Wаnwаn wаs swаyed bу hеr wоrds, уеt having never dоnе such a thing bеfore, shе соuldn't hеlр but hеsitate, wеaring an uncertain smile аs shе said dоubtfully, "Is it rеаllу оkaу? If sоmеоnе finds out аnd reports it tо thе Emрress Dowagеr, I won't be аble to sаvе fасе."
Хiаo You lеаned аgаinst thе cоrridor аnd sighеd deeрlу, "Tо be honest, I shоuldn't be giving you this idеа. Аs yоu said, if it's discovеrеd, уou might bе finе, but wе sеrvаnts will suffеr. But didn't уоu saу that Рrince Yuwеn loоks likе а monstеr аnd уоu wanted to sеe it? I know your temрer all toо well—if yоu don't gеt tо seе it, you'll keep talking about it day after day. Rather than that, it's better for me to think of a way for you. Otherwise, once the grand banquet is over, all the feudal princes will return to their fiefs. If you want to see him again, you'll have to wait ages."
Wanwan felt ashamed of her own stubbornness, but then she thought again and tilted her head to ask Xiao You, "You're willing to take such a big risk to take me there—actually, you want to see him too, don't you?"
Xiao You firmly denied it, "In my eyes, there is only my master, not myself!"
Those who often talk big are usually not very trustworthy. Wanwan's expression clearly showed disdain, and Xiao You couldn't keep up the act anymore, forcing an awkward smile. "The imperial court's civil service exams have rules—the blind, mute, deaf, or lame cannot serve as officials. The Prince of Nanyuan inherited his title through ancestral privilege, so his appearance isn't restricted. I've never seen the Qi People before, only heard that they look very different. I just want to take advantage of my master's fortune to broaden my horizons too."
Master and servant were in perfect agreement, whispering as they prepared everything needed for the plan from start to finish.
Wu Qi wore a mournful face, squatting by the mother-of-pearl inlaid kang table and refusing to budge. "Xiao You, you reckless girl, I'm going to tell Nanny Li and have her skin you alive!" Then he turned to plead with Wanwan, "My dear mistress, you mustn't listen to Xiao You's instigation. You are a princess, a person of noble and precious status. Going to Donghua Gate to look at men—what would people say if word got out? The Empress Dowager didn't even allow you to attend the grand banquet, clearly wanting you to adhere to the rules of the inner chambers. If you go against her, you'll anger the Empress Dowager, and not even Grandfather could save you then."
Wu Qi cried so passionately that he crawled over on his knees and prostrated himself before her. Wanwan, furious, stomped on his finger. "As long as you don't make a sound, nothing will happen. If you keep making a fuss and attract attention, I'll punish you by sending you to the Bureau of Firewood to weigh coal!"
Wu Qi indeed fell silent, got up, wiped his face, and bowed respectfully. "Mistress, take your time. I'll go ahead and scout for you."
His change of heart was quick—truly refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Wanwan and Xiao You exchanged triumphant smiles, hiding behind the door to watch outside. A Nurse Matron was scolding a young palace maid in front of the western side rooms, temporarily unable to pay attention here. So they quickly stepped onto the corridor, keeping their heads down as they followed behind Wu Qi, passing through the eastern side hall and slipping out through the side gate in the wall.
The wind was a bit strong today, blowing the black ribbons behind their hats into the air. Wanwan pressed down on her headscarf with one hand, crouching low and looking around, gradually blending into the crowd of eunuchs. Earlier, Wu Qi had instructed that the feudal princes and officials from outside the capital would be attended by palace attendants upon entering the palace. Their attendants would stop at the Dismounting Stele and were not allowed inside. At the gate, there would also be inspections by the Eastern Factory and Silk-clad Guards. At that time, there would be many people, each with their own duties. As long as they didn't stand out and found a place to quietly stay, no one would notice them."That Prince of Nanyuan must have entered through the Donghua Gate, right?" Wanwan repeatedly confirmed, as they couldn't be away from the bedchamber for too long. If Nurse Matron came looking and they weren't there, they'd surely face scolding later.
Wu Qi patted his chest in assurance: "No mistake about it. I inquired clearly—the Prince of Nanyuan has a private residence in Baoda Ward and always stays there when he comes to the capital. Baoda Ward is right next to Donghua Gate. Those living east of the imperial city all use that gate; there's no reason to deliberately detour to the west. Your Highness, don't make a sound, just wait! But you must promise this servant that you'll leave after just one look. The longer you linger here, the more our little lives hang in the balance." His small eyes darted around nimbly as he lowered his voice, "The Eastern Factory agents are currently under Director Xiao's control. Who knows when His Excellency might show up here? If he sees you, think about how you'd explain it!"
