"Are you suggesting... that I stole this assignment from the Crown Prince?"
The title of Crown Prince was not something to be given or taken away on a whim. Despite recent murmurs, Emperor Xuanwu had yet to show any intention of stripping the Crown Prince of his position. Yun Shu had no interest in indulging in pointless speculation, nor did she believe that her past actions had been significant enough to threaten the Crown Prince's standing.
Her conclusion was blunt and simple:
"Does this mean the Crown Prince is smashing teacups in the Eastern Palace again?"
Tang Muzhi remained silent.
Perhaps.
It might truly be that His Majesty, displeased with the Crown Prince's recent conduct, had assigned this task to Princess Sheng An as a form of reprimand. At the same time, perhaps it was a subtle reward for Yun Shu.
-
Three days later, at the Xianting Poetry Gathering.
The Tian Waitian Restaurant, usually bustling with visitors, was even livelier today than usual.
Uncharacteristically, Yun Chuhuan had not rushed off to the Ministry of Works the moment he left the palace. Instead, he sat excitedly in the carriage beside Yun Shu, chattering non-stop.
"Fifth Sister, now that your Xianting is officially open, shouldn't you tell me what makes it so special?"
"It's special because it's something you've never seen before."
Yun Shu spread her hands with a teasing smile.
"How am I supposed to describe something entirely new to you?"
"You could give me a rough idea! Like..."
Struggling to find an example, Yun Chuhuan lifted the curtain and glanced outside.
"Like that pastry shop over there. I've never eaten their pastries, but if you told me their hibiscus cakes were shaped like rabbits and their osmanthus cakes looked like tiny raccoons, I could still picture it."
"You sure about that?"
Yun Shu raised a brow.
"Alright, then. Let me tell you this — the doors at Xianting can open on their own."
Yun Chuhuan blinked.
The excitement vanished from his face, replaced by confusion. He stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Fifth Sister, are you fooling me?"
"See?"
Yun Shu feigned innocence.
"I told you. Telling you outright does no good — you have to see it for yourself. But you insisted. Now that I've told you, you think I'm fooling you."
"But still..."
Doors that could open by itself?
Yun Chuhuan frowned as he leaned out the window, scanning the streets and staring at every door they passed, clearly trying to imagine how one could possibly grow legs and sprint away.
Watching his ever-changing expressions on that still slightly chubby face, Yun Shu couldn't help but chuckle.
"Fifth Sister!"
Suddenly, Yun Chuhuan turned back with a serious expression.
"I think I've found something!"
"What is it?"
Yun Shu held back her laughter, expecting more nonsense about walking doors.
But then, Yun Chuhuan pointed gravely toward a street corner.
"Look over there. Someone's sneaking toward the Tian Waitian Restaurant!"
Yun Shu followed his gaze. Sure enough, a young man in a flowing sky-blue robe, wide-sleeved and embroidered with cloud patterns, was hunched over with his face half-covered. A small servant crept along behind him, both peeking cautiously in the restaurant's direction.
They certainly didn't look like upstanding citizens.
Yet to assume they were plotting something grand... Yun Shu wasn't convinced.
She could spot a fool from a mile away.
"Come, let's go have a look."
She halted the carriage and led Yun Chuhuan in a loop behind the pair, trying to view the scene from their strange perspective. Finding nothing noteworthy, Yun Shu reached out and tapped the young man's shoulder.
"Er Dan!"
The young man didn't even glance back. He shook off her hand with annoyance.
"I told you already, just follow me quietly. What are you patting me for?"
"It wasn't me!"
The small servant crouched on the ground, hands covering his face, sounded genuinely aggrieved.
"I've been right here below you this whole time!"
"Oh... right, you're down there. Then who just..."
The young man turned, met the wide-eyed stare of Yun Chuhuan — and screamed.
"Mother of mercy!"
He fell back with a thud, landing flat on his backside.
After a brief struggle, he managed to stand with the help of his servant, looking utterly betrayed.
"What kind of child stands behind people and scares them like that?"
"When did this young master scare you?"
Yun Chuhuan huffed indignantly.
"You're the one skulking around like a thief, and now you accuse me? Clearly, you've been caught red-handed!"
"Who said I'm doing anything shady?"
The young man noticed several onlookers drawn by Yun Chuhuan's loud voice. Quickly, he raised one hand to shield his face and used the other to gesture for silence.
"Keep it down. I'm just... observing some people turning into dogs."
"Turning into dogs?"
First it was doors that open by itself, and now people turning into dogs?
Yun Chuhuan's curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean my elder brother and his friends."
The young man squatted back down, eyes still locked on the Tian Waitian Restaurant.
"A few days ago, those friends of his who ranked high in the metropolitan exam all gathered at our house. They started talking about today's poetry gathering hosted by Princess Sheng An at Xianting.
One after another, they swore up and down that anyone who showed up at the poetry gathering was a dog.
And this morning, I caught my elder brother sneaking out the side gate. He must be headed to the poetry gathering."
"But why would they say that?" Yun Shu had finally joined the conversation. "Is it because of Princess Sheng An?"
"Who else?"
The young man snorted.
"One moment, they say she favors scholars from humble origins and threatens the interests of noble families. The next, they accuse her of stepping beyond her place — a woman who ought to stay in the rear palace, now daring to meddle in front court affairs and vie for power with men.
But all their disdain is just a cover. What they really feel is fear."
"Fear?"
Yun Chuhuan's eyes widened.
"Fear of what?"
"Fear of Princess Sheng An, of course."
The young man looked at him with an expression that screamed, "how do you not get this?"
"Our steward married a fierce wife who once chased him through three streets with a stick. She's terrifying, not exactly the image of a gentle lady.
But my elder brother? He doesn't mind at all.
Why? Because she poses no real threat to him.
Princess Sheng An, on the other hand — now she's truly formidable."
===
"二蛋" (èr dàn) is a nickname or colloquial expression commonly used in Chinese, especially in casual or humorous contexts.
"二" = Two or second
"蛋" = Egg
So, literally, it means "Second Egg."
But in colloquial Chinese, it has nothing to do with eggs and everything to do with being silly, dopey, or foolish—though often in an endearing or teasing way.
Here, Yun Shu is sneakily calling out to this silly young nobleman who's acting suspicious and goofy. She calls him "Er Dan" to startle him, but also to mock his foolishness—probably because:
He's crouching sneakily but not very effectively
He looks ridiculous
So in this case, "二蛋" = "you silly fool" or "you dummy" in a lightly teasing way.
You can use "二蛋" when:
You're teasing a friend who did something silly or embarrassing.
You're mocking someone who's clearly not acting smart.
You're writing a rustic or humorous character in a story, especially from a countryside background.