NTYOL 02

Chapter – 02

A Foxish Charm

The wicked fox followed his new friend as they descended from the sedan chair and stepped into a palace chamber.

It looked pretty much like his own home—it had a roof and a courtyard—but it wasn’t as big as his place, and there were no fruit trees, no fountains, no grape arbors, and no free-range chickens running around. What was he supposed to do if he wanted roast chicken…? There were no mountains or woods here, not even a place to catch a wild pheasant.

Sigh.

Home was way more convenient.

He was going to go hungry from now on.

The fox looked up at the palace’s gleaming glazed tiles. He didn’t know what they were; he just found them a bit dazzling. Bored, he dropped his gaze again and started wobbling, hopping on one foot to step on the little stones on the ground.

Tinglan stood behind the fox. From his angle, all he could see was the little prince sway slightly, as if he were about to lose his balance. After all, no one in the palace would suddenly start hopping on one foot for no reason. Lacking experience with such behavior, Lord Tinglan assumed the little prince was about to fall.

Really—stumbling on flat ground. He frowned slightly and reached out to steady the little prince by the wrist.

The sleeve was thin, and through the fabric he could feel the warmth of the other’s skin—toasty and hot, hotter than an ordinary person’s body temperature, as if he were holding a handful of warm water.

The little fox stared blankly at the hand on his arm, stopped hopping around, stood firmly, and carefully placed his own hand on top of it.

Their fingertips touched, and Tinglan already regretted having been the one to receive the new prince today.

The fox, meanwhile, was still grinning foolishly.

Hehe. I’m holding hands with my good friend.

“Elder Sister, don’t worry about me. I’ve already made a good friend out here. He’s very kind, and pretty too—he just doesn’t like fruit, but that’s all right. I’ll help him eat it.”

Several eunuchs and maids carrying trays walked out through the door and bowed in unison. “Greetings, Lord Ninth Thousand-Sui. Greetings, Thirteenth Highness.”

Tinglan abruptly withdrew his hand.

Ji Qing had never seen such a formal occasion before. He tilted his head to see how Tinglan would react, and seeing him give only a slight nod, he imitated the gesture and nodded at the servants as well. But while the Ninth Thousand-Sui’s face was expressionless and his gaze distant, the little fox flashed them a bright, toothy grin.

He clutched his sleeve, counted the fruits, then counted the people. If only he’d brought more. There were six of them in total—how was he supposed to share the fruits he’d brought from home if there weren’t enough?

What if they didn’t like them either…? Maybe he should just keep them for himself.

The little fox’s tiny brain was filled with deep worries about the future. The courtyard was nothing but rocks—not even a single head of cabbage. Who knew if he’d even get a proper meal from now on. Sigh.

“Your Highness, please go change your clothes first,” Tinglan said in a low voice, his palms feeling oddly warm. He tucked both hands into his sleeves.

The fox obediently nodded.

The servants filed in and out, leading the fox inside. The room was lit with incense, its sweet, woody fragrance swirling in white wisps through the air.

It smelled so good that the fox took a deep breath—and then immediately started sneezing little sneezes.

Sure enough, a mountain fox couldn’t handle such refined fare.

“Has Your Highness caught a chill?” the senior maid Qiuyuan asked softly.

The fox rubbed his nose, too embarrassed to admit he’d been overwhelmed by the incense, and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“The wind is strong outside—let’s add another layer for His Highness.” She turned to give the order, then bent down to undo Ji Qing’s clothes. “This servant is Qiuyuan. From now on, I will be in charge of Your Highness’s daily care.”

“Mm… can you wait a moment?” Ji Qing dug into his sleeve and pulled out a handful of fruits, an embroidered money pouch, three pretty little stones, and a small chick made of colorful feathers. He dumped all these odds and ends onto a tray, then went back to stand properly and smiled at Qiuyuan. “All right now.”

He was still holding one red fruit in his hand.

As Qiuyuan helped him change, the little prince stood perfectly still the whole time, blinking his long lashes up at her. He raised his arms when told, turned when told—nothing like those difficult masters who found fault with everything.

She was just about to feel relieved when something round was quietly slipped into her hand.

Qiuyuan looked down. In her palm was a red fruit.

She didn’t know what kind of fruit it was, but it looked delicious.

She looked up again and met the little prince’s sparkling eyes.

There were many beauties in the palace, and no matter how lovely someone was, they didn’t stand out here. But this little prince was different—he was beautiful to the point of being almost uncanny, the kind that made you think of the spirits and monsters in tales of the strange, the kind that could easily bewitch a person’s heart. Perhaps Qiuyuan had been bewitched right now.

Her heart inexplicably warmed, and she said, “Thank you, Your Highness,” quickly tucking the fruit into her sleeve.

Off to the side, the fox tugged at his robe and spun around happily in front of the bronze mirror.

The people here were really quite nice. No roast chicken? That was fine.

It wasn’t the end of the world.

A knock came at the door as a young eunuch urged from outside, “Your Highness, it’s about time. You must go to pay respects to His Majesty.”

Before Qiuyuan could answer, Ji Qing was already stomping his little boots as he ran over and pushed the door open. “Coming!”

Qiuyuan stood still, touching her sleeve.

One of the other maids sidled over and asked, “What good thing did His Highness just reward you with?”

“Shoo, shoo—I’m not telling you!” She waved her hand and walked away, pulling the fruit from her sleeve and taking a bite.

So sweet.

*

The fox was back in Tinglan’s sedan chair, staring blankly at the pastries on the table.

The fried cakes and fruit had only been a light snack. He was still a little hungry.

These pastries were so delicious—he really wanted another one.

