In the early autumn, as the night chill set in, Li Ce's figure gradually vanished amidst the dense clusters of fiery pomegranate blossoms. Only the faint fragrance of pollia lingered on the narrow bluestone path, hovering in the air like the cool radiance of the moon. Before Mihe Residence, the lotus flowers in the clear pond had withered entirely, leaving behind a murky tangle of overgrown weeds. With the autumn wind stirring, the courtyard appeared all the more desolate.
Chu Qiao, clad in light silk, walked slowly toward her bedchamber. The wind tousled her long hair, making it flutter like dancing butterflies, their wings spreading wildly in the air.
Mihe Residence covered an extensive area, with over thirty interconnected pavilions and towers rising and falling in elevation, standing shoulder to shoulder amidst lush greenery. The scenery was exquisite, allowing one to imagine its former glory in its heyday. Chu Qiao walked quietly along the secluded path, occasionally brushing against drooping, flower-laden branches that gently grazed her brow. Her thin embroidered shoes felt slightly cool against the bluestone beneath her feet. A breeze carried the faint scent of wine softly to her nostrils. Lifting her head, she saw a man in blue robes standing indifferently beneath the phoenix tree beside the waterside pavilion on the second floor, his gaze fixed upward toward her bedchamber.
"Who's there?"
The woman's clear voice shattered the silence of the cold night, startling a line of egrets into flight above the clear pond. The man turned around in surprise, and as Chu Qiao looked at him, she froze, momentarily unable to speak.
This man bore such a striking resemblance to Li Ce that, at first glance in the dim light of night, they appeared almost identical.
But the very next moment, Chu Qiao dismissed this absurd thought, for their temperaments were worlds apart, making any comparison impossible.
The man leaned against the phoenix tree, standing quietly amidst the moonlight and floral scents of the autumn night. His delicate features were veiled in a faint lunar glow, cool and detached, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible melancholy. Like the frost and snow atop eaves in late autumn, he gazed at her quietly before slowly furrowing his brow.
"Who are you?"
In the sparse, dim light, the distant clear pond shimmered with a faint glow. The man's voice was icy cold, like water breaking through ice, flowing quietly without a trace of emotion.
With just one glance, Chu Qiao knew this man was no ordinary person. She stepped forward courteously and said softly, "I live here. May I ask who you are?"
The man seemed taken aback, his eyes briefly clouded with confusion. He sighed and murmured as if to himself, "Ah, so someone already lives here now."
Moonlight spilled over the man's collar, casting a translucent, pearly sheen. Chu Qiao knew she ought to say something and then turn to leave, to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yet, words caught in her throat, and she could not bring herself to interrupt the man's thoughts. She remained silent, allowing the chilly autumn wind to rustle through the leaves, leaving only a whispering sound like rippling water.
The man walked slowly from beside the phoenix tree, ascending the stone steps one by one. A gentle breeze swept across the platform, stirring the fallen phoenix leaves and raising a faint dust that forced Chu Qiao to half-close her eyes and raise her pale hand to shield her forehead.
"This place faces the Taiqing Pond, so the wind is always strong. Remember to wear a hood when you come out."
Chu Qiao was momentarily stunned. Their eyes met briefly, but in the man's gaze, she saw only the profound and silent depths of an abyssal sea."Thank you, but I've been out for a while and my maid is likely searching for me. I should take my leave now. The night is cold and the wind sharp—you should return early as well."
Chu Qiao knew there was no need to press further about the man's identity. Even if she asked, he likely wouldn't reveal it, so she politely bid farewell and prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, the man seemed not to have heard her, remaining rooted in place as he gazed quietly at her. His voice was like a hazy mist: "The Crown Prince dotes on you greatly, doesn't he?"
Chu Qiao understood that he, like others, had mistaken her for Li Ce's favored consort. She didn't bother to correct him, merely offering a quiet bow before saying, "I take my leave."
"But you haven't answered my question."
Chu Qiao frowned slightly and turned back. She saw no frivolity in his expression—only a persistent wait for her response.
"Are you aware that if I truly were His Highness the Crown Prince's favored consort, your current behavior would be highly inappropriate?"
The man was momentarily taken aback, then replied, "I haven't returned to the palace for a long time and didn't know someone resided here now. My apologies."
Chu Qiao spoke clearly: "Ignorance is no fault. But now that you know, shouldn't you make yourself scarce?"
