Footsteps sounded as Aunt Baohua arrived with two palace maids.
Zhou Jin looked at Yu Jun, noticing she had somehow already created distance between them—a full two or three steps away.
A sudden chill ran through his heart. Since she was so avoidant, why should he come and add to her vexations?
Watching the head matron and the others hurry over, Zhou Jin smiled faintly: “Forget it. I’d better go back and eat by myself. She avoids me like a snake or scorpion—why should I come seeking displeasure?”
Yu Jun was taken aback.
A cold wind rustled through the air. The sky was thick with dark clouds, and a faint, chilly dampness touched her face, as if a light snow were beginning to fall.
Yu Jun wiped the cold moisture from her cheek, watching Zhou Jin walk away alone, looking utterly dejected. After hesitating again and again, she finally called out: “Third Brother…”
Zhou Jin’s steps halted. He turned his head slightly to look at her.
Steeling her heart, Yu Jun said: “Can’t you smell it? The aroma of the steam pot chicken inside is wafting all the way out here. If you can bear to leave, then I’ll just eat it by myself.”
Zhou Jin’s already cold expression instantly thawed, the corners of his lips lifting. He turned around: “You stinky girl, I knew you still cared about me!”
Looking at the youth’s bright, cheerful eyes, Yu Jun stubbornly retorted: “I just figured I can’t eat so much by myself. I’m just letting you have the leftovers, that’s all.”
Zhou Jin grabbed her hand, this time with much gentler force: “Fine, fine, fine. Even if you say they’re your leftovers, I’d be happy with that. Alright?”
The two entered the palace. Indeed, a hot pot sat on the table—the very one the Empress had sent over earlier. The purple clay pot rested on its stand, still bubbling away merrily, steam rising, fragrant aroma filling the air.
Aunt Baohua quickly directed people to set out the bowls and chopsticks. Zhou Jin and Yu Jun sat down facing each other. As he looked at her smiling, delicate face, his heart felt greatly pleased. It was as if they had returned to those carefree childhood years.
Yu Jun picked up the soup ladle, skimmed off the top layer of oil, and first ladled half a bowl of chicken soup for Zhou Jin.
Zhou Jin accepted it, examining it as he asked: “I heard you shouldn’t add water beforehand to this pot. So where does all this soup come from?”
He knew perfectly well. He just wanted to hear Yu Jun explain.
Sure enough, she said: “You see this vent hole in the middle? It all depends on this. That’s why you have to steam this dish for two or three hours in advance. The water below turns into steam, melding with the chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, cordyceps, and other ingredients to produce just these few bowls of soup. The essence of steam pot chicken is this broth. The solid ingredients are secondary.”
Zhou Jin was full of praise: “Staying close to little sister really pays off—good food and I gain knowledge too.”
Yu Jun knew exactly what he was thinking: “You make it sound like Consort De doesn’t feed you. If you just asked for it, you could have it every day, couldn’t you? Always saying things that make you sound so inexperienced.”
Zhou Jin blew on the chicken soup, carefully scooped a little with his silver spoon, and laughed: “How can eating with you compare to anything else? Here with you, even chaff and bitter herbs would taste sweet to me.”
Yu Jun frowned slightly, laughing helplessly: “Once you leave this door, don’t you dare repeat those words anywhere else—you’ll only stir up trouble again.” Seeing him about to drink, she quickly said: “Wait a moment.”
Zhou Jin stopped and looked at her. Yu Jun first scooped a tiny bit herself, blew on it and tasted it, then said: “Now you can eat.”
“You…” Zhou Jin glanced around the hall. Only Aunt Baohua and Ru Ning were attending nearby. He leaned closer and whispered: “What was that for?”
“Third Brother is dining at my place. Naturally, I should taste it first.” Yu Jun kept her eyes downcast, not looking at him.
“Nonsense,” Zhou Jin gently rebuked, but his heart felt incredibly soothed. He looked around expectantly: “If only there were a cup of wine to go with this, it would be perfect.”
“I don’t have any here. Stop dreaming of things you can’t have,” Yu Jun glared at him.
“Well, as you said, coveting more once you have some is human nature,” Zhou Jin hadn’t really expected wine. He slowly tasted the chicken soup—it was indeed fresh, sweet, and exquisite. He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: “This is the most comfortable meal I’ve had in over a month.”
Yu Jun picked out several pieces of chicken and placed them before him: “Eat slower. Can’t even food stop your mouth?”
