Nothing major happened at the beginning of the year. On the first day, Chu Shaoling paid New Year's respects to the Emperor, Empress Dowager and a few old princes, and that was it.

The Emperor disliked the princes interacting too much with the old princes in the fiefdoms outside, so Chu Shaoling didn't want to offend the Emperor. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he returned to Bitao Palace.

There was no one in the bedchamber. Wei Ji was giving the small gold turtles Chu Shaoling had gifted him to Wang Muhan and a few elderly palace servants. When they saw Chu Shaoling coming, they quickly dispersed. Wang Muhan didn't dare to hide private matters under Chu Shaoling's watch, so he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and said with a smile, "Lord Wei just gave this to your old servant."

Chu Shaoling glanced at the few thumb-sized turtles in Wang Muhan's palm and chuckled lightly, "Since he gave them to you, just keep them. Remember his kindness in your daily life, that's all."

"Your Highness, Lord Wei is always courteous in his daily life. Even without these things, who would dare not remember Lord Wei's kindness?" What Wang Muhan said was the truth. Everyone in Bitao Palace knew that Chu Shaoling doted on Wei Ji. No one would not eagerly flatter Wei Ji. Wei Ji didn't need to give rewards for people to scramble to serve him.

But Wei Ji never put on airs in his daily life, never making mistakes in his duties and never interfering in matters outside his responsibilities. He was especially polite to the few elderly servants who had served Chu Shaoling since he was young, displaying the manners of a well-bred young master. As Wang Muhan helped Chu Shaoling remove his coat, he said with a smile, "After all, he is a descendant of high officials, not making the slightest mistake in etiquette."

Chu Shaoling thought of how Wei Ji had kowtowed to him under the covers last night to pay New Year's respects and nodded, chuckling lightly as he looked at Wei Ji standing to the side, "Indeed, his etiquette is not lacking."

Wei Ji felt a little embarrassed and turned to pour tea for Chu Shaoling. Wang Muhan knew the two had intimate words to exchange and tactfully withdrew.

Chu Shaoling took the teacup Wei Ji handed over, took a sip, and couldn't help but tease, "Your hands are quite loose. That bag of gold hasn't even warmed up yet and you've already started giving it away."

Wei Ji smiled, "Eunuch Wang has served Your Highness for many years. He should get some benefits during the New Year. This servant doesn't know how to spend all the gold Your Highness gave me anyway, so it's good to give some away."

He was giving rewards on his behalf. Chu Shaoling felt warmth in his heart. He pulled Wei Ji onto the couch and had him step on the foot stove. As Wei Ji refilled Chu Shaoling's tea, he asked, "Why did Your Highness return so early? Didn't quite a few princes and dukes come from their fiefdoms this year? Eunuch Wang said you still needed to pay New Year's respects."

Chu Shaoling gave a cold laugh, "I did want to exchange pleasantries, but unfortunately the Emperor said he missed chatting about old times with the princes after not seeing them for a year. He was afraid we would find it boring listening, so he dismissed us early."

Wei Ji had a general idea of what was going on and didn't say more. Chu Shaoling smiled, "Speaking of which, Prince Rong brought his heir this year. When we return, I can have him come meet you. Although Prince Rong is mediocre, the son he raised likes martial arts and will definitely suit your tastes."

Wei Ji vaguely remembered people saying Prince Rong's heir had impressive martial arts skills when he was in the army before. Hearing this, he nodded, "I've heard people say Prince Rong's heir can shoot at a hundred paces before. This servant admires that greatly."

Chu Shaoling chuckled lightly, unable to hold back his sarcasm, "That's what outsiders say. Before Prince Rong went to his fief, Chu Shaotao studied with me at the Academy. I know his martial arts skills. Shoot a hundred paces? Far from your level."

Wei Ji blushed slightly and thought for a moment before asking, "Prince Rong's heir also stayed in the palace before?"

