……How was he even tending to his own wounds now?
Jun Huailang could not help but freeze for a moment, then hurriedly pulled his arm back. For once, a trace of awkwardness showed through his normally cool and composed expression.
What was this supposed to mean?
Just now, if Xue Yan had not pulled him back, he would certainly have fallen into that deep well.
Because of a momentary impulse, he had somehow ended up being saved by his mortal enemy from his previous life. The enmity of his previous life had yet to come to pass, yet in this life, he had already incurred a debt of gratitude to him.
Jun Huailang had never felt this awkward before. He pulled his arm back, lowered his eyes, and coldly said a word of thanks. Then he glanced sideways at Fuyi and turned to leave.
Fuyi immediately understood and hurried after him with the food box in hand.
In only a moment, the two disappeared into the dazzling maple forest.
Xue Yan watched his retreating figure.
Although that little peacock walked steadily, his back straight and his bearing seemingly quite proud, Xue Yan could still detect a trace of awkwardness in him.
It was rather interesting—and somewhat cute.
The corners of Xue Yan’s lips lifted slightly before he calmly withdrew his gaze.
He glanced sideways at the little eunuch by the well and turned around, intending to draw the bucket of water up again. The little eunuch seemed to have been intimidated by Jun Huailang. After hesitating for a moment, he still stepped forward, drew the water up for Xue Yan, and carried it into the palace.
But throughout the entire process, the little eunuch did not dare touch Xue Yan even once. He acted as though he had seen some terrifying monster, hurriedly set down the bucket, and fled outside.
Everyone said that this man was a calamity incarnate, that misfortune clung to his entire body, and that anyone who touched him would suffer bad luck. Perhaps that baleful aura would not take the lives of the noble people, but for a servant like himself, there was no telling.
It was better to stay far away.
Xue Yan had long since grown accustomed to it. He leisurely walked into the hall and shut the doors himself.
The main hall was quite spacious, spanning eight rooms from side to side and consisting of two sections, front and back. Yet it was utterly empty, containing only some furniture left behind by its previous occupant, which had already grown old. Although the silk and window screens were still relatively clean, they were all damaged and faded, with even the edges having rotted away.
Through the damaged windows covered with paper, one could see the courtyard outside, completely overgrown. Even the cracks between the paving stones were filled with weeds.
Xue Yan walked straight to the bronze mirror, removed his robes, and tore away the fabric stuck to his body by blood. He turned around, tilted his head, and calmly examined his back through the mirror. The sight of the mangled flesh was rather horrifying. Then he began slowly cleaning the wounds with the clear water in the bucket.
The wounds on his back were difficult to reach, making them especially troublesome to clean. Whenever he raised his arm, it would tug at the muscles of his back.
When Jinbao pushed open the door and entered, this was the scene he saw.
The tall, slender youth stood before the mirror with his upper body bare. When he turned his head to the side, the sharp lines of his profile were revealed. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was indifferent as he looked toward the bronze mirror. The wounds across his back were quite horrifying. The muscles of his upper body were firm and well-defined, while the muscles around his waist and abdomen were distinctly sculpted, the lines drawn taut—like a fierce beast lazily licking its wounds alone.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Xue Yan did not even raise his eyes. While cleaning a bruise on his shoulder, he said calmly, “Did you find him?”
Apart from Jinbao, who was the most bullied among the servants, no one would enter this main hall. Without looking up, he already knew who it was.
Jinbao closed the door and nervously bowed before him.
“Reporting to Your Highness, you truly guessed correctly. It was indeed Little Wei, the one in charge of purchasing supplies, who went to deliver the message.”
After cleaning his wounds, Xue Yan picked up the medicinal powder from the table and raised his hand to apply it to his back. The powder had been brought from the borderlands. Although it was remarkably effective, its medicinal properties were extremely potent, and applying it to an injury caused a pain that felt as though it were drilling into one’s heart and eating away at one’s bones.
