There were still two days left until the Kitchen God Festival, but the New Year’s atmosphere in the capital was already in full swing. The streets were bustling with festive decorations.
Aside from the storefronts lining the streets, vendors pushing carts, carrying baskets, or slinging trays over their shoulders filled every corner, selling everything imaginable—salted chicken, cured duck, wind-dried fish, peach and apricot kernels, chestnuts, jujubes, rice cakes, and all sorts of preserved meats. There were also glass trumpets, little drums, bamboo horses, and countless varieties of fireworks and firecrackers, dazzling the eyes of passersby.
Inside a carriage parked at the palace gates, Su Yan changed into casual clothes before heading to the Eastern Market with the crown prince. A dozen Eastern Palace guards followed closely behind, wary of losing them in the sea of people.
The crown prince was eager to explore and bought anything that caught his fancy, with the clever eunuch Fu Bao immediately stepping forward to pay each time.
Su Yan, on the other hand, was focused on purchasing New Year’s supplies. He took a practical approach, having a guard write up a shopping list to ensure nothing was forgotten. It included all sorts of celebratory drinks like Tusu wine, Jinhua wine, and lamb wine; meats like pork head and rice cakes; delicacies such as pickled wild pheasant, duck, venison, and rabbit; and an assortment of fruits—pine nuts, chestnuts, autumn pears, lion mandarins, dried tangerine slices, and bayberries.
As he shopped, he kept muttering that there was too much food, and his household wasn’t large enough to finish it all. The guards laughed, saying, “It’s the New Year! If you don’t indulge now, when will you? We worked hard all year for this.”
That was a good point… Unable to argue, Su Yan bought everything on the list. Soon, he and the crown prince had filled an entire carriage with their purchases.
Zhu Helin noticed that everyone was wearing folded gold foil ornaments on their heads, mostly in the shape of butterflies, moths, or grasshoppers. So he bought a pair of butterfly-shaped ones—one for himself and the other for Su Yan.
Su Yan laughed while dodging. “What is this shiny, silly-looking thing? Don’t stick it on my head.”
Zhu Helin chased after him relentlessly. “These are ‘nao rang rang’ ornaments! Everyone wears them for the New Year—it’s festive! Look at those rich folks, they’ve got their heads full of them!”
Su Yan found it too gaudy and refused to wear it no matter what. The two of them playfully bickered all the way down the street. Eventually, tired from the excitement, they sat down at a roadside stall for a bowl of wontons.
Just then, a horse-drawn carriage slowly passed by and suddenly stopped before backing up a few steps. It halted beneath a snow-covered tree.
Yu Wang lifted the curtain and narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the two finely dressed young men laughing together at the food stall. It was unclear what he was scheming.
After a moment, he called over two young attendants who had been following the carriage and whispered a few instructions to them. Then, the carriage resumed its journey, rolling away from the Eastern Market.
Su Yan finished his bowl of wontons, which had been seasoned with scallions and pepper. He worked up a light sweat and wanted to sit for a while longer to rest his feet. Zhu Helin, however, was impatient and planned to go buy some fireworks and firecrackers. Su Yan, unimpressed by ancient fireworks after witnessing modern pyrotechnic displays, wasn’t interested in going and said he’d wait for him there.
So Zhu Helin left a few guards behind to protect him and ran off excitedly.
Su Yan casually nibbled on some candied frost plums and eavesdropped on a conversation between two young men at a nearby table.
The taller one asked, “Brother, all the government offices are on holiday. Why haven’t you gone home to rest?”
The shorter one replied, “I work at the Heavenly Works Academy. The construction is nearly complete, and we’re rushing to finish it by year’s end. The higher-ups said it must be ready to open by March next year, so we only get four or five days off for the Spring Festival. The rest of the time, we get triple wages.”
The taller man clicked his tongue in amazement. “Triple wages? That’s generous! Worth it. By the way, I heard the Heavenly Works Academy is built to be grand, spacious, and deeply intricate, rivaling even the Four Great Academies. Is that true?”
