Love Like the Galaxy

"Hahahahaha…"

In front of the Hall of Proclamation of Virtue, a pair of sparrows fluttered their wings and flew away from an ancient tree with a vast canopy. The two junior palace attendants on duty outside stole a glance back before quickly straightening their postures—

Inside the hall, the Emperor laughed so hard he repeatedly pounded the table: "Hahaha, I knew something like this would happen, but I didn’t expect it so soon! Truly, foes and friends are destined to meet! Haha, hahaha…"

Cui Hou laughed until tears and snot ran down his face: "My wine jar hasn’t even cooled yet, and they’re already at it again!"

The Crown Prince sat rigidly to the side, his face as dark as a pot: "Father, Cui Hou, please stop laughing! We should be thinking of a proper response instead!"

The Emperor wiped his tears and deliberately said, "What response? Old acquaintances reuniting and exchanging a few barbs, that’s all."

The Crown Prince was beside himself: "Father, you didn’t see them… they… they…" Though he hadn’t personally experienced romance, having witnessed his parents’ affectionate bond all these years, he recognized the signs. "Zisheng, he… he…"

"Zisheng is delighted, isn’t he?" the Emperor calmly interjected.

"…Father is right." The Crown Prince deflated. "Since their reunion, I’ve seen Zisheng calm and composed, chatting and laughing without a trace of his usual aloofness or resentment. I thought he’d put the past behind him, but who knew… who knew…"

"Who knew it wasn’t like that at all," the Emperor said gently.

The Crown Prince sighed—his sworn brother’s eyes had lit up at the sight of that girl, his temper flared, and he came alive. Compared to his earlier demeanor, his previous calmness now seemed like a thin veil of detachment.

"Father, did you know this would happen?" the Crown Prince looked up at his father.

The Emperor shook his head with a smile: "I didn’t know. I couldn’t say for sure whether Zisheng had truly forgotten the past. But now we know."

The Crown Prince grumbled, "Had we known, we shouldn’t have let Lady Cheng get engaged to the Yuan family. What a mess this is! And Father, why didn’t you bring Zisheng back sooner?"

The Emperor stroked his beard with a wry smile: "To be honest, for the past five years, Lady Cheng showed no intention of marrying. Yuan Shen repeatedly tried to court her at the Palace of Eternal Peace, only to be turned away. Who could’ve guessed that the moment she decided, she got engaged the very next month? After one trip home, the betrothal rites were already completed. Hmph, even Empress Dowager Xuan didn’t see this coming. It’s all so… so hasty."

"Not as refined as Your Majesty," Cui Hou chuckled. "It took Your Majesty three years from falling for the Empress to formally proposing."

"Shut your mouth!" the Emperor laughed and glared at Cui You. "Still better than you!" At least he hadn’t spent his whole life pining without confessing.

Cui You rubbed his nose and changed the subject: "Even Zisheng took several months from developing feelings for Shao Shang to asking Your Majesty to propose on his behalf! That child Shao Shang is too impulsive—could she be in a hurry to marry?"

The Crown Prince couldn’t take it anymore and raised his voice: "Father waited three years because he was ten years older than Mother and had no wealth or influence at the time, hesitating to act! Zisheng didn’t ‘wait’ those months—back then, Lady Cheng was still the Lou family’s son’s fiancée. Was he supposed to snatch her away?!"

The Emperor continued stroking his beard as Cui You added, "And now, Shao Shang is Yuan Shanjian’s fiancée."The Crown Prince sighed deeply, "Why must Zisheng insist on hanging himself from a single tree? In my opinion, the Luo girl is well-educated, considerate, and attentive—there's nothing wrong with her!" As he spoke, he suddenly noticed his father's subtle, noncommittal smirk and quickly added, "Father Emperor, did you already know that Zisheng doesn't care for the Luo girl?"

The Emperor replied, "The Luo girl has been in the palace for many years. It's not as if she only just became well-educated and considerate. If they were truly compatible, Zisheng would have taken a liking to her long ago. Why wait until now?"

