The Fifth Prince turned his head at the sound.
The ground was soaked by the rain, and under the light spilling from the palace hall, the puddles reflected shadowy figures.
Qu Dubian ran to his side in a few strides, tilting the umbrella in his hand. He glanced at the gates of the Zichen Hall, then at the Fifth Prince, momentarily at a loss for how to persuade him.
"Fifth Brother, come back with me first."
The steady autumn rain pattered monotonously against the umbrella cloth.
The Fifth Prince looked up. His face was pale, his lips had a purplish tint, and his whole body was cold.
Even though it was only early autumn, he was dressed thinly, had been drenched by the rain, and kneeling outside. The chill night wind made his body tremble slightly.
He said, "I don't believe my mother would harm anyone. She couldn't conceive of such a sinister scheme."
Qu Dubian had no choice but to say, "The matter hasn't been concluded yet, Fifth Brother. If you really kneel here all night, your health will break. Your mother wouldn't want to see that."
The Fifth Prince: "Then why won't Father see me? I'm the only one who can save her now."
The older he grew, the more he understood his mother's 'control' over him. So sometimes he truly disliked her and wanted to escape. But after all, she was the birth mother who had raised him.
Ten years of affection were not something he could easily sever.
He bowed respectfully towards the Zichen Hall once more, his forehead touching the ground. "Father! Your son requests an audience!"
Ye Xiaoyuan sighed silently.
He looked towards the imposing palace hall.
The eunuchs guarding the gates kept their heads bowed, like statues silent in the rainy night.
Da Hei whined twice, nuzzling his cold nose into Qu Dubian's palm—the two-legged cub's hand was growing cold too.
Qu Dubian crouched down, handed his own umbrella to the Fifth Prince, then untied his cloak and draped it over the prince's shoulders. "Fifth Brother, wait here. I'll go in and see."
He then ruffled Da Hei's head. "Be good, block some of the wind for Fifth Brother."
After saying this, he covered his head with his hands and jogged into the Zichen Hall. The eunuchs at the entrance recognized him and merely glanced his way without stopping him.
Da Hei sat upright beside the Fifth Prince. His thick, dense fur was damp but still blocked a great deal of the wind.
The Fifth Prince held the umbrella. The cloak on his shoulders solidly kept out the cold air, and a bit of warmth began to rise from his shoulders. His eyes gradually reddened.
-
Emperor Chongzhao was sitting by the window on the kang, flipping through a book.
Only his brow was slightly furrowed, and he hadn't turned a page for a long while.
"Father!"
Qu Dubian came in from the rain, his fluffy, unruly hair plastered into wet strands.
Because he ran so fast, no one announced him. Head Eunuch Yu was startled. "Good heavens, Young Highness! Why have you come at this hour?"
Emperor Chongzhao was also jolted awake. He set down the book, and upon seeing Qu Dubian's state, his face darkened. "It's raining outside! Quickly, fetch a cotton towel to dry him off."
"It's fine."
Qu Dubian shook his head, using the cotton towel to wipe his hands and face. "Father, Fifth Brother is outside."
Emperor Chongzhao: "You came for your Fifth Brother?"
Qu Dubian said frankly, "Fifth Brother is my brother. I heard about Noble Consort Rong's punishment and hurried to see Fifth Brother. He wasn't at the Palace of Lasting Trust. I asked the palace servants and learned he had come here."
He tugged at the sleeve of Emperor Chongzhao's sleeping robe.
"It's very cold outside, Father. Please, just see Fifth Brother."
Emperor Chongzhao: "I know why he's here—to plead for Noble Consort Rong. I already had Yu Decai tell him that the matter will be investigated and handled. For now, Noble Consort Rong is merely detained in the inner prison; she hasn't been conclusively sentenced. Yet he still kneels outside. What am I to do?"
What are you to do?
Comfort him a little!
Fifth Brother isn't even ten yet. You only sent Head Eunuch Yu out to speak to him. You won't show yourself. Faced with such a major incident, how could he not panic?
After this internal rant, Qu Dubian said, "Then will you tell Fifth Brother to come back with me?"
Emperor Chongzhao: "The First, Second, and Third Princes haven't come. Do you know why?"
He pressed his palm against his youngest son's slightly cool cheek and gave it a gentle pinch. "Framing a royal heir, causing a consort's death—these are capital offenses punishable by beheading. No one wants to get involved in this troublesome affair."
"Yet only you come deep into the night to plead for your Fifth Brother."
Affection within the imperial family was often thin, but Little Seven had developed a deeply emotional and sincere nature.
It was good, and also not.
Qu Dubian: "Father, please summon Fifth Brother inside."
Emperor Chongzhao was silent for a moment. "Just this once."
