Chapter 4

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Inside the Grand Hall of Tai Su, the windows stood half-open, letting in a gentle breeze that brushed softly against the cheeks, carrying the faint fragrance of blooming roses. Yao Sisi picked up a black game piece and placed it on the rosewood chessboard. Her fingertips glowed with vitality; under the sunlight, they shimmered like precious jade, so radiant that Prince Ning’s heart skipped a beat.

"Does this please you, young lord?" she asked.

Hearing her words, Li Yuanjing’s lips, which had just curved in a smile, instantly fell back into a solemn line. He casually pushed aside the low table between them where the chessboard rested, then laid his head on the beauty’s lap.

Yao Sisi blushed with a hint of embarrassment. "Young lord, you’ve overstepped—what if someone sees us…"

Li Yuanjing, moved by her cautiousness, took her hand gently, about to tell her not to be afraid. After a brief moment of hesitation, however, he rose to his feet.

Recalling the half incense stick’s worth of time standing in the Jade Splendor Palace two hours earlier, Li Yuanjing still felt a lingering chill in his heart; his calves trembled involuntarily.

He had never seen his father, the emperor, so enraged.

Yet there was no way for him to explain.

The fact that a major scandal involving leaked exam questions had occurred during the imperial examinations he had overseen was utterly unforeseen. Being reprimanded by his father and temporarily relieved of his official duties was, in a way, a fortunate outcome.

But the damage had extended to his teachers, who were now dismissed from office and confined at home. His own influence had waned considerably; if he were not the only son with no siblings to compete with, his situation might have been far worse.

Only days ago, he had been scolded by his father for meddling in palace affairs, and now this…

Li Yuanjing recalled the look of disappointment in the emperor’s eyes and felt a deep unease.

Though he was the emperor’s sole son, and had been nurtured for years to inherit the throne, the position of crown prince was not yet firmly in his grasp. His father was still in his prime, and might yet father other princes. If he lost the emperor’s favor prematurely, the consequences would be dire.

Seeing his troubled expression, Yao Sisi comforted him softly, “Your Majesty’s anger is only momentary. In time, he will relent. You need not worry so.”

Li Yuanjing considered her words and nodded. His father had always treated him kindly; surely he would not stay angry forever.

He smiled at Yao Sisi. “With you here, my heart is always at ease.”

But the thought of that country girl in the Longevity Palace made his brow furrow once more. “It’s just that I am powerless to persuade the Empress Dowager to make you my princess consort, and instead, someone unworthy has taken your place.”

He had instinctively tried to send that Shen He back to the countryside last time, but Li Mingfu’s incompetence had not only failed to handle the matter properly but nearly implicated him, resulting in another stern reprimand from his father.

Fortunately, he was clever enough to expel the princess’s attendant before the worst could happen and silenced Li Mingfu, sparing Yao Sisi from any scandal.

Now that the emperor had returned to the capital and was keeping a close watch over him in the Western Garden, it would be difficult to deal with Shen He again.

The thought made Li Yuanjing restless.

Unexpectedly, his words brought tears to Yao Sisi’s eyes. She hastily covered his lips and said, “If you value my life, young lord, never speak so cruelly again.”

Li Yuanjing’s heart ached at her tears. “I’m relieved. Don’t cry.”

Yao Sisi averted her face and gently said, “Miss Shen is a good person. Please don’t misjudge her.”

Li Yuanjing snorted coldly. “Full of rustic airs, as wooden as a block. What’s so good about her? Only the Empress Dowager fancies her. Father has yet to see her. When he does, he will surely dislike her.”

“That’s not certain. Who can truly fathom His Majesty’s thoughts?” Yao Sisi lifted her eyelids slightly and changed the subject. “Speaking of which, I almost forgot—the Longevity Festival is approaching. Have you thought about what gift to prepare for His Majesty?”

Li Yuanjing shook his head. “Not yet.”

Yao Sisi looked at him reproachfully. “Such an important matter should be prepared early. If the gift displeases His Majesty, it could be a grave offense.”

Li Yuanjing, who had been fretting over what to present, was suddenly enlightened by her words. He straightened up with a spark in his eyes.

“What is it, young lord?” Yao Sisi fanned him, pretending not to notice.

Li Yuanjing stood, waving her off. “Nothing. Sisi, you may leave first. I’m going to see the Empress Dowager.”

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The emperor forbade him from interfering in palace affairs, but if that girl were to embarrass him on his Longevity Festival and anger the old man, that would be none of his concern.

Without changing his clothes, he hurried out of the hall. When he saw the figure of He Hui in the courtyard, he was momentarily taken aback.

A young palace maid called to him, “Young lord, Miss Shen has prepared some food for you. Please…”

Li Yuanjing, in a good mood, thought that since he would hardly have to see that troublesome servant girl again, He Hui looked more pleasing today than usual. For the first time, he gave her a faint, mocking smile mixed with wistful sigh.

In truth, He Hui was not unattractive. Had she entered the palace properly and not aimed to become the princess consort, he might have been willing to grant her the status of concubine.

Such a pity.

Yet He Hui clearly did not understand his heart, stunned by his unexpected demeanor and unable to respond for a long moment.

Prince Ning smiled at her.

He Hui’s eyes widened, and she looked up at the sky.

Yao Zhu was right—the sun truly seemed to rise from the west these days.

When she heard Prince Ning’s voice and saw his face, she was lost in memories of that night, so much so that she did not catch the conversation that followed.

His voice was somewhat similar, clearer than that night but less mellow.

