The Crown Prince knew about the relationship between Su Xinghe and Lou Yueting. It was precisely because he knew about it that, he thought more and more about it and felt something was off.
If there were still one person in this world waiting for her, it would undoubtedly be Lou Yueting. The Lou Family and Su Family were generations-old friends, with their ties returning to their great-grandfathers. In the third year of the Jingtai era, the top scholars in both the civil and military exams became officials in the same court one specializing in civil affairs, the other in military matters, both assisting the administration. At their closest, they were so inseparable that they even shared a stove and cook, practically living by the motto, “Even if you poison my food, I would never hate you,” such was their bond of life and death.
Being an official in the capital was a lonely affair, burdened with numerous trivialities on the career path, so having a close friend was a rare treasure. The Su Family and Lou Family residences were quite far apart; though both were in the Western Palace, they were separated by several streets. Later, the Su Family’s great-grandfather bought the property next to the Lou Family, renovated and decorated it, and even deliberately left a back door to facilitate visits between the two families.
The old houses remained in place for seventy years without either family moving, and now the Su Family and Lou Family still lived next to each other. Su Xinghe had been raised in the south until she was six, only being brought back to Eastern Palace after that. At six years old, a child is just at the age where they scratch their head looking for playmates. The Su family had only two children, a brother and a sister. Su Xinghai was ten years older than Su Xinghe so they couldn’t play together. Compared to Su Xinghai’s mature demeanor, the twelve or thirteen-year-old Lou Yueting suited her temperament better, so she would run through the back door. Although Lou Yueting wasn’t particularly keen on playing childish games like “ants climbing a tree,” he would reluctantly entertain her for the sake of the adults.
In childhood, who could tell the difference between reluctant company and genuine affection? To Su Xinghe, he was her best friend until she was twelve. That spring, when the palace held a selection, she reluctantly parted ways with Lou Yueting, agreeing to return to his house for a drink once she left the palace.
In the blink of an eye, ten years has passed. In those ten years, the little yellow-haired girl had grown into a young lady, and the young boy had become a military officer. Reuniting suddenly at the gloomy gates of the yamen on such a snowy day must have stirred some unusual feelings, right? The Crown Prince felt a pang of jealousy at the thought, understanding that the bond of childhood sweethearts was a rare treasure. But who knows how much of Lou Yueting’s impression remained in her mind after so many years? With her temper, where people are forgotten as soon as they leave if the relationship wasn’t regularly maintained, it probably would have faded away like smoke!
To his surprise, she answered honestly, “I grew up playing with him. Back then, there were no kids my age in the alley, only he was willing to hang out with me. He’s my childhood friend.”
However, “beaming with joy and overflowing with happiness” was exaggerated, and the idea of exchanging flirtatious banter was outright nonsense. She lifted her eyelids to glance at the Crown Prince, and he once again displayed a look of disdain. “Just six years, and you call that a childhood friend? Then what would you call ten years?”
There was indeed something to be angry about. On that day, when he lowered himself to call her a friend, she had declined, making it clear they were master and servant. Did playing together and digging up ants as children constitute friendship, while ten years of daily interaction didn’t count as being childhood friends? From this perspective, it seemed he valued the friendship more. In the Crown Prince’s heart, Su Xinghe was a true companion. Even though he sometimes put on airs, he was never harsh with her.
However, Su Xinghe also had her scale. Ten years, of being together day and night could be enough to form a deep friendship, just like the bond between the Lou Families and Su Families’ great-grandfathers but only when they were on equal footing. If there were a great disparity in status, where even the ground beneath their feet was not the same, then it wouldn’t matter if it was ten, twenty, or even thirty years. There would be nothing more to say unless the heavens, themselves turned upside down.
She slightly lifted her lips and said, “Six years count as childhood friends, and ten years naturally count as master and servant. In life, there must be both meetings and separations, if we cooped up together every day. What could you be other than master and servant? Take Dequan, for example, the eunuchs live in the palace all their lives. When I finish my service and look back on my years in the Eastern Palace maybe you’ll have become my childhood friend too. Who knows?”
She could still laugh, but the Crown Prince felt this woman was heartless and fickle. There was no need to insist on being friends. He suppressed his knee and slowly nodded. “Serve well, and if there ever comes a day when your master is displeased, you might just end up staying in the palace as a wet nurse until you die.”
