SMMW | Chapter 24

This year’s Qionglin Banquet was especially lively. Not only had it produced a zhuangyuan who achieved top honors in all three examinations, that zhuangyuan also turned out to be the emperor’s long-luminary lost son.

The common people loved gossip, and when it was gossip about the emperor’s family, they loved it even more.

The stories being passed around all said that the emperor valued blood ties deeply, yet had few heirs. After the Third Prince was born, fearing he might die young, they had stripped away his name and raised him outside the palace. From childhood, the Third Prince had been different from ordinary people. He could write at three, compose poetry at five, and from the provincial examination to the metropolitan examination to the palace examination, he had taken first place all the way through.

Sadly, the palace servant who looked after him died unexpectedly, so the Third Prince had never known his own identity. Only when he met the emperor at the palace examination did they recognize each other. As expected of imperial blood, even if he were raised in a pond, he would still be a true dragon!

The discussions among the people were lively enough that storybooks were about to come out. Only Wen Qing knew that after the palace examination, Yuan Hao, no, he had to be called the Third Prince now, but Yuan Hao himself found it awkward to hear, so in private he still had Wen Qing call him by his old name.

After the palace examination, Yuan Hao anxiously came looking for him and asked him to write a letter home to his mother, telling her to remind Aunt Su to hide herself, or better yet, fake her death.

Only then did he realize that there were still many suspicious points in Yuan Hao’s background. Just then, a letter from his own mother also arrived. She had clearly timed it to be sent after the palace examination ended.

The letter said that only two days after Wen Qing and Yuan Hao had set out, Aunt Su’s niece had suddenly taken her away. They had left in great haste, saying that her aunt’s condition had worsened and that they were going out to seek medical treatment.

At first, there had been nothing strange about it. After all, everyone knew that Su shi had always been sickly. But after one month, then two months, then longer and longer, the two of them still had not returned.

Madam Wen became worried. She had people ask around, but there was no news. She had wanted to write and tell Yuan Hao, but feared that if she acted on her own authority, it might affect his future, so she had been frantic with worry and only sent the letter after the palace examination ended.

After Yuan Hao read it, he was silent for a long time. “When Mother told me about my background, she said I did not need to worry about her, so she must have been prepared long ago. But there was still no need for her to leave in such a hurry without even telling me. She must really have run into trouble.

“But this way, I do not have to worry about being exposed either. I can just say I received a letter from my cousin saying Mother died on the road while seeking treatment.”

Wen Qing comforted him, “Auntie was able to take you out of the palace alone and raise you to adulthood. She must be a person of great wisdom. She will definitely be alright.”

“Let’s hope so.”

This Qionglin Banquet had been combined with the emperor’s family banquet.

On the emperor’s left sat the princes and the newly graduated jinshi. The First Prince and Second Prince sat in the first and second seats, while Yuan Hao, dressed in luxurious princely robes, sat in the third.

Li Yi, who had taken bangyan, did not come, so Wen Qing sat beside Yuan Hao instead.

On the emperor’s right sat imperial clansmen and close ministers, among them Princess Changning and Lord Jiang.

Once Yuan Hao took his seat, the discussion and speculation that had filled the banquet completely vanished, because he looked far too much like the emperor. Anyone who saw them would have to admit they were father and son. If anyone wanted to doubt someone’s bloodline, they would be better off doubting the other two princes instead.

An endless flow of delicacies and fine wine was brought in. The palace musicians played and sang, and everyone rose to offer congratulations to the emperor, first for the abundance of talent, second for the prince’s return to court, and third for the enduring fortune of the state.

The emperor looked very pleased. He drank several rounds with the ministers before stopping.

At that moment, the First Prince also raised his cup from afar to Yuan Hao and said in a warm, familiar tone, “You must have suffered a great deal living outside on your own. Now that you’ve returned, if there is any difficulty, just tell your eldest brother.”

There was not the slightest trace of superiority in the First Prince’s words. He sounded more like an elder brother from an ordinary family.

“Yes, many thanks, Eldest Brother.” Gratitude showed on Yuan Hao’s face as he drained the wine.

The emperor, seated at the center, saw this scene and smiled as he nodded, while the Second Prince beside him let out a sneer and rolled his eyes to the side. Since he happened to turn left, Wen Qing saw it clearly.

So they did not get along…

Wen Qing lowered his head and picked up a diamond-shaped pastry to eat. The pastries in the imperial palace were all small and exquisite. There were four in a plate, each a different shape, and they looked quite good.

He chewed twice, and his eyes immediately squeezed together. He endured it again and again before barely stopping himself from spitting it out.

It! Was! So! Sour!

Wen Qing swallowed it whole, not daring to let that pastry stay in his mouth too long, and then, just as expected, he choked on it.

After all, this was a royal Qionglin Banquet. He did not even dare cough loudly, and quietly drank three cups of tea in a row before he finally got it down.

But the clash between the princes was not over yet. The First Prince was still expressing concern over Yuan Hao’s daily life.

“You are already twenty, and there is not even anyone by your side to attend to you. Let your elder brother send you a few maidservants, just to make do for now.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Eldest Brother, but I am used to being alone. And my adoptive mother passed away not long ago. I wish to observe mourning for her, so for three years I will not go near women.”

