Husband and wife

At six in the morning, the bedchamber in Xuanzheng Hall was still dark. The curtains were drawn tight, with only a few threads of gray-white light leaking through the gaps at the edges. On the dragon bed, the brocade quilt lay in a heap with a large mound in the middle. Qi Yu was curled up entirely beneath it, without so much as a strand of hair showing. The satin pillow beside him was empty; Qi Xiao had already left for court. Before leaving, he had tucked the quilt around him, but now the corner had been kicked loose again. One bare foot stuck out from beneath it, its toes slightly curled in the morning breeze.

A Ping waited outside until eight, when he heard a muffled thump from within, as though something had fallen to the floor. He hurriedly pushed the door open and found that Qi Yu had rolled off the bed wrapped in his quilt, one leg draped over the footstool and the other still hooked over the edge of the bed. The quilt wound around him like a cocoon, leaving only his sleepy face exposed. The fall had probably woken him; he was lying against the footstool in a daze.

"Your Highness, did you hurt yourself?" A Ping ran over and peeled him out of the quilt. Qi Yu shook his head, his hair sticking up like a bird's nest and another crease from the edge of his pillow stamped across his right cheek. Sitting on the footstool, he yawned, then suddenly glanced toward the outer side of the bed as though remembering something.

His imperial father's pillow had already been arranged neatly at the head of the bed, covered with a bright yellow pillow cloth. He reached up, took it down, and hugged it, burying his face in it and rubbing against it. A very, very faint trace of ambergris lingered on the pillow, along with a little residual warmth. That warmth had almost dissipated, but he could still feel it when he pressed against it.

"When did Father leave?"

"He rose at five. Before leaving, he said you had lessons today and told me to wake you at six. But you were sleeping so soundly that I waited a little longer." A Ping shook out the clothes he would wear that day: an indigo everyday robe with silver-gray rabbit fur edging the collar.

Qi Yu put the pillow back at the head of the bed, patted it, and arranged it beside his own cotton pillow. Then he stood and stretched. The ties of his sleeping robe had loosened during the night, exposing half a shoulder. A Ping hurried forward to draw the robe closed, then dressed him in the day's clothes, one piece at a time. Qi Yu stood with his eyes shut, letting A Ping fuss over him, occasionally raising an arm or turning around. As A Ping fastened his belt, he looked down at the fingers working around the buckle and suddenly asked, "A Ping, do you think I sleep too much? Do other people's princes all get up before dawn to practice martial arts?"

A Ping clicked the buckle shut, looked up at his prince, and thought for a moment before saying, "You're still growing, Your Highness. Sleeping more is a good thing. Besides, His Majesty said you could sleep as long as you liked."

Qi Yu murmured an acknowledgment and said nothing more. He sat before the bronze mirror and let A Ping comb his hair. The fine-toothed comb scraping over his scalp felt pleasantly tingly. His eyes half closed, his head swayed gently with the pull of the comb, and he nearly fell asleep again. Only when A Ping slid the white jade hairpin into his topknot did he open his eyes. The boy in the mirror looked a little more lively today, and the pillow crease on his face had faded. There was just a sesame-seed-sized speck of sleep still clinging to the corner of his eye. He picked it off.

Over breakfast, Qi Yu drank his Almond Cream while counting on his fingers to work out the date. Today was an odd-numbered day, which meant Grand Tutor Sun's lessons. Grand Tutor Sun taught until noon, half an hour longer than the other tutors. After counting for ages, Qi Yu let out a very long sigh and finished his bowl of Almond Cream. Then he stood and grabbed two pieces of Osmanthus Cake from a plate, stuffing one into his mouth and wrapping the other in oiled paper before slipping it into his sleeve, ready to take to the Imperial Study for Qin Wei.

Today's lesson in the Imperial Study was the Record of Music from the Book of Rites. When Grand Tutor Sun read, "All sound arises from the human heart," he tapped his ruler twice against the edge of the desk. At those two dull knocks, the boys throughout the room straightened in unison. Qi Yu straightened too, his hand quietly slipping into his book bag to feel for the Osmanthus Cake. He found it; the oiled-paper packet was still warm. He was wondering whether to secretly break off half for Qin Wei when the tutor turned away when a hand reached over from beside him. It was Qin Wei's, large and thick, all five fingers spread to block the opening of his book bag. Qin Wei gave him a slight shake of the head and mouthed, "Pay attention."

Qi Yu withdrew his hand from the bag, placed it properly on his desk, and went back to watching the tutor. The tutor was explaining the passage, "Music gives expression to ethical relationships." Growing animated, he slapped his ruler down on the desk with a crack, and a little pupil in the front row nearly bounced out of his chair. Qi Yu had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

When class ended, Qi Yu took the Osmanthus Cake out of his book bag. The oiled-paper packet had been flattened a little, and the books had crushed the cake somewhat, but it still smelled sweet. He spread the paper open on Qin Wei's desk. Qin Wei glanced at the flattened cake, picked it up, and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing after two chews. Qi Yu stared at him. "Could you even taste it, eating that fast?"

"I could." Qin Wei swallowed the last of the cake and wiped his hands with a handkerchief. "Osmanthus. Your little kitchen makes it better than the Imperial Kitchen."

"Of course. Father had a separate little kitchen set up especially for me. It doesn't share the main kitchen." Only after saying it did Qi Yu feel that he sounded a little boastful, so he added, "I'll bring you more next time."

Just then, Qi Ming passed their desks. The Second Prince wore a dark green robe today that made his complexion look somewhat dull. As he passed Qi Yu's desk, his steps slowed half a beat, and he swept a glance over the empty oiled-paper wrapper without saying anything, then walked straight past. Qi Zhao followed behind him, still wearing that pale gray robe, reading a book as he walked. His shoulder brushed the doorframe as he passed, making him sway. He steadied himself and continued on, his book still held squarely before him.

There were no lessons that afternoon, so Qi Yu returned to Yuning Hall. In the Side Hall, he fed the rabbit, breaking a carrot into three sections and feeding them to it one by one. The gray rabbit crouched in its cage, holding the carrot in its front paws, its three-part mouth moving rapidly. Whenever it finished a piece, it stretched its head out for the next. Qi Yu crouched before the cage and watched it finish all three pieces, then gave it another bowl of water. The rabbit lowered its head and took two sips, raised its front paws to wash its face, then huddled in a corner of the cage, resting its chin on its front paws and watching him with round black eyes. Qi Yu reached out and stroked its ears.

"Do you think Second Young Master Xie from the Jinghai Marquis Residence will come today?" Qi Yu gently scratched the base of the rabbit's ear with a fingertip. Its ear twitched, but it showed no intention of answering. Qi Yu asked nothing more. He stood, walked out into the courtyard, and stood for a while in the persimmon tree's shade. The persimmons on the branches were beginning to turn red; in another month, they should be fully ripe.

A Ping came jogging over from the covered walkway. "Your Highness, the people from the Jinghai Marquis Residence have presented their entry token. Second Young Master Xie is already at the palace gates."

Qi Yu turned and ran out. At the doorway, he doubled back, looked down to brush the bits of grass from his hem, straightened his cuffs, then strode toward the palace gates. A Ping followed, still clutching the cloth used when feeding the rabbit. He shoved it into a young eunuch's hands and jogged after him.

Xie Ning had ridden over from the Jinghai Marquis Residence on his own white horse, with a woven bamboo cage hanging from the saddle. Inside was a pale gray rabbit, lighter than Qi Yu's, with shorter ears and a rounder belly. Today, Xie Ning wore a bamboo-green riding outfit, its cuffs bound tightly, and a short saber at his waist. The imperial guards at the palace gates checked his token and inspected the bamboo cage. Xie Ning waited by the gates. When he saw Qi Yu jogging toward him from the far end of the palace path, he waved from a distance, raising his hand high.

"What took you so long?" Qi Yu ran up to him, coming so fast that he nearly failed to stop. Xie Ning reached out to steady him by the shoulder, then quickly withdrew his hand.

"My horse stood eating fodder by our gates for ages and refused to move." Xie Ning unfastened the bamboo cage from the saddle and held it in his hand. "I brought the rabbit. I bathed it this morning, and its fur hasn't quite dried." He opened the cage and lifted out the pale gray rabbit. It kicked twice in his arms, but he supported its bottom with one hand, and it settled obediently in the crook of his arm.

Qi Yu leaned in to look at the rabbit, then poked its bottom. The rabbit glanced back at him and continued lying still. "Why is yours so fat?"

"My father says it's a starving ghost reincarnated. It can eat five carrots a day. If you don't feed it, it gnaws the cage." Xie Ning put the rabbit back and looked up at the palace path behind Qi Yu. "Where's your gray one?"

"In my hall. Come on, I'll show you." Qi Yu tugged him forward by his sleeve. Pulled along for two steps, Xie Ning nearly lost his grip on the bamboo cage. He quickly secured it and followed.

The two boys walked side by side along the palace path, Qi Yu on the outside and Xie Ning on the inside, with a person's width between them. Sunlight spilled down from the glazed tiles, casting their long shadows over the flagstones. Now and then, the shadows overlapped before parting again. Every few steps, Qi Yu turned to glance at Xie Ning, and Xie Ning turned to glance at him too. Their eyes met, then each looked away.

"How did your father agree to let you out today?" Qi Yu asked.

"I said the Fourth Prince had summoned me. My father said that was important business and couldn't be delayed." The corners of Xie Ning's mouth lifted after he said it. "Actually, he wanted to come too. He got as far as the gates, then went back."

"Why?"

"He said if he came, he'd have to go to Xuanzheng Hall to pay his respects to His Majesty. And paying his respects would mean kneeling. His knees hurt a little today, so he didn't want to kneel." Xie Ning captured most of his father's manner of speaking, making Qi Yu laugh loudly.

In the Side Hall of Yuning Hall, the two rabbits met. The gray rabbit poked its head out of its cage, and at the sight of the pale gray rabbit Xie Ning had brought, its ears shot upright. The pale gray rabbit pricked up its ears too. They sniffed each other through the cage, then the gray rabbit hopped out and circled the pale gray one. The pale gray rabbit crouched motionless, both ears flattened against its back. After circling twice, the gray rabbit stopped and lay down beside it. The two rabbits nestled together, two bundles of gray fur, one dark and one light, lying quietly in the evening sunlight of the Side Hall.

Qi Yu crouched beside them, his chin resting on his knees. "They look like they know each other."

Xie Ning crouched too, his elbow touching Qi Yu's. "They're both from the same hunting ground. Maybe they're brothers."

"What if they're husband and wife?"

"They're almost the same color. More likely brothers."

Qi Yu turned to look at Xie Ning. Xie Ning was looking down at the rabbits, the evening sunlight softening the lines of his profile. Watching him, Qi Yu suddenly thought his eyelashes were rather long, casting a small patch of shadow over his eyelids. Sensing his gaze, Xie Ning turned. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Qi Yu looked away and lowered his head to watch the rabbits again. "Are you coming tomorrow?"

"I have riding and archery lessons tomorrow. The day after too."

"What about the day after that?"

"The estate is sending horses over that day. I have to help my father look them over." Xie Ning thought for a moment, then added, "But I can come after that."

Qi Yu nodded. He reached out and pushed the gray rabbit toward the pale gray one. It shifted half a step forward under his hand, then moved back on its own. He withdrew his fingers and rubbed them on his knee; a little rabbit fur clung to his fingertips. Xie Ning took a handkerchief from his sleeve and offered it to him. It was plain white, with a small spray of bamboo leaves embroidered in one corner. Qi Yu took it and wiped his fingers, then kept it clasped in his hand rather than returning it at once.

"Let me borrow this for now. I'll give it back next time."

"All right."

Xie Ning stayed at Yuning Hall for over two hours. When he left, he left the pale gray rabbit in the Side Hall. Qi Yu saw him to the palace gates and watched him untie his white horse from the hitching post and swing neatly and gracefully into the saddle. On horseback, Xie Ning glanced back inside the gates. Qi Yu stood beneath them and waved. Xie Ning nodded, urged his horse forward, and rode away. His bamboo-green figure grew smaller and smaller at the end of the palace path, finally turning a corner and disappearing.

