Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Eighteen,
He Yang

The Han Yuan Palace’s decorations were luxurious and imposing- gold-cast jade pillars traversed within the big palace, while the top had a couch embroidered in the shape of a peony, with two maids to the right and left waiting. Empress Liu dragged her long silk dress into the palace, He Yang then sat to her right, and picked up the fruits on the tea table and started eating.

Empress Liu saw him lowering his head and eating with it all over the mouth and was very unsatisfied with it, and coldly humphed with knitted eyebrows, “You just keep eating, look at your good-for-nothing look, when that Old Second gnaws that not even scraps are left, let’s see if you can pick up anything to eat!”

He Yang was scared into a tremble by her angry gaze, and the dipped biscuit that was being swallowed was then stuck in the throat. He started abruptly coughing, but thankfully, the main maidservant to the side Lan Yi[1] helped him sooth it down, and replied with embarrassment, “Father dotes on this son so much, Mother can just relax.”

“Dote?” Empress Liu sneered, “Since the ancient times, heartlessness has been a part of the imperial family, what use is a mere word dote? When the former empress was still alive, wasn’t he also very much in love and affectionate? It has only been a few years, and a generation of new people has replaced the old, you can see how the king is heartless.

Right now, the emperor is merely coveting a freshness with mebg[2], that Old Second is his personally crowned crown prince and Empress Yuan’s sole legal son- don’t look how the emperor doesn’t show anything on the surface, inside, he views him very importantly, and there is also a bunch of old stubborn men in the courts helping him. How long can one dote for? Ibgam already of an old age, losing beauty and affection to the naked eye, yet you’re still this pathetic!”

“Mother, this is all this son’s fault.” He Yang opened his mouth, not knowing what he should say to comfort Empress Liu, and only dryly came out with these few words. When Empress Liu saw him like that, she got filled with much more anger, and sighed with knitted eyebrows, “Never mind it, Ibgdon’t have this fortune either.”

After Empress Liu got angry for a while, she asked, “I hear that Old Second and that abolished emperor of Nan Liang has gotten quite close these days?”

“Precisely.” He Yang nodded his head, and got some energy, then said, “That Nan Liang’s little pretty face has fine skin and tender flesh, it might be that the two are doing something.”

Empress Liu did not pay attention to him, and stroked the hanging beads in her hands and went silent for a moment, then said, “Old Second has deep considerations, I do think that there must be something to obtained. In two days, you go and look at that Nan Hun ducal residence as well.”

“Yes.” He Yang’s mouth twitched- he felt that this task was beneath him, but on the surface, still respectfully nodded his head. Empress Liu satisfactorily took off the string of beads on her hand, waved him over, then placed the beads in his hands and said, “Yang’er, I am putting my hopes on you, you must work harder in the future.”

“Yes, Mother.” When He Yang lifted his head up, he then discovered that the corners of Empress Liu’s eyes silently climbed with some wrinkles, even a thick layer of powder was put over it, age will flow over in the end, never come back.

❀

“Duke, his Fourth Highness has come.” The time right now was just the afternoon. Xiao Zuo just had a small nap in the bedchambers, and was slightly drowsily called up by Zi Wan from the covers. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed them, and his voice still bore a slight lax nasal tone from just waking up, “His Fourth Highness? What is he here for?”

Zi Wan shook the outer robe being hung and draped it on him, then shook her head, “This servant does not know either, he is sitting in the hall right now.” Xiao Zuo knitted his eyebrows, one does not go up the temple for nothing[3], the Fourth Highness and his Highness the Crown Prince were famed to be against each other, it was probably more ominous than it was a blessing.

He fixed his collar, and just as he arrived at to the main reception, he heard He Yang’s angry voice, “How do you servants do things? Can’t even pour tea properly?”

Xiao Zuo’s heart tightened, and saw the small servant girl waiting in the main reception Qiu Kui[4] get so scared her face turned white, kneeling on the floor with her entire body shaking so much like she was shivering, begging for mercy while trembling, “Mercy your Fourth Highness, this servant was just confused, mercy, your Highness!”

That Fourth Highness He Yang was accustomed with picking on bones, and also did not leave any mercy for servants either. His reputation of being hard to serve was all known by everyone in the capital- originally, that small servant girl saw him and got nervous, and when pouring tea for him, her hand shook, and that tea then splashed onto He Yang’s clothes. It wasn’t that big of a mistake, but in He Yang’s hands, it was hard to resolve.

At this time, He Yang was so angry he was jumping with his feet, seeing Xiao Zuo come in, he then straightly demanded for an explanation. He first rebuked that pitiful small servant girl once, and seeing Xiao Zuo at the side only lower his voice and agree, in the end, he couldn’t help it, and revealed his fox tail[5].

“Duke, there is not a single person in this residence of yours that is to heart’s content, even the one pouring tea is inexperienced. I may not have many people in my residence, but they are all well-experienced, and are accustomed with serving people. How about in a few days, I pick a few and send them over, and allow Duke to experience it?”

So it was to dig a hole to wait for him. Xiao Zuo pursed his lips, this situation was weaker than the person- at this time, if he were to not accept, then He Yang would definitely not give up, and then answered, “Many thanks for the Fourth Highness’ good intentions.”

