Chapter 15

Dozens of pigeons darted out from the fallen gourds, startled, and scrambled to take flight into the sky.

Wang Qing stared at the tree trunk, riddled with arrows like a porcupine, tightly clutching the water gourd in his arms.

Just now, he had truly spoken on a whim.

Yet, judging by the emperor’s demeanor...

Could it be that he had happened to hit the mark?

“Your Majesty,” Wang Qing rolled his throat, nearly dropping his jaw in shock, and asked in astonishment, “Is it really true?”

It’s really because of a woman!

Heavens above.

This imperial cousin, who had grown up rolling around in the military camp with the late emperor, had never married despite being in his teens when other boys his age already had numerous concubines.

For four years, from Jinling to the capital, he hadn’t even had a warm quilt at night. The late emperor, not wanting his son to suffer, had bestowed upon him a maid to serve him daily—bringing meals, making beds—but before the girl had even settled in, she was driven away.

The late emperor had asked him why, and he simply said, “A son at war shouldn’t have a woman causing trouble by his side.”

After the realm was finally pacified, he still hadn’t thought about marriage. The Empress Dowager grew anxious, and the late emperor finally decided on a crown princess for him.

All these years, apart from aspiring to be a wise ruler, he seemed uninterested in anything else. At least, no one had ever heard of him caring for any woman, let alone becoming angry or resentful because of one.

Women had never stirred any waves in his heart.

Now, if the emperor’s current state was truly due to a woman, it would be as strange as seeing the sun at midnight—unbelievably odd!

Wang Qing didn’t dare pry into the affairs of the harem but couldn’t help but ask in surprise, “Which consort in the palace dares to upset Your Majesty?”

As far as he knew, the consorts around his cousin were all docile, even eager to please him. None would dare provoke his displeasure.

The key was that the emperor still held onto this resentment, and it hadn’t faded over time.

No matter how hard Wang Qing tried, he couldn’t think of anyone in the harem fitting this description, and his mother hadn’t mentioned the emperor getting close to any consort recently.

The emperor’s lips twitched slightly, his expression calm as usual, without any visible change. A bead of warm sweat slid down his temple to his sharp jawline.

Perhaps because Wang Qing’s voice had been too loud just now, when no one was paying attention, the emperor’s eyes flickered, and somehow, he suddenly recalled that day’s scene.

Outside the Moon Gate, the girl’s figure was faint and vague. She looked up and approached the young man steadily, her eyes full of affection, her voice soft and delicate, as if dripping with sweetness.

Compared to the nights she had spent with him, she seemed even more charming.

If not for those few twists of fate, the child she bore would have been his, not his own.

Now, everything had simply returned to its rightful course.

Their relationship was good, as the Empress Dowager wished, and also—

As he wished.

The young Prince Ning, unsettled in character, might indeed settle down sooner by marrying someone suitable, just as the Empress Dowager said, calming his restless nature.

As for the unnamed fire burning in his heart, it was probably just the heat of the weather.

It had nothing to do with others, and certainly no connection to Lady Shen.

He lowered his eyes as the sweat trickled past his Adam’s apple, finally soaking into his robe.

The emperor took the damp cloth handed by a palace servant to wipe the sweat from his neck, not looking at Wang Qing, and said, “Stop babbling nonsense. From now on, you’re no longer a stable boy. Go to the Pacification Office to train for two years.”

Upon hearing “Pacification Office,” Wang Qing’s head throbbed. He hurriedly begged for mercy, insisting he was only rambling just now and pleading the emperor not to blame him. If there must be punishment, a half-month salary deduction would suffice; nothing more.

After speaking, he cautiously gauged the emperor’s expression, seeing only a faint glance before the emperor turned away, handing the bow and arrows to a palace servant, gently instructing how to maintain the bow to prevent dust and moisture. His tone was soft, his expression normal.

But the more Wang Qing looked, the more something felt off.

He licked his dry lips, glanced again at the tree trunk riddled with arrows, and took another long drink from his water gourd.

Had he truly been rambling?

—

Since the emperor specifically ordered the Palace Discipline Office to teach He Hui proper manners, the office dared not slack off. Besides the original female historian sent, they had dispatched a palace supervisor who was much stricter—meticulous in teaching, and whenever He Hui forgot something, she immediately brought out a ruler and struck her hand, leaving it sore and unable to grasp anything after a few days.

Staring at the half-finished longevity embroidery, He Hui flicked the sewing needle with her finger.

She felt the emperor must really dislike her.

Otherwise, why would he suddenly order the Palace Discipline Office to teach her rules she had already learned? She was sure she hadn’t broken any palace regulations lately.

Except—

The several secret meetings with Prince Ning at night.

But only she and Prince Ning knew about these meetings. They were careful, and no rumors had spread in the palace.

Even if discovered, others wouldn’t say a word. The Empress Dowager would only be pleased. The Great Zhou had always been governed by filial piety, and the emperor’s devotion to the Empress Dowager was well known. If the Empress Dowager was happy, so would the emperor be. How could anyone be sent to trouble her?

He Hui also recalled the few times she had met the emperor.

The first, though his gaze was strange and frightened her, was understandable because the Empress Dowager was upset with the emperor over the matter of the imperial beauties at the time.

The second, the emperor came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, didn’t even glance at her, and left hurriedly without showing any resentment.