Before Prince Ning came out, she had doubted whether she had mistaken him. After all, he had never shown kindness to her before. It was unexpected that he would help her escape danger rather than taking advantage or abandoning her to the Taiye Pool.

Could it be that it was too dark that night, and he did not recognize her?

Confused, she looked at Prince Ning as he emerged and smiled at her.

He Hui stared at him so intently it was as if she might bore a hole through him. From his figure to his features, the more she looked, the more convinced she was it was him, even though she had only glimpsed a vague outline that night and had never seen the faces of those who helped her.

It must be him—why else would he smile at her?

Yet some truths must be confirmed before one can rest assured. She was about to stop Prince Ning and ask, but he had already disappeared surrounded by palace attendants.

He Hui couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Just as she felt discouraged, she noticed someone standing behind her. Looking back, she saw Yao Sisi.

Feeling she had intruded on their meeting, He Hui awkwardly raised the food box in her hands. “I made lotus leaf rice. Miss Yao, would you like some?”

Yao Sisi seemed momentarily taken aback but quickly regained composure, a courteous smile gracing her lips. “Thank you, Miss. I have already eaten.”

Her reaction to He Hui’s presence was neither surprised nor saddened; her words were polite and soothing.

“However,” Yao Sisi suddenly spoke again.

He Hui looked up.

Yao Sisi said, “The food for the palace’s masters, especially the Empress Dowager, the emperor, and the young lord, is procured by the Ministry of Rites, cooked by the Imperial Kitchen, and tasted by the female officials of the Imperial Food Bureau before it can be served. No step can be missed.”

Her voice was gentle, yet her words sharply pointed out He Hui’s mistake.

“So,” Yao Sisi continued, “the meal you prepared today is unnecessary, even if the young lord had not gone out.”

He Hui nodded blankly, her cheeks flushing red with shame, wishing she could disappear into the ground. After standing for a while, she clutched the food box and fled in embarrassment.

—

Inside the Western Warm Chamber of Jade Splendor Palace, the emperor was reviewing memorials.

Stacks of them piled high on the low table, almost engulfing him. When Wang Zhi entered, he had nowhere to place the items in his hands and set them on a nearby rosewood round table.

“Has Consort Shu returned?”

“Yes,” Wang Zhi replied. “The consort knew you were busy with state affairs and dared not disturb you. She stood outside for quite some time, urging the maids to take good care of you.”

The emperor did not even look up. “Only those words?”

“My lord is wise and discerning,” Wang Zhi hesitated, then added, “Consort Shu also privately inquired about Prince Ning, saying the prince is young and has no mother to watch over him, so he might err.”

Consort Shu’s words were watertight, expressed only as a stepmother’s concern for a child’s mistakes, leaving no fault to be found.

The emperor placed his imperial brush on a tricolored hibiscus crystal cloud-patterned brush holder with a small ‘click’ that made Wang Zhi’s eyelids twitch.

In the case of the examination fraud involving members of the Xiao family’s branch, it was no surprise that Consort Shu hurried over, ostensibly pleading for Prince Ning but really probing for information.

“I recall a few days ago the Weaving Bureau received a batch of gold-threaded brocade from Jiangnan,” the emperor said calmly as he resumed writing. “Order Consort Shu to select several bolts and deliver them to the Imperial Clothing Office to make garments.”

Wang Zhi acknowledged. It seemed the emperor held some favor for Consort Shu.

On the surface, it was a gift; in reality, it was a signal that the examination scandal would not implicate her family, so she might rest assured.

Among the wise, dealings were thus—balancing pros and cons, probing each other, never stating intentions outright. A mere glance conveyed meaning.

But living this way was tiring. Wang Zhi noticed a flicker of boredom and frustration in the emperor’s furrowed brow, though it vanished in an instant, as if a mere illusion.

The emperor aspired to be a wise ruler, but such a role was no easy feat. Besides navigating bloody chaos, upon returning to the capital, he had to clean up the messes caused by the younger generation, reviewing memorials day and night, consulting ministers on governance, with no time even to rest.

The harem contained only a few consorts year-round. Occasionally, he would think to see them and talk, but often neglected to do so. Though beauty could corrupt a nation, a ruler who paid no heed to beauty was equally unwise.

In the past, as monks in the temples mingled regularly with women, the emperor had grown increasingly austere and detached.

Amitabha—he only hoped that after the talented maids were presented, matters would improve and the Empress Dowager would worry less.

Speaking of the talented maids, Wang Zhi recalled the one the emperor met recently.

The young girl had yet to come forward after all this time.

Though palace rules were strict and the maids not yet summoned to court, if she whispered a word to the supervising matron, the matron had countless ways to push her before the emperor, allowing her to bypass waiting in the Longevity Hall.

She truly had patience.

Not only that, the emperor had not mentioned her once this past month, as if he had forgotten about that night entirely.

Could it be that he did not favor the girl, and Wang Zhi had misunderstood?

Wang Zhi’s thoughts twisted and turned, sometimes tilting his head, sometimes furrowing his brow. The emperor glanced at him.

“My lord,” Wang Zhi finally came to himself and reminded, “It is time to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.”

The emperor looked at the Western clock, gave a slight affirmation, and allowed a palace maid to help him put on his shoes and change clothes before proceeding to the rear hall of Longevity Palace, where the Empress Dowager presently resided.

As they reached the Taiye Pool, the emperor sat in his imperial sedan chair and unexpectedly caught sight of a small figure sitting by the poolside, clutching a food box and lost in thought. The night cast a faint aura of loneliness around her.

The silhouette seemed strangely familiar.

His gaze was too sharp to ignore. He Hui, aware of someone watching, instinctively turned around.