NTYOL 01

Chapter – 01

Little Fox Transforms into Little Prince!

“Wow, it’s so lively.” Ji Qing poked his head out of the carriage window. It was his first time seeing so many people.

The heat had finally faded from the streets of the capital in late September. The crowds bustled, and the air was thick with the scent of osmanthus and fried sugar cakes. For a fox, there was simply no better smell than this.

So those people weren’t liars after all—they really had brought me to a big city… If that’s the case, then being that so-called prince might not be so bad.

There were lots of people here; his tribulation would definitely go smoothly.

The little fox secretly reached into his sleeve, feeling the embroidered money pouch with a few white hairs stuck to it, and thought happily that he would buy some good food to fill his belly later.

He’d never eaten any of these things before. He’d get one of everything—no, make that two—and take some back for his sister too.

The other person in the carriage, seeing him completely unaware of the disaster looming ahead, felt a twinge of conscience and a sense of guilt for taking advantage of a fool… After all, the young man before him was indeed innocent, but for the sake of all their lives, they could only sacrifice him.

Although it sounded enviable—like a windfall—to enter the palace as a prince, the situation wasn’t so simple.

In recent years, the struggle for the crown prince position had grown increasingly fierce. The princes had died off or been placed under house arrest one by one, leaving hardly any left. By all rights, it should have been settled, with the crown prince smoothly ascending the throne. But His Majesty, in a sudden whim, had remembered a child he’d fathered outside the palace years ago.

This threw the entire court into an uproar; no one could fathom the emperor’s intentions.

They had searched all the way here, but that woman had long since taken the child overseas, leaving no trace. Their group was caught in a bind—the emperor’s will was inscrutable, and to save their own skins, they had no choice but to grab someone at random off the street.

As luck would have it, a stunningly beautiful young fool had conveniently been lying right there in their path.

The emperor had been handsome in his youth, and the prince’s mother was rumored to be a great beauty. With that face alone, the young fool could pass for half a royal, and such a beauty wasn’t something you could just pluck off the ground like a cabbage.

Add to that the fact that they’d already gotten their hands on the emperor’s token from back then, and it was almost seamless. At the end of the day, they were doomed either way, so they might as well take a gamble.

The fool wasn’t smart anyway, couldn’t answer a single question about his parents or hometown, and probably wouldn’t last long in the palace anyway, so the truth wouldn’t come out… Even those princes with their mothers’ backing struggled in the palace, let alone this poor fool with nothing at all.

To ease his own guilty conscience, the man steeled himself to say a few more words to Ji Qing. He stiffly turned his head. “Does Your Highness remember everything I told you?”

Ji Qing blinked blankly and shook his head, then nodded. This man talked so much every day—who could remember all that?

The man across from him was speechless. Suppressing his irritation, he repeated himself: “Once you enter the palace, you’ll be the Thirteenth Prince. No one inside knows anything about you, so it won’t be hard to bluff your way through.”

Ji Qing blinked again.

Assuming the fox had taken it in, the man continued, “His Majesty won’t pay you much mind. As for the other princes… you’ll have to watch out for yourself. Right now, your biggest threat is the Chief Eunuch Ting Lan, known as the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old. He wields immense power and has a ruthless, cunning mind. If he gets his hands on your fox tail—”

Before he could finish, the fox shot up, clutching his bottom.

Oh no!! My tail!

He carefully and thoroughly felt along his own tailbone, confirming that no fluffy, bushy tail had sprouted. Only then did he let out a breath of relief and slowly sit back down. “It’s fine, go on.”

You people are so strange. Why bring up foxes out of nowhere? It’s not like a tail’s growing out of *your* butt—what did I ever do to you?

Ji Qing puffed up his cheeks and curled himself into the corner of the carriage, terrified that his tail really might pop out.

The man across from him kept droning on and on, mostly about how terrifying this Ting Lan character was…

The little fox pursed his lips. I’m not stupid—I don’t believe it. Those Taoist priests on the neighboring mountain all look fierce, but they’re actually pretty nice.

He simply stuck his head out the window, staring blankly at the fried cakes being sold on the street.

What *is* that thing? Is it tasty?

It looks crispy, fragrant, sweet, and chewy.

Never had it before. Want to try it.

Seeing him like this, the man felt a strange pang of discomfort. The little fool had no idea he was walking to his death, and here he was, fixated on some cheap street snacks.

Ah, well. This might very well be his last meal outside the palace…

“Stop the carriage.”

The man got out and, under Ji Qing’s eagerly shining gaze, spent a few copper coins to buy him a packet of fried cakes.

