“What are you two talking about?”
The Empress Dowager’s voice cut off the conversation between the Imperial Consort and the First Prince, and both of them quickly turned to look her way.
The Empress Dowager beckoned.
“Tell me as well.”
The Imperial Consort smiled and gave the First Prince a little push. The First Prince rose with a smile and went over, sitting beside the little princess next to the Emperor. Watching father and son talk together, the Empress Dowager suddenly thought of something.
“Send some of this fresh soup to the Empress,” she said. “Her health is poor, and she must have been frightened again today. Let her at least have a taste.”
“I’ll go check on her in a while,” the Emperor said.
The Empress Dowager nodded, watching as the attendants carried out her order. Before long, they returned, bringing the Empress’s thanks.
“Has the Empress gone to sleep?” the Empress Dowager asked.
“No, she’s talking with the Duke. When I delivered the soup, she even shared some with him. She seemed in very good spirits,” the eunuch replied with a broad grin.
See? Avoiding people – this is what it means to avoid people. Not present in person, yet present everywhere.
The Imperial Consort clenched her round fan and flapped it sharply a few times.
This eunuch too – why run his mouth so much? Asked if the Empress was asleep, just saying “no” would have sufficed. Why ramble on with so much useless detail?
The Empress Dowager exchanged a glance with the Emperor, and both smiled.
“I knew he was thinking of her,” the Empress Dowager said.
The Emperor didn’t speak, but nodded; his expression alone was enough to convey approval.
So what of it? Just a duke. Right now he’s allowed to stay in the palace because of his filial piety – does anyone really think he can be filial his whole life?
The Empress Dowager uses his filial piety, the Emperor uses his filial piety, the Empress uses his filial piety. But I have no need of it.
Seated below, the First Prince calmly held his golden cup and ate unhurriedly.
When the golden cup was set down, not a drop of soup remained. Duke Jin’an wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and bowed in farewell.
“Your Ladyship should rest early,” he said.
The Empress, reclining at an angle, watched him as he stepped back.
“Go on, don’t wear yourself out,” she said. “Even if you can’t bear to part, you must.”
Duke Jin’an lifted his head, smiling as he shook it, but said nothing.
“Why do this to yourself – binding your whole life to him?” the Empress said. “Go. Live your own life outside. You’ve accompanied him long enough.”
Duke Jin’an only kept smiling, shaking his head in silence.
“If you leave now, with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager protecting you, you can still live as a wealthy, idle duke. The longer you linger in the palace, the more dislike you’ll attract, the deeper the resentments will grow. When the Empress Dowager and His Majesty are no longer here, your days will surely become difficult. And if your own life becomes difficult, how will you continue to look after Prince Qing?” the Empress went on. “If you truly care for him, you should be thinking about the road ahead, instead of clinging to petty affections.”
This was perhaps the most the Empress had spoken in more than two years. Duke Jin’an halted, bowed deeply toward her, and said, “Then I must beg Your Ladyship to take care of your health, and watch over us for many more years.”
The Empress looked at him, then finally shook her head, closed her eyes, and said no more. The palace maids lowered the curtains, shutting off the view.
Prince Qing’s residence was brightly lit, and laughter could be heard from within even at a distance.
A smile spread across Duke Jin’an’s face as he quickened his steps inside. In the brightly illuminated hall, several eunuchs were dashing about, keeping a child company at play.
The plump little boy held a rattle-drum in one hand, laughing so hard his eyes had nearly disappeared into crescents. Drool trickled down from the corner of his mouth, soaking the scarf around his neck.
His steps were unsteady, and his body so chubby that if one looked away for a moment, he would topple over, raising a loud wail.
The floor was laid with thick carpets, the tables had all been removed, and even the pillars were wrapped with cushions to ensure he wouldn’t hurt himself. So when he fell, no one grew too anxious.
“Liu Ge’er, what’s the matter?” Duke Jin’an asked with a smile, kneeling on the floor to help him up.
Prince Qing lay on the ground crying for a while, then flung the rattle-drum in his hand at the nearest person. It struck Duke Jin’an’s arm. The eunuchs, both cautious and nervous, wanted to step in to stop him.
But Duke Jin’an held them back, letting Prince Qing hit him while coaxing him gently with a smile.
From outside, a eunuch couldn’t help but sigh.
Prince Qing couldn’t recognize people, nor understand words. All these efforts were in vain – nothing more than self-comfort.
After a spell of noise, Prince Qing grew tired, tossed aside the rattle-drum, and toppled over to sleep. Duke Jin’an hurried to lift him up, soothing and urging him along to bathe and change clothes.
Only when the child on the bed began to snore did Duke Jin’an stop telling stories, setting down the little flags, toy knives, and spears in his hands.
“Your Highness, it’s getting late. You should rest as well,” a eunuch nearby whispered.
But Duke Jin’an didn’t move. He sat watching the child in deep sleep, reaching out to stroke his face.
“He’s too fat; it’s not good for his health. How can we get him to slim down?” he said. “Ask Doctor Li about it.”
“Your Highness, perhaps there’s no need to ask Doctor Li,” the eunuch said softly from the side.
Duke Jin’an glanced at him.
“Someone just reported – Lady Cheng has entered the capital,” the eunuch said.
Duke Jin’an lost his composure and stood up.
“She’s here? When did she arrive?” he asked in astonishment.
His voice rose, disturbing the child on the bed, who gave a few drowsy whimpers. Duke Jin’an quickly reached out to pat him gently until he settled back into peaceful sleep. Only then did he lower the bed-curtain and step out.
“She arrived today,” the eunuch continued.
Duke Jin’an let out an “Oh,” clasped his hands, seeming on the verge of speaking, yet finding nothing to say. He only felt his heart surging with restless emotion.