Perhaps she was only scaring herself. The emperor’s actions were just for Prince Ning’s sake, wanting him to have a suitable princess.

On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Qiqiao Festival, the Empress Dowager invited Consort Shu, Consort Qing, and other palace ladies to the Rain Flower Pavilion to watch a play. Then she summoned people to call others to Shouming Hall to pay respects.

Only then did He Hui relax and escape the clutches of the palace supervisor, changed clothes, and went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.

At the hall, the play hadn’t yet started. The Empress Dowager sat on the throne outside, watching the ladies burn incense in the courtyard. Seeing He Hui, she pointed to an empty straw mat and said, “Shen, you go with them to worship the Seventh Sister.”

The Seventh Sister was the Weaver Girl goddess. He Hui was surprised to learn that not only among the common folk but also inside the palace, there was a custom to worship the Weaver Girl on the Qixi Festival.

She remembered when her grandmother and mother were alive, they would dress her carefully on Qixi, clean the courtyard, set up a table with fruits, and lead her in worship, praying for her to grow up skillful and clever.

After they passed away, she was left to do this alone each year. Later, her stepmother, newly married to her father and claiming poverty, forbade her from such “useless” rites, insisting she should spend the time embroidering to earn money for the family.

Yet, the stepmother secretly set up incense and fruits at night, leading her younger sister in prayer.

The palace maids, seeing He Hui standing still, whispered reminders. He Hui snapped back to attention, lifted her skirt, and knelt on the small straw mat at the back.

Today, except for the maids, all the palace ladies, including the Empress Dowager, wore magpie bridge insignias issued by the Bureau of Attire, differing only in details: the Empress Dowager’s woven with peacock thread, the consorts with gold thread, and He Hui and other officials with silver thread.

After worshiping the Weaver Girl, the servants presented basins of water and invited the ladies to throw needles into them, a popular palace tradition to test dexterity on Qixi.

He Hui imitated them, tossing a needle into the basin before her.

The Empress Dowager, amused, said, “Success. Let’s go watch the play.”

Several consorts He Hui had never seen before greeted her after paying respects and pulled her into conversation.

“I’ve long heard the Empress Dowager brought a clever girl from outside, but never had the chance to see her until today.”

He Hui felt bashful hearing “clever” used to describe her for the first time.

—

It was just their first meeting. Over time, they would stop saying such things.

After settling into the upper hall seats, not long after, the emperor finally arrived with Prince Ning.

Several consorts seated before He Hui grew very excited, tidying their hair and clothes nervously. When standing to greet, one nearly tripped over her chair but was caught by He Hui, avoiding a scandal.

The consort blushed deeply, nearly in tears, and pulled away from He Hui’s arm to kneel properly.

The emperor called for silence and took his seat on the throne. Only then did everyone settle down.

Today’s performance was a flower-drum opera of “The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.” Their eyes were full of admiration, and when the scene came where the Queen Mother separated the two lovers, causing great sorrow, many couldn’t help but shed tears.

Compared to the consorts moved by this love story, He Hui felt out of place.

She thought the Weaver Girl returning to immortality in heaven was wonderful—why would the Cowherd want to stop her?

“Are you not moved?” A consort in front of her, seeing her dazed and distant, asked gently.

He Hui forced a smile and said, “I am, Your Highness.”

As sincere as could be.

After watching the play for a long time, He Hui began to feel suffocated. She had rushed out today, and her tight chest binding made her uncomfortable.

Taking advantage of a moment when no one noticed, she whispered to the palace maid behind her and slipped out with Yao Zhu.

Once outside, she finally felt better. Sitting in the corridor by the Taiye Pool, she spotted a lotus flower in full bloom. Stretching to pick it, she accidentally wet her skirt.

This was a serious matter.

Returning like this would be improper and might cause the palace supervisor to strike her hand again. Her hand was still sore—she couldn’t afford new injuries—so she sent Yao Zhu back for a change of clothes.

Yao Zhu said, “Miss, please wait in that room. I’ll fetch your clothes and come find you.”

He Hui nodded.

After sitting in the corridor for a while, the clothes still damp and uncomfortable, and with her tight chest binding making sitting or standing hard, she feared being seen in such a state.

She stood and walked toward the room Yao Zhu had indicated.

However, the area was full of rooms, and unsure which one Yao Zhu meant, she entered one at random.

Inside, it was empty and very quiet.

He Hui closed the door and sat on the Luohan couch in the main room, waiting for nearly half an incense stick’s time with no sign of Yao Zhu.

Confirming no one was inside, she got up and passed through the landscape screen into the inner room.

As she walked, she loosened her clothes.

The chest binding was too tight; she needed to relax it or she’d faint before Yao Zhu returned.

The room was silent. The peacock-embroidered robe fell to the floor first.

Then the inner garment.

Finally, the chest binding.

Wearing little in summer, within moments, He Hui was stripped to her upper half, with only the loosened binding hanging around her waist and underarm.

Her snow-white skin was mostly exposed. Her soft, full breasts stood firm, freed from their restraint, trembling slightly in the air. Two pink tips, reddened from long compression, glowed vividly like fresh blood.

The emperor opened his eyes and, looking into the dressing mirror inside the room, saw exactly this vivid and alluring scene.