Wanwan retorted defiantly, "So what if he sees me? I'm the Princess Royal. Why should I fear him?"
Wu Qi and Xiao You looked at her with pity, their eyes filled with the unspoken helplessness of "whether you fear him or not, you know best."
Actually, what did "fear" even mean? Their statuses were worlds apart; she had no reason to fear him at all. Her feelings toward Director Xiao were more accurately described as fondness—wanting to see him yet not daring to. When he looked at her, she felt like burrowing into the ground, afraid she wasn't good enough or pretty enough, that he might secretly disdain her. Young girls truly harbor no prejudice; in her eyes, eunuchs were just like normal people. But later, after hearing from Xiao You about his tangled connections with Empress Zhao, she suddenly lamented how a flawless jade could be tarnished, a bright pearl cast into darkness. What had once filled her with longing now filled her with regret.
She turned her head and wrinkled her nose. Such behavior would have been utterly unthinkable in Cultivating Virtue Palace, but dressed in a little eunuch's attire, she felt completely at ease, as if she had escaped from under the scrutiny of countless eyes. Small people had their own composure and joys.
But after craning her neck and waiting for a long time, there was still no sign of the Prince of Nanyuan. She turned to ask Wu Qi, "How do we recognize him? What exactly does the Prince of Nanyuan look like?"
Wu Qi admitted he hadn't seen him either and was equally clueless. "We'll just look at the rank badges on their chests. There are only eight Feudal Princes anyway. Your Highness, watch carefully—anyone with a four-clawed dragon on their chest, just check them all, and that'll be it."
Wanwan thought it over and found it reasonable, so she stood at the back of the eunuch procession, holding a horsetail whisk. Xiao You was the first to spot someone approaching the gate and nudged her several times. She widened her eyes to look: it was a man in Feudal Prince court attire, with a large head and broad mouth, a belt spanning ten hand-widths around his waist, walking in sideways, looking even taller lying down than standing up.
Perhaps the prosperity of Jiangnan had nurtured him well, making him so carefree and portly. Wanwan thought this person might be the Prince of Nanyuan because he met her standard for ugliness. Xiao You stuck out her tongue and shrugged in disappointment. In her view, someone truly bizarre had to have eyes and a nose all out of place. Great Ye had enjoyed peace for over two hundred years, and high-ranking officials and nobles had little to do. As soon as the weather turned cool, they busied themselves putting on autumn fat. Being a bit plump wasn't unusual—wasn't that just the way of the imperial court?
"Let's wait a bit longer. This is only the first one!" Xiao You remained undaunted.Today's banquet had a large number of attendees; aside from those from outlying regions, all notable figures from the imperial court were also on the guest list. Ministers arrived in waves, followed by a string of Two-character Princes. Wanwan didn't recognize any of these imperial clansmen, only knowing they all wore Colored Square Dragon Rank Badges. Fortunately, Wu Qi was there, reciting names like a menu: "Prince of Changshan, Prince of Bohai, King Chengdu..."
At the East Flowery Gate, people streamed past continuously. They waited eagerly for half an hour but ultimately saw nothing out of the ordinary. Xiao You gritted his teeth and sized up Wu Qi: "Let's guess how you'll end up dying!"
Wanwan chimed in boredly, "Nine out of ten times, it'll be from sheer stupidity."
Wu Qi looked utterly bewildered. "This servant doesn't know where the mistake was..."
Before he could finish, a eunuch with long eyebrows and narrow eyes shouted at them, "Still dawdling here? The west side is so busy they can't keep their heels on the ground, and you're standing here like idle bystanders with nothing to do. Get over there now!"
The eunuch was blind to their status, scolding Xiao You, Wu Qi, and even Princess Chang without distinction. The three of them didn't dare argue, tucking their tails and scurrying through the Gate of Concord onto the Celestial Street in front of the Hall of Martial Valor.
Wanwan was panting heavily from running, clutching her knees and complaining, "What kind of person is he, cursing at the drop of a hat?"
