“Why hasn’t the prince arrived yet?”
Meng Huan was a bit confused when a fast horse hurriedly came and stopped at the door; it was Lin Bozhou’s usual traveling attendant.
The attendant rolled off his horse and knelt. “Your Highness, the prince has just left the court and was stopped by His Majesty, saying that it was the Imperial Concubine Xi’s birthday and keeping the prince to dine with him.”
Meng Huan froze for a moment. “No wonder he hasn’t returned now.”
“The prince is worried that Your Highness has been waiting, so he asked this servant to go back on a fast horse to tell Your Highness that there is no need to wait and that he will come back very late tonight or might not even return.”
Because there was a night curfew in the inner city, no one could walk on the street after nightfall. The aristocrats and nobles followed the rules, so the odds were that Lin Bozhou would stay overnight at the palace.
Meng Huan nodded, thinking Lin Bozhou was considerate enough to call someone back to tell him so he wouldn’t have to wait.
Since he couldn’t wait for Lin Bozhou, Meng Huan went to the dining room alone for his 30-course meal.
Meng Huan saw a group of uniformed disciples lined up in orderly rows in the dining hall, who also came to eat.
In the crowd, Xue Hong, who had brought him something in the afternoon, looked up and met Meng Huan’s gaze.
Not expecting such a coincidence, Meng Huan was surprised. “You–”
Xue Hong immediately tugged Xue Yan beside him, and the two looked at him and laughed together.
Meng Huan also laughed, feeling very relaxed.
After laughing, Meng Huan went to a nearby pavilion and sat down. After waiting for a short time, sure enough, they both ran over quickly. “Your Highness.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
Meng Huan inquired, “Did you two not redeem yourselves?”
“No. Master said that we had studied opera for more than ten years, so it would be a pity for the skills we have learned if we left like that. He let us stay and leave when we are older in a few years.”
Meng Huan nodded. “That’s not bad.”
Xue Yan was curious. “Is Your Highness waiting for us here?”
Meng Huan nodded. “The prince returned late today. I was bored, so I walked around.”
Being young, it was natural to love to play. Xue Yan thought about it and said, “If Your Highness is bored, there are fireflies in the grove next to the lotus pond at night. We can go there to catch them. This servant and Xue Hong used to go there often. There are fireflies as far as the eye can see at night, and it’s beautiful.”
Meng Huan saw through her. “You two arranged to meet there, right?”
Xue Yan’s face immediately reddened.
It looked like there had been many rendezvous in the grove.
Meng Huan was amused and stood up. “Come on, let’s go see together.”
The small groove was dimly lit and draped with the shadow of the trees. As expected, the grass fluttered with the light of fireflies.
Meng Huan looked around. “This one is very bright-”
The voice that answered him was very soft.
The small couple walked closer to each other as they walked and slowly held hands.
“………………”
Luckily, Meng Huan’s attention was not there. He tilted his head to look at the fireflies flying around. You Jin handed over a silk bag, very thin, and Meng Huan chased them while running, holding them in the palm of his hand and then putting them into the thin silk bag. The silk bag was transparent, and one could see the fluorescence coming through the bag, which was very beautiful.
You Jin also caught one, so excited that his old face was red, and handed it to Meng Huan. “Your Highness, this old servant caught one. Come, quickly put it in the silk bag!”
Meng Huan pursed his lips. “I don’t want yours. I want to catch it myself.”
You Jin: “……”
Meng Huan ran until his forehead was sweaty. His mood was originally a little down because Lin Bozhou did not return to the residence, but he had forgotten about everything, extremely happy.
The fireflies in the silk bag were bright. Meng Huan carried the fireflies home happily, lay under the quilt, and fell asleep in a happy mood.
–
Late at night, at the entrance of the prince’s residence.
After the curfew hour, the prince’s residence was silent.
When the carriage stopped, the guards recognized it as the prince’s carriage and knelt. “Your Highness.”
Lin Bozhou’s figure got down from the carriage and said, “Quiet.”
He was tainted with the smell of wine and the fragrance of the Deep Palace, heavy and lush, the incense from Imperial Concubine Xi’s palace. Emperor Xuan He wanted him to stay overnight in the palace, but Lin Bozhou asked for a decree instantly and got out of the south gate late at night.
The servants in the residence were asleep. The attendant asked for a lantern at the gatehouse and led him all the way to the bed chamber.
You Jin squatted at the door and dozed off, widening his eyes. “Your Highness!
The first thing Lin Bozhou said was, “Is Huan Huan asleep?”
“Princess is sleeping.”
“Then don’t wake him up. This prince will go to bathe first.”
You Jin thought about it and asked, “Did Your Highness rush back at night for the princess?”
Lin Bozhou looked at him with drunken eyes, and You Jin immediately smiled and chuckled.
The prince loved the princess.
