Wipe His Face

When the Vice Minister of Revenue arrived at the East Palace, an attendant informed him that His Highness the Crown Prince was absent and asked him to wait at the entrance.

It was the height of July, the blazing sun hanging overhead. Yu Gao stood at the gate under the sun for more than an hour, nearly unable to endure it before fainting, when Xiao Hanye finally appeared in a suit of armor. It looked as though he had been drilling troops at the military camp.

Yu Gao lifted his robes and bowed. "This humble servant greets Your Highness."

Xiao Hanye glanced at him and smiled. "Vice Minister Yu looks rosy-cheeked. It seems you have been living quite well these past days?"

Yu Gao cupped his hands. "Thanks to Your Highness's blessings."

Rosy-cheeked my ancestors for eighteen generations. Wasn't it because I stood outside waiting for you beneath the scorching sun for more than an hour? The East Palace attendants are far too thoughtless—they did not even know to invite me inside for tea while I waited.

Xiao Hanye was in an unusually good mood today and did not take offense at the barbed undertone in his words. He led him to the Hall of Literary Brilliance. Wu Dequan brought in a tea set and placed it on the table, then laid down a cloth mat beneath a red-clay stove and began arranging everything by himself.

Xiao Hanye went into the inner chamber to change. Without permission, Yu Gao did not dare sit down. After watching the old chief steward bent over and wrestling with the tea leaves for a while, his gaze slowly drifted out the window.

Outside was a small garden with elegant scenery. Two snow wolves were kept there, their fur sleek and smooth, their bearing majestic. The Crown Prince had brought them back from the Northern Frontier.

Thinking of this, Yu Gao could not help recalling the past.

In the winter of the thirteenth year of Jiahe, during the battle at Twilight Cloud Pass, the front lines had gone a long time without receiving the military pay and supplies from the court. The Northern Frontier was bitterly cold, and without money or provisions to sustain them, in such circumstances, even if they were not killed in battle, they would sooner or later freeze or starve to death.

Yet the Crown Prince's fate was tough. Not only had he not died, he had even won the battle.

On the third day after the victory report reached the capital, a supervising official from the Ministry of Revenue submitted a memorial before the Emperor, saying that he had uncovered numerous problems while auditing the military accounts. He was terrified and did not dare conceal them.

The Chenghuan Emperor ordered a thorough investigation, stripping through the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War from top to bottom. Everyone was left fearing for themselves. In the end, it was found that the Minister of War had embezzled the military funds.

But that was not the truth. The Ministry of Revenue had never released the military pay; the Ministry of War had merely been pushed out by Xie the Grand Secretary to take the blame for the Ministry of Revenue.

The Minister of Revenue was Xie the Grand Secretary's disciple. He redid the accounts, then used certain methods to scheme the Ministry of War into bearing this grave crime.

At that time, the Minister of War belonged to the Second Prince's faction. After this incident, the enmity between the Second and Fourth Princes' factions deepened further. Every day, they plotted against one another, wishing they could slap the other party to death right in the Golden Hall.

As the Vice Minister of Revenue, Yu Gao could not afford to offend his superior. He had been forced to take part in falsifying accounts and framing the Ministry of War. If the matter were exposed someday, he would be finished.

Within this whirlpool of power, one either drifted with the tide or took a gamble, actively seeking a path to survival.

To protect himself, Yu Gao chose to pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince.

Though the Chenghuan Emperor had cast a wide net and fathered many children, the one he favored most was still the Crown Prince. Clinging to his thigh could not possibly be wrong.

Yu Gao was still immersed in old memories when, amid his sighs, he heard the Crown Prince's voice. "Vice Minister Yu seems absent-minded. Which beauty are you thinking of?"

Before Yu Gao could come back to himself, the words had already slipped out. "I was thinking of Your Highness."

Wu Dequan's hand trembled, and he was scalded by the tea. He hurriedly cradled his hand and blew on it.

Xiao Hanye cast him a sidelong look. "Hm?"

Yu Gao: "..."

It's over.

With a bang, Yu Gao dropped to his knees. Before he could speak his apology, Xiao Hanye waved a hand and did not pursue the matter. "Get up. Bring him a seat."

An attendant brought over a stool.

Yu Gao thanked him in terror. Lifting his robe hem, he sat down, but only lightly touched the stool with his rear and did not dare settle into it. The Crown Prince seemed to be in an especially good mood today.

