“What’s wrong?” Yun Yin asked.
He had been watching Li Zhaoyi’s expression. The boy rarely showed much emotion, but occasionally, it would become particularly vivid.
For example, fear. Or shyness.
Yun Yin didn’t consider himself to have bad taste, but whenever Li Zhaoyi bristled a little from being teased, his mood seemed to lift slightly.
But right now, the strange look on Li Zhaoyi’s face was far too obvious. He paused, following the boy’s gaze. His own smile, however, faded.
The man not far away seemed oblivious to the turbulent undercurrents. He approached a few steps, lowering his eyes deferentially, covering the somewhat ferocious scar on his face.
“Prince.” His voice was hoarse. “An urgent matter to report.”
“Understood,” Yun Yin said.
He paused. Li Zhaoyi snapped back to reality and whispered, “I’ll go back first then.”
He was about to head towards Bright Clarity Hall, but Yun Yin frowned and grabbed his wrist.
The gesture was far too conspicuous. Li Zhaoyi jolted in shock as the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs instantly bowed their heads even lower. Even the bowing man’s figure paused for a second, though his downcast eyes hid his expression.
“I told you to come with me,” Yun Yin stated curtly. “Go inside and wait for me.”
A look of struggle warred on Li Zhaoyi’s face.
Pressed for time, Yun Yin didn’t waste words. With a startled yelp, Li Zhaoyi stared in disbelief, eyes wide, as he was scooped up by the waist and stuffed into the sedan chair.
He scrambled to sit upright just as Yun Yin dropped the sedan curtain.
“Let’s talk over here,” Yun Yin said, this directed at the bowing man.
The man followed him aside and bowed again, keeping it brief. “There’s been a refugee uprising in the Southwest, location: Songxiang County. The County Magistrate of Songxiang concealed it and failed to report it, which dragged the issue out until it boiled over. The local Governor has dispatched the regional garrison and is awaiting further news.”
Yun Yin lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the ring on his hand. “The Southwest drought has been going on for days. The disaster relief funds should have been allocated by the Ministry of Revenue long ago.”
He paused. “Who is the local Governor?”
“Yin Ke,” the man answered.
Yun Yin mused.
After a moment, he said, “I remember him. He’s somewhat capable.”
“This matter will certainly be discussed at tomorrow’s court session,” he continued. “Since the garrison has already been dispatched, leave it for now. Have the people there keep a tighter watch. An incident of concealment like this cannot happen again.”
The man nodded.
The matter itself was important, and Songxiang’s location was special, as it was the area closest to the Capital in the Southwest. Ultimately, Yun Yin was now effectively in charge of state affairs. Compared to tomorrow’s Imperial Court session, this early briefing was clearly more critical.
Having delivered Yun Yin’s command, his task was complete. He waited for Yun Yin to dismiss him, but Yun Yin remained silent.
Yun Yin’s gaze flickered. Then the man heard him chuckle. “I recall this is Cheng Lan’s job. Why are you the one reporting?”
The man’s voice was a raspy, subdued tone. “I ran into Lord Cheng while leaving the Imperial Palace on business. The matter was urgent, and he had other affairs to handle, unable to do both. So he entrusted me to relay the message on his behalf.”
Yun Yin nodded. “You’ve worked hard.”
Seeing no further instructions, the man turned and left.
Yun Yin watched his retreating back, lost in thought.
–
Inside the sedan chair, Li Zhaoyi was lost in thought.
He unconsciously clenched his palms tight, several times resisting the urge to lift the curtain, only to force himself to stop.
Just before his nails could dig painfully into his skin, he woke from his daze and abruptly let go.
At that same moment, someone lifted the curtain.
Yun Yin entered and sat beside him, giving the coachman a terse order: “Return to the residence.”
Li Zhaoyi looked at him, unconsciously pressing his lips together.
“Why does Your Majesty look at your subject with such a gaze?” Yun Yin smiled.
