Chapter 11: Real Men Confess Boldly!
The little eunuch beside him glanced over but couldn't place the face. He hemmed and hawed, earning an impatient glare from the Second Prince.
The eunuch hastily said, "Forgive me, Your Highness. This servant will go find out immediately."
The Second Prince was also leaving the palace today. As his entourage walked over, the imperial guards quickly cupped their hands in salute.
While a guard checked their passes, the little eunuch asked, "Who was that man who just left? I've never seen him before."
The guard replied, "That is the second young master of the Count Yuan estate. He is currently serving as the Crown Prince's study companion. Today is his day off."
Realization dawned on the Second Prince.
So it was him.
He was naturally aware that a new person had joined the Crown Prince's circle. When he first heard the news, he had been highly vigilant, assuming the Crown Prince had recruited some top-tier strategist.
However, an investigation revealed the boy was just a shiftless dandy who cared for nothing but eating, drinking, and idling away his time. The Second Prince had lost interest immediately.
He just couldn't quite fathom why the Crown Prince would suddenly choose him as a companion. In the Yuan family, only the eldest son, Yuan Heng, showed any real promise. Could the Crown Prince be trying to win over Yuan Heng?
But Yuan Heng hadn't even passed the provincial examinations yet. Was there any point in recruiting him?
The Second Prince dismissed the thought. A mere dandy was nothing to fear. A carriage was already waiting outside the palace gates. Assisted by the little eunuch, the Second Prince climbed inside, and the carriage rumbled toward Luoyan Lake in the suburbs. His mother, the Imperial Concubine, had mentioned that the Duke of Ding’s granddaughter would be there. It was the perfect opportunity for them to get acquainted.
---
Yuan Jiabai had no idea he was being looked down upon. He was currently standing in front of a sugar-painting stall, waiting for the vendor to draw him a big tiger.
A few children came running over, chattering noisily. The one in the lead couldn't stop in time and crashed straight into Yuan Jiabai. After his companions pulled him back, they scrambled over one another to apologize.
Among them was a little girl who, despite her small stature, was clearly their ringleader. Her tongue was incredibly sweet, showering him with endless compliments about how handsome he was.
Her praise put Yuan Jiabai in a thoroughly majestic mood. Upon learning that they had also come to buy sugar paintings, he waved his hand grandly. "Your sugar paintings are on me today!"
In the end, one young adult and six children stood together, each holding a sugar painting larger than their heads, happily licking away.
After parting ways with the kids, Yuan Jiabai munched noisily on his sugar tiger, feeling a bit wistful. If His Highness were here, I would definitely have treated him to one too.
Passing by a beverage shop, Yuan Jiabai went in and bought two bamboo tubes of lychee paste drink, one large, one small. Though it was called "lychee," the main ingredient was actually sour plums, giving it a delightfully sweet and tangy flavor.
He drank the small one on the spot and carried the large one back to share with his family.
---
Strolling all the way back to the Yuan estate, he knocked on the door. The moment it opened, a servant shouted in sheer delight, "The second young master is back! The second young master is back!"
The announcement echoed all the way down the corridors as servant after servant took up the cry.
Yuan Jiabai's mind drifted so far that he half-expected someone to yell, "Noble Consort Xi returns to the palace!"
"My boy! My Jiabai is back!" Count Yuan was the first to charge out.
Yuan Jiabai stared open-mouthed. "Father... what is this? Yikes, are you and Mother planning to throw yourselves another wedding banquet?"
Count Yuan usually dressed as simply as possible, but today he was dressed so festively he looked exactly like a groom.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Your old man dressed like this specifically to welcome you home," Count Yuan scolded, though his stern facade crumbled instantly. He asked eagerly, "Son, how is it going at the Eastern Palace? Is everything smooth? No trouble, right?"
Just then, Madame Yun approached with elegant, measured steps.
Yuan Jiabai couldn't hold back his laughter. "Hahaha! Mother, you look just like a bride!"
Madame Yun blushed with embarrassment. "Blame your father. He insisted I wear this, saying it's your first day back from duty, so we had to wear bright colors for good luck. Cough... does it look very strange?" Since getting older, she rarely wore such a vibrant, radiant red.
