NTYOL 10

Chapter – 10

Is That the Thirteenth Prince’s Pet Fox?

The Daoists who had entered the palace had departed, leaving behind only Zhou Yiqing, who had won the Emperor’s deep favor. This might have been the outcome Ting Lan had wanted, but through a twist of fate, it made a certain fox spirit exceedingly happy.

From then on, there was no more need for fear. Ji Qing completely let himself go, doing as he pleased.

Given the fox’s ambitions, doing as he pleased didn’t amount to much—it just meant clinging to Ting Lan all day long.

That day, the Seal-Bearer sat at the head of the table reviewing memorials, while the fox was in the next room fiddling with this and that, occasionally making a ruckus. When mealtime came, he would run over and ask Chen Yu, “Is there roast chicken for dinner? The kind brushed with honey?”

Having spent these days in the palace, the fox had broadened his horizons and developed a taste for fine food. Based on his sampling, roast chicken brushed with honey was decidedly better than roast chicken without.

How could Chen Yu possibly say no? He bent over with a smile and said, “Rest assured, Your Highness. The small kitchen has everything prepared for you.”

After placing his order, Ji Qing tiptoed quietly behind the screen and peeked out, thinking as he watched: My good friend really is quite handsome. It would be even better if he had a tail.

Chen Yu watched the sneaky silhouette of the fox and couldn’t help but wonder to himself: There is no one so casual in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, yet the Seal-Bearer indulges him. Having navigated the palace’s currents for so many years, I still can’t tell—does the Thirteenth Prince need something from the Seal-Bearer, or is the Seal-Bearer the one humoring the young prince?

Chen Yu patted his own head and turned to exit the room.

Ting Lan had already put away the memorials and picked up a qin score to flip through idly, but he could not fully concentrate on the book—because there was a fox spirit beside him playing with his inkstone.

The nearby Boshan censer sent up wisps of smoke. Gazing through the mist, the world seemed hazy, as if falling through clouds.

Ting Lan let out a sigh, finally released the book, and pushed the plate of refreshments across the table. “Would Your Highness care for some tea and snacks?”

“No tea, just the snacks.” The fox shook his head and put down the ink stick. He didn’t like tea—not only was it bitter, but it also kept him from sleeping.

Moments later, the roast chicken the fox had been longing for arrived, along with a small flagon of sweet grape wine.

“This is grape sweet wine, a tribute from the Western Regions. It’s mellow, sweet, and not intoxicating. Would Your Highness like to try some?” Ting Lan poured a cup for the fox.

Grapes. Sweet. Both things the fox loved. He’d never had it before, but it seemed promising!

Ji Qing happily lifted the cup, brought it to his nose to sniff—it really did smell sweet—and took a small sip.

It truly was sweet! So delicious!

Delighted, he raised the cup and drained it in one go, exclaiming loudly, “Delicious!”

Then he looked at Ting Lan with eager, pleading eyes.

“Though it tastes pleasant, it is still wine after all. Your Highness should drink no more than a few cups.” Ting Lan handed him one more cup, then reached over and removed the flagon from the fox’s table.

But he still underestimated a certain fox spirit’s tolerance for alcohol.

When Ji Qing insisted on performing the feat of eating two drumsticks at once for him, His Lordship finally realized something was wrong.

“Your Highness?”

“Ting Lan, why are you swaying?” The fox gripped Ting Lan’s sleeve tightly, staring down with serious concentration. “And why is this floor swaying too? How fun.”

“Your Highness is drunk. I’ll have someone bring some hangover remedy.”

The fox couldn’t hear Ting Lan’s words—he was too busy chasing shadows on the ground. When the remedy was brought to his lips, he turned his face away, saying, “Smells funny. Not drinking.”

Ting Lan’s hand, holding the bowl, paused. The young prince, drunk, was rather willful. Helpless, he set the remedy aside. “This servant was at fault today. In the future, I would never dare let Your Highness drink again.”

“You’re not at fault. Whoever says you are, I’ll go hit them.” The fox heard this part loud and clear. He looked up and stared straight at Ting Lan. “You’re the best. I like you the most.”

Ting Lan averted his gaze, his tone indifferent, but his ears flushed red without his knowledge. “Your Highness is drunk. It’s best to return early and rest.”

Everyone knew that the words of a drunkard were the least trustworthy.

“I’m not drunk. I’m happy right now.” The fox snorted, tilted his head, pouted, picked up the spoon from the table, and carried the bowl over to the vase. Addressing the green chrysanthemum inside, he said, “You look a little wilted—not very spirited. Are you sick? When you’re sick, you need to eat more.”

With that, he scooped up a spoonful of soup and insisted on feeding it to the flower.

In the end, that stubborn, drunk little creature was escorted back to his palace, stumbling all the way.

“Your Highness is drunk! How did you drink so much!” Qiu Yuan took a warm towel to wipe the fox’s forehead.

“I didn’t drink that much—only two cups. It was delicious.” The fox raised his hand and said with utter seriousness.

Qiu Yuan fell silent, quietly changed the drunken fox into his nightclothes, and tucked him into bed.

The candles in Changqiu Palace were extinguished, and all was utterly still inside and out.

A small white fox, wearing a gold-threaded collar with a lotus pendant, nudged the door open with its head and darted off in a flash.

Whoo! This is the scent of freedom!

The fox broke into a run, paws flying, then—thump!—crashed straight into a wall.

Head hurts.

It’s all this wall’s fault—why does it have to sway back and forth for no reason?

The fox was angry. His ears flattened, and he raised a paw to give the wall a vicious slap.

Oww. Paw hurts.

