A Rong

After Qi Yu recovered, Grand Tutor Sun's patience improved for a few days too. It was not that the Grand Tutor had changed his disposition; the Fourth Prince had missed several days of lessons and listened more attentively after returning. His notes filled the pages, and although his handwriting was still not particularly attractive, every line stayed within the grid. Qin Wei glanced over several times and thought his illness seemed to have made him a different person.

But it only lasted a few days. Today, when the Grand Tutor reached the "Marquis of Lü on Punishments" chapter of the Book of Documents and mentioned "three thousand offenses under the five punishments," Qi Yu murmured, "Who could remember that many?" Qin Wei nudged him with his knee under the desk. Qi Yu shut his mouth and picked up his brush to write "five punishments, three thousand" in his notebook. Then he drew a little figure beside it, with a thick book balanced on its head and "three thousand" written on the cover. Qin Wei tilted his head for a look, his mouth twitching, then wrote two words on a piece of paper and pushed it over.

"Pay attention."

Qi Yu pulled the paper over and replied underneath, "I am paying attention." Then he went back to drawing the books on the little figure's head and added another.

After class, Qi Yu shoved his book bag into Qin Wei's arms and said, "Take my lecture notes back to Yuning Hall for me. I'm going to the Eastern Palace." He was already out the door. Qin Wei stood at the entrance to the Imperial Study holding two book bags, watching that goose-yellow figure disappear around a corner of the palace road, running faster than a rabbit. He slung the bags over his shoulder and headed toward Yuning Hall. He was used to this rhythm. The Fourth Prince's route always ran between three points: the Imperial Study, the Eastern Palace, and Xuanzheng Hall, with an occasional detour to the Imperial Garden to feed the fish. Since recovering, he had fed the fish less often and run to the Eastern Palace more. He was probably trying to make up for the free meals he had missed.

When Qi Yu arrived at the Eastern Palace, Qi Ling had just finished discussing affairs with his advisers. The doors to the main hall stood open, and Xie Chen came out carrying several documents. He saw Qi Yu and bowed in greeting. Qi Yu waved to him and slipped sideways into the main hall. Qi Ling sat behind his desk with a river map spread out before him. Several neat red circles marked the map, with dense annotations beside them. Qi Yu walked over, glanced at the map, then went around to a chair and sat down.

Fu Shun brought in hot milk, with a spoonful of honey added as usual. Qi Yu accepted it and took a sip. Qi Ling pushed the map aside, leaned against the back of his chair, and rubbed between his brows. "Brother, has Gu Hengsheng written back lately?"

"A letter arrived the day before yesterday." Qi Ling pulled a letter from beneath the documents. The paper was crumpled, with a little dried mud on its corners. Qi Yu took it and looked at the handwriting. It was still distinctively ugly. "He said he spends every day out at construction sites with the Waterways Bureau. He's even darker than he was in Henan Circuit."

"He was dark to begin with." Qi Yu turned the letter over to look at the back. That was covered in writing too, with even the signature squeezed in at the very bottom. "What about Sun Qiwen? How is his investigation into the copper mine accounts going?"

"The Ministry of Works blocked him halfway through. They said it involved the former vice minister and needed further deliberation." Qi Ling's tone was flat.

"Further deliberation means dragging it out."

Qi Ling glanced at him. Qi Yu folded the letter, put it back on the desk, and took another sip of milk. He did not ask further. He knew his brother had already gone over all this with his advisers and did not need to repeat it to him. He put down his cup and licked the milk from the corner of his mouth. "Get back to work, brother. I'll go see whether the persimmons are ripe."

He reached the door, then turned back to add, "Oh, right, I'm eating with Father tonight. Tell your kitchen to make one less dish."

Qi Ling had already spread the map out again. "All right," he said without looking up. Qi Yu left the Eastern Palace's hall and went around to the persimmon tree in the courtyard, tilting his head back to look. The persimmons were fully red now, and birds had pecked holes in the few highest on the branches. He watched for a while and decided to wait another two days, until the birds finished the ones at the very top, before picking them.

