Chapter 9: A Rare Occurrence
After gorging himself on a massive meal, Yuan Jiabai fell straight into a food coma. Drowsiness washed over him, his eyelids growing so heavy that he looked like he could faceplant and fall asleep at any second.
He rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "Your Highness, I'm sleepy. I'm going to take a nap."
Xuan Qiao, on the other hand, had only eaten until he was about seventy percent full. Always diligent, he felt that time spent sleeping was better spent handling government affairs. As a result, he was still wide awake and clear-headed.
He watched Yuan Jiabai's sleep-hazed appearance. As the boy let out a massive yawn, his dark, obsidian eyes misted over with a thin, clear layer of tears, unintentionally giving him an endearing, almost petulant look.
Unconsciously, Xuan Qiao softened his voice. "Alright, go get some rest."
He glanced sideways at Xiao Xiangzi, who immediately stepped forward to escort Yuan Jiabai, afraid that the boy was so exhausted he might trip over his own feet.
Fortunately, Yuan Jiabai wasn't quite that out of it. He made it back to his bedroom safe and sound. Eyes closed, he fumbled to untie his outer robe. Xiao Xiangzi took the garment and draped it over a nearby stand, then knelt to help him remove his boots.
Yawning, Yuan Jiabai quickly grabbed the eunuch's arm. "You don't need to do that. Watch this, I'll show you a neat trick."
With that, he turned his left foot sideways so the outer edge pressed against the bed, then used his right foot to press down on the inner edge of his left boot. With a firm tug, his foot popped right out.
He then repeated the maneuver to free his right foot.
He dangled both bare feet in the air, wiggling them. Half-asleep with one eye already squeezed shut, he still managed a proud grin. "Hehe, impressive, right? I'm going to sleep now. You should go take a nap too. Even if you're not tired, just go relax. Do whatever you want. I usually sleep for about an hour..."
Mumbling to himself, Yuan Jiabai rolled onto the bed, patted his pillow into shape, and nuzzled his cheek into it. His breathing soon leveled out into a steady, even rhythm.
Xiao Xiangzi stood stunned by the bed for a moment before quietly stepping forward to drape a light blanket over him. He slowly backed out of the room. He didn't go to sleep; instead, he stood guard outside the door, just in case Yuan Jiabai woke up and needed something.
The words of nobles could be believed, but never entirely relied upon. If he left and the young master felt uncomfortable or neglected upon waking, it wouldn't be called 'being obedient', it would be a dereliction of duty.
True to his word, Yuan Jiabai slept for exactly an hour without stirring once. It was as if he had an alarm clock installed in his brain. Exactly an hour later, the internal alarm went off. He lay in bed and stretched lazily, elongating his body like a cat.
Hearing the movement, Xiao Xiangzi came in with a smile. "Young Master, you're awake. Please allow this servant to help you dress."
Yuan Jiabai waved him off. "I can dress myself."
Seeing Xiao Xiangzi look a bit lost and unsure of what to do, Yuan Jiabai added, "Could you fetch me a basin of water? I'd like to wash my face in a bit."
Feeling entirely refreshed after washing his face, Yuan Jiabai marched off to the study with high spirits, only to find an extra desk had appeared in the room.
"Huh? Where did this extra desk come from?"
Xuan Qiao walked over. Gazing into his pretty eyes, the Crown Prince smiled and said he had ordered someone to set it up.
After lunch, while Yuan Jiabai had gone to nap, Xuan Qiao had come to the study and casually sat in Yuan Jiabai's usual spot to look over some things. He found the seating posture quite awkward and realized that sitting there for too long would inevitably cause backaches. So, he had his attendant order a new, more comfortable desk to be brought in.
His Highness is truly so thoughtful, Yuan Jiabai mused.
He sat down, happily admired the new desk for a moment, and then got straight to work.
Once he was in the zone, he became completely oblivious to the outside world.
After an entire afternoon of work, he went to have dinner with the Crown Prince again. As they chatted, Yuan Jiabai couldn't help but marvel once more: the Crown Prince was incredibly approachable. How could someone of his status not put on any airs at all?
Yuan Jiabai's life goal was to be a wealthy, idle layabout. Initially, his father and eldest brother disapproved of this and tried to push him to overachieve. However, their family environment was simply too loving; neither could bear to be strict with him. By now, they had completely accepted his lifestyle.
