Discipline

After Qi Yu recovered, Qi Xiao excused him from his lessons for the next few days. De'an went in person to inform Grand Tutor Sun, saying that the Fourth Prince had only just recovered from his cold, and the imperial physician had instructed him to rest for a few more days, so he would be taking leave from the Imperial Study. Grand Tutor Sun set his ruler on the lectern and nodded, saying that Qin Wei should deliver the lessons to Yuning Hall each day. De'an agreed and thanked him on the Fourth Prince's behalf.

In Yuning Hall, Qi Yu was still in his nightclothes, sitting cross-legged on the bed with the lesson notes Qin Wei had delivered yesterday spread before him. The writing was neat and square. He recognized every character, but put together, they were not something he particularly wanted to read. He turned a page, then turned it back and drew a rabbit in the margin with his brush. The rabbit's ears came out crooked, one long and one short. He set down the brush and reached for the osmanthus cakes on the low table beside the bed.

Chun He swiftly whisked the plate away. "Your Highness, His Majesty said you may only have two osmanthus cakes a day. You already had yours this morning."

Qi Yu's hand froze in midair. "I'm better."

"His Majesty said that being just recovered is no exception. You must eat less of anything greasy or sweet. Give it another two days." Chun He returned the plate to the table in the outer room, well beyond Qi Yu's reach even if he stretched out his arm.

"Then where's my father?" Qi Yu drew his hand back and tucked it under the covers.

"His Majesty is holding court. Afterward, he still has to review memorials in the West Warm Pavilion." Qi Yu murmured an acknowledgment, rolled over beneath the covers, and hugged his cotton pillow. Less than an incense stick's time later, he got out of bed. He put on his boots himself and slipped on an outer robe. He did not even tie his hair properly, simply twisting it up with that white jade hairpin. Chun He came in carrying water and was startled to find him already dressed.

"Where are you going, Your Highness?"

"To Xuanzheng Hall."

"You haven't fully recovered yet, and it's windy outside."

"I'm better." Qi Yu fastened his belt and stepped over the threshold.

A Ping hurried after him, grabbing a light cloak as well. The autumn wind was not particularly strong, but a draft swept through the corridor, blowing the loose strands of Qi Yu's hair into his face. In the West Warm Pavilion of Xuanzheng Hall, Qi Xiao was reviewing memorials. There were far more piled on the imperial desk than usual. The Grand Secretariat's memorials on precautions against autumn floods lay alongside the Ministry of Revenue's summaries of autumn tax collections, with a report from the Ministry of War on troop rotations at the Northern Border beside them. He held the Vermilion Brush in his hand.

De'an coughed softly at the door. "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is here."

Qi Xiao looked up. Qi Yu had already squeezed through the gap in the door, wrapped in a light bamboo-green cloak, with a white rim of his nightclothes showing at the collar. His hair was loosely tied, and the white jade hairpin sat askew, looking as though it might fall out at any moment. He walked up to the imperial desk and knelt properly to pay his respects.

"Greetings, Father."

Qi Xiao set down his brush. "Get up. Why are you running around when you haven't recovered?"

"I have." Qi Yu rose, went around to the side of the imperial desk, and settled into the chair set out especially for him with practiced ease. "Lying alone in my hall is so boring. Even the rabbits have more company than I do."

Qi Xiao glanced at him. The boy's face was still thinner, his chin a little more pointed than before his illness. His spirits were good, though. Qi Xiao reached over and felt Qi Yu's forehead with the back of his hand. It was not hot. He then took Qi Yu lightly by the chin, turning his face to examine it closely. The color had not fully returned to his cheeks, and he was still a little pale around the base of his ears.

"Have you taken your medicine?"

"Yes. Chun He watched me drink it. I didn't leave a drop." As he spoke, Qi Yu took an oilpaper parcel from his sleeve and opened it, revealing two honey-preserved kumquats. "Father, have one too. They're soothing for the throat. I've already had two osmanthus cakes today, and Chun He won't let me have any more, so I brought you kumquats."

Qi Xiao looked at the two kumquats, took one, and put it in his mouth. It was sweet and tart, and did indeed soothe his throat. Qi Yu took the other and stuffed it into his mouth, making one cheek bulge.

"Do you have many memorials today?" Chewing his kumquat, Qi Yu craned his head toward the imperial desk.

"Many."

"Then I'll keep you company here. I won't disturb you."

He really did not disturb him. He took the travelogue he had already read several times from the bookshelf, sat cross-legged on the chair, wrapped his cloak a little tighter, and quietly read. The scholar in the travelogue had reached Lingnan and was describing lychees. Their skins were red, and once peeled, their flesh was as white as pearls. Reading this passage, Qi Yu remembered the lychees he had eaten in the Eastern Palace last time and turned to look at his father.

"Father."

"Mm."

