The words “enter the palace” and “audience” struck Zhao Baozhu like blows, knocking away the last traces of his drowsiness.
Zhao Baozhu’s eyes widened suddenly. “Young master is entering the palace?!”
Deng Yun said urgently, “Yes! Why aren’t you getting ready? The young master is taking you along.”
Zhao Baozhu became even more confused, his eyes nearly popping out. “Me?!”
“Stop with the ‘you’ and ‘me’,” Deng Yun was frantic, almost reaching out to strip off Zhao Baozhu’s sleepwear. “You silly goose! I don’t know why the young master is taking you, but don’t delay his business!!”
Zhao Baozhu quickly pushed Deng Yun away, hastily changed clothes, washed his face, and tied up his hair. Pulled along in a hurry by Deng Yun, he rushed out, and sure enough, a carriage was waiting at the door.
Ye Jinghua stood before the carriage, hands clasped behind his back, holding a folding fan. Fang Qin behind him was frowning; seeing Deng Yun and Zhao Baozhu come out, he urged sharply, “Hurry over.”
Hearing the movement, Ye Jinghua turned his head, his gaze landing precisely on Zhao Baozhu, and he smiled faintly at him.
Zhao Baozhu immediately felt his face heat up.
It really couldn’t be blamed on him. Ye Jinghua usually wore white; though the fabrics were all fine, the patterns were plain and understated. But today he wore a deep sapphire-blue robe, faintly patterned with dark embroidery. With a jade crown on his head and a python belt at his waist, it set off his jade-like face, thick brows, and deep eyes, his whole person exuding the noble air of a princely young master.
Smiling, he raised a hand and beckoned Zhao Baozhu. “Baozhu.”
At that call, half of Zhao Baozhu’s soul seemed to leave him. In a daze, he walked over, only to have his arm caught by Ye Jinghua, who looked him up and down before smiling: “This outfit suits you.”
Zhao Baozhu was wearing new clothes again today, the base fabric a jade-white color, with a plum blossom embroidered at the collar, entwined with the decorative knot at his chest.
Only then did Zhao Baozhu come back to himself. He said to Ye Jinghua, “Young master keeps making new clothes for me, one set after another. I haven’t even worn the last one many times before it’s replaced. It’s such a waste of material.”
He thought about how, back in his hometown, he only had four or five sets of clothes for the whole year, and that was already considered a lot among the boys in the village! Yet since coming to the Ye residence, he had changed clothes countless times in just a short while. Even if one had money, it shouldn’t be spent like this.
Naturally, Ye Jinghua paid no attention to his nagging. He reached out and refastened the loosened knot at Zhao Baozhu’s collar, saying softly: “Changing more looks better.”
Zhao Baozhu glanced at him and secretly pouted. On one hand, he felt sorry for the money; on the other, he thought Ye Jinghua always dressed him in flowery, delicate clothes, lacking any masculine air, more like something a young girl would wear.
According to Zhao Baozhu’s thinking, a man like Ye Jinghua, so handsome and upright, elegant and dashing, was what counted as good-looking.
While inwardly grumbling, Zhao Baozhu secretly sized up Ye Jinghua. Seeing him dressed like this today, the more he looked, the more he felt that in character and learning he was excellent in every way. Alongside his envy, much admiration also arose.
“Young master.” At this moment, Fang Qin’s voice came from behind Ye Jinghua. “It’s time to enter the palace.”
Only then did Ye Jinghua’s gaze move away from Zhao Baozhu, and he turned his head. Zhao Baozhu followed his gaze and noticed Fang Li was putting a saddle on the horse. The one standing before the carriage was precisely the tall snow-white horse from the back courtyard. At this moment it held its head high rather proudly, the mane behind its head gently fluttering in the morning breeze.
At the sight of it, Zhao Baozhu remembered his dream from last night of falling off a horse. He immediately shivered and subconsciously took half a step back.
