The Third Prince's most closely guarded sore spot was struck straight by the Crown Prince's words, and his face darkened at once.
"Your Highness, just mind your own business. There is no need for you to bother yourself over my affairs."
The Crown Prince let out a cold snort, pushing himself up from his chair to look down at his younger brother.
"You left the palace under a false pretense of illness, and Consort Rong has no idea about this, does she? Do you know what offense leaving the palace without permission is?"
The Third Prince's fingers tightened around his cuffs, and his knuckles made faint clicking sounds.
"Are you planning to report me to Father? Go ahead then. Let His Majesty find out that all his fine sons are sneaking off to the Grand Temple one after another, and we'll see who ends up looking more ridiculous."
Leaning back against the couch, Shi Huai watched the two princes trade sharp barbs back and forth, and could not help but speak up.
"Your Highnesses, this is a serene Buddhist place, not the imperial court. If you wish to argue, please do so back in the palace, and do not disturb the Buddha's peaceful meditation here."
Both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince fell silent at the same time, and their gazes landed on Shi Huai in unison.
The Crown Prince was the first to collect himself. He straightened his collar, walked back to his chair, sat down, and picked up the cup of completely cold tea on the table, downing it in one go.
"Shi Huai is right. I will not argue any further."
The Third Prince also smoothed over his frayed emotions. He sat down on the threshold, leaning his back against the doorframe, a far more relaxed posture than he ever dared to assume within the palace walls.
The three of them stayed in the quiet chamber like that, no one saying a word.
Outside the window, the snow fell harder and harder. The snow piling up on the pine boughs grew thicker and thicker, until the branches could not bear the weight any longer, and the accumulated snow dropped to the ground with a soft pattering thud.
The Third Prince broke the silence first. "Shi Huai, you are staying here for a whole month. What do you do with your days?"
Shi Huai reached for the book leaning against the wall and flipped through a few pages.
"I take a walk in the courtyard when I wake up in the morning, read books in the late morning, practice calligraphy in the afternoon, and turn in early at night. That is how my day passes."
The Third Prince frowned. To him, a life like that sounded no different from being locked up in prison.
"Are you not bored at all?"
"When I feel bored, I go to the Mahavira Hall to listen to the monks recite scriptures. After listening for a while, the boredom fades away."
The Crown Prince let out a scornful huff. "You can understand what they are chanting?"
"It is precisely because I cannot understand it that it does not bore me. If I could understand it, I would only get annoyed instead."
The Crown Prince was left speechless by that retort. He leaned back against his chair and stared at the wooden beams above his head for a long stretch of time.
The three of them lapsed into silence once more.
The snow outside gradually lightened, and the wind died down completely.
A monk in charge of receiving guests carried a tray of vegetarian meals down the corridor. When he spotted the Third Prince sitting on the threshold and the Crown Prince inside the quiet chamber, he paused in his steps.
He stood by the door, unsure of whether he should step inside, the tray in his hands caught between being set down and being carried on.
Shi Huai waved him over.
Only then did the guest monk step into the room, set the tray down on the table, pressed his palms together and bowed in greeting, then turned and left quickly.
On the tray were a bowl of plain congee, a small plate of pickled radish, a plate of green vegetables, and a steamed bun.
The Crown Prince glanced at the bowl of congee, and his brows knotted into a tight frown.
"This is all you eat?"
Shi Huai pulled the tray over to the couch, picked up the steamed bun, and took a bite.
"What is wrong with this? It is clean, gentle on the stomach, and far better than all that greasy, lavish meat and fish you eat in the palace."
The Third Prince stood up from the threshold, walked over to the edge of the couch and squatted down. He stretched out a finger to poke at the plate of pickled radish.
"How many days has this radish been pickled? The color does not even look right."
Shi Huai swatted his hand away, guarding the plate of radish.
"Your Highness, if you are not going to eat it, do not mess with it. I still want to finish my meal."
The Third Prince was jostled sideways by the swat, but he steadied himself and did not get angry at all. He just stayed squatting by the couch, watching Shi Huai eat.
The Crown Prince, seated in his chair, caught sight of his younger brother's unceremonious, almost undignified behavior, and the corner of his mouth twitched in exasperation.
"Third Prince, what are you doing squatting there like that? There are rush cushions over there, aren't there?"
The Third Prince glanced at the rush cushion leaning against the wall, but did not move.
"Your Royal Highness, can't your younger subject brother just prefer squatting? Must you meddle in even this?"
Shi Huai swallowed the mouthful of steamed bun he was chewing, reached over to drag the rush cushion by the wall over, and tossed it right at the Third Prince's feet.
