Chapter 36

Xue Jin'an appeared to have scolded only three people, but in reality, he had taken a jab at four.

The Eighth Prince, who had clearly raised his hand and nodded in agreement when horse riding was mentioned, only to be completely ignored, pressed his lips tightly together. He watched helplessly as the Third Prince and the Seventh Prince cooperated with such seamless rapport. Amidst the Third Prince’s hearty laughter, he seemed to feel the silent, pitying gazes of the young eunuchs behind him. His fingers, clutching the fabric of his robes, were almost tearing a hole through the cloth.

However, the Third Prince soon stopped laughing, and no one paid any more attention to the Eighth Prince—not even the Eighth Prince himself.

Seeing the Third Prince’s back suddenly turn silent and oppressive, the Eighth Prince even subconsciously took two steps back to distance himself, fearing he might be caught in the crossfire of the Third Prince’s impending rage.

Everyone gasped, looking at the brazen Xue Jin’an with shock, as if witnessing a warrior daring enough to provoke a hungry bear just awakened from hibernation.

What made it even more remarkable was that after this provocation, the warrior didn't run; instead, he leaped off the wall without hesitation, landing lightly and gracefully right in front of the bear.

The original owner had suffered from insomnia and malnutrition, leaving his body severely underdeveloped and much thinner than his peers. In the past month, Xue Jin’an had been eating, drinking, and sleeping well, which only added a bit of vitality to his complexion without putting much flesh on his cheeks. The Third Prince, though just fourteen, had ten years of martial arts training under his belt. He had inherited the robust constitution of the Qian family, and at over seven feet tall, he already possessed a formidable, burly frame.

With these two standing face-to-face, how could anyone not break into a cold sweat for the Seventh Prince?

"Your Highness, Seventh Prince!" Even Xuan Eleven felt a jolt of alarm.

Who in this palace didn't know the Third Prince’s temperament? He was a volatile man who could explode at the slightest provocation, and his explosions were particularly devastating. In the six years he had lived in the Princes' Quarters, he had gone through two sets of attendants; the eunuchs and maids trembled at the mere mention of having to work in the Mingde Courtyard.

The other princes and princesses tended to avoid the Third Prince. The only person who dared point a finger at him and scold him was the Emperor—and now, the Seventh Prince had joined that exclusive club.

*Don't think that just because the Fifth Prince calls you the 'Yama King,' you aren't a living human being, Your Highness!* Xuan Eleven shouted in his heart, quickly jumping out the window and scrambling onto the wall. He fished a piece of silver from his pouch, held it between his fingers, and aimed at the Third Prince’s pressure point, ready to strike.

But then, he saw the Eighth Prince, who had already retreated two steps, glance at the Third Prince, seemingly realizing something. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward to smooth things over. "Little Seven definitely didn't mean it that way, Third Brother, please don't be angry..."

The Eighth Prince spoke while stealing glances at the Third Prince’s face.

Having spent a significant amount of time with the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince had developed a method for handling him. The Third Prince was irritable and prone to tantrums, but he was also quite simple to read; he couldn't hide his feelings, and if he were truly angry, he would have resorted to violence instead of just glaring with a fierce, angry gaze.

Or perhaps, the Third Prince had indeed been taken aback by Xue Jin’an’s words, but not to the point of genuine rage—he was simply looking for a way to climb down from his high horse.

The Eighth Prince hesitated, but he ultimately chose to play the good guy: this was an opportunity to stand before his Third Brother, and he had always been adept at seizing such chances.

As expected, the Eighth Prince had guessed right.

"Who’s angry? Am I the kind of person who gets angry so easily? Move aside." The Third Prince took the out, waving his hand to signal the Eighth Prince to step back. He didn't push him aside, which showed he wasn't in a bad mood.

The Third Prince pointed a finger at Xue Jin’an. "You are the first person to dare scold me like that. You’re not bad; I quite like you."

"I was stating facts, not scolding anyone," Xue Jin’an replied, refusing to be maligned.

"Are you trying to be even more insufferable?" The Third Prince reached out a long arm to pull Xue Jin’an close, but Xue Jin’an dodged him. The Third Prince let out a scoff at his empty hands. "You kid, this blunt way of speaking of yours... it’s actually quite endearing."

It felt like coming home.

If he hadn't known for a fact that his imperial mother hadn't given birth to any other children besides him, he would have thought this was his own biological brother. It was a pity he hadn't gotten to know Little Seven sooner. Had he known they would get along so well, he would have kept the boy by his side, taught him well, and their brotherly bond would surely have become a historical legend.

But it wasn't too late. The Seventh Prince was still young and hadn't been influenced too deeply yet. He would take him out to play more often in the future and make sure he didn't learn any bad habits from the others.

"Seventh Brother, you’re a good lad. I really like you," the Third Prince affirmed once more.

"..." Xue Jin’an looked at him silently for half a second. For some reason, the Third Prince’s words and behavior gave him a sense of déjà vu. He couldn't help but sift through his data, finally discovering a multitude of similar samples in old-fashioned literature.

*Isn't this just the CEO from those trashy romance novels who says, "Woman/Man, you are so different from those flashy, cheap people out there; you have successfully captured my attention"?*

The Eighth Prince turned to him at the right moment, smiling earnestly. "Usually, people who offend Third Brother like that aren't forgiven. This is the first time; Third Brother has made an exception for you."

*Great, exactly the same.*

Xue Jin’an looked at the Eighth Prince with a deadpan expression. "You are very well-suited to be a Chief Eunuch."

*Chief Eunuch? Did he mean the Head Eunuch?* The Eighth Prince’s smile stiffened on his face.

