Outrageous!

Fucking outrageous!

Ji Weiqiu woke with a start, averting his gaze in slight embarrassment, then hurriedly stretched his neck to look at Ji Su's hand. "Brother, are you alright?! Just now, I accidentally..."

Ji Su released his hand, feigning ignorance. "It's nothing."

Ji Weiqiu made a move to get up, but then heard Ji Su say, "Enter."

With a creak, the door to the Green Gauze Alcove opened, and Ji Weiqiu could only sit back down. Eunuch Qingxi minced in with small steps, followed by six palace attendants who entered with lowered gazes like a flock of swallows. They lit the lamps and raised the curtains, making the entire Green Gauze Alcove bright and clear. Eunuch Qingxi approached, holding clothes, a perfectly appropriate smile on his face. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please change your clothes."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo also came forward with clothes. Ji Weiqiu looked down and saw that his own attire was too wrinkled to be presentable. In any case, there was nothing for the two brothers to be shy about. Ji Weiqiu glanced worriedly in Ji Su's direction, took off his outer shirt, and changed into a brand-new set of clothes.

"Oh! Your Majesty, what happened to your hand?" Suddenly, Eunuch Qingxi cried out in alarm. Hearing this, Ji Weiqiu could no longer hold back and reached Ji Su's side in a few quick steps to see what was wrong with his hand.

It had been too dark in the Green Gauze Alcove at the time. He had thought he wouldn't touch him and hadn't held back his strength. But it was often these unintentional scrapes that were the worst. Never mind a fingernail; even a piece of paper as soft as cotton could sometimes slice off a piece of flesh.

On the side of the base of Ji Su's index finger was a red mark an inch long, from which two tiny beads of blood seeped. It stood out starkly against his fair skin.

Ji Weiqiu clicked his tongue, feeling a little nervous. It was actually a minor wound; if it were on himself, he would probably just glance at it and be done with it, considering a second look to be overly delicate. But who was this? This was his brother! When it came to his brother, even the smallest matter was a major event. It was a good thing he was the one who had scratched him. If it had been anyone else, not just a palace attendant, but even an imperial consort would have been in deep trouble.

Eunuch Qingxi: "Your Majesty, this..."

Ji Su pulled his hand back, and his long sleeve fell, concealing it. "No need to make a fuss."

"Your Majesty, you should at least apply some Jade Dew Ointment..." Eunuch Qingxi said worriedly.

Ji Su nodded slightly. Only then did Eunuch Qingxi fall silent. He turned to fetch a small, green jade box. Inside was a crystal-clear ointment. Seeing this, Ji Weiqiu said sheepishly, "Let me."

Seeing that the Emperor did not object, Eunuch Qingxi handed the medicine box to Ji Weiqiu. Ji Weiqiu used a jade sliver to scoop out a tiny amount and flattened his other hand, feeling somewhat apprehensive for some reason.

Ji Su glanced at him and casually placed his hand in his palm.

Ji Weiqiu carefully held Ji Su's finger and gently smeared the jade sliver across the scratch, applying an even layer. He then gathered the ointment from the edges and daubed another layer over the wound. Seeing the ointment being rapidly absorbed by the skin in a short time, forming a translucent white line over the cut, he nodded in satisfaction.

'Master Qiu's plastering skills haven't diminished one bit!'

Jade Dew Ointment was a secret imperial medicine, extremely effective on all kinds of external injuries. However, it was incredibly difficult to produce, both in terms of method and materials. Only three to five boxes could be made a year, so it was supplied exclusively for the emperor's use.

When the Late Emperor was alive, he would usually keep two boxes for himself and bestow the rest upon the Empress and the Crown Prince. If any were left, they were kept as spares. After Ji Su ascended the throne, one box was presented to the Empress Dowager, one was for his own use, and one was bestowed upon Ji Weiqiu.

Ji Weiqiu was young and loved to play with cats and dogs, so he inevitably got scrapes and bruises throughout the year. There was still a little over one box left in the Prince's Manor.

