"You haven't even married your princess consort yet—what do you know about jewelry?" Emperor Longfeng scolded his son with a laugh. "Hurry back to your Zhangliu Palace and stop bothering me and your mother."
"Father, that’s not fair. Although I don’t have a princess consort yet, I do have a fiancée." Prince Chen shamelessly sidled up to Consort Su. "Mother, let me help you examine the jewelry the Palace Administration sent this year."
With that, his restless hands reached out and began rummaging through the jewelry box.
"Mother, you are as noble and elegant as a peony. This hairpin doesn’t do justice to your beauty and grace." Prince Chen picked out a floral hairpin and shook his head. "This one isn’t suitable either."
"How has the Palace Administration been doing their duties this year?" Prince Chen set down the box of hairpins, his brows furrowed. At first, he had intended to snag some nice pieces for Jiuzhu, but upon closer inspection, he realized none of these suited his mother.
What was the Palace Administration thinking, being so careless?
"I won’t disturb Father and Mother any longer. I’ll take my leave now." He finally understood why Little Pig Ming wanted to roll up her sleeves and hit someone when she was angry—he himself now felt like tearing the roof off the Palace Administration.
"Where are you going?" Consort Su asked, her lips curling in amusement.
"Just taking a stroll to the Palace Administration." Prince Chen suppressed his anger in front of his parents. "With the New Year approaching, I should check on how the officials there are performing their duties."
"No need for that. Take this box of jewelry and deliver it to Jiuzhu instead." Consort Su, barely holding back her laughter, handed him the box filled with pieces that didn’t suit her at all. "I’ll take the liberty of asking your father for a favor—permission for you to personally fetch your fiancée from the Ming family and bring her to the palace."
"That’s too much jewelry for a young girl to wear." Prince Chen accepted the heavy box. "Mother, aren’t you afraid she’ll grow spoiled with such indulgence?"
"You do have a point." Consort Su nodded. "Jiuzhu is a daughter of the Ming family, with the proud and refined blood of scholarly officials running through her veins. If I treat her too well..."
Sensing the conversation taking a wrong turn, Prince Chen quickly interjected, "No, no, Mother is absolutely right. If you treat her well now, there’ll be no conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law later. I was being shortsighted—thank you for reminding me."
"Jiuzhu was raised in a Daoist temple by the Ming family all these years, so her temperament is different from that of typical noble ladies." Prince Chen hid the jewelry box behind his back. "I’ve heard Daoists emphasize karma—if you’re kind to her, she’ll grow close to you. When others see how harmonious your relationship is, they’ll surely envy you both."
His original intention had been to reassure his mother that she still held the highest place in his heart, lest she develop any resentment toward Little Pig Ming and cause future discord. Instead, his words had backfired, sounding more like he was stirring trouble between them.
They say mediating between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is the mark of a mature man—apparently, he still had a long way to go.
Hearing her son ramble on, Consort Su burst into laughter. "Enough, I was only teasing you. The bond between Jiuzhu and us cannot be explained in just a few words. With your wedding approaching, all I wish is for the two of you to live in harmony, free from illness and misfortune."
"Thank you, Mother. I’ll go fetch Little Pig Ming now." Prince Chen winked at Emperor Longfeng. "Father, enjoy your time with Mother. I’ll take my leave."
"Go on." Emperor Longfeng watched as his son practically bounced toward the door, eager to fly out of the palace. "Take the Imperial Guards with you. I’ve already decreed that none of you princes are to leave the palace, but if you’re escorted by the guards, no one can accuse me of going back on my word."
In other words—spare your father’s dignity.
"As Your Majesty commands." Prince Chen bowed with a grin and hurried out of the room, breaking into a run the moment the door closed behind him.
"Your Highness—" Xiangjuan barely got the words out before Prince Chen had already dashed past the gates of Bright Moon Palace. She turned to the eunuch beside her in bewilderment. "What’s gotten into His Highness?"
The maids and eunuchs shook their heads, guessing that he must have received some rare treasure from Consort Su.
Not long ago, the Emperor had explicitly forbidden the Consort from giving the Prince gifts. Yet here he was, walking out with something right under His Majesty’s nose.
At this point, it was hard to tell who spoiled the Prince more—the Emperor or the Consort.
"Your Highness, I just saw Prince Chen leaving the palace," a eunuch reported to Prince Huai. "Do you think he’s sneaking out against His Majesty’s orders?"
"In broad daylight? If even you saw him, how is that sneaking?" Prince Huai retorted. "Out of the five of us brothers, only the fifth prince remains unmarried. No doubt Father made an exception for him."
Besides, even if Prince Chen had truly sneaked out, the Emperor would surely turn a blind eye in the end. He wasn’t foolish enough to question why Prince Chen was allowed to leave.
"Eldest Brother." Princes An and Jing entered his courtyard and took seats beside him. "We heard Fifth Brother was permitted to leave the palace. We were thinking—"
"No, you weren’t," Prince Huai cut them off bluntly. "At least, I wasn’t."
Their previous schemes—raising strategists and spies in their mansions—had already been exposed by the Emperor. If they left the palace now and something happened, it’d be like mud sticking to their trousers—no amount of denial would clear their names.
A wise man would stay put, ask no questions, and keep his head down. That way, if trouble arose, he’d remain untouched.