"Then what should we do now? I've already spoken to Mother Empress and asked her to summon the Luo girl's mother!" the Crown Prince said anxiously.

The Emperor responded leisurely, "You are the heir apparent. It was you who brought Zisheng and the Luo girl together. You figure it out."

At a loss, the Crown Prince redirected his frustration, "Cui Hou, this is all your fault! In your letters, you repeatedly mentioned the Luo girl and Zisheng, leading me to misunderstand their relationship!"

"This cannot be blamed on me," Cui You said cheerfully, skillfully deflecting responsibility.

"Your Highness kept asking in your letters whether there were any refined ladies in the borderlands who would be a good match for Zisheng. But in the harsh northwest frontier, the customs are bold and the people straightforward. In terms of upbringing, family background, talent, and character, the Luo girl is indeed the best among them. I didn't say anything wrong. Moreover, the Luo girl grew up by Empress Dowager Xuan's side and understands Zisheng's habits and preferences. Every time she involves herself in his daily needs—food, clothing, and lodging—she does so flawlessly, far surpassing those awkward and inexperienced girls who barely know him. Naturally, I reported the truth."

The Crown Prince was so angry he couldn't speak, but Cui You added fuel to the fire, "Most importantly, Your Highness only ever asked which girl would be the best for Zisheng and the most compatible with him in every way. You never once asked how Zisheng himself felt about it."

The Crown Prince exploded, "Cui Hou, couldn't you have reminded me?!"

"I did remind you," Cui You countered smoothly. "I said it would be best to let things take their natural course and follow Zisheng's wishes. But Your Highness insisted that Zisheng is a man of deep emotions and that waiting for him to figure things out might take years, delaying marriage and children."

"Cui Hou, you... you're so cunning... I, I misjudged you!" The Crown Prince was so furious his nose nearly twisted.

Cui You playfully shrugged his shoulders.

The Emperor was thoroughly amused, chuckling heartily, "Ziduan, see this? This is the way court ministers talk! Don’t think that just because you’re the heir apparent—or even the Emperor—you can decide everything with a single word. If you fail to consider things thoroughly, the court ministers will have plenty of reasons to oppose you. A-Yuan is one of our own, so you can vent your anger and scold him all you like. But in the future, when it comes to matters of state and military affairs, if your arbitrary decisions lead to disaster, no one will take the blame for you."

—Don’t assume that ministers won’t deceive the Emperor. Aside from those truly devoted confidants who have your best interests at heart, the entire court is full of pitfalls. To think that just because you’re the Emperor, all your ministers will naturally align with you—that is arrogance!

"This humble son has learned his lesson," the Crown Prince said, uncharacteristically deflated. "I just thought Zisheng has had it so hard. Back then, when he was exiled to the desolate northern wilderness, leaving the Capital City wounded and ill, Lady Cheng didn’t even bother to see him off. I thought, this time, I must find him a woman who would dote on him and obey his every wish. Who would have thought…"

Seeing the Crown Prince’s troubled expression, Cui You softened, "Your Highness, it is my fault…"

The Crown Prince looked up at him.Cui You said, "I should have rambled on a bit more." He paused. "Take me as an example. To be honest, in terms of doting care and obedience, the concubine I took last year surpasses Jun Hua by far. But alas, some people are just hopelessly foolish! I remember one scorching summer when I went to the Huo family to play with Jun Hua. Seeing me drenched in sweat, she absentmindedly handed me a bowl of cold water, which gave me such a stomachache that I nearly lost half my life."

Speaking of his beloved's blunders, he shook his head with a smile. "Ah, yet in the quiet of midnight dreams, I still often think of Jun Hua. If she were still here, I wouldn’t mind drinking a few more bowls of cold water."

The Crown Prince seemed to understand, yet not quite.

