Ding Yi was pressed down so hard she could barely rise. With effort, she raised her head to look. The one speaking was another prince who had arrived with them.
This prince was more pleasing to the eye than the Seventh Prince. Where the Seventh Prince’s face was full of arrogance, this one’s appearance wasn’t domineering, and his eyes and brows were gentle. Some people’s features looked good together but couldn’t be appreciated separately; he was different. She had often heard that the Yu Wen family produced beautiful people, but she thought this meant women.
It turned out that wasn’t the case. Nobles and officials were well-bred, vastly different from the common people around her. Since her family’s fall, she hadn’t read many books, but in her spare time, she enjoyed purchasing poetry collections from bookstores.
Thinking about it, there was a phrase that suited him perfectly: “One who has poetry and books in his belly naturally radiates elegance.” He must be a learned man, and his learning had naturally cultivated that composed elegance. Setting aside old grudges, Ding Yi felt grateful to him at this moment. No matter what, he spoke up for her, showing he had a kinder nature than the Seventh Prince.
As for the Seventh Prince Hong Tao, he was occasionally mentioned during casual conversations at the yamen. Rumor had it that he had a bad temper and was meticulous about everything, wasting his title of Virtuous Prince.
“You don’t know the circumstances,” the Seventh Prince said a bit impatiently. “I can’t explain it to you.”
“I asked the subordinates. In my view, it’s not an important matter. Since An Ling Ba Wu has already been punished, let’s not mention previous incidents.” The kind-hearted prince glanced at her. “In my opinion, she shouldn’t be killed, but rather rewarded.”
The Seventh Prince heard this and raised his eyebrows. “I understand your meaning, but she went against my wishes.”
“All the court officials are avoiding this matter, and things have already passed smoothly. In the end, you’re getting yourself stained, making people say you had connections with An Ling Ba Wu. If such talk reaches His Majesty’s ears, would it sound good?” He turned and lifted his chin. “Release her.”
The Ge Shi Ha were bondservants under the banner. When their master’s brother gave the order, they dared not disobey, nor did they dare to fully comply. They loosened their grip slightly, hesitating as they watched Hong Tao’s expression. Hong Tao had been angry earlier and had spoken rashly, but upon reflection, he realized there was indeed something improper about the situation. She was just an ant—squashing her didn’t matter much. The important thing was that if news spread, it wouldn’t benefit him. After weighing the pros and cons, his initial anger subsided, and he decided to let it go.
“Didn’t you hear the Twelfth Prince’s words?” He waved his hand casually, signaling them to release her, but he felt it would be too easy to let her off like this. So with a cold glare, he said, “You’re lucky today. If the Twelfth Prince hadn’t pleaded for you, I would have at least broken your legs and arms, if not taken your life. Be more careful next time. If you offend me again, watch out for your skin!”
Ding Yi had been scared to the point of cold sweat. When the guards released her, it felt as if she had taken a turn at the King of Hell’s palace—her legs felt numb. After recovering, she bowed and said, “This humble one will remember. Next time I see Your Highness, I will serve you properly.” As he was about to get into his sedan chair, she hurried forward to lift the curtain. “The weather is hot, Your Highness has worked hard… Have a good journey.”
And so, through the Seventh Prince’s fingers, she had escaped death. Looking back at the Twelfth Prince, the sunlight shone on the dragon pattern on his shoulder—a dragon head with four claws, standing there, majestic as a mountain.
He didn’t seem to expect her pleasantries. Once the matter was done, he stepped over the pole and entered his sedan chair. Though hesitant, Ding Yi still approached him, called out “Your Highness,” and dropped to her knees. “Today I kept my life thanks to Your Highness. Your great kindness, this humble one will never forget. In the future, if Your Highness has any orders, this humble one will serve you with all my heart to repay this life-saving grace.”
She said quite a lot, but oddly, the Pure Prince acted as if he hadn’t heard, sitting down with little change in expression. The bamboo frame of the sedan chair allowed for airflow, making it cool for summer travel. The small curtain at the window fluttered in the breeze, and bits of light fell on his face and body, giving him a dignified, venerable appearance that one couldn’t look away from.
