When De'an came in with two young eunuchs, Qi Xiao was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a memorial. He had already changed into his nightclothes, the bright yellow silk glowing softly in the candlelight. His hair hung loose over his shoulders, leaving him a little less severe and a little more relaxed than when he wore his crown. The two young eunuchs knelt before the footstool with a copper basin and towels. Qi Xiao rested the memorial on his knees and let them wash his feet. As warm water poured over his ankles, he let out a breath, his shoulders sinking slightly.
De'an lifted the memorial from the emperor's knees and set it on the low table beside the bed. "Your Majesty, everything for tomorrow morning's court session is ready."
Qi Xiao murmured an acknowledgment. The palace attendants withdrew with quiet steps. De'an was the last to leave, lowering half the bed curtains while leaving the other half hanging from its silver hook. At the door, he turned back. "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince hasn't arrived yet. Shall this servant send someone to Yuning Hall to hurry him along?"
"No need. He'll come on his own."
De'an acknowledged the order and withdrew. He stopped beneath the covered walkway, his whisk resting in the crook of his arm, and looked up at the sky. The moon was lovely tonight, round and bright, bathing the white marble steps in a sheen of silver. He gathered his sleeves and thought that the Fourth Prince was probably still rummaging through his chests and cupboards in Yuning Hall. Every time he stayed overnight at Xuanzheng Hall, the Fourth Prince had to bring a pile of things: his own cotton pillow, the book he was halfway through, and sometimes he even wanted to bring his rabbit. Last time, he had only given up after His Majesty said, "There can be no rabbits on the imperial bed."
The young eunuch beneath the walkway sidled over and asked softly, "Master, shall this servant go and fetch the Fourth Prince?"
De'an shook his head. "Just wait."
Before his words had faded, footsteps came from the far end of the corridor, running a few steps, then walking a few, with a cry of "A Ping, hurry up!" in between. The corners of De'an's mouth curved. Sure enough.
When Qi Yu appeared around the corner, he was hugging a cotton pillow, with a book tucked under his arm. A Ping followed behind, carrying a neatly folded set of nightclothes. Tonight, Qi Yu wore moon-white nightclothes with an outer robe of the same color, its sash tied crookedly. His hair was loose too, the black strands falling over his shoulders and making his face look even fairer. He ran up to De'an and caught his breath. "De'an, has Father gone to sleep?"
"Not yet. Go on in, Your Highness."
Qi Yu pushed the door open and stepped one foot inside, then drew it back. He took off his outer robe and stuffed it into A Ping's arms, smoothed his hair, then drew a deep breath, and his whole demeanor changed. His shoulders drooped a fraction, the corners of his mouth dipped a fraction, and the light in his eyes shifted from excitement to grievance. He had practiced this face-changing act for years and had mastered it to perfection. De'an watched from beside him without saying a word, merely shifting his whisk to his other arm.
Qi Yu pushed open the door and went inside. Only the bedside lamp remained lit in the bedchamber, its dim yellow light enveloping the room in a warm glow. Qi Xiao sat propped against the headboard, holding the same memorial as before, and did not look up at the sound of the door. Qi Yu walked over quietly, placed his cotton pillow on the imperial bed, and arranged it beside his father's. His pillow was a size smaller than his father's, its case washed pale, with the crooked outline of a piece of faded embroidery just visible at one corner in the candlelight.
Qi Yu stood beside the bed, his voice soft.
"Mm."
"I'm here."
"I can see that."
Qi Yu sat cross-legged and opened the book he had brought across his knees. Both of them leaned against the headboard, with roughly half a person's width between them. The bedchamber was quiet, broken only by the occasional soft crackle of the candle. Qi Xiao's profile was sharply defined in the candlelight as he read the memorial, his brows faintly furrowed.
After reading for a while, Qi Yu looked up. "Father, what memorial are you reading?"
"One from the Ministry of Revenue."
"What's wrong with the Ministry of Revenue now?"
"Not enough money to spend."
"Then why not have the Ministry of Revenue print some more?"
Qi Xiao set down the memorial and turned to him. "Money can simply be printed at will?"
"Why can't it?" Qi Yu blinked. "Doesn't our family have a Banknote Printing Bureau?"