What kind of deep grudge warranted such harsh words? Su Xinghe looked up with a smile. “There are different ranks of wet nurses. Which rank would you have me be? Someone like me might, a governess, teaching the children proper etiquette.”
The Crown Prince sneered at her. “You won’t be getting a governess position. A wet nurse suits you better.”
That remark shut her up again. It was strange; when dealing with the palace maids and eunuchs under her command, or when handling cases and interrogations at the yamen, she was always the one to seize on others’ weaknesses, pointing them out and reprimanding them to their faces. Yet in front of him, she couldn’t manage a proper retort. Part of it was due to the disparity in their status, but another part was because his mind was so quick. You can’t reason with someone were always thinking of ways to bully you.
So she acted like an honest person and resigned herself to the humiliation. She stopped throwing her flashy punches and stood quietly by, wondering how to become a wet nurse without having any children to nurse.
The Crown Prince still found her infuriating. Why could Lou Yueting be her childhood friend, but he couldn’t? So, his smile grew even more sinister. “I don’t understand what it means to be childhood friends. Show me, how childhood friends greet each other. Let’s take last night’s encounter as an example.”
Internally, she was filled with resentment, but she could only agree aloud.
She walked down, stepping to the middle of the plush carpet, right on the belly of an embroidered elephant. Facing west, she sincerely clasped her hands in a greeting, “Brother Lou Yueting.”
Then, she turned around and, pretending to be Lou Yueting, smiled and said, “It’s you! What a coincidence! What brings you here?”
“The yamen had some issues, so I came here to check it out. What about you?”
“My people didn’t know the Ministry of Military Control was conducting an investigation and got involved. Commander Nan Yushu brought them back to the yamen for questioning. After the questioning was done, I came to take them back.”
“Oh…” She nodded, “Well, you get on with your business then. I have something urgent to attend to… Later, he took his people and left. That’s all.”
The Crown Prince frowned at her. “That’s all? He didn’t ask if you were cold or offer to take off his cloak to put on you?”
Su Xinghe was momentarily stunned, her heart racing not because of the cloak incident, but because he knew such minute details. It seemed this master was far more observant and perceptive than she had imagined.
The Crown Prince got off, from the Southern Kang Bed stove and walked to the blue and white fish tank beside the desk. From a silver-gilded crab-shaped box, he pinched a bit of fish food and fed it to his two koi. They were authentic red and white koi, with a bright red spot on their heads, which contrasted sharply with their snow-white bodies, making the red look even more striking. After four years he had raised these two fish and couldn’t bear to let them freeze; he had moved them into the warm pavilion early on. Sometimes people weren’t as sensible as fish. Look at them they knew to swim in circles when they saw a human shadow, moving like a Taiji symbol. People, on the other hand, were too complicated, always on guard against each other. Not asking her to bear her heart, but even admitting they were childhood friends seemed hard.
The fish food scattered like salt, falling onto the water’s surface. The koi opened and closed their mouths, devouring a large portion. The Crown Prince turned his head, intending to look at her, but stopped halfway and only glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Why are you mute now?”
She found it difficult to answer. After a pause, she finally said, “If I say anything, Your Highness might suspect even more that I was flirting with him in front of everyone at the yamen. But I truly wasn’t. I was anxious at that moment I didn’t have the time to think about such things. Besides, it’s been over ten years since we last met; I wouldn’t act so shamelessly.”
The Crown Prince relaxed a little. “You two, were you ever engaged?”
Su Xinghe said no. “Back home, you had to be at least fourteen to get engaged, but I entered the palace when I was twelve.”
“So, there wasn’t time.” The Crown Prince smiled faintly and asked, “Is Lou Yueting married now?”
Su Xinghe said she didn’t know, but in truth, during her last visit with her relatives, she had wanted to ask her mother about it if only he hadn’t been there. It wasn’t for any reason, just a lingering thought in her heart. After all, she hadn’t met anyone better than him over the years. when she was younger, she hadn’t thought much of it, but as she grew older and occasionally reminisced, she realized how foolish she had been back then. The fact that he had been so accommodating and patient showed that he truly had a good character.