Noticing his movement, Ye Jinghua tilted his head and said, “Don’t be afraid. Today you’ll ride in the carriage with me.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu raised his eyes in some surprise. Seeing this, Deng Yun said sourly from the side, “Last time you were frightened by a horse and fell, even hitting your head, young master still remembers it!”
Zhao Baozhu was even more surprised upon hearing that. Ye Jinghua glanced at Deng Yun, causing the latter to retreat awkwardly. Then he lifted the carriage curtain with his folding fan and said to Zhao Baozhu, “Go in first.”
This action made Deng Yun’s eyes nearly turn red with jealousy. In their residence, there were many who had served Ye Jinghua for over a decade, yet who had ever received such treatment?
Even after the carriage slowly departed, he still wore a sour expression. Fang Qin frowned at the sight and barked, “What are you sneaking around for with that shifty look?”
Deng Yun’s eyes were somewhat small to begin with; making a jealous face made his features look even more twisted. Having been scolded for no reason, he immediately felt extremely wronged. “Fang Qin, why are you saying that about me?”
Fang Qin’s brows furrowed even more. “I haven’t even gotten to you yet, what were you doing just now, making that face in front of the young master?”
Deng Yun felt even more aggrieved. “Why is it that in this whole residence I’m the only one with feelings? Fang Qin, aren’t you jealous at all? In the past, every time the young master entered the palace, didn’t he always take you? But ever since he came, the young master doesn’t even see anyone else!”
As Deng Yun spoke, he actually began wiping away tears in distress. Seeing this tall man putting on the manner of a young girl, sniffling, Fang Qin felt thoroughly put off. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and softened his voice. “What are you thinking? You and I have served the young master for so many years, he naturally values our loyalty. Besides, the young master’s intentions… can how he treats you be the same as how he treats him? Why compare yourself to him?”
Upon hearing this, Deng Yun wailed even more sorrowfully. “How am I worse than him? Isn’t it just that I’m ugly? Just because Zhao Baozhu looks good, does that make him better than me?”
Fang Qin: …
At this moment, he suddenly felt a bit of sympathy with Steward Li from afar.
What a blockhead!!
***
On the other side, Zhao Baozhu sat nervously curled up inside the carriage the whole way. It was his first time riding in one. When he had previously come to the capital, if a kind merchant caravan gave him a lift, he would be squeezed together with goods or provisions. This proper carriage was truly extraordinary, the horse in front moved very steadily, and the soft cushion beneath him was extremely comfortable, so much so that he felt no jolting at all.
Zhao Baozhu shrank into a corner, looking out the window for a while, then touching the soft cushion beneath him, then lifting his head to curiously examine the tassels hanging from the carriage.
Ye Jinghua sat to the side. Seeing him huddled pitifully in a corner of the carriage, he did not rush to speak. It was like watching a timid cat, waiting for it to grow familiar with its surroundings before coming out on its own.
Sure enough, after a while, Zhao Baozhu gradually relaxed. Seeing the carriage getting closer and closer to the red walls of the imperial palace, he leaned toward Ye Jinghua and asked, “Young master, what are you going to the palace for?”
Ye Jinghua was leaning inside the carriage with his eyes closed, resting. He replied, “His Majesty summoned me to speak. After that, I’ll go pay respects to Consort Chen.”
There was no one else present at this moment. If Fang Qin or Cao Lian were here, they would surely be astonished at how Ye Jinghua told Zhao Baozhu everything he knew, leaving nothing unsaid. They had known Ye Jinghua for a long time and knew he was a man of few words, when had they ever seen him be so candid with anyone, even explaining in detail what he was going to do?
But Zhao Baozhu didn’t understand the significance. He only noticed the people mentioned. “Ah?” He had just relaxed a bit, but upon hearing this became nervous again. “His Majesty? Consort Chen?”
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua slowly opened his eyes. “No need to be afraid. Attendants can only go as far as Jingxing Gate, you just wait for me there.”
