NTYOL 03

Chapter – 03

The Fox Is Very Reliable in What He Does.

Back in his own palace, the fox sat upright at the table, staring unblinkingly at the array of dishes laid out before him. It suddenly dawned on him—so there was food to be eaten here.

That was truly…

Wonderful! No more going hungry!

He had barely been sitting properly for a moment before he couldn’t help but squint his eyes in delight, folding his hands together and resting his chin on them, gazing at the rice bowl in a daze while swinging his feet back and forth.

Now there was one important question that needed careful consideration—eating out cost money, and with so many dishes… it was bound to be quite expensive. Although his sister had given him plenty of money, he couldn’t spend it all; he still needed to be frugal.

But he could help by growing some fruit to offset the cost of the meal.

“Your Highness,” Qiuyuan called out to Ji Qing in a low voice, casting a cautious glance to the side out of the corner of her eye. Tinglan was still seated not far away. For some reason, the Ninth Highness, who was usually swamped with affairs of state and couldn’t spare a second glance at anyone, actually had the interest to linger here for so long today.

Whatever the reason, it was truly frightening. Qiuyuan’s palms had grown clammy with a thin layer of sweat, and the palace attendants were all working nervously, terrified of making a mistake and being called out.

It couldn’t be that the young prince didn’t know the palace rules and had somehow offended the Ninth Highness, could it? This was going to be bad—how would His Highness get by in the palace from now on…

Qiuyuan was fraught with worry, rolling and unrolling the handkerchief in her hands until it was wrinkled and crumpled. Suddenly, a bowl of fragrant sweet soup was thrust in front of her, interrupting all her thoughts.

“Here, this is for you to drink.” The fox had noticed Qiuyuan staring at the table and assumed she must be hungry.

It’s just the cost of the meal, right? I have money. Worst case, I’ll work to pay it off… We fox spirits can use magic to slack off while working, no need to be afraid. Drink up with peace of mind. The fox handed the soup over with complete confidence.

Qiuyuan blew on the sweet soup and took small sips, but her eyes still carried a hint of worry. The young prince had such an obviously good nature—how on earth could he have offended the Ninth Highness?

She stealthily lifted her eyes to look at Tinglan. Your Excellency, please be magnanimous—don’t make things difficult for His Highness!

After the fox had handed out soup to Qiuyuan, he didn’t want to play favorites, but he wasn’t sure what Tinglan liked to eat—after all, this friend of his was rather picky. He stood up, intending to go over and ask directly.

He had barely gotten up when a young eunuch entered to report, “Your Highness, my Lord, the Prince of Ning has arrived.”

Ji Qing, the whole fox, froze. He looked at Qiuyuan for help, and she, equally startled, hurried forward to receive the guest.

The fox then looked at Tinglan. His Highness the Ninth finally gave some reaction, beckoning to him. “Come here.”

The fox dashed over in one swift move, sat down obediently at the side of the table, and nervously pinched the hem of his clothes. He didn’t know which Prince of Ning this was, nor what he had come for. It couldn’t be that he knew he was an imposter… and had come to beat him up, could it?

Tinglan took in all his panic with some amusement. Weren’t you quite bold just a moment ago, even daring to hold my hand? Why are you so scared now?

To be fair, this child was completely different from what he had imagined, and bore no resemblance to the Emperor either—at least from what he could see so far, this prince was nothing like his father.

But if his temperament had been like the Emperor’s, people would have fled from him. As for his appearance… since the Emperor said he looked alike, then so be it.

Tinglan lowered his head and tapped the table lightly with his fingers. “The Prince of Ning holds a noble rank. He is the太子’s (Crown Prince’s) full brother and the Empress’s second son.”

The fox nodded. He understood—this was an introduction to the Prince of Ning, just like the Taoist next door had a little cat named Mibao, whose mother was called Qiuball, and whose older brother was Dahuā.

Tinglan continued, “There’s no need to worry. The Prince of Ning is straightforward and not the kind of person who schemes in secret. He won’t make things difficult for you.”

The fox nodded vigorously. You really are my good friend—so reliable!

The sound of footsteps approached, and the fox’s ears twitched as he tilted his head toward the door.

The Prince of Ning arrived as he spoke.

But he was no cute little kitten. The Prince of Ning had come straight from the battlefield—over eight feet tall, with a long sword at his waist, well-defined features, and skin that was not as pale as the usual palace dwellers’, bearing traces of wind and weather.

Upon entering, he first surveyed the chambers, then walked straight to the table.

“The Ninth Highness is here too.” There was a note of disdain in his tone, and even a hint of killing intent in his eyes.

“Greetings to the Prince of Ning. By imperial decree, I have arranged some furnishings for the young prince.” Tinglan stood, ignoring the other’s hostility, and gave a slight bow.

The Prince of Ning shifted his gaze to Ji Qing beside him.

Ji Qing was also looking at him—or rather, at the sword at the Prince of Ning’s waist.

The fox didn’t understand swords, but he couldn’t help his fondness for them. His sister had many, and he used to play with them as a child—until he tripped over one and fell, hurting his hands and face. After that, his sister wouldn’t let him play with long swords anymore, only short blades.

But long swords sure looked cooler.

The sword at the Prince of Ning’s waist was quite long and looked rather nice—he wanted to touch it.

“I heard the Thirteenth Brother came from the north. Are you getting used to life here?” The Prince of Ning had taken his seat, teacup in hand, looking over with a faint smile he himself hadn’t noticed.

