Listening to Xiao Xian's childish yet heartfelt words, Xiao Yi felt waves of darkness clouding his vision. He usually went out of his way to avoid Xiao Shan; when had he ever actively provoked him?

 

Now, he only regretted hosting this banquet. Wouldn't it have been better to move quietly? If he had nipped the idea of the banquet in the bud, Zheng Zhong and Xiao Shan might never have crossed paths, and today's incident would never have happened.

 

Zheng Zhong hadn't expected things to turn out this way either. He approached Xiao Yi to apologize. As a scion of an aristocratic family, he usually held himself in high regard and associated with the elite of his generation. They looked down on someone like Xiao Shan, who was seen as uneducated and unrefined. Today's events had been a harsh lesson for him.

 

Xiao Shan had many twisted arguments that Zheng Zhong couldn't counter. Speaking with someone like him, even a slight slip in words could be seized upon and distorted into something else.

 

Seeing Zheng Zhong's face full of guilt and unease, Xiao Yi couldn't bring himself to say anything reproachful. He weakly said, "I will personally explain the situation to Father Emperor. Cousin, you must be more cautious in your actions in the future."

 

Hearing this, Zheng Zhong's guilt deepened, and he said, "Thank you, Fourth... Thank you, Your Highness."

 

Xiao Xian, who hadn't left yet, chimed in, "Fourth Brother, you can't blame Cousin Zheng for this. Third Brother's mouth is relentless when he has the upper hand. He won't back down even in front of Father Emperor, let alone anyone else. Among us brothers, only Second Brother hasn't been on the receiving end of his retorts."

 

His tone turned sour as he said this.

 

Xiao Shan and Xiao Jin were indeed very close. They had played together since childhood and were even closer than siblings born of the same mother.

 

Such brotherly bonds were rare in the palace.

 

Hearing this, Zheng Zhong quickly bowed to Xiao Xian, his expression serious. "Thank you, Fifth Prince, for your advice. This time, it was indeed my lack of caution in speaking that allowed the Third Prince to seize upon my words, causing trouble for the Fourth Prince."

 

He wished he could personally go to the Emperor to apologize, but he didn't have the standing to do so. The Emperor was not someone he could see at will.

 

In the end, the task of explaining and apologizing would fall on the Fourth Prince.

 

However, Xiao Shan's personality, if properly utilized, might yield unexpected results. Pondering this possibility, Zheng Zhong lowered his eyes thoughtfully.

 

He needed to carefully consider this matter.

 

Some overly obvious traits could be both strengths and weaknesses.

 

Today, he had been publicly taught a lesson by Xiao Shan. In the future, he would certainly make Xiao Shan pay for today's humiliation.

 

Xiao Yi had no idea what his cousin was thinking. The thought of the upcoming challenges gave him a headache. He looked at Zheng Zhong and said, "We are cousins; there's no need to talk about causing trouble. But, Cousin, it would be wise to avoid Third Brother in the future."

 

Xiao Xian nodded repeatedly from the side. He felt the same way—Xiao Shan was too eloquent, and he couldn't handle it.

 

He believed most people couldn't handle it either.

 

Zheng Zhong quickly said, "I will remember Your Highness' advice. I won't make such a mistake again."

 

Xiao Yi nodded and then escorted Xiao Xian out of Prince Xian's residence.

 

Given Xiao Xian's young age, for his safety, Xiao Jin, whether as a brother or the Crown Prince, would personally escort him back to the palace.

 

Fortunately, their conversation had only taken a few moments and hadn't delayed them too much.

 

Outside Prince Xian's residence, Xiao Jin was already waiting.

 

Xiao Shan had drunk some wine, so Xiao Jin needed to keep an eye on him and was sitting in a carriage.

 

Xiao Xian, from the bottom of his heart, didn't want to sit with the two of them, but when Xiao Jin beckoned him over, Xiao Xian immediately walked over with a forced smile.

 

Xiao Yi, looking tense, stepped forward and was about to say something to the clear-headed Xiao Jin. Xiao Jin smiled at him and said, "Fourth Brother, I understand everything you want to say. The bond between us brothers will not be swayed by a few idle words."

 

Only then did Xiao Yi breathe a sigh of relief.

 

Seeing him relax, Xiao Jin ordered the group to depart.

 

The carriage swayed, and Xiao Shan, sitting inside, frowned, his face looking a bit unwell.

 

Xiao Jin quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

 

Half-closing his bleary eyes, Xiao Shan said in a faint tone, "Second Brother, the swaying of the carriage is making me feel nauseous."

 

Xiao Xian: "..."

 

Hearing this, his face turned pale, and he quietly moved to the farthest corner from Xiao Shan.

 

If it were possible, he would prefer to sit outside the carriage rather than inside.

 

Xiao Shan glanced at Xiao Xian, who was trying hard to make himself smaller, and raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

 

He didn't intentionally move closer to Xiao Xian; doing so would be pointless. Besides, he wouldn't tease a brother with whom he wasn't very close.

