Chapter 12: Missing Him, Missing Him, Missing Him
Yuan Jiabai looked at his younger sister. Before he could even speak, Yuan Yingzhao waved her hand with a generous shrug.
She'd had her fill of second brother's praise for the time being, thank you very much.
Although her parents and eldest brother had already praised her painting, her second brother's compliments were always her favorite. Every time he praised her, Yuan Yingzhao felt like a modern-day Wu Daozi, the Sage of Painting itself!
The moment Yuan Jiabai stepped into his bedroom, he spotted someone lounging on the daybed by the bedside. Dressed in a sky-blue silk robe with his arms tucked behind his head, the intruder was humming an out-of-tune melody, his long legs crossed, and one foot casually swinging back and forth. He looked utterly relaxed and carefree.
Suddenly gripped by a wave of petty annoyance, Yuan Jiabai strode over and aimed a swift kick right at that swinging foot.
"Hey, hey, hey! Yuan Number Two, what did you kick me for?" Ke Zizuo cried out, pointing a finger at Yuan Jiabai with mock heartbreak. "These are brand-new boots! This footprint is such an eyesore."
Yuan Jiabai raised an eyebrow. "New boots?"
Ke Zizuo, completely oblivious to the impending danger, rested his foot on the footstool and pulled a handkerchief from his robe, intending to wipe the mark away.
Instead,
Yuan Jiabai let out a malicious chuckle. Gritting his teeth, he brought his foot down in a flurry of hard stomps. Thud, thud, thud!
"Ow!" Ke Zizuo shrieked. "You absolute menace, Yuan Number Two! We are sworn enemies from this day forth!"
With that, he unleashed his version of the legendary Foshan Shadowless Kick.
After a chaotic scuffle of crashes, bangs, and thuds, the two finally pulled apart. Both were covered in dusty footprints, glaring at each other text-book style.
The young servants, who had been sitting by the door chatting like structural guardians, glanced inside at the commotion and calmly turned back around. They were entirely used to this. As long as the two young masters didn't knock each other's heads off, it was all business as usual.
"I won," Yuan Jiabai declared. "You have more footprints on you."
Ke Zizuo refused to back down. "Clearly, you have more footprints! I'm the winner!"
"I won!"
"I won!"
"..."
"I won. cough, cough, cough. oh my god, I can't. I strained my throat. I'm done, I'm done playing."
Yuan Jiabai rushed over to pour himself some water. Ke Zizuo, acting like a pampered lord, ordered, "Pour me a cup too," as he sauntered over.
The two of them chugged down more than half the teapot in giant gulps, and just like that, they were best buddies again.
Ke Zizuo nudged Yuan Jiabai with his elbow. "Hey, Yuan Number Two, how did you suddenly end up as the Crown Prince’s study companion? I came over to find you a few days ago, and your mother said you were at the Eastern Palace and wouldn't be back for several days. We agreed to be useless dandys together! How could you abandon me? Do you have any idea how terrified I’ve been to show my face around my Father lately? I was so scared he'd find out and lecture me. But he still caught me once anyway."
He was practically a thief in his own home!
At this, Yuan Jiabai felt a pang of guilt. They really had made a pact: one would be the 'idle' and the other would be the 'rich,' coasting through life until eighty without a single care.
"Well," Yuan Jiabai sighed, "the opportunity just fell into my lap. I couldn't exactly turn it down."
Ke Zizuo glared at him resentfully. "And so you just left me all alone to face the raging storm? Are we even brothers?"
Yuan Jiabai looked at him with utmost sincerity. "Don't worry. When your Father breaks your legs, I promise I'll come visit you. That's what brothers are for."
Ke Zizuo gritted his teeth and raised a fist. "I'm going to punch you!"
After joking around a bit more, Yuan Jiabai asked, "So, what did you actually tell your Father?"
Ke Zizuo answered matter-of-factly, "I told him that you messed up big time, so your Father broke your legs and you're currently bedridden, recovering at home."
Yuan Jiabai: "..."
Speechless, Yuan Jiabai said, "Aren't you afraid that when your Father finds out the truth, he'll beat you twice as hard?"
Imagining that exact scenario, Ke Zizuo instinctively shrank his neck in fear. But he quickly recovered, saying with righteous confidence, "When that time comes, I'll just claim I was clueless and that you tricked me!"
Yuan Jiabai rolled his eyes. A terrible friend, without a doubt.
---
While things were lighthearted and merry on their end, the atmosphere in the Eastern Palace was quite different. Upon his return, the Crown Prince did not see Yuan Jiabai in the study. At first, he didn't think much of it and simply asked Xiao Xiangzi, "Where is Jiabai? Is he in his courtyard?"