Chu Shaoling nodded, "Prince Rong's birth mother passed away early. Prince Rong was raised by the Empress Dowager since childhood, so he was more respected than other princes. Later, when Prince Rong got married, his wife was the cousin of my birth mother, making them even closer than others. Chu Shaotao is Prince Rong's eldest legitimate son and was more favored than others since childhood. Moreover, back then..."

Chu Shaoling thought of his carefree days when Empress Ling was still alive and sneered inwardly. He slowly said, "Back when my birth mother was still alive, although she was not favored, she still had some say. She sought the Emperor's grace to allow Chu Shaotao to enter the palace and study with the princes. Later, Prince Rong successively took in concubines and raised consorts, and his illegitimate sons increased. Princess Rong became uneasy and took Chu Shaotao back to the fief."

Wei Ji knew Chu Shaoling detested matters related to illegitimate sons. He softly said, "Now that Prince Rong has given the heir title to his son, Princess Rong can be at ease."

Chu Shaoling chuckled, his eyes full of sarcasm, "If it weren't for the Zijun Marquis Manor becoming more powerful in recent years, who knows where the heir title would have gone. Princess Rong has had it tough these years. Now that her maiden family has gained power, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Wei Ji knew Chu Shaoling was thinking of Empress Ling. He took the initiative to lean closer and held Chu Shaoling's hand, saying in a low voice, "The heir relying on his maternal family to gain the title is luck. Your Highness single-handedly helping the maternal family rise again is true capability. Come to think of it, the heir has benefited from Your Highness."

Wei Ji didn't know how to flatter, but his words of comfort were always more pleasant to the ear than others' flattery. Chu Shaoling held Wei Ji and chuckled lightly, "How is your mouth so sweet? What did you eat?"

Seeing Chu Shaoling return to his usual gentle demeanor, Wei Ji also felt at ease. How would he know that his master was always indifferent to the Emperor and only showed his good temper and gentle nature to him?

Wei Ji lowered his head and didn't respond. But Chu Shaoling persisted, raising his eyebrows and chuckling, "I'm asking you. What sweetened your mouth?"

Wei Ji felt a little embarrassed. Even though he knew Chu Shaoling was teasing him, he still answered honestly in a low voice, "This servant did not eat anything sweet."

Seeing Wei Ji's submissive appearance, Chu Shaoling felt an itch in his heart. He lowered his head to Wei Ji's ear and whispered, "Not saying? Then I'll taste it myself." Chu Shaoling lowered his head and kissed Wei Ji's lips. Wei Ji couldn't dodge in time and was pressed onto the couch and thoroughly kissed.

There were many matters to attend to for the New Year. To be honest, the two hadn't been intimate for several days. Chu Shaoling originally just wanted to take some advantage and leave it at that. But once they started getting intimate, it was hard to stop. Chu Shaoling undid Wei Ji's belt in a few tugs and was about to remove his clothes when Wang Muhan came to report from outside, "Your Highness, Prince Rong's heir is here."

Chu Shaoling laughed wryly. Why did Chu Shaotao have to come at this time? It was rare to want to get intimate with Wei Ji during the day, yet someone came to ruin the mood. Hearing this, Wei Ji quickly rolled to the other side of the soft couch, tied his belt properly in a few motions, nimbly got off the couch and tidied his clothes. His face was still flushed as he said softly, "Your Highness, let this servant tidy your clothes?"

Chu Shaoling got up and tidied his own clothes. He pulled Wei Ji over and bit his ear, not too lightly or heavily, and whispered, "Wait until tonight."

Whether it was from Chu Shaoling's bite or from shyness, Wei Ji's ears turned red, looking pitiful yet adorable.

Chu Shaoling was in a great mood and said, "First, invite the heir to the main hall." Chu Shaoling and Wei Ji went to the main hall where Chu Shaotao was tasting tea. Beside him was a 14 or 15-year-old boy with exquisite features like a carved jade statue, carefully examining the thin tea cup presented by the palace servants. When the two saw Chu Shaoling arrive, they hurriedly greeted him.