"Your Highness, squatting while eating—doesn't that make you uncomfortable?"
The Third Prince stared at the rush cushion, the corner of his mouth lifting in a tiny, faint smile. He picked it up, tucked it under himself, and sat down by the edge of the couch.
The Crown Prince, seeing how utterly content the Third Prince looked, cursed under his breath in his own mind, then lifted the cup of ice-cold tea and downed it in one long gulp.
The Third Prince twirled the newly poured cup of tea in his hand, his gaze landing on the letter sitting on the table.
"Shi Huai, are you really not going to check who sent that? What if it's from someone very important?"
Shi Huai picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a bite of green vegetables, chewed, and swallowed.
"Your Highness is far more eager about this than I am. Why don't you open it and take a look?"
The Third Prince was so caught off guard by that retort his face flushed bright red, his fingers tightening around the teacup.
"It's a letter addressed to you, why would I read it?"
The Crown Prince reached over from the side, picked up the letter, flipped it over in his hand, then set it back down.
"The calligraphy is excellent, clearly the work of someone who's practiced for years. It must be a letter from some young lady of a noble household."
Shi Huai went back to sipping his congee, looking completely unbothered, as if the whole conversation they were having had nothing to do with him at all.
The Crown Prince, seeing how unhurried and calm he was, was about to ask another question. But the words died on his tongue when he spotted a single grain of rice stuck to the corner of Shi Huai's mouth. The Crown Prince's own lips tugged up in a faint smile, and he said nothing.
The Third Prince saw that grain of rice too. He stretched out his fingers, intending to brush it off for Shi Huai, but halfway through the motion he pulled his hand back. Instead, he pulled a silk handkerchief out from his sleeve and held it out.
"You've got something on the corner of your mouth."
Shi Huai took the handkerchief, wiped his mouth, then folded the handkerchief neatly and set it on the table.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Outside, the snow had stopped completely, and the sky had grown dark.
The Crown Prince stood up and straightened his collar.
"This one must head back now. If I stay any later, the palace gates will be locked. Shi Huai, stay here and rest well. This one will come visit again on my official rest day."
Shi Huai stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Travel safely, Your Highness. The roads are slippery after the snow, so be careful riding your horse."
The Crown Prince nodded, turned, and stepped out of the quiet chamber. He walked a few steps before pausing, turning back to glance at the Third Prince, who was still sitting by the edge of the couch.
"Third Prince, aren't you leaving?"
The Third Prince looked up at him.
"Your younger subject brother will sit here a little longer. You go on ahead, Your Royal Highness."
The Crown Prince hesitated where he stood for a moment, but in the end he said no more, and strode off with long, steady steps.
The sound of his footsteps on the flagstone path gradually faded away, until not a single echo could be heard.
The Third Prince stood up from the couch edge, walked over to the door, and shut it. He turned back to face Shi Huai.
"That letter—are you really not going to read it?"
Shi Huai placed the empty bowls and plates he had finished with back onto the tray, then wiped his hands with a handkerchief.
"Your Highness, why are you so set on making me read it? Who on earth wrote that letter?"
The Third Prince walked back to sit by the couch.
"If I tell you, you probably won't believe me."
"How can you be sure I won't believe you if you don't say it?"
The Third Prince fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a very low, hushed voice.
"It's from Jinse."
Shi Huai's fingers froze for a split second, before he set the handkerchief down on the table.
"The Princess? If she had something to say, why not just tell me to my face instead of writing a letter?"
"There are some things that are too hard to say out loud in person." The Third Prince's voice dropped even quieter. "Jinse... the way she feels about you, you must have noticed it, haven't you?"
Shi Huai did not reply.
The Third Prince looked at his perfectly calm, unreadable face, and a wave of unease rose up inside him, swelling as high as the tide.
"Aren't you going to respond to her?"
"Your Highness, what sort of response would you have this student give?"
The Third Prince was caught off guard by this question. He opened his mouth, trying to find the right words to say.
"You... you could at least read what she wrote. Don't make her wait for nothing."
Shi Huai stood up, walked over to the table, picked up the letter, twisted it around in his hand once, then set it back down.
"Your Highness, some matters are far too early to discuss right now."
"It's not too early."
The Third Prince also rose to his feet. "Jinse is already fourteen. It is the right age for her to start discussing a marriage match. If she doesn't speak up soon, His Majesty the Emperor will arrange a marriage for her by imperial decree."
Shi Huai leaned against the edge of the table, looking at the Third Prince's face, which was full of urgent anxiety.
"So Your Highness has come to pass a message on the Princess's behalf?"
"I simply don't want her to end up with regrets."
And he did not want to end up with regrets himself, either.