A prince was a prince, with an innate grand manner; saving you didn’t mean he was willing to acknowledge you. Finding herself in an awkward position as the sedan chair was lifted onto her shoulders, she could only retreat to the side. However, a personal attendant nearby responded to her, “The Prince has heard you. Be careful in your future actions. He saved you once but won’t save you a second time.”
She repeatedly said “Yes,” bowing so deeply she resembled a shrimp. “I respectfully see Your Highness off.”
The guards raised dust on the yellow earth road as they marched away, the rumble of their footsteps fading into the distance. Only then did she straighten up. Her gaze followed them, seeing only the cyan top of the sedan chair with flying swallows—a rare clean stream in this bloody place, but also one that didn’t belong.
Having survived this calamity, she had frightened the other people at the yamen, who observed from a distance, not daring to approach. Only after the princes and guards had turned the corner did they surround her, hunching their shoulders and clicking their tongues, saying, “You’ve got quite a lucky life. Go tell your master tonight to make a bowl of noodles. You’ve been spared and will live several more decades.”
She let out a long breath, suddenly feeling dizzy. Wiping the sweat from her face, she mumbled, “I was scared senseless…” As she spoke, she collapsed.
Everyone exclaimed in surprise—it seemed the heat and shock had caused her to fall ill. Many hands lifted her into the Hénián Hall and placed her on a rattan couch. They wiped her face with cool towels, fanned her, and an attendant mixed vinegar tea for her to drink. After much effort, she finally recovered. Still concerned about the execution ground, she struggled, pointing outside, “I haven’t finished my work!”
Several people quickly held her down. “It’s all been taken care of. Just lie down and don’t move. You’ve just come back from the dead and need to catch your breath. That little bit of work was finished in no time. If we drag it out until now, it’ll attract insects, and Hénián Hall won’t be able to do business.”
She relaxed and lay back down, staring at the ceiling. The ordeal had stirred up all sorts of memories, both bitter and sweet, like a flooded kitchen. Having gone through it, she felt that living wasn’t easy. This time she had met a kind person; if the Twelfth Prince had stood aside, she would have gone to meet her parents by now. She was quite accepting of death—the moment of dying would be painful, but afterward, there would be peace. Seriously speaking, being dead might be better than living as neither a man nor a woman. If those who often mingled with her hadn’t known she disliked scraping therapy and hadn’t removed her clothes while she was confused, her rice bowl would have been empty.
Everyone clicked their tongues in relief for her, saying the Twelfth Prince was a good person, a lucky star in her fate. As miscellaneous workers at the yamen, how many high officials could they see? They were eighteen levels of heaven away from the true Buddha. They had heard of princes killing people, but princes saving people was rare. Zhang De Quan scratched his head and ears, mumbling, “The Pure Prince isn’t often seen. I heard he just returned from Khalkha?”
Hénián Hall was a business on the street, welcoming customers from all directions, so their information was more current. An attendant dusted the counter and responded, “Don’t you know? The Pure Prince’s mother is the Khalkha Noble Consort. Though her rank is high, she’s just for show. The old emperor and the Empress Dowager’s darling son, the Thirteenth Prince, is the legitimate heir of two reigns—he’s the apple of their eye. As for other sons, they might not even be eye sockets, but they’re still a cut below. The Pure Prince was made a Beile at thirteen and was sent to Khalkha as a local deity, staying there for over ten years. During this time, the Left Wing of Khalkha secretly planned a rebellion. Before it even started, word leaked out. The Twelfth Prince, like a sickle cutting wheat, cleaned them all up decisively. Having achieved merit, he wasn’t banished. He returned to the capital and was made a Hosho Prince, really making his mother proud.”
Everyone admired this—the more he was suppressed, the more capable he became. Truly admirable!
The attendant tilted his head and clicked his tongue a couple of times. “It’s a pity, such a good lord…”
Everyone asked what happened, but he just shook his head without a word. They cursed him, “Telling half a story isn’t human. Tomorrow when your sister gives birth, she should deliver half and leave half.”
