Chapter 16
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The inn’s cooking was quite good. Ling Rui ate a small bowl of rice, some egg custard, and vegetables.
After he finished eating, Ji Yan changed him into his napping clothes and let him play with Ling Fu for a while before tucking him in for his nap.
One room wasn’t suitable for three children, especially considering the royal children’s status.
“Little Seven, I’ll come find you later,” Ling Fu said, waving goodbye as he went for his own nap.
Once everyone had left, Ji Yan closed the door and sat by the bed.
Ling Rui, now dressed in light blue pajamas with patterns, laid in bed with his eyes closed, trying to fall asleep.
“Seventh Prince,” Ji Yan couldn’t help but ask, “May I ask you something?”
Ling Rui, not yet asleep, opened his eyes and obediently said, “Go ahead.”
“Seventh Prince, why did you speak to the innkeeper and give him a letter? What do the drawings on your letter mean?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui was a bit puzzled by her question.
Ji Yan was concerned because so many people were out today, including the emperor’s guards, who would report everything they saw to the emperor.
She didn’t know who the innkeeper was and felt uneasy about it.
“This,” Ling Rui pointed to the dumpling decoration in the room, “I’m looking for this.”
He was looking for the person who drew it.
Ji Yan thought for a moment and organized her thoughts before speaking, “I see. You found the dumpling design cute and wanted to know its origin, so you wrote to the person who drew it to communicate with them. Is that right?”
Ling Rui took a moment to process her words.
After a moment, he hesitantly nodded his little head.
Ji Yan smiled, “Our Seventh Prince is truly innocent and adorable. When he sees a little animal he likes, he wants to find it. Once we return to the palace, I’ll find you a little furry dumpling like this one.”
She raised her voice slightly at the end, just enough for the hidden guards outside the window and the guards at the door to hear.
After speaking, Ji Yan tucked Ling Rui in gently and said warmly, “Alright, Seventh Prince, it’s time to sleep now. Close your eyes and rest; I’ll be right here with you.”
After eating his fill, Ling Rui felt sleepy. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Though Ling Rui slept, Ji Yan did not.
She sat by his bedside for a while before moving to the window, opening it as if to let in some fresh air. Below, she saw a bustling street with many shops.
In front of one shop, Ji Yan spotted a young man in a robe embroidered with green bamboo patterns and a white sleeveless jacket over it. He had a handsome face, was shaking a folding fan, and looked quite elegant.
Ji Yan’s eyes filled with a smile when she saw the young man.
This young man was none other than the young master of their General’s Residence, and the Noble Consort’s full-blooded brother, Murong Xu.
Even though she saw Murong Xu, she didn’t call out to him.
About an hour later, Ling Rui, now well-rested, started to stir in bed. He kept his eyes closed but kicked off the covers.
Ji Yan returned to his side and quickly and gently helped him change his clothes. By the time she finished, Ling Rui was almost fully awake.
“Seventh Prince, have a sip of water.”
With Ji Yan’s help, Ling Rui soon stood on the ground, full of energy.
“Yanyan, where are we going?”
Ling Rui asked, looking up and holding Ji Yan’s hand, curious about their next destination.
Ji Yan had it all planned out. Holding the little prince’s hand, she replied, “We’re going to the temple to get a peace charm. In the evening, we’ll go to the lantern festival. After that, we’ll return to the palace.”
Ling Rui was pleased with this plan. For him, as long as he could play outside a bit longer, he was happy.
Ling Ning and Ling Fu had no objections either. Ling Ning quietly asked her attendant, “Can I have my fortune told at the temple? I want to know my future.”
She had heard that temples often had wise people who could tell fortunes, and she wanted to ask about her fate.
“You can have your fortune told,” her attendant assured her. “But remember, you are a royal child; your noble status is unchangeable.”
Ling Ning didn’t respond, stubbornly determined to have her fortune told.
Soon, the group reached the foot of the mountain. At first, Ji Yan carried Ling Rui, but he soon wriggled free.
His older sister and brother were walking on their own, and he didn’t want to be carried.
“Little Seven, if you want to make a wish, you should climb up by yourself. That shows sincerity,” Ling Ning said seriously as she climbed the steps.
Ling Fu, wishing to lose some weight, was climbing earnestly.
Ling Rui also had wishes to make. He wanted to wish for more time with his mother and for Ah Wu to come to him soon.
“Fifth Sister, I will climb by myself!”
With that, Ling Rui began to climb the steps with his short legs.
The temple was at the top. As the three little ones climbed, their pace slowed, and their faces grew redder with effort.
Ling Ning gritted her teeth and persevered.
Panting heavily, Ling Fu gave up. “I suddenly think being chubby isn’t so bad. Fifth Sister, you keep climbing; I can’t go on.”
