Prince Anqing sat in his study, eyes fixed eagerly on A’Luo. She racked her brain, trying to remember. “To brew new wine properly, we’d need to cellar and ferment sorghum or barley — I imagine the prince can’t wait that long. Let’s keep it simple — heat up some existing wine, and as for this distiller…”
A’Luo thought for a long while and sketched out something resembling a coffee pot — adding a lid atop two hemispherical vessels, with a tube running out — then looked at Prince Anqing, whose face was full of anticipation. “I’m not even sure this will work. Let’s just try it — if it doesn’t, we’ll figure out something else.”
She explained, “The wine now isn’t very pure. Since the prince likes strong liquor, we’ll raise the alcohol content of the strong wine — by distilling it, the alcohol rises as vapor, and once collected, it becomes a different kind of wine altogether.”
Prince Anqing thought it over and smiled. “So you’re separating out the fiercer, stronger part of the current liquor?”
A’Luo clapped in praise. “The prince is truly clever, that’s exactly the principle. Let’s give it a try.”
Prince Anqing beamed at A’Luo, a flash of shrewdness crossing his eyes. “A’Luo, how is it that your head is packed with so many things? Things I’ve never even heard of, utterly astonishing. Even that talk of yours about pettiness had me completely bewildered — quite refreshing!”
A’Luo thought, the old fox is growing suspicious. She laughed heartily. “By rights, as the Chancellor’s Third Miss, raised deep in the women’s quarters, never venturing beyond the household gates, I really shouldn’t know things unsuitable for a young lady. But A’Luo had a strange encounter at the age of five — someone, injured for reasons unknown, tumbled into the bamboo grove behind the Chancellor’s residence. I gave him water and food, and promised to keep his secret. After that, he came every day to teach me martial arts, and told me all sorts of things. I don’t know if it was all true — none of it had any use at the time — but thinking back on it now, some of it makes sense, and some, like this method of brewing, has turned out useful.”
Prince Anqing’s expression turned stern. “Do you take me for a three-year-old child?”
A’Luo also grew serious. “At first, before I’d met you, I meant to act low-key. But having met you now, I’ve given up on that plan. I’m already exhausted as it is, having drifted outside for three years — I’m no longer that delicate, weak Third Miss of the Chancellor’s household. Would the prince rather A’Luo put on airs and merely go through the motions with you?” As she spoke, her eyes met his directly.
To truly win Prince Anqing over as her support in Fengcheng, how could she not take a bold gamble? Prince Anqing forced out the killing intent honed from years of commanding troops and let it press toward A’Luo. She simply stood there calmly, a flower-like smile blooming. “My prince, A’Luo said from the very start — she’s merely a petty person seeking to protect herself and survive within whatever limited space she has.”
Prince Anqing slowly withdrew his killing intent, blinked, and chuckled softly. “I hear you once ran from your betrothal, and nearly drove that wretched boy mad with anger?”
A’Luo blinked back. “He told me the Anqing residence has a family tradition — marrying only one wife for life?”
“So that’s all it took to win you over?” The old man was somewhat dismissive.
“Wrong — that’s not at all what won me over.” A’Luo shook her head in denial.
“Oh? What else, then?”
A’Luo suddenly broke into a radiant smile. “I also fell for how eloquent he is, and how deeply devoted he is to me — but most crucially, he’s not only Prince Pingnan, he also has a father as powerful and capable as you, a crafty old fox! Having two princes as one’s backers — who wouldn’t want such a bargain!”
Prince Anqing burst into laughter. “This prince likes your spirit!” Suddenly he slapped his forehead. “Almost forgot — that wretched boy seems to have sent you a letter too. Come, let’s take a look!”
A’Luo’s heart warmed sweetly, though her face showed indifference. “I don’t want to look!”
Prince Anqing watched her with great interest. A patch of red rose to A’Luo’s face, a bashful air surfacing. “What’s this? Are you shy? You didn’t seem shy at all coming to see me!”
A’Luo lowered her head and said nothing, then suddenly blurted, “I still haven’t decided whether to marry him. Why should I bother replying to his letter? Let him worry, then!”
“Ha ha! Fine, let him worry!” She had extraordinary insight, a composure as steady as a mountain, tender enough to inspire pity, yet resolute enough to earn admiration. Such a remarkable woman — never mind that wretched boy, even he found himself utterly charmed.
“Let’s have a look anyway!” A’Luo’s eyes turned, a new idea forming.
Prince Anqing led her smiling into the study and handed over a sealed letter. A’Luo opened it and read: “Are you still angry?” A begonia blossom was pressed inside.