*

Since the Fifth Prince of the Minghua Palace was here, and the Fourth Prince also seemed to have something to discuss, Xue Jin’an eventually changed his original plans, and the group headed to the Imperial Stables together.

The other princes also brought their attendants, and Xue Jin’an did not object when Xuan Eleven quietly followed along.

Halfway there, they encountered Ziyun from the Yihe Palace. The Fourth Prince had always been very polite to the head maid of Consort Zhen, so he immediately stepped forward to greet her, looking somewhat puzzled at the direction she had come from—it wasn't the direction of the Yihe Palace.

"Auntie Ziyun, why are you here?" he asked.

"The First Prince’s invitation was delivered to the Yihe Palace. Her Ladyship knows you are going horse riding and hunting, so she sent me to the Imperial Clothing Bureau to have an outfit tailored for you," Ziyun said. "You seem to have grown a bit taller. Let me take a good look."

"Alright!" The Fourth Prince, who had just had a fight with Consort Zhen, felt his eyes light up upon hearing that his mother had ordered a riding outfit for him. He cooperated fully with Ziyun’s instructions, stepping back and turning around, letting her measure him with her eyes.

Perhaps because they were close, Xue Jin’an felt Ziyun’s gaze flickering toward him repeatedly.

The Third Prince crossed his arms, looking impatient and like a volcano ready to erupt. He was about to explode when he was interrupted by Shunyi, who held out a piece of crystal cake.

"Third Highness, this was specially prepared for you by our Fourth Highness." In reality, it had been prepared for Xue Jin’an.

The Fourth Prince had tossed and turned on his bed in the Suhui Courtyard all night, and as soon as he woke up, he had ordered Eunuch Wei to make Xue Jin’an’s favorite crystal cake—by now, the entire palace probably knew the Seventh Prince liked them. After all, the last person Cuiyun had seen before she died was Eunuch Wei, and she had ordered many crystal cakes, all of which were meant for Fulu, the Seventh Prince’s personal eunuch.

The Fourth Prince had gone to the Qifeng Courtyard well-prepared, only to run into the annoying Fifth Prince. After a brief verbal sparring match, they were scooped up like kittens by the Third Prince, and now they were on their way to the Imperial Stables... The questions he wanted to ask hadn't been asked, and naturally, he hadn't had a chance to offer the cakes.

The Third Prince also remembered that Xue Jin’an liked crystal cakes. Since he was currently fond of the Seventh Prince and interested in learning about his preferences, he didn't make a fuss, taking a piece to taste. "It doesn't have much flavor. What’s so good about this?"

The Third Prince had a sweet tooth and usually ate cakes loaded with an excessive amount of sugar; he couldn't appreciate the subtle flavor of the crystal cakes at all. He popped another piece into his mouth, shook his head in disinterest, and said, "Seventh Brother, I’ll bring you something better next time."

The artifact spirit, who didn't have much of a craving for sweets, felt that "better" was unlikely.

While the two were talking, the Fourth Prince, under Ziyun’s direction, moved closer and closer to Xue Jin’an. Xue Jin’an, strictly adhering to human social distancing norms, took a step back to maintain the exact same distance.

"This servant thinks the waist size seems a bit off..." Ziyun said as she walked over. Suddenly, she stumbled, her body leaning forward, and her hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbing directly toward Xue Jin’an’s wrist.

Xue Jin’an’s "anti-fall mode" activated, and he pulled his hand away with lightning reflexes. However, Ziyun’s hand seemed to have eyes of its own, sticking tightly to him.

Various data streams flashed through Xue Jin’an’s mind. Realizing what was happening, he suppressed the urge to fly up and kick her in the waist, allowing her to catch his wrist as she desired.

He felt Ziyun’s hand land precisely on the blood-dragon wood bracelet through his sleeve. She tightened her fingers slightly, feeling all the beads of the bracelet, and released him a second later, as if it were a natural stress response to a fall, subconsciously grabbing onto something for support.

"This servant was clumsy!" Auntie Ziyun immediately bowed to apologize.

When the Fourth Prince saw Auntie Ziyun grabbing at Xue Jin’an, his heart skipped a beat. He felt this was even more terrifying than provoking the Third Brother, so he hurriedly found an excuse to send Ziyun away before nervously preparing to say something to appease Xue Jin’an.

Xue Jin’an interrupted him before he could speak. "You opened the incense burner."

The statement was abrupt and lacked context, but the Fourth Prince understood. He shifted his gaze guiltily. "Nonsense, I left right after you did that day."

"Impossible," Xue Jin’an said flatly. "You have trouble even getting on a horse." If he had trouble getting on a horse, let alone the rafters.

The Fourth Prince felt like he had been dealt a critical hit. Clutching his chest as if pierced by an invisible arrow, he stubbornly retorted, "Then what evidence do you have? I don't have any beads on me."

The Fifth Prince, listening from the side, let out a disgusted "Tsk." He wanted to say something snide to the Fourth Prince, but when he turned to see the Third Prince next to him, who looked like he was "listening intently but didn't understand a word of what they were saying," his desire to speak vanished instantly.

The Fifth Prince couldn't help but ponder: there were so many smart princes, so why was he the only one here? Why on earth was he traveling with two idiots? He would rather be sitting in the Imperial Study, watching the same old, boring spectacles.

As for the Eighth Prince behind them, who was also pricking up his ears with a thoughtful expression... his presence was so low that he was ignored once again.

"I know the beads aren't on you." They were certainly in Consort Zhen’s hands. Although Xue Jin’an hadn't expected the Fourth Prince to actually hide the beads from Consort Zhen, the exposure had happened a bit too quickly. It was as if they had been taken away before he could even warm them up in his hands. The key was that the person involved seemed completely unaware that he had been exposed.