The moment he applied the powder to the wound, Xue Yan gritted his teeth and sucked in a sharp breath.
Then he asked, “Where did he deliver the message?”
Jinbao cautiously wiped away his sweat and said, “This servant saw him take the items needed by the palace and then head east. It took him two hours to make the round trip. He must have gone somewhere very far away… This servant didn’t dare follow any farther.”
“The eastern side of the Ministry of Internal Affairs…” Xue Yan tilted his head. Through the bronze mirror, he continued applying the medicine while speaking unhurriedly. “Two hours for a round trip would put him right at Donghua Gate.”
The moment Jinbao heard that name, his shoulders gave a frightened jerk.
Donghua Gate! Wasn’t that where the Eastern Depot was located?
…Could it be that he had actually followed an agent of the Eastern Depot just now?!
Everyone said the people of the Eastern Depot were ruthless and vicious, killing people like flies, with a thousand sinister ways to make a person wish they were dead…
If they discovered that he had been following one of their people, wouldn’t they torture him to death?
Xue Yan continued lowering his eyes as he applied the medicine, murmuring thoughtfully, “People from the Eastern Depot? They have never been able to interfere with matters inside the palace. Why are they keeping an eye on me?”
He knew a little about the Eastern Depot’s current circumstances. Although the Eastern Depot had been established during the reign of the Founding Ancestor and had always served as the emperor’s eyes and ears, monitoring the officials, the current Emperor Qingping did not trust it. Instead, he favored the Chief Brush Eunuch Lingfu who served at his side. Quite a bit of authority that had originally belonged to the Eastern Depot had been transferred to Lingfu.
Could it be that the struggle between these two factions of eunuchs had left the Eastern Depot unable to cope, so they were trying to find a prince to serve as their backing within the palace…
Or, perhaps, as their pawn?
After all, the Eastern Depot already had a notorious reputation. Now that it had also fallen out of the emperor’s favor, if not for the Founding Ancestor’s edict still remaining in force, it would have long since become a rat everyone wanted to beat.
Ordinary princes had no desire to get involved with them. Only an imperial prince like himself, who possessed royal blood yet was little more than a prince in name, could be used by them.
If they could support him and raise him up, then this pawn could naturally also become their backing. At that point, the Eastern Depot would no longer be caught between the Chief Brush Eunuch and the court officials. Instead, it could leap directly into becoming the emperor’s close ministers.
If his guess was correct, the people over there were planning to make a risky move. For now, they were secretly observing and selecting their target, assessing the value and reliability of him, this prince.
After all, only a drowning dog that was bullied everywhere would rely upon and trust them, while at the same time being unlikely to turn against them.
Xue Yan curled his lips.
People in the palace rarely made their hatred of someone obvious. Only by finding ways to provoke them could one make them vent the malice hidden in their hearts and expose it to outsiders.
His use of that useless Second Prince to stage this bitter-meat ploy had indeed managed to lure in a big fish. It was just that this fish was extremely cautious. It kept circling without biting the hook.
He would have to add a little more bait and make the other side believe that he had truly been driven into a desperate situation before they would make use of him.
By then, it remained to be seen who would be using whom.
“Has anything major happened at the Eastern Depot recently?” Xue Yan asked.
Jinbao remained silent for quite some time.
Xue Yan frowned and raised his eyes. Through the mirror, he saw Jinbao kneeling on the floor, wearing an expression of despair as though his life were once again about to be lost.
Xue Yan was speechless for a moment.
He could tell at a glance what the little eunuch was afraid of.
Xue Yan turned his gaze away and continued tending to his wounds.
“The palace is Lingfu’s territory. The Eastern Depot cannot get people inside. That messenger was merely a minor figure they bought off. He couldn’t have discovered you, nor could he take your life.”
Only then did Jinbao feel as though he had survived a disaster, and life returned to his face.
