Chapter 133
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This time, Prince Yan’s expedition lacked the same vigor as the last. He only took a small elite force from the three main army camps. The other troops in the battle were soldiers who had been previously reassigned to guard Luozhou Pass and locally recruited militia.
Han Jiao couldn’t bid farewell in person, but he had many questions for Prince Yan. He could only return home and ask his father to discreetly gather some information.
During dinner, Master Han was puzzled by his son’s request. “A’Jiao, you currently reside at Prince Ling’s residence to assist the Crown Prince. You should be highly regarded. Why don’t you directly inquire with the Crown Prince about these matters?”
This question struck a chord with Han Jiao. He simply said that such trivial matters shouldn’t trouble the Crown Prince.
Mrs. Han, upon hearing this, put down her chopsticks and exclaimed, “People outside are gossiping that the Crown Prince treats you like a sibling, so why do you need to be so formal when asking him a trivial question? Just a few days ago, he even gave you such an expensive piece of clothing!”
“Where in the court is there anything trivial?” Han Jiao countered, “That piece of clothing may be considered a treasure by ordinary folks, but in His Highness’ eyes, it’s just a minor matter.”
Master Han, with a pensive look, set down his chopsticks and gazed at his son. “A’Jiao, the Crown Prince hasn’t given you a hard time, has he?”
Han Jiao quickly shook his head. “Of course not.”
Master Han: “Many people in the court have been asking me about what tasks you handle at Prince Ling’s residence. You never told me, and I’ve never asked, but I must remind you, officials must avoid using public resources for personal matters.”
Han Jiao was taken aback. “Father, what do you mean by that? How are people in the court discussing me? How have I used public resources for personal matters?”
Master Han contemplated for a moment and asked quietly, “In recent days, does the Crown Prince seem to have some hostility towards Senior Minister Xu?”
Han Jiao thought for a moment and asked in return, “Could people at the court be thinking that I’ve been spreading rumors about Senior Minister Xu in front of the Crown Prince?”
Master Han immediately reassured, “Father believes you’re not that kind of person.”
“Do they really think that?” Han Jiao was shocked. He had been trying not to make the Crown Prince’s faction too suspicious of him regarding Prince Yan’s faction. Still, it seemed there were suspicions that he was settling personal scores by trying to eliminate Senior Minister Xu’s supporters.
While it was true that he had some conflicts with Senior Minister Xu during the relief efforts for refugees, it was a stretch to think he had moved to Prince Ling’s residence just to gossip about it. That would be incredibly idle!
Seeing Han Jiao’s bewildered expression, Mrs. Han, not as composed as Master Han, couldn’t help but ask in a hushed tone, “A’Jiao, during your stay at Prince Ling’s residence these days, what tasks have you been doing for the Crown Prince? Has he mistreated you? Why, every time you come back home…” She glanced at the guards lined up in the courtyard and continued in a lowered voice, “Why, every time you return, there are so many guards following you? And that old eunuch, he’s always watching you so intently. It’s odd… Why does the Crown Prince make it seem like you’re under constant surveillance, like a prisoner?”
Han Jiao: “……”
“Mother is just worried that you might be treated unfairly.” Mrs. Han gently placed little A’Mo on the ground and reached out to pat her eldest son’s head. “A’Jiao, you’ve always been one to resist constraints. If you don’t want to stay at the royal residence, talk to the Crown Prince and come back home.”
Han Jiao felt strangely melancholic. He hadn’t been wronged before, but now, being talked about that way made him feel wronged.
When he returned to Prince Ling’s residence that evening, Han Jiao retrieved all three jars of ointment he had placed under his pillow and stowed them away in a cabinet.
Not giving them to the Crown Prince!
He waited, fuming, for the Crown Prince to return so he could confront him.
Although the Crown Prince constantly reminded him that “I am your husband,” in reality, he seemed to be as cautious as if Han Jiao were a spy perched on a wall and even avoided being intimate with him.
Tonight, he had to clarify things.
The Crown Prince didn’t return until the middle of the night. As usual, he took a bath first and then went upstairs to prepare to sleep with the little child prodigy.
