Chapter 22

“Empress Dowager! Your grandson wants more meat buns! I still want to eat more!”

A little boy came running into the main hall, clinging to the Empress Dowager’s arm as he whined playfully.

“Your Highness, the Prince Xian, you’ll have meat buns every day from now on!”

Jian Qiu stepped forward, gently pulling him away, worried he might shake the Empress Dowager too vigorously.

“Really? Does that mean the Imperial Kitchen will make them for me every day?”

The Prince Xian’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he jumped high into the air.

“Not exactly,” the Empress Dowager chuckled warmly. “The buns will come from the hands of a fine princess consort I plan to select for you!”

“A princess consort?”

The Prince Xian immediately pouted, shaking his head vigorously. “Could she be as fun as my Golden Horn King and Silver Horn King? I can just ask the kitchen to make meat buns. Marrying a wife only brings trouble. Women are terrifying!”

As he spoke, he clutched his head dramatically, glancing around for a hiding spot before darting into a cabinet.

“My dear grandson!”

The Empress Dowager sighed, exasperated yet fond.

Jian Qiu quickly followed to coax the Prince Xian out but refrained from pulling him out of the cabinet. Instead, she approached the Empress Dowager to report a situation.

“Your Grace, she didn’t wear the gown or jewelry you specifically prepared for her!”

“She didn’t?” The Empress Dowager frowned slightly.

“No, she only wore a plain dress with her hair in simple twin buns. Oh, I don’t understand that Sixth Miss’s thinking. Tonight’s banquet is meant for the ladies of various noble houses to showcase themselves, yet she chose to do the opposite!” Jian Qiu sighed in disappointment.

“Ha! After the uproar she caused at the Xia Residence with all that bloodshed, I thought she aspired to be a one-of-a-kind woman. But now she’s suddenly become so low-key? I can’t figure her out!” The Empress Dowager chuckled. “But perhaps this is good; knowing when to advance and retreat shows wisdom. Let Eunuch An take the Prince Xian to the imperial garden to play. Doesn’t he enjoy playing with crickets? Let him have fun there!”

“Understood, Your Grace. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Eunuch An escorted the Prince Xian to a pavilion in the imperial garden, placing a jar of crickets on the table.

“Your Highness, the Empress Dowager ordered that you play here.”

“Great! The Empress Dowager finally let me have my two little treasures back. I’ll play with them well!”

The Prince Xian sat by the stone table, using a twig to tease the crickets in the jar.

“Hey, isn’t that the Sixth Brother?”

The Third Prince, Jin Wang, happened to pass by. Seeing that the Empress Dowager wasn’t around, he smirked mischievously and approached.

“Sixth Brother, crickets are more fun when you let them out of the jar. They’re all cramped in there!”

Jin Wang, ever the troublemaker, picked up the jar and tipped it over, releasing the crickets.

“Hey! Why’d you let them out? Why are you always causing trouble!”

The Prince Xian angrily shoved Jin Wang and immediately scrambled to catch the escaped crickets.

“Hahaha!” Jin Wang laughed loudly, joined by his accompanying attendants.

“Xiao Dengzi, go fetch some mud from the lotus pond. I’m going to smear it all over Sixth Brother’s face—it’ll be hilarious!” Jin Wang instructed one of his servants, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Right away, Your Highness! I’ll get plenty!” Xiao Dengzi dashed off eagerly.

“Eunuch An, you catch over there, and I’ll catch here!” the Prince Xian directed.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Eunuch An obediently moved far away to search the flowerbeds.

“Your Highness, I’ve brought the mud!” Xiao Dengzi returned, beaming as he carried a handkerchief filled with foul-smelling muck.

“Perfect! Watch how I teach that Sixth Brother a lesson!”

Jin Wang rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a handful of mud, and walked straight toward the Prince Xian, ready to smear it on his face.

“Thud!”

Jin Wang was suddenly kicked to the ground. Before he could react, the Prince Xian had pounced on him, wailing and punching him relentlessly.

“You jerk! You scared my crickets away! Give me back my Golden Horn King!”

Slap! Slap! The Prince Xian fiercely smacked Jin Wang across the face.

“Help! Help!” Jin Wang shouted, utterly bewildered as Xiao Dengzi rushed to his rescue, hurling the mud-filled handkerchief.

The Prince Xian, however, ducked just in time. The mud landed squarely on Jin Wang’s head, splattering everywhere.

“Your Highness! I-I was aiming for the Prince Xian!” Xiao Dengzi stammered, trembling with fear.

Dazed and covered in mud, Jin Wang stumbled to his feet. “Where’s the Sixth Brother?”

“He went ahead to look for his crickets!”

“Ugh…” Xiao Dengzi sobbed inwardly, already envisioning his doom. Jin Wang had to attend the banquet in half an hour. How could he now, looking like this? The Empress was bound to kill him!

“Your Highness, let me help you back to your chambers to clean up. We might still make it!”

“No! Put me down!” Jin Wang roared, wriggling free from Xiao Dengzi’s grip. “I’m going to the Emperor to file a complaint. Father must punish that idiot tonight!”

Fuming, Jin Wang stormed off toward the Imperial Study.

Meanwhile, in the flowerbeds, the Prince Xian and Eunuch An continued their earnest search for the missing crickets.

Moments later, Jin Wang burst into the Imperial Study, sobbing.

“Father, you must seek justice for your son! Look at me—covered in mud! It’s all Sixth Brother’s doing! He even hit me!”

The Emperor, who had been discussing state affairs with Prime Minister Yan, stared at Jin Wang in shock.

“Third Son, you’re saying the Sixth Prince hit you and smeared you with mud? Impossible! He’s just a fool who only cares about crickets!”

Prime Minister Yan bowed and quickly excused himself. As he left, he muttered to himself, “The Third Prince, outwitted by the Prince Xian? Hard to believe!”

“Father!”

The Empress burst into the study, tears streaming down her face. Seeing her beloved son in such a state, she wailed, “Your Majesty, you must bring justice to our son! The Prince Xian dared to assault his elder brother. This is outrageous!”

The Emperor furrowed his brows, looking from the Empress to Jin Wang.

“Summon the Prince Xian. I want to get to the bottom of this!”