“But you still need to keep an eye on him.” Xue Yan curled his lips and said indifferently. “Even if he is only a minor figure, he is still much more clever than you. If you’re not careful, the people from the Eastern Depot will naturally dispose of you without leaving a trace.”
“Your Highness, save me!” Jinbao cried out in fright.
Xue Yan did not even turn his head. He placed the empty medicine bottle on the table, producing a crisp sound.
“Do as I say, and naturally I won’t let you die.”
——
The pastries that the Empress had asked Jun Huailang to bring back happened to suit Consort Shu’s taste very well, and they kept her happy for several days.
But after only a few days, the atmosphere in Mingluan Palace still dropped to freezing point.
Ever since Consort Shu received that imperial edict that day, she had wept bitterly in the palace. Nothing anyone said could console her. Afterward, the emperor came to see her once, only to be driven out by her without even being allowed to see her face.
Emperor Qingping, however, maintained an extraordinarily good temper. Through the window, Jun Huailang saw Consort Shu crying inside the main hall while Emperor Qingping stood in the courtyard with an expression of helplessness, patiently coaxing her through the window.
Had it been in the past, Jun Huailang would certainly have thought that Emperor Qingping’s love for Consort Shu was so deep and enduring that it was touching.
But Jun Huailang now knew that Emperor Qingping was simply using Consort Shu to suppress some “calamity star.” He secretly made use of her while outwardly searching for lofty and righteous reasons, putting on the appearance of deep affection.
It was truly chilling.
For the first time, Jun Huailang clearly understood what people meant by the phrase, “The imperial family is the most heartless of all.”
No matter how deep the emperor’s feelings for Consort Shu were, they could not compare to a single written judgment from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
Jun Linghuan, meanwhile, had been rather frightened by the gloomy atmosphere in the palace these past few days.
Jun Huailang still had to go to Wenhua Hall to study during the day. That left only Jun Linghuan and Consort Shu in the palace. Although Consort Shu would never vent her anger on her, Jun Linghuan was sensitive enough to sense that her aunt had been unhappy these past few days.
“Who made Auntie unhappy?” Jun Linghuan asked softly one day when Jun Huailang returned from Wenhua Hall and she threw herself into his arms.
Jun Huailang thought to himself: Some brat about the same age as your brother, the sort who will plot to bully you in the future.
He wrapped his arms around Jun Linghuan and smiled.
“No one. It’s something concerning the adults. Auntie will be fine after a few days.”
Only then did Jun Linghuan relax and nod.
“Then tomorrow is your day off. Will you teach Linghuan how to play the qin? There’s a big table in the pavilion in the courtyard, just big enough for your qin.” Jun Linghuan continued, “Today I played the qin for Auntie, and she laughed at me for not being skilled enough.”
Jun Huailang could not help laughing.
“All right. Then tomorrow Linghuan can’t sleep in.”
Jun Linghuan hurriedly nodded.
Jun Huailang had been intelligent from a young age. Whether poetry, literature, music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, there was nothing he was not proficient in. It was precisely because of this that his reputation for extraordinary talent had spread throughout Chang’an several years ago. Naturally, teaching Jun Linghuan to play the qin was well within his abilities.
Early the next morning, Jun Huailang rose at dawn and had Fuyi bring people to move the qin stand into the pavilion in the courtyard.
The moment Fuyi pushed open the door, she let out a cry of surprise. She turned around delightedly and said to Jun Huailang, “Young Master, it’s snowing!”
“It’s snowing?” Jun Huailang was somewhat surprised and followed her to the doorway.
Outside, fine snow was falling thickly. It had only just entered winter, and the leaves had not yet completely fallen from the trees in the courtyard. Now, a layer of snow had accumulated, a sheet of gleaming white covering the green-tiled roofs and upturned eaves.
The air was filled with the crisp, clear scent left behind by the snow.
Jun Huailang took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked toward the vast, distant sky.
So many years had passed that he had forgotten—winter had come especially early that year.