The chicken soup contained ginger and pepper. Even though they ate slowly, sweat still beaded on their foreheads. Aunt Baohua brought over handkerchiefs. They wiped their sweat, their movements unconsciously in perfect sync.
Ru Ning watched from the side and secretly smiled.
Yu Jun, however, didn’t notice. She glanced outside at the weather and asked Zhou Jin: “Where are the people who accompany Third Brother? Were you walking around the palace all alone?”
“Earlier, I told them I was going to Second Brother’s place, so I sent them back.”
Yu Jun said: “You mustn’t do this in the future. Not having a few people with you makes one worry.”
Zhou Jin said: “I’ll remember. I won’t do it again.”
Only when Yu Jun saw his compliance did she feel relieved. She added: “It seems the wind is picking up. Wait until you’ve cooled down from your sweat before you leave. Don’t let the wind catch you and make you ill again.”
“Am I really so delicate?” Zhou Jin felt warm inside but outwardly disagreed. He was more than willing to sit a while longer in the Jade Splendor Palace.
The two drank their soup, ate some chicken and mushrooms, then stopped. Baohua brought tea for them to rinse their mouths.
Full and content, Zhou Jin felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. Lazily, he leaned back on the couch: “I’ll take a little nap here.”
Yu Jun hurriedly got up and pushed him: “Absolutely not.” She turned and ordered Baohua: “Brew a cup of Biluochun to refresh us.”
Zhou Jin sat cross-legged and straightened up a bit: “It’s not like I haven’t slept here before.”
“You said it yourself—‘before.’” Yu Jun rolled her eyes at him and sat down across from him on the Arhat couch. “Just wait. I think those people who follow you must be searching for you. They’ll probably find their way here soon enough. If they see you sleeping here, what kind of impropriety would that look like? Letting you stay for a meal was already overstepping the rules.”
The smile on Zhou Jin’s face faded. He fell silent.
Yu Jun was afraid she had hurt his feelings. She stole a glance at him: “You’ve grown in years for nothing. Still just like when you were little—get upset at a few words?”
Zhou Jin finally smiled again: “Knowing I’ll be upset, yet you deliberately say what I don’t like to hear.”
“Whether you like hearing it or not, it’s the truth anyway. If you want to hear pleasant words, don’t come to my place.”
Zhou Jin tilted his head, leaning closer to her: “I just happen to love hearing you scold me. Fifth Sister, scold me a few more times.”
Yu Jun suppressed a laugh.
Just then, Baohua brought the tea in. Voices could be heard outside the palace. A young eunuch ran in: “The people who follow the Third Highness are here asking whether Your Highness is inside. They say Consort De has urgent business to find him.”
Zhou Jin and Yu Jun exchanged a glance. She laughed; he stuck out his tongue.
He got down from the Arhat couch. Yu Jun hurried over and first tested his forehead with her hand, finding it still slightly damp with sweat. She instructed Baohua: “Go get that sapphire blue satin cape.”
Ru Ning immediately went to find it. Soon she brought it out. Zhou Jin said: “It’s not quite cold enough to wear this yet, is it?”
Yu Jun said: “It’s not to keep out the cold. You’re definitely sweaty, and I’m just afraid the wind will hit you. Put it on.”
Zhou Jin was extremely pleased: “You put it on me.”
Yu Jun said: “You’re a real little ancestor. In the future, just don’t come to my place anymore.” Despite her words, she shook out the cape and wrapped it around him, pulling the hood over his head. She earnestly exhorted him: “Don’t take off the hood until you enter the Palace of Cloud Construction. Understood?”
Though Zhou Jin hadn’t drunk any wine, he felt as if slightly tipsy: “Understood, my good sister.” He took a step to leave, then turned back. He picked up the cup of tea and took a sip, laughing: “If I didn’t drink this, I’d be thinking about it the whole way. What tea is this, so fragrant?”
Yu Jun shook her head helplessly: “So everything at my place is good? If you like it, I’ll wrap up two catties for you some other day.”
Zhou Jin gave her a sly grin: “Ah, don’t bother. Perhaps it’s not the tea leaves—maybe it’s the water at your place. It’s only proper that I come here to drink it.”
Yu Jun escorted him to the door. Aunt Baohua personally saw him out of the palace gate and handed him over to the eunuchs who had come searching. The eunuchs clustered around Zhou Jin and left.