He patted Qu Dubian's shoulder and had someone bring a cotton blanket to wrap around him.
Hearing the summons, the Fifth Prince quickly stood up from the ground. His knees buckled, and he nearly fell, but Ye Xiaoyuan steadied him.
The Fifth Prince said gratefully, "Thank you."
Ye Xiaoyuan picked up the prince's umbrella and remained outside the hall, saying softly, "Go in quickly, Fifth Highness."
The Fifth Prince strode into the Zichen Hall. Upon seeing Emperor Chongzhao, he lifted the hem of his robe and knelt directly.
"Father."
He recited the carefully considered words of appeal he had rehearsed countless times.
Emperor Chongzhao nodded. "Hmm."
The chill of the autumn night and rain that had seeped into the Fifth Prince's bones finally gave way to a glimmer of hope. He kowtowed to Emperor Chongzhao.
"Father, may your son go to the inner prison to see—"
Emperor Chongzhao raised a hand. "Enough."
The Fifth Prince's words were instantly cut off.
Emperor Chongzhao: "You've had your audience and said your piece. You may return to the Palace of Lasting Trust. Originally, I thought you would move to the Princes' Quarters in two or three months when you reached the age. Now, with the Palace of Lasting Trust empty, you may move out early."
The Fifth Prince's heart instantly turned cold.
He couldn't help but look up at the father he held in awe. In his father's eyes, he saw only calmness, not a trace of warmth.
The Fifth Prince suddenly felt that it was colder inside this hall than it had been outside in the wind.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Little Seven, leave with your Fifth Brother."
Qu Dubian: "Yes."
He helped support the Fifth Prince, and the two leaned on each other as they walked out of the hall.
They walked in silence all the way.
At the fork in the path, Qu Dubian said, "Fifth Brother, come back to the Palace of Serene Tranquility with me. Come on, let's go back and have some ginger soup. The Palace of Lasting Trust is too far; you'll be chilled to the bone by the time you get there."
The Fifth Prince gently pulled his hand away.
"No need, Little Seven."
Qu Dubian stopped.
The Fifth Prince: "I'll go back and pack my things. And... thank you for today."
He held the umbrella Qu Dubian had given him and patted the cloak on his shoulders. "This is enough. I'm not cold."
After bidding farewell, the Fifth Prince turned and took the other path.
Qu Dubian stood at the crossroads, watching his figure disappear into the darkness. Only when he could no longer be seen did Qu Dubian say, "Banban, Da Hei, let's go too."
Ye Xiaoyuan sighed inwardly and acknowledged with a soft sound.
-
Palace of Serene Tranquility.
All was quiet and peaceful.
The steady autumn rain was kept outside the eaves.
The small kitchen steamed with billowing heat. A pot of hot ginger soup with brown sugar simmered on the stove.
Qu Dubian crouched in the wooden bathtub, wearing only small shorts. He leaned against the tub's edge, his fair, tender face slightly flushed from the steam.
Consort Xuan chattered while adding herbs to dispel the cold into the water, her manner reminiscent of brewing a soup.
"Autumn rain seems unremarkable, but it's actually the easiest way for cold to seep into the body. Your hands felt icy cold earlier. If we don't thoroughly drive out the chill, you'll suffer when you wake up tomorrow."
Qu Dubian stirred the water in the wooden tub—it had already turned a deep brown.
"Lady Xuan, did you start preparing this as soon as I went out?"
Lady Xuan replied, "Your going out is your business. Taking care of you is mine. The herbal soup recipe was given to me by your grandmother. It's said that during campaigns in the northern frontiers, when soldiers suffered from cold ailments, steaming themselves with the vapors from this herbal bundle would cure them."
"The medicinal properties drive out the cold by penetrating the skin, so it's normal if you feel a bit stifled."
Qu Dubian took several deep breaths, gripping the sides of the wooden tub. "Mmm, alright."
After soaking for roughly a quarter of an hour, he emerged from the bathing tub, rinsed off the medicinal residue with hot water, and drank a bowl of ginger soup to dispel the chill. Only when his entire body was thoroughly warmed did Lady Xuan allow him to go to bed.
Qu Dubian dried his hair, sat cross-legged on the bed, and ate some pastries.
It was only then that he had the peace of mind to sort out his thoughts, listening to Ye Xiaoyuan detail the day's events at Fengwu Palace while analyzing the different stages of the whole affair.
First Stage: Concubine Ding becomes pregnant, followed by rumors spreading that the fetus in her womb is harmful to the Sixth Prince.
This was extremely similar to the rumors circulating when the original host's mother was harmed. Moreover, this rumor seemed designed to lure Noble Consort Lan into taking action against Concubine Ding.
