CH 10

Jun Huailang was afraid that Jun Linghuan would freeze, so he wanted her to stay inside and learn the qin another day. But Jun Linghuan refused. She was even more excited when she saw it was snowing, and insisted on playing the qin in the courtyard with him.

Jun Huailang couldn’t do anything about it. All he could do was ask the maid to serve her a bowl of warm soup and wrap her up in a fox fur cloak.

After the two of them sat down in the pavilion, Jun Linghuan gazed outside and couldn’t help sighing. “It’s so beautiful!”

Jun Huailang followed her gaze and saw golden veils fluttering from the eaves. Beyond the pavilion, the surroundings were adorned with silvery snow. Snow flew in the sky, fluttering and falling.

Jun Huailang suddenly thought, what does that maple grove look like right now?

Those amber eyes reappeared uncontrollably in his mind. He withdrew his gaze, pressed his hands on the strings, and stopped thinking about such nonsense.

Although Jun Linghuan liked snow, she was afraid of the cold. After plucking a few notes, she became too cold to keep playing but she still didn’t want to go back. Jun Linghuan acted cute and cuddled up to Jun Huailang and requested him to play the qin for her. 

Jun Huailang had never refused this young miss’s requests.

Thus when Xue Yan arrived, he heard the melodic cadence of a guqin before he even walked through the front gate of Mingluan Palace.

About ten days ago, he received an imperial decree for him to be adopted by Consort Shu. Xue Yan didn’t need to think about it, he knew Consort Shu must have offended someone. This caused them to devise every any possible method to stuff this evil star into Consort Shu’s palace and cause pandemonium[1] for her.

Emperor Qingping’s imperial edict also had a few words pretending to care about Xue Yan, telling him that taking care of his injuries was the most important and to move into Consort Shu’s palace on an auspicious date. 

Xue Yan was certain that Consort Shu was displeased and caused a lot of trouble in the palace. Otherwise Emperor Qingping would not have taken additional care to tell him to recuperate in his own palace first. 

After a bit of calculation, Xue Yan knew this brainless Consort Shu could help him. He took several token days to recover, and exactly on this day, packed up his few belongings. Taking only Jinbao in his retinue, he followed the people from Mingluan Hall to his new residence.

Snow had fallen on the palace overnight. At this time, the white marble floor tiles had accumulated a thick layer of snow. Xue Yan tread silently on the snow and entered the palace.

Today was especially cold. Xue Yan didn’t have any winter clothes and only wore a thin robe. Jinbao following behind wore several sets of autumn clothing all at once and looked like a large overstuffed zongzi,[2] but still shivered incessantly.

“Master, are you not cold?” Jinbao couldn’t help asking softly.

Xue Yan glanced at him but said nothing.

He had lived in Yan Province since he was a child, where winter came much earlier than in Chang’an. The land of Yan was barren and full of troops and horses. When winter came, there were often no winter clothes to keep out the cold. 

Xue Yan had been seven or eight years old when Prince Yan tossed him to the barracks. His food and clothing expenses were no different from that of ordinary soldiers, and he had already forgotten how many bitter winters he had lived through.

The rumors about his evil star had run rampant throughout the military when he first joined. On the first day he entered the camp, he was beaten up by several old soldiers and left in the snow. It was so cold he lost all sensation in his body, even the pain couldn’t be felt.

But Xue Yan did not have to bear these beatings for long. Within a few years, no one in the army could beat him and no one was more ruthless than him. He became accustomed to wearing freezing armor all winter, so he didn’t feel the cold.

Most suffering could be numbed and acclimated to. Such as the cold, such as the hatred and rejection of the world. 

Seeing that Xue Yan didn’t speak, Jinbao did not dare speak again. 

Jinbao’s entire family was under threat. Forced[3] to recognize Xue Yan as his master, he had known that Xue Yan was gloomy and terrifying. Only after serving him more did Jinbao realize that his master was more terrifying than he had imagined.

This person who was not affected by pain or cold plotted alone in the dark. He was so cruel to himself, how could he not be cruel to others?

Other than listening to him and hoping he would preserve Jinbao’s life, there was nothing Jinbao could do. 

The person walking in front was sent from Mingluan Palace to welcome them. Although she was just a palace maid, she wore a thick and elegant brocade winter coat. Her hair swayed with every step. She did not look back, and even her backview exuded a sense of arrogance. She led Xue Yan to Mingluan Palace and through the palace gate, where the sound of guqin could be heard.

It was a clear and melodious tune, gentle and distant, like ancient music played by celestial immortals in the clouds. When the maid heard the music, she raised her chin and turned her head to reveal an arrogant expression.

“The Lord Heir is playing the qin,” she said. “His Grace is a member of Consort Shu’s family. You must not offend him while you’re here, otherwise My Lady will not let you off easily.”

It was as if the person in front of her wasn’t an imperial prince, but a servant that relied entirely on others’ charity.

Xue Yan didn’t say anything, but the big zongi Jinbao half bowed and half shook beside him. 