Thinking of those who had passed, the Emperor sighed softly. "Zi Duan, there are many kinds of people in this world. Some, like A Yuan here, can only hold one person in their heart for a lifetime. Others, like Yuhou, surround themselves with wives and concubines, embracing left and right. There are those like your second elder brother, who has sailed countless ships yet found none to his liking, and those like General Wu, who remarried after losing his wife yet still lives in harmony. What kind do you think Zisheng is?"

The Crown Prince, irritated, muttered, "Zisheng himself said the past is gone, and he intends to start anew."

"Fool!" the Emperor chuckled with a sigh. "Sometimes, what a person says may not reflect what they truly feel. Take the recent court debates on land measurement, for instance. Zisheng supports it—that’s genuine, since he has no family to worry about. What does it matter to him if estates, lands, and populations are audited? But can the same be said for nobles like Yu Yue and the several imperial sons-in-law who also strongly advocate for it? These families have numerous members and widespread marital connections, not to mention countless dependents. Even if the heads of households are willing, would their subordinates agree? There are too many tangled interests involved!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Cui You and laughed. "And then there’s Cui Hou. When he says he supports land measurement, it’s mostly true—because he comes from a merchant background and prefers trade over landholding. As long as I don’t raid the Cui family to inspect their money chests, A Yuan has nothing to fear."

Cui You said helplessly, "Why drag me into this, Your Majesty? Back then, you constantly urged me to invest in land. Now it seems trade would have been better. Land can’t run away—anyone can check it. But my money chests? I can hide them wherever I please."

"Fool! Land yields profit. What can a pile of coins at home produce?"

"Money in my hands can yield profit too."

"Go read the Discourse on Suppressing Commerce!"

"I only dabble in small trades occasionally—it’s not like I’m urging the whole world to become merchants. Besides, Sang Hongyang also came from a merchant family. Emperor Wu employed him for life and even made him a regent!"

"Oh? You dare compare yourself to Sang Hongyang? It seems your family has amassed quite a fortune in gold and silver. Should I send someone to investigate?"

"No, no! Spare me, elder brother! A Yuan admits his mistake!"

"Sang Hongyang was a master of mental arithmetic. You need counting rods for anything over a hundred—how shameless to liken yourself to him! I suppose you’re only fit to be a petty merchant!" The Emperor scoffed.

Cui Hou protested helplessly, "Your Majesty excels at farming—the same plot of land yields thirty percent more under your care, so naturally you consider tilling the soil the finest endeavor. I may have overreached comparing myself to Sang Hongyang, but that scoundrel Ma Wu, a bandit by origin, still believes he’s a born crime-fighter, fit to be a captain in times of peace!"

"That’s true. It’s already a miracle Ma Wu didn’t remain a bandit and turned himself in to the authorities."The emperor and his minister grinned at each other, bursting into laughter together.

"Father, Cui Hou!" The Crown Prince suppressed his frustration. "Let's talk about Zisheng first!"

The pair turned back. Cui You scratched his head, speechless, while the emperor smiled and said, "You speak first, my son."

The Crown Prince said, "Let's not dwell on the past. Lady Cheng is already engaged to Yuan Shen now. This... what should Zisheng do?" Back then, Huo Bu Yi hadn't dared to snatch Lou Yao's fiancée, and now he couldn't take Yuan Shen's either.

The emperor remained unperturbed. "Let nature take its course."

The Crown Prince studied his father for a long moment, then asked suspiciously, "Father, do you already have a plan?"

"You may guess, my son." The emperor smiled gently, the picture of a loving and considerate elder. "The empire will be yours one day. I can't always tell you what to do."

The Crown Prince took a deep breath. Fine, if he wouldn't say, he wouldn't say. But for his own father to watch his son walk into a pitfall with folded arms and a smile—this couldn't be let go so easily.

As he stepped out of the Hall of Proclamation of Virtue, his attendant eunuch asked, "Your Highness, where are you going?"

The Crown Prince said solemnly, "I'm going to see Mother!"

—At the court assembly the next day, the ministers noticed both of the emperor's ears were bright red.

...

