Chapter 252: The Tree and the Jade Pool (1 / 2)

Xu Yanmiao’s coming-of-age ceremony was never going to be that simple.

The old emperor cleared his throat, his expression solemn. “You have no family, nor any elders. How about I perform your capping ceremony?”

Xu Yanmiao was utterly dumbfounded. “Your Majesty performing the capping ceremony for a minister?”

[Is there even a precedent for this?]

The old emperor chuckled.

Of course, there wasn’t. But from now on, there probably would be.

The old emperor shrugged off his outer robe and handed it to a eunuch before eagerly diving under his blankets, clutching an ancient almanac. He flipped to a page and held it up to Empress Dou.

“Express, look at these two auspicious dates. Which one do you think is better for Xu Yanmiao’s coming-of-age ceremony? The fifth day of the first month or the eighteenth?”

He pondered for a moment before muttering to himself, “Let’s go with the eighteenth! That date seems a bit better.”

Empress Dou was utterly baffled by his enthusiasm. “The examiners for the metropolitan exam must enter the tribute academy a full month in advance to select the final exam questions and prevent collusion between examiners and candidates. The exam is on the ninth day of the second month.”

That meant that by the ninth day of the first month, Xu Yanmiao—one of the chief examiners —would already be locked inside the tribute academy with the other officials. Where would he find time for a capping ceremony?

The old emperor raised his voice, “No problem! Xu Yanmiao can just step out for a bit while the others continue selecting the questions! As for the guests, missing a dozen or so officials won’t make a difference.”

Empress Dou slapped his hand lightly, her tone mildly reproachful. “Stop making trouble for the boy. He’s already busy enough, and now you want him to leave in the middle of his duties for a capping ceremony.”

The old emperor chuckled sheepishly. “Fine, then. The fifth it is.”

In ancient times, the capping ceremony was traditionally held in the second month, but as dynasties evolved, this custom had become more flexible. By the old emperor’s time, the date could be chosen freely.

Soon, everyone knew that Xu Yanmiao’s coming-of-age ceremony was set for the fifth day of the new year.

And what’s more, the emperor himself would officiate it!

Prince Tang immediately shouted, “I knew it! Xu Yanmiao is definitely the old man’s illegitimate son!”

Typically, the person who officiated a capping ceremony was the recipient’s father.

Upon hearing this, the crown prince wasted no time in grabbing Prince Tang by the neck and dragging him into the ancestral temple. He forced him to kneel before the ancestral plaques and knock his forehead against the ground.

With each bow, he recited:

“You little brat, show some respect for your elders!”

“Where’s all that education you supposedly received? A person’s teacher can also perform their capping ceremony!”

“Do you think the old man’s face could ever produce someone as ethereally beautiful as Xu Yanmiao?!”

Outside the ancestral temple, the old emperor had been feeling quite pleased with himself —after all, an elder brother is like a father. But then he overheard his eldest son mercilessly mocking him behind his back. His jaw clenched tight.

You really are my biological son, huh!

—If you weren’t, you wouldn’t dare talk about me like this!

And then, he heard Prince Tang’s utterly self-assured voice: “Well, maybe his second wife was incredibly beautiful!”

The crown prince: “…”

You’re calling her ‘Second Mother’ already???

Prince Tang continued righteously, “Right? Right? Imagine how stunning she must have been to produce someone like Xu Yanmiao despite my father’s…uh…mediocre looks! I can’t even picture it!”

The Crown Prince: “…”

The way this was going… if he didn’t know the truth, even he would start having doubts.

“BANG—”

The door was suddenly pushed open with great force.

Prince Tang shot up from his seat. “F-Father… I… Ah—!!!”

A piercing scream echoed through the heavens.

The Crown Prince silently raised both hands to cover his eyes.

It was later said that Prince Tang had slipped on the snowy ground and taken a hard fall. His entire face was bruised and swollen, rendering him bedridden, unable to eat or drink. While lying in bed, he would occasionally mumble something, but no one could quite make out what he was saying.

Regardless, he was definitely not going to be attending Xu Yanmiao’s capping ceremony.

Xu Yanmiao hesitated before asking, “Could he have suffered a stroke?”

Lian Hang waved a hand dismissively. “Impossible. If he had, the court would be buzzing with news by now. Everyone’s guessing that Prince Tang probably just got beaten up again.”

A brief silence fell.

Then, Xu Yanmiao asked the real question: “So before he was sent to his fief, was he getting beaten by his father every few days?”

Lian Hang gave him a knowing smile.

Xu Yanmiao let out a long, drawn-out “Oh—”

[Got it. Prince Tang must be the chaotic troublemaker type. The old emperor sure has his hands full with a son like that.]

Lian Hang cleared his throat and pulled a finely crafted black silk cap from a box, carefully presenting it to Xu Yanmiao. “Xu Lang, try this cap on and see if it fits. If it does, we’ll send it to the palace to prepare for your capping ceremony.”

Then, he took out a vibrantly colored ceremonial robe from another box and smiled. “You’ll also need to try this on. If it doesn’t fit, we’ll have to make adjustments. The capping ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime event—everything must be perfect!”

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes lit up at those words. Without hesitation, he grabbed the cap and placed it on his head before quickly slipping into the ceremonial robe.

Standing in front of the mirror, he turned from side to side, admiring his reflection.

“This is great! The fit is perfect!”

“Lian Lang, how do I look in this cap and robe? I feel like I look much more mature and dignified!”

“…Lian Lang?”

Xu Yanmiao turned around excitedly, only to find Lian Hang staring at him in a daze, completely motionless, as if lost in thought.

Xu Yanmiao reached out and affectionately patted his head. “Silly boy, what are you daydreaming about? Don’t tell me you haven’t finished your work?”

Lian Hang suddenly snapped out of it. He folded his arms and took two steps back, looking Xu Yanmiao up and down before a sly smile crept onto his face.

“Xu Lang, I’m really looking forward to your capping ceremony in a few days.”

[Huh?]

The fifth day of the first month—Auspicious for capping ceremonies.

[Wuhu! Capping ceremony! I’ve never experienced this before! This is going to be fun!]

Marquis Yongchang yawned as he sat up in bed. He turned to his servant and asked, “What time is it?”

The servant answered cautiously, “It is a quarter past the Yin Hour (around 3:15 AM). Master, you don’t have court today. Would you like to sleep a little longer?”

“A quarter past the Yin Hour?” Marquis Yongchang chuckled. “Waking up so early? Someone’s excited.”

The servant stole a glance at him and secretly speculated: Ever since Master cut ties with his foster sons, he’s been talking to himself more often… Perhaps he’s just lonely.@@novelbin@@