Yuan Jiabai waved his hands hastily. "Not at all, not at all! It looks wonderful! It brings out your complexion beautifully. Mother, you should wear this color more often, it’s highly therapeutic for my eyes."
Madame Yun covered her smile. "You and your sweet tongue."
"It's all from the heart! If you don't believe me, ask Father. Father, is Mother beautiful? Do you like it?" Yuan Jiabai tossed the ball straight to his old man.
Madame Yun instinctively looked at Count Yuan. A flush crept over the Count's refined, scholarly face, and he hemmed and hawed for the longest time.
Never one to miss a chance to stir up fun, Yuan Jiabai egged him on. "Father, don't be shy! Say it out loud! If you're a real man, be bold and confess!"
Standing beside her second brother like a little parrot, Yuan Yingzhao chimed in, "If you're a real man, be bold and confess!"
The middle-aged couple was driven completely red in the face by their two children. Ultimately, Count Yuan could only blurt out a hurried "I like it!" before looking utterly at a loss as to where to put his hands and feet.
Yuan Jiabai burst into hearty laughter, thoroughly satisfied with the entertainment.
Madame Yun tapped his forehead playfully. "Look at you, always up to mischief."
Yet, neither parent was genuinely angry.
Truth be told, the couple shared a very deep affection. However, before their second son was born, their relationship, while good, had been characterized by a stifling, formal courtesy. Everything changed after their second son came into the world.
The little rascal was incredibly clever. Before he could even speak, he would grab his father's hair and press it against his mother's cheek. As he grew, he would arrange for them to have romantic outings during the Lantern Festival, send them flowers and jewelry, and orchestrate all kinds of surprises.
He had asked them to "confess" like this plenty of times before. Though such intimate declarations usually belonged in the privacy of the bedchamber, making them naturally shy, there was no denying that their bond had grown warmer and closer because of it.
---
The tall and imposing eldest young master of the Yuan family, Yuan Heng, was the most grounded person in the household. Having witnessed the entire spectacle, he merely shook his head.
The family sat down together, asking Yuan Jiabai how his past few days had been. Knowing they were worried about him, Yuan Jiabai detailed his experiences, though he simplified his work with the ledgers into "helping out with a few tasks."
Count Yuan and the others were no fools; none of them pried further.
"It sounds like you're having a decent time there."
Yuan Jiabai nodded and poured the lychee paste drink, serving a cup to everyone. He claimed he was parched, and after draining his cup, he added, "Father, Mother, Big Brother, you can rest easy. The Crown Prince is an excellent person. He takes great care of me, and I'm living very comfortably. Don't worry at all."
Hearing this, Count Yuan and Madame Yun finally set their minds at ease.
Only Yuan Heng's long brows knitted slightly, he couldn't completely relax.
The Crown Prince is a good person? Does such a person even exist in the imperial family? His younger brother was simply too naive.
However, since the Crown Prince truly hadn't done anything untoward so far, Yuan Heng could only continue to counsel his brother. "Watch your words and actions, and tread carefully at all times."
Hearing those familiar words, Yuan Jiabai suddenly recalled his very first day reporting to the Eastern Palace, when the Crown Prince had explicitly told him to listen to him and ignore his big brother. Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, he rubbed his nose. "Mhm, mhm. Don't worry, Big Brother, I'll keep that in mind."
Grateful for his brother's apparent obedience, Yuan Heng patted the younger boy's head affectionately.
Yuan Jiabai personally offered his brother a cup of the lychee drink. Yuan Heng wasn't particularly fond of sweet drinks, but because his little brother had poured it, he drank every last drop.
---
After their chat, Count Yuan and Madame Yun went hand-in-hand to the back garden, while Yuan Heng returned to his study to review his lessons. Yuan Jiabai, on the other hand, was dragged away by Yuan Yingzhao to critique a painting she had just finished.
Just as they finished their art appreciation session, a servant arrived to report that the Sixth Young Master Ke had come to see him and was already waiting in his courtyard.
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