Although Yin Qingxuan was saying reckless things, his expression and tone were completely normal. If it weren’t for the shocked expressions of the palace servants around, Xueya would have thought he misheard or misjudged the situation.
“You… you!” Xueya stammered, both flustered and angry, unable to control himself. Seeing that Yin Qingxuan was still holding onto his handkerchief, he quickly reached out to snatch it back. “Who gave this to you? Give it back to me!”
After grabbing the handkerchief, he rushed off, looking quite flustered.
When Xueya rushed into the inner hall, his first reaction was to wait for Cui Lingjing to wake up and tell him what had happened regarding Yin Qingxuan. But then he thought again; he was afraid that Cui Lingjing would punish him instead of Yin Qingxuan. After thinking it over, he decided it when he served Cui Lingjing the medicine. He told the palace servants nearby, “No one is allowed to speak of what happened with Minister Yin earlier, understood?”
These servants were all from Xueya’s palace and had been trying to curry favor with him during this time.
Hearing this, the servants immediately replied, “We understand, Your Highness.”
Xueya felt somewhat reassured by their response. Since Cui Lingjing hadn’t woken up, he couldn’t leave yet; he had to stay until the witching hour. With the imperial physician and servants nearby, he couldn’t really help with anything, so he kept yawning. While he was yawning, a servant came to report that Crown Prince Yuan Si had suddenly woken up, crying non-stop and asking for his mother, and the nanny by his side couldn’t calm him down.
Yuan Si’s real mother was outside the palace and couldn’t enter. Since he had been adopted by Cui Lingjing, he could no longer recognize his original parents.
“Where can we find his mother for him? It seems food won’t calm him down either,” Xueya said. When he was a child, food would always stop him from crying, but Yuan Si was different; having been spoiled at home, he didn’t even care for delicacies.
“Niang Niang is the crown prince’s mother,” a servant replied.
Xueya was momentarily speechless. At that moment, another servant came to say that Yuan Si’s voice had gone hoarse from crying and requested Xueya, the nominal mother, to go see him.
When Xueya reached the eastern side hall, Yuan Si was still sitting on the bed crying, his face flushed and his voice hoarse, surrounded by a group of servants who couldn’t soothe him at all.
“What are you crying about?” Xueya walked over to the bedside. Tired, he didn’t bother standing and simply sat down on Yuan Si’s bed.
Yuan Si glanced at Xueya and continued to cry. Although he was only three years old, he had already started to understand who in the palace was to be feared and who could be bullied.
Ignored, Xueya felt a bit angry. He was so tired from taking care of the older Cui Lingjing, and now he had to deal with the younger one, who cried every day since entering the palace, often waking him up with his loud wails. It was bad enough that he cried; the little one didn’t learn to be grateful, just like the older one, which really annoyed him.
“Don’t sleep then. Cry all night, and when you grow up, you’ll be shorter than me.” Xueya, frustrated, couldn’t care less that the other was just a three-year-old and spoke bluntly.
Yuan Si, who had been crying vigorously, suddenly quieted down upon hearing this and started sizing up Xueya with his little black eyes. Truth be told, Xueya wasn’t short; it was just that Cui Lingjing was tall, and so was Yin Qingxuan.
After sizing him up, Yuan Si stopped crying and said, “I don’t want to be shorter than you.”
“Then go to sleep,” Xueya replied irritably.
“But I can’t sleep.” Yuan Si looked outside and blinked. “Is Royal Father staying here? I want to see Royal Father.”
While Yuan Si didn’t call Xueya “royal mother,” he was very respectful towards Cui Lingjing, calling him “Royal Father” obediently.
Xueya frowned when he heard Yuan Si wanted to see Cui Lingjing and was about to refuse, but Yuan Si added, “If I see Royal Father, I’ll come back to sleep.”
“Really?” Xueya stared at him suspiciously.
Yuan Si nodded, “Really, I’m not lying.”
After thinking it over, Xueya decided to fulfill his wish so he could sleep earlier. He picked Yuan Si up from the bed and headed to his own quarters.
Since Cui Lingjing hadn’t woken up yet, Xueya stood far from the bed to avoid waking him. “Do you see him now? Can you go back to sleep?”
“I can’t see clearly,” Yuan Si replied.
Xueya frowned even more and took a few steps closer. “How about now?”
“I still can’t see clearly. Go closer.”
Since Yuan Si kept saying he couldn’t see clearly, Xueya finally walked up to the bed and lowered his voice, “If you still can’t see clearly, I’ll drop you.”
Yuan Si said nothing, just stared at Cui Lingjing on the bed. But then an unexpected event occurred; Cui Lingjing suddenly opened his eyes, scaring both the big and the little one at the bedside. The little one quickly turned and hugged the big one’s neck, whining, “Royal Mother, I want to go back to sleep!”
The larger one was also startled and took two steps back. Upon hearing the smaller one’s words, he immediately responded, “Alright, alright, Royal Mother will take you back to sleep right now.”