Qi Xiao looked at that face spouting nonsense in perfect earnest and fell silent for a moment. "Go to the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow and say that again to the minister's face. See whether he kneels down and begs you to take it back."
Qi Yu puffed out his cheeks. "I was joking. It's not as though I really don't know we can't just print money. The grand tutor taught us that, during Emperor Wen of Han's reign, there was a..." He frowned in thought. "Someone submitted a memorial proposing that restrictions on minting coins be lifted, but it was rejected. Because when there's more money, prices rise, and the common people's little bit of savings turns into wastepaper."
Qi Xiao glanced at him. "You actually remember what the grand tutor taught you."
"I only remember that part. Because when the grand tutor was halfway through explaining it, someone was flying a kite outside, and I got distracted," Qi Yu confessed honestly.
Qi Xiao could not hold back a snort of laughter. It sounded clear in the quiet bedchamber. Hearing him laugh, Qi Yu immediately seized the pole and climbed higher. He closed his book, tossed it aside, and rolled onto his stomach on the quilt, propping his chin in both hands as he looked up at Qi Xiao.
"Father, you look better when you smile than you usually do."
"Do I not usually look good?"
"You do. But you're too fierce. De'an said that every time those court officials come to report to you, they have to take three deep breaths outside before they dare come in."
"When did De'an tell you that?"
"Last winter. I asked him why those old officials were standing outside instead of coming in, and he said they were regulating their breathing. I asked why, and he said they were afraid you'd frighten them to death."
Qi Xiao glanced toward the door. "De'an has far too little to do." Outside beneath the walkway, De'an sneezed. The young eunuch beside him hurriedly asked whether his master had caught a chill. De'an rubbed his nose without answering.
Inside the bedchamber, Qi Yu rolled over and lay on his back with his head resting on Qi Xiao's lap. This position was more comfortable than lying on his stomach, and he could look straight at his father's chin and the bridge of his nose. Seen from below, his father's nose was very straight, and his jaw had firm lines, much like his elder brother the Crown Prince's.
"Mm."
"Do you think Second Brother will always hold a grudge against me?"
Qi Xiao set down the memorial and lowered his gaze to him. "Why are you thinking about this again?"
"I was thinking about it on the way here." Qi Yu played with a lock of his hair, winding the ends around his finger and letting them go. "It's hardly the first or second time Second Brother and I have squabbled. Today, you said he was small-minded and sharp-tongued. But why is he small-minded? Is it because of me?" He pulled the lock of hair off his finger and looked up at Qi Xiao.
Qi Yu wrinkled his nose. "Then I'll talk less in the Imperial Study from now on. If he thinks I'm stealing the limelight, I won't."
Qi Xiao's hand stilled on his hair. "You don't need to become someone else for his sake."
Qi Xiao gave him a light smack on the back of the head. This time, he used his hand rather than the memorial. His palm landed with a muffled sound, and Qi Yu yelped and sprang up from beside his waist, clutching the top of his head as he looked at him.
"You hit me again."
"You're exactly who I'm hitting. You can't even tell kind words from harsh ones."
"I could tell." Qi Yu rubbed the top of his head, his lips pouting but his eyes full of laughter. "You said you like me the way I am. That I haven't changed since I was little. My ears work perfectly well."
Looking at his smug expression, Qi Xiao wanted to hit him again, yet felt that hitting him would let him off too easily. He set the memorial beside the bed, reached out, and pinched Qi Yu's cheeks, pulling them apart. Qi Yu's mouth was pulled out of shape, and air leaked through his words.
"Lemme go, lemme go..."
Qi Xiao let go. Clutching his face, Qi Yu collapsed onto the bed and rolled over on the brocade quilt, knocking his cotton pillow askew. He reached out and retrieved it, hugging it to his chest as he lay on his side and looked at Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao looked back at him.
"Go to sleep."
Qi Yu closed his eyes. A little while later, he opened them again. "Father, I want almond cream tomorrow morning. Half the sugar, as usual."
"Understood."
"And Osmanthus Cake. Have the small kitchen make a few extra pieces. I'll have some at noon too."
"Understood."
"And..."
"Qi Yu."
"Yes?"
"Sleep."
The candle flame flickered again. The bedchamber fell completely silent. De'an came back to himself from his recollections and gathered his sleeves.
Before you continue