Love in Red Dust - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Dingyi stifled a laugh, then said with a smile, "You’ve misunderstood me. I came here today specifically to pay my respects... and to return the umbrella to the cook at your residence by the way."

Though her status was low, her wit was high; this was a clever enough answer. Hongce smiled. "I’m touched that you still remember to come and pay your respects."

She straightened her posture and arched her hands in a respectful gesture. "Your Highness did my senior brother and me a huge favor; I have kept it in my heart at all times and never dared to forget. I came today to say that since you paid for the dog on our behalf, I cannot let you suffer a loss. My senior brother and I have discussed it, and we will compensate you bit by bit. It’s just... I must ask for your forbearance. We are poor, so please allow us to repay you month by month from our stipends."

She lacked confidence saying this, but her attitude was sincere. Seeing that earnestness, Hongce felt the favor hadn't been in vain. "There is no 'loss' on my end," he said. "It was all just a matter of social grace. My subordinates and bondservants offer their tributes; there is no need for you to worry about it."

"That may be, but it was still for the sake of your reputation. Had it not been for your influence, the dog wouldn't have been sent all the way from Shaanxi. I truly have no way to repay you; please let me kowtow to you properly!" Dingyi genuinely felt that receiving such a grand gesture was well-deserved on his part. To small people like them, they didn't care for the pride that prevented kneeling; having nothing else to give, kowtowing was the best way to express their gratitude.

Hongce intercepted her at the right moment. "None of that. Once you kneel, the whole tone of the interaction changes."

For princes to accept bows was as common as commoners performing a simple greeting, but for the Twelfth Prince to excuse her from it was enough to make her sing his praises all day. She peered outward and asked, "Where is Your Highness coming from? I didn't see your sedan chair; are you alone?"

He nodded. The sky had turned gloomy after he left the Grand Council of State in the afternoon. With no bright sun, he felt like taking a walk alone. Fortunately, an umbrella had been prepared at the West Flower Gate, so he wasn't too bedraggled by the rain.

"Sigh, the people around you aren't attentive enough—how could they let their master be alone? With all this wind, rain, and thunder, it’s too frightening," she sighed regretfully. "If I were serving by your side, I would carry you on my back. Look, your shoes are all wet; how uncomfortable that must be."

He was a man who had heard too many sycophants with perfectly straight faces. He had seen too many people wagging their tails like dogs, and he didn't find this one particularly annoying. Her filial heart was sufficient, but her tone was far too boastful. Being so petite, she was barely tall enough to hold a lantern; carrying a grown man was a stretch.

He looked at her with skepticism. Dingyi realized this and felt terribly embarrassed, stuttering to smooth things over: "Don't look at me because I'm small; I have strength."

Hongce straightened his sleeves in a leisurely manner. "You don't even have an umbrella. If you carried me, I would have to hold the umbrella for you."

She hadn't considered that point. Seeing his lips curl as he watched her, she turned bright red instantly. "I understand what Your Highness means. The first two times, I only added to your troubles, making you get a headache whenever I wandered near... But I feel that I won't cause any more trouble from now on. Everyone knows I am acquainted with you, so no one will dare to make things difficult for me." She paused, licked her lips, and continued, "But I thought, if I could serve by your side, then you wouldn't have to worry about me at all..."

This person was quite interesting, circling around and around but never losing sight of the goal. She had likely been bullied so much in the past that no one took her seriously, and she just wanted to find a backer within the Prince’s residence. Unfortunately, the guards of the Prince's residence, like the guards of the Imperial Palace, were selected from trusted insiders and trained from childhood. There were almost no mid-way joiners; his situation was never even considered an option.

"I don't worry about you," he said blandly. "Both times were coincidences. I help when it's convenient and can be done, but I don't take on burdens that I can't assist with."

She was left hanging and felt quite embarrassed. "This... is also Your Highness being concerned for me, I suppose."

He smiled pleasantly and turned his gaze beyond the eaves. Water dripped from the tiles in a continuous stream. The heavy downpour had eased the drought that had plagued them since the start of summer; the harder the rain fell, the more open his state of mind became. The gate of the Prince’s residence had been half-closed, and only now did the gatekeeper notice him returning. The man rushed out to welcome him but was dismissed by a single glance from Hongce. He stood with his hands behind his back, taking a long breath facing the empty street, then turned his gaze to the child. "How old are you?"

Dingyi braced herself and bowed. "Reporting to Your Highness, I grow a 'small tail' every year on the Double Ninth Festival. On the ninth day of the ninth month, I will turn eighteen."

