Leaning against the crimson palace wall, Huoling subconsciously straightened his back as he looked at Ye Xiao, who was half a head taller than him. Ye Xiao wore a black flying fish robe, and the dragon head, fish body, and winged patterns started from his collar, extending all the way down to his waist. The sudden autumn wind lifted his lower garment, and the illusory flying fish seemed to be about to fly off his body.
Tall and upright, with handsome features and a charismatic air.
The hanging jade-girdle scabbard symbolized his status.
The silver yijin bag with three items illustrated his dignified bearing.
Huoling tilted his head, finding Ye Xiao in front of him irresistibly attractive, and couldn't help but ponder, "Why is there no one interested in him?" He, Huoling, already had children, so why was Ye Xiao still single?
Ye Xiao, who had been scrutinized by Huo Ling for a long time, suddenly tightened the corners of his mouth, and his hand subconsciously rested on the hilt of the embroidered spring knife at his waist. He lightly tilted his head towards Huo Ling and said, "Hmm?"
His voice was calm, and his gaze was even more serene.
As their eyes met, Huo Ling was directly overwhelmed and pressed his back against the crimson palace wall. "No, no, no, what I meant was..." after swallowing his saliva, he tried to nonchalantly change the topic, "I meant, after you had the palace guard take away that maid who tried to take advantage of me that day, did you get any useful information from her?"
Thinking back, if he hadn't been quick-witted enough at the time, he might have been taken advantage of. Huo Ling couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. "Are women nowadays so shameless? It's one thing to have someone throw themselves at you in Salt Lake County, but why also in the capital?"
During Huo Ling's time in Salt Lake County, the initial "hospitality" from Magistrate Li and Li Yuemu's moonlit dance were just small matters. In the later stages, wherever Huo Ling went, he would receive the people's admiration. Annoyed with dealing with these matters, he simply stayed at the county yamen. Fortunately, he had the luck of encountering someone offering themselves.
The daughter of the richest family in Salt Lake County, taking the opportunity of the family working for Gong Sunxun and others, entered the courtyard where Huo Ling was, wearing a crimson brocade cloak with sable fur trim.
At that time, due to a shortage of manpower, the palace guards on Huo Ling's side had all been called away, leaving only three Qingyu guards. Unless Huo Ling ordered or he encountered a life-threatening situation, the Qingyu guards wouldn't easily appear. Before he could even notice the arrival of the stone family's daughter, Huo Ling stood up and asked, "Who are you?" and "Is there something you need?" The blushing stone maiden suddenly untied her cloak, standing bare-/
breasted in front of Huo Ling.
Cradling her chest, the stone maiden glanced sheepishly at Huo Ling, barely audible, "Please, Your Highness, have pity."
Huo Ling was stunned.
This was the first time someone had offered themselves so blatantly. Huo Ling was taken aback and even lost the ability to speak.
"Ah, don't come over..." Huo Ling's face flushed as he hastily backed away and accidentally fell into the pond.
Afterwards, the Stone family paid a price, which made Huo Ling shiver uncontrollably whenever he heard Gong Sunxun's name during that time. Not to mention the time Gong Sunxun looked at him with a thoughtful expression, or the day when Ye Xiao suddenly laughed as she passed by the lotus pond. This incident caused Huo Ling to develop a psychological shadow towards women who appeared fragile - some women, despite appearing weak, might be capable of unimaginable things.
Thinking about the timid and pitiful serving maid at the banquet, Huo Ling suddenly shivered. "I wasn't so popular before, why is everyone now acting like they've gone mad one after another?"
"Because you are the Crown Prince," replied Ye Xiao with a serious expression. "The Crown Prince who is the center of attention."
Watching Huo Ling doing what a Crown Prince should do, but without a single bit of awareness, Ye Xiao gently lifted the hand that was holding the knife hilt and touched Huo Ling's head. "I'm very pleased, you have always done a great job."
Regardless of whether he was aware of it or not, Huo Ling had truly embodied the spirit of "never forget the original intention." The glory brought by the title of Crown Prince did not shake his determination, nor did the inherent risks associated with the position crush his spirit. He was still the same Huo Ling that Ye Xiao knew.
A gentle smile appeared in Ye Xiao's eyes, even the corners of his eyes and eyebrows softened. It was as though many years ago, when he promised to take care of Huo Ling in front of Lady Ye, he was not the commander of the invincible Jin Yi Wei, but a gentle elder brother promising to take care of his younger brother.
Being praised suddenly, Huo Ling felt a little embarrassed and rubbed his nose, subconsciously clearing his throat and steering the conversation back. "After all that talk, you still haven't told me what you know?" Huo Ling had gradually grown accustomed to calling himself "guest" and no longer stumbled over his words every time he spoke it.
Blinking his lashes, Ye Xiao finally gave an answer, "She is from the Zheng family."
The Zheng family was the queen's maternal family.
The queen, who was the main rival of Lady Ye, and also the one who had once embraced Huo Ling as a child, was also the one who Huo Ling, as a young child, had always admired as his "mother."
The Zheng family, the queen, Zheng Yangwen, the pink-robed serving maid, the Zhang family, the empress dowager, the Changning County Princess, the Deyang County Princess, and even the mocking poem that had failed to spread in the streets and alleys, "The Crown Prince is undignified, causing great turmoil in Da Zhou". Some things, when overthought, easily became a headache.
Huo Ling blinked his eyes lightly, and with an expressionless face, murmured, "What a pity..."