“You people…” The attendant, red-faced and angry, pointed at them. “No ivory comes out of a dog’s mouth! I’ll tell you, though you’ll never have a chance to verify… The Pure Prince has bad hearing! The moon has its phases, and people have their blindness, muteness, deafness, and lameness! Though he doesn’t hear clearly, he’s smart. As long as you face him directly when speaking, he can respond clearly to every sentence.”
Ding Yi, who had been lying down, sat up when she heard this. No wonder he hadn’t responded when she thanked him—so that was the reason. Reading lips and figuring it out in his head must be quite difficult. Good people face hardships, while bad people live carefree lives. Take that Seventh Prince—why couldn’t he be the deaf one?
Everyone sighed: “What a shame. How did he get this condition? He can speak, so did he become deaf later?”
“Ninety percent likely,” the attendant nodded and said. “If you’re deaf from childhood, how would you learn to speak?”
Just as they were getting deep into the conversation, the manager of Hénián Hall came in—a thin, tall old man with freckles on his cheekbones. His face drooped like a roasted dough bag. He shouted at the attendant, “What are you talking about? Are you tired of living? That’s a prince, not your neighborhood acquaintance. Gossiping like this brings trouble to the shop. I’ll tear you apart! Aren’t I troubled enough? I’ve got a headful of lawsuits here!”
With the manager’s scolding, everyone became embarrassed. Coincidentally, Xia Zhi had received the news and came to pick her up. As soon as he entered, he slapped his thigh and complained, “That damned Yang Er told me to come collect a corpse, scaring me half to death. What a mess this is, for heaven’s sake!” As he spoke, he stroked his face and ears, his eyes glistening with tears. “Although we often quarrel, if you had died, I would have missed you.”
The people nearby added oil and vinegar to their description of the scene. Ding Yi felt quite embarrassed—being held captive wasn’t a good look, and she was still a girl after all. She didn’t want to think about it anymore. She got off the couch, put on her shoes, and pulled Xia Zhi, laughing, “Nothing happened, right? Don’t make such a fuss. Senior Brother, let’s go back. I need to report my safety to Master.” With that, she cupped her hands toward everyone. “Thank you for your trouble. I’ll thank you properly. Later, my Senior Brother will reserve the Little Immortal Residence to treat everyone to drinks. Please honor us with your presence.”
Xia Zhi responded with a “Yeah,” saying, “When did I agree to that?”
“It’s settled then, see you all later.” She pulled Xia Zhi out the door, grumbling, “Am I not your Junior Brother? I’ve just escaped death by a hair; you should help me calm my nerves.”
Xia Zhi thought for a moment and said through gritted teeth, “As long as you’re alive, that’s good. I was really afraid of seeing you without a head. Just now, passing by the tanner’s shop, I agreed on a price with Old Ma Tou—two taels of silver to sew your head back on. Since you’re not dead, we can use this money to celebrate. It’s worth it.”
A senior brother was still a senior brother. Ding Yi sniffled a couple of times and got onto the cart he had originally prepared to carry her corpse.
Season birds chirped excitedly in the branches. Hot air rushed towards her face as she held a yellow sumac umbrella and asked, “Senior Brother, do you know the Pure Prince? He saved me today.”
Xia Zhi made an “Mmm” sound. “This prince doesn’t go out much, so I know little about him. Why, are you thinking of repaying him? He’s royalty. Doing a good deed is just a wave of his hand, and he’s probably forgotten it already. If you were to bring the eight famous Beijing gifts to thank him, the steward at his mansion wouldn’t even let you in. Just be quiet about it!”
She hadn’t thought about thanking him; she just felt sorry for him after hearing about his hearing impairment. When she mentioned it to Xia Zhi, he coughed and said, “Living in this world, we all have our obstacles. The imperial clan eats the court’s salary, but are they more pitiful than us? Who wants to exchange human heads for copper coins, with blood on their hands? If I were made a prince, I’d gladly be deaf!”
That’s true, she thought with a self-mocking smile. Her current situation was all due to people like them. Though one thing had nothing to do with the other, she still disliked anyone with the surname Yu Wen. Her whole heart was now set on saving money to go to the Changbai Mountains to find her brothers. Once she found them, she wouldn’t be without support anymore. Today’s event was just an ordinary encounter; once it passed, she would forget it.