Eternal Night - Chapter 28
"Yes, it's good that Tianrui has this intention. Go ahead." The emperor's praise made the empress beam with joy.
Li and Zhang quickly exchanged glances with the eldest and third princes.
"Father, your sons also have a gift for Yongye," Li Tianyou and Li Tianxiang said at the same time.
Emperor Yujia was delighted to see that his sons knew how to be loving and affectionate, and granted their requests. He smiled and said to Prince Duan, "All three princes like Yongye, and I, as their uncle, am very pleased to see this. After the New Year, let Yongye enter the palace to study!"
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Prince Duan and his consort repeatedly expressed their gratitude, then looked at Yongye with a hint of worry in their eyes. The Emperor's words clearly indicated his intention to have Yongye assist a prince in the future. The Emperor was in his prime, yet his ministers hoped for the early establishment of an heir to ensure the stability of the nation. Emperor Yujia's delay in granting this request, and his decision to send Yongye to the palace to study, clearly indicated his desire to gauge Prince Duan's attitude.
Seeing the worried looks in Prince Duan and his wife's eyes, Yongye's mood suddenly brightened. He knew the Second Prince hadn't intended to take him on a tour of the palace, but when it came to powerful backing, he felt it was no less than the Empress's. Tuantuan bowed and strode away with the princes.
A night filled with dazzling fireworks
Stepping out of Yuqing Palace, Yongye took a deep breath of the cold air, the refreshing coolness rushing from his throat into his chest and then seeping out through his pores, sweeping away the warmth that had emanated from the palace.
The moonlight shone on the snow, giving it a faint blue hue. Beneath the white jade steps, the winding corridors gleamed with silver light, and the pavilions and halls hidden in the lamplight were also filled with snow. Several eunuchs walked quietly with their hands in their sleeves, their feet rustling softly on the light snow.
Yongye thought silently that this beautiful palace would be the place where he would fight for the next few years.
The gentle and courteous eldest prince was the one he would protect and assist. The treacherous and ruthless second prince was the one he would deal with. And the third prince, Tianxiang? Yongye looked at this prince, who was about his age, and became suspicious. Did Youligu really trust him so much? Had he revealed everything? He remembered Li Yannian's words: one should not give one's whole heart. Could he be the one lurking in the shadows, unaware of the danger?
"Eldest brother, third brother, I have prepared some fine fireworks in my palace. How about we take Yongye to set them off?" Tianrui said with a smile.
The Second Prince's ability to change his expression was superb, and the show he prepared amused Yongye.
"Who?" Tianrui suddenly shouted.
A small figure emerged from behind a pillar, her eyes darting around—it was Princess Rose. Tianrui was taken aback, then went over and led her outside, scolding, "It's cold outside, why are you out here?"
Rose pouted, suddenly shook off his hand, ran to Yongye, raised her face and pleaded, "Brother Yongye, I... want to go set off fireworks with you."
Yongye was helpless; what a little jinx. The Second Prince was so possessive; wasn't this just making him hate her? The Third Prince, Tianxiang, happened to be standing next to Yongye. Yongye smiled at Qiangwei, picked her up, and handed her to the Third Prince just as her smile bloomed: "Yongye is too weak to carry this little chubby girl; I'll trouble Your Highness."
Tianxiang felt like he'd been given a hot potato. Holding Qiangwei, he was at a loss, seeing her eyes welling up with tears. He turned around and tossed her to the eldest prince, Tianyou: "Tianxiang... Big brother is stronger."
Rose twisted her body, biting her lip and stubbornly refusing to cry. Her expression was one of extreme anger.
Yongye finally felt a slight smile on the Second Prince's lips, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rose, shall I carry you to see the fireworks?" Tianyou said gently. Seeing that Yongye had turned his head away as if to look at the scenery, and that his second brother's eyes had never left Rose, he shook his head with amusement.
Rose held Tianyou's head, burying her face in his hands. Soon after, Tianyou felt water getting into his neck, causing him great discomfort, but he also felt sorry for her and gently patted her back.