“Stop!” Cui Lingjing’s voice, though weak, effectively froze both the big and the small in their tracks.
The imperial physician saw that Cui Lingjing had awakened and quickly came over to check on his condition. In the meantime, Xueya tried to help Yuan Si escape, but the chief eunuch blocked their way, smiling on the outside but not on the inside, saying, “Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered you and the Crown Prince to stay here.”
With no way to leave, Xueya could only sit on a nearby chair. He had initially wanted Yuan Si to sit on a separate chair, but to his surprise, Yuan Si insisted on seeing Cui Lingjing. Once he realized Cui Lingjing was awake, he became timid and clung to Xueya, wrapping himself in the cloak that Xueya had used for warmth, leaving only his little head poking out.
“You must be the one that the saying ‘Ye Gong likes dragons’ is referring to,” Xueya quietly scolded Yuan Si.
Yuan Si tilted his head up, “What does ‘Ye Gong likes dragons’ mean?”
Xueya had learned this phrase from He Xulan, and now discovering that someone was even more ignorant than he was, he felt a surge of pride. “You don’t know this? What a shame for a Crown Prince!”
Yuan Si pouted, “I’m about to start my studies, and soon I’ll know what ‘Ye Gong likes dragons’ means.”
Before Xueya could respond, the chief eunuch approached again. “Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence with the Crown Prince.”
Usually, Cui Lingjing would sleep until the next day after taking medicine, but today he had unexpectedly woken up. Xueya carried Yuan Si into the inner chamber and saw Cui Lingjing propped up on the bed. He forced a smile, “Your Majesty.”
Yuan Si also managed a smile, “Royal Father.”
Cui Lingjing scanned the two of them and weakly said, “Come to my side.”
Xueya moved over slowly, then quickly placed Yuan Si on the bed. “Go to your Royal Father.”
Yuan Si looked confused, “?”
Cui Lingjing didn’t look at Yuan Si, only at Xueya. After a moment of hesitation, Xueya sat down by the bed, only to be pulled into an embrace.
Cui Lingjing half-held, half-relied on Xueya, his voice still weak. “I didn’t expect you to get along with him so well. Do you like your Royal Mother?”
The latter part was directed at Yuan Si.
Yuan Si was much more obedient in front of Cui Lingjing and nodded in response to the question.
But that single nod made Cui Lingjing’s expression darken instantly, and a flash of anger glinted in his eyes. “Like? You dare to like him? Are you waiting for me to be gone, and then…”
“Your Majesty!” Xueya sensed something was off and quickly interrupted Cui Lingjing. At that moment, Yuan Si, frightened by Cui Lingjing’s expression, started to cry. Worried that this would further anger Cui Lingjing, Xueya hurriedly called for someone to take Yuan Si away.
Even with Yuan Si gone, Cui Lingjing’s expression remained grim as he fixed his gaze on Xueya, as if viewing him as his possession. “You must not get too close to him.”
“Are you talking about Yuan Si, Your Majesty?” Xueya was taken aback; he had thought he misunderstood Cui Lingjing’s meaning just moments ago. “Yuan Si is only three years old.”
“And what of it? In a few years, he will understand people and matters.” Cui Lingjing’s tone was icy.
Xueya wanted to retort that even if Yuan Si understood, it wouldn’t matter, but then he suddenly remembered that Cui Lingjing favored his nominal mother, He Xulan, and was at a loss for words.
Thinking of He Xulan, Xueya hesitated for a long time before daring to ask, “Your Majesty, how is the situation in Kangwu County now?”
As soon as he spoke, he was suddenly shoved to the ground.
Cui Lingjing used a lot of force; even with the carpet beneath him, Xueya’s knees hit the ground painfully.
“Get out!” Cui Lingjing was furious, his body trembling, his chest heaving. The imperial physician outside heard the commotion and rushed in.
“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. You’ve just taken your medicine and can’t get worked up.”
A crowd quickly surrounded Cui Lingjing, while Xueya, in pain, got up and, after bowing to Cui Lingjing, went directly to the South Pavilion to rest.
***
With no information coming from Cui Lingjing, Xueya tried to gather details from the palace attendants nearby, but matters concerning Kangwu County were state secrets from the previous dynasty, and those attendants had no knowledge of them. Unable to find out anything, he remained uneasy and ultimately decided to seek out Yin Qingxuan.
However, every time Yin Qingxuan entered the palace, he went directly to see Cui Lingjing, and Xueya couldn’t think of a good reason to meet Yin Qingxuan privately.
One day, Xueya was enjoying his afternoon snacks when a palace attendant announced that Yin Qingxuan had arrived to be Yuan Si’s tutor for the day.
Xueya immediately set down his snack. “Is it only Minister Yin? What about His Majesty?”
“His Majesty did not come,” the attendant replied.
Xueya’s eyes darted thoughtfully. He asked the attendant to first take Yin Qingxuan to Yuan Si, and shortly after, he made his way to the East Warm Pavilion under the pretense of checking on Yuan Si’s studies.
