Chapter 2 - The Mute Heir
Xie Jingsheng waited outside the palace gates. Although he had risen to become a high-ranking regional official, he found himself unable to shake the ingrained habit of attending to his lord whenever he returned to the capital. Nearby, Bai Jiu’s stallion, Chiye, pawed at the ground with its crimson-stained hooves, snorting impatiently at him. Xie Jingsheng quickly stepped aside, yielding the prime spot to the temperamental beast.
A carriage stood nearby, silent and motionless. Though the person inside was not someone Xie Jingsheng feared, out of respect for the late Prince of Yan, he did not dare lift the curtain to disturb them.
Before long, Bai Jiu emerged from the palace, idly fiddling with a mutton-fat jade pendant. His pace was unhurried, his gait possessing a refined, leisurely elegance that belied the weight of the court affairs he managed. Kang Fu, the Head Eunuch, trailed beside him with a fawning smile, his usual air of imperial authority completely absent in the presence of the "King of Hell."
"My Lord is now one of the few truly noble pillars of the capital," Kang Fu chirped. "Taking a sedan chair occasionally is no great matter. You walk back and forth like this, and His Majesty sees it; it pains his heart to know you are so fatigued."
Hearing this, Xie Jingsheng lowered his head and let out a cold, silent sneer. This castrated wretch was no good soul. There was still a legitimate Prince of Qin in the capital, and Bai Jiu had only recently been granted his two-character princely title. Riding a sedan chair within the palace grounds would be a flagrant breach of etiquette. Kang Fu’s words were designed to push Bai Jiu further into the spotlight of scrutiny—a malicious intent shared by his imperial master.
Bai Jiu twirled the jade pendant between his fingers, the faint smile never leaving his lips. He did not mount his horse. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Kang Fu and gave the eunuch’s shoulder a friendly, patronizing pat. "The Great Manager is far too considerate."
Kang Fu’s pale, wrinkled face twitched. He bowed even lower, laughing nervously. "Oh, what is My Lord saying? This servant is merely worried. My Lord is exhausted by official documents, and your time is precious. It is simply not worth wasting it on the road."
Bai Jiu’s smile grew even warmer. "When I say you are being considerate, you are being considerate. However, there is no need for the sedan chair. I do not like it."
That soft, airy "I do not like it" was enough to nearly crush Kang Fu’s spine. The eunuch managed to keep his footing, but his mouth snapped shut instantly. He could only offer a plastered-on smile and a respectful bow as he saw Bai Jiu off. Knowing the Lord did not enjoy being watched, he hurriedly excused himself and retreated.
Xie Jingsheng spat on the ground once the eunuch was gone. "That old fox has poor eyesight and a heart as black as ink."
Bai Jiu caught the tassel of the jade pendant with his fingertip, turned, and lifted the curtain of the carriage. Xie Jingsheng peered in from behind and was stunned to see that the person inside was still asleep. He muttered in disbelief, "This... the Young Prince is truly something."
From the moment they had departed for the capital until now, the Heir had seemingly dealt with the tedium of the journey by sleeping through it all.
Bai Jiu stepped directly into the carriage and instructed Xie Jingsheng, "Let Chiye run ahead."
Xie Jingsheng complied. Once Chiye had galloped off, he boarded his own carriage to follow behind Bai Jiu’s.
Inside the carriage, the closing of the curtains plunged the space into a dim, cool twilight. A youth lay curled on a bamboo mat. His frame had not yet fully filled out, appearing thin and fragile as he hugged a pillow like a small shrimp. The hair that had been neatly combed that morning was now a tousled mess, with several stray locks falling over his eyes. He was dead to the world.
Bai Jiu watched him with interest for a long moment. He reached out, letting the cold jade pendant slide across the boy’s face. The chill elicited a soft sigh from the youth, who instinctively rubbed his cheek against the cold stone. Bai Jiu brushed the hair away from his eyes, revealing a face of pure, slumbering innocence.
The boy did not look much like the late Prince of Yan, nor did he possess the heroic air of his elder brothers. He took after the Princess Consort; his features were more delicate, more refined.
The carriage jolted as it rolled over a stray stone. Xin Yi, still clutching his pillow, rolled across the floor until he bumped against Bai Jiu’s knees. Bai Jiu kept his eyes fixed on the boy’s face. Seeing that even this didn't wake him, Bai Jiu nudged him with his leg, intending to roll him back over.
To his surprise, as soon as he withdrew his leg, Xin Yi rolled right back, insisting on huddling against Bai Jiu’s knees to sleep. He was in such a deep slumber that he didn't move an inch.