It was unclear what exactly he lamented.
As if not hearing Huo Ling's sigh, Ye Xiao took out a handkerchief, turned Huo Ling's shoulder, and carefully and patiently wiped away the red stains that had rubbed off on Huo Ling when he leaned back against the crimson palace wall.
After cleaning it up, Ye Xiao tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket, patted Huo Ling's shoulder, and said, "Aren't you supposed to report to His Majesty and attend the morning court session?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Ling forgot his sigh. As he thought about the need to brainstorm with the emperor about what he had learned, as well as to attend the Ministry of Personnel's audience in the afternoon, and to deal with the Crown Princess who varied from being sweet one day to being cold the next, Huo Ling couldn't help but frown, "Why do you have to remind me of these things?"
"Your Highness, if I didn't remind you, then you wouldn't have to do any of these things, would you?"
Huo Ling: "..."
Reaching out, he pulled Ye Xiao's shoulder, bumped his head against Ye Xiao's, but ended up hurting himself while Ye Xiao didn't react at all. Huo Ling stuck out his tongue after making a foolish move and continued nonchalantly, "Ah, why are we discussing these things between brothers? Come, let's go back to the Eastern Palace for a drink."
Using a clever move, Ye Xiao dodged Huo Ling's outstretched hand. "No, His Majesty has given me an order."
"What did the emperor ask you to do?"
Ye Xiao smiled and pursed his lips, not answering Huo Ling's question.
"Alright, alright." Realizing that he had asked something he shouldn't have, Huo Ling shrugged. "Okay then, let's go our separate ways and do our own things." Huo Ling waved his hand towards Ye Xiao and then put his hands in his sleeves, walking heavily in the direction of Ganqing Palace.
Watching Huo Ling's figure disappear from sight, Ye Xiao, who was still standing in place, couldn't help but shake his head. "Who knows where His Highness comes up with so many strange ideas." Although his words occasionally sounded strange, upon closer inspection, they inexplicably made sense.
Ye Xiao had once asked Huo Ling about this, but Huo Ling had expressed his confusion, saying, "I don't know, I just felt like that was what I should say." After a while, Ye Xiao no longer explored the origins of Huo Ling's strange words, since everything the Crown Prince said seemed to make sense.
Today, Lord Ye Xiao was once again the good elder brother who always found good reasons for Huo Ling.
A patrol of Imperial Guards coming back just happened to pass by. The leader of the Imperial Guards couldn't help but speak up, "Lord Ye, please do not linger here."
Returning to his senses, Ye Xiao looked up and the leader of the Imperial Guards took a step back unconsciously, then, facing an unexplained pressure, once again said, "Lord Ye, please leave quickly."
"I understand."
Nodding to the resolute Imperial Guards leader, Ye Xiao then turned and left.
...
Upon returning to the capital, Huo Ling inexplicably led a busy life.
Running between the Ganqing Palace and the Yushu Palace was one thing, but even during the court sessions, he had to find time to confront the ministers who had the audacity to challenge him. After the morning court sessions, he had to report to the emperor, and in the afternoon, he had to go to the Ministry of Personnel for an audience. When returning to the Eastern Palace, he still had to deal with the Crown Princess, whose mood changed daily from being kind to being cold. Huo Ling didn't realize how time passed, and before he knew it, it was the day he was leaving for Jiangnan.
The day before leaving for Jiangnan, Huo Ling informed Lady Ye of the news that the Crown Princess, Liu Yue, was pregnant.
Liu Yue was skilled at managing the household, and after becoming the Crown Princess, she had shown her abilities in managing the affairs within the palace. The emperor, who paid no attention to her, was unaware of Liu Yue's pregnancy. Only Lady Ye, due to her frequent interaction with Liu Yue, had some suspicions.
So, when Huo Ling informed her, Lady Ye had been expecting it, and her lack of surprise and her indifferent "Oh" extinguished Huo Ling's desire to flaunt the news.
Rubbing his nose, Huo Ling said, "Mother, I leave Ah Yue in your care."
"Alright." Lady Ye raised her eyebrows lightly. "You can leave with peace of mind."
Huo Ling: "..."
How come this sounds so strange? It must be his imagination... right?
With a bit of uncertainty, and ignoring the strange feeling in her heart, Huo Ling entrusted Liu Yue to the care of the Empress Ye, who he believed in.
Having entrusted the most important person to Consort Ye, and after completing what needed to be done, Huo Ling, accompanied by the still vigorous Lord Gongyi and the infinitely reassuring Ye Xiao, as well as the "Grand General" who may or may not be useful, set off enthusiastically for the south.
Then, in less than three days, Huo Ling was left with only half of his life.
Author's notes:
1.2: In the "Ming History" repaired by Zhang Tingyu, it is mentioned that the epitaph of Zhang Jue, the commander of the Jin Yi Wei during the Jiajing reign, described "being granted the Four Beasts Qilin Robe, an embroidered spring knife with a luandai, and a silver wine flask square bag," when the Emperor Jiajing toured Chengtian, he specially appointed Zhang Jue to "be in charge of the advance duties, rely entirely on his discretion in all important matters, and was also granted the salary of the Assistant Commander of the Capital. From setting off with the emperor until his return to the imperial palanquin, the bestowed flying fish and python skin clothing, the treasury gold, stabled horses, and food and alcohol gifts, as well as the summons and verbal instructions, are too numerous to list.