The shorter one chuckled. “If you’re curious, why not go see for yourself? While the construction site doesn’t allow outsiders to enter, you can get a clear view from the hillside at Qiangcao Slope. Want to go have a look?”
The taller one immediately put down his bowl and urged, “Let’s go now.”
The two of them left together.
Su Yan spat out a plum seed and considered whether he should take a look at the Heavenly Works Academy before the New Year.
He despised Yu Wang’s character and even suspected that the man was too busy chasing women to focus on his responsibilities. But judging by the conversation he had just overheard, it seemed like the project was going well. Seeing is believing, so he decided he’d head to Qiangcao Slope tomorrow to check it out himself.
Zhu Helin returned with an armful of fireworks and firecrackers, planning to set them off in the palace on New Year’s Eve. He asked hopefully, “You don’t have any relatives in the capital, so why not spend New Year’s Eve in the Eastern Palace?”
“That won’t do,” Su Yan chuckled. “I’m neither a royal relative nor a court official. How could I be qualified to spend the New Year in the palace? No matter how fancy a golden nest or silver nest is, it’s not as comfortable as my own home. I’d rather stay there with my two attendants and —”
He almost blurted out “personal guard” but caught himself in time, quickly changing his words, “—old peach tree spirit.”
Zhu Helin had no choice but to accept defeat. He ordered the guards to bring the carriage to Su Manor and help unload the New Year’s goods, piling them high on two Eight Immortals tables.
Hearing the commotion, Su Xiaobei and Su Xiaojing came out to check. Seeing that it was the crown prince, they hurriedly knelt and bowed. Zhu Helin waved them off and turned to Su Yan. “We’ve been out all day. If I stay out any longer, my Royal Father will come looking for me. I’ll head back to the palace first and come find you tomorrow.”
Su Yan knew the crown prince loved excitement and worried that if he mentioned his plans, Zhu Helin would insist on tagging along. The outer city was nowhere near as safe or convenient as the inner city, with its untamed land and unpredictable dangers. If the crown prince got injured out there, Su Yan would be held responsible.
So he simply said, “I have a gathering with some old classmates tomorrow. Let’s hang out another day.”
Zhu Helin had no choice but to reschedule for after the Kitchen God Festival and left.
Once the carriage disappeared beyond the gates, the two young attendants let out a long sigh of relief. Su Xiaojing ran over to the tables, touching everything curiously. “Going on an out-of-town mission really makes a difference, huh? Even our New Year’s goods are top-notch—Master, you must’ve earned quite a bit of silver in Shaanxi, right?”
Su Yan laughed and scolded, “Nonsense! You make it sound like I took advantage of my mission to amass wealth. These were all gifts from the crown prince. By the way, where’s Jinghong Zhui?”
Su Xiaobei replied, “He was just here. Now that he’s gone, who knows where he’s hiding? Maybe he doesn’t want to greet an esteemed guest.”
Su Yan nodded, instructed them to put away the New Year’s goods, and headed to Jinghong Zhui’s quarters. As soon as he stepped inside, a light breeze swept past, and Jinghong Zhui’s figure seemed to flicker in through the open window, landing before him, gazing at him. “My lord has returned.”
After discreetly scanning Su Yan from head to toe, Jinghong Zhui said in a low voice, “My lord stayed overnight at the Eastern Palace last night. You didn’t run into any trouble, did you?”
Su Yan chuckled. “It’s not my first time staying there. What trouble could there be?”
“The common folk say that the Crown Prince is arrogant, domineering, difficult to deal with, and utterly lacking the demeanor of a future emperor. He didn’t give you a hard time?”
Su Yan frowned slightly. “Is that what people are saying?”
Jinghong Zhui replied, “I overheard it at inns and teahouses. Almost everyone says the same thing. They don’t dare discuss it openly, but they whisper about it in private.”
Su Yan asked, “When did these rumors start?”