He scrutinized her twice more. "I couldn't tell. I thought you were at most fifteen or sixteen."

She grinned and accepted this. "Yes, I grow slowly and look young." Normal men at seventeen or eighteen had long since grown tall, but she had no choice. Even if two people pulled her, one by the head and one by the feet until she dislocated, she would still be this way. Polite people called her "youthful," while impolite people called her a "dwarf." In truth, she wasn't that short; comparing herself to the Prince before her, she could just about reach his shoulder. Prince Chun was very tall with long legs, so Dingyi was considered statuesque among normal women. Of course, when shoved into a crowd of men, she obviously didn't make the cut.

Hongce had never met someone who boasted about themselves like this and found her even more interesting. He asked, "You've recommended yourself several times. What is it? You aren't learning your trade well?"

Dingyi shook her head. "It's not that. My master and senior brother look after me well; the work isn't tiring, and the stipend is enough to survive on. It’s just... the profession isn't exactly elegant. To take a healthy person and—snap—leave them headless with one blade... I see it too often, and it weighs on my heart."

"Those who are beheaded are criminals who have committed heinous acts; they deserve to be killed," he said, frowning slightly. "Are you saying you are afraid?"

"No." She puffed out her chest. "I have a lot of courage..."

Whether it was the heavens mocking her or not, without any warning, a clap of thunder suddenly cracked down. It was so intense that one could even see sparks rolling across the ground. She gasped, her heart jumping, and sat down on the floor. Seeing this, Hongce couldn't help but laugh. "A lot of courage, is it? Is this what you mean?"

Her heart fluttered, and being mocked felt very shameful. He had poor hearing and couldn't hear the thunder, but her ears were fine. A roar like that landing right beside her—anyone would be startled!

She stammered, wanting to reply, but his expression suddenly became lonely. He said in a low voice, "When I was young, I was afraid of firecrackers. During the New Year, the palace would prepare various fireworks and 'two-kick' firecrackers, lined up outside the Gate of Supreme Harmony. My brothers would all go to join the fun; the older ones were brave enough to blow on the paper wicks to light the fuses, while I would cover my ears and hide to the side. The firecrackers had a powerful kick; thud, they would launch into the sky, and if you stood close, even the blue bricks beneath your feet would tremble..." He sighed, a self-mocking arc on his lips. "Now? Even if a thunderclap exploded right next to my ears, I wouldn't hear it. That’s how people are; if you close your eyes and block your ears, you can withstand almost anything."

Hearing him say this, Dingyi was surprised. She knew this Prince didn't have an easy life and had experienced more than the others. Hadn't he spent over a decade in Khalkha? He hadn't been well-regarded in the past.

She searched her brain for words of comfort, but he reached out a hand. She froze. Was he trying to pull her up? She looked at that hand; the elegant cloud patterns on his sleeve contrasted with his snow-white skin, and his knuckles were long and slender. Those fingertips were like the tips of orchids—a single touch could reach right into a person's heart.

She hesitated, feeling ashamed. She was a rough person; how could she desecrate such dignity? Subconsciously, she wiped her hands on her clothes before taking his hand.

His palm was warm, holding strength. With a gentle pull, she was hoisted up. She curled her five fingers and hid them behind her back. Her hands were empty, yet she felt as if she had grasped something. She smiled at him. "Has Your Highness ever played with sky-rockets? You stick the pole into the cracks of the bricks, light it, and it whooshes into mid-air, then pops with a bang. Because it’s far away, it’s not distressing."

He shook his head slowly. "I wasn't very brave when I was young; I didn't dare touch anything that involved fire."

When you look at a stranger from afar, you always wonder how profound and unfathomable they are. But hearing these words, she suddenly felt that even though the Prince was powerful, he was still a creature of flesh and blood. She had tried hard to show off her bravery, while he was completely frank about his character flaws. In this way, it didn't make him look lesser; rather, it made him seem more human.

"The reason for playing with sky-rockets is to hear that sound, isn't it?" He looked at her. Because of his impairment, he sometimes became sensitive; for example, he couldn't accept listening to opera, so naturally, he loathed it.

Dingyi hurriedly said no. "I don't play with sky-rockets to hear the bang, but to see how high they jump. I’m afraid of loud noises; you saw it yourself, a clap of thunder can make me collapse. Things like lighting hanging firecrackers for New Year—I don't touch any of them." She smiled shyly. "I’m just like you; I stand far away and watch. Joining in the fun from a distance is enough."