Zhao Baozhu felt relieved upon hearing that. He truly was not prepared to face the emperor. Then he suddenly realized that although Ye Jinghua had not yet entered official service, he was already being treated by the emperor as an official, showing just how favored he was.
The Ye family’s carriage soon reached Xihua Gate and could go no further. Ye Jinghua and Zhao Baozhu got down, and saw a eunuch in a dark blue robe, fair-faced and beardless, standing at the entrance. Upon seeing Ye Jinghua, he stepped forward, the corners of his eyes curving into a smile.
“Second Young Master Ye, you’ve kept this old servant waiting quite a while.”
The moment Zhao Baozhu got off the carriage and saw the towering green-tiled red walls before him, the timidity of a small farmer entering the capital rose from his bones. He immediately became weak-kneed, trembling as he followed behind Ye Jinghua. Hearing what sounded like a reproach from the eunuch, he instantly held his breath and nervously looked at Ye Jinghua.
Naturally, Ye Jinghua noticed his furtive movements. A faint smile appeared on his face as he said to the eunuch, “My apologies for making Xia Gonggong wait.”
As he spoke, he tilted his head, took out a few pieces of silver from the brocade pouch at his waist, placed them in Zhao Baozhu’s hand, and said gently, “Go, thank Xia Gonggong.”
Though nervous, Zhao Baozhu was quick-witted. Hearing this, he immediately understood. Stepping forward, he slipped the silver into the eunuch’s hand and said, “Xia Gonggong has waited long, please accept this to buy some tea.”
Xia Gonggong was of no low rank and was well accustomed to such matters. His discernment was sharp, at a glance, he saw that Ye Jinghua was teaching the young servant at his side how to handle things. Only then did his gaze fall on Zhao Baozhu. After looking him over, he let out a “yo,” narrowing his eyes as he examined him from head to toe, before lifting his head and smiling at Ye Jinghua: “It seems all the most spirited and refined people in the capital are gathered in Second Young Master Ye’s residence!”
Ye Jinghua smiled faintly and did not respond. Eunuch Xia was not annoyed. He only bent slightly and asked Zhao Baozhu gently, “Good child, what is your name?”
Seeing his kind and approachable manner, Zhao Baozhu relaxed a little. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips. “Replying to Gonggon, my humble name is Baozhu.”
When he smiled, two small dimples appeared at the corners of his lips. Seeing this, the eunuch exclaimed “yo, yo, yo” again, shaking his head. “A good name, a good name!” After speaking, he smiled and patted Zhao Baozhu’s hand, saying warmly, “When you go in later, don’t be afraid. Just follow your young master. There are a few of my disciples by Jingxing Gate, go play with them.”
Though Zhao Baozhu didn’t fully understand what he meant, following the principle of speaking less to avoid mistakes, he obediently nodded. Xia Gonggong smiled kindly, looked at him, then at Ye Jinghua. Something seemed to flash quickly across his expression before disappearing. He turned his face back with a chuckle and continued leading the two into the palace.
The two followed Eunuch Xia into the palace and, sure enough, saw several young eunuchs in blue standing guard at Jingxing Gate. Zhao Baozhu stayed with them, watching as Ye Jinghua went deeper into the inner palace.
Zhao Baozhu stood by the wall for a moment. The tension in his heart gradually faded, and he began to take in the appearance of the imperial palace. At a glance, he was immediately stunned by its grandeur, the red walls and green tiles stretched endlessly, towering palaces rising from the horizon, looking from afar as if they stood among the clouds.
How could there be such towering walls in this world? And how could such tall buildings be constructed?
The young eunuchs around him saw Zhao Baozhu staring in a daze and burst into laughter, thinking the person brought this time by Second Young Master Ye was quite interesting. In the past, those from the Ye residence all had an ethereal air. But today, although this Baozhu was handsome and well-dressed, he displayed such a naïve, inexperienced look that one couldn’t help but want to tease him.
Having received Xia Gonggong’s instructions, the young eunuchs crowded around Zhao Baozhu and began joking with him: “Have you been stunned silly?”