The Crown Prince decided to send someone to investigate later. To him, both he and Lou Yueting were her childhood companions; one occupied the first half of her life, and the other, the latter half.
He dusted off his hands and covered the crab-shaped box again. At that moment, Dequan, from behind the curtain, announced, “Your Highness, it’s time for lunch. The dishes are already arranged in the warm pavilion, and they invite Your Highness to dine.”
The soft curtain at the door was lifted, and the Crown Prince strolled over leisurely. He suddenly noticed Su Xinghe hadn’t followed him, so he turned and asked, “Where are you eating?”
Su Xinghe replied, “A meal has already been prepared for me in the duty room.” Just like in the palace, where the masters’ meals are meticulously planned, a thousand households have special eunuchs for serving meals, and those not involved shouldn’t be present.
Today, the Crown Prince had a sudden whim, “Come here to serve me. Leave one of the meal-serving eunuchs, and let the others leave.”
Su Xinghe bowed said yes, “ Your Highness,” and followed him into the warm pavilion.
On the Crown Prince’s dining table was a tablecloth of apricot-yellow silk. Unlike the grand banquets where the table is filled with dishes, today there were only moderate portions on each plate, but with a wide variety, such as shredded lamb skin, grilled bright prawns, and stuffed ox intestines. Today was the first snowy day, perfect for a hotpot, so in the center of the circle of bowls and plates was a small copper pot. Charcoal was placed in the small chimney, with a ring of clear broth around it. When the heat was just right, it started bubbling and steaming.
A palace maid helped him wash his hands, and as he sat down at the table, he pointed and said, “Snow Baby, just right for today’s weather.”
The palace dishes all have refined names that appeal to the elegant and the common. For instance, “Snow Baby”, is a dish made of pea shoots and fried chicken. Since the master had pointed it out, someone had to taste it first. Su Xinghe found herself with a new task today: holding a dish in one hand and chopsticks in the other. Whenever he pointed at a dish, she had to pick it up, place it on the plate, and feed it into her mouth.
The Crown Prince was pleased to see her eat. He glanced around the table and pointed again. “That one.”
The eunuch in charge of announcing the dishes, standing by the wall, quickly called out loudly, “Xiao Tian Su.”
Xiao Tian Su is stir-fried with chicken. Su Xinghe wasn’t particularly fond of the version, but at that moment, she had no choice but to eat it. The Crown Prince was again delighted, having forgotten the mess Commander Nan Yushu had caused earlier. He pointed to another dish, and the eunuch promptly announced, “Zhu Tou Chun.”
Su Xinghe stared blankly at the roasted quail. Fortunately, someone came over to help dismantle the bird; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to start eating it.
At this point, she finally understood what Lan Chu meant when she said, “I get to eat before the Crown Prince does,” though the difference was that Lan Chu enjoyed herself, while Su Xinghe found no joy in it. Eating while standing was uncomfortable, and the dishes weren’t to her liking. With a bit of this and a bit of that, by the time she finished, she wouldn’t need lunch anymore she was already full.
The Crown Prince sat comfortably in his rosewood chair and only then picked up his chopsticks.
“How about it? Want to try a couple of dim sum?”
Su Xinghe shook her head vigorously. “I’ve tried all the dishes, Your Highness. Please enjoy your meal.”
After this round, the dishes had already cooled. The Crown Prince said it wasn’t necessary to keep them, instructing the servants to clear the dishes away, leaving just the hotpot, a plate of lamb, some cabbage leaves, and two dipping sauces. As he swished the food in the broth, he muttered to himself, “I’m so good to you. I let you eat first before I even start. One should have a conscience, you know.”
Su Xinghe’s legs were cramping. If all he wanted was to prove he could be a reliable childhood friend, couldn’t she admit it now? In the past, Lan Chu would envy the eunuchs who got to taste the food, but now that she had this task, she realized how unpleasant it was. No matter what, she didn’t want a second round of this.
But the Crown Prince believed he was being quite considerate to her. While others might ask about her well-being, he could show concern for her stomach. Aside from those material possessions, the most important things were to eat well and dress warmly. Eating well even came before dressing warmly, he felt he had already surpassed Lou Yueting.