With the rapport from when they were younger, they were not unfamiliar with each other. Chu Shaoling looked at the boy beside Chu Shaotao, and Chu Shaotao pulled him over to introduce: "He is my late wife's younger brother. Since there aren't many people left in the Shuyi Grand Princess Manor now, I saw that it would be difficult for him to establish his own household alone, so I brought him to our Rong Prince Manor."

The boy politely greeted Chu Shaoling with utmost propriety. Only after carefully examining him did Chu Shaoling recall that this was the Shuyi Grand Princess's grandson, whom he had met in his childhood.

Chu Shaoling ordered the servants to serve fruits and tea. The three sat down according to their ranks. Chu Shaoling said, "My condolences for sister-in-law's passing."

Last year, Prince Rong became in-laws with the Shuyi Grand Princess Manor, which should have been a joyous event of marrying into royalty. However, who would have thought that Grand Princess Shuyi's husband, Duke Qi, committed a crime. After a thorough investigation, he lost his life in the Supreme Court. The Shuyi Grand Princess passed away from overwhelming grief just a few days later. When the news reached the fief, it shocked Chu Shaotao's wife into premature labor. Both of her parents had passed away overnight. Chu Shaotao's wife was deeply saddened, and the child in her womb, not yet three months old, was lost. She followed them shortly after.

The Shuyi Grand Princess Manor fell into ruin overnight. The remaining few masters could barely take care of themselves. After some discussion, they divided the family assets. Chu Shaotao's wife's parents had passed away early. When dividing the family, the few uncles were ruthless and actually left nothing for Qi Yu. When Chu Shaotao learned of this, he directly brought Qi Yu to the northern region.

Chu Shaotao was a year younger than Chu Shaoling, but his appearance was less refined and more rugged compared to Chu Shaoling, making him seem a few years older. When mentioning the past events, Chu Shaotao did not show much grief on his face, only calmly saying, "It was my fault that she had an ill-fated life. Now, I can only properly educate Yu'er, hoping that he can become successful and restore the family's reputation in the future."

Beside him, Qi Yu lowered his head upon hearing this: "It's all thanks to brother-in-law's cultivation that I have today."

Chu Shaoling sized up Qi Yu. He was wearing a black embroidered satin brocade robe with delicate phoenix down on the cuffs and collar, accentuating his exquisite features. On his feet were a pair of black boots embroidered with gold. This outfit was quite particular, showing that Chu Shaotao had put his heart into this young brother-in-law of his. Chu Shaoling closed his tea cup and chuckled, "You can be considered righteous. Why didn't Aunt come with you this year? Is she still in good health?"

Chu Shaotao nodded, "She's still robust, but there are also a lot of matters to handle over there, so she couldn't get away. Before I left, she even reminded me to pay New Year's greetings at the Zijun Marquis Manor and to bring you well wishes."

Prince Rong had four concubines and over twenty consorts. The number of those without titles was countless. Chu Shaoling wasn't clear on exactly how many sons and daughters he had. It seemed that it was indeed "a lot of matters". Chu Shaoling understood Chu Shaotao's thoughts and said in a low voice, "Now that you're the heir, when will it be settled?"

Chu Shaotao didn't avoid the topic and sneered, "Even if I inherit the title, it will still take a few years. My father's health is still good. On the way to the imperial city, he even took in two more girls along the way."

Chu Shaoling couldn't help but laugh and sighed, "The Fourth Prince is still vigorous in his old age, much to my relief." Upon hearing this, everyone laughed. Chu Shaotao looked at Wei Ji and said, "He doesn't seem like an ordinary guard."

Chu Shaotao was also a martial arts practitioner with a keen eye. He said, "Little brother, are you skilled in martial arts?"

Chu Shaoling smiled, "Speaking of which, he's also related to us. Fuyi's Prince Consort is his elder brother. Wei Ji, greet him."

Wei Ji stepped forward to pay his respects to Chu Shaotao. Chu Shaotao helped him up and took the opportunity to feel Wei Ji's right hand, touching the thin calluses on his middle and index fingers. He laughed, "You're also good at archery."

