Little Pink Starfish

The Seventh Prince’s Little Butt

Gu Xinglang and Xiao Wei had just arrived at the palace gates when the on-duty Imperial Guard general asked them some questions. Only then—after seeing little Yu Ziyi bawling his eyes out—did they suddenly realize: the Seventh Prince was so young he couldn’t even talk. How could anyone say he was crying because he missed the Emperor?

Faced with the general’s scrutiny, Gu Xinglang improvised on the spot and came up with a new excuse, hoping to bluff his way past his imperial father-in-law.

Though Emperor Xianzong often forgot about his many sons—like earlier today when he visited the Gu residence and didn’t even think to ask about his youngest—he still became anxious when one of them was sick. Upon hearing the Seventh Prince was ill, he immediately said, “Quick, summon Gu Xinglang into the palace!”

“By your command,” the eunuch kneeling outside the hall replied and hurried off.

“The princess didn’t come with him, did she?” Xianzong asked again, uneasy. If his daughter was here too, he’d need to think of a way to hide—just let the doctors see the child.

The eunuch quickly replied, “Reporting to His Majesty, the Princess Royal did not come, only the Prince Consort—”

“Good,” Xianzong interrupted before the eunuch could finish. “Have the Prince Consort bring the Seventh Prince in.”

The eunuch accepted the order and ran off.

“Summon the imperial physicians,” Xianzong commanded again from his seat in the hall.

Another eunuch obeyed and ran off toward the imperial medical bureau.

About half a stick of incense later, Gu Xinglang, holding Yu Ziyi, was carried on a lounge chair by two young eunuchs to the front of the Lan Book Pavilion.

Xiao Wei glanced at the well-lit three-story tower ahead, then quickly stepped forward to walk beside Gu Xinglang.

Seeing Xiao Wei move ahead, the two eunuchs carrying the chair stopped walking.

Xiao Wei bent down and whispered, “Prince Consort, Her Highness won’t arrive for a while. You need to figure out what you’re going to tell His Majesty.”

Gu Xinglang looked down at the tear-streaked little prince and muttered, “What am I supposed to say?”

Xiao Wei was speechless. If he knew, would he be asking?

Gu Xinglang gently wiped away Yu Ziyi’s tears. “His Majesty will probably call for the imperial doctors. Let’s hope they take their time.”

Xiao Wei looked at him sympathetically. Prince Consort was clearly placing all hope on the physicians rather than having a heartfelt talk with His Majesty.

Just then, Jingzhong, the senior eunuch, walked briskly out of the Lan Book Pavilion. He went straight to Gu Xinglang, bowed, and asked with concern, “Prince Consort, why is the Seventh Prince crying so badly?”

Gu Xinglang didn’t feel like chatting, but he replied anyway, “I’m worried too. Chief Eunuch Jing, is His Majesty inside?”

“He’s in the study now. Please bring the prince in,” Jingzhong replied.

“Xiao Wei, come along,” Gu Xinglang called out.

“Yes, sir,” Xiao Wei replied with a bow.

The two eunuchs lifted the lounge chair again, and two palace nannies emerged from inside the pavilion.

Jingzhong said, “These ladies serve beside His Majesty. Prince Consort, you can entrust the Seventh Prince to them.”

Gu Xinglang glanced at the two women, then tightened his hold on Yu Ziyi. “There’s no need. I’ll carry the prince myself.”

One of the nannies stepped forward and said, “This is His Majesty’s order, Prince Consort.”

The other simply held out her hands to take the baby, saying nothing, just watching Gu Xinglang.

Jingzhong added, “Prince Consort, it is an imperial decree. You should obey.”

Xiao Wei had already been disarmed at the palace gate, but now he subtly drew in a breath, clenching his fists, eyes fixed warily on Jingzhong. He wasn’t naive enough to think no one would harm a royal child in front of the Emperor. Xiao Wei had spent years in Xianzong’s court—he knew too well the deadly tricks of palace intrigue. The Seventh Prince was just a baby, and killing him wouldn’t be hard for these people.

Gu Xinglang hadn’t lived in the palace like Xiao Wei, but he still understood—he couldn’t hand over Yu Ziyi. Who knew if these nannies served Jingzhong, or worse, some scheming consort?

“Prince Consort?” Jingzhong prodded.

Gu Xinglang made a show of handing over the child, but at the last moment, he pinched Yu Ziyi’s little butt.

The baby, who had only been whimpering, hadn’t cried in a while. But earlier, his older sister had given him a slap, and now his brother-in-law had pinched him too. If he could talk, he’d definitely be yelling at these two heartless siblings—was this any way to treat your baby brother?! And so, Yu Ziyi began to cry again, wailing miserably.

Gu Xinglang immediately cradled him, cooing, “Don’t cry, Your Highness. Don’t be scared. It’s okay.”

Xiao Wei looked at the two nannies and said coldly, “Since His Highness dislikes your presence, shouldn’t you back off?”

But the nannies stood their ground.

Jingzhong snapped, “Prince Consort, these two are on imperial duty. Don’t make this difficult. Disobeying an imperial order is not something you can afford!”

Gu Xinglang gritted his teeth and gave Yu Ziyi’s butt another pinch.

“WAAAAAHHHH!”

The prince’s crying got even louder.

“What are you all standing there for?!” Jingzhong barked at the two nannies.

They moved forward.

Xiao Wei dashed forward and blocked them.

Just as it looked like a fight would break out outside the study tower, Xianzong, drawn by the wails, stepped out onto the third-floor balcony. Narrowing his eyes, he looked down and called, “What’s going on? Gu Xinglang, what are you stalling for?”

Gu Xinglang immediately replied, “Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince dislikes these two nannies and keeps crying when he sees them.”

“If he doesn’t want them, then you carry him,” Xianzong snapped. “Are you brain-dead? Get up here! Do you want me to come downstairs and carry you myself? Xiao Wei, that’s you over there, isn’t it? Escort your master up now!”

“Your servant obeys.”

“Your humble subject obeys.”

Gu Xinglang and Xiao Wei answered in unison.

Xianzong smacked the balcony rail once and headed back inside, thinking to himself: Good, Linglong didn’t come. Looks like I can survive the night after all.

Xiao Wei turned to the young eunuchs. “Well? Hurry and carry His Highness and the Prince Consort upstairs!”

The eunuchs didn’t dare delay. They hoisted Gu Xinglang and walked into the study tower.

Xiao Wei followed, casting one last glance at the two retreating nannies.

Jingzhong also glanced at them before following behind Gu Xinglang.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao had just met up with Xiao Zhuang. She quickly stood and asked, “Did it work?”

Xiao Zhuang unloaded the body from his saddle and said, “We got lucky, Princess. There happened to be a female prisoner in the dungeon scheduled for execution this autumn.”

Yu Xiaoxiao examined the corpse. The woman’s neck was twisted unnaturally—Xiao Zhuang had clearly broken it to kill her. She was surprisingly young.

The bandit leader came over too. “What crime did she commit?”

“Conspired with her lover to murder her husband,” Xiao Zhuang answered, eyes only on Yu Xiaoxiao. “Princess, this woman deserved to die, didn’t she?”