The two of them had found a topic. Standing under the eaves with thunder rumbling and rain pouring down outside, they chatted about fireworks. Dingyi could clearly see the smile on Prince Chun's face. As the lights flickered, his every glance and turn of the head were different from anyone else's. She didn't like people with the surname Yuwen, but he was the exception. It wasn't just because he had helped her a few times, but simply because his character was good and his conversation refined; she was willing to talk to him more.

"What is Your Highness's birthday?" She squinted, revealing a row of white teeth. "When your birthday comes, I will paste a large red 'longevity' character on a Kongming lantern for you. Once lit and set to fly, it will surely soar higher than any sky-rocket."

He kept his indifferent expression. "The ninth day of the ninth month. I was also born on the Double Ninth Festival."

Dingyi gasped. "What a coincidence..."

It was indeed a coincidence. There are always such coincidences in the world; when they happen, they are inexplicable. But this man still had a childlike heart. Only children talked about "growing tails" for birthdays, and to still be using that phrase at eighteen was rare. Hongce had always maneuvered through officialdom, having to be constantly vigilant and guarded; it was rare to meet someone so inconsequential that he didn't need to be on his guard when speaking. He was just considering whether to invite her in for a cup of tea when Guan Zhaojing entered from outside, drenched like a drowned chicken. He touched his knee to the ground and said mournfully, "Master, this slave waited for you at the Shenwu Gate for a long time, not expecting you to come out from the West Flower Gate. How is it? Are you soaked? The weather changes in a blink; look, your robes are all wet. Don't delay—I will have someone prepare dry clothes for you to change into, so you don't catch a chill."

With that, their casual chat came to an end. Eunuch Guan wanted to serve the Prince as he entered the residence, leaving Dingyi with her half-finished words swallowed back down. She stood with her hands at her sides, respectfully seeing him off, feeling melancholy because she hadn't managed to say what she wanted. As she looked away, the Prince walked two steps, then turned back and handed her the umbrella.

"Take it." He turned the umbrella around, handle toward her, and nudged it forward. "This rain won't stop for a while. If you get too drenched, you’ll get sick."

Dingyi smiled, stooping down to receive it with both hands. "I will return it to you when the skies clear. Thank you, Your Highness."

He nodded slightly, retracted his gaze, and lifted his robes to step through the door. A group of people surrounded him, and they headed toward the back.

After washing up and changing clothes, he came out to find Lu Shenchen, the manager of the front courtyard, already waiting. The front and back courtyards of the Prince’s residence were managed by two different groups of people, each with their own set of procedures. The manager of the front courtyard held a third or fourth-rank title, overseeing not only the estates and farmland of the residence but also handling official government correspondence on behalf of his master. Every day, he stood respectfully to report who had visited and for what purpose. Because the Twelfth Prince was involved in the Grand Council of State, he had connections with the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, so he had to report on which government office was handling which case, the progress, and whether it had been closed.

Hongce endured the process, asking about every detail. Since he made his living in this business, regardless of whether he liked it or not, it was his duty. The imperial court was just like this—too many people, too many complex matters, and if you weren't careful, people would dig up old cases to use as leverage. When a case was clear and understood, everyone was happy, but there were always one or two cases riddled with doubts. Re-investigating them from the start always revealed a tangled mess that was very intriguing.

He pointed to a name in the register. "Wen Lu committed suicide in prison. When the jailer discovered him, it was already the second hour of the following morning, which means there was no one guarding the prison that night—or at the very least, no one was patrolling. Not long after Wen Lu died, his home caught fire. His wife perished in the flames, and his young daughter went missing. This case was closed just like that—closed far too rashly."

Lu Shenchen said, "Someone from the Ministry of Justice came this afternoon and largely clarified the matter. It was a case from when the Retired Emperor was on the throne; twelve years have passed. The Ministry of Justice received the order yesterday and has already begun working on it. Wen Lu’s three sons were exiled to the imperial manor, and there was also a daughter. At the time, no relatives were willing to take them in, and she was later taken away by a wet nurse. It is not yet known where she is wandering now."

He closed his eyes. "Investigate it urgently. The child is secondary; the important thing is that wet nurse. Since she was the last one left, she must know something of the cause."

Lu Shenchen replied, "Your Highness will be heading to Ningguta in a while. You will travel via the Shengjing road, which happens to pass through the Changbai Mountains. The Wen brothers are exiled there, cultivating ginseng. If they are lucky and still alive, they should all be close to thirty by now."

He gave a soft hum and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then submit a memorial explaining the reason. Don't wait; choose a time and set off early!”