Qi Yu stood by the palace gates for a while, only turning back when A Ping gently prompted him from behind. Halfway back, he suddenly stopped and looked down at the plain white handkerchief in his hand. He unfolded it. The few bamboo leaves in its corner were finely embroidered, the stitches close and firm. He folded it, tucked it into his sleeve, and continued walking. His steps were slower than on the way there, and every few paces, his hand unconsciously touched the spot where the handkerchief lay through his sleeve.

Dinner was served at Yuning Hall. Qi Yu sat alone at the table, with four dishes and a soup before him. He picked up a piece of steamed sea bass, chewed twice, and looked up to ask A Ping beside him, "Is Father very busy today?"

A Ping ladled him a bowl of soup and set it beside his hand. "Several officials from the Grand Secretariat came today. They've been discussing matters in the West Warm Pavilion ever since lunch. I heard that Eunuch De'an even had to bring dinner in."

Qi Yu laid his chopsticks across his bowl and stood. "Then I'll go see him. Pack a bowl of soup. I'll take it to Father."

A Ping hurriedly sent Chun He to fetch a food carrier. Quick and deft, Chun He soon had the soup packed, with cotton cloth cushioning the porcelain bowl and the carrier's lid firmly closed. Qi Yu took the carrier and headed for Xuanzheng Hall. The palace lanterns on both sides of the path were already lit, casting rows of lamplight along the covered walkways. When he reached the entrance to the West Warm Pavilion of Xuanzheng Hall, De'an was standing guard outside. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Qi Yu approaching with the food carrier.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is still discussing affairs inside. Would you like to sit in the Side Hall first?"

"No need. I'll wait by the door." Qi Yu leaned against a corridor pillar and set the food carrier at his feet. Voices drifted faintly from inside: his father's, and those of several ministers. His father's voice was very low, its emotions impossible to discern, but Qi Yu could tell that he truly was tired today. His voice was a shade lower than usual, the ends of his words pressed deep. He leaned against the pillar for about the time it took two sticks of incense to burn before the door finally opened. Several ministers filed out. At their head was the graying Minister of Revenue, still clutching a memorial, his expression rather unpleasant; he had probably just had his proposal rejected. Two vice ministers followed, their faces solemn as well. Seeing Qi Yu at the door, they all paused in surprise before bowing together. Qi Yu nodded to them and carried the food inside.

Qi Xiao leaned back in his chair behind the imperial desk, his eyes closed. The open memorials on the desk had yet to be put away, and the ink in the inkstone was almost dry. Qi Yu walked over quietly, set the food carrier on a small table nearby, opened the lid, and took out the bowl of soup. It was still hot, releasing fine wisps of white steam. He set it on the imperial desk. The bowl made only a slight sound against the desktop, but Qi Xiao opened his eyes all the same.

"Father, have some soup. Pork Rib and Chinese Yam Soup. It's been simmering all afternoon."

Qi Xiao looked at the bowl, then at Qi Yu. Qi Yu put the spoon into the bowl and pushed it closer to his hand. Qi Xiao picked up the spoon and took a mouthful. The soup was rich and savory, the yam simmered so soft it melted in his mouth. He drank a second spoonful, then put down the spoon.

"You're sleeping with me tonight." The question came out of nowhere. Standing beside the imperial desk, Qi Yu's eyes lit up. He pressed his lips together, holding back his smile. "I'll come."

Qi Xiao lifted the bowl and finished the remaining soup. Then he set it on the desk, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Qi Yu. Qi Yu picked up the bowl and returned it to the food carrier, then came back to stand beside his father. Outside the window, night had fully fallen. Beneath the eaves of Xuanzheng Hall, De'an heard the emperor's low voice and the Fourth Prince's chattering from within, one talking about affairs at court, the other about how the two rabbits had nestled together to sleep that day. As they talked, the Fourth Prince began to laugh, his clear laughter echoing briefly through the quiet West Warm Pavilion before fading. De'an gathered his sleeves and told the young eunuch beside him to fetch another pot of hot water from the little kitchen.

The moon rose, round and bright, shining on the glazed tiles of Xuanzheng Hall, on the wooden staves that had not yet been put away on the Drill Ground at the Jinghai Marquis Residence, and on the two gray rabbits sleeping nestled together in the Side Hall of Yuning Hall.