Not to mention, when Ji Weiqiu was a mischievous child, he had wasted a few boxes. That year, during the height of summer, he had played wildly in the Imperial Garden for a whole day, and his skin was painfully sunburnt. He figured that if his brother found out, the palace attendants would be severely punished. So he rummaged through his bedchamber and found three boxes of Jade Dew Ointment in the corner of a cabinet. He looked at its appearance—transparent, gel-like, with a fresh plant scent! What else could it be but aloe vera gel! And why would he feel bad about using aloe vera gel? He dug out an entire box with a clatter and slathered it all over his body. After it dried, he even knew to wipe himself down before lying back down to sleep as if nothing had happened.

The next day, after playing wildly again, he came back, took a bath, and wasted another box.

The third day, he continued to waste it.

On the fourth day, it was all gone. He ran to Eunuch Qingxi and told him he had used it all and needed more. Eunuch Qingxi was shocked and hurried to check. When he found the boxes were indeed empty, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he reported it to Ji Su. Ji Su also found it amusing. Back then, the Late Emperor was quite fond of his four-year-old legitimate youngest son. Upon learning of the matter, he bestowed another two boxes and tapped Ji Weiqiu on the nose, telling him to waste less of such a good thing next time.

"What are you thinking about?" Ji Su asked impassively when he saw Ji Weiqiu start to laugh.

Ji Weiqiu squeezed his finger and said with a smile, "I was remembering when I was little and used Jade Dew Ointment as if it were aloe vera gel... Imperial Elder Brother, what did you think when you found out back then?"

Ji Su pondered for a moment, his brow softening, clearly recalling the amusing incident from over a decade ago. With a flick of his wrist, he withdrew his hand and slapped the back of Ji Weiqiu's hand. "Mischievous."

Ji Weiqiu didn't mind; the slap didn't even hurt. "Speaking of which, is there any more in the palace? Imperial Elder Brother, could you bestow two more boxes on me? I'm usually reluctant to use it for minor injuries..."

Eunuch Qingxi interjected at the right moment, "Your Majesty, there are still nine boxes of Jade Dew Ointment in the palace."

Ji Su nodded. He had always been generous with Ji Weiqiu and never skimped on such trivial matters. Eunuch Qingxi understood his meaning; he would go to the storeroom to retrieve them when he had a free moment.

Ji Weiqiu said with a grin, "Thank you, Imperial Elder Brother."

After this little episode, they could finally eat. Ji Weiqiu saw that the table was filled with light dishes and didn't have much of an appetite at first. But once he took a bite, he discovered the hidden wonders within; the food was so savory his tongue nearly fell off. Seeing him eating too quickly, Ji Su cast a faint glance at Eunuch Xiao Zhuo, who was waiting at the side. Eunuch Xiao Zhuo froze, then received a glare from Eunuch Qingxi. Finally understanding the meaning, he stepped forward, ladled a bowl of soup for Ji Weiqiu, and said softly, "Your Highness, would you care for some soup? The Imperial Kitchen put great care into today's soup, simmering it for a full forty hours!"

Ji Weiqiu's interest was piqued. He saw that the soup was the color of amber and as clear as water. He took a sip. At first, he found it bland and tasteless. He blinked and took a second sip. This time, it was different—light and savory. It was clear that the food he had eaten before had masked the flavor. With the third sip, the soup's taste became even richer and more mellow. Ji Weiqiu raised an eyebrow and said, "This seems like Old Liu's handiwork."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo beamed and said, "It is Imperial Chef Liu's handiwork! Your Highness guessed it exactly right!"

It was just like this Imperial Chef Liu to play such tricks with his cooking. He followed the principle of "all other fragrances fail, only mine blooms like spring," which was very distinctive, and thus Ji Weiqiu remembered it. Ji Weiqiu said to Ji Su, "Imperial Elder Brother, don't drink it yet... Wait until you're almost done eating, then have this bowl. Otherwise, the other dishes will become hard to enjoy."