A’Luo looked at Prince Anqing, a sly smile spreading. “My prince, shall we discuss how to reply in a way that infuriates him?”
Prince Anqing’s playful streak flared up — that wretched boy, hiding his engagement from him, though at least it was to someone he liked; otherwise, he’d have been furious beyond words. He chuckled. “How should we reply, then?”
A’Luo thought it over. “The Chancellor’s Third Miss personally came to call off the engagement — a humiliation beyond bearing! Mention marriage again, and this old man will break your legs!”
Prince Anqing was stunned for a moment, then his mouth split into a wide grin. “Perfect! Just like that! Let the wretched boy come groveling to me when he returns!”
A’Luo laughed softly and stretched out her finger for a pinky-promise. “This is our little secret!”
Laughing, he hooked his finger with hers to seal the pact. Prince Anqing suddenly said, “I hear your zither skills surpass your eldest sister’s?”
A’Luo startled — the old fox knew everything! She thought a moment and said, “My mother once remarked that my zither carries deeper meaning than hers, though it’s not that my technique is so much better.”
“That piece ‘Autumn Waters’ captured the Crown Prince’s heart! Yet the Crown Princess is no simple woman either — she studied troop deployment and battle formations from a young age, and this old man admires her greatly.”
Indeed, Wang Yanhui truly was a formidable one! A’Luo thought that she herself was only half-competent when it came to military strategy — she couldn’t even remember all thirty-six stratagems. She recalled Liu Jue once saying that the moment Prince Ning passed, he would march his troops back to Fengcheng. Which side did the Anqing residence actually support? And then there was Zili, holding military power in hand — three years had been plenty of time for him to plot. Whoever became the next Prince Ning, A’Luo felt she had no particular stake in the matter for now — yet the Anqing residence was different. The old fox wasn’t about to tell her his true intentions. Why would he bring up the zither and probe her like this?
“Tomorrow I’ll visit the palace to see Qinglei — is there anything the prince wants A’Luo to keep in mind?”
“Well — didn’t we just write to that wretched boy saying you’d come to call off the engagement? We need to make the act convincing, or the wretched boy won’t be fooled!” Prince Anqing said with a broad, satisfied smile.
A’Luo’s heart gave a jolt. Once word of this spread, her own life would become difficult. Wouldn’t Chancellor Li come storming over? And the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and Qinglei would have free rein to torment her. Could she keep her life safe? She’d only just begun to lean on this great tree that was Prince Anqing, and already he wanted to push her into the whirlpool?
Prince Anqing kept smiling as he watched her. A’Luo pouted. “And won’t that— that father of mine beat me to death? Not doing it!”
Prince Anqing laughed heartily. “The little girl’s scared now?”
“Of course — my life matters to me!”
Indeed, pushing her into the whirlpool like this was rather cruel. A flicker of reluctance crossed Prince Anqing’s eyes. He couldn’t help but add reassuringly, “Calling off an engagement isn’t so simple. Not liking someone is one thing, but my wretched son at home — he’s hardly worthy of you!”
What was Prince Anqing scheming? A’Luo couldn’t figure it out. If she claimed not to like Liu Jue, what would that accomplish? Who would benefit most from such a thing? If she claimed not to like Liu Jue… A’Luo smiled and glared at Prince Anqing. “You really are an old fox! Even scheming against your own son!”
“You said it, not me — of course I’m an old fox. And if the little fox’s bride doesn’t like him anymore, and even wants to call off the engagement, won’t he be anxious? And once he’s anxious… heh heh, as his father, of course all I can do is throw up my hands helplessly!” Prince Anqing’s smile was the picture of innocence.
A’Luo tugged at his sleeve and began bargaining shamelessly. “If my father scolds me, I might just cry and run away from home. And once I run, I’ll have nowhere to go — you’ll need to prepare a lovely secluded villa where I can hide! And if the Crown Prince and the others give me dirty looks, I like to relieve my frustration by going shopping — and without money, that just won’t do!”
The two of them dissolved into quiet, conspiratorial laughter.
As she left the residence, Prince Anqing gave A’Luo three fireworks. “If you’re ever in low spirits, set these off for fun — they’re quite beautiful.”
A’Luo laughed as she accepted them, her eyes sparkling. “Setting off fireworks alone is always lonely — I much prefer watching them squeezed in among a crowd, all lively and bustling.”
Fengcheng was destined not to stay calm, and she herself was destined not to escape this whirlpool — so she might as well stir the waters even murkier, or else what was the point of coming here to live it up for once in this life? Liu Jue, your old man really is a cunning old fox through and through — and me, A’Luo thought, I’m going to have myself some fun and let loose for once. With one big fox and one little fox keeping her company, how wonderful.