Jinghong Zhui had a good memory and recalled instantly. “I first heard murmurs about it last year. But after May this year, the rumors spread more widely. People are even claiming that the Crown Prince is obsessed with erotic paintings and engages in secret debauchery with young eunuchs in the palace, making it all sound very convincing.”
Su Yan’s expression darkened, tinged with anger. “That’s absolute nonsense! Slandering the heir to the throne so brazenly—aren’t they afraid of losing their heads?”
He suddenly calmed down, sensing that the timing seemed familiar. May… Wasn’t that around the Dragon Boat Festival, when Imperial Consort Wei gave birth to her son? Ever since the Second Prince was born, rumors about the Crown Prince had run rampant. There had to be a connection. D*mn it, could the Wei family be deliberately spreading these slanders to ruin the Crown Prince’s reputation and pave the way for their own ambitions?
It seemed necessary to find the right opportunity to strike back hard—ideally, to crush them completely.
Jinghong Zhui studied Su Yan’s expression and asked, “My lord seems to trust and protect the Crown Prince very much.”
Su Yan sat down on a round stool and gestured for Jinghong Zhui to do the same. Seeing that Su Yan wanted to have a serious discussion, Jinghong Zhui placed a kettle on the charcoal stove to heat water.
Su Yan said, “Ah Zhui, you have no interest in politics, so you don’t understand the situation in court. But let me put it this way: I didn’t even finish the imperial examination before being appointed as the Crown Prince’s shidu and Shima of the Bureau of Classical Studies. From my very first step into officialdom, I was branded as a member of the ‘Crown Prince’s faction,’ and my feud with the Wei family has only deepened.”
“You’re caught in a difficult position?” Jinghong Zhui asked.
Su Yan shook his head. “It’s not that I’m trapped—it’s that I have no desire to leave. The Crown Prince is a good child. With proper guidance, he will become a wise and capable ruler. In contrast, the Second Prince is still just an infant—his intelligence and character are completely unknown. A young ruler brings instability to the nation. The principles of succession dictate that the heir should be the legitimate eldest son, not a younger son of a concubine. You understand that, don’t you?”
Jinghong Zhui nodded, casually stoking the fire in the stove.
“Beyond that, the Wei family is utterly unimpressive. Aside from the late family head, Wei Tu, who had some merit, the rest have been nothing but disappointments. Wei Yan is useless, and Wei Jun is a menace—” Su Yan noticed Jinghong Zhui’s hand tremble slightly as he poked the fire and, feeling a pang of sympathy, reached out to hold it still.
Jinghong Zhui was no longer the same assassin, Wu Ming, who had once been consumed by vengeance. Under Su Yan’s guidance, he had learned to restrain his sharp edges, to strike not just to kill but to make an earth-shattering impact. He was no longer just seeking revenge for his sister—he wanted to dismantle the entire corrupt Wei clan, not only for personal justice but for the sake of the people.
So he tightened his grip on Su Yan’s hand and calmly said, “Please, continue Lord.”
Su Yan nodded approvingly and went on. “Imperial Consort Wei’s mother, Madam Qin, has no sense of judgment. Imperial Consort Wei herself is petty and obsessed with royal favor. The Empress Dowager is blatantly biased and spoils her youngest grandson excessively. Given this kind of upbringing, what kind of man do you think the Second Prince will grow into? Even if His Majesty wanted to correct his ways in the future, he’d be too busy ruling the country to intervene effectively.”
The water boiled. Jinghong Zhui poured tea, handing a cup to Su Yan and another to himself. Su Yan tapped his fingers on the table in a gesture of thanks.
“So, my lord believes that ensuring Zhu Helin secures his position as heir is what’s best for the country and its people?”
Su Yan watched the wisps of steam curling above his teacup and sighed. “If you already have a fine piece of iron that only needs refining to become a great weapon, would you abandon it in favor of some unmined ore, not even knowing whether it’s any good?”
“I wouldn’t,” Jinghong Zhui replied decisively. “A bird in the hand is worth ten in the bush.”