However, when he entered the room, the little child prodigy was sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring at the Crown Prince with a gaze that resembled a martial arts master challenging the pinnacle of the Forbidden City. It was a look of composed restraint, a readiness to confront.
Han Jiao held his breath and focused, not letting himself get carried away by the faint outline of Xie Duo’s abdominal muscles beneath the slightly open sleepwear.
Today, he had to set things right!
Han Jiao clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and squinted as he fixed his gaze on Xie Duo.
“Are you hungry?”
Han Jiao’s resolve wavered suddenly. “No! I have something important to ask Your Highness today.”
Xie Duo, swaying in his roomy nightrobe, walked over to the edge of the bed, sat down, kicked off his wooden clogs, and tried to lift the little child prodigy into his arms.
“Don’t hold me!” Han Jiao nervously twisted away, turning his back on the Crown Prince!
Xie Duo’s expression turned serious. “What’s wrong?”
“I went to visit my parents today.” Han Jiao turned to glance at him sideways.
“I know.” The eunuch had already truthfully reported Han Jiao’s daily schedule to the Crown Prince.
Han Jiao turned around, furrowing his brow as he looked at Xie Duo. “Do you know what my mother told me?”
Xie Duo shook his head.
Han Jiao frowned. “She said every time she opens the door to welcome me, she sees a group of guards and eunuchs following me.”
Xie Duo nodded.
“Hasn’t Your Highness found that odd?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
“Your residence doesn’t have a gatekeeper yet? Why does it always have to be your mother who opens the door for you? She’s going to be my future mother-in-law, and when we move to a larger estate, I can’t have her walking several miles every time we have guests, can I? That would be a blow to my reputation.”
“That’s not the main issue! The problem is that my mother sees a group of guards escorting me home every time she opens the gate for me!”
“Just hiring a gatekeeper can solve that problem.”
“It’s not about the gatekeeper!” Han Jiao had to get straight to the point, “The issue is why Your Highness insists on having so many people follow me?”
Xie Duo leaned against the bedpost, bent one leg, and gazed at the little child prodigy. “What’s wrong with a few guards when you go out as the Crown Princess? I worry that you might feel underprotected.”
This response took Han Jiao by surprise. After a brief pause, he inquired in a somewhat calmer tone, “Is Your Highness doing this to give me more prestige?”
Xie Duo nodded.
Han Jiao lowered his head in thought and asked softly, “Can I choose not to have them follow me when I go out? Why should a man like me need so many guards?”
“Just let Respected Elder Zhang know.”
Han Jiao pushed his luck a bit, “Actually… I don’t want Respected Elder Zhang to follow me either.”
Xie Duo became alert.
“Your Highness…” Han Jiao extended his foot and nudged Xie Duo’s toe with his own, “We’re going to be married in the future. You can’t always be so guarded against me, like I’m a thief. Last time I went to see Liu Tong, it was to convince him to resign from his position, and you knew about it. I just didn’t want you to act too hastily and hurt your brotherly bond.”
“Guarded against you?” Xie Duo frowned. “Is that what your parents said?”
“It seems like they had some misunderstanding.” Isn’t it true though?
His current status was like that of a canary turned villain. Even though the cage was luxurious, with ample room and top-notch provisions, it couldn’t hide the Crown Prince’s possessive tendencies.
“We can’t let your parents misunderstand,” Xie Duo carefully planned, “I’ll accompany you tomorrow when you visit them, and I’ll bring more guards. They need to see that this level of grandeur is perfectly normal.”
Han Jiao: “……”
The Crown Prince had quite a remarkable way of preventing misunderstandings.
However, the exchange that night with Xie Duo not only failed to dispel the Crown Prince’s suspicions but also brought an unexpected shock to Mrs. Han the next day.
Opening the gate and suddenly finding a dense formation of soldiers standing in front of the house, what kind of experience was that?
In any case, Mrs. Han thought her house was about to be searched. Her legs went weak, so she sat down. Fortunately, the quick-witted Crown Prince at the door reached out to support her.
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