Chu Shaoling chuckled, "Just now, he was mentioning you, greatly admiring your skill of shooting arrows from a hundred paces."

Chu Shaotao waved his hand and smiled, "That's nothing. Speaking of which, I was just about to ask you. When I went to visit General Zhang yesterday, I heard one of his martial arts instructors mention that the instructor is currently teaching you princes horseback archery. He said that you have a companion who is quite formidable. While riding a galloping horse, his arrows never miss their mark. In all the days the instructor has been teaching, he has never seen that companion miss a shot. When I heard this, I wanted to come pay him a visit right away. Where is that companion of yours?"

Chu Shaoling started laughing halfway through and pointed at the slightly blushing Wei Ji, "Isn't he right here?"

Chu Shaotao laughed, "My apologies, my apologies."

Chu Shaotao pulled Wei Ji aside to discuss horseback archery skills. Wei Ji was humble and polite. The two hit it off in no time and chatted until lunchtime when the Emperor came to invite Chu Shaotao. Only then did they rise. Before leaving, Chu Shaotao looked at the guard's brocade clothing on Wei Ji and said to Chu Shaoling, "With such skills, you have him serve as a guard?"

Chu Shaoling chuckled and turned to ask Wei Ji, "Do you feel wronged?"

Wei Ji hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Not at all. I was originally a low-ranking guard in the Bitao Palace. It's thanks to Your Highness's appreciation that I can serve by your side. Your Highness has shown me the grace of recognizing my abilities. I am immensely grateful."

Chu Shaotao sighed, feeling endless pity in his heart. But since the person himself was willing, there was nothing Chu Shaotao could do. Chu Shaotao exchanged a few more words with Chu Shaoling in a low voice. Chu Shaoling nodded and said softly, "I know what I'm doing."

Chu Shaotao nodded and left with Qi Yu.

After lunch, Chu Shaoling summoned a few embroidery palace maids. When the head of the embroidery department heard that Chu Shaoling wanted people, she hurriedly brought a few skilled palace maids herself. Chu Shaoling called them to the side hall and said, "Take his measurements and show me the styles."

The head palace maid quickly presented the clothing styles. Chu Shaoling carefully examined them, selected a few outfits, and personally chose the fabrics. He calmly instructed, "Calculate the cost of the silver and ask Wang Muhan for it. These are not clothes known to the public. If others ask, what will you say?"

The head palace maid was very astute and lowered her head, saying, "When this servant returns, I will select a few maids with excellent embroidery skills and set up a separate room. If others ask, I will only say that the masters above want something made, but no one knows exactly what it is."

Chu Shaoling nodded and put down the sample book. After the palace maids took the measurements, they withdrew.

Wei Ji was a bit dazed as he was measured. He turned to Chu Shaoling and asked, "Does Your Highness want to make clothes?"

Chu Shaoling had Wei Ji sit beside him and chuckled, "It was my negligence. You have few clothes. Take this opportunity while the embroidery department is not busy at the end of the year to make a few sets for you."

"But I usually wear this guard uniform on weekdays and have replacements. I won't have a chance to wear anything else," Wei Ji cherished the favor but felt it was a bit of a waste. "Sometimes, even on my days off, I don't have time to change."

Chu Shaoling thought about how Qi Yu looked in those clothes today and felt a bit distressed for Wei Ji. Wei Ji didn't have many nice clothes. Chu Shaoling smiled, "After the fifteenth, we'll leave the palace and go to the Manor. Can't you wear them then?"

Wei Ji was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Yes."

Chu Shaoling held Wei Ji's hand and hesitated before asking, "When you told Chu Shaotao today that you were grateful, did you mean it?"

Wei Ji was taken aback for a moment before realizing what Chu Shaoling was referring to. He smiled, "Your Highness still remembers. This subordinate meant it."

Chu Shaoling embraced Wei Ji and kissed his forehead, saying, "Don't worry, I will certainly not let you remain just a guard."