An attendant picked Ling Fu up.
Seeing Ling Rui sprawled out on the steps, Ji Yan felt sorry for him. “Little Prince, let me carry you up, alright?”
“No,” Ling Rui said, wiping sweat from his face. “I want to climb!”
He stubbornly climbed a few more steps before his little legs started to tremble.
Ji Yan saw his legs shaking and worried that if he kept going, he would be crying with leg pain by nightfall.
“Little Prince, let me carry you so we can get there faster—”
Before she could finish, the stubborn little prince was lifted by his collar.
Ling Rui, legs dangling in the air, was startled: “!”
“Tsk, so little, and you want to climb all the way up. By the time you get there, the sun will have set.” The clear voice of a young man rang out, followed by laughter. It was Murong Xu, who had put away his fan and come over to pick up the little one.
The guards knew him and didn’t stop him.
Since the Seventh Prince was now living in Fenghua Palace and Murong Xu was the younger brother of the master of that palace, they had a connection.
The guards didn’t stop him, and Murong Xu didn’t forget to greet them: “Gentlemen, I happened to come to offer incense today. It’s a coincidence to meet you all. This little one walks too slowly, so I’ll take him up for you first.”
“Thank you, Young Master Murong,” said the leading guard, seeing that Ji Yan had no objections, he naturally didn’t say anything more.
Murong Xu smiled, lifted the little one who was still struggling with his short legs, and placed him on his shoulders. “Little Seven, let’s go!”
Ling Rui: “?”
Seeing that Ji Yan wasn’t following, Ling Rui’s little face showed panic. “Put me down! I want Yanyan!”
“Yanyan can’t carry you, but your little uncle can.”
Murong Xu lowered his voice slightly when he mentioned “little uncle.” Steadying the little one on his shoulders, he said, “The Noble Consort is my biological older sister. Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”
As soon as he heard that Murong Xu was the brother of the Noble Consort, Ling Rui, who had been anxious just moments ago, immediately calmed down.
He lowered his head, trying to see Murong Xu’s face.
Seeing this, Murong Xu simply lifted him down and held him in his arms, allowing Ling Rui to look at him properly. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because you’re good-looking,” Ling Rui said with a smile, his eyes curving happily. “Just as good-looking as the Niang Niang!”
Murong Xu’s smile grew even more pronounced at Ling Rui’s words. “You’re good-looking too. In our family, no one is bad-looking.”
Murong Xu was very young, just two months shy of his fifteenth birthday. Recently, he had heard that his sister in the palace was raising a little prince, who was very cute but often sick, needing the imperial physicians several times.
He had originally planned to meet this little prince at his birthday banquet.
Who would have thought that plans couldn’t keep up with changes, and he met this little guy in advance. “Little Seven, is Niang Niang doing well in the palace? Is anyone bullying her?”
“She’s doing well,” Ling Rui answered honestly. “Niang Niang is formidable.”
No one bullies her.
Hearing this, Murong Xu felt a bit more at ease.
He carried the little one quickly and, within the time it took to burn two sticks of incense, they reached the temple at the mountain’s summit. The temple was crowded, but a lone shabby-looking Daoist had set up a stall with no customers.
“Would you like a fortune told? If it’s inaccurate, there’s no charge,” the shabby Daoist, with a scruffy beard and barely open eyes, lazily blocked their path with his foot. He didn’t look very reliable.
Murong Xu, not believing him, lifted his leg to step over the Daoist. “Sorry, no thanks.”
“Uncle, let’s get a fortune told,” Ling Rui pleaded softly, remembering that his fifth sister had mentioned that they could have their fortunes told at the temple.
Murong Xu: “…”
He raised an eyebrow. He bluntly said to the shabby Daoist, “If you want your fortune told, I’ll find someone more accurate. Not this guy.”
The shabby Daoist reclined, his eyes half-open as he squinted at the young child in his arms. After a while, the Daoist chuckled lightly and said, “Little Rui beast, how are you adjusting to being here?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui’s eyes instantly widened at the words “little rui beast.”
He patted Murong Xu’s arm urgently, signaling for Murong Xu to put him down. Once on the ground, he scurried over to the shabby Daoist and asked eagerly, “You, you know—”
“Of course, I know everything,” the Daoist replied with a smile, pointing a thin finger towards the sky. “But the secrets of heaven cannot be divulged, so I can’t tell you too much.”
“Considering your young age, I’ll give you a few pointers.”
Ling Rui listened intently, trying his best to remember the Daoist’s words.
Ling Rui tried hard to remember his words, planning to repeat them to Ah Wu later, who would surely understand.
“You’ve come here to settle karma. With your own self, you can save countless people.”