He paused, then spoke casually. “The matter of the rumors… this subject will handle it. Your Majesty need not worry.”
Li Zhaoyi still didn’t speak.
Yun Yin paused again. “Or… was this subject too harsh with Your Majesty just now?”
Not because of that, but… harsh was pretty harsh. Li Zhaoyi thought.
He looked at Yun Yin. The man’s eyes still held his usual teasing glint, but for some reason, Li Zhaoyi detected a hint of coldness that hadn’t been there before. His eyelashes trembled slightly.
Just as Yun Yin lowered his gaze, thoughtfully about to ask a third question, Li Zhaoyi finally spoke. “That man just now…” Li Zhaoyi said. “I know him.”
Yun Yin’s expression paused.
“It was before,” Li Zhaoyi said softly. “The day my Imperial Consort Mother died… he was the one who led the men to collect her body.”
“He has a very long scar on his face. It’s terrifying. I remember it very clearly.”
Yun Yin looked at him, seemingly caught off guard by this answer, momentarily stunned.
Li Zhaoyi lowered his eyes and whispered, “I miss my Imperial Consort Mother.”
“Your Majesty,” Yun Yin finally spoke.
He paused for several seconds, as if carefully choosing his words. After a moment, he said: “The dead cannot return to life.”
“My condolences.”
Li Zhaoyi offered him a small smile and said, very obediently, “I know.”
He paused. “That person… who is he?”
Yun Yin glanced at him.
This time, the earlier chill and sharpness were gone from his eyes. He answered concisely: “That’s the Eunuch Director of the Eastern Depot, Lu Zhong. He originally served under Wen Zizhang in the Directorate of Ceremonial. This subject transferred him to the Eastern Depot.”
Li Zhaoyi had a moment of realization. “I see.”
In the month before his formal ascension, Yun Yin had replaced everyone in the Imperial Palace. He’d heard snippets about that. He lowered his eyes and offered an explanation: “I was just asking.”
“That scar on his face,” he said, “it’s a bit frightening. It must have hurt a lot when he got it.”
“An old wound,” Yun Yin said.
He didn’t elaborate, and Li Zhaoyi didn’t ask further.
The two sat quietly in the carriage like that, all the way to a place with which Li Zhaoyi was already very familiar.
~
For the rest of that day, Li Zhaoyi was very obedient.
Compared to his listening and compliance, his resistance was like a kitten batting its paws. Yun Yin took him to his study. Li Zhaoyi sat in the main seat while Yun Yin reviewed memorials off to the side, and he quietly reviewed the day’s lessons in his own spot. Every time Yun Yin looked up, he saw the boy’s delicate profile.
Somehow, the originally tedious memorials seemed much more palatable because of Li Zhaoyi’s presence. So today, for the first time in a long while, Yun Yin didn’t write any cutting remarks in the memorials.
As the sun set in the west, servants brought dinner.
After eating, Li Zhaoyi waited for Yun Yin to escort him back, but Yun Yin asked him: “Would you like to go out for a walk?”
Li Zhaoyi was taken aback. “Can I?”
“Tonight is the Immortal Pavilion’s monthly auction night,” Yun Yin smiled. “If Your Majesty goes out with this subject now, it will perfectly dispel the rumors. It should be the most powerful clarification.”
Li Zhaoyi understood.
He tidied himself up and followed Yun Yin out, a little apprehensively.
Just as they were leaving, Yun Yin took his hand.
“Your Majesty,” he said, “this way, it will be more convincing.”
It wasn’t visiting a brothel, so it must be having a sweetheart. To break the rumors, this logic made sense. Beneath his veiled hat, Li Zhaoyi’s face burned red, but he was forced to accept this reasoning. It never occurred to him that, from start to finish, this was Yun Yin’s problem; there was absolutely no need for him to be dragged into it.
And so, the two of them walked onto the street in this exceptionally eye-catching posture.