Aunt Baohua returned and said to Yu Jun: “That Third Highness is still just like when he was little, always wanting to be near Your Highness.”
The smile on Yu Jun’s face dimmed a little. She said softly: “He’s not as free and easy as he looks on the surface. Once he leaves this Jade Splendor Palace, he’s no longer himself.”
Aunt Baohua didn’t quite understand at first. After thinking it over, she nodded secretly.
The two went to the inner room. The eunuch Little Shunzi came and said: “The matter Aunt asked me to look into has been clarified.”
Baohua said: “Go ahead and speak.”
Little Shunzi said: “After the Third Highness left earlier, those people in the Imperial Garden were terrified. They all really thought it was the Second Highness who had heard them. At first, they didn’t dare say anything. Later, I found a eunuch who sweeps the grounds and gave him some silver, then he told me.”
It turned out that Yu Jun hadn’t been at ease and had secretly told Baohua to investigate what was happening in the Imperial Garden. Little Shunzi was capable in his duties and managed to find out everything that had transpired that day.
So, indeed, the person they had been discussing earlier was the little prince in the Cold Palace. Apparently, because the weather had turned cold recently and there was no charcoal in the Cold Palace, the little prince had gone to the Imperial Garden himself, trying to gather some dead branches and such.
A look of pity appeared on Aunt Baohua’s face. She whispered to Yu Jun: “This little prince is quite pitiful, really. They say that back then, although His Majesty detested him, he didn’t order him sent to the Cold Palace. The Empress also wanted to keep him by her side and raise him personally. But he’d rather stay with that palace maid… I don’t know if he was foolish, or… But thanks to his filial devotion, it must be said. These years, life in the Cold Palace must have been terribly harsh. If not for him staying by her side, that palace maid would probably be dead by now.”
Yu Jun pondered: “Do we have enough charcoal here?”
“Naturally, we have enough. Earlier, the Empress even specially sent a head matron to ask—we can’t use it all up.”
Yu Jun said softly: “In that case, go get a basket of charcoal and have some unfamiliar eunuch deliver it to the Cold Palace. Just say… say it was specially given by the Third Prince.”
Baohua was surprised: “Your Highness, do you really want to intervene? But if you mean to show goodwill to that little prince, why use the Third Prince’s name?”
Yu Jun said: “I’m not intervening for any other reason. I just pity him, so young, for having such a pure, innocent heart. Using Third Brother’s name is simply because the palace servants don’t dare to criticize Third Brother’s actions. Moreover, with Consort De backing Third Brother, those slaves will be wary in their hearts and won’t go too far in making things difficult for them.”
Baohua nodded: “Since Your Highness has already thought it through, I’ll immediately instruct someone to take care of it.”
Meanwhile, Zhou Jin left the Jade Splendor Palace. He walked for a while, and soon the Palace of Cloud Construction was in sight. He looked at the person beside him: “Who was the informer who ran so fast to tell Imperial Mother I was at Fifth Sister’s place?”
The four eunuchs were ashen-faced. One of them fell to his knees: “Your Highness… this slave…”
Where on Zhou Jin’s face was even a trace of brilliant smile? He said coldly: “Drag him away.”
Two other eunuchs responded, covered his mouth, and dragged the man off.
Zhou Jin looked at the palace towers not far away, feeling an inexplicable irritation. He ran his hand lightly over his forehead. Finally, he still untied the cape.
After all, he was tall in stature. This cape was Yu Jun’s, and although it was generously cut, it was still too small for him. If he entered Consort De’s palace wearing it, he would inevitably be nagged about it again. Why bring trouble upon Yu Jun for no reason?
Just as he was about to enter the palace, he suddenly remembered something. He instructed: “That one in the Cold Palace… What’s his name again?”
His close attendant said: “That Highness? This slave remembers His Majesty didn’t officially give him a proper name. It seems he randomly assigned a character—the ‘Zhi’ from ‘jiezhi’ (restraint).”
The names of their generation of princes all carried the metal radical in their characters. Clearly, the Emperor really didn’t care at all for the one in the Cold Palace.
Zhou Jin said: “Forget it. No need to worry about anything else. Just get two baskets of charcoal and deliver them to the Cold Palace. Also, consider some supplies for wintering. No need to specifically say who gave them—I can’t be bothered to let him owe me a favor. Just let those dog slaves know not to judge people by their coverings. No matter how much Father Emperor dislikes him, he is still imperial blood, my own brother. I won’t let those bastards bully him.”