Bai Jiu stared at the sleeping face for a long time, weighing the options between throwing him out or kicking him away. But then the boy nuzzled his knee again, his expression one of serene, cat-like contentment. Bai Jiu’s brow furrowed slightly. His hand reached for the boy’s collar to haul him up, but at the last second, he pulled back.
Xin Yi slept soundly. Bai Jiu watched him the entire way, finding the sight strangely novel.
Ever since they left Posuo City, Xin Yi had done nothing but sleep, save for necessary activities. As long as he was alone in the carriage with a pillow, it was as if he hadn't slept in seven or eight years. Even now, having arrived in the heart of the capital, he showed no fear. Was he simply young and ignorant, or was his spirit so tempered that he feared nothing?
The carriage did not stop at the gates of the Bai Manor but drove straight inside. Xie Jingsheng dismounted first and found Old Qu already waiting. The two exchanged pleasantries; Old Qu was a veteran servant of the household, and Xie Jingsheng treated him with great respect. However, after several rounds of small talk, Bai Jiu still hadn't emerged. Just as they were considering calling out, the navy-blue curtain was pushed aside, and Bai Jiu stepped down.
As he moved, the person who had been sleeping soundly against his legs tumbled over, his head thumping against the carriage wall. Xin Yi woke with a start. With his hair in a wild nest, he looked around in a daze, his eyes meeting Bai Jiu’s cold, deep, narrow gaze. The chill in those eyes acted like a bucket of ice water, snapping him into alertness.
Xin Yi opened his mouth as if to offer a greeting. He likely realized only after his lips parted that he was supposed to be a mute, so he closed them again and simply offered Bai Jiu a smile. His gentle eyes were moist, and the smile carved a small, soft dimple into his cheek.
Xie Jingsheng thought to himself that this little Heir really didn't seem like the son of the Prince of Yan. Look at how carefree he was—not a hint of fear.
Yet, unexpectedly, Bai Jiu did not ignore him and walk away. Instead, he reached out and straightened Xin Yi’s rumpled collar. "We are home," he said.
Xin Yi seemed to have little interest in the word "home," but he followed the lead of Bai Jiu’s hand and stepped down from the carriage.
Old Qu greeted him with a fatherly smile. "Greetings, Young Prince. This old servant is Bai Qu, the manor’s steward."
Xin Yi nodded and smiled at the old man.
Old Qu said with pity, "My Lord, please come inside. The meal is prepared. The Young Prince has had a long, arduous journey and looks quite thin. Now that you are at the Lord’s manor, you need only ask me for anything you require."
Bai Jiu had already begun walking inside. Hearing this, he remarked, "Prepare the Young Prince’s quarters here in the main courtyard. There is no need for him to stay in a side wing."
Old Qu hurriedly agreed, and the group moved inward. Though it was his first time there, Xin Yi did not look around curiously. He followed Bai Jiu quietly and obediently. Bai Jiu caught this in his peripheral vision. For reasons unknown even to himself, he slowed his pace by half a step to walk side-by-side with the boy.
"This is the main courtyard. There is no one here but me," Bai Jiu explained. "If you ever feel the urge, you can ride your horse here and no one will stop you. Through that side corridor is the study, and further back is a pine grove with a small pavilion. That way leads to the back gate of the Qu Tong courtyard. There is a square riding ground in between; Chiye is kept there." He paused, his lips twitching slightly. "The manor has a few Beiyang horses as well. They are kept in the same place."
Throughout the explanation, Xin Yi maintained an expression of intense, serious listening. Bai Jiu patted his head. "Remember it well."
Xin Yi nodded, the dimple in his cheek remaining visible.
During dinner, Xin Yi ate more than even Xie Jingsheng. Xie Jingsheng had intended to tease him about his appetite, but then he remembered Prince Ping, who had died in Posuo City. He thought of how Xin Yi had spent the last few years under Prince Ping’s thumb—rumor had it he was forced to live in the stables and likely never had a full belly. The joke died in his throat, and he found he couldn't say a word.
After the meal, Xin Yi retired to the room prepared for him. Watching his docile retreating figure, Xie Jingsheng couldn't help but comment, "Prince Ping was a tyrant. Seeing the Heir now, I fear it will be difficult for him to ever command authority over Beiyang."
Bai Jiu toyed with the lid of his teacup, a mocking smile on his lips. "Who said he was going back to Beiyang?"
Xie Jingsheng froze. "My Lord... you brought him into the manor... was it not to send him back to Beiyang?"