Xiao Xiangzi hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, today is Young Master Yuan's scheduled day off, so he left the palace early this morning. Before he departed, he instructed me to inform Your Highness that the ledger has been placed on your desk."
Xuan Qiao paused for a moment, then said softly, "Counting the days, it is indeed today. I completely forgot."
With one hand resting behind his back, he gazed somewhat abstractedly toward Yuan Jiabai's small courtyard, his steps unconsciously leading him right into the youth's bedroom.
Don't bother lecturing the Crown Prince about privacy or manners. the entire Eastern Palace belonged to him, after all. Still, Xuan Qiao didn't do anything intrusive. He merely let his gaze sweep across the room, his thoughts unreadable.
Qi Guangde, carefully reading his master’s expression, tried to anticipate his wishes. "Your Highness, should this old servant dispatch someone to bring Young Master Yuan back?"
Xuan Qiao shook his head. "No, forget it. It's only for a single day. There's no need to disturb him."
Xuan Qiao lightly brushed his hand against the bedding. His eyes fell upon the head of the bed, which was completely bare. There was no pillow. A faint smile touched his lips.
Over the past few days, he had learned that Yuan Jiabai couldn't fall asleep without his own specific small pillow. He hadn't expected the youth to pack it along even for a single day's trip home.
For some reason, he found the habit rather endearing.
Without lingering any longer, he turned and left the room. Back at his desk, his eyes fell upon the ledger. As he flipped through the pages, a cold, sharp gleam flashed across his eyes. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he spoke.
"Banban, prepare a carriage. We are going to the private villa. Also, send word to my maternal uncle, inviting him over for a discussion. Then, summon Master Peng, Master Deng, and Master Fei..."
An hour later, everyone gathered at the Crown Prince’s private estate.
Cutting straight to the chase, Xuan Qiao handed the ledger directly to his uncle, Xu Shouzheng, before turning to the others. "My lords, please take a look."
The officials gathered around. After only a few pages, they grasped the significance of these ledgers.
Master Peng was ecstatic. "Your Highness, how did you uncover this? And how were these calculations made? With these ledgers, that scoundrel Qiu Rui is as good as dead!"
Master Fei stepped forward. "Your Highness, this official begs for permission to expose Qiu Rui's heinous crimes before the entire court during the morning assembly!"
Master Deng added, "Before we do that, we should secretly dispatch men to Tan River to gather supporting evidence, ensuring we deliver a single, fatal blow."
Xuan Qiao nodded. "Then I shall leave this matter in your capable hands, gentlemen."
"We shall not fail you, Your Highness."
The prince and his ministers conversed in the villa until the dead of night before finally wrapping up the meeting. Yet, not a single face among the officials showed the slightest hint of exhaustion. instead, they were practically vibrating with the exhilaration of bringing down their enemy.
Xu Shouzheng patted Xuan Qiao on the shoulder, his face filled with pride. "Your Highness possesses a natural brilliance and exceptional talent that no ordinary man could ever hope to match."
Both of them knew exactly who that "someone else" referred to. Xuan Qiao merely offered a faint smile, accepting the praise with composed grace. Xu Shouzheng then inquired about Empress Xu, only letting out a sigh of relief after confirming she was doing well.
As the hall fell into a tranquil silence, Xuan Qiao pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the tension.
"Your Highness, it is getting late. Would you care to retire for the night?" Qi Guangde inquired softly.
Xuan Qiao nodded. A young eunuch brought in a basin of hot water to soothe his feet, while another attendant skilled in massage gently rubbed his temples. After a short while, the attendant dried the prince's feet with a clean cloth, picked up the basin, and retreated as silently as a shadow.
As Qi Guangde was tucking him into bed, the Crown Prince suddenly spoke up. "Banban, remember to send someone to the Yuan estate tomorrow morning to bring Jiabai here."
Qi Guangde let out a soft exclamation. "Oh, Your Highness, please rest. This old servant will go give the orders right away. I absolutely won't forget."
The old eunuch tiptoed out of the room, found a junior eunuch to pass along the instructions, and only then did he head to his own quarters to lie down, a heavy cloud of worry hanging over him.
His Highness claims he harbors no romantic feelings toward Young Master Yuan, yet he's fretting over the boy even right before falling asleep... I hope I'm just overthinking things, sigh.
Then again... could His Highness have chosen to leave the imperial palace today just so he could see Young Master Yuan a little sooner?
No, impossible, impossible. His Highness is certainly not a man to indulge in such impulsive whims.
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