitate to tell this old servant."
Bai Ren shook his head and casually picked up a storybook to pass the time. Jiang Deqing stayed for a while, and seeing that Bai Ren had no requests, he left.
Bai Ren sat until noon. It wasn't until Jiang Deqing called him for lunch that he stood up. While serving Bai Ren his meal, Jiang Deqing smiled and said softly, "Your Highness certainly knows how to sit still. All morning... Though studying is admirable, reading all day like this truly strains the eyes."
Bai Ren smiled faintly. "What studying? I was just reading some biographies."
"After Your Highness finishes the meal, perhaps you could take a walk in the courtyard?" Jiang Deqing smiled. "The plum blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom."
Bai Ren paused and looked at Jiang Deqing. "When I came earlier, I noticed some beautiful plum blossoms blooming on the west side of the courtyard. Are they part of Haiyan Hall too?"
Jiang Deqing hesitated, then smiled. "The ones outside aren't blooming as well as the ones here. Your Highness will understand when you see them. Besides, the snow in the plum grove hasn't been cleared properly all winter. With several layers of snow accumulated, it's become ice. It would be terrible if Your Highness slipped and fell."
Bai Ren understood after some thought and smiled faintly. "I suppose this is His Highness the Crown Prince's arrangement too? Am I not even allowed to leave the courtyard?"
Jiang Deqing froze, then smiled apologetically. "Your Highness... It's bitterly cold. His Highness the Crown Prince is just worried you'll catch a chill going outside. Isn't it nice indoors? If you're bored, you could walk around the courtyard. That would be fine too."
Bai Ren laughed lightly. "It's fine. If he doesn't want me to go out, I simply won't go."
Jiang Deqing had been quite nervous, but seeing that Bai Ren wasn't angry, he relaxed. He smiled and said, "Your Highness truly understands His Highness the Crown Prince's good intentions. Your Highness, please try this dish of bear paw... His Highness the Crown Prince specially ordered the small kitchen to prepare it for Your Highness before he left. Eating this in winter is the best way to nourish the body..."
After lunch, Bai Ren didn't even step outside the door. He stood by the window for a while before going to rest. When he woke up, Qi Xiao was sitting right beside him.
Bai Ren glanced out the window. "You're back so early..."
Qi Xiao's sleeping quarters always had the brazier burning strongly. Bai Ren had slept with a rosy cheeks, looking especially adorable. Qi Xiao looked at him and laughed softly, "Jiang Deqing told me you stayed inside all day?"
Bai Ren nodded, hesitated, then said quietly, "Since I'm in your place, you'd bear part of the responsibility. Even if you hadn't told Jiang Deqing, I wouldn't wander around and cause trouble for you."
Qi Xiao's heart warmed. He said softly, "I'm not afraid of trouble. It was just that incident in autumn that really scared me. In just a short while away, that thing Qi Hua managed to hurt you. When I'm away for half a day in the palace, who knows which fool might come provoke you."
Bai Ren felt a warmth in his heart and deliberately smiled. "Your Highness should rest assured. The Second Prince went to the ancestral temple too."
Qi Xiao couldn't help but laugh. He then continued chatting with Bai Ren about the palace's New Year customs.
In Fenghua Palace, Empress Feng had been warmly chatting with the Imperial Noble Consorts for quite some time. After everyone left, her expression instantly changed. She went into the inner chamber and said coldly, "So... he didn't leave Haiyan Hall the entire day?"
Empress Feng's trusted palace attendant forced a smile. "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. He... indeed did not leave. Not only did the young prince not leave the courtyard, he didn't even leave the room. This servant brought those two young ladies out for a walk, but we never got to see the young prince. We didn't dare get too close either... Your Majesty knows, the servants at Haiyan Hall don't have mouths, but they have countless eyes. This servant was afraid of being discovered by them, and also worried the young ladies would grow suspicious. Having no choice, we brought them back."
"Useless!" Empress Feng roared in fury. "All useless! Qi Xiao isn't here—this was the perfect opportunity, and you've accomplished nothing!"
The trusted attendant had no choice but to suffer in silence. Bai Ren simply wouldn't come out. Were they supposed to drag him out by force?
Empress Feng also knew she couldn't blame others. She took a deep breath and said coldly, "Fine. He'll be in the palace for several more days. We'll find another way."
