Ding Yi woke up from her drunken sleep the following day. She sat up feeling disoriented, looking at the daylight and her surroundings before suddenly remembering the two birds with alarm. Yesterday she had drunk the wine someone had brought her—her stomach pain was gone, but her duties had been neglected. She hurriedly got up, tidied herself, and went out to find the birds. Seventh Prince had promised to send the birds over yesterday, so why weren’t they in her room?

She hastily fastened her belt and rushed toward Prince Seven’s hall. Having no illness symptoms now, she was full of energy with a clear mind. Thinking back, who had visited her yesterday? Twelfth Prince had come, and she had rambled on and on to him. Had she accidentally revealed anything or made any slip-ups? As she thought carefully, the hair on her back bristled. She remembered taking advantage of him, how naturally the prince had embraced her, how secure she had felt in his arms. For someone adrift with no roots, settling down by his side suddenly made her feel less alone—at least someone was willing to listen to her troubles. But she had cried and laughed, thoroughly embarrassing herself. She wondered what he would think when he saw her again…

She ran while pondering these thoughts. For now, she was too embarrassed to face him. After a few days, when things had settled, she would test the waters. If Twelfth Prince hadn’t noticed anything unusual, she would be content to admire him from afar. If the matter couldn’t be contained, she would have to come clean eventually—just bite the bullet and explain everything.

After running a distance, she entered Prince Seven’s Wende Hall. She paused at the door to catch her breath, then stepped inside, sweeping her sleeve as she made a formal bow. “This servant pays respects to Your Highness.”

It was rare to see Prince Seven reading. He held a book of opera lyrics, learning lines from “The Peony Pavilion” while tapping rhythm and humming, “So this is how all these splendid flowers bloom, only to be given to broken wells and crumbling walls…”

He ignored her. Ding Yi glanced up at him, assuming he was busy learning the opera, and couldn’t respond. But when she looked again, Prince Seven was looking at her sidelong with raised eyebrows, saying in a peculiar tone: “Well, well, Lord Shu, feeling better now?”

She replied she wouldn’t dare. “Your Highness addressing me this way will shorten my life. To answer Your Highness, I’m well now and have come to resume my duties.”

Prince Seven made two grunting sounds while circling her. “Were you truly ill, or were you just feeling lazy and pretending to be sick to slack off? If you were ill, why didn’t you let someone call the imperial physician? Instead, you were lying there drinking wine. You got drunk and passed out, sleeping so comfortably from yesterday afternoon until today. Even I as your master don’t enjoy such comfort.”

She blinked several times. “I wasn’t pretending, I was truly ill. As for getting drunk… it wasn’t that I was greedy. The eunuch Yan Da said drinking could cure stomach pain. I didn’t drink much, just a small cup. I have a low tolerance and get drunk with just a sip. It wasn’t by choice.”

“You can spin anything into a story. Should I believe you?” He circled twice more, then remembered something and added: “One more thing you should hear—stop clinging to your Twelfth Prince. You two aren’t the same kind of people. Let me tell you, Twelfth Prince’s mother is fierce. If you dare harm her son, do you believe she’ll skin you alive to make lanterns?”

Ding Yi shuddered. “I’m wronged! How could you think I’m that kind of person? I never intended to corrupt Twelfth Prince. Your accusation is baseless.”

“You’re still denying it? I’ve seen through you—you’re trying to lead him down the wrong path. What do you call it? ‘Long Yang’? ‘Cut Sleeve’? ‘Split Peach’?” Prince Seven shook his head repeatedly. “I’m embarrassed for you. I’m your master, and your behavior disgraces me. What will people say?” He pinched his voice to imitate gossip, raising a dainty finger to point in the air: “That Seventh Prince got himself a pretty boy as a bird keeper—he’s truly an expert in ‘playing with birds’! He’s even seduced the Twelfth Prince. The troublemaker is Seventh Prince, so everyone save your spit to spray on him!” He continued, “See that? The blame falls entirely on my head. What did I do to deserve this? Don’t say I’m breaking up a pair of lovebirds. I’ll be the villain today since I’m your master. You couldn’t enter the Twelfth Prince’s service before because it wasn’t your fate. Now that you’re in my household, you must obey my orders. Remember that?”