The man chuckled wryly and nodded. "Indeed, there is some resemblance."
Chu Qiao's brow furrowed. "You come here deep in the night, speaking ambiguously and unwilling to reveal your identity. If not for your dignified bearing and noble demeanor, I would have most likely taken you for a libertine and had you tied up. Lingering here now—aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?"
The man was silent for a long moment before saying, "My apologies. I became lost in thoughts of an old acquaintance and forgot myself."
"A momentary lapse is understandable, as long as you remember to restrain yourself in time. After all, this is the imperial palace. Biantang places great emphasis on propriety—it never hurts to be cautious."
The man smiled faintly and nodded, then cupped his hands slightly before walking out of Mihe Residence. After just two steps, he suddenly turned back and pointed toward the high eaves. "There's a string of wind chimes up there, covered in dust. If you have time, miss, you might have the palace servants clean them. The autumn wind is cool, and the clear sound of chimes is quite pleasant."
"Thank you for the reminder."
The man smiled gently, his eyes soft. He nodded and said, "I am Prince Luo."
The moon had shifted further west, and his blue robe brushed lightly against the dust-covered jade steps like passing clouds. Chu Qiao watched him gradually disappear into the distance, but her heart grew cold inch by inch.
Prince Luo?
Prince Luo...
When she returned to her chambers, Qiusui was struggling to keep her eyes open while waiting—clearly, the maid had been aware when Li Ce visited earlier.
"You're back, miss!"
At the sight of Chu Qiao, the young maid brightened, springing to her feet. "I prepared some lotus seed soup. Would you like a bowl before retiring?"
Holding the warm white jade bowl, Chu Qiao suddenly lost her appetite for the delicious treat. She looked up and asked, "Qiusui, do you know about Prince Luo?"
Qiusui froze, her brow slightly furrowed. "Miss, why do you ask?"
"Nothing important, just curious. If it's inconvenient to speak of, there's no need."
"Well, it's not exactly inconvenient, but..." Though no one else was in the hall, the maid glanced around cautiously before leaning close to Chu Qiao's ear. "It's a shameful episode from the palace. People generally don't dare discuss it."
Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow. "A shameful episode?""Yes, Prince Luo's father, the Prince of Lushan, was the emperor's uncle. When the emperor ascended the throne, the Prince of Lushan died of illness for unknown reasons. It is said that the emperor was even more unruly in his youth than the current Crown Prince. Defying all opposition from the court officials, he brazenly married his own aunt. Two years later, the consort bore the emperor a son—the current Crown Prince—and the emperor then elevated her to Empress. I heard that on the day of her coronation, eight senior ministers jointly remonstrated by dashing themselves to death against the Phoenix Cry Platform, yet even this failed to change the emperor's mind. For over twenty years, he has cherished the Empress alone, and her position remains as solid as a rock, unshakable by anyone."
"So that means?"
"So that means Prince Luo is both the Crown Prince's imperial uncle and his elder half-brother. The Prince of Lushan died early, and when the Empress married into the palace, Prince Luo was just a hundred days old. He followed her into the palace and grew up there with the Crown Prince until he turned twenty."
"Heavens," Chu Qiao lowered her head and sighed softly, thinking of that plainly dressed noblewoman, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
"Did the Crown Prince and Prince Luo grow up together in this very palace?"
"Not exactly," Qiusui bit her lower lip slightly and said, "The Crown Prince and Prince Luo both lived with the Empress in the Qianhua Palace. This Mihe Residence was Princess Fu's bedchamber."
Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow lightly: "Princess Fu?"
"Yes, Princess Fu wasn't a true princess—she was the granddaughter of the old General Murong, the Duke of Zhen. The Murong clan was a prominent military family in our country. Old General Murong devoted his life to serving the nation, and all four of his sons died in battle for their country. The old general himself fell in battle during the last Northern Expeditionary War. At that time, traitors colluded with the enemy, and the Daxia army breached Baizhi Pass. The Daxia commander, Meng Tian, ordered the execution of thirty thousand of our surrendered troops. To protect the city's residents, the sixty-year-old Old Madam Murong led her four daughters-in-law and the Murong family army to resist the enemy, buying time until reinforcements arrived from the border garrison. However, the entire Murong clan was wiped out in that battle. The family soldiers escorted eleven young heirs in their escape, but by the time they reached the imperial city gates, only the four-year-old Princess Fu remained. To honor the Murong family's loyalty and bravery, the emperor posthumously awarded Old General Murong the title of Duke of Zhen, Old Madam Murong the title of First-Class Huarong Lady, and all her sons were enfeoffed as marquises. Princess Fu was also granted the title of Princess Zhangyi and raised in the palace, receiving the same privileges as the Crown Prince and Prince Luo."
