chapter 2

When I arrived at the Crown Prince Grandson’s Study Room, Aunt Yuchun was surprised to discover that the Crown Prince Grandson had suddenly started eating much more during supper for a period of time.

It wasn’t until one time when I handed her a Peach Blossom Pastry from my handkerchief that her expression changed. She declared that if I did it again, she would drive me out of the palace.

I was startled and never dared to ask the Crown Prince Grandson for snacks again.

But I couldn’t resist my craving. Whenever the Crown Prince Grandson wasn’t paying attention, I would secretly watch him while reaching out my paw to touch the pastries in the Snack Box.

And so I kept sneaking snacks for three years.

The Crown Prince Grandson surely knew, but he never exposed me. I suppose he simply didn’t want to bother with a fool.

Only once, when I had just stuffed a pastry into my mouth and hadn’t swallowed it yet, the Crown Prince Grandson suddenly became interested and called me to fetch his fine Crimson Ink-he wanted to paint.

Choking, my eyes rolled back as I went to the box for the ink stick, pounding my chest hard a few times until I finally managed to swallow the stuck pastry.

My flushed face slowly recovered. I stood beside the Crown Prince Grandson to grind ink for him, watching as he wielded his brush with ease and focus, and in a few strokes, drew a mouse on the paper.

A chubby little gray-white mouse, adorable and vivid, its bean-like eyes darting about, greedily gnawing on a split pomegranate seed on the table.

The Crown Prince Grandson’s painting was excellent, even the fluffy white mouse fur was lifelike, making the chubby mouse look amusing and cute.

In the end, the Crown Prince Grandson named the painting “Cunning Rat.”

That year, I was thirteen. Seeing how well the Crown Prince Grandson painted, I couldn’t help but feel delighted, my eyes curved with joy as I gave him a thumbs up.

The Crown Prince Grandson raised his brows at me, gave a light snort, then picked up the brush again and dabbed an inconspicuous bit of pomegranate residue onto the mouse’s whiskers.

I grinned and gave him another thumbs up, flattering him-

“Your Highness is amazing! Truly amazing!”

The Crown Prince Grandson ignored me, ordered me to put the painting away. I nodded repeatedly, about to take the painting and leave, when he called me again.

Puzzled, I turned back. He beckoned me over.

I leaned in close. He frowned with distaste and reached out to wipe the corner of my lips.

Only then did I realize that the crumbs from my stolen snack were stuck at my mouth.

The Crown Prince Grandson spoke little and liked to quietly read in the Study Room.

Because of my identity as a fool, I became less and less afraid of him.

When tired, I’d sleep hugging the table leg; when hungry, I’d steal pastries from the Snack Box. My ink-grinding skills also improved-from smudging my face and nose to becoming skillful, after earnestly learning for a while.

By accident, I also discovered that the Pine Soot Ink the Crown Prince Grandson often used tasted rather good. Every time I finished grinding, I couldn’t help but dip my finger and taste it on my tongue, savoring the flavor.

At first, the Crown Prince Grandson looked at me strangely, raising his brows and giving a light laugh. Later, he found it amusing, and every time before he started painting, he would mischievously wait for me to finish tasting the ink before leisurely picking up his brush.

Thinking about it, people are always quite tolerant and indulgent toward fools.

My interactions with the Crown Prince Grandson were brief, limited to the Study Room, and only involved stealing snacks and tasting ink. It should have always been that way.

Until the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet in the 12th year of Jing Shou, when Princess Shuoyang the Grand Princess served the Crown Prince Grandson a bowl of Apricot Paste.

That year, the palace banquet was supposed to be attended by Sister Bao Ning and Ling Shao, accompanying the Crown Prince Grandson.

Sister Bao Ning was a senior maid from Chonghua Palace, and Ling Shao was a military attendant. Both were often by the Crown Prince Grandson’s side.

Just before departure, Aunt Yuchun came to report that Sister Bao Ning had developed a rash on her face and couldn’t go, so she planned to have Sister Yuntai take her place.

At that time, the Crown Prince Grandson was in the Study Room. He put down his brush and said calmly, “It’s fine, let Ah Wen go instead.”

Aunt Yuchun was stunned, and so was I.

Aunt Yuchun hesitated, probably thinking I was too young and foolish.

But the Crown Prince Grandson’s words were never to be refuted.

So I followed them to Yiyuan Hall, keeping Aunt Yuchun’s words in mind, lowering my eyes all the way, not daring to look around curiously.

At the royal banquet, golden incense burners glowed warmly, and there was light singing and dancing.

After three rounds of wine, the Emperor was somewhat drunk and left early, accompanied by Consort Zhang.

