Chapter 4: Moonlight Brocade

Bai Li Jing's maternal older sister is called Bai Li Zhao, she is eight years old, the Fifth Princess of Emperor Ning De, and currently resides in Consort Wei Zhaoyi's palace.

Consort Wei Zhaoyi is a paternal cousin of his birth mother Lady Wei; she treats the Fifth Princess far better than Empress Cui treats him. As an unfavored concubine, being able to accompany the princess is already a decent prospect in this harem. Only having a son, and someday outliving the emperor to follow him to his fief, would be just a step above the status of a dowager queen.

Bai Li Jing isn't worried about his sister being enfeoffed; he just hates to part with her.

With Emperor Ning De's verbal order, he often frequents Consort Wei Zhaoyi's palace.

The Fifth Princess has no memory of Lady Wei, but she feels great pity for her brother who lost his mother at birth; the siblings get along well and can even say they grew up together.

Besides the outer moat, the imperial palace has a winding stream flowing through it, called the Cangshui.

That day the siblings agreed to stroll along the Cangshui to admire the flowers; in mid‑autumn October, it was the last lively scenery in the palace.

Upon encountering a few osmanthus trees, the gentle and virtuous older sister said she would pick the blossoms to make pastries for her younger brother.

Just seeing Bai Li Jing's face, Prince You was pleased with the idea.

Bai Li Zhao added, "Once my brother goes to Youzhou he won't be able to have them. I've heard Youzhou is cold year‑round with sea winds, so osmanthus trees probably won't grow there."

Bai Li Jing: …

Can we still happily play?

While the siblings were fooling around, they heard music drifting on the wind from ahead; Bai Li Jing sent Tongchen to check it out.

Soon Tongchen returned and reported that the Second Prince, with a few friends, was feasting and enjoying themselves at the Nine‑Bend Pavilion ahead.

Since they'd run into each other, he might as well let his sister go back first while he went to greet them.

The main pavilion at the center of the Nine‑Bend Pavilion had three sides draped with curtains, obscuring the people inside; on the waterside pavilion ahead, a crowd played zither and flute, sang and danced, and cups and tallies crossed.

The six‑year‑old Prince You, who had never seen such extravagant royal display, felt a pang of envy.

Who made him not wait until he was as old as Bai Li Huang before leaving the palace? Such an activity he probably won't get to do in the palace anymore. Even when he reaches Youzhou, he may not have the leisure for such refined feasts. Leaving aside Youzhou's barrenness, he'll likely have to worry about the neighboring states…

Upon entering, he saw that the curtains enclosing three sides of the pavilion were actually priceless moonlight brocade—definitely not ordinary drapes.

The pale‑white, thin brocade fluttered in the wind, and even in broad daylight one could see moonlight rolling across it—utterly splendid.

Moonlight brocade makes light, breathable inner garments; in their Yong'an Palace only Bai Li Hu could wear a full set of it, while Bai Li Huang uses it to curtain the pavilion against the wind.

It makes sense—half of the empire's tax revenue comes from salt. Bai Li Huang's maternal clan is the Jiangnan Jin family, which has long controlled the salt administration and is immensely wealthy.

Bai Li Huang glanced at his brother's greeting, then kept looking at the curtains; his two study companions whispered below, and he couldn't help but smile.

Actually it's unjust—children can't hide their feelings, and when the wind stirred the curtains he glanced at them twice more.

"Third Brother, do you like this moonlight brocade? Why not wait until Second Brother is done with it, then take it apart and send it to you?" As soon as these words were spoken, the pavilion fell silent.

Bai Li Huang waited for his face to change, because anyway if the Fourth Brother heard this insult he'd surely jump up in anger.

As it turned out, the Third Brother stepped forward with a satisfied grin, bowed and said, "Thank you, Second Brother; with this length of fabric the younger brother can still find good pieces to make a few outfits."

Everyone in the pavilion stared at each other, astonished.

Prince You wanted to curl his lip—what else could he do?

If I started yelling at you now, within half an hour the entire inner and outer court, including Father Emperor, would know.

If I were Bai Li Hu, I'd have Empress Cui inside and the Boshan Cui clan outside backing me up. If he now said he disliked it, outsiders would surely spread that Prince You is decadent to the point of spurning moonlight brocade. For now it's just gossip, but when military funds run low and disaster relief silver can't be raised, someone will surely bring up that Prince You once scorned moonlight brocade.

He may be young, but he's not foolish.

Sure enough, Emperor Ning De soon learned of this little incident.

Not long after Mid‑Autumn, in his mind Prince You still appeared as a vivid image—a red‑eyed crybaby.

He sighed, also feeling rather pitiful.

He tapped his fingers on the table a few times and ordered the nearby bow‑waiting Chief Eunuch Zhou Xing: "When Prince You is enfeoffed, allocate his cloth and grain provisions the same as for Jin'er; Youzhou is really not wealthy."

"Yes! This old servant will keep an eye on it."

Bai Li Jing didn't know about this; if he did, hearing throughout the palace that the Third Prince had taken the Second Prince's curtains to make clothes, he wouldn't be able to stay so angry.

Zhao Bao entered with a lamp and saw Prince You absent‑mindedly flipping through a book, his pouted mouth able to hang an oil lamp.

"Your Highness, are you still angry?"

Bai Li Jing: "Hmph‑hmph~"

Zhao Bao suppressed a laugh: "When you were taking over the Second Prince's remarks, you should have anticipated this; what are you angry about now……"

Bai Li Jing closed the book, "That… I never expected it to spread so quickly to everyone's ears! Even Consort Wei Zhaoyi just sent two bolts of moonlight‑hued brocade."

"Doesn't Your Highness care about face?!"

But Prince You didn't stay angry long, for after thinking it over he realized he had already been enfeoffed to Youzhou—what face did he need when poverty would only increase?

Without Zhao Bao saying more, Prince You quickly cheered himself up.

"Tonight I want honey‑glazed venison, braised lamb, and… steamed buns!" Really, each meal is less than the last.