–
Yun Yin’s residence was situated in a quiet area, but it wasn’t far from the bustling streets. Li Zhaoyi thought he wouldn’t normally have many chances to stroll the streets, nor did he seem like the type who loved to. Yet he saw Yun Yin navigating with familiarity, even exchanging a few words with an old vegetable vendor by the roadside.
At first, he was puzzled, but then he remembered De Quan’s words. He must have come out here many times with Li Zhaoyu. He thought.
Still hand in hand with Yun Yin, the skin-to-skin contact felt exquisite and soft. He could feel the slight calluses on Yun Yin’s fingertips, tickling him a bit, and making his skin tingle a little numb.
Because of the earlier events, his mind wandered. He let Yun Yin lead him, simply breathing in the mingled scents of tea and fruit in the air, listening to the bustling noise. Even with worries on his mind, the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but quirk up.
Before long, they stopped in front of a stall.
It was a stall selling small trinkets, an array of glittering goods on display. Li Zhaoyi had glimpsed it earlier in passing. Though it looked beautiful, it didn’t seem like something that would attract Yun Yin.
Now that Yun Yin had stopped, Li Zhaoyi was slightly surprised but still obediently allowed himself to be led to the stall’s edge.
Looking closer, he realized his feeling was right. Not only was this a trinket stall, but it sold things only children would typically like. Small wooden bowls and spoons, little wooden horses, little wooden swords, and some beaded bracelets. And also… He spotted a rattle-drum at the very edge.
He had seen one like this in the Cold Palace, though it had been in a dust-laden room once belonging to some discarded consort, probably used to soothe a child. The drumhead was broken, even missing a bead. Back when he was young, it was his only toy. However, after just a few days, someone had trampled it and thrown it to the ground. He never found the culprit. He could only put it away carefully and never take it out again.
He looked at it with a trace of nostalgia for a moment, then calmly averted his gaze. Forget the fact that he was currently playing the role of Yun Yin’s “sweetheart” and couldn’t speak. Even if he wasn’t, he was penniless. He couldn’t afford anything.
The stall owners were a young couple, very perceptive. Seeing that Li Zhaoyi and Yun Yin were dressed finely, clearly people of wealth and status, they greeted them warmly. “Young Master, Madam, please take a look! All handmade trinkets, fun and sturdy!”
Yun Yin picked up a small wooden horse that rocked back and forth, fiddling with it with great interest. He asked Li Zhaoyi, “Isn’t it cute?”
Li Zhaoyi nodded.
Yun Yin chuckled. “You still like these things now?”
“Oh, what are you saying, Young Master?” The wife of the couple laughed. “Your Madam is clearly still very young. It’s perfectly normal for her to like these.”
Li Zhaoyi’s ears flushed red. Because of the form of address. He wished Yun Yin would hurry up and leave, but Yun Yin wouldn’t let him off. He began meticulously selecting items, asking Li Zhaoyi’s opinion on every single one.
At first, Li Zhaoyi thought he was picking gifts for younger members of his clan and gave his honest feedback seriously. But later, he almost became numb to the questioning. Just as numb was the shopkeeper, whose face was nearly frozen from smiling.
As the sky was almost completely dark, Li Zhaoyi began to suspect the shopkeeper had unknowingly offended Yun Yin. Just as he was growing helpless, Yun Yin finally stopped.
He sighed. “My Lady, you haven’t given me a single opinion.”
There wasn’t a single thing Li Zhaoyi hadn’t said he disliked.
Unable to speak, Li Zhaoyi silently tried to condemn him with his eyes. He was just giving the shopkeeper face. No one wants to hear that something they made is ugly.
Then, he heard Yun Yin say, “In that case, wrap them all up.”
As the words fell, Li Zhaoyi froze. Even the initially somewhat impatient shopkeepers were stunned. The wife hesitated, “Young Master, do you mean… everything you just looked at…”
“I mean,” Yun Yin drawled, “your entire shop.”
He smiled. “Since my Lady here likes everything, pack up every single thing you have for sale and wrap it for me.”
