Sui, who had been left in the Changchun Palace, met the Third Prince in the evening. The prince was a chubby boy a head taller than him.
Consort Shu, hoping to foster a bond between the two, arranged for Sui to stay in a side chamber of the palace, sharing quarters with the Third Prince.
Late at night, Sui curled up under the blankets, feeling downcast. It was the first time since he could remember that he had slept away from home, surrounded by unfamiliarity.
But then—
Sui slipped his hand under the pillow and pulled out a small, palm-sized cloth doll of a cat.
This was made for him by his mother and had always been by his side. According to Sister Yue'e, his mother had crafted it even before he was born. As a child, he would only fall asleep clutching the little cat doll.
Pinching the tip of the doll’s ear, Sui whispered a few words to it until drowsiness overtook him, and he drifted off with his chin resting on it.
The next morning, after breakfast, Consort Shu allowed the two boys to go out and play.
"Hui'er, today your mother permits you a day off. Go and play with Sui," Consort Shu said as she took a jade-inlaid golden belt from a palace attendant and bent down to fasten it around the Third Prince’s waist.
Once the belt was secured, she straightened his collar and spoke gently, "Sui is younger than you. As a prince and his elder cousin, you must take responsibility and look after him. Do you understand?"
"This son understands," the Third Prince murmured softly.
At eight years old, he wasn’t particularly short, but his fondness for food had left him plumper than other boys his age. His round, doughy face gave him a somewhat simple and honest appearance.
Consort Shu frowned, her irritation growing at his timid demeanor.
"Hui'er, you’re a young man. You must speak with confidence. If your father sees you like this, he won’t be pleased!" she scolded, her voice rising despite herself.
The Third Prince stiffened, his face flushing red with panic. "Mother, I’m sorry… This son knows he was wrong…"
Consort Shu’s frustration flared. "I don’t need apologies. Just remember to carry yourself with dignity—no more of this shrinking, timid behavior!"
Sometimes she couldn’t fathom how, despite her noble status and position, she had raised a son like the Third Prince.
In the end, it all came down to the fact that he wasn’t truly her own child.
Yet the more she pressed, the more the Third Prince shrank into himself. He lowered his head, his face burning with shame. "Yes, Mother. This son will remember your teachings."
Sui, standing nearby, glanced between Consort Shu and his cousin, puzzled by the sudden severity in his aunt’s tone.
Consort Shu suppressed a sigh, forcing down her frustration for the sake of appearances. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the two boys.
Once outside the Changchun Palace, the Third Prince visibly relaxed, his demeanor brightening.
Remembering Consort Shu’s instructions, he turned to Sui. "Cousin Lu, have you ever played with a rattan ball?"
Sui nodded. "Yes."
When he was three, his mother had given him one. Though he’d been too young to kick it properly back then, he had still played with it every day.
The Third Prince grinned. "Then let’s go play!"
"Alright!"
With their plans set, the Third Prince ordered a servant to fetch his favorite rattan ball and led Sui to his usual playing spot.
However, they hadn’t been at it for long—perhaps because the Third Prince found Sui’s kicking skills lacking—when he changed his mind and decided to play hide-and-seek with the palace attendants instead.
Sui, uninterested in hide-and-seek, stayed behind to play with the rattan ball by himself.
Thud—
He missed.
Thud—
The ball rolled into a patch of grass.
Sui ran over to retrieve it.
Then, staring at the ball at his feet, he mustered all his strength and gave it a mighty kick—
The ball shot through the air, arcing high before landing with a thump in the distance, followed by a commotion.
Sui blinked, standing frozen in place.
It seemed he had hit someone.
On his way back to the Zichen Hall after morning court, Emperor Jingxuan asked Jiang Fusheng, "Consort Shu has chosen the young nephew of Duke Lu to be the Third Prince’s study companion?"
That morning, during court, he had seen Lu Yuanduo and recalled the man mentioning something about it days prior.
Jiang Fusheng replied, "Your Majesty, that is correct."
"Yesterday, Old Madam Lu entered the palace for this very matter. The boy’s mother is Third Lady Lu, née Yun. I heard Consort Shu is quite fond of her little nephew and even had him stay overnight at the Changchun Palace."
Emperor Jingxuan wasn’t surprised. Consort Shu had always doted on her family’s younger generation. The Third Prince’s first study companion had been the eldest son of her elder brother, a position she had personally requested.
For an emperor, the greatest taboo was factions forming around imperial heirs. Yet ever since the Third Prince had been placed under Consort Shu’s care, it had been tacitly accepted that the Lu family stood with him—with the emperor’s implicit approval.
Even after years by the emperor’s side, Jiang Fusheng couldn’t quite read his thoughts. After a moment’s hesitation, he ventured, "I’ve heard the Third Prince has been diligent in his studies lately. Perhaps Your Majesty might pay him a visit?"
Truthfully, the suggestion was clumsy, but he couldn’t think of a better pretext. As the chief eunuch, Jiang Fusheng knew all too well that Emperor Jingxuan had long abstained from visiting the inner palace, only stepping into the rear courtyards for the sake of his children.
To his relief, the emperor gave a faint hum of agreement. "Since there’s nothing pressing, we shall go see him."
Jiang Fusheng hurried after him.
But just as they passed through the imperial garden, an object came flying through the air, heading straight for them.
Jiang Fusheng’s mind went blank, his face turning ashen.
Reacting swiftly, he threw himself in front of Emperor Jingxuan, shrieking, "Guards! Guards! Protect His Majesty!"
"Assassins!"
His cry threw the entourage into chaos, servants scattering like startled birds.
Thump—
The unidentified projectile struck Jiang Fusheng square in the chest before bouncing to the ground and rolling to a stop beside a pair of black brocade boots embroidered with dragon claws.
When the crowd finally got a clear look at the "weapon," their expressions turned to disbelief.
Emperor Jingxuan glanced down at the rattan ball by his feet, his expression unreadable.
"I—I’m sorry! That was my ball!"
The sudden voice put everyone on edge, and all eyes turned toward its source.
Rustling came from behind a thick patch of grass, and a moment later, a child emerged.
Realizing he had hit someone, Sui had dashed over through the nearest path.
Pushing aside the grass, he found himself facing a large crowd and froze.
So many people…
Relief washed over the attendants at the sight of a young boy.
"You—you—you! How could you be so careless? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" Jiang Fusheng stormed over, hands on his hips.
Sui nodded, clasping his hands apologetically.
Seeing his remorse, Jiang Fusheng’s tone softened slightly. "You don’t look familiar. Which family do you belong to? And where are your attendants?"
Sui answered truthfully, "I’m Lu Changsui from the Duke Lu residence. Consort Shu is my aunt. I wanted to play alone, so I didn’t bring anyone with me."
He fibbed slightly, not wanting the palace servants to get in trouble on his account.
Noticing the dusty imprint of the ball on Jiang Fusheng’s robes, Sui felt even worse.
"Sir Eunuch, I’m sorry for hitting you with my ball. I apologize."
He bowed deeply in a formal gesture of contrition.
Jiang Fusheng had never encountered such a well-mannered child before, and the anger in his heart gradually dissipated.
However—