Xin Yi was a powerful political chip. The Three Fords of Beiyang only answered to the Prince of Yan. After the Prince’s death, his only surviving heir had been tormented and humiliated by Prince Ping for four years—more than enough time for the people of Beiyang to nurse a lifelong grudge. Xin Yi might be a mute, and the Beiyang people might feel he couldn't shoulder his father’s legacy, but that was no excuse for Prince Ping to treat him like dirt. Bai Jiu’s rank was as high as it could go; he had nowhere left to rise but in titles. He was at the height of his power, yet the tension between him and the Leftist faction was at a breaking point. Not having actual troops under his command was a lingering vulnerability. If Bai Jiu returned Xin Yi to Beiyang in good health, the Three Fords would surely repay that debt in full when the time came.
Bai Jiu’s eyes half-lidded in a lazy, indifferent manner. "Why should I send him back? The people of Beiyang never asked me to do so."
"Then why?"
Bai Jiu flicked the tea lid. "Because I feel like it."
Xie Jingsheng was choked for words. He didn't dare ask, *What do you mean you feel like it?* Keeping him was nothing but a burden; if he didn't cast him off soon, he would eventually get burned. Hadn't the Emperor refused to even see him today? *My Lord, you are truly too impulsive.* Maintaining his composure as an official, Xie Jingsheng could only manage a dry laugh. "Then... then keeping him is no trouble. I see the Heir is quite well-behaved, quite endearing..." He trailed off as Bai Jiu looked up, his eyes filled with a knowing, sharp clarity. Xie Jingsheng coughed and corrected himself. "No, I just meant... the Heir is quiet. Very quiet."
Bai Jiu smiled enigmatically. "Hard to say."
*Hard to say?* Xie Jingsheng wondered. *How could a little mute be anything but quiet?*
***
The Hour of the Ox.
Bai Jiu was still at his desk when he heard Old Qu’s soft voice calling from outside the door. He dropped his brush, threw on an outer robe, and opened the door. Seeing the grim expression on Old Qu’s face in the flickering lantern light, his brow furrowed.
Before he even entered the room, he could hear Xin Yi’s short, sharp gasps. They were frantic, choked sounds caught in the throat, overflowing with a visceral sense of despair.
Bai Jiu entered to find Xin Yi pinned down on the bed. A young maid, terrified of disturbing Bai Jiu, had frantically stuffed a handkerchief into the boy’s mouth to muffle him. He was struggling, his dark eyes wide and hollow, devoid of any human light. His hands clawed mindlessly at the bedding, the veins on the backs of his hands bulging with strain. Beads of sweat poured down his temples.
Bai Jiu’s expression turned icy. Old Qu was the first to snap, "You fool! Take that cloth out of his mouth, now!"
Bai Jiu had already reached the bedside. He didn't even look at the maid. "Drag her out."
The maid was gagged and dragged away, not even a sob escaping her. Without the cloth blocking his airway, Xin Yi gasped for breath, his cries coming in jagged, broken bursts.
Bai Jiu suddenly kicked over the screen by the bed with a violent crash. "Get out!" he barked.
The room emptied instantly as the servants fled in silence. Bai Jiu took Xin Yi’s fingers, which were still death-gripped onto the sheets, and pried them loose one by one, locking them firmly within his own palm. As the boy continued to thrash, Bai Jiu hauled him up into his lap, wrapping his arms around him from behind and pinning him tightly against his chest. Xin Yi’s fingers dug into the back of Bai Jiu’s hands. The tremors racking the boy’s body were transmitted clearly through his chest, and his sharp cries gradually dissolved into low, broken sobs.
Then, Bai Jiu heard him speak.
"Xin Zhen... Zhenxiao."
Bai Jiu pressed his chin against the boy’s trembling shoulder. He spoke into his ear, his voice low, slow, and deliberate. "He is a dead man."
Xin Yi choked on a sob and turned his head. Bai Jiu’s beautiful, dangerous features were inches away, their cheeks almost touching. Xin Yi looked at him as if grasping for a lifeline. "Is he... is he really dead?"
Bai Jiu looked into his bloodshot eyes and repeated, "He is a dead man."
Tears splashed onto the back of Bai Jiu’s hand, making him frown. Yet, the dimple in the boy’s cheek faintly reappeared. Xin Yi began to laugh through his sobs, repeating over and over, "He deserved it."
Prince Ping deserved to die.
***
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
A Minister's Capricious Affection | Chapter 2 | The Mute Heir | Novela.app | Novela.app