Though this account was brief, Chu Qiao listened with growing astonishment. The Murong clan could be considered the Great Song's equivalent of the Yang Family Generals. Captivated, she asked, "What happened afterward?"
"Afterward..." Qiusui bit her lip, pondered for a moment, and then whispered, "Afterward, Princess Fu died."
Chu Qiao was startled: "She died?"
"Princess Fu was the same age as the Crown Prince and grew up playing with him. To honor the Murong family despite their decline, the emperor and empress arranged their marriage. When the Crown Prince and Princess Fu turned seventeen, the emperor personally bestowed the marriage, appointing Princess Fu as the Crown Princess and having her family enshrined in the imperial ancestral temple."Chu Qiao listened quietly, though inwardly unconvinced. The Murong family had been loyal and courageous; though the entire clan had declined, they still held irreplaceable influence and appeal within the military. Princess Fu marrying into the royal family could be seen as a way to consolidate the imperial power.
"But then, on the very day of the wedding, Princess Fu hanged herself."
"What?" Chu Qiao's expression instantly changed, and she frowned as she asked, "She took her own life?"
"Yes," Qiusui's face also paled as she whispered, "The imperial decree stated that Princess Fu died of illness, but I grew up in the palace and witnessed everything myself. Back then, the Crown Prince's wedding procession had already arrived at Mihe Residence. His Highness, dressed in bright red brocade robes and holding a rose-colored silk ball, followed the ceremonial officials into the bedchamber with great excitement, only to find Princess Fu missing. Everyone panicked and began searching everywhere. In the end, it was the Crown Prince who first found Princess Fu. Everyone rushed to the rear hall and saw her in her wedding dress, a three-foot white silk rope around her neck, hanging from the phoenix tree outside the window."
The night breeze blew in, carrying a faint moonlight, cold and piercing.
"His Highness let out a loud cry and fainted on the spot. I was just a little flower girl in the wedding procession, following my mother. My mother and the other palace maids hurried to take Princess Fu down. I was so frightened that I stepped back, tripped over a stone, and fell to the ground. Crying for help, I caught sight of Prince Luo standing behind the crowd under the pomegranate tree by the stone steps. He was dressed in a dark blue-purple robe, his face as pale as a ghost, silently staring at the phoenix tree with bloodshot eyes. His fists were clenched so tightly it seemed as if he could squeeze water from them."
Qiusui's eyes reddened, and she sniffled softly. "Later, all the ceremonial officials and palace maids in the wedding procession were secretly executed. I was spared only because I was not yet nine years old at the time. After my mother died, I continued to serve in the palace, but from then on, I never saw Prince Luo again. He only returned to the palace once a year, on the Empress's birthday, and even then, he rarely went out. I heard he was sent to Meishan, supposedly to guard the imperial tombs on behalf of the Son of Heaven. In the blink of an eye, it's been over six years now."
Chu Qiao nodded slowly, feeling a wave of depression in her heart. Another secret of the palace—she had already witnessed far too many.
"Actually, the Crown Prince wasn't like this before. It was only after Princess Fu's death that he grew increasingly despondent. You never met Princess Fu, but she was truly like a celestial being—not only of noble status but also incredibly kind and gentle. None of us young female officials in the palace back then went without receiving her kindness. Who would have thought that someone so gentle would, in the end, have the courage to take such a path?"
Chu Qiao shook her head faintly. "How could the descendant of such a loyal and heroic family be as gentle as water? I suspect the blood flowing in her veins was boiling with passion. She was the type who would rather be a shattered piece of jade than an intact tile. It's just a pity that she lacked the ability to protect herself back then and did not entrust herself to someone capable of protecting her."
Qiusui listened, only half-understanding. Chu Qiao patted her shoulder and asked with a smile, "Qiusui, do you like the palace?"The little maid was momentarily dazed, murmuring, "I don't know either. My mother was a female official in the palace, assigned by the Empress Dowager to my father, the head of the Literature and History Hall. Later, she gave birth to me. I was born here and have never left. I've grown accustomed to seeing the consorts and ladies of various palaces vie for favor and deceive each other. In my life, the only two mistresses different from them are you and Lady Fu. I can't say whether I like it or not, but regardless of liking or disliking, isn't life just meant to be lived this way?"
Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback, then chuckled softly, "You're right. Whether we accept it or not, life must go on this way. Because we haven't seen anything else, we can only choose to settle for the status quo."
She lowered her head, gently stroking the little maid's hair, and said, "Qiu Sui, the outside world is different from here. You can speak loudly, walk with big strides, go wherever you want. As long as you work, you can earn a reward and live the life you desire. Out there, even the wind is free."
The little maid looked somewhat confused, murmuring, "Then... if I don't want to get up in the morning and want to sleep in, will no one scold me?"
Chu Qiao laughed, "Of course, but you'll have your pay deducted."
"Wow!" Qiu Sui suddenly grew excited, grabbing Chu Qiao's hand and asking, "Miss, is Yanbei like that? Is it?"
Chu Qiao looked at her, her gaze so distant, far beyond that of a seventeen-year-old girl, as if she saw through Qiu Sui to something far away—the lush twilight grasses of Yanbei, the pure white flocks of sheep, the sacred snow-capped mountains...
"I don't know if it's like that now, because I haven't been there either. But I promise you, one day, everything will become real. So, you must live well."
Chu Qiao stood up, gazing at the lush phoenix tree by the window, thinking of that lonely man in blue robes.
"Along a thousand miles of paulownia blossoms, words flow unceasingly from dawn to dusk. In the next life, may you not be born into an imperial family."
—————————
Early the next morning, the rumbling wheels of the escort carriage shattered the sweet dreams of dawn. Without disturbing anyone, Chu Qiao packed her simple belongings and boarded the carriage.
Tie You smiled at Chu Qiao and said, "Miss, the weather has turned cold. There are provisions in the carriage. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
Chu Qiao nodded, "Thank you."
Tie You clearly knew her true identity and grinned warmly, "Miss Chu, the battles you fought in Daxia have become case studies in the military academy. My son admires you greatly and talks about you all the time."
Chu Qiao looked at the man, slightly startled, and asked, "Your son? How old are you?"
Tie You laughed, "I'm twenty-five this year. My son is eleven. I got married at fourteen and just had a daughter."
Chu Qiao secretly gasped in surprise—fourteen years old...Li Luo was right, the wind here was indeed strong. Chu Qiao, wearing a wind hood, lifted the carriage curtain and felt the howling wind rush in, like a windmill. The morning sun cast a golden warmth over the entire Jinwu Palace. The distant pavilions, water terraces, and majestic palaces resembled a fleeting, prosperous dream, gradually receding. Drifting clouds lingered gently, lightly embracing one another, while the garden brimmed with peach blossoms, crimson and willow-green, cradling a clear, emerald pond. Through the misty haze, an aura of imperial auspiciousness permeated the air. The marble square was serene and quiet, with only this carriage moving slowly in the morning light, casting mottled shadows.
Chu Qiao raised her head, gazing at the drifting clouds on the horizon, and recalled Li Ce’s languid posture beneath the crabapple tree, his eyes and brows vivid in her mind. Her own gaze gradually grew hazy.
"Joy follows the daylight heart, east in the morning and west by dusk—I truly hope you can live like this."
The carriage gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing amidst the layers of palace structures. Li Ce, who was never an early riser, stood atop an artificial hill in Lanque Palace. The hill was exceptionally high, covered with green bamboo that rustled softly in the breeze. At its peak stood a bamboo pavilion, uniquely crafted with exquisite artistry. Dressed in a cyan-green robe and wearing a Golden Crown, Li Ce held a purple flute to his lips, attempting several times to play a tune but failing to produce a coherent melody.
The faint clouds above shrouded the countless buildings below and a distant procession of carriage wheels, stirring a light trail of dust.
"Your Highness,"
A man in a blue robe hurried up the artificial hill, his expression unusually grave. He spoke in a low voice, "There is an urgent matter at the morning court in the front hall. You must go and see immediately."
Li Ce turned around, the earlier gentleness and calm entirely gone from his face. He slightly furrowed his handsome brows and asked solemnly, "What is it?"
Sun Di, equally stern and with a deeply furrowed brow, replied word by word, "The peace-marriage princess from Daxia has encountered trouble."
————Divider————
Zhao Chun'er is about to make her move. Let’s all look forward to Chu Qiao’s self-defense counterattack.
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