Ji Su gave a noncommittal reply. It was clear he didn't plan to taste it right away. Ji Weiqiu drank the entire bowl of soup clean, then took two bites of the other dishes before setting down his chopsticks, obviously finding them bland. Ji Weiqiu crooked his finger, and Eunuch Xiao Zhuo bowed. "Your Highness?"

Ji Weiqiu's eyes danced with a proud smile. "Go to the Imperial Kitchen and tell Old Liu to hand over the soup dregs to me."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo was stunned. The command was rather strange, and he was unsure what to do. He couldn't help but look at Eunuch Qingxi, who was serving nearby. Eunuch Qingxi inwardly cursed his apprentice's foolishness and hissed, "His Highness told you to go, so why aren't you going?!"

Only then did Eunuch Xiao Zhuo hurry off. Ji Weiqiu rested his chin on his hand and said to Ji Su, "Imperial Elder Brother, you probably don't know, do you? Imperial Chef Liu uses only the finest ingredients for his soup. It's just that after simmering for so long, they don't look very appealing, so he doesn't dare to serve them. But the taste is excellent... It's a shame to throw them away, and he can't finish them himself. Every time he makes soup, the Imperial Kitchen isn't short of good food, but the junior palace attendants fight over them!"

Ji Su: "You've fought for them?"

Since it was for the junior palace attendants, how could Ji Weiqiu have eaten it? Had he fought for it too?

Ji Weiqiu paused, then mumbled, "I happened to eat it once by accident..."

'As if. It wasn't once by accident; he used to send people to the Imperial Kitchen every few days to lie in wait for Old Liu's soup dregs. Later, after he left the palace and established his own manor, he couldn't very well shamelessly send people into the palace just to throw a tantrum at the Imperial Kitchen to get some soup dregs for him to gnaw on, could he?'

'He definitely couldn't tell his brother this. It was improper and undignified. If his brother found out that he, a dignified prince, was fighting with junior palace attendants over scraps of food, it would be a miracle if his brother didn't beat him black and blue!'

Ji Su knew there was probably more to the story, but seeing Ji Weiqiu's guilty look, he suspected that forcing him to tell the truth would only bring shame upon himself as the elder brother as well. So, he decided not to ask.

Meanwhile, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo was running at top speed. Fortunately, the Imperial Kitchen wasn't far from Qingning Hall, or he would have run himself to death. Along the way, he racked his brain for a way to smooth things over. He couldn't just say it was an order from His Highness the Prince of Rui. He decided to say his master was craving it and just ask Imperial Chef Liu to prepare a portion.

The entire Imperial Kitchen was filled with a rich, mellow, meaty aroma that made one's mouth water just from smelling it. Upon entering, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo couldn't help but look around. The supervisor of the Imperial Kitchen saw he was a palace attendant from the Emperor's presence and hurried over, wiping his hands. "So it's you, Eunuch Zhuo. What orders do you have for us at this hour?"

Eunuch Zhuo waved his hand. "Not at all. Which is Imperial Chef Liu, the one who made the clear soup today?"

Hearing this, the supervisor's expression turned serious. "Was it not made well?"

"Not at all! The Emperor even praised it!" Eunuch Xiao Zhuo maintained a proper smile and continued, "My master is also feeling a bit peckish, which is why he sent me on this errand."

"So that's what it is. Simple!" The supervisor pointed to an unremarkable old man frying meatballs in a corner of the kitchen and called out, "Master Liu, a eunuch from the Emperor's presence is looking for you!"

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo didn't dare wait for the man to come over and walked over directly. As he got closer, the aroma grew stronger. He then glanced at a large porcelain bowl next to Imperial Chef Liu. Inside was a mass of brownish-white minced meat, pasty and truly unappealing to the eye. He put on a broad smile and said, "Master Liu, this humble one serves before the Emperor. Master Liu can just call me Xiao Zhuo."