The Daoist looked at the wide-eyed child, pausing as if sensing that although the young one seemed to be listening attentively, his eyes betrayed confusion.
“Come closer and listen,” the Daoist instructed him.
Ling Rui hurriedly brought his face closer, allowing the Daoist to speak directly into his ear.
Seeing the chubby face up close, the Daoist, risking heavenly retribution, used a language only they could understand to convey his message plainly: “Simply put, you’re here to change the fate of those around you, to alter their destinies, and in doing so, you’ll change your own.”
“Little one, remember this: Don’t give up before you’ve finished what you set out to do.”
Ling Rui nodded hesitantly, seeming to grasp the gist of it.
The shabby Daoist stopped there and didn’t continue.
He shrugged and said to Ling Rui, “Your fortune has been told. It’s an auspicious one where everything will turn out for the best. The fee is 200 taels of silver. No credit, please settle it now.”
Ling Rui, who had earlier sent out a small pouch of money at the tavern, looked at the Daoist asking for money and nervously glanced at Murong Xu behind him.
In a small voice, he called out, “Uncle.”
Murong Xu: “…”
Murong Xu’s eyelid twitched.
Blushing, Ling Rui awkwardly admitted, “I don’t have any money.”
Murong Xu scowled at the Daoist. “Two hundred taels for a fortune? That’s robbery!”
The scruffy Daoist continued half-laying, leisurely saying, “I’ve cast this divination. Even if it were a thousand taels instead of two hundred, it would still be worth it.”
“If you wish to default on the fee, that’s also possible. However, karma is not light, and those who disregard divination will face consequences.”
Upon hearing this, Murong Xu’s face darkened. He searched his entire body, emptied his long-held private stash of money in one go, and finally gathered enough.
“Here you go, two hundred taels, not a coin less.”
Murong Xu handed over the money and picked up the child from the ground, preparing to leave.
The scruffy Daoist took the money, feeling quite pleased, and hummed a little tune.
He tossed a roughly made incense sachet, which happened to land in Murong Xu’s arms.
“Little one, take this. It’s good for your health.”
Ling Rui responded with a heavy “Mmm,” picking up the incense sachet and placing it on himself.
Murong Xu, now emptied of all his belongings, didn’t even want to look at the Daoist anymore.
He strode forward briskly, gritting his teeth as he walked, “Little Seven, because of this divination, your uncle’s pockets are cleaner than his face now. When you grow up, remember to respect and care for me, you hear?”
Ling Rui leaned against him, tenderly replying, “Respect and care for Uncle!”
With both the adult and child now penniless, Murong Xu dared not linger any longer. He held the child in his arms and waited at the main gate of the temple for someone.
Not far away, there were other stalls selling blessed charms, snacks, and vegetarian food.
Murong Xu kept his eyes straight ahead and didn’t let Ling Rui look around.
He placed Ling Rui on his lap and held the little one’s face, making him look only at him.
“Uncle is so good-looking. Take a good look now, because once we return to the palace tonight, you won’t be able to see me.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Unable to move his face, Ling Rui had no choice but to look at his uncle.
They waited for a while until Little Five and Little Six arrived.
Once everyone was there, Murong Xu didn’t hand Ling Rui over to Ji Yan, nor did he seem to have any intention of leaving.
“The two followers of Yong Wang taken away this morning are dead. They supposedly committed suicide out of guilt.”
“Yong Wang also went to the palace. It looks like this matter will be swept under the rug.”
As Ji Yan approached and played with Ling Rui, Murong Xu softly informed her, “After returning to his residence, Yong Wang was furious and directed his anger at our Little Seven. From now until we return to the palace, I’ll keep Little Seven with me.”
Though the imperial guards and secret guards were formidable, Murong Xu felt that his nephew was safest under his own watch.
Ji Yan’s heart trembled after hearing Murong Xu. She whispered, “Thank you, Young Master, for looking after our little prince.”
“It’s no trouble.”
Ling Rui heard their conversation but wasn’t focused on it. His attention was on Ji Yan’s playful antics.
He laid on Murong Xu’s shoulder, giggling.
After offering incense at the temple, Ling Rui, nestled in Murong Xu’s arms, fell asleep from exhaustion.
Murong Xu took off his outer robe to cover Ling Rui and carried him down the mountain.
At the base of the mountain, they rested at an inn, planning to return to the palace after watching the lanterns.
The innkeeper, seeing them return, approached to check on the sleeping Ling Rui in Murong Xu’s arms.
He regretted, “I wanted to tell the young noble that I’ve sent his letter urgently to our master. If there’s a reply, where should I send it?”
Ji Yan frowned slightly. She didn’t want the little prince involved with the inn, but recalling the seriousness with which the prince wrote the letter, she replied, “Send it to the General’s residence.”
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