Jun Huailang turned around and saw Xue Yan sitting on the bed, wrapped in his cloak. His expression was unusually dazed, his amber eyes staring blankly at the lamp on the table.
It was completely different from his usual silent, resigned manner, and even more different from the sinister and unrestrained appearance he had in his previous life.
Jun Huailang actually felt a rare urge to laugh.
He thought to himself, No matter how much this kid would stir up storms in the future, wasn’t he still sitting here looking like a fool at the mercy of others? Even if he grew up to become that unpredictable tyrant later, he wondered whether he would still have the face to exterminate the entire Jun family.
Then, the cold wind blowing in through the doorway made him shiver. He drew his hands closer around the hand warmer he was holding, but still walked forward and silently stuffed it into Xue Yan’s hands as well.
In the process, he touched Xue Yan’s fingertips. Sure enough, they were cold as ice.
He was just about to speak when Jinbao woke up at the doorway. Seeing that his master’s door was open and light was shining from inside, he was so frightened that he scrambled in on all fours.
As soon as he entered, he saw a tall and graceful young man standing there, turning around to look at him. He stared for a long while before recognizing him. Wasn’t this the immortal-like young man who had played the qin in the courtyard today? The heir of Consort Shu’s family, the one who absolutely could not be offended?
Could it be that his own master had offended this immortal?!
Jinbao was so frightened that he was about to kneel and kowtow, when the young man spoke, his voice clear and cool.
“Go call Zheng Guangde.”
Jinbao’s brain was a little numb from the cold.
Zheng Guangde? Who was Zheng Guangde?
…Wasn’t that Eunuch Zheng, the chief eunuch in Consort Shu’s palace?!
Just now, he had wanted to go to Eunuch Zheng to ask for a candle, but he hadn’t even been allowed through the door of Eunuch Zheng’s room. He had been stopped outside while Eunuch Zheng sat inside, with a young eunuch fanning him from beside him. That was the bearing of a favored confidant of a favored consort!
Jinbao’s legs went weak.
Yet the young man waited for a moment, apparently thinking that he had not heard clearly, and repeated in a surprisingly patient and gentle voice, “Zheng Guangde. The middle room in the side quarters. Go call him over and tell him I sent you.”
Jinbao hurriedly looked toward Xue Yan.
By now, Xue Yan had recovered his senses. He quietly glanced at Jinbao, and that alone was enough to frighten the boy awake. He ran out of the room, forgetting even to shiver.
Only after watching Jinbao leave did Jun Huailang turn back to Xue Yan.
“I heard that from now on, you will be Aunt’s child,” he said.
Xue Yan looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
Jun Huailang continued, “The servants mistreating you cannot have been Aunt’s intention. From today onward, you are the master of Mingluan Palace. If anything happens, you can tell Aunt.”
After a pause, he added awkwardly, “Or you can come find me.”
He reassured himself in his heart that he was not taking pity on Xue Yan’s miserable circumstances. After all, it had nothing to do with him. He was merely trying to separate the Jun family from this matter. He absolutely could not let them take the blame for something they had not done.
After a moment, Xue Yan merely gave a low laugh and said, “I still don’t know your name.”
He was wrapped in Jun Huailang’s cloak, the white fur trim resting against the side of his face, making him look rather obedient.
But those eyes of his, perhaps because their color was so light, always made Jun Huailang feel that there was a wild, unrestrained edge to them whenever he looked at him. Like a beast that was difficult to tame, they carried a hint of danger.
Jun Huailang decided that he must be imagining things.
“My surname is Jun. My name is Jun Huailang,” he replied.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside.
Jun Huailang turned around and saw Zheng Guangde hurrying over, with Jinbao following behind him. Zheng Guangde must have already gone to sleep. His robes were not even properly arranged, and in his haste, he had fastened the collar clasps incorrectly.
As soon as Zheng Guangde entered, he hurriedly knelt and saluted Jun Huailang.
“Your Highness, you summoned me?”
Jun Huailang stood with his back to him and turned his head slightly.
“If there are no other vacant chambers in Mingluan Palace, I can vacate my own residence and let Fifth Prince stay there.”
Zheng Guangde’s shoulders trembled when he heard this.
