The next morning, Song Pu woke to find that Tantai Yi was already gone. He lay in bed, still somewhat dazed, but as time passed his mind gradually cleared, and he remembered everything that had happened the night before.
A soft, sticky whimper escaped his throat. He arched his back slightly and covered his face. What on earth was all that about?
After a while, he sat up and turned his head, only to see that the wall beside him had somehow been removed without his noticing.
Song Pu: “…”
The present emperor truly acted with ruthless efficiency, doing whatever he said he would. What was the point of separate rooms? They might as well just push the beds together and sleep side by side.
There was no need for him to return to his own room for clothes either. He could simply roll from Tantai Yi’s bed onto his own, then get up and fetch his clothes from behind the screen.
After dressing, he saw Denglong holding a basin of water and watching him. Forcing a slight smile, he said, “What are you staring at me for?”
Denglong’s gaze drifted behind him. “Young Master, this wall…?”
Song Pu said, “It collapsed on its own.”
Denglong: “…”
He set down the basin, then took out Song Pu’s usual toothbrush and other items and handed them over. “Young Master rose late. His Majesty and the other young masters have gone hunting in the forest. You should make haste, you might still catch up with them.”
After a night’s rest, and perhaps thanks to Tantai Yi’s ointment, Song Pu’s palms had improved considerably, though there was still a lingering dull ache. Thinking back on it, he felt he had rather come off worse.
But asking Tantai Yi for help was absolutely out of the question. What kind of mutual assistance would that be? It was plainly one-sided charity on his part.
Song Pu sighed, washed up carefully, and, too idle to go and watch the hunt, spent some time playing with Doufu instead.
By now, Doufu had grown quite a bit, its body sturdy and plump. To say it was timid would not be quite right. Back at the Song residence, it often ran off, using an apricot tree in the courtyard as its escape route. Fortunately, after that incident, the entire household kept a close watch on it. Whenever it was spotted, someone would report it to Madam Song, who would bring it back.
Yet for all its boldness, in this new environment it was rather fearful. At most, it would crouch beneath the threshold, stretching its neck to peer outside, not daring to step beyond the door.
Song Pu held it in his arms and reached out to squeeze its paw pads. It was as docile as ever, letting him fuss over it as he pleased. Even when he buried his face in its belly and took a deep breath, it hooked a paw around his neck, gentle as water.
Song Pu was very fond of Doufu’s scent. It was not unpleasant, nor was it the artificial fragrance people sometimes applied. It was simply its own natural smell, and breathing it in eased the pressure in his heart and soothed his mood.
Petting the cat was Song Pu’s daily ritual. Only in this way could he begin a new day full of energy.
After his fill of cat cuddling and breakfast, Tantai Yi and the others returned.
It was clearly a bountiful hunt. Tantai Yi’s guards carried back the game, and at a glance Song Pu saw that they were mostly small animals: wild rabbits, roe deer, and brightly feathered pheasants.
Chang Jiangming and the others each carried a few rabbits as well. Seeing Song Pu, he said, “Ah-Pu, you’re getting lazier by the day, aren’t you? Not even up until mid-morning.”
Song Pu’s gaze drifted awkwardly for a moment before he changed the subject. “Did you catch all these yourselves?”
Chang Jiangming looked rather pleased. “Of course. There’s plenty of game in these mountains. Catching one or two is easy. The people here say there are tigers too. Good thing we didn’t run into any.”
Tantai Yi strolled over, casting him a cool glance. Chang Jiangming immediately fell silent.
Tantai Yi gave Song Pu a faint smile, his tone gentle. “Did Lord Song rest well?”
Song Pu replied, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. I rested very well. It is only that I rose late and failed to accompany Your Majesty on the hunt. This is my fault, and I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
Tantai Yi said, “Lord Song was fatigued. Rising late is only to be expected. How could I blame you?”
After speaking, he glanced at the game hanging full in Chang Jiangming and the others’ hands. His brows drew together slightly, a trace of displeasure flickering through, though it did not show on his face. In a low voice he said, “I hunted quite a number of animals today. Lord Song may go and choose. If there is anything you fancy, I shall bestow it upon you.”
The game he had taken far exceeded what Chang Jiangming held.
Song Pu laughed lightly. “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s grace.”
Though he said so, he had no intention of going to look. He had little interest in wild game.
Nor was he alone in that. In truth, Tantai Yi and the others were the same. Accustomed to refined fare, their palates were delicate. The meat of wild animals was rank and gamey, and they could hardly stomach it. Thus they hunted for the sake of hunting, and the spoils were all handed over to the stewards without further thought.
At noon, Song Pu received a letter from the Song residence. Taking it in hand, he saw it was in his mother’s own writing, asking whether he had settled in well and going on at length about trivial matters, clearly showing how worried she was for him.
He took up brush and paper, wrote a reply, had Denglong send it back, and then sat in a chair, staring blankly.
The estate, though cool and pleasant, was indeed dull. It was nothing like Yanjing. After only two days, he was already restless.
Yet Tantai Yi seemed to be enjoying himself. Having gone hunting in the morning, he spent the afternoon once more listening to Song Pu tell his stories.