Su Yan laughed. “And this particular ‘bird’ and I already share a deep bond. Both publicly and privately, I have every reason to stand by the Crown Prince.”
The tea had cooled enough to drink. Jinghong Zhui picked up his cup and handed it to Su Yan. “Wherever my lord stands is where I will plant my feet.”
Su Yan took a slow sip and said, “I’ve given up on persuading you to pursue an official career. Life is short, and the hardest thing is to follow one’s heart. In the future, go where you want, follow whoever you choose.”
A flicker of joy appeared beneath Jinghong Zhui’s normally stoic expression.
To him, this was more moving than a love confession—it was a promise. It meant Su Yan acknowledged his desire to follow him for life. Though it didn’t necessarily mean he accepted his deeper affections, at least it was something to hold onto, wasn’t it?
Ever since that unexpected night of intimacy during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jinghong Zhui had felt an unsettling lack of security, always fearing that Su Yan would one day say, “This ends here.” The uncertainty gnawed at him, so he had stopped suppressing his feelings. His actions weren’t just driven by the madness within him—he also hoped that by openly expressing his passion, he could win Su Yan’s heart.
And it seemed to be working… at least, Su Yan hadn’t rejected his advances. Maybe, just maybe, one day, Su Yan would accept him completely—both in body and heart.
Jinghong Zhui was so overwhelmed with emotion that he couldn’t speak, but his expression remained cold and composed. However, a blush started creeping up from the base of his ears, gradually spreading to cover the entire auricle, until his cheeks were as flushed as if he were drunk.
Su Yan looked at his face and teased with a grin, “A lingering sunset over distant mountains.”
“What?” Jinghong Zhui didn’t quite catch his meaning.
Su Yan struck a scholarly pose, looking around for a fan, only to realize it was the dead of winter. So, he picked up a tea tray instead and waved it lightly in his hand. “A phrase that just popped into my head. Feels like something from Xijiangyue. Once I’ve thought up the rest of the lines, I’ll hire a songstress to sing it like those pretentious scholars do.”
Jinghong Zhui was first confused, then shifted to an expression of deep admiration—though he didn’t quite understand, he could tell it was impressive.
Su Yan burst out laughing. His personal guard was just too adorable.
Just then, from outside the room, Su Xiaobei’s voice called out, “My lord, your ‘brother’ has sent a calling card, saying he’s returning from official business and wishes to visit you soon.”
Su Yan paused in surprise. “What brother? I’m an only son.”
“The ‘brother’ you once mentioned, the one you said you’d go ‘stay with for a few days’…” Su Xiaobei deliberately emphasized the words brother.
He glanced down at the address on the calling card and silently added in his mind: That loose-moraled scoundrel living in the quiet alley! If he’s an outside lover, just say so—it’s not like it’s some huge secret. Why go through all the trouble of pretending to be a man and even fabricating an official rank? Isn’t he afraid of getting caught by the authorities?
…Shen Qi was coming back from Great Xing County! Su Yan abruptly stood up, strode to the door, took the calling card, and tucked it into his robes. Then he shot Su Xiaobei a meaningful look and subtly jerked his chin toward the back.
If it were Su Xiaojing, he’d definitely blurt out, “Eh? My lord, why are you making weird faces?”
But Su Xiaobei was a cautious and perceptive man. He immediately understood the message—Do not let Jinghong Zhui find out.
As for why, that was the lord’s business. He was just a servant; his job was to follow orders, not to ask questions.
So, Su Xiaobei nodded and respectfully withdrew.
Su Yan wasn’t guilty about Jinghong Zhui, per se. He was just worried that if Jinghong Zhui and Shen Qi saw each other, they’d start fighting on the spot, and one of them was bound to get hurt.
Mediating between them was a nightmare he’d rather avoid. Su Yan decided it was best if they just never crossed paths. As soon as Shen Qi returned to the capital, he wouldn’t wait for him to come knocking—he’d go to the Northern Surveillance Bureau and Quiet Alley himself. That way, there’d be no chance of a house-wrecking confrontation.
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