He hadn’t expected that his new little brother, barely arrived, would already be so close to the Chief Eunuch. He cast an amused glance at the two sitting together.

He hadn’t heard that this eunuch had a taste for boys—had he taken a liking to his little brother?

The Prince of Ning sneered inwardly. But before he could collect himself, Ji Qing had already sidled up to him like a sneaky little creature.

Not a single person in the room had seen when the young prince had moved.

“I’m very used to it here…” After all, everyone was so nice, and most importantly, there was good food.

“Brother, can I touch your sword?” The fox blinked, his smile brighter than anyone’s.

The Prince of Ning was stunned, a little embarrassed. He had just been speculating about the relationship between his cheap little brother and the Ninth Highness, and now the boy was calling him “brother” so sweetly and asking to see his sword—how could he refuse?

No one had ever called him “brother” before… His other brothers were all troublemakers—they’d never call him “brother”; he’d be lucky if they didn’t curse him to his face. Thinking of them now, they all seemed detestable, nothing like this new little brother, who was so obedient, endearing, and pretty.

“Take it.” The Prince of Ning turned his head away and handed the sword to Ji Qing.

The fox took it joyfully, drew it out with a shing, and sheathed it with another shing—the movements crisp and clean, even carrying a hint of flair.

“Trained before?” The Prince of Ning raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The fox nodded emphatically.

Even Tinglan looked over.

“Interesting. What master did your family hire for you? Which school or sect?” The Prince of Ning turned to size up Ji Qing’s figure—broad shoulders, narrow waist, quite decent—he really did look like someone who had trained in martial arts. It seemed his cheap little brother wasn’t just a pretty face.

The fox thought for a moment. His sister had taught him, so in that sense, she was his master. But his sister was just his sister—what school or sect could she belong to? If anything, the only “door” was his own front door.

So the fox shook his head.

The Prince of Ning frowned but said nothing. Yet his heart softened a little, and the hostility he’d brought with him dissipated, replaced even by a trace of guilt.

Poor child—he was probably neglected even before entering the palace. Now that he was here… if he didn’t cause trouble, his eldest brother wouldn’t harm him, but the other side was a different story.

His little brother’s future… was uncertain.

The Prince of Ning looked up at Tinglan. If his little brother could get along with the Ninth Highness, that would be good—at least life in the palace would be easier.

As for the rest, he couldn’t do anything about it. Among all the civil and military officials, who could actually rein in Tinglan? And this child didn’t seem particularly shrewd—fallen into Tinglan’s hands, he’d be at his mercy.

The Prince of Ning suddenly began to regret that he hadn’t listened to his elder brother and brought a gift for his new little brother before leaving.

Now the child looked so pitiful, and he had nothing to give.

He had expected the new brother to be like the other princes—full of schemes, speaking with veiled sarcasm, or strutting around arrogantly upon entering the palace. But at least for now, the kid seemed decent.

The Prince of Ning pulled a jade pendant from his waist and tossed it over. “I came in a hurry and didn’t bring anything good. This jade pendant was given by the late Emperor—fine material, rare to come by. I’ll give it to Thirteenth Brother.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Ji Qing caught the pendant, held it in his palm, and examined it closely under the candlelight. It was a beautiful green—the fox liked it very much.

Behind him, Tinglan looked away with some displeasure. Calling everyone “brother” one after another—why was he so affectionate with everyone…

Ji Qing was thinking: his sister had taught him that receiving a gift required a return gift. The fox felt inside his sleeve—it was bulging with quite a few things, but fruits wouldn’t do, nor the little chick, and certainly not his money pouch.

Oh no, he was penniless—he had nothing to give.

Fortunately, the Prince of Ning hadn’t expected a return gift at all. It happened to be mealtime, and dishes were laid out on the table. The Prince of Ning wasn’t picky—he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and began to eat.

After a few bites, he remembered that the Ninth Highness was still there. Being a man of strong likes and dislikes, he spoke with a barbed tone: “The Chief Eunuch is swamped with affairs of state—countless military and state secrets pass through your hands. How is it that you have time to sit here with Thirteenth Brother all day?”

Tinglan wore a faint smile. “The Thirteenth Prince has just arrived and needs company. I walk the palace grounds daily—it’s no trouble at all.” Then he turned to look at the Prince of Ning, his smile flawless, yet somehow made one’s skin crawl. “Your Highness, rest assured.”

“Hmph.” The Prince of Ning had run into a soft rebuff and lost his appetite. He just took a sip of tea.

The clueless fox, completely oblivious to the tension between them, lowered his head and ate with the ferocity of a whirlwind, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Before leaving, the Prince of Ning took the opportunity to hang the jade pendant on Ji Qing and leaned down to whisper, “Be careful of Tinglan. He has no good intentions toward you.”

The fox nodded instinctively—then froze.

Tinglan?

What did “no good intentions” mean?

Did he have a bad heart and need a new one?

Then I must take good care of him.

“Don’t worry.” The fox patted his chest solemnly. “I’ll be sure to pay attention.”

From now on, he absolutely must not let his good friend overwork himself! This little fox was great at taking care of people.

The Prince of Ning felt reassured and turned to leave.

Tinglan watched Ji Qing, who inexplicably turned back to look at him with a complicated expression, and understood—the Prince of Ning had indeed said something to the young prince.

His wish would probably come true—the young prince would surely keep his distance from him now.

That was a good thing, for both of them.

Tinglan smoothed his sleeve, a thin, cold smile on his lips.

Perhaps he should have taken that fruit.

After all, it really did look delicious.