The trusted attendant hastily agreed. Empress Feng's tone shifted. "But if nothing happens before New Year's Day... You know the ancestral laws. After the fifteenth, the Emperor may visit the consorts' palaces. If the Emperor truly favors them by then... Don't blame this Empress for being merciless."
"Yes, yes. This servant will think of every possible method in these next few days." The trusted attendant knelt on the floor with a thud, wailing. "I will do everything for Your Majesty."
Empress Feng closed her eyes, waved dismissively with disgust, and said, "Go."
In the warm pavilion of Haiyan Hall, Qi Xiao looked at the several large characters Bai Ren had written and nodded. "Good. It's just this 'longevity' character..."
"Your Highness." Jiang Deqing bowed with a smile. "Prince Rong and the heir of Prince Rong have arrived. The Emperor requests Your Highness."
Qi Xiao paused, then turned to smile at Bai Ren. "I'll go sit for a while and come right back. Don't slack off. Finish writing the plaque before I return—I need it."
Bai Ren nodded, changed to a fresh sheet of paper, and continued writing seriously. Qi Xiao turned and followed Jiang Deqing out of the warm pavilion.
"What's wrong?" Prince Rong had entered the palace at noon, and Qi Xiao had already seen him. Using this as an excuse clearly meant there was something to discuss away from Bai Ren. Qi Xiao wrapped himself in a cloak and walked out of the courtyard, frowning. "Is it about Lingnan..."
"No, it's Empress Feng." Jiang Deqing gave a subtle signal to the young eunuch behind him. The young eunuch hastily ordered everyone to follow at a greater distance. Only then did Jiang Deqing whisper, "Empress Feng wants to harm the young prince during these days he's in the palace."
Qi Xiao冷笑. "What does she plan to do?"
"Before the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, Empress Feng had her family send two girls into the palace. Both girls come from undistinguished backgrounds, but they are extremely beautiful. Empress Feng has been keeping these two girls by her side, teaching them palace etiquette carefully. Though she hasn't said it explicitly... everyone knows—they must be prepared for the Emperor. Your Highness knows that consorts sometimes place such girls in their palaces to vie for favor."
Qi Xiao frowned. "But what does that have to do with Bai Ren?"
Jiang Deqing lowered his eyes. "This old servant's fault for not thinking carefully. I knew before that the Feng family had sent two girls into the palace, but I thought the Empress was just using a minor trick to win the Emperor's favor. I didn't take it seriously and failed to inform Your Highness. Who would have thought... Empress Feng's real target was never the Emperor. She planned to use these two girls against the young prince."
"Empress Feng lacks the magnanimity for such things. She never intended to present them to the Emperor at all. She only let the Emperor see them once. The Emperor was quite pleased, and both sides understood each other. But Empress Feng kept saying the two girls hadn't finished learning proper etiquette and weren't fit to serve the Emperor yet, so the matter was postponed. The timing was perfect—once their etiquette was satisfactory, it was already the twenty-third day. The Emperor could no longer be intimate with consorts, so the matter was put on hold."
"The informant from Fenghua Palace just reported that Empress Feng's true intention... was to use these New Year days to have the young prince encounter one of these two girls, then have palace servants create an improper scene—something that would make people say the young prince, captivated by the girl's beauty, had assaulted her."
Qi Xiao stopped in his tracks. Jiang Deqing hesitated, then carefully watched Qi Xiao's expression before continuing, "It is said... today, Empress Feng's plan was to have her servants take the girl out for a walk. When she happened to meet the young prince, she would have the girl pushed into his arms—whether claiming she slipped or something else—and then bring the girl back to the palace and strangle her... She would claim publicly that the girl, unable to bear the disgrace, had hanged herself. That way... no matter how forced the circumstances, the story of the young prince harassing a consort would become true. Even if the Emperor didn't believe it, he would. This way, she wouldn't have to present the girl to the Emperor, and she could also splash a bucket of filth on the young prince. Your Highness knows how such scandalous affairs... spread the fastest."
A murderous glint flashed in Qi Xiao's eyes. He冷笑, "I... truly underestimated Empress Feng."
Jiang Deqing lowered his voice. "Because of what happened in the side chamber of Qianqing Palace and the Cat Alley incident, Empress Feng has long hated the young prince to the bone."
Qi Xiao lightly pressed his thin lips together and coldly laughed. "Fine... She wants to compete in cunning with me? I'll play along."