Only then did Song Pu realise that Chang Jiangming and the others were, at most, companions for play. Meanwhile, he himself had somehow developed into Tantai Yi’s companion for eating, playing, and sleeping. Truly a full-fledged “threefold companion”.
Naturally it was exhausting. All he could do was hope to return and pick out a couple of treasures from Tantai Yi’s storeroom.
They did not have to rival that palm-sized sapphire of Tantai Yi’s, but at the very least they ought to be better than the one around his own neck.
After all, it counted as his wages, his bonus, his benefits. He would not stand on ceremony with Tantai Yi.
With that thought, a sense of anticipation rose in him, and his mood brightened.
Song Pu talked until his throat turned hoarse before finally finishing the day’s portion of the story.
Tantai Yi handed him a cup of tea, his golden eyes bright, clearly in high spirits. “Since Lord Song cannot sustain telling it for long, why not write it down? I could read it myself.”
Song Pu had only just taken a few sips when he heard this and nearly spat the tea out. If he had to write it down, how many years would that take? “If Your Majesty wishes me to write it, I fear it would take over a decade to finish. By then, Your Majesty would likely have lost interest.”
Tantai Yi frowned. “Did Lord Song not say it would end soon? Why would writing it take more than ten years?”
Before Song Pu could answer, he continued, “Very well, Lord Song should continue telling it. In any case, I enjoy hearing you speak. If I were to read it myself, it would lose its charm.”
Song Pu let out a breath of relief and slowly finished his tea, moistening his hoarse, dry throat.
That night, the moonlight was exceptionally bright and perfectly full. Seeing it, Song Pu realised that it was already the fifteenth day of the sixth month. He had been in this world for three months.
In truth, there were many forms of entertainment in ancient times. One such game was pitch-pot. When Tantai Yi hosted a banquet that evening, he had Cao Xi bring out the special pot used for it.
The pot reached up to a person’s knees, with two small handles at the mouth, each no bigger than a child’s fist. The opening itself was narrow, making it quite difficult to land an arrow inside.
Tantai Yi appeared to be in particularly high spirits. Smiling, he said to the group, “Today, I invite you all to play pitch-pot. Let us set the distance at two zhang for now. If anyone lands three arrows in succession, I shall grant a handsome reward.”
He rarely said such things, and even more rarely engaged in games of this sort. Li Zongyi and the others were somewhat restrained and unable to relax fully. Song Pu, however, quietly asked, “And if one fails to hit?”
Tantai Yi glanced at him and actually considered it for a moment before smiling. “If you miss three times in succession, you shall be punished.”
Though he was smiling, there was something faintly insincere about it, sending a chill down everyone’s spine.
Li Zongyi said, “Allow me to go first.”
Though highly skilled in martial arts, his expertise lay in swordsmanship. A game like pitch-pot, which required precision and technique, did not come easily to him at first. Of three arrows, he landed two. Not perfect, but already quite good.
The second to go was Chang Jiangming. He stood timidly behind the red line, clutching the arrows. Being watched by so many people, his face flushed red with nerves. Of his first two arrows, neither landed, both striking the rim and falling to the ground.
Tantai Yi said coolly, “Only now do I realise that Lord Chang is useless at everything, though his appetite is the greatest.”
Chang Jiangming’s face turned pale, his eyes reddened. Distracted by the remark, his third arrow naturally missed as well. He played the game in a shrinking, hesitant manner, but when it came to kneeling, he was swift enough. “I am useless. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”
Sitting close to Tantai Yi, Song Pu turned his head and smiled ingratiatingly. “Since this is a banquet, why not punish him by making him drink, Your Majesty?”
Tantai Yi smiled faintly. “I had already intended to punish him with drink. Why concern yourself, Lord Song? Did you think I would have him beaten?”
Song Pu looked somewhat surprised, his smile turning more sincere. “Your Majesty is benevolent.”
Those present found it hard to believe that Tantai Yi would truly punish someone so lightly, but when Chang Jiangming drank the wine brought to him and was then dismissed, they believed it.
Finally, it was Song Pu’s turn. He fared worse than Li Zongyi, landing only one arrow.
Tantai Yi gave a soft laugh. “Lord Song’s riding and archery are quite good, yet at pitch-pot you miss time and again. I am truly enlightened today.”
At least give him some face, he is not even last.
Song Pu grumbled inwardly, though outwardly he looked embarrassed. “It is my lack of skill. I have made a laughing-stock of myself before Your Majesty.”
Tantai Yi rose, took the arrows handed to him by Cao Xi, and with a light flick of his arm sent one arrow whistling straight into the centre of the pot. Without pause, he continued, and in no time all three arrows had gone cleanly into the opening.
A faint smile curved his lips, his entire bearing suffused with satisfaction. Those golden eyes turned lightly towards Song Pu. “It seems I am far superior to Lord Song.”
Song Pu thought the expression looked unbearably smug and had the sudden urge to hit him, though of course he could not. Forcing a smile, he said, “How could I compare with Your Majesty? If there must be comparison, I am naturally far inferior.”
Tantai Yi said, “It seems the reward can only fall to me.”
Song Pu had no intention of asking what the reward was, but Tantai Yi, evidently carried away, declared it openly before everyone, “In that case, Lord Song shall continue to attend upon me in bed tonight.”
