Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The gale carrying the rumors eventually swept into the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace.
“He donated ten thousand taels of silver? And he earned it by selling Father’s gifts to the palace consorts?”
Seated behind the writing desk, Xie Jinyu paused slightly in his review of the memorials and glanced at the covert guard who had come to report.
The desk was buried beneath memorials sent from the Imperial Study. Faint shadows darkened the skin beneath Xie Jinyu’s eyes, making it obvious that he had slept little all night, risen early for court, and then been forced to resume reviewing memorials afterward.
“Yes. His Highness the Second Prince also remained on his daybed reading throughout. He did not leave Chenghuan Hall for even a moment,” the covert guard said.
Xie Jinyu pinched the bridge of his nose. “What about the two guards at his side?”
“The one called Wuhen did not leave the hall, but the one called Wuji has always come and gone without a trace. This subordinate cannot determine whether he went out.”
At this, Xie Jinyu straightened his brush once more. The ink-soaked tip left the word *Reviewed* on the memorial before him praising the Second Prince’s benevolence. The strokes flew like dragons and snakes, sharp-edged and forceful, carrying something of an emperor’s bearing.
He asked mildly, “Jiang Yi, what do you think he is truly planning?”
In the space of a single night, the Second Prince’s reputation had completely reversed. Some ministers even twisted black into white at court, claiming that the Second Prince’s refusal to part with a single coin in ordinary times showed diligence and thrift, while his donation to the Yizhou disaster victims proved he spent money only where it mattered…
Utterly ridiculous.
If Xie Chengze truly spent money only where it mattered, why had he done nothing during the disasters of previous years?
Thinking of the recent rumors in the palace, Jiang Yi could not help answering, “Perhaps His Highness the Second Prince truly is nearing the end of his life?”
Xie Jinyu gave him a mild glance. Jiang Yi hurriedly closed his mouth and answered seriously, “The Ministry of Revenue sent His Highness’s donated silver to Yizhou with great fanfare. At least as far as aiding the disaster victims is concerned, it should be genuine.”
Xie Jinyu dismissed the idea. “You still do not understand my Second Brother. His actions may be reckless and impulsive, but his purpose never changes. Once this silver reaches Yizhou, it will inevitably wind its way back into his own pocket.”
“By exchanging Father’s gifts for silver and donating it, he rebuilds his reputation at court and among the people. Afterward, he need only ask Father to reclaim those rare treasures from the consorts. Without spending a single coin, he achieves the result he wants and gains ten thousand taels of private silver besides…”
Xie Jinyu gave a cold laugh. “His mind could never devise such a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Someone behind him must be advising him.”
Who could it be?
He settled himself and reviewed several more memorials, but in the end he could not remain seated. Xie Jinyu put down his brush and headed for the door.
“Go to the storeroom and find some aged ginseng. Second Brother is ‘ill.’ As his imperial younger brother, I should pay him a visit.”
“But Your Highness, were you not meeting Young Master Shen today? He should arrive shortly.”
Xie Jinyu paused. After a moment, he said evenly, “Then bring him along.”
…
When the Crown Prince forced his way into Chenghuan Hall, he found Xie Chengze in red and splendid robes sprawled inelegantly across a green jade daybed in the pavilion beside the koi pond. No light blanket covered him against the wind, and his snow-white feet rested on the foot cushion, reddened slightly by the cool breeze blowing past the pavilion.
Popular storybooks that had fallen from favor lay scattered over the daybed, the writing desk, and the floor. Only one still enjoyed its master’s favor, draped across that peerless face to shield it from the stabbing midday sunlight.
At the sound of footsteps, Xie Chengze did not move. His lazy voice emerged from beneath the book. “You’re back rather quickly. How did it go?”
“How did what go?”
A low, resonant voice sounded above his head. In the next instant, Xie Chengze felt the storybook over his face pinched away. Xie Jinyu’s refined and handsome face replaced it, backlit so that a faint shadow fell across Xie Chengze’s features.