Old Liu's hands were busy. He said with a stern face, "I'm busy. If you have something to say, say it."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo said fawningly, "The soup you presented today, even the Emperor praised it! My master is feeling a bit peckish and wanted to ask you for some of the soup dregs. Do you think you could..."

"Who is your master?" Old Liu stirred the bowl of soup dregs with his chopsticks, picked up a large clump of meat, and somehow, with a deft movement, formed the minced meat into individual meatballs. With a sizzle, he dropped them into the pot. Seeing them turn golden and crispy, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo couldn't help but swallow.

"It's Eunuch Qingxi," Xiao Zhuo said.

"I knew it was that old coot! Has he fallen on hard times recently, to be coveting my soup dregs?" Old Liu snorted coldly. His words nearly scared Eunuch Xiao Zhuo to death. Then he heard him continue, "You came at the right time. Take a plate back with you, but there's no more than that!"

Old Liu glanced at Eunuch Xiao Zhuo again, grabbed an empty bowl from the side, scooped five or six fried meatballs into it, and handed it to him. "It'll be a little while longer. Sit over there and eat. Don't get in my way!"

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo had been craving them for a while. He bowed his head and waist, thanked Imperial Chef Liu, and really did sneak off to the side to eat. The meatballs were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. A bite released a mouthful of savory juices. Chicken, duck, fish, ham, beef, mutton... the flavors of dozens of meats mingled together in a wondrous, indescribable way. He felt that with this one bite, when he recalled this day on his deathbed, his life would be complete.

'So delicious... No wonder His Little Highness longs for it.'

By the time Eunuch Xiao Zhuo finished eating, a large bowl of meatballs had been fried. Old Liu waved his hand, telling him to leave, and Eunuch Xiao Zhuo departed with a thousand thanks. After he left, the supervisor ambled over. "It's a day for red rain to fall from the sky, wouldn't you say, Master Liu?"

Old Liu looked at him with a scornful smile and pointed to the table. "If you want to eat, help yourself."

The supervising eunuch immediately said his thanks and, without being polite, picked up a pair of chopsticks and started eating. Watching him, Old Liu rolled his eyes inwardly. 'With a brain like that, if it weren't for the fact that we few can't be bothered with scheming, he'd never have become the supervisor of the Imperial Kitchen in his life!'

'He doesn't even think. How does the Emperor do things? If the Emperor enjoys a meal, there will be a reward. Why would that old coot Qingxi's apprentice come empty-handed? And Qingxi wants to eat? That old coot is fat and old; if he eats something so greasy, isn't he afraid he'll eat himself to death! It's just that this Xiao Zhuo is still young and doesn't know how to make up a good excuse, so he just used his master to fudge it.'

'But to have someone from the Emperor's presence make a trip personally... Isn't His Little Highness still in Jiangnan? Could he have returned to the palace?'

Old Liu didn't say anything. He turned and went to the storeroom to find his personal treasures. He'd find out tomorrow after making a good dish for Qingning Hall.

......

When Ji Weiqiu got to eat the fried meatballs, they were still piping hot. He beamed after one bite and couldn't resist pushing them towards Ji Su. "Imperial Elder Brother, try some?"

Ji Su wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. "No need."

Ji Weiqiu didn't dare force-feed him. He felt it was a pity, but also a little happy—after all, there were only so many meatballs; if his brother ate one, he'd have one less! He said, "Imperial Elder Brother, you really won't try one?"

Ji Su's expression didn't change; this time, he simply couldn't be bothered to respond. Ji Weiqiu chuckled, figuring he couldn't persuade him anyway. For someone like his brother, it was one thing if he didn't know what it was, but knowing it was made from scraps, there was no way he would put it in his mouth. The fact that he even tolerated it on the table was probably out of consideration for him—hadn't he noticed that after the meatballs were served, although his brother hadn't put down his chopsticks, he hadn't moved them much either?

But since it was already served, Ji Weiqiu didn't dwell on it. The treatment for emperors here was pretty good; they even got a late-night snack. He stuffed three meatballs into his mouth one after another, his cheeks bulging, looking for all the world like a reincarnated hungry ghost.