"Have you ever had fresh lychees in Lingnan?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"When I was young." Qi Xiao continued reviewing memorials without raising his head. "Before I ascended the throne. I went south on official business, and the lychees happened to be ripe."

"Were they good?"

"Better than the tribute ones. Those spend days packed away and aren't fresh."

Qi Yu closed the book, rested his chin on his knees, and thought for a while. "When I grow up, I'm going to Lingnan to eat lychees too. I'll pick them under the tree and peel them, then eat them right away."

Qi Xiao lifted his eyes to glance at him. "Finish your book first."

Qi Yu puffed out his cheeks and opened the book to keep reading. When it was nearly lunchtime, De'an came to ask where the meal should be served. Qi Xiao said to serve it in the warm pavilion.

When lunch arrived, Qi Yu saw that the dishes in front of him were different from those in front of his father. His father had the usual imperial meal, with both meat and vegetables. Before him sat a bowl of millet porridge, a plate of steamed Chinese yam, a plate of lightly stir-fried choy sum, and a small bowl of minced lean pork. Qi Yu prodded the minced pork with his chopsticks and looked up at his father.

"I want braised ribs."

"You've only just recovered. You can't eat greasy food." Qi Xiao pushed the millet porridge closer to his hand.

"Then I'll have yours, Father." Qi Yu reached over with his chopsticks for the bamboo shoots in front of Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao did not stop him. Qi Yu put the bamboo shoot into his mouth, chewed it, and reached for a second helping. Qi Xiao lightly tapped the back of his hand with his chopsticks. Qi Yu drew his hand back and picked up some choy sum, crunching it noisily while his eyes remained fixed on the plate of braised ribs in front of his father.

Qi Xiao put a rib in his own bowl and took a bite right in front of Qi Yu. Qi Yu glared at him. He finished chewing the rib and spat the bone onto a plate. "You can have some the day after tomorrow."

Qi Yu huffed, lifted his millet porridge, and took a large mouthful. The porridge was sweet, with red dates in it. He took another mouthful, set down the bowl, and licked the porridge from the corner of his mouth. Watching him lick his lips, Qi Xiao handed over his own handkerchief. Qi Yu took it and wiped his mouth, but instead of returning it, he tucked it into his sleeve.

That afternoon, Qi Xiao was still reviewing memorials. Qi Yu had finished the travelogue and was growing a little sleepy. Curled up in his chair, he yawned and tilted his head to one side, resting it against the chair back. Qi Xiao looked up at him.

"If you're sleepy, go lie on the couch."

"No." Qi Yu rubbed his eyes, stood up, walked to the couch, patted the cushions on it, and lay down. Less than half a cup of tea's time later, he sat up again. "Father, I want to bring the rabbit over. It's bored all alone in the Side Hall too. Just as bored as I am." Qi Xiao's brush paused over a memorial. "Rabbits aren't allowed in the warm pavilion."

"Last time you said rabbits weren't allowed on the imperial bed. But this is the warm pavilion, not the imperial bed." Qi Yu's logic was always rather unusual.

Qi Xiao fell silent for a moment. "Have A Ping fetch it."

Qi Yu's eyes lit up, and he called for A Ping at the door. A Ping answered from outside and immediately ran toward Yuning Hall. When he returned, he was holding the light gray rabbit. He had run so fast that the wind had flipped its ears back, exposing their pink insides. Qi Yu took the rabbit into his arms and rubbed his cheek against its ears. The rabbit lay on his lap, its front paws tucked against its chest, without making a sound.

"What about the gray one?"

"Your Highness, that one is asleep in its cage. It was snoring when I went in," A Ping said.

Qi Yu set the light gray rabbit on the couch and surrounded it with cushions to keep it from falling off. The rabbit crouched among the cushions, twitched its ears, and sniffed the bedding on the couch. Qi Yu lay on his stomach and rubbed the back of its neck with his fingers. The rabbit narrowed its eyes, rested its chin against the bedding, and sprawled out comfortably.

Qi Xiao finished the last memorial, set down the Vermilion Brush, and leaned back in his chair, watching the boy and rabbit on the couch. Qi Yu was poking the rabbit's ears with his finger. He poked once, and an ear twitched; he poked again, and it twitched again. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, muttering all the while.

"How are your ears so long? They're even longer than the gray one's. Did you catch it from that one?"

Qi Xiao leaned back in his chair and watched for quite a while. Then he stood, walked over to the couch, and looked down at the rabbit. The light gray rabbit lifted its eyelids to glance at him, then went back to sprawling flat.

After dinner, Qi Xiao returned to his bedchamber to change. Qi Yu followed him in and sat on the edge of the bed to watch. Qi Xiao took off his outer robe, hung it on the clothes stand, and changed into his nightclothes. They were bright yellow, with the ties at the collar loosely fastened. He turned around to find that Qi Yu had already kicked off his boots and was sitting barefoot and cross-legged on the edge of the bed, hugging that cotton pillow.