Xie Chengze: (=^ↀAↀ^=)!?
Xie Jinyu clearly saw the black, round pupils of the red-robed man beneath him contract into slits like a startled cat’s.
Yet that flash of panic vanished in an instant. By the time Xie Chengze recovered, he had propped himself up on one arm with a hand against his temple. Looking every inch a dissolute young libertine, he gave Xie Jinyu a teasing look. “Well, well~ What a rare guest. What brings the little Crown Prince here?”
Xie Jinyu narrowed his eyes.
Had Xie Chengze been afraid of him just now?
“There are matters this Crown Prince cannot understand. Knowing Second Brother to be widely read, I came to seek your guidance. To my surprise, the guards outside obstructed me at every turn and refused to let me enter.” Xie Jinyu straightened and glanced at the gate guard behind him, whose face was frantic but who dared not speak.
“They’re only doing their job. Why make things difficult for them?” Xie Chengze patted the empty space beside him on the jade daybed and invited warmly, “Come, sit~”
Xie Jinyu was accustomed to exchanging surface courtesies with him. Without the least hesitation, he sat down pressed close beside Xie Chengze and asked, “Working stiff? What does that mean?”
“Someone who takes money to work for a master.” Xie Chengze shifted farther aside. Only after Xie Jinyu sat did he notice another man standing behind him.
“Young Master Shen?” At the sight of Shen Yuan, Xie Chengze’s eyes rounded again. He asked eagerly, “Have you come to ask this prince for those storybooks?”
He hurriedly began rummaging through the books scattered across the daybed. “Wait a moment~ This prince left them in a bit of a mess, so they may be difficult to find.”
Shen Yuan watched him, his lips curling in a smile that said, *I’ll simply stand here and watch you pretend.* “There is no hurry, Your Highness. You may search slowly.”
While Xie Jinyu spoke to him, Shen Yuan had already swept his gaze swiftly over every storybook scattered around them. They were all adaptations of ordinary romances between men and women. The only exception was a story about a lowly soldier who endured life-and-death struggles on the frontier and ultimately became a famous general – and that book had been covering Xie Chengze’s face.
There was not a single story about love between men.
Shen Yuan had not asked Sheng Yiren to bring him every fashionable storybook in the capital for nothing. He had learned each one’s general plot precisely so that when he faced Xie Chengze now, he could win back the round he had lost before.
Xie Chengze had never expected Shen Yuan to truly make him search. He had not actually sent Wuhen and Wuji to buy any of those storybooks!
Fortunately, Xie Jinyu spoke beside him. “What storybooks does Vice Minister Shen want?”
Yesterday at court, Emperor Jian had already appointed Shen Yuan as Vice Minister of Rites.
“Ahem, nothing. This is a secret between Young Master Shen and me.” Xie Chengze put on an air of mystery and deliberately winked at Shen Yuan. Then his expression grew serious again. “Right, Third Brother. What did you say you wanted to ask me?”
Seeing Xie Chengze change the subject, Shen Yuan snorted inwardly.
Xie Jinyu glanced at Shen Yuan, his eyes turning somewhat dark and obscure.
A secret… He had not expected Shen Yuan, barely returned to the capital, to already share a secret with Second Brother that no one else knew.
Xie Jinyu still remembered the first time Grand Tutor Shen brought Shen Yuan to the Eastern Palace. After the lesson ended, Father summoned the Grand Tutor. Eager to find Second Brother and play, the young Xie Jinyu had taken the abandoned Shen Yuan along.
Shen Yuan was two years older than Second Brother. Unlike their dull and silent Eldest Brother, Shen Yuan had been lively and energetic then, and knew many novel, entertaining games from outside the palace. He had delighted Second Brother so thoroughly that Xie Chengze called him Big Brother Shen.
Second Brother had seemed very fond of Shen Yuan at the time. He even gave Shen Yuan half of the sweet tangerine Xie Jinyu had peeled for him with his own hands, and the two happily arranged to meet again the following day.
But Xie Jinyu knew they would never meet again.