Li Tianrui walked up to the eldest prince and said to Qiangwei, "I'll carry you there! Otherwise, you're not allowed to go!"
"Second brother!" the eldest prince called out reproachfully.
Rose looked at Yongye pitifully with teary eyes. She didn't want to go, but she also wanted to follow Yongye. She was at a loss for what to do.
"I hate girls who cry all the time. If you go, I won't go!" Yongye said coldly.
Rose twisted and struggled to get down to the ground, then opened her arms to the Second Prince: "I'll go!"
Yongye was taken aback, then sighed deeply. This is what women are like! If you tell them not to do something, they'll just go against you. They're like this even when they're so young; what will they be like when they grow up?
Li Tianrui was extremely pleased with himself, but his tone softened: "Rose, be good, I'll take you to set off the most beautiful fireworks!"
Rose raised her chin, couldn't help but glance at Yongye, and shouted, "I want to release it too!"
"good!"
The Second Prince has already revealed a weakness so quickly? Yongye found it even more interesting.
The group quickly arrived at the Second Prince's Qingyuan Palace. Tianrui ordered a eunuch to place fireworks in the courtyard and personally lit one. With a "whoosh," a line of fire shot straight into the sky, exploding into a shower of silvery rain in mid-air—a truly beautiful sight.
"Wow! Second Prince is amazing!" Rose clapped her hands with joy, but her eyes darted to Yongye. Seeing that he was looking up at the fireworks and hadn't noticed her at all, she shouted even louder.
They were all still young children, and even the Third Prince and the First Prince took some incense sticks and lit fireworks to play with.
A flurry of silver fireworks pierced the night sky above the Forbidden City, the golden moon hanging high, its beauty enhanced by the twinkling silver stars. Yongye suddenly remembered lying on the grass with Yuepo. If Yuepo could see such beautiful fireworks, he would be overjoyed. Yuepo never missed a night with stars and moon; he always said, "Look, the stars and moon are always together; we are brothers."
Thinking of this, Yongye felt the winter wind was a bit cold.
Tianyou turned around and saw Yongye standing quietly to the side, a smile on his delicate and beautiful face, but with a hint of loneliness. He walked over to him and said, "Yongye, why aren't you setting off fireworks? It's a lot of fun."
Yongye glanced at the three people who were having a great time and shook his head. He was waiting for the Second Prince to invite him to play.
Just as Tianyou was about to persuade him again, Tianrui walked over with a grin: "Yongye, come and play!" He handed him a firework and a stick of incense.
"Is this the gift the Second Prince prepared for him?" "Thank you, Your Highness!" Yongye smiled and accepted it. He looked at the fireworks in his hand and placed them on the open ground.
As he bent down to point, he stood up and looked back. The Second Prince had retreated more than three zhang away. The Third Prince was also more than three zhang away, and the First Prince was about one zhang behind Yongye. As for Qiangwei, the Second Prince had not stopped her.
Yongye smiled and said, "This firework will definitely be beautiful!"
Rose couldn't resist getting closer to Eternal Night, and Eternal Night sensed this and quickly lit the fuse.
With a loud "boom," the fireworks exploded—large firecrackers like the double-bang type, with exceptionally short fuses, bursting instantly. At the moment of the explosion, Yongye yelled and, following the blast wave, spun around and landed on Qiangwei. A sharp pain shot through his back; he cursed himself for underestimating the Second Prince's ruthlessness. There was even a small amount of iron filings mixed in with the firecracker. Thankfully, he hadn't been so arrogant; he'd worn the black gold armor given to him by his master, Qingyi, before entering the palace.
The eunuchs serving nearby were so frightened that they squatted down on the ground.
The eldest prince was closest to Yongye, standing next to a pillar. He quickly dodged the firecrackers and heard a few soft popping sounds. He frowned and looked at the second prince. Seeing that Tianrui and Tianxiang were far away, their mouths agape, they seemed to be shocked by the power of the firecrackers as well.
Turning around, he saw Rose crawling out from under Yongye, crying loudly. Yongye covered his head with his hands, lying on the snow, shivering.
"Eternal Night! Rose!"
The eldest prince rushed over.