“Do you know who lives in that palace over there?”
“Your young master went that way!”
Everyone spoke at once. Zhao Baozhu followed the directions of their pointing fingers, the various palace halls and towers dazzling before his eyes, repeatedly asking, “Where is that? And that one?”
Just as everyone was enjoying teasing him, suddenly one of the young eunuchs noticed something, turned his head to the side, and his expression changed drastically. With a “thump,” he dropped to his knees.
The sound of his knees hitting the stone ground drew everyone’s attention. The other young eunuchs stopped talking. Zhao Baozhu followed their gaze and saw a youth in red standing beneath Jingxing Gate.
He looked only eleven or twelve years old, yet his face was extraordinarily handsome. With his hands clasped behind his back, a pair of eyes shining like stars stared at the crowd. His thick brows swept into his temples, his features fine as gold and jade, though young, he already carried a lively, striking presence.
Zhao Baozhu was completely stunned upon seeing him.
Eh? Why did this youth, at a glance, resemble Ye Jinghua somewhat?
At that moment, the young eunuch kneeling beside him knocked his head to the ground with a thud and loudly declared, “Greetings, Fifth Prince–”
The Fifth Prince.
The Fifth Prince!
Zhao Baozhu froze for a moment. Then it felt as though every hair on his body stood on end. A beat slower than the others, he hurriedly lowered his head and knelt as well, his mind still wondering whether he should refer to himself as “this humble one” or “commoner.” But just as his knees touched the ground and before he could speak, he heard the clear, jade-like voice of the youth say, “Wait.”
With the sound of footsteps, a pair of cloud-and-phoenix patterned green satin boots stopped before him. The youth said crisply, “Are you a servant from my Little Jiujiu*’s household?”
* little uncle
Little Jiujiu? Zhao Baozhu raised his head, stunned for a moment before understanding dawned. Right, the Fifth Prince’s birth mother, Consort Chen, was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Ye family. Wasn’t Ye Jinghua precisely this Fifth Prince’s maternal uncle?
Seeing him staring blankly up at him without replying for a long time, the Fifth Prince frowned slightly in impatience and said: “Why are you so dull and stupid? Ben Gong is asking you a question!”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu startle and come back to his senses. “Replying to Your Highness, this commoner followed Second Young Master Ye here.”
“Oh.” The Fifth Prince nodded, looked Zhao Baozhu up and down, and snorted. “Mm, though a bit foolish, he does look better than the previous few.”
Then he asked again: “What is your name? How old are you this year?”
Zhao Baozhu replied, “Replying to Your Highness, this commoner is called Baozhu, and is sixteen this year.”
“Sixteen?” Hearing this, the Fifth Prince became somewhat pleased. “Then you’re only three years older than me.”
As he said this, he suddenly reached out and yanked Zhao Baozhu up from the ground in one motion: “Ha!”
Before Zhao Baozhu could fully steady himself after standing up in a daze, he heard the Fifth Prince say smugly, “You’re only three years older than me, yet you’re less than half an inch taller.”
Zhao Baozhu saw that it was indeed true. Although this Fifth Prince was only thirteen, his height was already nearly the same as his. So he said, “The Fifth Prince is of imperial lineage, how could people like us compare? When Your Highness grows a bit more, you will surely be much taller than this commoner.”
From another person, these words might have sounded like flattery, but Zhao Baozhu spoke them with complete sincerity. He truly believed that the imperial bloodline, bestowed by heaven and earth, must be different. Though the Fifth Prince’s temperament was somewhat strange, his appearance and bearing were excellent, and he was already tall, when he grew up, he would surely become a towering, upright man!
Seeing Zhao Baozhu’s earnest expression, the Fifth Prince became even more proud. “Naturally. I grew three inches last year, within half a year I’ll be taller than you.”