Cheng Shao Gong had his family generals ride swiftly and finally caught up with his sister on the road back to Cheng Residence. After riding half the day, Shao Shang's hair was disheveled and her forehead damp with sweat. Without a word, she handed the palomino back to her brother and climbed into the carriage.

"I've been thinking," Shao Shang said as she accepted the handkerchief Yuan Shen handed her. "From now on, we should avoid the Huo family as much as possible. Given the awkward history, just like how Third Aunt barely acknowledges Master Huangfu."

Yuan Shen silently poured her a cup of warm water.

"But I think I remained composed earlier—calm and collected, not panicked at all. Don't you agree?" The girl stared at Yuan Shen as if interrogating him.

"...You were perfectly proper," Yuan Shen said.

They sat in silence for a long while before Shao Shang let out a bitter laugh. "Alright, I was actually flustered. But I thought he wasn't returning until the day after tomorrow! Seeing him appear out of nowhere—how could I not panic?"

Yuan Shen exhaled deeply, also smiling wryly. "To be honest, when I saw him earlier in the Hall of Proclamation of Virtue, I was so startled I didn't know what to say—more terrifying than being impeached in court!"

"Exactly! I can understand my reaction, but you've never been engaged to him. If even you panicked, how could I not?"

Yuan Shen glared. "Don't use the engagement as an excuse!"

Shao Shang retorted, "It's all your family's fault anyway! Otherwise, how would a young lady like me have met the bold and skilled warrior Di Wu Cheng?"

They glared at each other for a long moment before both suddenly bursting into laughter.

Yuan Shen relaxed against the carriage wall and asked with a smile, "What do you plan to do with Di Wu Cheng now that you've captured him?"

Shao Shang replied, "Hand him over to my parents. My father excels at building rapport and reasoning with people—he can tell moving stories with tears in his eyes. My mother, on the other hand, quotes classics and discusses the hardships of the common people in detail. Dripping water wears through stone. We'll keep him confined for a month or so and see how things develop."

Yuan Shen frowned. "Is that appropriate? Over the years, my father has sent acquaintances to persuade Di Wu Cheng more than once."

"It's different. The people your father sent were mostly old friends of both families. Di Wu Cheng must have assumed they were all on the Yuan family's side. But my family has no connection to what happened over twenty years ago! Being impartial outsiders, we can actually have a proper conversation with him.""Wouldn't it be too much trouble for your esteemed parents..." Yuan Shen didn't want his future in-laws to think poorly of him.

Shao Shang declared righteously, "If we don't trouble them now, we'll trouble them later! When I bear children someday and Di Wu Cheng barges in like his sister did, threatening your family with a swaddled infant, what then? Another volley of ten thousand arrows?"

Yuan Shen's eyes darkened, remaining silent.

Shao Shang nudged closer, giving him a light push as she whispered, "Hey, did you ever consider secretly killing Di Wu Cheng to eliminate future troubles?"

Yuan Shen shot her a glare, tacitly admitting it.

"I knew it!" Shao Shang said triumphantly. "I know you too well—gentle on the outside but ink-black inside! Don't worry, I think Di Wu Cheng can still be saved. I'm seventy to eighty percent confident I can persuade him."

"And if you can't? What then?"

"I've thought of that too. Why kill him when we can make use of him?" Shao Shang smirked mischievously. "Uncle Wan often complains that Xu County, being a battleground for years, has a shortage of men, leaving many widows everywhere."

"Isn't that just Lord Wan's excuse for taking concubines? What does that have to do with Di Wu Cheng?"

"Don't interrupt! If Di Wu Cheng can be persuaded, fine. If not, we'll tie him up and send him to Xu County, match him with seven or eight women longing for rain after a drought. By next spring... tsk tsk... it'll be a service to the court and the people."

In Shao Shang's view, Di Wu Cheng's constant harassment of the Yuan family stemmed from having no attachments. Once he had children, would he still have the energy to cause trouble?

