When Ning Xuan left Prince Rong’s Manor, Feng Xuanyi had not yet returned from morning court. It was Mo Yan who sent Ning Xuan out of Prince Rong’s Manor, and through the back gate at that. This was the first time Ning Xuan had gone out onto the streets since arriving in this dynasty. When he had first come, it had been at night, and before he had time to see anything clearly, he had already been bought into the prince’s manor. Once he entered the manor, it was like being locked inside a cage. Every person’s daily comings and goings were fixed, and though everyone wanted to go out and have a look, no matter how turns were taken, it would never fall to him. Now he had truly come out, and in broad daylight no less. Beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven, the capital was prosperous and bustling, lively with noise and movement. There was an old man making dough figurines, a young fellow selling candied hawthorns, and children clustered around those novel little trinkets, crying and clamoring for their fathers to buy them. Everything was so real, everything so warm, yet Ning Xuan no longer had any desire to appreciate it.
When Yi Xuan and Yi Guang accompanied Ning Xuan to Prince Yi’s Residence, Prince Yi had just returned from morning court. In the front hall, Feng Xuanzhe looked down from above at the three people kneeling in the hall and smiled arrogantly. “It seems Fifth Brother was rather reluctant to part with him. Dragging this out for so long must have made it truly difficult for Fifth Brother to give up what he loved.”
“Replying to Your Highness, Your Highness has truly misunderstood my prince.” Yi Xuan could be considered one of the “old hands” at Feng Xuanyi’s side, and naturally, he had met Feng Xuanzhe several times before. Everyone knew that Yi Xuan, who served Feng Xuanyi, was accustomed to smiling and joking, so when he spoke now with a smile, it did not feel abrupt. “Originally, he should have been sent over some days ago, but when he was following me to serve tea, he was careless and somehow spilled an entire kettle of boiling water over himself. My prince thought that since he was someone meant to be sent to Your Highness, naturally he could not be sent over sickly and wounded, causing trouble for Your Highness. That is why we waited until his injuries were healed before bringing him here.”
Feng Xuanzhe lifted a brow, smiling as though he did not care. “Then his injuries are healed now?”
“Replying to Your Highness, this servant’s injuries have already fully healed. Thank you for Your Highness’s concern.” Ning Xuan lowered his brows and eyes, never once looking at Feng Xuanzhe seated above. He appeared humble, yet in truth he was proud. Even his tone was neither servile nor overbearing.
“Then he can stay. Whatever he did at Fifth Brother’s place, he can do the same in my residence.” After saying this, Feng Xuanzhe rose and left. Ning Xuan maintained a respectful distance and followed behind him step by step. Feng Xuanzhe did not even bother saying anything as customary as seeing off the guests to Yi Xuan and Yi Guang, even though they had come this time as representatives of the Fifth Prince, Prince Rong.
Early that morning, just after morning court ended, Feng Xuanzhen had stopped Feng Xuanzhe and spoken at length in a roundabout way. His intention had been nothing more than to draw a clear line between himself and Ning Xuan, separating himself from the matter completely.
Originally, because of what Feng Xuanzhe had seen that day in Prince Rong’s Manor, he had only half-believed that there might be something between the two of them. He had merely tested the waters by bringing it up. If Feng Xuanzhen truly had taken a liking to Ning Xuan, then Feng Xuanzhe would rather be the one to grant that favor than let Feng Xuanyi do it. As long as everything was closely tied to him, as long as it remained within his control, then all would be well. Even if they were all on his side, if they grew too close among themselves—especially when both parties were imperial princes—it would only leave him uneasy. Yet Feng Xuanzhen’s urgent attempt to distance himself first thing in the morning only made Feng Xuanzhe even more certain that there truly was something between him and this little servant from Feng Xuanyi’s household. However, Feng Xuanzhen’s sudden decision to give him up without the slightest hint of overstepping or contesting the matter pleased Feng Xuanzhe greatly. His authority was not something anyone was permitted to violate. Whether this person was given, and how he was given, was for Feng Xuanzhe himself to decide, not something he was forced to compromise on or use to curry favor because of someone’s military achievements.