With his departure, the atmosphere changed a bit. Princess Shuoyang the Grand Princess, with her bright phoenix eyes, smiled and glanced around, her ten fingers adorned with red nails, personally served the Crown Prince Grandson a bowl of Apricot Paste.
Princess Shuoyang the Grand Princess was the daughter of the late emperor and the sister of Emperor Jing. In her youth, she was sent far away to Wuqiang for a marriage alliance. After Emperor Jing ascended the throne, due to territorial disputes, the armies of Daye marched upon Wuqiang.

It is said that during that conflict, Princess Shuoyang coordinated from within and without, personally killing her own husband, the Khan of Wuqiang.

Because of this, upon her return to Daye, Emperor Jing treated her with exceptional affection. She remarried the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and bore a daughter.

Even the Crown Prince had to respectfully address her as Aunt, let alone the Crown Prince Grandson, who was of a younger generation.

The Grand Princess was very kind, insisting that the Apricot Paste she made herself must be tasted by the young Crown Prince Grandson, who had accompanied his Imperial Grandfather and Imperial Uncles in drinking a few cups of wine, to help relieve the effects of the alcohol.

All eyes in the hall fell upon the Crown Prince Grandson.

Even the Crown Prince was smiling and amiable, but my intuition told me that the Crown Prince Grandson did not want to accept.

Yet he had no reason to refuse, for Emperor Jing, who had just left, had also tasted Princess Shuoyang’s Apricot Paste.

He was silent. Having stayed by his side for three years, I sensed something was amiss in his mood.

So I quickly stepped forward, took the princess’s bowl, and drank it up.

The princess was furious and was about to scold me, but I had already shrunk behind the Crown Prince Grandson, looking frightened.

No one would bother with a fool, especially one who had once helped the Crown Prince Grandson.

Later, we returned safely to Chonghua Palace.

Inside, the Eternal Lamp flickered and the Incense Burner wafted gently.

The Crown Prince Grandson and I sat on the floor. He asked if I knew that bowl of Apricot Paste was likely poisoned.

I thought for a moment and replied seriously, “It doesn’t matter, as long as Your Highness the Crown Prince Grandson is safe. Ah Wen’s life isn’t worth much.”

He frowned and asked again, “Am I worth you risking your life? Throwing your life away?”

“You’re worth it.”

“Why?”

“Because the Crown Prince Grandson is good to Ah Wen.”

“How am I good to you?”

“You give Ah Wen pastries to eat. Ah Wen likes the Crown Prince Grandson.”

I looked at him with a silly smile, utterly sincere, but he was serious and a bit dazed.

Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I added, “Back in the Cold Palace, Eunuch Liu Chun also gave Ah Wen pastries, but he wasn’t good. Every time, he wanted to hug Ah Wen, and I didn’t like him. The Crown Prince Grandson gives me pastries and never asks for anything in return, so the Crown Prince Grandson is truly good to Ah Wen.”

I spoke earnestly, but his expression didn’t look good. He pressed his lips together and, after a long while, finally spoke: “He hugged you?”

“Just once.”

I held up one finger. “Then Granny Guihua found out. She was very angry and said it was wrong, a bad thing. Ah Wen thought so too and never spoke to Eunuch Liu Chun again. He smelled awful.”

After I finished, the Crown Prince Grandson’s face still looked grim. His sharp peach blossom eyes flashed with coldness, and for a moment, even the air around him grew somber.

My heart trembled, a little afraid. “Crown Prince Grandson, Ah Wen knows she was wrong.”

The Crown Prince Grandson gazed at me deeply, then suddenly sighed, pursed his thin lips, and pulled out a palm-sized Steamed Crab from his sleeve.

I was surprised. “Crab?”

That foolish mind suddenly remembered: before the palace banquet, I had carefully asked the Crown Prince Grandson in the Study Room, “Will there be crab at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet?”

The Crown Prince Grandson had replied with a simple “Mm,” eyes fixed on his book.

I asked again, “How many legs does a crab have?”

He frowned, impatiently put down his book, and glanced at me, his gaze cool.

By then, the fool was no longer afraid of him, staring curiously, waiting for his answer.

He suddenly chuckled, “A crab has six walking legs and two pincers, making eight legs.”

“Eight legs! It sure can grow,” I exclaimed in wonder.

The Crown Prince Grandson snorted lightly, not intending to answer me further.

But after a while, I asked again, “Is crab tasty?”

……

Ah Wen will always remember: when Zhou Chengyi was still the Crown Prince Grandson, he picked a crab at the palace banquet and hid it in his sleeve.

In the deep night at Chonghua Palace, with the lights flickering, the young imperial grandson used his long, strong hands to break open the crab, took the crab roe in his clean palm, and handed it to the thirteen-year-old fool across from him, who had never seen or tasted crab before.

The autumn air was thick, the crab roe fragrant. The fool squinted her eyes, like a kitten, licking his palm clean, utterly content.

Then, as if compelled by some spirit, the Crown Prince Grandson reached out and pinched her chubby cheek.

Three years of pastries had raised that flesh, and indeed, it felt wonderful to the touch.