Yuan Shen stared at her for a long moment before sighing. "Your words and manners may be refined now, but your mind is as chaotic as ever. Still... I like this idea!"

"You think it's good too, right? Even Prefect Yuan won't interfere then."

"It's a bit crude, but delightfully mischievous—now I almost hope your parents fail to persuade Di Wu Cheng!"

"Great minds think alike!"

The two outwardly gentle but inwardly wicked souls laughed together.

Hearing the cheerful laughter from the carriage, Cheng Shaogong, riding his dappled horse, sighed deeply. Recalling Yuan Shen's earlier darkened expression, he mused that his sister's talent for coaxing people remained as sharp as ever—clearly a family trait inherited from their parents.

...

Luo Jitong was helped down from her carriage, where servants had already gathered at the Luo residence to welcome her.

An elegantly dressed elderly woman stepped forward with a smile. "Upon hearing of your return, the Female Lord had your quarters prepared immediately. The master is away on business, but he sent word that he'd return as soon as possible—after so many years, the family can finally reunite! Ah, the Female Lord has sighed often these years, regretting having betrothed you to a sickly, short-lived son-in-law, leaving you widowed in your youth. The family feels deeply remorseful!"

Luo Jitong replied softly, "There's no need for such words. Father and Mother have always cherished me, and I, too, long to reunite with my family. However, the Crown Prince just invited me to a banquet, so I must attend the imperial audience."The old woman supported Luo Jitong as they walked inside, whispering, "The family has already heard the news. Everyone praises Young Lady for your unparalleled talent and beauty, rare in this world, and that you are long overdue to be matched with a peerless hero like Lord Huo. Also, ever since the Wang family fell, the family head has been restless. It wasn’t until he heard how highly the Crown Prince regards you that he felt somewhat better."

Luo Jitong smiled demurely—this was only the beginning. She would never admit defeat without a fight.

...

Several months earlier, under the Crown Prince’s personal supervision, the Huo residence had been completely renovated. The solemn black main gates stood wide open. The Liang Qiu brothers, who had returned ahead of time, led the entire household of family generals and servants to line up at the entrance to welcome Huo Bu Yi.

After dismounting, Huo Bu Yi tossed the reins aside and strode silently inside. Passing through the main courtyard and turning a corner, he suddenly paused beneath a flowering tree by the side gate.

Liang Qiuqi glanced at the tree. "This was a sapling transplanted by Cheng Niangzi five years ago. It’s grown so well now."

Huo Bu Yi looked up. It was spring, and all things were reviving. Tender buds on the branches struggled to peek out.

Liang Qiu Fei was about to speak when his elder brother tugged his sleeve to stop him.

Liang Qiuqi said softly, "Young Master, did you... see Cheng Niangzi?"

Huo Bu Yi quietly observed the tiny buds peeking out here and there. The gentle early spring sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a soft, murmuring dappled pattern on his fair and handsome face.

"I saw her. She remains as youthful and vibrant as ever, fresh and tender... But I have already grown old."

Author's Note: Today's update is here—

Just a side note, this summer has been packed with one drama after another. I’ve never felt so busy during a summer before—one drama hasn’t even finished airing before another begins.

Of the currently popular dramas airing, I’ve watched at least a few episodes of most. I’ll keep following the ones I like and wait for the endings of those I can’t get into.

Two of them were quite unexpected.

One is Love and Destiny . The lead actors really weren’t my type—their age and styling made me think the production team had given up. But after watching a few episodes, the plot turned out to be surprisingly good, with the right mix of sweetness and humor.

As for the leads, the more I watched, the more I got used to them.

Admitting the second one is a bit embarrassing because it’s a cheesy drama—yes, The Love by Hypnotic . It’s low-budget, with relatively unknown actors, but unexpectedly enjoyable. The female lead’s round face is super cute, and even though the male lead was nicknamed "White-robed Turtle Immortal," I kept watching.

The rest of the dramas were mostly as expected—the good ones were predictably good, and the ones I couldn’t get into remained unwatchable.

That’s all.