Lately, Prince Huai had been reflecting on the tactics his uncles and great-uncles had used during the previous emperor’s reign. His conclusion? Their father was right—everything they brothers had tried was child’s play compared to the older generation’s schemes.
"Father is too biased," Prince An grumbled after a long silence. "He said none of us could leave the palace, so why is Yun Duqing the exception?"
Prince Huai gave him a sidelong glance. Only now, at this age, was he realizing their father played favorites?
"Second Brother, you’d best get used to it," Prince Jing, usually a man of few words, remarked calmly. "If you’re upset, why don’t we go to Fourth Brother’s quarters for hot pot?"
"Well, well, Third Brother." Prince Huai slung an arm over his shoulders. "I didn’t know you were so good at lifting spirits."
"That’s not—" Prince Jing hastily waved his hands. "I just noticed everyone’s mood improves after eating hot pot at Fourth Brother’s place..."
"No need to explain. We understand." Prince Huai nodded. "You’re right. Let’s go."
No sooner had they reached the courtyard gate than they spotted Yun Yanze seated beneath a tree, sipping tea with an air of transcendent serenity, as if he might ascend to immortality at any moment.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother." Yun Yanze glanced up at them with a faint smile. "With the palace banquet approaching, why not join me for a cup of tea and watch the clouds drift by?"
Prince Huai looked up at the gloomy, overcast sky, listened to the howling wind in the palace corridors, then turned on his heel and walked away without a word.
What nonsense!
Who did he think he was fooling with that act?
Seeing Prince Huai leave, Prince An and Prince Jing found themselves in an awkward position—neither sure whether to stay or go, they could only force uneasy smiles.
They had forgotten that their past boldness in cooking hotpot in their fourth brother's quarters had only been possible because their fifth brother was present. Now, with him absent, they… didn’t quite dare offend this younger brother, whose reputation for virtue among the civil officials was well-established.
Not every prince was like Yun Duqing.
As the New Year approached, Jiuzhu gave her little white pony a bath. Worried it might catch cold, she even brought out a brazier to keep it warm while washing.
After drying its coat with a towel, she patted the pony’s head, and it nuzzled affectionately against her.
"Good girl, good girl." The ticklish sensation of its fur made Jiuzhu giggle as she took a step back.
"Miss!" Xiangjuan rushed into the stable, breathless. "Prince Chen is here to see you."
"His Highness is here?" Jiuzhu’s face lit up with joy. After taking two eager steps, she glanced back at the pony trailing behind her and decided to lead it along to the front hall.
When Prince Chen saw Jiuzhu entering with a small animal in tow, he nearly blurted out, "That’s quite a sturdy dog you’ve got," before noticing the reins and realizing it was a pony.
"Your Highness." Jiuzhu approached him. "How did you leave the palace?"
She had heard from other young ladies that all five princes had been confined to the palace, forbidden from stepping out. How had he managed it?
Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she whispered, "Your Highness… you didn’t sneak out, did you?"
"What nonsense is running through that little head of yours?" Prince Chen chuckled. "The palace is heavily guarded, its outer walls thicker than houses and several zhang high. Even if I sprouted wings, I couldn’t slip out unnoticed."
Relieved he hadn’t escaped, Jiuzhu let out a breath. "Then, did Your Highness leave the palace for something important?"
"This." He pointed to a jewelry box on the table. "For you."
As Jiuzhu picked it up, he grinned. "Open it."
Inside was a box filled to the brim with jewelry. Blinking, she looked from the contents to Prince Chen. "Your Highness?"
"I’ve come to take you into the palace." He clapped his hands, and palace maids and eunuchs stepped forward, presenting a newly tailored court gown and a flawless fur-lined cloak.
"Try it on." He didn’t admit he’d had the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau make it especially for her. "The skirt isn’t too long—it’ll be easier to walk in. Go change, and if it fits, wear it to tonight’s banquet."
"Alright." Jiuzhu handed the pony’s reins to Prince Chen. "Wait for me, Your Highness. I’ll go change now."
Prince Chen stared at the reins in his palm, then at the dopey little pony barely reaching his knees. He reached out and ruffled its mane.
Before long, Jiuzhu returned in her new attire, lifting the hem slightly as she approached. "Your Highness, I’ve changed."
The young woman stood before him in a vibrant court gown, its skirt embroidered with intertwining branches. To Prince Chen, no sight in the world could be more vivid than this.
"Beautiful." He rose and stepped closer, the same subtle pattern of entwined branches faintly visible on his own sleeves. "Very beautiful."
From his sleeve, he produced a jade pendant meant for women and bent to fasten it at her waist.
Once it was secured, he straightened and gazed down at her. "Little Pig Ming."
"Hm?" Jiuzhu lifted her face, meeting his eyes.
"Keep this jade safe. Don’t lose it." He tapped the identical pendant at his own waist. "It’s the New Year—we must have good fortune. Understand?"
"Mm, I understand." Jiuzhu nodded obediently, fingers brushing the jade. "Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll take good care of it."
Prince Chen, afraid she might tuck it away immediately, added, "But you must wear it to tonight’s banquet."
Her hand, which had been about to remove the pendant, stilled.
He smiled, hesitated, then extended his hand. "Come. Let’s go to the palace."
Without a second thought, Jiuzhu placed her hand in his, tilting her head up to beam at him.
Their fingers laced together lightly, too shy to fully intertwine.
Outside, beneath a tree, Lady Shen watched the smiling pair but did not step forward.
