Chapter 16 – Sweet Litchi

“The Empress Dowager sent word through her eunuchs that she wanted to visit you, but she was turned away by Eunuch Su. She probably saw how calm Eunuch Su was and didn’t say much. She has merely been reciting scriptures and practicing Buddhism with Jingfei every day. A soldier guarding the western gate of the palace went home and said he had drowned after getting drunk and falling into a river at night.”

Leaning against his bed, his eyes still covered with bandages, Xie Yi appeared pale and weary, but Fang Zixing dared not neglect his duties. He carefully reported everything he had found out over the past two days.

Xie Yi asked indifferently, “What about Fan Mukun?”

Fang Zixing replied, “We checked, and the Fan family has been quite honest recently. During the festival, they stayed indoors, and Fan Mukun only said that he was mourning at home and reading books. There seems to be no communication with the palace.”

But Xie Yi laughed. “If I were dead, who would the Empress Dowager choose as emperor to stabilize the court as quickly as possible?”

Fang Zixing didn’t dare speak. Xie Yi continued, “She has had her wings clipped by me. The Fan family might have ulterior motives, but to convince the court officials, she would have to select an adult prince – someone with a reputation of virtue outside the palace.”

Fang Zixing stood with his hands folded, but Xie Yi asked again, “I wonder if Su Huaibai has taken the painting yet.”

Fang Zixing hurriedly smiled and replied, “Eunuch Su received the notification and immediately set out. He is always reliable, so please rest assured, Your Highness.”

Xie Yi said, “Xie Fei is the chosen one.”

Fang Zixing was startled. “But I sent some people to Shun Prince’s Mansion to protect him since Xu Chun went there to enjoy the snow. From what I see, Prince Fei is still just as fond of poetry and painting as before…”

Xie Yi explained, “That’s precisely why he’s chosen. Only then can he ascend the throne in broad daylight. How could the court officials sit idly by and watch another relative seize power? The Empress Dowager wants revenge, nothing more. But Shun Prince won’t stay out of it. Investigate Shun Prince thoroughly. Also, among the Grand Secretaries in the Imperial Academy, there must be someone echoing this. It should be Li Meiyao. Keep a close eye on who visits his residence.”

Fang Zixing hesitated, then lowered his eyes and said, “Yes.”

Xie Yi chuckled coldly. “My life was meaningless anyway, but the thought of the Empress Dowager being unhappy makes me happy.”

Seeing that Xie Yi was actually furious, Fang Zixing tried to pacify him. “Please calm down, Your Highness.”

Just as he spoke, they heard Liu Shun’s crisp voice from outside. “Greetings, Your Grace. Didn’t you go to a banquet? Why are you here so late?”

Fang Zixing remained silent, listening as Xu Chun laughed from outside. “The banquet ended early. I returned to the Duke’s residence and saw my elders. Then my grandmother kept me for a long conversation, and I only came back after dinner. Has Brother Nine eaten dinner? The doctor said that Brother Nine can now drink more soup. Today, I sent some grouper over for Grandma Liu to make soup, I wonder if Brother Nine has had any.”

Liu Shun whispered with a smile, “It turns out that Your Grace sent it. Your Highness drank a bowl, and the rest was given to us as a reward. Thanks to Your Grace, we got to taste some. It had a lot of black pepper, and the fish slices were smooth and delicious. After drinking the soup, our whole bodies felt warm.”

Wufu had already walked out to greet Xu Chun. “Your Grace, please come in. Our Ninth Master is about to take his medicine and rest, but it’s fortunate that you’re here.”

Xu Chun smiled. “Taking medicine? I see that Brother Nine’s medicine contains bear bile, which is effective for improving vision, but it must be very bitter. Today, I brought some candied litchis from the estate to accompany the medicine and take away the bitterness.” He looked at Xie Yi, who was still leaning against the bed, his face expressionless as usual, but his body relaxed. Xu Chun carefully observed his complexion and lip color, noticing that he wasn’t as pale.

Fang Zixing, standing beside, turned and called out, “Prince Xu.” Under the lamp, he noticed that Xu Chun’s eyes were red, and he seemed to be slightly drunk, his eyes heavy and languid. He laughed and said, “Your Grace has not sobered up from the alcohol yet? I guess the banquet today was good?” This was because he knew that his master couldn’t see the state of the prince and didn’t know that he was drunk. He was afraid that this Prince Xu might offend the emperor with his drunken words, so he decided to remind him gently.