After arriving at Prince Yi’s Residence, Ning Xuan continued serving at Feng Xuanzhe’s side as before. He poured tea and water and carefully attended to all matters of clothing, food, residence, and travel. For the time being, things remained peaceful. He knew that while he was carefully observing Feng Xuanzhe’s every move, Feng Xuanzhe was also closely watching his every word and action. Each harbored their own intentions and schemes. That was all there was to it. Ning Xuan had not known that after truly reaching this point, he could actually remain so calm and composed.
Prince Yi’s Residence was different from Prince Rong’s Manor. Ning Xuan had once thought Prince Rong’s Manor was magnificent and splendid, second only to the imperial palace. Unexpectedly, there were mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. Compared to Prince Yi’s Residence, Prince Rong’s Manor could practically be considered nothing more than the home of a wealthy family. Whether in size, decoration, or furnishings, nothing could compare. It was as though, despite both being sons of the emperor, Feng Xuanzhe was the emperor’s trueborn son, while Feng Xuanyi seemed like someone picked up from the roadside. With such a residence and such a household, how could Feng Xuanyi compete? If Feng Xuanyi had truly acted impulsively back then, if Ning Xuan had not been lucky enough to overhear the truth and make that decision for him, then even if Feng Xuanyi had gone all in with the resolve to shatter jade and stone alike, perhaps in the eyes of others, he would not even have been able to bloom in one brief moment of brilliance.
“What is it? Something on your mind?” With a crisp sound, Feng Xuanzhe set the teacup down on the table and cast an unreadable glance at Ning Xuan, who stood quietly at the side with lowered eyes. Very quickly, he withdrew his gaze and returned it to the memorial in his hand.
“This servant does not dare.” Ning Xuan immediately knelt in response, neither servile nor arrogant. He did not even lift his eyes.
“There is no question of daring or not daring. This prince is merely asking casually, and you need only answer casually. Why be so nervous?” Feng Xuanzhe closed one memorial, then took up another and continued reading. “What did you do at Fifth Brother’s place?”
“Replying to Your Highness, this servant is dull and cannot handle any important matters. I only served at his side, pouring tea and water.”
“Pouring tea and water?” Feng Xuanzhe set down the memorial in his hand and reached out, pinching Ning Xuan’s chin to lift his face, allowing him no chance to avoid meeting his gaze. “Wouldn’t that be a waste of such a lovable face?”
Ning Xuan did not dodge or resist. He met Feng Xuanzhe’s eyes without the slightest ripple, calm as a stagnant pool of dead water. “Since Your Highness already knows everything, why ask this servant?”
“You are very proud.” Faced with Ning Xuan’s fearlessness, Feng Xuanzhe was not angered. Instead, he smiled, and there was even a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
“Thank you for Your Highness’s praise. This servant does not dare.”
Feng Xuanzhe withdrew his hand indifferently and continued reading the mountain of memorials piled before him.
In this first exchange, both of them had harbored their own schemes and held something back, but Ning Xuan understood clearly that he had won this round completely, because he had already achieved his goal. He had successfully attracted Feng Xuanzhe’s interest. In the eyes of princes like them, who had always been held in the palms of others’ hands and treated with obedience and reverence, a proper degree of pride, unruliness, and resistance could instead win more goodwill. Ning Xuan laughed bitterly to himself. He did not know when he had become someone who calculated every step like this, nor when he had stopped feeling any resistance or discomfort toward it.
Everything in Prince Yi’s Residence was not much different from Prince Rong’s Manor. Aside from the people around him changing, aside from the change in the person he served, nothing else had changed. Perhaps Ning Xuan’s own state of mind had changed as well.
Ning Xuan, who had once valued human rights and believed in equality for all, had now become accustomed to bowing, scraping, and bending himself to please others. Ning Xuan, who had once been unable even to take care of himself properly, could now follow Feng Xuanzhe in and out in a passable manner. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Feng Xuanzhe seemed entirely unguarded toward him in every action. He even appeared deliberately willing to let Ning Xuan know the contents of all his incoming and outgoing correspondence.
Because of Ning Xuan’s special status, aside from the steward of Prince Yi’s Residence possibly reprimanding him a few times, he still stood out among the servants rather distinctly.
Next
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment