Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Upon hearing the summons, Hu Buyu, who had lingered here for a long time, raised his eyes to look into the distance.

The palace was silent, and the emperor had not summoned anyone else. When the First Prince emerged from the hall, he saw Hu Buyu being led inside by eunuchs to pay his respects.

A local prefect from Anlong, he wore a gentle smile that softened his features, easily putting others at ease. As he passed the First Prince, he nodded in greeting and stepped into the Qianqing Palace.

“Your Highness?” asked the eunuch at the First Prince’s side.

Outside the Qianqing Palace, the First Prince stood outside, in no hurry to leave. Seeing Hu Buyu summoned, he lingered, waving his attendants away. “Has the Sixth Prince left?”

The eunuch replied, “He has left, no signs of anything unusual.”

The eunuch then informed him of the recent events in the palace: “In the palace, after the incident at Huguo Temple, Consort Ning was confined to her quarters. The Sixth Prince’s affairs have been managed by the Empress Dowager these days.”

If only it were that simple. At this very moment, Father had even summoned Ying Fusheng here—it seemed his favoritism was indeed extraordinary. The First Prince mused inwardly: if he could exploit this, this Sixth Brother would be a fine pawn. With imperial favor so abundant, there were many ways to use him. If his relationship with the Ning family soured, that would be an even greater opportunity.

The immediate priority was Hu Buyu. Recommending him was one thing; whether he could be won over was another. Bringing Hu Buyu into the court was inherently a risk. If he couldn’t be used... As these thoughts churned, a sound came from afar. The First Prince paused, seeing that in less than half an hour, Hu Buyu had already emerged from the hall, and Eunuch Rong, the emperor’s trusted attendant, was accompanying him out.

He knew all too well how suspicious his father was.

And yet, Hu Buyu had come out in less than half an hour?

Seeing Hu Buyu walking away, the First Prince ordered his palanquin dismissed and fell into step beside him: “What a coincidence, Lord Hu.”

Hu Buyu bowed slightly: “Your Highness.”

“I was about to leave the palace, so we share the same path,” the First Prince said.

The two walked together toward the palace gate. Before they reached it, a voice came from the end of the palace corridor—

“Elder Brother.”

The First Prince looked toward the sound and saw several eunuchs standing there, among them a prince bundled in a fur cloak against the cold, clutching a hand warmer. It was Ying Fusheng, who had left the Qianqing Palace not long ago.

“Sixth Brother, what are you doing here?” the First Prince asked, surprised.

Ying Fusheng had spotted them approaching from afar. The timing was just right.

“Father said I’m in good spirits today, so I thought I’d go outside the palace to find Yunfei,” Ying Fusheng explained, his gaze drifting to the distance. “But I didn’t notify anyone in advance, so the carriage to take me out of the city hasn’t come.”

Seeing his brother shivering, the First Prince said, “Next time you want to leave the palace, send word to the Imperial Household Department.”

“I’m heading out of the palace myself, so I’ll give you a ride.”

Ying Fusheng’s face lit up: “Really?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t stand on ceremony with your elder brother.” The First Prince motioned for him to come over.

Clutching his things, Ying Fusheng approached. As he drew near, he seemed to notice the other person for the first time. Seeing Hu Buyu lagging behind, he held his hand warmer and glanced up: “Isn’t this lord coming along too?”

Hu Buyu looked at him in turn. The First Prince, hearing this, seized the opportunity: “Indeed, Lord Hu and I hit it off immediately. Lord Hu only recently arrived in the capital and likely hasn’t arranged for a carriage. Why not let me escort you part of the way?”

Hu Buyu’s expression remained natural, his sidelong glance falling on Ying Fusheng. “I’ll walk.”

“That would be such a strain,” the Sixth Prince said, the words light and airy, his expression one of innocent curiosity, as if he had merely made a casual remark. Yet it handed the First Prince another convenient opening.

The First Prince followed suit: “Exactly. It’s just a short ride—you can’t refuse my goodwill, Lord Hu.”

Hu Buyu replied respectfully, “Since Your Highness puts it that way, I can only obey.”

Having just recommended Hu Buyu and seeing his father’s high regard for him, the First Prince had been fretting over how to draw closer to him. Now, opportunity came swiftly: his subordinates soon brought the carriage around, and the First Prince promptly invited Hu Buyu to ride with him out of the palace.