Xu Chun had already moved closer and sat by the bed. Seeing Wufu bring the medicine, he hurriedly pulled out a glass bottle from his sleeve, removed the wooden stopper, took a silver skewer from the fruit plate on the table, and pierced a crystal-clear candied litchi, offering it to Xie Yi’s mouth. “Eat one candied litchi first, then drink the medicine. After drinking it, eat another one. It won’t be bitter at all.”

Xie Yi’s lips were met with a soft, sweet, and fragrant piece of litchi meat. He opened his mouth and ate it all, and indeed, the taste was extremely sweet. He took the medicine in one breath, and Xu Chun offered another piece, which he reluctantly ate again.

Xu Chun said happily, “This is litchi peeled and cooked with syrup, and a little rose jam was added. Isn’t it very fragrant?”

Xie Yi asked him, “How was the banquet today? Did they ask you to write poetry?”

Xu Chun replied, “No, you were right. Prince Fei likes painting, so no poetry was written at the banquet. They were all appreciating paintings. The pigments I gave were suitable. There’s nothing else worth mentioning, just eating and drinking, then it ended.”

Xie Yi had already heard from Fang Zixing that Xu Chun had painted during the banquet and earned Xie Fei’s appreciation. Now, seeing that Xu Chun hadn’t mentioned it, he felt somewhat displeased. He asked him, “What do you think of Xie Fei?”

Xu Chun replied, “He’s a son of the dragon and phoenix, naturally endowed with the grace of dragons and phoenixes.”

Xie Yi didn’t say anything. Fang Zixing, however, was almost having palpitations, not knowing how to remind Xu Chun that the emperor was unhappy. He could only muster the courage and say, “Your Highness, I’ll leave first.” He glanced at Xu Chun, hinting that he should leave together, but Xu Chun, who had been drinking and was under the dim light, was oblivious.

Xie Yi said indifferently, “Go ahead.”

Fang Zixing left, worrying for that young Prince Xu. Xie Yi continued lying down, silent. Xu Chun tucked him in, and Xie Yi ignored him. Xu Chun quietly and solicitously asked him, “Would you like to have fish soup tomorrow, or shall I prepare some beef for you?”

Xie Yi replied, “Prince Xu, feel free. I’m just a guest recuperating here. You don’t have to accommodate me.”

Xu Chun was taken aback, realizing belatedly that Xie Yi was angry. He hurriedly said, “What happened? If there’s something I did wrong, just tell me. You’re sick, don’t hold your anger inside and let it fester. It’s not good for your recovery.”

Xie Yi said, “Even using such grandiose phrases as ‘son of the dragon and phoenix’ and ‘grace of dragons and phoenixes,’ and you still claim it’s not an act?”

Xu Chun realized what had happened and hurriedly explained, “Brother Nine misunderstood me. Honestly… I do have some thoughts, but who am I? Just a speck of dust. There’s a world of difference between us. How could I dare to rashly comment on the imperial family? Furthermore, I was also afraid that you would think I was making frivolous remarks behind their backs.”

Xie Yi said, “A few casual words, how could they be considered frivolous remarks or criticism?” He realized that when he was with Xu Chun, he often adopted a condescending tone, as if instructing him. No wonder Xu Chun didn’t dare to behave recklessly in front of him. Xie Yi slightly reflected on whether he should change his attitude towards Xu Chun, but after some thought, he still felt that Xu Chun needed to be strictly managed. Otherwise, he would always go astray.

Xu Chun then lowered his voice and said, “I’ll only tell you this. I think Prince Fei isn’t really that fond of painting. Of course, he does like it to some extent, but as a member of the royal family, he might have to avoid suspicion, so he pretends to be disinterested in power.”

Xie Yi asked, “Oh? How did you realize that he doesn’t genuinely like painting?”

Xu Chun replied, “If he truly loved painting, upon seeing my set of pigments, he would have been unable to resist trying several colors. Of course, his skills are indeed high, and he paints well, indicating that he has natural talent. But…”

When Xie Fei first saw the butterfly painting and pigments, he wasn’t particularly impressed. After all, the painting was just an ordinary Western craftsman’s work, which he himself didn’t find outstanding. Later, when he tried painting, it seemed he had some understanding of Xu Chun, knowing that he could paint a few strokes.

Asking him to try painting was more like giving him a chance to stand out, just to please him. And after he really painted, Xie Fei’s smile seemed to carry a bit of sincerity, as if his impression of him had changed. Perhaps he wasn’t the playboy he initially thought him to be.