The hall fell into silence.
“Your Highness, you should wash up and rest,” the eunuch said.
Duke Jin’an gave a brief “Mm” and stepped forward.
The palace maids carefully ladled hot water, pouring it down over the young man’s broad shoulders, the stream sliding into the bath barrel.
Duke Jin’an closed his eyes, as if already asleep, and the maids lightened their movements even more.
She’s back! She’s back!
With a sudden splash, Duke Jin’an rose from the tub. Startled, the maids froze, staring at the young man’s bare, powerful body. When they regained their senses, they quickly flushed red and stepped back.
The palace had strict rules – especially in Duke Jin’an’s quarters – the maids rarely came so close to him.
As the chill brushed over him, Duke Jin’an came back to himself and sat once more in the water. The maids moved forward again, but before they could reach out, Duke Jin’an stood up once more. This time, he stepped out of the tub, seized a towel from the side to wrap himself, and barefoot, walked straight out.
By the time daylight was full, Qin Shi’san-lang’s door was still tightly shut.
“Has the young master not risen yet?”
Madam Qin came over, a little surprised.
“He was reading late last night,” the maids hurried to explain.
Madam Qin frowned.
“That truly is strange,” she said, gazing at the door in thought. “His father wasn’t wrong after all.”
Staying up late to study had never been Qin Shi’san-lang’s habit.
“Someone, come! Who was with the young master yesterday?”
Hearing his mother and the maids speaking outside the door, then their footsteps fading away, Qin Shi’san-lang lay sprawled on his bed, head pillowed on a tumble of loose hair. He stretched out on his back, crossed one leg over the other, and gazed up at the canopy, lazily flicking his fan. He still had no desire to get up.
What should I do today?
Lessons couldn’t be neglected – but really, there was nothing to neglect. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t learn them.
Friends – should he go see them? Nothing much to see. Idle chatter, a few comments on court disputes – how dull.
Playing the qin, practicing archery? The weather was hot. He didn’t feel like moving.
He waved his fan again, then rolled over to face inward, covering his face with the fan.
Might as well sleep the day away.
But just as the footsteps outside had quieted, they started up again.
No chance of sleep now. Once his mother asked a servant, she’d know what was going on – so much for peace and quiet.
Sure enough, the door was pounded on with a thudding noise.
Qin Shi’san-lang kept the fan over his face, pretending not to hear. A moment’s quiet was a moment gained. But just as the thought flashed by, the door was kicked open with a crash.
His mother wouldn’t get so worked up as to do that, would she? Startled, Qin Shi’san-lang sat bolt upright – and when he looked toward the doorway, his expression froze in astonishment.
The figure standing in the doorway was silhouetted against the bright light, his broad, sturdy build outlined in shadow.
“Hey, the sun’s already high, and you’re still sleeping? Is this what you call the bearing of a future top scholar?” Zhou Liu-lang crossed his arms, lifted his chin, and looked with open disdain at the disheveled young man on the bed, hair loose and dressed in a green silk under-robe.
There was no sharp-tongued retort. The room fell silent.
Zhou Liu-lang stepped inside, came a few paces closer, and peered at him.
“Hey, don’t tell me your brain is damaged from all the studying?” he said, reaching out to push Qin Shi’san-lang’s head. “Lost your wits? Hm? Have you?”
Qin Shi’san-lang batted his hand away.
“Get lost, get lost, get lost,” he snapped. “Have you no sense of propriety? Is a bedchamber a place you can just barge into? One trip away and you come back even more barbarous.”
Zhou Liu-lang spat in mock disgust, then shoved his head again.
“Propriety, my foot – you’ve been stark naked in front of me, and now you’re fussing over looking slovenly…” He clicked his tongue a few times, glancing from Qin Shi’san-lang to himself: indigo hemp robe, blue cloth shoes, plain sash – clean, neat, polished, immaculate.
He burst into laughter, pointing at himself.
“Just look at me, then look at you. This is the first time I’ve seen you so bedraggled. Truly, the older you get, the worse you look!”
Before the laughter had even faded, Qin Shi’san-lang leapt up and swung a punch at him.
The blow packed quite a bit of force, and Zhou Liu-lang staggered back a few steps.
“All right, all right – those skinny arms of yours still have some strength…” he kept laughing.
Qin Shi’san-lang raised his fist and struck at him again, throwing several more punches.
“If you keep hitting, I really will hit back…”
“I’m not the same as before now… my fists are hard… if I strike, there’ll be blood…”
“If you get hurt, don’t blame me…”
“…You’re still hitting, still hitting… I really am going to hit back…”
The room filled with shouts, yells, and the clanging thuds of scuffling. The maids under the veranda glanced over once, then only smiled and turned their eyes away again.
The two youths rolled on the ground, panting for breath, Zhou Liu-lang making sure to land one last kick.
“Really impressive! What’s the big deal about teasing you a couple of times? Why lose your mind like this!” he shouted.
Qin Shi’san-lang was no less blunt, sending a kick right back.
The two of them lay on the floor, trading kicks once again.
“All right, all right, that’s enough – I’ve actually been wounded on the battlefield!” Zhou Liu-lang cried out.
Qin Shi’san-lang spat in disdain and kept kicking.
“Some nerve you have – such great ability! You got hurt and knew how to write me letters whining, but when you came back you couldn’t think to send a letter ahead of time? Where’d you learn those girlish tricks!” he shouted.
Zhou Liu-lang burst out laughing.
“Well? Surprised, aren’t you?” he said, still lying there with a grin.
Qin Shi’san-lang kicked him right in the face.
A wail split the room.
“My face! You damned little cripple!”