The warm, sweet pastries were wrapped in oiled paper, giving off a sugary fragrance.

Ji Qing let out a small cheer and hugged the fried cakes, digging in with gusto. He didn’t forget to add, “Thank you.”

Staring at the delighted Ji Qing, the man froze for a moment. Then he let out a long sigh, his inner conflict growing. The nobles in the palace would never spare a glance for street snacks like these. Only a fool like this one could be bought off with a bag of fried cakes, willing to walk to his death… And he was dressed so well too—he must have been cherished by his family.

It was pitiful for someone like him to end up in such a situation… But no matter how much the man pitied him, he would never let Ji Qing go.

The fox had no idea what the man was thinking. Still enjoying his fried cakes, he chewed and chewed while sneaking glances up at him. Taking advantage of the man’s daze, he stealthily wrapped a few pieces in his handkerchief and tucked them into his sleeve.

These are for my sister.

Hehe.

Ji Qing finished the last of his fried cakes just as the carriage rolled through the palace gates. The lively noise from outside had faded at some point, replaced by a deathly stillness, broken only by the occasional synchronized footsteps of the changing guards—a sound that carried an indescribable oppression.

There wasn’t a single fallen leaf here. No mountains, no water. Just the cold, hard bluestone paving the ground.

Ji Qing hopped out of the carriage and looked around.

He was still basking in the joy of eating, the last piece of cake still in his mouth, the empty oil-paper wrapper clutched in his hand. Tilting his head in bewilderment, he asked, “Are you coming in with me?”

His voice still carried a hint of childishness. His long lashes drooped, leaving a faint shadow at the corners of his eyes that softened the striking beauty of his features, leaving behind only a pool of clear, pure innocence.

He was a little flustered inside. He’d hardly ever seen people before, and this was his first time down the mountain. He’d only wanted to buy some steamed buns in a small town and look around before starting his tribulation. How had he ended up in such a huge city?

The other man opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked back at the boss and the brothers behind him, then at the fool still standing there, before finally forcing out, “Your Highness, take care of yourself.” Then he added in a low voice, “Beware of Ting Lan.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the side door beside them suddenly swung open without warning.

The man straightened up sharply. The moment he made out the face of the leading figure, a cold sweat broke out all over him. A chill wind cut through the autumn air, sending a shiver straight to his core. Forcing down the tremble in his voice, he stiffly performed a bow. “Greetings, Nine-Thousand-Year-Old.”

As he spoke, the faces of his entire family flashed through his mind, and a wave of despair washed over him. This is it—we’re done for.

The others behind him followed suit, bowing in unison.

No one knew whether Tinglan had actually heard that remark, but the atmosphere had frozen solid, leaving only a thoroughly bewildered Ji Qing. He had no idea what was going on and was busy folding the greasy paper bag that had held the fried cakes into a tiny square when he caught sight of a stretch of deep crimson robe hem. The brocaded gold thread shimmered like rippling water as the person moved, and the figure came to a stop before him.

Foxes were especially sensitive to gazes. He looked up and immediately met a pair of eyes devoid of any emotion.

In truth, Lord Thousand-Sui’s eyes curved upward at the corners, and paired with his flawless features, they ought to have been deserving of all manner of flowery, sensual poetry in praise. Yet his pupils were unfathomably dark, and gazing into them always made one feel as though some cruel undercurrent was churning within.

There had been those bold enough to try to catch a glimpse of the Nine-Thousand-Sui Lord, for his reputation for beauty stood shoulder to shoulder with his fearsome name. But after one hasty glance, before they could even feel awe, a chill would already be creeping up the backs of their necks.

So this was the legendary “imperial mouth that speaks heavenly decrees, jade-faced with a beast’s heart”—the Nine-Thousand-Sui Lord? The crowd, with perfect unanimity, buried their heads as low as they could, wishing they could stuff themselves into the cracks in the floor.

Only Ji Qing stood ramrod straight, his eyes neither dodging nor flinching, gazing directly at the newcomer, tracing the contours of Lord Thousand-Sui’s features with his stare.

Why did this person look different from all the other humans? They all had two eyes and one nose, didn’t they? The fox, utterly unruffled, stared at the approaching man and began to absentmindedly daydream, seriously pondering his question.

This behavior made the eunuchs and guards behind Tinglan suck in a sharp collective breath. Even if you’re that good-looking, you can’t just stare at the Nine-Thousand-Sui Lord so brazenly! Truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers…

In the face of Ji Qing’s unabashed gaze, Tinglan’s expression did not change in the slightest. “Are you the Thirteenth Highness?”