So this little ancestor had dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night because he was standing up for this Fifth Prince whom even the consort herself had never bothered to ask about?
Although this little ancestor was easy enough to serve, he was the apple of Consort Shu’s eye. If he made this young master unhappy, Consort Shu had plenty of ways to deal with him.
Zheng Guangde hurriedly smiled obsequiously.
“Your Highness, what are you saying! There are plenty of vacant chambers in Mingluan Palace. It’s just that these arrangements were ordered by Her Ladyship, and this servant merely followed orders…”
“Did Aunt personally say so?” Jun Huailang asked.
Zheng Guangde continued smiling ingratiatingly. “How could Her Ladyship have the time to concern herself with such trivial matters? It was all Aunt Dian Cui who gave the orders.”
This was already an established practice in Mingluan Palace. Consort Shu was lazy by nature, and whatever Dian Cui said was essentially the same as what Consort Shu said.
The strange feeling in Jun Huailang’s heart grew stronger.
“Go get a brazier, as well as bed curtains and bedding. As for these daily necessities, I imagine Eunuch Zheng is more experienced than I am, so I won’t interfere.”
Zheng Guangde hurriedly nodded in agreement.
“As for moving chambers, you don’t have the authority to decide that. Tomorrow, I will speak to Aunt myself,” Jun Huailang continued.
Zheng Guangde hurriedly agreed. “Thank you, Your Highness! This servant will immediately order people to take care of it!”
“Go.”
Jun Huailang nodded, then added, “Sometimes Aunt Dian Cui’s mind is muddled, but yours ought to be clear.”
Zheng Guangde immediately stopped where he was, waiting for his next words.
“Fifth Prince’s affairs are private royal matters. If you people overstep your authority, that is an act of great disrespect,” he said. “You only need to do your own duties and take good care of him. The rest is none of your concern. Do you understand?”
Even Jinbao, standing behind him, was stunned.
Although he feared Xue Yan and had never dared disobey him, that was only because he was intimidated by Xue Yan’s authority. Not a single person in the entire palace had ever spoken up for Xue Yan.
Jun Huailang was the first.
Jinbao could not help looking toward Xue Yan.
Xue Yan’s gaze was vacant, resting on a corner of the room, as though he were thinking about something. Jinbao had always been afraid of those eyes. Their color was pale and seemed cold and indifferent, yet deep within them was a ruthless, sinister chill that made one’s blood run cold.
But at this moment, those eyes held complicated emotions that contained not the slightest trace of malice.
Meanwhile, having received his orders, Zheng Guangde did not dare delay for even a moment. He hurried out and instructed the young eunuchs to retrieve the necessary supplies from the storeroom.
For a time, Xue Yan’s room became quite lively. Eunuchs went in and out, and before long they had filled the room with supplies and made the bed for him.
Since the day Jinbao had begun serving Xue Yan, he had never seen such a scene. He stood to the side, not even knowing where to put his hands, simply watching the other eunuchs bustle around.
Just then, he met someone’s gaze.
He looked over and saw Jun Huailang standing to the side, looking at him.
Those eyes were black and clear, with slightly drooping outer corners, their gaze extraordinarily calm.
Jinbao froze, suddenly becoming nervous.
He had been standing stupidly to the side and had been seen by this master! What should he do? Perhaps he should kneel down and apologize first…
But before his knees could bend, he saw that the young master had already looked away and turned toward Zheng Guangde.
“Eunuch Zheng.” He lifted his chin and gestured toward Jinbao. “He still lacks a set of winter clothes. The corridors are very cold at night. Prepare a set for him first. Tomorrow, arrange the rest of his clothing.”
Zheng Guangde immediately went to take care of it.
After that, Jun Huailang simply stood there, quietly watching the eunuchs carry things in and out.
Jinbao’s mind was completely muddled.
He… not only hadn’t scolded him, he had even thought to get him more clothes?
Where was this palace ancestor who was supposedly impossible to offend?
He was clearly an immortal who had come to save the suffering!
——
An immortal might have been able to save Jinbao, but when it came to his own fate, he was still somewhat helpless.
Jun Huailang had spent a long time outside that day wearing only a thin robe and being exposed to the wind. By the time he returned to his own palace, he discovered that he was already frozen stiff.
