Entering the Palace

Emotion colored those beautiful dark eyes, making them far more vivid than their earlier lifelessness. Jing Shao watched him with smiling eyes, wanting to tell him there was no need to be so timid. But then he remembered that in his previous life, it was precisely his refusal to listen to this man, his arrogance and disregard for everyone else, that had brought him to his miserable end, with everyone eager to kick him when he was down. His smile faded.

"Prince, we've reached the Meridian Gate," the young eunuch Chunxi called from outside, and the sedan chair came to a halt. Ordinarily, it could carry them into the palace, but today they were to pay their respects to the emperor and empress in the empress's quarters. They had to alight at the Meridian Gate and transfer to a palace carriage. With palace attendants surrounding the carriage on every side, neither spoke again.

After court, Emperor Hongzheng went to the empress's Luanyi Palace, where he sat with the empress, Lady Wu, in the main hall to await the newlyweds. In his forties, Emperor Hongzheng was in his prime, possessed of the composure and wisdom befitting a capable emperor. Merely sitting there, he exuded an imposing authority that needed no display of anger.

Looking at his imperial father, now more than a decade younger, Jing Shao clenched the hand hidden inside his pale-blue sleeve, then slowly relaxed it. Together with Mu Hanzhang, he respectfully saluted the emperor and empress.

Emperor Hongzheng first offered Jing Shao some praise, then followed it with a few words of admonishment. "You're a grown man now. From now on, think before you speak or act. I don't want to hear of you overturning your imperial mother's tea table again."

"Your son understands. Thank you for your instruction, Father." Jing Shao's reply was mild, but his face plainly showed his defiance.

"On such a joyous day, Your Majesty, don't scold him any further." Having taken it all in, the empress quickly intervened with a smile. "Today we're here to meet our daughter-in-law."

A palace maid had already laid cushions before the emperor and empress. Mu Hanzhang stepped forward, knelt, and kowtowed to Emperor Hongzheng, then raised a cup of tea above his head. "Father, please have some tea." Every ceremonial movement was impeccable, every gesture imbued with the cultured grace of a distinguished scholar.

Emperor Hongzheng accepted the tea and took a sip. "Mu Jin's second son," he said with a smile. "I never imagined you would be a young man of such grace." With that, he bestowed a pair of mutton-fat jade ruyi scepters on him.

"Thank you, Father." Mu Hanzhang accepted the imperial favor with neither servility nor arrogance, then knelt before the empress to offer her tea.

The empress accepted it with a smile, but was in no hurry to let him rise. Instead, she turned to chat with the emperor. "Your Majesty's judgment is wise indeed. This second son of the Mu family passed the provincial examination at just seventeen. I hear the young noblemen of the capital all honor him with the name 'Young Master Wenyuan.'"

"Is that so?" Now Emperor Hongzheng was interested. A youth who passed the provincial examination at seventeen was uncommonly gifted. The only member of Marquis Beiwei's family he usually saw was the heir apparent; he had never imagined that this concubine-born son, whom he had never met, was such a hidden pearl. He could not help regretting it. Had someone like this been able to sit the metropolitan examination, he would surely have proved a man of talent—and a useful means of keeping Marquis Beiwei in check. What a pity.

"It was only a teasing name a few childhood friends gave me. It hardly deserves to be taken seriously." The longer Mu Hanzhang knelt, the worse he felt, and his face was beginning to pale. Still, he remained perfectly upright, inserting the remark at an opportune moment to remind the two of them that he was still on his knees.

"Oh, why does the child look so pale?" As she spoke, the empress glanced at Jing Shao beside him. Seeing that he appeared unmoved and showed no intention of coming to Mu Hanzhang's aid, she veiled the sharp glint in her eyes and smilingly handed Mu Hanzhang an open brocade box. Anyone could see that the glittering jewels inside were worth a fortune.

Faced with such a lavish first-meeting gift, Mu Hanzhang recalled what Jing Shao had said in the sedan chair and accepted it without hesitation. As he rose, his vision darkened. He swayed a little before finding his balance, and a palace maid hurried forward to support him.

"If you're unwell, you should go home early." Emperor Hongzheng waved a hand, dismissing them.

Mu Hanzhang declined the maid's further assistance. Jing Shao paid him no attention either; after saluting, he walked straight out. Heaven knew how badly he wanted to gather Junqing into his arms and spare him even a single step, but they were still in the palace. All he could do was keep his face cold and feign impatience.

Outside the palace gate, Mu Hanzhang stepped down from the carriage. Looking at the indifferent figure striding ahead of him, he smiled bitterly at himself. What, exactly, had he been hoping for? Had that brief tenderness really been nothing but an illusion?

He tried to catch up, but had barely taken two steps when his vision went black and he pitched forward. The pain he expected never came. Instead, he fell into a warm embrace. "Junqing, what's wrong?" When he opened his eyes again, he saw Jing Shao's anxious face.

Seeing him faint, Jing Shao had swiftly caught him in his arms and hurried into the sedan chair. "Chunxi, go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and ask Jiang Huan—Imperial Physician Jiang—to come to the prince's residence. Bearers, take us home at once."

"Yes!" The bearers lifted the sedan chair at his command, while Chunxi ran off toward the Imperial Medical Bureau.

"Junqing? Junqing, where does it hurt? Hmm?" Jing Shao settled the man in his arms against his chest and felt his forehead. "Why have you developed a fever?"

Mu Hanzhang remained silent. This man's alternating warmth and coldness left him at a loss, and the regret in the emperor's eyes today had been almost unbearably painful. With both his body and his heart aching, he felt utterly dispirited, and his consciousness grew increasingly hazy.

"Judging by Shao'er's manner, he seems rather dissatisfied with the marriage this consort arranged for him," the empress said with a troubled expression after the two had gone.

"He's still young. Naturally, he cannot understand your painstaking care, Empress. But the boy is certainly genuine." Emperor Hongzheng, on the other hand, was quite satisfied. He had seen Jing Shao's reactions clearly just now; his resentment and displeasure had been plainly apparent. Had he displayed nothing but overwhelming gratitude after losing his right to the succession, he would have been far too calculating.

Back at the prince's residence, Jing Shao hurried into the room with Mu Hanzhang in his arms. "Bring a cold cloth."

After tucking Mu Hanzhang under the covers, he took the cloth Zhixi handed him and laid it on his forehead.

"Junqing, are you feeling very bad?" Jing Shao watched him with an aching heart. In his previous life, Mu Hanzhang's health had steadily deteriorated; in those last few years, he had practically lived on medicine. This time, Jing Shao had to care for him properly and make sure he stayed strong and healthy.

"I'm all right. Aren't we still supposed to visit the Second Prince's residence? We mustn't delay." He struggled to rise as he spoke, but Jing Shao pressed him back down.

"I've already sent word to my brother. He won't hold it against us." He did feel they ought to visit his brother, partly as a matter of courtesy, but more importantly to prevent any misunderstanding. Still, none of that mattered as much as Junqing's health. He could explain things to his brother later.

Zhixi came in to announce, "Prince, the imperial physician is here."

Imperial Physician Jiang was by no means the highest-ranking physician at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Though his medical skills were good, he could not imagine why Prince Cheng had specifically requested him for a consultation at his residence. They had scarcely had any dealings before.

"Well..." After taking Mu Hanzhang's pulse and examining his complexion, Imperial Physician Jiang gave Jing Shao an awkward look.

Understanding, Jing Shao dismissed all the servants. "Speak freely, Imperial Physician."

"Judging by the Prince's Consort's pulse, I believe his condition stems from a combination of physical injury and pent-up distress." Imperial Physician Jiang glanced at Jing Shao again. A fever of this sort was no serious illness. Prince Cheng must have some deeper purpose in summoning him today, so he continued, "Forgive this old servant for speaking plainly. Though the Prince's Consort is a man, men are in fact more easily injured than women during intercourse. It would be best for you to be gentler with him, Prince."

His words turned Mu Hanzhang's entire face scarlet. Jing Shao, too, rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "I was too rough."

"Please forgive me, Prince." Imperial Physician Jiang was rather uneasy himself, unsure whether his remarks were what Prince Cheng had wanted to hear.

"Ha! This prince likes a man who speaks his mind, Imperial Physician Jiang." Jing Shao accepted the prescription from him and instructed Mengxi to brew the medicine, then took a string of coral beads from his sleeve.

"Prince, I couldn't possibly accept this." Imperial Physician Jiang broke into a cold sweat. He had always made a point of steering a middle course and wanted no part in the struggles among the imperial princes and their offspring.

"These aren't for you," Jing Shao said impatiently when he refused to take them. "I hear your son is highly skilled in martial arts and passed the provincial military examination this year. This is a congratulatory gift for him." Red coral beads could ward off bloodshed, so they were indeed an appropriate gift for a martial artist. Imperial Physician Jiang could hardly refuse again. Besides, the Prince evidently had his eye on his son, which set his own mind at ease.

"In that case, this old servant thanks you for your generosity on my unworthy son's behalf. I'll have him call another day to offer his thanks in person." At this, Imperial Physician Jiang put the coral beads away, bowed, and took his leave.

Jing Shao had Duofu see the imperial physician out, then sat down beside the bed again to change the cloth on Mu Hanzhang's forehead.

"Leave these things to the maids, Prince. You should go and rest," Mu Hanzhang said coolly. Perhaps the man's fleeting tenderness was merely a passing amusement, something new to entertain him, rather than genuine kindness. Whether someone was sincere could be seen in the little things. His behavior at the palace today had frozen Mu Hanzhang's newly warmed heart into shards of ice.

"Junqing?" Seeing that the man who had begun to soften toward him that morning had grown distant again, Jing Shao guessed that what had happened in the palace had hurt him. He himself had never had the patience for lengthy explanations, while Junqing was even more inclined to bottle everything up. It seemed he would have to talk more from now on. He scratched his head helplessly, then sighed. "I let you suffer unfairly at the palace today."

Mu Hanzhang opened his eyes and looked at him. So he knew?

"I merely knelt a little longer. I'm not a woman; I won't feel ill-used because my mother-in-law wanted to put me in my place. You're worrying needlessly, Prince." His gentle voice was pleasant to the ear, his words devoid of the slightest resentment, yet Jing Shao could not shake the feeling that he was angry.

"Everyone in the capital laughs at me. They say that despite all my great achievements, I'm barred from inheriting the throne. A son of the empress, yet I rank below even the eldest prince, whose mother was a palace maid..." Jing Shao's tone was self-mocking. He had nursed this resentment for more than a decade, and now that he was voicing it, the words truly came from his heart.

Beneath the covers, Mu Hanzhang's hands slowly clenched. The more he heard, the colder his heart grew. So the man had not been drunk at all last night. Everything he had done had simply been to torment him. "Your servant knows all this. I ask nothing else of you, Prince—only that, once you have attained glory and success, you grant me a letter of repudiation."