His voice was gentle, with an androgynous quality to it, and in all fairness, it was absolutely pleasant to the ear.

Ji Qing nodded, his eyes curving into a smile at Tinglan.

He had finally figured out why this person before him looked different from the others.

This one was much prettier!

Tinglan looked at this young new prince. After a moment, his lashes lowered, veiling his dark eyes, and he said in a slow, measured tone, “Indeed, Your Highness possesses a divine bearing and jade-like countenance. Pray, follow this servant.”

Ji Qing turned back to glance at the deep red palace gates, stuffed the paper bag into the hand of the person beside him, and no longer feeling flustered, swiftly shifted himself to Tinglan’s side.

He complimented me—he’s a good person!

Though he hadn’t fully understood the specifics of what was said, it was definitely something nice.

Ji Qing followed him cheerfully through the side gate.

The Nine-Thousand-Sui Lord’s sedan chair was not large, usually meant for him alone.

The carriage prepared for the new prince was parked right around the corner, yet Tinglan acted as though he knew nothing of it and directly led Ji Qing into his own sedan.

Ji Qing carefully and precisely wedged himself into the corner, terrified that his disobedient fox tail might pop out and cause trouble.

Once he was comfortably settled, he tilted his head to look at Tinglan, who sat upright and proper beside him, and fished a bright red fruit from his sleeve, offering it over.

“Do you want one? It’s very sweet.” His jade-white fingers held the unknown little fruit, vibrant red and fresh, as if it had just been picked.

The fox wanted to make some new friends, but the only trick he knew was sharing food. So clumsily, he held out the fruit. He liked eating it, so others must like it too, right?

Tinglan’s gaze finally shifted. “This is… where did you get it?”

“Picked it from the mountains.” To be precise, from his own mountain.

Tinglan’s eyes lingered for a moment before he said, “Thank you, Your Highness, but there’s no need.”

“Oh.” Ji Qing didn’t mind in the least, tossing the fruit into his own mouth and crunching away.

The fresh, tart-sweet scent of the fruit was especially pronounced in the cramped sedan, mingling with the original scent of sandalwood to create a novel, pleasant fragrance.

Seeing him eat so happily, Tinglan pushed the snacks on the side table a little closer to Ji Qing. Perhaps out of pity for the fate that awaited the young man, the Nine-Thousand-Sui Lord did something superfluous today.

Just an ordinary good child from a common family, dragged into this game of chess against his will because of a drop of blood—pitiable, really.

After finishing his fruit, Ji Qing looked at Tinglan, then at the table, and couldn’t resist reaching out to take the smallest piece of pastry.

It looked delicious. He’d just have a little taste—not too much.

The palace pastries were far more exquisite than anything sold outside. For a dumb, mountain-born fox like Ji Qing, who hadn’t even eaten much of the street stuff, he cradled that tiny morsel in his palm like a treasure, gazing at it for a good long while before reluctantly popping it into his mouth.

The moment it hit his tongue, his eyes lit up. He didn’t take another piece, though, instead propping his chin on his hand and sidling up to Tinglan, whispering carefully, “Thank you, gege.”

His sister had taught him that by human rules, those a bit older than him should be called “gege.” He hadn’t gotten it wrong, had he? Even though his real age was far, far greater than Tinglan’s…

Oh well, never mind. Since they’d shared food, he and Tinglan were already good friends!

The Nine-Thousand-Sui Lord looked at the person leaning in close and shifted aside, but the sedan was only so big—there was nowhere to go.

He glanced past Ji Qing’s face, fixing his gaze on the tassels swaying from the sachet hanging in the carriage, and said in a light, unhurried tone, “I dare not presume, Your Highness. Address me as Tinglan. Your Highness is of imperial blood, noble and exalted beyond compare.”

Unsurprisingly, the fox didn’t understand.

Humans were so troublesome. Their speech was so convoluted.

Tinglan continued, “The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau has already prepared Your Highness’s attire. His Majesty, in his deep affection for his son, already awaits a reunion with his child in the Imperial Study.”

The words were beautifully phrased, but to any shrewd and seasoned denizen of the palace, there was an undercurrent of wrongness. The young prince was not old, and after a long, hurried journey of several hundred miles to the capital, there was no rest offered, no welcome banquet arranged—only an urgent summons to change and present himself before the emperor.

To say nothing else, the emperor clearly didn’t care much for this “son.”

But the fox’s little brain couldn’t grasp that. He was even feeling guilty.

To deceive a poor, innocent old father longing for his son’s reunion…

Ah, what a wicked fox he was.