Recently, he had worn an expression that said, "I'm going to kill someone," all day long, picking fault everywhere and leaving the Six Ministries in a state of panic. Afraid of walking into trouble, Yu Gao had privately asked Commander Wen about it, only to be told that His Highness's beloved had vanished without a trace and might have run away with someone.

That was utter nonsense.

Dog... ahem, how could the Crown Prince possibly have a beloved? In his eyes, even the greatest beauty under heaven could not compare to the two snow wolves in his back garden.

Wu Dequan distributed the tea and poured it.

Xiao Hanye accepted his teacup and glanced at Vice Minister Yu, who had drifted into thought again. With amused interest, he asked, "Are the chairs of the East Palace too hot, or does Vice Minister Yu have some hidden ailment?"

Yu Gao: "..."

Vice Minister Yu firmly planted his rear on the stool, suppressed his jumbled thoughts, and earnestly reported the Ministry of Revenue's recent findings.

The Baochang Bureau was the mint under the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for maintaining the circulation of currency and the treasury. Yet it had colluded with merchants and was secretly selling copper coins illegally.

Xiao Hanye listened quietly, then lowered his head and took a sip of tea.

Yu Gao lightly rubbed his sleeve, waiting for his response.

Xiao Hanye raised his eyes and gave a laugh.

Yu Gao: "?"

What did that laugh mean?

Xiao Hanye said, "Anything else?"

Yu Gao thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Xiao Hanye waved a hand, wearing an expression that said, "You may get lost now."

"..." Vice Minister Yu felt as though he had been discarded after being used. He opened his mouth, somewhat hesitant.

Xiao Hanye set down his teacup and waited for him to speak.

Yu Gao swallowed hard. Unable to suppress the curiosity filling his heart, he rubbed his hands together. "Has Your Highness... found your beloved?"

Xiao Hanye: "?"

Wu Dequan: "..."

Last night, the Crown Prince had spent half the night with a headache because that amnesiac shadow guard had mistaken him for his "beloved." Wu Dequan moved with swift hands and quick feet, rushing forward to clamp a hand over Vice Minister Yu's mouth and shove him out the door in one go. After handling matters properly, he saw Xiao Hanye emerge as well. He froze, then hurriedly followed him. "Are you going out, Your Highness?"

Xiao Hanye gave a quiet "Mm."

Wu Dequan rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "Are we going to the Imperial College?"

Xiao Hanye turned to look at him expressionlessly.

Wu Dequan rubbed his round belly and tilted his head up to look at the sky.

White clouds drifted lazily by. The weather was fine.

When Xiao Hanye arrived at the Imperial College, Shen Tingjue was the only one left in the Imperial Academy Hall. Several books lay open on his desk, with sheets of xuan paper spread beside them. He stood, struck a full pose, grabbed one wide sleeve with one hand and held a brush dipped in ink with the other, his brush racing across the paper like dragons and serpents. His movements carried an air of towering boldness.

It was just that the scene looked exceptionally incongruous.

Xiao Hanye always felt that Shen Tingjue and brush, ink, paper, and inkstone should not appear in the same picture.

Wu Dequan stood at the doorway and cleared his throat. "Ahem, ahem."

Shen Tingjue paused and turned to look.

Wu Dequan: "..."

Whoa!

Why does his face look like a tabby cat's?

Upon seeing who had come, Shen Tingjue's eyes lit up. His mind rapidly considered whether he should first say "Good afternoon" or ask "Have you eaten?" Yet what came out was, "I knew Your Highness would definitely come looking for me."

Xiao Hanye's foot, which had just crossed the threshold, withdrew again as he turned to leave.

Shen Tingjue hurriedly tossed down his brush and pounced toward him.

Afraid that the ink on Shen Tingjue's face would stain his clothes, Xiao Hanye swiftly stepped back two paces and drew a handkerchief from his robes, his face full of disdain. "Wipe your face."

Shen Tingjue did not take it. He leaned his face closer instead and looked at Xiao Hanye with a beaming smile. "Hehe."

Xiao Hanye: "..."

Hehe your head!

Xiao Hanye stared at the shadow guard before him, who had grown bolder after losing his memory. They looked at each other for a long while, and he truly could not understand what sort of debt he owed him.

The Crown Prince silently let out a breath, raised a hand to pinch Shen Tingjue's chin, and roughly wiped the ink stains from his face in a few strokes.