 

The carriage swayed its way to the entrance of Prince Li's residence.

 

Xiao Shan didn't vomit the entire ride.

 

Xiao Jin initially intended to escort him back to the residence, but Xiao Shan stopped him, saying, "We're already at my doorstep; there's no danger. Second Brother, there's no need to escort me further." Then, looking at Xiao Xian, who had been huddled up the whole time, he added, "Second Brother, quickly take Fifth Brother back to the palace."

 

Ji An, being quite perceptive, quickly supported Xiao Shan's arm upon seeing the situation.

 

Xiao Jin then nodded and said to Ji An, "Your master has had some wine. Make sure to prepare some hangover soup to prevent a headache later."

 

Ji An promptly agreed.

 

After Xiao Jin left, Xiao Shan turned to head back into the residence.

 

Before he reached the inner courtyard, Xie Zhui appeared.

 

Seeing Xie Zhui, Ji An released his hold.

 

Xie Zhui smoothly took over supporting Xiao Shan and, smelling the alcohol on him, asked, "How much did Your Highness drink?"

 

Xiao Shan smiled with squinted eyes, "Not much, I was just in a good mood today."

 

Hearing his tone, Xie Zhui knew that something interesting must have happened at Prince Xian's residence.

 

After helping Xiao Shan to his room and laying him on the bed, Xie Zhui stood up to arrange for hot water and hangover soup.

 

But as soon as he stood up, his wrist was grabbed.

 

Turning back, he saw that Xiao Shan, lying on the bed, showed no signs of being drunk.

 

His eyes were bright, his expression normal, and he gently rubbed Xie Zhui's wrist. "I told you I wasn't drunk. Why don't you believe me?" In other places, he would never drink enough to get drunk.

 

The words he said in the carriage earlier were just to scare Xiao Xian.

 

Xie Zhui felt a tingling sensation where his wrist was being rubbed. He pursed his lips, his first thought being that it was still early.

 

Whether it was early or not, Xiao Shan didn't care.

 

He pulled Xie Zhui onto the bed with a slight force, covering them both with the blanket. Inside, he mumbled, "Don't think too much..."

 

Xie Zhui thought to himself, how could he not think about it? But he still let Xiao Shan have his way.

 

***

 

On the way back to the palace, Xiao Xian glanced at Xiao Jin, then glanced again. When he glanced a third time, Xiao Jin was also looking at him.

 

Their eyes met, and Xiao Xian's mind went blank at first. When he came to his senses, he was filled with embarrassment—he had been caught.

 

Xiao Jin asked gently, "Fifth Brother, is there something on your mind?"

 

Xiao Xian thought, since he had been seen, denying it would be too fake. He might as well just go for it.

 

So, he raised his head and said, "Second Brother, I was just wondering, was Third Brother really feeling nauseous earlier, or did he say that on purpose?"

 

Of course, it was on purpose.

 

Xiao Xian didn't know exactly how much Xiao Shan could drink, but he knew that Xiao Jin would never let himself get drunk, even if it was wine bestowed by the Emperor. Xiao Shan was very well-behaved after drinking—he wouldn't vomit or cause a scene.

 

Xiao Jin thought this but didn't show it on his face. He asked, "Why do you ask?"

 

Xiao Xian bit his lip and, in a somewhat irritated tone, said, "If he really wanted to vomit, he would have done so already. But he didn't. He was just trying to disgust me, wasn't he?"

 

"Nonsense." Even if it were true, Xiao Jin had to smooth things over. "Your Third Brother was in a bad mood and had a bit to drink. You should be concerned about his well-being, not dwelling on these trivial matters."

 

He extended the topic to emphasize that brothers should help and care for each other, and that the bond between brothers was deeper than anything else.

 

From the journey back to the palace, Xiao Xian was left bewildered by Xiao Jin's words. By the time Xiao Jin had escorted him back to his quarters, Xiao Xian had only one thought in his mind: as a brother, why hadn't he been concerned about whether Xiao Shan had a headache after drinking?

 

As for vomiting, if someone felt unwell, they would naturally vomit. If he did vomit, wouldn't his stomach feel very uncomfortable?

 

These thoughts lingered in Xiao Xian's mind until he saw the angry face of Consort Xian. Realizing this, Xiao Xian shuddered, thinking that Xiao Jin was also quite terrifying.

 

Xiao Jin spoke gently, but he had the ability to brainwash people.

 

Especially for someone his age, with not very strong willpower.

 

No wonder Xiao Jin's position as Crown Prince was so secure. If he and Xiao Shan joined forces, they could be considered invincible.

 

Seeing Xiao Xian trembling, Consort Xian frowned delicately and said, "What are you afraid of?" How could a trip outside the palace make him lose his courage?

 

What made her even angrier was that he had been fine before seeing her, but now he was scared like this. It was impossible for Consort Xian not to have any thoughts about it.

 

Xiao Xian couldn't very well say that he had been swayed by Xiao Jin's words. He cautiously replied, "Mother Consort, your child is not afraid."