Their actions were carried out in broad daylight. All around the palace, people came and went, while eunuchs and guards averted their probing gazes.

Not long after, news quietly spread that the First Prince and Lord Hu had left the city together in the same carriage.

Inside the carriage—spacious, befitting a prince’s vehicle—the three shared ample room.

Ying Fusheng held his hand warmer, leaning against the window, staring outside without blinking, full of curiosity. This did not escape the First Prince’s notice, and he studied his younger brother more closely: “Is the outside world that interesting?”

“I haven’t seen streets like these much,” Ying Fusheng answered with a shy smile. But his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, it passed over the First Prince to land on Hu Buyu, seated beside him.

Hu Buyu, now over a decade younger than in his past life, though already middle-aged, still dressed like a scholar... So this is what he looked like.

His official robe was slightly loose on him. When he narrowed his eyes and smiled, it was disarming, making others lower their guard. This appearance had served him well in local government, allowing him to glide through interactions, making people open up to him—a real fox. Compared to the few times Ying Fusheng had met him in his previous life, while confined to the cold palace, the younger Hu Buyu hadn’t yet become the madman of his past life. Under his gentleness, he had the appearance of a proper gentleman.

Neither Hu Buyu nor Madam Hu were simple people. In his past life, Ying Fusheng had used the matter of the fox fur to gain Madam Hu’s trust, but the couple would surely detect something amiss in conversation. He knew Hu Buyu too well—his background, his habits, and his way of doing things. Even his father might not know about the fox fur, yet a prince confined to the deep palace had revealed it. Precisely because of this, until matters became clear, Hu Buyu would not jump to conclusions, nor would he alert anyone—including the emperor.

And this was intentional, because Ying Fusheng needed Hu Buyu to be curious about him.

Hu Buyu was a sharp character. No matter how friendly and easygoing he appeared on the surface, there was a reason his father had transferred him to the capital. Unfortunately, in his past life, Hu Buyu resigned before even taking office, going against his father’s intentions, then fell into a decline for years.

The military funds case was just a start. With the war ended, his father had many old scores to settle, and the Ministry of War was the most crucial. The matter of factions would remain the key for the emperor to balance the court and the country until later generations. His father wanted loyal ministers devoted only to him, but in the court, only the Qi family fit that mold... So the person suited for Vice Minister of War could not be stubbornly unyielding, or else they’d become another Shen Changcun.

The court was in chaos; the royal family needed checks and balances. No matter how well protected, he could hardly withstand public gossip. Too many people wanted Hu Buyu dead—it had been true in Anlong, and even before he reached the capital, he had faced multiple assassination attempts. What he needed now was to gain a foothold. Playing both sides of the fence, venturing into the tiger’s den, yet staying loyal to the throne—that was the kind of man his father wanted.

Once the First Prince’s backing was dangled in front of Hu Buyu, this sly fox would seize the opportunity.

Hu Buyu noticed the look from across the carriage. He was just a young boy, wrapped tightly in his clothes, his skin above the neck pale from lack of sunlight, the faint veins on his neck visible... Nothing like what his wife had described.

“Lord Hu is new to the capital; it seems the sights outside interest you too,” the First Prince remarked.

Hu Buyu replied, “Anlong is remote and rugged; naturally, it can't compare to the capital's hustle and bustle.”

Outside the carriage, people came and went, and the smell of street food drifted inside.

Ying Fusheng turned to look out, his eyes filled with pure curiosity. When the carriage slowed, especially as they passed a certain tavern, he stared intently. The First Prince then gestured slightly, and a head poked in from outside the curtain. He ordered, “Go buy some for the Sixth Prince.”

At the opportune moment, Ying Fusheng said, “Mother says I shouldn’t eat too much.”

“Consort Ning is way too strict. Even if you have dietary restrictions, how can you miss out on such good food and drink?” The First Prince spoke, his words carrying a subtle criticism of Consort Ning. Seeing Ying Fusheng’s expression turn melancholic at the mention of his mother, he hid his true intention and comforted, “Your elder brother won’t say more. Your mother has been confined by the Empress Dowager lately; you must be upset... That tavern over there belongs to me, so anything I give you is clean.”