Ji Su asked casually, "Have you not been eating well these past few days?"

Ji Weiqiu nodded honestly. Perhaps because he was finally eating this long-awaited treat, his eyes were shining. "It's not their fault. I was probably lying down for too long before, and my appetite hadn't recovered."

His clear black and white eyes darted around slyly as he said, "Perhaps... it's because of Imperial Elder Brother's draconic aura protecting me? Since entering the palace, I've really been eating well and sleeping soundly."

His words were playful. A fleeting smile appeared in Ji Su's eyes as he said to him, "And who was it that used to cry and shout about wanting to leave the palace?"

Ji Weiqiu said without blushing or panting, "It was me~"

'How could the palace be as fun as the outside! My brother really has no idea! What kind of place is the Imperial Palace? To put it bluntly, it's just a place for the emperor to work from home! Convenient for the emperor to eat as soon as he opens his eyes, go to work right after eating, and sleep immediately when tired. But even if he's asleep, it's a place where he has to get up and work overtime for urgent matters! And the property deed (the Imperial Seal) is a bearer instrument! Whoever gets it owns it! If the deed gets stolen one day, the entire family will either die or wish they were dead! What's so fun about that!'

When Ji Weiqiu had almost finished eating, Ji Su finally put down his chopsticks. Ji Weiqiu followed suit. The two of them moved to a different spot; his brother still had memorials to approve, and Ji Weiqiu, as usual, went to the Green Gauze Alcove to read past memorials.

As Ji Weiqiu entered the Green Gauze Alcove, he realized that it was getting a bit late. The meal had taken nearly an incense stick's worth of time longer than usual. No wonder his brother had been holding his chopsticks without eating—he must have finished long ago and was waiting for him?

Ji Weiqiu felt deeply ashamed. He picked up a memorial and started reading. The first two were from Li Yunxiu and his Minister of Granaries. The third was also from Li Yunxiu. The first few sentences were friendly greetings: Your servant has received Your Majesty's reply and is terrified! I implore Your Majesty to let me return to Yanjing soon. The weather here is too dry, and your servant often gets nosebleeds. I fear my life will not be long. If all else fails, please allow me to retire to my hometown!

The latter half mentioned that the rice seedlings in the fields were growing gratifyingly well. As far as the eye could see, there was a stretch of vibrant green. The good seeds had arrived just in time, and many disaster victims, upon hearing the news, had hurried back to their hometowns to cultivate the land and catch the season.

Li Yunxiu also specifically pointed out that Liaoyuan Prefecture was very peaceful. As a prefect, he had nothing to do, which led him, out of boredom, to circle the prefecture map, launch surprise attacks on dozens of mountain strongholds, and successfully capture several dens of bandits, forcing them to reform and making them farm the land. He even declared that Liaoyuan Prefecture would definitely be able to make up its tax payments according to the rate for a top-tier prefecture this year, without needing any more subsidies from the court!

Emperor Shizu's vermilion comment was merely seven characters: Riding the east wind, one grows arrogant.

Translated, it means 'Don't get too arrogant'! Furthermore, Li Yunxiu's given name was Kuang, making it an indescribably clever pun!

Ji Weiqiu almost died laughing, but he felt even more confused. Logically, the sovereign and his minister got along so well; how could they have reached a point of turning against each other and assassination? He flipped to the next memorial. This one spanned to the winter. A Censor reported that Li Yunxiu, the prefect of Liaoyuan Prefecture, was corrupt and bent the law, causing the people to live in misery, with the starved dead littering the land and cries of grief heard everywhere.

Emperor Shizu's vermilion comment: To be discussed again.

This 'to be discussed again' meant that Emperor Shizu was demanding the Censor produce concrete evidence, or else not bring it up for discussion. The Censor indeed produced a petition from the masses and several witnesses, all of whom unanimously claimed that Li Yunxiu, the prefect of Liaoyuan Prefecture, was corrupt, had replaced the good seeds, and after thousands of people toiled for a season, all they got was a field of withered rice and empty husks. It was truly ironclad evidence.