Looking at his face, which resembled Ye Jinghua’s by about fifty percent, yet showing such a naive and charming expression, Zhao Baozhu found it quite novel. After thinking a moment, he said, “That would be even better. When Your Highness grows taller and rides a fine tall horse, you will surely look extremely heroic!”
He would certainly have the same looks and character as Ye Jinghua!
The Fifth Prince was thoroughly pleased by his coaxing. He felt that this person by his Little Jiujiu’s side was good-looking and sweet-tongued, far better than those wooden people in his mother’s palace who only ever urged him to study. Since childhood, he had been doted on by Consort Chen and cherished by the emperor. In the past, with the Crown Prince above him, no one expected much of him. Over time, he had been raised not like a deeply sheltered palace prince, but more like a pampered young master from an ordinary family.
In his happiness, the Fifth Prince immediately grabbed Zhao Baozhu’s hand, lifted his chin, and said, “Come, Ben Gong will take you to play!”
Pulled off balance, Zhao Baozhu stumbled along behind him, somewhat at a loss as he looked at the hand gripping his. Th-this… is this proper?
But before they could run more than a few steps, they nearly bumped into someone.
The Fifth Prince frowned and was about to scold, “Who doesn’t have eyes–”
But in the next instant, his words stopped abruptly. At the palace gate stood a man in fine robes, tall and jade-like, his brows slightly furrowed, casting a light yet unmistakable glance at the Fifth Prince.
It was Ye Jinghua, returning after attending the emperor.
The Fifth Prince hurriedly stopped. Zhao Baozhu almost crashed into him, and had just barely steadied himself when he heard the Fifth Prince’s weak voice: “L-Little Jiujiu.”
Zhao Baozhu looked up and saw Ye Jinghua’s expression was cool and distant, his gaze resting on the Fifth Prince for a long time.
The Fifth Prince’s hand, still holding Zhao Baozhu’s, trembled noticeably.
Fortunately, Ye Jinghua’s gaze soon shifted away. He stepped out of the palace gate and bowed toward the Fifth Prince. “This commoner greets Your Highness, the Fifth Prince.”
His eyes were lowered, his posture respectful, there was not the slightest trace of the coldness from before. The Fifth Prince was visibly tense, nodding stiffly. “Little Jiujiu need not be so courteous.” Then he hurriedly said, “Ben Gong will take his leave first.”
With that, he tried to pull Zhao Baozhu away. But after only two steps, Ye Jinghua’s cold voice came from behind: “Stop.”
The Fifth Prince froze completely. Zhao Baozhu, seeing this, was quite surprised. Ye Jinghua appeared very respectful toward the Fifth Prince, yet this young prince seemed extremely afraid of him.
Behind them, Ye Jinghua had already straightened and walked up to the Fifth Prince. His star-like eyes lowered slightly, his gaze pausing on the hand with which the youth was holding Zhao Baozhu.
The Fifth Prince trembled again, only then realizing he was still holding Zhao Baozhu, something that in his Little Jiujiu’s eyes must again be improper. He quickly let go.
“L-Little Jiujiu–” The Fifth Prince’s smile was somewhat stiff.
Only then did Ye Jinghua lift his eyes. “Where are the attendants serving Your Highness?”
The Fifth Prince pouted and said petulantly, “I didn’t want them following me, so I dismissed them all.”
The current emperor had only five princes. The Crown Prince was missing, the Second Prince had died young, and the Third and Fourth Princes had each been granted titles and left the palace upon reaching adulthood. At present, only the Fifth Prince remained in the palace, a precious treasure. Moreover, his mother, Consort Chen, was the most favored in the harem, and his maternal grandfather was a powerful grand minister. Among the princes, aside from the former Crown Prince, none surpassed him in birth or favor. Thus, everything in the palace prioritized him. Whenever he went out, a large group always followed him, afraid that this precious “golden seedling” might be broken somewhere out of sight.
Hearing that he had brought no one with him, Ye Jinghua narrowed his eyes, a trace of coldness appearing between his brows.