As His Highness rambled on, Ding Yi could only listen silently. There was no way to defend herself—Prince Seven had misunderstood, and she deserved the scolding.

Thinking carefully, she realized he was right. Even if she weren’t a man, the difference in status was enormous. Desiring Twelfth Prince was useless. She shouldn’t have such thoughts; it was presumptuous and embarrassing. If Twelfth Prince found out, he might feel defiled!

With a bitter face, she said: “Your Highness speaks wisely. Your servant has heard your words and suddenly sees clearly. From now on, I’ll keep my distance from Twelfth Prince and won’t seek him out even for matters of importance.”

Prince Seven made an approving sound. “That’s right. I am your proper master. If you don’t understand something, come to me, and I’ll give you advice. I’m particularly good at coming up with ideas. As long as you come to me, I’ll point you in the right direction—legitimate, proper, above reproach. Wouldn’t that be better? Besides, I have a better nature, not like Twelfth Prince’s mother. My mother is Virtuous Consort De, known for her understanding…”

Eventually, his words went off track. How did they end up comparing mothers? Prince Seven covered his mistake with a cough. “Well, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ve decided to reward you with my calligraphy. Go grind the ink and prepare the paper—watch my brush dance like dragons and snakes.”

When inspiration strikes, no one can stop it. Ding Yi acknowledged and searched every corner of the hall—thankfully, both Yingying and Feng’er were there. While grinding the ink, she asked: “Your Highness, I took leave yesterday. Who looked after them?”

Prince Seven said: “I did. They’re fine—no fighting or causing trouble.”

Each bird had its cage, so they couldn’t have fought anyway. Prince Seven’s words sometimes made little sense—you could only take them as a general idea without examining the details. Ding Yi watched as he dipped his brush in ink and placed it on the gold-flecked scroll. His scholarly training wasn’t wasted—getting up at dawn for over a decade had built a solid foundation. His strokes flowed with a distinctive style. She hadn’t expected someone like Prince Seven to write such a beautiful cursive script.

As Ding Yi was attending him, she stood on the other side of the table, seeing his writing upside down and unable to make out what he had written. Later, when Prince Seven put down his brush, she turned around to look—four large characters: “Be Good To Yourself.” She nearly burst into tears. If he was giving a gift, couldn’t he have thought of something better? What kind of message was this?

Prince Seven was quite pleased. “Don’t dismiss its simplicity—these are words of gold and jade. If you can follow them, your path ahead will be smooth.”

She responded with a “Yes” and added, “Your servant will remember and never forget your teaching.”

Prince Seven felt the sky was so blue, the clouds so light—today’s weather was truly wonderful.

He stretched his muscles and slowly walked to the doorway where the light shone. Looking back, he said: “After such long rains, it feels liberating when the sky clears. While the weather is good, take the two birds out for a stroll and let them see the sun…”

As he gave this order, the person at the table was still looking at his calligraphy. Was it written so well that they were stunned?

But it was a meaningful kind of stupor. Prince Seven said nothing more, silently watching with folded arms. Shu Xiaoshu’s face was turned sideways to him—not commenting on the face itself, but the jet-black sideburns under the hat were intriguing. He was small in stature, which made him look younger and somewhat childlike. Standing there holding the scroll, he resembled a country bumpkin who had found treasure and didn’t know what to do with it. The more Prince Seven looked, the more amusing he found it.

“Should I have this mounted? When I get my property someday, I could hang it in the main hall. If people ask, I’ll say it’s my master’s admonishment,” she said, lowering her head to look at it again. “Or perhaps you could add your seal, so I can pass it down as a family heirloom?”

Prince Seven considered, “That works.” He went over and took out a seal from the double lotus purse at his waist, breathed hot air on the engraved side, and pressed it firmly in the lower right corner of the scroll.

After finishing, he continued to look pleased. Raising his eyes, he saw the person before him looking at the seal inscription with lowered eyelids—a delicate nose, red lips, and eyelashes like fans… His heart suddenly skipped a beat. With such a fresh and attractive appearance, no wonder he had captivated the Twelfth Prince. Even someone as worldly as himself couldn’t resist.