Tucked inside the fourth memorial was a letter from Emperor Shizu to Li Yunxiu, asking him about the inside story. Li Yunxiu submitted a memorial tearfully proclaiming his innocence, saying only that there must have been a problem with the seeds and begging Emperor Shizu to trust him and investigate the Ministry of Granaries.

The fifth memorial was from three months later. It stated that the court's disaster relief grain had arrived, turning the tide, but the great mistake had already been made. He would not return until Liaoyuan Prefecture was saved.

The sixth: Li Yunxiu was about to return to the capital, writing about the scenery along the way and the many interesting local products he was bringing back for Emperor Shizu, just waiting to present them to him.

The seventh: Li Yunxiu had rushed to the northern frontier again. It spoke of the bitter cold of the north, how the army was full of old hands who created all sorts of trouble for him, making his life miserable. He complained about why Emperor Shizu had given him such a difficult assignment.

The eighth: Li Yunxiu had unexpectedly won a battle...

After reading all the way to the fifteenth memorial, Ji Weiqiu still felt that the two of them had a great relationship. He poked his head out from the Green Gauze Alcove. Seeing that Ji Su was drinking tea, he simply went out with the memorials. "Imperial Elder Brother, are you busy?"

"Not busy." Ji Su raised his head slightly. Eunuch Qingxi brought over a stool and smiled fawningly at Ji Weiqiu. Ji Weiqiu didn't sit; he had been sitting for a while, so it was good to stand. "Imperial Elder Brother, I'm ashamed. I still can't see why Li Yunxiu would want to assassinate Emperor Shizu... Li Yunxiu and Emperor Shizu clearly got along so well as sovereign and minister. I can't think of any reason why he would do such a thing."

"Come here," Ji Su said.

With quick eyes and nimble hands, Eunuch Qingxi had already cleared away the disorganized memorials on the table, making space for Ji Weiqiu to place his. Just now, for his own convenience, Ji Weiqiu had opened all the memorials and stacked them in chronological order. Now, it was also convenient to just spread them out.

Ji Su tapped the first memorial, the one where Li Yunxiu told Emperor Shizu he was eating and sleeping well and was sending local products to the emperor. He asked, "What do you see?"

"That Li Yunxiu was favored by the emperor." Just a moment ago, Ji Weiqiu had wanted to be mysterious. He had thought his opinion might change after reading the memorials, but he still felt the same way now, which was quite embarrassing.

Ji Su picked up a brush, moistened the tip with ink, and calmly wrote on the memorial. The vermilion ink was as rich as blood, a striking crimson. He wrote the six characters 'suǒ gòng bù jí chén yě', meaning the tribute was not as good as what his subject had sent. Ji Su asked, "The annual royal tribute, you should be familiar with it."

These annual tributes weren't things that local officials could just decide were good enough to be tributes. Rather, specialists from the royal household would go to select samples, procure them, and only after confirming a stable output would they be chosen as annual tributes, to be presented every year. This process did not actually pass through the hands of local officials. By custom, local officials could present some things to the emperor, but those were offerings, different from the fixed annual tributes.

Ji Weiqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's also possible that Li Yunxiu and Emperor Shizu had an excellent relationship, and Emperor Shizu had rewarded him with tribute items before? Didn't Imperial Elder Brother also reward me with some tribute items? For example, Liaoyuan's annual tribute, Red Dust and White Mist, didn't Imperial Elder Brother also give me quite a lot? If I were sent to Liaoyuan now and tasted the local version, it wouldn't be that strange for me to think it's better than the tribute version, would it?"

Ji Su smiled faintly. It was a smile that carried a hidden, subtle contempt and indulgence. He said gently, "Autumn is precisely the season when Red Dust and White Mist is presented as tribute. If he didn't know the difference in quality, why would he send it?"