 

Seeing him lie, Consort Xian's frown deepened. She said, "Do you think I'm blind?"

 

She was a bit angry when she said this. First, because of Xiao Xian's inexplicable fear, whether towards her or others, which was unacceptable. Second, she was furious that Xiao Xian dared to lie to her.

 

Her anger over the latter outweighed the former.

 

At such a young age, he dared to lie to her. In the future, when his wings were fully grown, he would care even less about her.

 

Seeing Consort Xian's increasingly dark expression, Xiao Xian was genuinely scared.

 

For some reason, in this situation, he suddenly thought of Xiao Shan's face. He blurted out, "Mother Consort, what do you want to do?"

 

Consort Xian was taken aback by his question, and her dark expression softened.

 

Xiao Xian didn't know what came over him, but a sense of unexplainable solemnity replaced his fear. He said, "Mother Consort, I know what you want to ask. But do you know that I've been so engrossed in my studies lately that I can't even eat? Today, at Fourth Brother's residence, I met the Crown Prince and Third Brother. They both said I've lost weight. Did you notice even a bit of that?"

 

Consort Xian's eyebrows knitted tightly together. "So, you believe the Crown Prince and Prince Li's instigations? The Crown Prince is reserved; he wouldn't say such things. It must have been Prince Li. Do you not know what kind of person he is? He speaks without restraint even in front of the Emperor. Why would you listen to him?"

 

Hearing this, Xiao Xian felt a sense of despair. He didn't want to study day and night, nor did he want to constantly compare himself to others.

 

Driven by a sudden impulse, he said, "Third Brother may speak without restraint in front of Father Emperor, but Father Emperor loves to hear what he says. No matter how well I perform, Father Emperor doesn't like me."

 

By the end, he was almost shouting.

 

Consort Xian was startled by his outburst.

 

Taking advantage of the momentum, Xiao Xian quickly said, "Mother Consort, I just ran into Eunuch Chang Le. He said Father Emperor wants to see me. I must take my leave."

 

Of course, this was a lie, but he didn't want to listen to Consort Xian any longer. He wanted to escape, to get far away.

 

Even if it was just for a little while.

 

Xiao Xian turned and left so quickly that Consort Xian, standing there, didn't even have time to react.

 

***

 

Xiao Shan had no idea about the events unfolding in the palace, and even if he did, he wouldn't have cared.

 

He and Xie Zhui had just finished bathing and were lying in bed, chatting happily.

 

Xiao Shan recounted the events at Prince Xian's residence, and Xie Zhui listened, feeling a surge of anger that didn't subside even by the end.

 

However, he still agreed with Xiao Shan's approach. "Only you have such a good temper to save his face. Otherwise, it would have escalated to Father Emperor having to mediate. We went to give Prince Xian a gift, not to be mistreated. That cousin of his, with no official position and not being a censor*, had no right to criticize you."

*a "censor" (御史, yùshǐ) was an official responsible for supervising and critiquing the conduct of government officials and the implementation of policies. The censors were part of the Censorate (御史台, yùshǐ tái), an important institution in imperial China that acted as a watchdog over the bureaucracy, ensuring that officials performed their duties honestly and effectively. 

 

Censors had the authority to investigate corruption, misconduct, and inefficiency within the government. They could report directly to the Emperor and were expected to be impartial and fearless in their duties. Their role was crucial in maintaining the integrity of the administration and holding officials accountable.

 

"Exactly." Xiao Shan held his hand, fully agreeing with his words.

 

He knew Xie Zhui would stand by his side, but he hadn't expected Xie Zhui to be so angry about the matter.

 

Xie Zhui himself didn't feel any different; he thought he was just being his usual self.

 

Not wanting Xie Zhui to dwell on the issue, Xiao Shan changed the subject, saying, "There's something I need your help with."

 

It was the first time Xie Zhui had heard him say this, and he felt a bit excited. He quickly nodded and said, "Tell me." If he could truly help Xiao Shan, he would do everything in his power.

 

Xiao Shan leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear. Xie Zhui was a bit puzzled but didn't ask why such a thing needed to be done.

 

Xiao Shan said, "This is a serious matter. Once I confirm the situation, I'll explain the specifics to you, alright?"

 

Xie Zhui nodded, "I'll write a letter to my elder brother and ask him to help us investigate the situation."

 

Xiao Shan agreed.

 

In truth, at that moment, he wanted to do something more, as they had only been intimate once earlier.

 

Seeing that Xie Zhui had shown a hint of fatigue after their earlier encounter, Xiao Shan refrained from continuing. Even if he had thoughts now, he wouldn't disregard Xie Zhui's well-being.

 

So, Xiao Shan continued talking with Xie Zhui.

 

Gradually, Xie Zhui found Xiao Shan's voice becoming slower and more indistinct. After a while, Xie Zhui fell into a deep sleep.

 

Watching him sleep, Xiao Shan also began to feel a bit drowsy.

 

He closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became steady and deep.