After circling the wall for a while, huffing and puffing in indignation, the fox eventually padded along the base of the wall and ambled off. I, the great little fox, am magnanimous. I won’t hold a grudge.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was also brightly lit that night, standing out starkly against the pitch-black palace grounds.

“Seal-Bearer, here are the account ledgers from the Ministry of Revenue. The subordinates have checked them and found no issues. Please look them over.”

Chen Yu placed a ledger on the desk, but couldn’t resist asking, “Was the Thirteenth Prince drunk today?”

Ting Lan flipped through the ledger, his tone casual. “Yes, he was drunk. He’s already back at Changqiu Palace. I shouldn’t have let him drink today.”

“I’ll make a note of that—no more wine for the Thirteenth Prince.”

No sooner had Chen Yu finished speaking than a strange noise came from the window, as if something was batting against the paper pane.

“Who’s there? Where are the guards?” Chen Yu walked to the door, threw open the curtain, and barked, “How are you all managing things? Is this the kind of place where anyone can just wander into the Seal-Bearer’s study?”

But the moment he looked down, his anger vanished entirely, and even his tone softened. “Never mind—no need to come over.”

Hearing Chen Yu fall silent for so long, Ting Lan rose and walked toward the door. There he saw a fox, wearing a white jade-and-gold lotus pendant collar, patting Chen Yu’s thigh with its paw.

And Chen Yu, being unprovokedly assaulted, wore a beaming smile. “This fox is so well-behaved. Is it raised by the Seal-Bearer? It’s got quite a bit of strength.”

Ting Lan frowned, looking down at the pendant around the fox’s neck. If he remembered correctly, that pendant should have been around the young prince’s neck during the day. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Bring him inside. It’s windy out there.”

“Yes, sir.” Chen Yu answered with undue cheerfulness and bent down to pick up the fox—but grabbed only air.

The little fox was as slippery as water, slipping through the gap in Chen Yu’s arms and landing gracefully before Ting Lan, where it naturally placed both paws on his knees.

That air of easy familiarity suddenly made Ting Lan think of someone else.

Ting Lan looked down. The fox’s two little white ears quivered in the autumn breeze, and its paws were like two almond cakes—no claws extended, just soft pads resting gently on him. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse, and in the end, Ting Lan gave in, bending down to lift the fox into his arms.

The warm, soft, fluffy bundle against his chest—few could resist it, and the Seal-Bearer was no exception.

“My Lord, you must be tired from holding him. Shall I take over for a while?”

“It’s fine. He’s… not heavy.” Ting Lan rubbed the fox’s head. The ears were thin and springy—press them down and they’d pop right back up, utterly irresistible.

Ting Lan lowered his head and examined the pendant around the fox’s neck. There was no mistake—it was indeed the one worn by the Thirteenth Prince. Had Pei Ji Qing, in his drunken state, stripped off his own jewelry and put it on the fox?

Given the young prince’s temperament, it wasn’t entirely out of the question. Ting Lan smiled and sighed.

Ji Qing, comfortably nestled in his arms, rolled over, and his big snowy tail flipped along with him, landing right at Ting Lan’s fingertips.

“Oh, the little thing can flip over too!” Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise.

Ting Lan looked down at the sound.

It was a snow-white fox tail without a single stray hair.

Fluffy and full, soft and comfortable—not just anyone could touch it. Whether it was the base, the tip, or the middle, every part felt wonderful to the touch.

Ting Lan was stunned for a moment but still couldn’t resist this enormous temptation. His hand reached toward the base of the fox’s tail.

But the moment his hand made contact, before he could even get a feel for it, the fox’s sharp fangs closed around his hand—not biting, just gently holding it in its mouth.

Chen Yu shot to his feet in fright, “Chief Eunuch!”

“It’s fine.” Ting Lan’s expression remained calm.

“Please don’t be angry. Even ordinary puppies like to bite like that—not to hurt, but because they feel close to you and want to play.” He immediately spoke up carefully on the fox’s behalf.

Ting Lan finally pulled his hand out of the fox’s mouth, frowned, and casually swatted the fox’s rump. “Little pup.”

Ji Qing turned his head, “Who’s a dog? I’m a fox!” But now he couldn’t speak—he could only squeak, and no one could understand his outrage.

He threw a little tantrum, swatting a paw at Ting Lan’s chest, then quickly pulled it back as if startled.

Wow, why is it so soft?

So comfortable.

Ji Qing reached his paw out again and gently rested it there.

After all that tussling with him, the Chief Eunuch’s robes had come a bit undone. The faint outline of his collarbone could be glimpsed in the shadow of his collar. Ting Lan usually dressed very modestly, layer upon layer of clothing, making it impossible to tell anything about his figure.

The fox’s paw abruptly retracted.

Ting Lan smiled helplessly and reached up to straighten his collar himself. “Alright, take this fox to the side hall. Keep the door closed. Tomorrow, we’ll ask the Thirteenth Prince if this fox belongs to him.”

At the mention of the Thirteenth Prince, Ji Qing suddenly leaped off Ting Lan’s lap and raced wildly around the hall.

What was I just doing?

The fox lowered his head and could only see his four little white paws.

How did I revert to my true form? And I ran right into Ting Lan’s room—this is terrible!

I need to get out of here!

The fox looked around. The main door was locked tight, and only a small ventilation crack was open in the window. Panicking, he charged headfirst into the window frame and scrambled out crookedly, stumbling away.

Ah, my head hurts so much!

And my ears hurt too!

Alcohol is such a bad thing—I’m never drinking again!

The fox disappeared into the night, clutching his head with his paws.

Back inside, Ting Lan and Chen Yu exchanged a glance. Staring at the bent window frame, Ting Lan murmured to himself, “He’s really got some strength.”