Second Stage: The Empress suppresses the rumors, inviting Noble Consort Lan and Concubine Ding to gather and clear the air.
However, the rumors didn't gain much widespread attention before being suppressed, distinguishing this incident from the one involving the original host's mother.
After the air-clearing, Noble Consort Lan and Concubine Ding maintained a superficially peaceful relationship.
Third Stage: Noble Consort Lan gifts brocade to Concubine Ding. Several months later, Concubine Ding suffers a difficult labor. Fengwu Palace investigation reveals the gifted brocade had been infused with herbs that promote blood circulation and dispel stasis.
Fourth Stage: Noble Consort Lan points out that the brocade she gifted to Concubine Ding was originally given to her by Noble Lady Rong. Subsequently, Eunuch Yu searches Noble Lady Rong's palace and finds the remaining, unsent rolls of brocade, all infused with the same herbs.
Fifth Stage: Noble Lady Rong, unable to defend herself, is imprisoned in the inner dungeon. The Fifth Prince pleads for mercy on a rainy night.
The origin of the rumors remains undetermined, and with the Empress's suppression, they are now untraceable.
Whether Noble Consort Lan is truly innocent is unclear.
Whether Noble Lady Rong actively plotted to harm the imperial heir to curry favor with Noble Consort Lan, or whether Noble Consort Lan ultimately believed the rumors and directed Noble Lady Rong to harm the heir, only to let her take the fall, is also unclear.
But what is clear is that neither of them benefited from this affair.
Concubine Ding is dead, and the little princess is just an infant in swaddling clothes, let alone benefiting.
Qu Dubian asked, "Banban, who do you think will raise the little princess?"
Ye Xiaoyuan replied, "It will surely be someone at the rank of concubine or higher. As she is a princess, not a prince, perhaps His Majesty will consider a lady with prior child-rearing experience."
"I took the chance to get near the delivery room today. The little princess brought out was very frail. I don't know who would have the courage to take her on."
He tucked the quilt around Qu Dubian.
Qu Dubian rolled over, lying face down on his pillow.
A thick fog obscured the city, clouds and mist shrouded everything.
Although this matter still hadn't allowed him to uncover the mastermind behind Consort Yun's harm, it at least significantly reduced the suspicion on Noble Consort Lan and Noble Lady Rong.
-
The next day.
When Qu Dubian woke up, his head felt heavy and groggy, and he had a slight cough.
Lady Xuan sent someone to inform the school of his absence and summoned the imperial physician. Physician Yang arrived promptly with his medical box, familiar with the route.
With two fingers pressed on Qu Dubian's wrist, Physician Yang stroked his beard. "Hmm, it's just a common chill. From what Her Ladyship says, you were exposed to wind and rain last night. You should have developed a fever, but fortunately, you took a hot bath and dispelled the cold last night, so the symptoms are much milder."
Aside from using the simulator, Qu Dubian rarely fell ill himself, only two or three times a year. Sometimes, relying on the simulator, he would recklessly push himself—staying up all night, exposing himself to cold drafts—without a worry.
He used to use the simulator to bypass illness, but he stopped doing that later.
Always skipping things took away a bit of the feeling of being alive.
Qu Dubian shook his head. "I think I'm fine, no need for leave." Aside from feeling a bit foggy, there were no real issues. Given his constitution, he'd recover mostly in two or three days even without medicine.
Ye Xiaoyuan said, "His Highness still wants to go to the school."
Lady Xuan remarked, "He wants to go see the Fifth Prince."
Qu Dubian gave an embarrassed smile.
Was it that obvious?
Lady Xuan gently patted his head. "You, just lie down for now. If you feel better in the afternoon, you can go out then."
"Ouch, Lady Xuan, you have quite a strong hand."
"None of your antics now, lie down quickly."
Looking at the child on the bed pretending to be annoyed, a complex emotion flickered in Lady Xuan's eyes.
Over these years of living together, she had figured out this child's character. He was always laughing and bringing joy to others, but in truth, who knew what he kept in his heart? A whole load of worries, and she had never seen him voluntarily confide in anyone.
Occasionally, he would reveal a hint of a different emotion, but it was quickly covered up with his usual carefree demeanor.
He seemed indifferent and unconcerned about many people and matters, but once someone was truly accepted into his circle of 'his own people,' he would invariably take thoughtful care of them.
It was good for a child to have his own ideas. So, most of the time, she simply provided care, rarely interfered, at most offering some advice or help within her means.
Within the imperial family, brotherly affection was rare. A child with Xiao Qi's temperament was even rarer. The Emperor must have burned endless incense to be blessed with such a child.
But she didn't want to see Xiao Qi instinctively placing himself after these bonds of affection.