“What kind of winds blow today, to have blown Fourth Brother here too?” Today, He Xuan was wearing a goose cloak, a white wool fabric surrounded his neck, making his features much more gentler. At this time when Xiao Zuo saw him, it was like he had seen Avalokiteśvara, and felt like his feet were stepping over lotuses, and his entire being emitted with a gold light. [Xiao Zuo] immediately sighed a breath of relief, and hurriedly went over to welcome him, “Greetings to your Highness the Crown Prince.”

He Xuan nodded his head at him, saying, “Just what did Fourth Brother speak of with you?”

“Hy residence’s servant girl had been incompetent, and alarmed his Fourth Highness, and so his Highness graciously gifted me a few servant girls.”

“Hoh?” He Xuan raised his eyebrows, and clapped his hands smiling, “Then that’s perfect, Ig also felt this residence’s servants were unsuitable before, how about Ig choose a few well-moving ones as well, how about it?”

He Xuan asked Xiao Zuo, but in secret, he said it for He Yang to hear, “That is naturally good.” Xiao Zuo accepted it immediately, and when He Yang saw him like this, he did not feel it was good to say something. Seeing how his plans were destroyed by these few short lines by He Xuan out of nowhere, he immediately got angry, and sneered ambiguously, “You two are quite in harmony[6] with each other.”

“It is his Highness the Crown Prince who is kind, helping me with many things.” Xiao Zuo heard the firecrackers in his words, and calmly refuted, “Your Highness has overthought it.” He Xuan who about to laugh looked at him from the side, “Is there anything, Fourth Brother?”

“Nothing, I just came to look in passing.” He Yang found no interest in staying any longer, and then sullenly got up and bid his farewell. He Xuan followed him to the entrance, then said, “I know that Fourth Brother is a smart person.”

He Yang was not as good as him in playing tricks, and did not know what he was pointing to for the time being, so he tightly pursed his lips and did not follow up, then got on the carriage and left. He Xuan folded his arms and distantly watched his carriage turn into an alley, smiled for some reason, then turned and went inside the residence.

“His Fourth Highness’ words just now, your Highness mustn’t put it to heart.”

Xiao Zuo saw He Xuan sit down, then poured a cup of tea for him, used his eyes to secretly glance at him, and spoke up.

“En?” He Xuan blew a floating tea leaf, then lightly smiled, “What words?”

“Just……” Xiao Zuo pursed his lips, choked for a bit, but in the end, his skin was thin, and said obscurely, “Those words……”

“Mm, I feel like he was quite right.” He Xuan took a small sip, and looked at him with his right hand propping the chin.

Xiao Zuo froze, and reddened up like a fire was burning his face. He briefly got stunned and did not know what to say, and after a long while, then answered like a small little fly, “What is your Highness saying?”

“Just teasing you.” He Xuan put down the teacup, and took back his smile, and cleared his throat, “There must be some ulterior motive to He Yang coming this time, you should be more careful, do not be intimidated by him.”

“I understand.” Xiao Zuo nodded his head, “Is your Highness going to stay for a meal?”

“No.” Although He Xuan really wanted to accept it, today, there were still some matters at the residence, and got up, “There are still some matters at the residence. However, Ig am serious about the matter before about choosing a few servant girls. When that time comes, you can come to the residence to choose.”

“Then thank you, your Highness.” Xiao Zuo saw that He Xuan went outside with just an outer robe, and hurriedly took up the goose cloak placed to the side, and caught up, “Your Highness, your Highness, please wait!”

He Xuan was already outside the residence. Seeing him run out, he paused in his steps and waited for him. Once Xiao Zuo ran all the way and reached to the front, his cheeks already turned slightly red, with some fine sweat coming out. He lifted the goose cloak up while a bit breathy to drape it on He Xuan, but when has Xiao Zuo served others before- at this time, he appeared more clumsier than usual.

He Xuan narrowed his eyes and watched with interest for a while as Xiao Zuo tipped his toes up wanting to drape it for him, with the tip of his nose secreting beads of sweat, slightly twinkling underneath the sunlight. He Xuan’s heart moved a bit, then took the garment in his hands and draped it on himself. The two people’s hands touched, He Xuan touched the smooth back of his hands, and subconsciously stroked it for a bit, Xiao Zuo then quickly pulled it back with a “fwoosh”, with his face even redder than before, and spoke with a stutter.

“Hurr…… hurry back, your Highness.”

He Xuan lowered his eyes, and completely took his avoiding gaze into the bottom of his eyes, and turned and entered the sedan chair while holding in his laughter.

In the nighttime, xiao’Chong’zi knocked on the door outside, and asked, “Your Highness, will you be resting at Sir Song’s today?”

He Xuan originally was prepared to accept it, but unknown why, he recalled those slightly shaking eyelashes of Xiao Zuo’s and the smiling eyes when holding up his clothes and running towards him. The words went to the side of the mouth and then made a turn, “Mm, no need, clean up the study room.”

After a pause, he seemed to have thought something again, then said, “What was the name of that little girl from before who steeped tea in the study quite well again?”

“Your Highness, she is called Ling Xiang.”

He Xuan lazily leaned on the back of the chair, the teacup wreathed with steaming small clouds, covering over his eyelashes. His eyes were submerged in the curling vapour, and thought inside, if he were to let her go, then she could naturally be his own ears and eyes, and could also steep a good cup of tea, two birds with one stone, “Have her come to the study tomorrow, Ig have something to tell her.”