As he stared, he forgot to withdraw his gaze. Xiaoshu grinned at him, his gaze frank. It was Hong Tao who felt awkward, turning his face away sheepishly.

“Thank you for your reward, Your Highness. This is so elegant, much better than gold or silver,” she said as she rolled up the scroll. “I’ll take the calligraphy back first, then return to collect the birds.”

Prince Seven waved his hand dismissively. “Take them all together. The scroll—just tuck it under your arm.” He went over to unhook the bird cages and handed them to him, as if driving away a plague, repeating “go on” four or five times.

Ding Yi took the bird cages and looked at him in surprise. “Your Highness, have you fed them this morning?”

“Fed them, fed them! Diced chicken and fermented soybeans—they’re full.” He waved his hand again. “Go on, go on…”

After sending the person away, Prince Seven stood in the center of the room in a daze, with only three words left in his mind—”Trouble is coming!” In terms of amusements, whether flying in the sky or running on the ground, he had experienced them all. He’d visited brothels and courtesan houses; the more the court prohibited something, the more he wanted to violate it in private—he loved to rebel against convention. In the capital, there were special places that ran establishments training young male actors for female roles. Before they matured, they were called “little attendants.” When these little attendants performed, they accompanied guests drinking and playing finger-guessing games—all boys in their teens. If asked whether he had ever requested their services, he wouldn’t lie to himself—he had. But he was proper, limiting himself to joking at the banquet table, never thinking of bringing one to a private room because that wasn’t his preference.

Previously a very upright person, why was he feeling strange now? Just now, looking at Shu Xiaoshu had made his heart pound—why? Thinking carefully, when had he started acting like an old matron in Beijing opera, preventing her daughter from marrying a poor scholar, obstruction by every possible means—was it about-face? If it were about face, he should have sent the person to the Twelfth Prince, definitely not acting as he was now.

He paced around the room, head half raised to look at the hall ceiling. Not good—his taste had suddenly changed. Being away from home for nearly two months without women nearby, his mind wasn’t working properly. Perhaps he should find a way to relieve himself tonight? Constantly fixating on a man wasn’t the solution. They still had to deal with each other in the future. This hot potato was difficult to hold onto yet impossible to discard—quite troublesome.

He stuck his head out and called: “Na Jin, make arrangements—tonight I’m going out for entertainment. Take me somewhere lively. If it’s not lively, I’ll use you as firewood.”

Na Jin replied with a “Yes!” and added, “Consider it done, Your Highness!”

Ding Yi looked back once, thinking Prince Seven’s life was truly colorful. As for the Twelfth Prince, he was cold and lonely—the more people around him, the more uncomfortable he became. Thinking about it made her heart ache. But she only felt heartache, not daring to think he was pitiable. “Pitiable” wasn’t a word that suited him; even thinking it would demean him.

She dejectedly lowered her shoulders. Prince Seven’s earlier words had chilled her to the core. From now on, she must discipline herself, fearing an accidental revelation would cause him to find her disgusting. She was also afraid—the Consort in the garden had been described so frighteningly, how could she dare provoke her? Besides, with her affairs unresolved, such shameless thoughts were inappropriate.

She gazed toward Jisi Pavilion, where red walls and yellow tiles peeked through the green trees. The sky was so blue—nothing had changed.

Carrying the bird cages to the garden, she removed the covering cloths as Prince Seven had instructed, wanting the birds to enjoy the sunshine. Looking at the water containers, she noticed His Highness had only added food, not water. She hung the cages on tree branches, went to the southeast corner of the garden where there was a golden well, and headed there to fetch water.

Descending the steps and passing through the corridor, she encountered Liao Datou, who stopped when he saw her. “Xiaoshu, is that you?”

She responded affirmatively. Nowadays, meeting the guards always made her feel awkward, not knowing whether to smile or not. But since they had met, she had to exchange pleasantries: “Is Head Liao here to report to the Prince?”

Liao Datou said yes. “We’ll only rest here for two or three days before preparing to depart… Oh, I just remembered, tonight we’ve reserved a private room for drinks. Will you join us? Last time things ended with bad feelings, but why hold onto that? Men resolve grievances over drinks—what’s there to be unhappy about? Toast each other and move on. We see each other all the time—why hold grudges forever? So, are you coming?”

