Forward

Southern Zhao

Today, Qi Yunheng was in a rather foul mood after receiving no reply.

He had no energy to review memorials, either.

He seemed utterly listless.

At last, he could not help asking, a trace of hurt in his voice, "Uncle Fu... why won't he reply to me?"

Was his letter really that difficult to answer?

He had only told him to be a little more reserved and restrained.

Why had he stopped replying?

Uncle Fu's gaze flickered, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes.

He had merely thought his master's lengthy letter sounded too much like a lecture and was far too restrained, so he had polished it a little.

He had not expected to anger the recipient outright.

It was his fault.

From now on, he had better stay out of his master's affairs with that man.

He suggested, "Master, perhaps... your letter was too long?"

"Why not write him another?"

Qi Yunheng's eyes brightened at that.

He thought it might work.

He remembered that three years ago, Xiao Yu had hated attending lessons.

He must not have had the patience to finish reading his letter.

That must be why he had not replied.

Yes.

That had to be it.

A barely perceptible joy entered his voice. "Then I shall write another."

Although he had no such feelings for Xiao Yu, the man liked him so much that he could not bear to crush his heart.

"Oh, Master, Little Eight has been sent back."

Uncle Fu suddenly remembered.

Qi Yunheng's brush paused.

He replied indifferently, "Throw it out."

Uncle Fu hesitated at that.

Then something occurred to him, and his eyes lit up.

He answered, "This old servant will see to it at once..."

Jin Kingdom

"..."

Xiao Yu stared at Xiao Ba, who had been sent back, and fell silent.

What was Qi Yunheng trying to say?

Xiao Ba was terrified of being thrown out again.

With tearful eyes, it lamented, "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp..." My master doesn't want me anymore...

Xiao Yu's eyelid twitched furiously.

Afraid he would throw it out again, Xiao Ba cried anxiously, "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!" Don't abandon me!

Looking at the little snake sniveling before him, Xiao Yu could not bring himself to do it.

He stroked its head and soothed it. "All right, stop crying. I won't throw you out."

Xiao Ba's eyes shone at that.

It bobbed its head happily. "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!" You're my new master now!

Then it seized the opportunity to hand Xiao Yu the letter wrapped around its tail.

It said, "Chirp, chirp, chirp!" For you!

Xiao Yu: "..."

He knew who had sent it at a glance.

His gaze flickered.

After a moment, he finally took it.

He unfolded the letter and looked.

There was only a single short question written on it: Why haven't you replied?

Xiao Yu snorted.

You're lucky I haven't beaten you up, and you expect a reply?

Dream on.

He crumpled the paper and tossed it into the wastebasket.

He had not intended to answer Qi Yunheng, but he feared the man would keep pestering him with letters.

He went to his desk and wrote with a sweeping stroke: I don't want to.

The next day, he received the reply: Why?

Xiao Yu's lips twitched.

Again?

Didn't he ever get tired of this?

He had only just seized power in Southern Zhao. Wasn't the country mired in unrest and endless strife? How did he have time to spare?

Xiao Yu replied: Do you have nothing better to do?

That very night, he heard Fuxi knocking on his window again.

Xiao Yu: "..."

He rolled over and covered his ears, refusing to acknowledge it.

Bang, bang, bang-

But it simply kept knocking and knocking.

Creak!

Xiao Yu opened the window and glared viciously at it.

He threatened, "Knock on my window in the middle of the night again, and I'll pluck every feather off you!"

Fuxi: "??"

Who had it offended?

It was bad enough that its master treated it like a carrier pigeon.

Now it had to endure threats, too.

It felt wronged.

But it said nothing.

Seeing it remain by the window, Xiao Yu knew it would not leave without a reply.

He took the letter and opened it.

Written plainly inside was: I'm busy, but I still have time to reply to you.

Xiao Yu: "..."

Why did he feel strangely touched?

As if.

Fuming, he dashed off a reply and tossed it to Fuxi.

Then he shut the window and went back to sleep.

By the time Fuxi returned to Southern Zhao, dawn had arrived, and the sky was beginning to lighten.

Qi Yunheng had already risen and washed, and was waiting to attend court.

He spotted Fuxi.

A barely perceptible eagerness flashed in his eyes.

He asked, "Where's the letter?"

Fuxi pulled the letter from beneath its wing and handed it to him.

Qi Yunheng unfolded it.

The letter read unmistakably: Little brat, wash up and go to bed early!

Qi Yunheng's face darkened instantly.

He sprang to his feet, strode to his desk, and angrily wrote:

This King is not a little brat, nor is his name Little Brat!

After writing it, he handed it to Fuxi and went to morning court looking furious.

Seeing his displeased expression and the gloom radiating from him, the ministers fell silent and behaved themselves considerably better.

But that did nothing to improve Qi Yunheng's mood.

Even after court, his expression remained cold.

"Royal Brother... are you unhappy today?"

Little Eleven looked at his gloomy elder brother and could not help asking timidly.

"Practice your writing," he said coldly.

"Oh..."

Little Eleven fell silent, not daring to ask again.

He obediently bent over his desk and practiced his writing.

But his royal brother's unhappiness worried him.

Consort Mother had died young, leaving him alone and helpless in the palace.

Although his royal brother was frightening, he was the first person to treat him kindly.

Now he was even teaching him to read and write.

Little Eleven cautiously approached him. "Royal Brother, have some candy. Don't be unhappy."

Qi Yunheng stiffened slightly.

He replied, "...No need."

"Oh."

Little Eleven suddenly noticed the two characters covering the paper on his desk.

He asked curiously, "Royal Brother, did this Xiao Huo make you angry?"

Qi Yunheng's gaze flickered.

He did not answer.

He merely told him, "That character isn't Huo. It's pronounced yù. Your punishment is to copy it fifty times."

Little Eleven startled at that.

He pursed his lips and lowered his head.

He said dejectedly, "Yes, Royal Brother..."

If he had known, he would never have asked.

Qi Yunheng glanced at him. "What? You don't want to?"

"No, I'll write it right now."

Little Eleven immediately hurried back to his little desk on his short legs and picked up his brush.

"Remember not to write it incorrectly, or you'll have to start over," Qi Yunheng reminded him.

Little Eleven: "...Understood, Royal Brother."

Qi Yunheng silently crumpled the paper he had written on and was about to throw it away.

Then he silently set it down again.

Fuxi returned as dusk settled.

This time, Qi Yunheng was not as eager as usual.

Knowing Xiao Yu's tendency to hold every little thing against him, he doubted the man would have anything pleasant to say.

He did not want to read the letter.

Yet he could not help himself.

In the end, he gave in and opened it-

Yes, yes, yes. You're not a little brat, and your name isn't Little Brat, either.

How about I call you "Ah Heng" from now on?

A-Heng...

Qi Yunheng's face flushed abruptly, and he rebuked him under his breath. "Forward! Frivolous!"

He crumpled it into a ball, intending to throw it away.

In the end, he could not bear to.

After all.

He had called him "Ah Heng"...

At the thought, Qi Yunheng blushed all the way down to his neck.

His mind filled with images of Xiao Yu calling him "Ah Heng."

The corners of his lips lifted despite himself.

"Uncle Fu, once everything in Southern Zhao is settled,"

"This King would like to visit the Jin Kingdom,"

he said.