The Fifth Prince didn’t notice his expression. Stepping forward, he took Ye Jinghua’s hand and shook it, acting spoiled. “Little Jiujiu, the person you brought is quite good. Give him to me, will you?”
The Fifth Prince had been pampered since childhood and had never encountered anything he couldn’t obtain. As long as he asked, even the moon in the sky would be fetched by his imperial father and mother. Let alone a servant, so he spoke without thinking.
Zhao Baozhu, suddenly mentioned, raised his eyes in surprise.
Then he heard Ye Jinghua’s cold voice: “Stand properly.”
Usually, Ye Jinghua’s voice was as pleasant as zithers and lutes, but now it seemed mixed with shards of ice. The Fifth Prince froze, looked up, and saw Ye Jinghua’s face covered in frost, his eyes deep as a cold pool. He shivered and no longer dared to tug at him, stepping back half a step and standing straight.
With coldness in his eyes, Ye Jinghua looked him over from head to toe. “It is now the second quarter of the Chen hour. Your Highness should be receiving instruction at Wenyuan Pavilion.”
The Fifth Prince froze, then said guiltily, “G-Grand Tutor Wen is ill today.”
Ye Jinghua’s gaze was icy as he looked down at him, until the boy began to sweat at the temples. Only then did he say slowly, “If the Grand Tutor is ill, why is the Wen family carriage still at the gate?”
At once, the Fifth Prince panicked, his eyes darting. “I… the Grand Tutor fell ill suddenly after entering the palace, ”
Before he could finish, Ye Jinghua cut him off coldly: “Still daring to lie?”
The Fifth Prince trembled and suddenly dared not say another word. The young boy stood extremely awkwardly, lowering his head until his chin nearly buried itself in the swirling cloud patterns on his chest. After a long while, he slowly raised his head, but upon seeing Ye Jinghua’s cold expression, his eyes instantly reddened.
Mist quickly gathered in his beautiful phoenix eyes, his nose reddening as well, as he looked at Ye Jinghua with grievance. Since childhood, he had been doted on by Consort Chen and the emperor, always looking down on others. In the past, the one he feared most was the Crown Prince; the second was this taciturn Little Jiujiu. Unlike the Crown Prince, who would scold him like an elder brother, Ye Jinghua rarely spoke to him directly when he was a study companion in the palace. But whenever his schoolwork was placed before him, a mere glance from Ye Jinghua could point out seven or eight mistakes. Every day, the Fifth Prince was as nervous as a mouse before a cat in front of this Little Jiujiu, even more so than before the palace tutors.
Since the Crown Prince disappeared and Ye Jinghua requested to leave the palace, no one remained to restrain the Fifth Prince. Over the years, he had run rampant in the palace, doing as he pleased, his temperament growing ever more spoiled.
The Fifth Prince raised his hand and wiped his reddened eyes hard, loudly accusing, “Little Jiujiu, you don’t love me anymore!”
As he spoke, two lines of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes. Seeing that even a prince was crying, Zhao Baozhu became anxious and tried to signal Ye Jinghua with his eyes. However, Ye Jinghua remained unmoved, his expression extremely cold, with no intention of coaxing him at all. Seeing him so icy, the Fifth Prince became even more upset and opened his mouth to wail. At that moment, two figures in eunuch robes ran out from the palace gate, the one in front was Eunuch Xia, who had led Ye Jinghua inside earlier.
“Oh my, Your Highness the Fifth Prince, we’ve found you, we’ve found you–”
Eunuch Xia was sweating profusely, clearly having been running under the sun for quite some time. Behind him followed another eunuch of similar age, who rushed up and grabbed the Fifth Prince, looking him up and down. Seeing he wasn’t injured, he finally let out a long breath.
“My prince, how did you come here? Niang Niang and Grand Tutor Wen are waiting for you,” the eunuch said.