Naturally, Ding Yi didn’t want to go—another group of men, and what if something went wrong? Regardless, she didn’t plan to stay with them long-term. Once they reached the Changbai Mountains, they would part ways no matter how well or poorly they got along. There was no relationship worth cultivating.

She said: “Thank you, but I won’t go. I wasn’t feeling well yesterday. A eunuch from the palace brought me some wine. I drank it and was drunk all night, so I really can’t drink again today.”

Liao Datou was somewhat disappointed and sighed: “I was hoping to smooth things over so everyone could forget the unpleasantness… Well, since you don’t want to come, forget I mentioned it.” He looked over at the trees in the distance and smiled. “Taking the birds out for the Prince again?”

Ding Yi nodded. “The weather cleared today, and His Highness wanted them to get some sun.”

“Good, good…” Liao Datou smiled and rubbed his nose. “Take good care of them—they’re the Prince’s precious treasures. If they lose even a single feather, the Prince will hold you accountable.”

He swayed away. Ding Yi turned to look at the bird cages—nothing seemed unusual, but Liao Datou’s manner had been sinister, giving her an ominous feeling. After thinking for a moment, she decided not to fetch water and instead return with the birds.

Sometimes a woman’s intuition is quite accurate. She kept feeling someone was against her, not daring to confront her directly, but possibly targeting the birds. After all, she was the bird keeper, responsible for their welfare, and Prince Seven loved his birds. If anything went wrong, her life would be in danger. So she remained vigilant, watching the cages for most of the day without letting go. As she watched, something indeed happened.

In the red bird’s cage was a perch for sunning, while the lark’s cage had a “phoenix platform” rising from the sandy bottom, both for the birds to sing and dance on. The two birds had been standing fine, but somehow they gradually began to sway, like drunk people, toppling over to the bottom of their cages. She was shocked and speechless as she watched the birds spread their wings—they appeared to have been drugged.

What to do? Prince Seven had gone out seeking pleasure. When he returned to find the birds in this state, he would surely tear her apart. She felt like crying but had no tears. Seeing the birds about to die, she quickly sought out medicines she had brought from the capital to treat bird plague. Though the symptoms didn’t match, she couldn’t worry about that now—she had to try something!

As she was dissolving medicine in water, Sha Tong entered, picking his teeth as he said: “Xiaoshu, I just saw you running faster than a rabbit. Are you completely better now?” Stepping inside, he was startled. “What’s happened to the birds? Why are they all lying down?”

Ding Yi cried: “I don’t know! They were fine, but after hanging outside for a while, they collapsed… My poor birds, what should I do?”

She was desperately anxious. After raising them for so many days, if something terrible happened, her heart would break.

She busied herself administering medicine, with Sha Tong helping. After struggling for quite some time, watching anxiously, they ultimately failed to save them. The two birds fluttered a couple of times, then silently died.

It was truly a bolt from the blue. She held the two dead birds and sobbed loudly: “My Yingying and Feng’er… What should I do? How can I explain this to the Prince?” She had been living by attending to the birds—with them gone, what value did she have left?

Her crying was particularly contagious. Sha Tong watched with a sorrowful nose, then went to comfort her: “Stop crying. Birds have their fates—what’s done is done. You’ve had enough troubles. Right now, the important thing is to figure out how to explain this to Prince Seven.”

She shook her head tearfully. “There’s no solution. I wasn’t careful enough. Time after time, I’ve proven myself insufficient for success but adequate for failure.”

“You can’t blame yourself entirely. Don’t wail, keep it down. I think while Prince Seven is away, we should quickly find two replacement birds. Redbirds and crested larks—the bird market has plenty.”

Still unable to escape her grief, she clasped her hands and sobbed: “They wouldn’t be the original ones. I’ve failed them—I didn’t take proper care of them.”

Sha Tong coughed. “Are you simple-minded? These birds were poisoned. Such tiny creatures—two melon seeds could kill them. Don’t you understand? Someone wants to see you fall. Are you just going to stand there? When your master returns, it will be too late.” Sha Tong lifted his robe as he left. “I’ll inform Twelfth Prince. At this hour, we need a prince’s order to go out. I’ll ask for leave and take you to the bird market. Stop crying and wait.” With that, he ran off.