Jun Huailang initially thought it was nothing serious, but that very night, he was plagued by nightmares. The next morning, he developed a high fever. He had completely forgotten what he had dreamed about.
He only vaguely remembered, while sick, the terror of being surrounded by loneliness and cold.
Fuyi was terrified and hurriedly sent someone to summon the imperial physician. Mingluan Palace was thrown into chaos for the entire morning, and soon everyone in the palace knew—
His Highness the Heir had merely gone to see Fifth Prince Xue Yan the previous night, and the next day he developed an unremitting high fever. He must have encountered the evil star.
For a time, all the eunuchs who had gone to Xue Yan’s room the previous night were terrified.
Even someone as distinguished as His Highness the Heir had suffered like this. If they also offended Xue Yan, wouldn’t they lose their lives?
Some even secretly sought out strange folk remedies, mixing ashes from talisman paper into water to wash their hands.
When Jun Huailang woke in a daze, he saw Consort Shu sitting beside his bed and crying.
“What cold entering the body? They clearly said it themselves. The moment Lang’er went to Xue Yan’s room, he inexplicably became ill!” Jun Huailang heard her crying to the imperial physician. “Completely useless. I might as well go to the Bureau of Astronomy and ask for a Taoist priest!”
Whatever she said, she did immediately. She instantly called Dian Cui over.
“If that’s the case, then why do I even need that child? Go to the Bureau of Astronomy and find someone to exorcise the evil spirits in my Mingluan Palace. Then drive out the one in the western side hall. Tell him to go back wherever he came from!”
Hearing this, Jun Huailang’s muddled mind immediately cleared somewhat.
His actions yesterday had originally been intended to sever the karmic connection between Consort Shu and Xue Yan. He had never expected that his attempt to fix things would instead make the situation even worse.
Consort Shu then said to the imperial physician, “With such little ability, you still dare to make a fool of yourself in the palace? I think you should pack your things today and get out of the palace as soon as possible!”
Jun Huailang had no time to think. He hurriedly reached out and grabbed Consort Shu’s sleeve.
“Huailang, you’re awake?”
Consort Shu immediately leaned toward him and placed a hand against his forehead.
Her palm was cool, which jolted Jun Huailang into greater clarity. He was about to say that someone had been using her authority to mistreat Xue Yan, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Dian Cui beside her.
He could not alert the enemy.
At present, it was only a suspicion. Besides, there might be someone else behind Dian Cui giving her orders.
But he also could not let Consort Shu truly do this. Xue Yan in the future would repay every slight with vengeance. He could not guarantee that Xue Yan would not repay today’s grudge upon the Jun family.
But what should he say so that Dian Cui would not become suspicious while still turning the situation around?
A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Jun Huailang.
Back when he had been in the officialdom, there had always been a certain type of person who habitually used weakness to gain benefits. Even the tiniest matter could make them cry with such sorrow that others would feel pity for them, while their attention was simultaneously diverted.
Jun Huailang had always looked down on such people.
But at this moment, he weakly coughed twice. He opened his reddened eyes, glistening with tears, and spoke in a hoarse voice that carried an almost imperceptible tremble.
“Aunt, it’s so cold there,” he said.
Consort Shu hurriedly asked, “Where is cold?”
Jun Huailang suppressed the embarrassment and disgust rising from the deepest part of his heart. His normally cool voice was filled with heavy grievance.
“The western side room. There wasn’t even a brazier there. I stood there for a while and was so cold that I ran back, but in my dream I was trapped there again. I wanted to find the door, but I couldn’t get out. It was just so cold.”
Hearing this, the imperial physician kneeling on the ground, who had thought he was about to lose his position, suddenly found a way out and hurriedly said, “It must be that, Your Ladyship! The rooms on the western side have no underfloor heating and are cold and damp. The wind blew last night as well. His Highness must have caught this illness from the cold!”
Just at this moment, Xue Yan, who had been brought to the eastern side hall by the eunuchs early that morning, happened to walk through the door.
Through the two grand rooms filled with riches and treasures and the layers upon layers of gauze curtains, Jun Huailang’s flushed face, reddened eyes, and aggrieved expression fell directly into his eyes.