The Rabbit Game - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On the day of my father’s thirty-third birthday banquet, every person of rank and reputation in the capital showed up.

Even the reigning Son of Heaven sat in the seat of honor as his guest.

When my mother led me by the hand to take our seats, the Son of Heaven rose and bowed. “Imperial Sister.”

Everyone below followed suit, rising to salute her. “May the Eldest Princess live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years.”

She smiled with gentle, demure grace and inclined her head to the crowd.

“Chengyin went to the outskirts on business last night and is on his way back now. Please, everyone, no need to stand on ceremony. Eat first.”

Everyone nodded and murmured agreement, but not a single person dared to actually pick up their chopsticks.

“Since none of you seem hungry…”

My mother tilted her head toward me. “Shu’er, why don’t you perform a sword dance to entertain your elders?”

Before I could even open my mouth, the Son of Heaven hurriedly picked up his chopsticks.

“No need, no need. I am hungry, actually.”

Who in the capital didn’t know that my dancing was a disaster scene? At the Hundred Flowers Banquet in the palace, I had offered a dance and, with one sweep of my sleeve, knocked the Son of Heaven’s crown clean off his head.

A chorus of clinks and clatters rang out around the tables at once as the officials all scrambled to lift their chopsticks and declare they were hungry. The scene was absurdly comical.

I turned to look at my mother, and sure enough, I caught the secret curve at the corner of her lips.

Ever since she had reclaimed Beijiang, stepped down from her post as general, and married my father, everyone in the capital thought my mother had become virtuous, gentle, and obedient.

Only I knew the truth: my mother’s heart had always been very, very dark.

So when my father brought the top courtesan of Red Carved Pavilion into the residence and publicly announced that she was his newly taken concubine…

In the entire courtyard, my mother alone calmly set down her teacup and slowly bloomed into a smile.

I knew then that things were about to get interesting.

Chapter 2

“This humble one, Ling Ruoshui, greets Your Majesty, greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess, and greets all my lords.”

Under the banquet’s many varied stares, Ling Ruoshui knelt and performed her salute. She was nervous, but still composed and graceful.

Only after her words fell, a long moment passed with no one answering.

I picked up a melon seed from the table. With a crack, the sound echoed through the entire garden.

My father frowned. “Your Majesty, this woman is frail. I hope you will show some consideration.”

My father was the current Prince Regent, and the fifteen-year-old Son of Heaven had always respected him deeply and followed his advice in all things.

This time, however, he simply pretended not to understand the meaning behind my father’s words. Not only did he not tell Ling Ruoshui to rise, he even turned to look at my mother.

“Imperial Sister, the imperial physicians recently developed a new salve. They say it is quite effective on old injuries as well. I will have some sent over tomorrow.”

My mother smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

The two of them spoke as if no one else were present, making my father’s expression darken with anger.

He reached out to help Ling Ruoshui up, but Ling Ruoshui tugged at his sleeve and shook her head.

She bowed low once more and said, neither servile nor overbearing, “Your Highness the Eldest Princess, I have heard that when His Highness and you married back then, it was not by mutual affection.

“But His Highness and I are truly in love. I ask for no status or position. I only wish to remain by His Highness’s side. I beg Your Highness to grant us your blessing.”

Those words stabbed straight into my mother’s sore spot.

The Son of Heaven roared, “Insolence!”

My mother stopped his hand before he could slam it on the table, her voice still gentle. “You may have forgotten, but this is the Princess’s Mansion, not the Prince Regent’s estate.

“Regardless of why we married, the fact remains that I was the one who took Chengyin into my household. To put it nicely, he is my prince consort. To put it less nicely… he is nothing more than my male favorite.

“So, he has no right to take concubines.”

Ling Ruoshui was stunned by those words. “This humble concubine…”

“Mm-mm.” My mother lifted one finger and wagged it at her. “You don’t have the right to call yourself a concubine.

“However, since you ask for no status or position, it isn’t as if there is no place for you in this residence.”

Delight flashed across Ling Ruoshui’s face, just before my mother continued:

“As it happens, I recently took in a few new male favorites, and handling them all by myself has been rather exhausting. You can help me share the burden.”

She winked at Ling Ruoshui. “Since you come from a brothel, you should be very familiar with that sort of thing, right?”

The entire banquet was shocked. The onlookers, too busy enjoying the drama to restrain themselves, let their chopsticks, bowls, and porcelain cups clink and clatter without end.

“Since when have you been keeping male favorites?”

Amid the chorus of stunned gasps, my father’s furious voice rang out, jarringly out of place.

His face was black with anger as he questioned my mother through gritted teeth.

“You have other men?”