But it wouldn’t be good to tell Brother Nine these things, as it would seem like he was boasting about his own painting skills. Moreover, today, in a moment of urgency, driven by his thoughts, he had actually painted Brother Nine.

He mumbled vaguely, “That’s why I didn’t want to tell you this. There’s no solid evidence. You know my maternal family is skilled in commerce, and I’ve had some aptitude for observing people’s expressions since childhood. This feeling… I can’t describe it, but I just feel that he doesn’t truly cherish my set of pigments. Today, for the sake of those pigments, he condescended to talk to me a lot – I feel that, starting from the invitations, no matter what I sent, Prince Fei would have found a reason to talk to me.”

“After all, I’ve attended many banquets over the years, and it’s rare for the gifts presented by everyone to be appraised on the spot.”

After hesitating for a moment, he sighed, “I guess the news of my spending ten thousand taels of silver for a title has spread throughout the capital. Everyone is befriending me because of my reputation as a wealthy fool. However, allowing this matter to be publicized was due to the present Brother Nine.”

But he had indeed gained some benefits, so he didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction. Now, pushed to this point by his words, he feared that Brother Nine would be unhappy if he refused to speak the truth. So, he honestly revealed his thoughts.

Xie Yi’s face showed a faint smile. “To think of this shows that you still have some discernment. Xie Fei has always been arrogant and self-assured. This pretense is certainly aimed at your Sheng family.” The Duke of Jingguo was a wastrel, known by everyone in the capital. Marrying a merchant’s daughter, although she had some money, was just another topic among the Duke of Jingguo’s many unsavory rumors. But the Duke of Jingguo’s heir, lavishly spending ten thousand taels of silver for his mother’s title, was completely different.

This indicated that the eighteen-year-old heir of the Duke of Jingguo could easily mobilize at least ten thousand taels of silver. This news, spreading among the nobles of the capital, who could remain unmoved? Even he himself was surprised when he learned of it. How much more so for this young heir, who had recklessly spent ten thousand taels, merely to help Helan Jingjiang gain his freedom. If others found out, it would be like a naive child walking around the market with a large sum of money. Who wouldn’t want a share?

Xu Chun said, “I understand. The current emperor hasn’t designated a crown prince and even deposed the empress. Who knows how many incidents will happen in the future regarding the succession! We usually avoid and yield to the imperial clan, but this time, declining the invitation would be even less appropriate. My grandmother ordered me to take my elder brother along, but next time, I’ll find an opportunity to pretend to be ill and decline.”

Xie Yi nodded slightly.

Xu Chun tucked him in. “Brother Nine, rest early. Maybe you can see something tomorrow when the bandages are removed.” Lowering his head, he saw that Xie Yi was still covered with bandages, but his sword-like eyebrows soared into his hairline, looking exceptionally handsome. Unable to resist, he secretly touched them, then pretended to adjust Xie Yi’s hair by the pillow, smoothing it out. Satisfied, he got up and retreated.

Xie Yi, with keen senses, naturally noticed the fleeting touch, like a butterfly’s wings brushing past, but he didn’t feel it was an overstep or sacrilege. Instead, he felt that the boy’s thoughts were shallow. He still had some discernment, at least able to see that Xie Fei’s contact with him must have had ulterior motives. Whether Xie Fei knew of his biological father, Shun Prince’s intentions, and actively participated, or feigned ignorance and went along with the flow to become a blameless and virtuous emperor who reaped the benefits without effort, was unknown.

He was usually suspicious and thoughtful. In fact, his impression of Xie Fei had been pretty good. Although Shun Prince was somewhat foolish, when he was previously stationed in the frontier region, mediocrity was a blessing, and he didn’t get involved with the Empress Dowager or the regent. When he quelled the foreign invaders, he conveniently abolished the fiefdoms and ordered all members of the imperial clan to return to the capital to live in the residences granted by the emperor. The sons of the imperial clan were all required to study at the Imperial College. Shun Prince was one of those who returned to the capital at that time.

When Xie Fei entered the capital, he was still young, only about ten years old. He had an outstanding appearance and his grades at the Imperial College were passable. In recent years, due to his love of painting, he had taken charge of affairs at the Hongwen Institute, lacking ambition but possessing talent. Among the mediocre sons of the imperial clan, he was a cut above the rest.

Xie Yi had originally intended to give Xie Fei some assignments for training, but now that he knew Xie Fei had approached Xu Chun with ulterior motives, he felt inexplicably annoyed and began to dislike him.