Upon entering, he found Yin Qingxuan speaking, but when he saw Xueya, he stopped and bowed, “Your Highness.”
Xueya nodded and walked over to Yuan Si. “I came to see how the Crown Prince is learning.”
“Are you afraid I’ll be smarter than you if I learn?” Yuan Si suddenly asked.
Xueya paused, looking down at the child gazing up at him. “How could that be? You could never be smarter than me.”
Yuan Si raised his chin higher. “Minister Yin said that in a couple of years, I could be smarter than you.”
Xueya’s gaze shifted to Yin Qingxuan, who surprisingly did not deny it. Unable to hold back, he retorted, “In two years, he’ll only be five. How could he possibly be smarter than me?”
Yin Qingxuan’s expression was calm. “It was my overreach. At five, the Crown Prince indeed may not be smarter than Your Highness.”
Although Yin Qingxuan acknowledged his point, Xueya still felt uneasy. However, he wasn’t there to argue about who was smarter between himself and a five-year-old.
“Yuan Si, are you hungry? I’ll have a nurse take you for a snack,” Xueya said, signaling for a nurse to come over.
Yuan Si showed little resistance and followed the nurse. Once the others were dismissed, Xueya called everyone outside to guard the door, instructing them not to enter without orders.
“Can you tell me what the situation is in Kangwu County?” As soon as they were alone, Xueya asked eagerly.
Yin Qingxuan glanced at Xueya, his expression contemplative. After a moment, he said, “Are you wanting to know about He Xulan’s situation?”
Xueya didn’t tell the whole truth. “I’m just worried the rebels are too strong.”
“Oh, so it’s not about He Xulan. Then I don’t need to tell you his situation,” Yin Qingxuan said, turning to leave. In a moment of panic, Xueya grabbed his arm.
“I… I’m worried; can’t I admit it? What happened to my brother?”
News of the rebellion in Kangwu County had reached the capital some time ago, and Xueya was anxious to know if He Xulan had been hurt.
Yin Qingxuan paused. “He and Yi Yefeng are working well together, but they’re outnumbered. They might gain the upper hand for a time, but in the long run, they will lose.”
Hearing this made Xueya’s heart sink.
Wasn’t this exactly what his dream had predicted?
Was He Xulan defeated by Cui Lingjing because he had too few troops?
Xueya slowly released Yin Qingxuan’s arm, and at that moment, Yin Qingxuan turned back.
“I advise you to stop dwelling on him and not to bring up He Xulan in front of His Majesty.”
Xueya ignored Yin Qingxuan’s words; his mind was filled with thoughts of He Xulan. Knowing He Xulan was likely doomed left him feeling hollow and helpless. He didn’t even notice when Yin Qingxuan left until Yuan Si returned after finishing his snack.
“Why did Minister Yin leave? Did you two get too close?” Yuan Si asked.
Xueya was taken aback, staring at Yuan Si. “Where did you learn that?”
Yuan Si was only three; there was no way he could come up with something like that on his own.
Without hesitation, Yuan Si revealed who had taught him. “Xiao Shizi said that. He said you were being close with Minister Yin, so he let me come out for snacks.”
Xiao Shizi was a palace attendant who served Xueya closely. He hadn’t expected him to twist things like that. At that moment, Yuan Si added, “Don’t worry, after Royal Father leaves, I’ll be the emperor. By then, you can be close with Minister Yin; I have no objections.”
“You’re so young; where did you learn all this…” Xueya suddenly stopped, blinking at the three-year-old in front of him. He reached out to hold Yuan Si’s small face. “Yuan Si, if I want to be with someone else, will you have a problem with that?”
According to the developments in his dream, He Xulan would lose, but he would still be alive. If Cui Lingjing were to leave and Yuan Si became emperor, then Xueya would be the empress dowager. He could rescue He Xulan from his suffering, as long as Yuan Si agreed.
Yuan Si blinked back, “You don’t want Minister Yin?”
“Not at all,” Xueya replied firmly.
Yuan Si pouted. “But I think Minister Yin is great.”
Xueya thought Yuan Si had a poor taste in people. What was so great about Yin Qingxuan? “What’s so good about him?”
“He said I’m smarter than you.” Yuan Si proudly raised his head.
Xueya’s mouth twitched, suppressing the urge to push Yuan Si’s head down. He redirected the conversation to the earlier question. “First, answer me: if you become emperor, can I be with someone else?”
Yuan Si asked, “Who’s the other person?”
“You don’t need to know that. Just tell me, will you agree?” Xueya replied.
Yuan Si finally nodded, and Xueya, delighted, kissed Yuan Si on the forehead. Little did he know, Yuan Si immediately turned around and told Yin Qingxuan what they had just discussed, saying it right in front of him.
“Minister Yin, Royal Mother said that when she becomes empress dowager, she won’t be close with you anymore,” Yuan Si announced cheerfully.