The maid snorted contemptuously, and turned around and entered Mingluan Palace. Jinbao quickly stepped forward, holding the luggage in one hand, to hold the door open for Xue Yan. 

Xue Yan raised his leg and stepped across the carved gold and vermilion threshold of Mingluan Palace.

As soon as he entered, the sound of the qin became clearer. Like spring water flowing through a mountain stream, it floated past him and softly caressed his ears and aroused his interest

Xue Yan looked in that direction. Even he, who was always calm in the face of events, was stunned.

It was that young master?

He sat in a pavilion of gilded and carved laquerware in the midst of the falling snow. Around him floated gauzy silks. Today he was wrapped up in a pure white cloak with a soft fox fur collar that kept him comfortably warm.

A young girl cuddled by his side and acted cutely. His knuckles were red from the cold, but the long and slender hands moved on the qin strings and music leisurely flowed out. The young master looked at the little girl beside him with a smile that Xue Yan had never seen before.

Soft and indulgent, with an addicting warmth.

At this moment, the young master inadvertently looked up and his eyes happened to meet Xue Yan’s. He had not stopped smiling. His eyes meeting Xue Yan made it seem as if the young master was suddenly smiling at him.

Soft and kind and deeply gentle, there seemed to be an invisible warmth that wrapped around Xue Yan.

Xue Yan’s spine went numb for no reason.

No one had ever looked at him like that. That gaze knocked against his heart with a strange yet dangerously attractive sensation. Even though Xue Yan didn’t want to admit it, his heart skipped a beat. 

But those eyes immediately became tainted with surprise and distrust. The soft smile from before disappeared.

Xue Yan felt like a thief who stole treasure through a fluke. After a moment of secret joy, the owner took everything back and he was impoverished once again.

Xue Yan came back to his senses and felt that he was a bit ridiculous. But at the same time, an urge to plunder unexpectedly rose in his heart. Suddenly, he wondered what it would be like if he could snatch away that soft and affectionate smile and make the young master smile at him like this for the rest of his life.

Xue Yan’s spine went numb again for no reason, with a hot and itchy feeling.

The young master looked at him, a little surprised, and then said something to the maid beside him. 

The maid who led Xue Yan to Mingluan Palace just now took a few steps forward. Seeing that Xue Yan didn’t follow, she turned around impatiently and said, “What are you gawking at! Hurry up and follow!”

Xue Yan withdrew his gaze and glanced at the maid indifferently. 

The maid was stamping her feet and warming her hands, but when she met those amber eyes, a chill suddenly surged through her heart.

It was just like coming face to face with a vicious beast. 

Then Xue Yan walked up to her, steps slow due to his serious injury. When he reached her, he lightly reminded her, “Gugu,[4] please lead the way.”

The maid came back to her senses and looked at him again. The fear just now seemed to be just a figment of her imagination. She calmed down and, without looking back once, led Xue Yan west where the most remote side hall stood.

As they passed by the main hall, Xue Yan heard the sound of porcelain shattering inside.

Back in the pavilion, Jun Huailang only discovered that Xue Yan was moving in today after talking to the palace maid. He had only heard Consort Shu lose her temper these past few days, so Xue Yan coming so soon caught him off guard.

Xue Yan had disappeared when he looked up again.

Jun Huailang recalled that Xue Yan was still wearing autumn robes. Ordinarily, if an imperial prince moved in, Mingluan Palace should put his residence in order and buy more clothes and products for him. But today, aside from sending a maid to pick him up, Mingluan Palace was the same as usual. Even the mistress of the palace did not come out, instead Consort Shu stayed in her room and threw a tantrum.

Jun Huailang’s heart seemed to be stuffed full of wet cotton, he felt a bit uncomfortable.

A maid came forward and served them two cups of hot tea with a smile. She said, “Your Grace, Young Miss, it’s windy in the pavilion. Have a cup of tea to warm up.”

Jun Huailang looked up and saw Diancui, Consort Shu’s maid.

Diancui had been with Consort Shu since she was a child. Jun Huailang also had some impression of her from when he was young. He picked up the tea and thanked her, then asked casually, “Diancui-gugu, did the Fifth Prince just move in?”

“Yes. By His Majesty’s order, the Fifth Prince is to be fostered in My Lady’s palace,” Diancui said.

Jun Huailang asked again, “Why was there no preparation these few days? This is quite sudden.”

Diancui smiled and said, “ My Lady doesn’t like him, so she didn’t want to say anything. But everything that needs to be prepared has been arranged for him.”

After saying this, Diancui sighed and said, “Consort Shu wants a child too much. When she said she wanted to raise a prince by her side, this servant urged her but she would not listen… But I didn’t expect the emperor to foster the Fifth Prince with My Lady. That Fifth Prince is so old, how can he call Consort Shu ‘mother?’”

She sighed again in worry.

A hint of suspicion appeared in Jun Huailang’s eyes.

Consort Shu asked for it herself? Diancui urged her but she would not listen?

That night, Consort Shu had clearly told him that it was Diancui who advised her to adopt a prince and set her mind on adoption… But now Diancui’s words were implying that she had nothing to do with it.

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