But as for being a rich idler, the ambitious and driven folks of the world generally couldn't stand their kind.
There was this one time when Yuan Jiabai and a few of his good friends were watching a cricket fight by the roadside. A scholarly-looking man suddenly rushed up, pointed right at their noses, and started cursing them out. His words were so venomous that a bystander might have assumed they had murdered the man's father.
Yuan Jiabai had been rather worried that the Crown Prince might share that same disdainful attitude. To his surprise, they got along splendidly!
If it weren't so highly inappropriate, Yuan Jiabai would have loved to swear brotherhood with His Highness.
Even though a formal oath was out of the question, in his heart, Yuan Jiabai had already declared Xuan Qiao his sworn brother.
This made him want to finish calculating the accounts even faster.
Yuan Jiabai even decided to work overtime tonight!
Did anyone know what a massive sacrifice this was? Someone whose life goal was to be a lazy salted fish, actively choosing to work overtime at night!!!
This was an occurrence as rare as a cow eating meat, a tiger grazing on grass, or getting a full month off for the Spring Festival.
The door to his bedroom was wide open. Yuan Jiabai sat at the round table facing the doorway, account books spread out by his hand, and a thick stack of paper resting on the upper right. Because he had lit plenty of lamps, the lighting wasn't straining his eyes.
Meanwhile, at this exact moment, Xuan Qiao was in Changchun Palace, keeping the Empress company.
Empress Xu was dressed in a moon-white robe embroidered with phoenixes. Aside from the pearl-tasseled phoenix hairpin that symbolized her status, her hair was adorned with only a few simple accessories, neither overly ostentatious nor overly plain.
With delicate brows, a graceful forehead, and beautiful, expressive eyes, her face was as flawless as a silver moon. Under the glow of the palace lanterns, she seemed to be plated in a soft, luminescent light.
After being reborn and returning to the past, the greatest and most wonderful surprise for Xuan Qiao was that his mother had not yet passed away.
In his previous life, his mother had died of illness in the fourth year of the Xiande era. Yet now, it was the fifth year of Xiande, and she was still alive and well. Xuan Qiao had no idea how this had happened, but he knew it was a blessing.
Therefore, in the half-month since his rebirth, Xuan Qiao had not missed a single day of paying his respects to her every morning and evening.
While this life had changed, Xuan Qiao wasn't completely at ease. His daily visits were also an excuse to observe whether Empress Xu was showing any signs of illness. He had even made a special trip to the Imperial Medical Academy to review her medical records, explicitly ordering the imperial physicians to pay extra attention to her health.
As mother and son conversed, a palace maid hurried inside, suppressing anger between her brows.
"Your Majesty, someone from the Emperor's side just came to say that he will not be coming tonight. His Majesty... he went to Zhaolu Palace. I heard it's because... because Noble Consort Liang is feeling unwell, and His Majesty is worried..."
Empress Xu's expression remained placid. "Understood. You may step down."
Xuan Qiao's expression sharpened, his inner disgust deepening.
Noble Consort Liang had always been accustomed to using such underhanded, petty tricks. It had been exactly the same in his past life.
Naturally, he didn't actually want Emperor Xiande to come; he wished the Emperor would stay as far away from him and his mother as possible. However, breaking a prior promise to visit was a direct slap in his mother's face.
A flash of ruthless malice passed through Xuan Qiao's eyes, his murderous intent growing heavier.
Just wait. It wouldn't be long before he made Emperor Xiande and Noble Consort Liang pay with their lives for humiliating his mother.
Suppressing his dark emotions, Xuan Qiao looked at Empress Xu with slight concern. "Mother."
Empress Xu smiled gently, looking as ethereal as a divine fairy. "It is for the best that he doesn't come. I couldn't be bothered to serve him anyway."
The mother and son chatted for a little while longer before Xuan Qiao took his leave.
Walking down the palace paths with Qi Guangde and the other attendants trailing behind him, the surroundings were deadly silent. Xuan Qiao's brow was heavy, his heart brimming with violent, tyrannical emotions.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, he suddenly felt a desire to see Yuan Jiabai. Changing his direction, it wasn't long before he arrived at Yuan Jiabai's courtyard.
At a single glance, he saw Yuan Jiabai, lost in deep thought, poking his own cheek with the end of a calligraphy brush.
The night was as tranquil as water, the stars and moon shining in radiant harmony.
Suddenly, Xuan Qiao's heart settled into complete peace.
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