Eunuch Xia first gave Ye Jinghua an apologetic smile, then turned and frowned slightly at the Fifth Prince. “Your Highness, it’s not that this old servant talks too much, but even if you want to come out and play, you can’t come alone. Wouldn’t that make His Majesty and Niang Niang worry, ”
But the Fifth Prince didn’t listen to a single word. He shoved the eunuch away. “I don’t want you!”
The eunuch, having received Consort Chen’s orders, dared not let go, and clung to him tightly. Unable to break free, the Fifth Prince became even more irritated and began to throw a tantrum on the spot. “Ever since Crown Prince brother left, none of you love me anymore!” he cried. “Little Jiujiu doesn’t love me, Royal Mother doesn’t love me either, you only know to make me read those stupid books! I don’t want you!”
Seeing his unreasonable behavior, Eunuch Xia was sweating anxiously. “Oh my prince, Consort Chen is still waiting, ” Then he looked toward Ye Jinghua for help. “Young Master Ye, please help persuade him.”
Zhao Baozhu nervously looked up at Ye Jinghua, only to see his expression indifferent. His gaze paused briefly on the Fifth Prince’s face, and that alone made him stop crying.
Ye Jinghua lowered his eyes and did not look at him again. He only bowed slightly. “This commoner takes his leave.” Then he raised his hand, gently gathering Zhao Baozhu by the shoulder and turning him around. “Let’s go.”
Zhao Baozhu felt somewhat uneasy and wanted to look back, but Ye Jinghua gently stopped him. Not until they had left Jingxing Gate did Zhao Baozhu faintly hear the sounds of crying and shouting echoing again from within the layered palace walls.
“Let go of me, let go of me, I want Little Jiujiu to dote on me, Little Jiujiu–!”
After getting onto the carriage, Zhao Baozhu said uneasily to Ye Jinghua, “The Fifth Prince was crying so hard, young master didn’t do anything. Could something happen?”
The carriage swayed slightly. Ye Jinghua’s hand moved down from Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder and rested against the carriage wall, faintly drawing him into his arms. Zhao Baozhu didn’t notice that the distance between them was much closer than before. Frowning, he said, “Young master didn’t even try to coax him, the Fifth Prince looked extremely upset.”
Ye Jinghua closed his eyes to rest and said in a low voice, “No need to bother with him.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu raised his brows high in displeasure. “What do you mean ‘no need to bother’? That’s a prince!” In his understanding, making such a noble prince shed even a single tear would be punishable by death. How could it sound so trivial when said by Ye Jinghua? How could something like this be ignored!
Ye Jinghua slightly lifted his eyes. He hadn’t thought much of it, but seeing Zhao Baozhu so worried, he frowned faintly. Usually, he had never seen him so anxious over him.
Zhao Baozhu worried on his own for quite a while before finally raising his head. The moment he did, he saw Ye Jinghua leaning against the carriage with his eyes closed, a trace of gloom between his brows, lifting a hand to press at his temples, as if somewhat uncomfortable.
Zhao Baozhu’s heart jumped, his attention immediately drawn away. “Young master, are you unwell?” he asked worriedly.
Ye Jinghua lowered his hand, glanced at Zhao Baozhu, and shook his head. “No.”
Hearing that, Zhao Baozhu frowned. Seeing that Ye Jinghua’s brows were faintly knit and his complexion didn’t look too good, he still couldn’t feel at ease. He raised his hand and placed the back of it against Ye Jinghua’s forehead. “No fever?” Zhao Baozhu withdrew his hand and said worriedly, “Young master, what’s wrong?”
Ye Jinghua felt the boy’s slightly cool hand brush across his forehead. The tension between his brows eased slightly. He lifted his eyes to look at Zhao Baozhu, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “It’s nothing. His Majesty and Consort Chen just said a few things to me.”
Zhao Baozhu was taken aback. What kind of words could make Ye Jinghua show such a troubled expression? Then his thoughts turned, and his eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh, I know.”
Ye Jinghua asked with a smile, “What do you know?”
Zhao Baozhu smiled. “It must be that His Majesty and Consort Chen are urging young master to marry, right?”