Thus persuaded, Ying Fusheng had no choice but to comply.

Seeing the golden opportunity before him, the First Prince put on an air of concern for his younger brother and turned to Hu Buyu: “This might delay Lord Hu a bit. My Sixth Brother is always confined in the palace, kept under tight control.”

Hu Buyu nodded, saying it was no bother.

Naturally, the First Prince did not let this chance slip. Using the topic, he chatted with Hu Buyu about the capital’s local customs. Ying Fusheng watched from the side, casually lifting the carriage curtain, revealing the sight of the two deep in conversation to the watchful eyes outside.

The two had walked out of the palace together, and now they rode together. All along the way, countless eyes were watching them.

Now, the carriage stopped by the roadside. Others would not care about mere snacks; they would focus on how long Hu Buyu and the First Prince lingered together in the carriage.

His elder brother was desperate to bind himself to Hu Buyu. Even if nothing had happened, that alone was enough to fuel speculation.

Ying Fusheng looked relaxed, using curiosity as a pretext as his glance swept over the street scenes, casually falling on the teahouses. He noticed many pairs of eyes silently observing them from there.

Suddenly, he seemed to notice something and looked up.

He happened to lock eyes with someone on the second floor. The other person leaned by the window, looking down, holding a sword in his arms.

Qi Hanzhou stood there, showing no restraint in meeting Ying Fusheng's probing gaze. He seemed to have just finished his shift, still in his official robe, unusually serious.

The others were here for Hu Buyu, but Ying Fusheng knew that Qi Hanzhou was staring at him.

The street was bustling with people. High up in the tea house, a young man leaned against the window, his expression sharp and vigilant.

Unlike in his past life, the fourteen-year-old Qi Hanzhou was not yet the enigmatic ruler of the Northern Border.

Ying Fusheng continued to observe him, noticing that Qi Hanzhou's brow furrowed slightly, as if displeased.

"What's out there? If you see something you like, your imperial brother will have someone buy it," said the First Prince.

"That's probably something money can't buy..." Ying Fusheng shifted his gaze to the tea house outside. "Is the tea house next door also yours, imperial brother?"

Noticing Ying Fusheng's curious gaze, the First Prince followed his gaze.

Although the princes lived long in the palace, behind them, their mothers' families were always scheming behind them.

For instance, this area was the First Prince's property. On this bustling capital street, countless nobles came and went. These famous establishments like restaurants and tea houses, though appearing to be owned by commoners, were actually set up by the imperial family or other powerful figures.

"You're not young anymore. Has the Ning family not arranged these for you?" the First Prince probed.

Ying Fusheng shook his head, put down the curtain, and rekindled curiosity on his face. "How do you set up a shop?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Buyu suddenly chuckled.

The First Prince kept watching Hu Buyu, and seeing his smile, said, "It's just a few shops. Someday, your imperial brother will give you some."

The carriage stopped on the street for a good while. Only when Ying Fusheng said he could eat no more did the First Prince send people to see them off.

The carriage first arrived at Hu Mansion. Hu Buyu got off and took his leave of the First Prince.

The First Prince got out himself to see him off. "It was great talking with you today, Lord Hu. If there is a chance in the future, let us share a drink together."

Hu Buyu nodded slightly, neither refusing nor agreeing.

The First Prince maintained his smile, but inwardly thought Hu Buyu didn't know how to appreciate a favor.

In the carriage, Ying Fusheng watched Hu Buyu enter the mansion, then saw the First Prince's calculating look. The curiosity he had feigned all the way gradually faded.

Ying Fusheng lowered the curtain. This Hu Buyu, indeed, in his youth, was still a fox.

With that nudge, Hu Buyu quietly followed along.

Inside Hu Mansion, Hu Buyu looked back at the carriage that was gradually disappearing. The old servant walked up beside him.

"Well, now I owe someone a favor," Hu Buyu said.

The old servant was puzzled: "Is it the First Prince? We were able to come to the capital thanks to His Highness's help."

Hu Buyu shook his head. "This capital is full of hidden talents."

With that, he stepped inside. Author's note: Others: staring at Hu Buyu. Brother Qi: staring at a certain fox.