Ji Qing silently swallowed his saliva and forced himself to look away.

Tinglan remained silent throughout, his eyes occasionally drifting to Ji Qing’s profile. His fingers curled inside his sleeve, and the moment his palm touched his fingertips, he quickly released them again.

As if annoyed at himself, he turned his head away, refusing to look at Ji Qing.

Lord Ninth Thousand-Sui sat properly in the sedan chair, yet a faint flush suddenly crept across his face, even his earlobes turning red—whether from anger or not, one couldn’t tell.

Tinglan was usually known for being vicious and sharp-tongued, but today’s behavior was rather unlike him.

Perhaps it was because he wasn’t used to being so close to others. He shot a sidelong glance at the little prince, who was eagerly craning his neck to look out the window and occasionally turning back to grin at him. Suddenly, he parted his thin, reddish lips and spat out, “Foxish charm.”

Perhaps the words were sincere—after all, he really had been entangled by a little fox spirit, and it had left him unsettled.

The little prince, who had been beaming with joy, froze, staring at him with disbelief in his eyes.

A flicker of satisfaction arose in Tinglan’s heart. *Now that you know my true nature, stay away from me.*

But the fox plopped down right in front of him, practically bouncing in place but holding himself back, and whispered with barely contained expectation, “You really think so?”

Tinglan hesitated for a moment and gave no response.

The fox took his silence as agreement, let out a small cheer, and grabbed Tinglan’s ice-cold hand.

*Hurray!*

*I finally look like a real fox!*

*Hmph, all those Daoists said I didn’t act like a fox spirit. See? Someone just praised me to my face.*

*You’re my very best friend!*

*I like you!*

Tinglan was stunned. He felt like a person in a snowy wasteland who’d just been handed a burning coal—he couldn’t hold it, couldn’t drop it. He could only watch as the little prince chattered excitedly: “So… can I have one of those pastries?”

How could Tinglan still care about pastries? He pressed his forehead against his hand, propping his elbow on the window frame, and nodded absently.

Another cheer rang out in his ears.

In a daze, a thought floated unbidden into Lord Ninth Thousand-Sui’s mind.

*Is he… stupid?*

Never mind. Why bother arguing with a fool… Lord Ninth Thousand-Sui rubbed his brow.

The silly fox, indeed, knew nothing. He was hugging the pastry plate, eating happily without a care in the world.

*My good friend gave these to me. Hehe.*

It wasn’t until the sedan chair stopped, and the fox stood before the imperial study, wiping pastry crumbs from the corner of his mouth, that he gazed at the long sabers of the imperial guards. He was just about to step forward and ask if he could touch one when Tinglan yanked him back.

The other’s expression was rather complicated. He stared at him for a long while before finally speaking through gritted teeth: “Let’s go. Don’t say too much.”

“Oh.” The fox gave a small reply and followed behind Tinglan like a little tail, scurrying into the imperial study.

The two heavy carved wooden doors opened, and after another embroidered silk curtain embroidered with dragon patterns was lifted, the interior of the imperial study was finally revealed.

The fox peeked out from behind Tinglan, curiously taking in his surroundings. He still remembered that he was supposed to be playing the role of someone’s son, and feeling somewhat guilty, he quickly ducked his head back.

*I won’t get found out, will I… Please don’t hit me…*

The emperor sat at his desk, his expression unreadable. After sighing and fretting over a white mutton-fat jade pendant that had been presented to him, he finally turned his gaze to the people below.

The moment he saw Ji Qing’s face, he suddenly froze. He rose and walked to the bronze mirror on the other side, studying his own reflection.

He had long forgotten what that woman looked like, only remembering that she had been exceptionally clever. He hadn’t expected that the child she bore would have such features.

When he turned back to look at Ji Qing, there was already a hint of admiration in his eyes. “Not bad. Just by looking at you, I can tell you’re my son.”

Ji Qing let out a relieved breath, stuck his head out, and nodded vigorously.

“How old are you now?” The emperor put on a rare, kindly expression.

Ji Qing was about to say *two hundred and thirty* when he realized his mistake and promptly shut his mouth.

*Oh no. How old should I be?* The fox’s little brain spun round and round but couldn’t figure it out.

Fortunately, Tinglan answered for him. “Your Majesty, the young prince is seventeen this year.”

“Seventeen, ah.” The emperor leaned back in his dragon chair, toying with the thumb ring on his finger. “Lord Imperial Seal, take good care of him. If he lacks anything, send it over.”

Tinglan bent to receive the decree, and the fox followed suit, imitating the gesture.

News of the new prince’s arrival had already spread throughout the palace, and everyone was waiting to see how the emperor would arrange for him.

At this moment, the Eastern Palace was ablaze with light. The crown prince leaned over his desk, frowning at a secret report delivered by his men.

“Big Brother, aren’t you worried? We finally brought down Second and Third, and now another one shows up.” The speaker was the Prince of Ning, pacing anxiously around the room.

The Prince of Ning was a martial man, always self-aware enough to know he wasn’t cut out to be emperor, so he devoted himself wholeheartedly to supporting his eldest brother.

“He’s only sixteen or seventeen, without any maternal family to back him, alone in the palace—rather pitiful, really. Stop pacing; it’s making me dizzy. If you’re that curious, take some gifts and go see him.” The crown prince didn’t even look up, merely pointing toward the direction of the storehouse.

The Prince of Ning turned and grabbed his sword, heading out.

*Gifts? Let’s see if he deserves them!*

The crown prince set down his brush, rubbed his temples, and sighed at his brother’s retreating figure.

*When will this storm in the palace ever cease…? I’m truly tired.*