The First Prince continued persuading him. “Our dynasty does not have that many rules. Three months of mourning is enough, and she was only an adoptive mother…”

“Eldest Brother,” the Second Prince cut in lazily, “you’re being a little too hasty. If Third Brother does not want to accept them, then do not force him. Besides, how do you know whether he likes girls or young masters? Hahahahahahahahaha…”

“I only heard it from those scholars. Eldest Brother, you spend all day mixed in with them too, so you should know. They say Third Brother keeps pestering that tanhua-lang.”

As the Second Prince spoke, he looked back and forth between Wen Qing and Yuan Hao with great interest.

Wen Qing instantly tensed. The struggles of the imperial family were truly fierce. One brother wanted to plant spies, while the other directly smeared people’s reputations.

Wen Qing wanted to argue, but before he could open his mouth, he suddenly felt terribly dizzy. He braced a hand against the table and tried hard to steady himself. When he opened his eyes again, he saw four pastries arranged neatly on the plate, not one missing.

Wen Qing: …

Beside him came the First Prince’s concerned voice. “You are already twenty, and there is not even anyone by your side to attend to you. Let your elder brother send you a few maidservants, just to make do for now.”

Yuan Hao said happily, “Then many thanks, Eldest Brother.”

The Second Prince interjected, “Eldest Brother, you’re being a little too hasty. If Third Brother does not want to accept them, then do not force him. Besides, how do you know whether he likes girls or young masters? Hahahahahahahahaha…”

“I only heard it from those scholars. Eldest Brother, you spend all day mixed in with them too, so you should know. They say Third Brother keeps pestering that tanhua-lang.”

Wen Qing: …

Wen Qing thought, Yuan Hao, even if you agreed, it was no use, the Second Prince still said the exact same things.

Now Wen Qing was no longer nervous. Looking at the pastries on the table, he had already tried the diamond-shaped one, and it was sour, so this time he picked the round one. Inside were sugared flower petals. The shell was crisp, and it smelled wonderful.

Suddenly, Wen Qing felt dizzy again. He hurriedly braced himself against the table, and when he opened his eyes, the First Prince’s concerned voice rang out for the third time.

He wanted to give Yuan Hao maidservants.

Yuan Hao said he wanted to observe mourning, so he refused.

The Second Prince said Yuan Hao liked men, then let his gaze drift between Wen Qing and Yuan Hao.

This time Wen Qing could not even be bothered to look at him. He went on eating the round pastry. It was tasty, so he ate it again.

Yuan Hao said, “Yes, but compared to the tanhua-lang, I like someone like Second Brother even more.”

“Cough, cough, cough…” Wen Qing was caught off guard and choked at once. This time he could not hold back the sound of his coughing.

The Second Prince revealed a disgusted expression. “What nonsense are you saying? That’s disgusting!”

“Yes, exactly like that. The more you resist, the more I like you.”

Wen Qing gulped down large mouthfuls of tea to wash it down, paying no attention to propriety anymore. He knew that with Yuan Hao talking such nonsense, time was definitely about to rewind again.

Sure enough, after another wave of dizziness, the Second Prince said for the fourth time that Yuan Hao liked men.

“Wen Qing and I are classmates. Just because we are closer to each other, does that mean we should be maliciously slandered? How could Second Brother believe such things? Behind your back, they also say Second Brother likes Eldest Brother. Can that be believed too?”

The Second Prince revealed a disgusted expression. “What nonsense are you saying? That’s disgusting!”

Then the Second Prince turned and glared angrily at the First Prince. “You raise your dogs well. They even dare splash dirty water on me now!?”

The First Prince’s mild expression disappeared. “What sort of occasion is this, yet Second Brother still speaks so recklessly? If you want to accuse me, then first produce evidence. Father Emperor is watching.”

“Hmph!” The moment the emperor was mentioned, both of them immediately backed down, and the topics of sending maidservants and liking men came to an end.

Wen Qing thought, finally, it’s over. For the third time, he reached toward the round pastry on the plate. Last time he had choked on it, so he was going to eat it again.

But before his hand could touch it, Yuan Hao beat him to it.

Relying on his height and long arms, Yuan Hao leaned sideways and snatched the pastry off Wen Qing’s plate, stuffing it into his mouth in one bite, then nodding as if to say that yes, it really was delicious.

Wen Qing wanted to snatch one from him too, but the pastries on Yuan Hao’s table had already all been eaten.

“…”

Wen Qing did it on purpose. He handed Yuan Hao the diamond-shaped pastry, the very sour one, and asked whether he wanted it. Yuan Hao of course did, and stuffed it into his mouth in one bite.

Wen Qing stared at Yuan Hao’s face, waiting to see his features twist together from the sourness.

But it did not happen. Yuan Hao still nodded, as if to say it was delicious too.

…I really do not understand you monsters’ sense of taste.

Wen Qing gave up.

Then his imagination started running wild. Yuan Hao was a monster, but what about the emperor? What about the princes? Could it be that they all were?

The Great Hong Dynasty had been taken over by monsters!?

No, people all said the emperor was the true dragon and Son of Heaven. It was normal for him to have something unusual about him, even though the only obvious unusualness was Yuan Hao’s.

Then maybe Yuan Hao was not a monster after all? Maybe he had spells only because of the imperial bloodline. Could that be a sign that he would become emperor in the future?

Wen Qing looked at this Third Prince who was still secretly stealing his pastries, and his heart filled with desolation.

It felt like the state’s fortunes would not last much longer after all…