After leaving the Eastern Palace, Qi Yu went back to Yuning Hall first. He wanted to change before going to Xuanzheng Hall. He had worn these goose-yellow everyday robes all day, and some ink had rubbed onto the rabbit fur at the collar, probably during class. A Ping followed behind, carrying his book bag for him. When they reached Yuning Hall, Chun He was already waiting beneath the covered walkway with a freshly ironed moon-white outer robe in her hands.

"Your Highness, wear this one today. Take off the goose-yellow one and I'll wash it for you. There's ink on the collar; it needs soaking right away."

Qi Yu murmured his assent and entered his bedchamber. Chun He followed him in to help him change. A Ping set the book bag on the table and went to the side hall to check on the rabbits. The two rabbits were huddled together in their cage. The gray one was washing its ears with its front paws, while the light-gray one lay beside it, its chin resting on Gray Rabbit's rump. A Ping crouched down, added some water to the bowl, then broke off half a carrot and put it into the cage. Gray Rabbit stopped washing its ears and picked up the carrot to gnaw on it.

A Ping stood, brushed the dust from his knees, and headed toward the tea room, planning to brew a pot of warm tea for His Highness to drink before leaving. At the tea room door, his steps paused.

A palace maid was putting tea leaves into the teapot. She was neither Chun He nor Xiao Cui, the maid who usually served tea in Yuning Hall. She was an unfamiliar face. A Ping had been at Yuning Hall for six years and knew every maid and eunuch there. He had never seen this person before. She wore the clothes of a Yuning Hall maid, with a pale-green sleeveless vest, her hair neatly arranged and her manner meek. There was nothing to fault in her movements either. She handled the tea leaves deftly, and the teaspoon lay at the edge of the tea tray in exactly the same spot where Chun He usually put it.

A Ping stood in the doorway and watched her for a breath. Sensing someone at the door, the maid raised her head and dipped in a curtsy. "Eunuch Ping, the tea will be ready shortly." Her voice was meek too, with a hint of timidity.

A Ping murmured an acknowledgment, walked in, and picked up the tea tray. "I'll do it. Are you new?"

"Yes. My name is A Rong. The Imperial Household Department only assigned me here this morning. Sister Chun He told me to help in the tea room for now." She kept her head lowered as she spoke, her eyes on the edge of the tea tray.

A Ping asked no more questions and carried the tray out of the tea room. By the time he reached the bedchamber door, Qi Yu had changed. The moon-white outer robe made him look quite fresh and bright. He accepted the tea A Ping offered, took a sip, and handed the cup back. "Let's go. We're going to Father's. Did you refill the rabbits' water?"

"Yes."

"What about the carrot?"

"I fed them that too."

Qi Yu nodded, stepped over the threshold, and headed toward Xuanzheng Hall. A Ping followed behind. At the corner of the covered walkway, he glanced back. The maid named A Rong was coming out of the tea room carrying an empty tea tray. When she saw him look back, she curtsied again. A Ping turned forward and quickened his steps to catch up with Qi Yu. He ran through the people at Yuning Hall again in his mind. Chun He, Xiao Cui, Nanny Zhang, two young cleaning maids, and four young eunuchs who ran errands in the outer courtyard. His godfather De'an had personally chosen all of them, and every one of their backgrounds was thoroughly known. This A Rong's arrival was a little strange. When the Imperial Household Department assigned staff, it usually did not send a single person to a prince's residence. Staff were transferred in batches, and the senior palace maid was informed beforehand. Chun He was the senior palace maid, and A Ping had not heard her mention a new maid coming that morning.

He decided to ask Chun He when they returned that night. If Chun He did not know either, he would visit his godfather first thing the next morning. Whether anything was wrong or not, it could never hurt to ask one more question.