Wu Qi, thick-skinned and unfazed, said, "What's the big deal? That's just how we eunuchs live. Getting scolded is considered good—if they're unhappy, they'll beat you, and you still have to take it." He pointed ahead, "We were just worried about not being able to move, and now we've been assigned here. If we're lucky and the Prince of Nanyuan hasn't entered the palace yet, we might catch a glimpse of him."
Thinking it over, they considered it a blessing in disguise. The three of them jogged to the gate, where Wu Qi ran into a former fellow sweeper. He nudged him with his elbow and asked if the Prince of Nanyuan had entered the palace. The other shook his head, "Haven't seen the Prince of Nanyuan's nameplate. He definitely hasn't arrived yet."
Wanwan, not used to much activity, felt the muscles in her calves twitching from all the back-and-forth running. What she had been so eager to do earlier now seemed utterly uninteresting. Looking back, she realized how idle and absurd she had been. She had lost most of her interest in the Prince of Nanyuan but couldn't return now, forced to stand here doing nothing.
She looked up at the sky, which had turned overcast without her noticing. It had been clear and sunny when she had her fruit tea in the afternoon, but by late afternoon, clouds had gathered—was it going to rain?
A swift breeze blew past, thinning the lingering summer heat in the air. She stood attentively, hearing the steady clatter of hooves from outside the West Flowery Gate and the crisp jingling of copper bells on the bridles. A line of eunuchs hurried out to meet them, taking over from the officials' attendants and guiding them inside the threshold. Eastern Factory agents crossed their hands in salute, saying, "All who enter the inner palace must not carry sharp weapons. We are ordered to conduct inspections. Please forgive the offense, Your Excellency."
Thus, they conducted a thorough search from head to toe, leaving no room for error. After passing the inspection, they entered the palace, still led by inner palace eunuchs. Unfortunately, by the time the palace attendants were almost all assigned, the three of them were still standing tall and idle. So, when the roll was called, their names were the ones that came up.Wu Qi, seeing there was no way to avoid it, signaled for them to slip away if they could, while he stepped forward to take on the task of escorting someone to the Hall of Imperial Zenith. Xiao You grew a bit flustered, leaning close to Wanwan and asking what they should do. Running now was out of the question unless they revealed their identities. If they did, the entire Forbidden City would know the Princess Royal had been fooling around—how could she ever save face in front of the imperial consorts after that?
At this moment, Wanwan displayed the composure of a seasoned commander. Though her words stumbled, her expression remained utterly composed. “It’s fine. You go… it’s my turn… I’ll go. We’ll meet up at Cultivating Virtue Palace.”
She just didn’t know what kind of storm would erupt once Nanny Li found out about this. Xiao You reluctantly went off to handle her duties, and the trio’s formation instantly splintered, leaving Wanwan standing alone beside the drum-shaped gate pier. A light drizzle began to fall from the sky. Squinting her eyes, she realized no one had issued oil-treated raincoats to eunuchs like them. She could only hang her hands by her sides, letting the wind and rain beat down on her. This pampered young lady suddenly realized this line of work wasn’t so easy—no wonder Wu Qi always spoke of past hardships, saying life as a junior fire attendant had been utterly devoid of humanity, and it was only after arriving at Cultivating Virtue Palace that things slowly improved. Now she too began to miss that quilt with the gourd and double happiness pattern. After being lightly scented with incense and slipping beneath it, one felt as if they’d tumbled into a warm dream…
“Hey, what are you daydreaming about!” Just as she was lost in thought, a thunderous voice exploded beside her ear. The lead eunuch’s face was pulled long with displeasure. “What are you staring at? I’m talking to you! A heavy downpour is coming, and you’re standing there like a wooden post—are you trying to let the Prince get soaked?” A smoke tree umbrella was roughly shoved into her hands as the lead eunuch urged her on repeatedly, “Hurry, hurry!”
Those unaccustomed to labor often seemed a bit slow. Resentfully, she opened the umbrella and moved toward the gate. She didn’t know to offer greetings or salutations, merely bowing slightly and holding the umbrella high, waiting for the official to enter through the West Flowery Gate.
“Did His Highness rest well yesterday?”
“Your journey to the capital was quite rushed, Your Highness. It must have been exhausting…”
The eunuchs spared no effort in making small talk. Only then did Wanwan lift her eyelids to look outside—the newcomer wore a Winged Virtue Crown and a red round-collared robe with a coiled dragon. Though of a spirited age, he carried the dignified and balanced bearing of polished jinshi stone. As he entered, perhaps unintentionally, his sleeve brushed against a red oak tree, causing the flowering branches to sway and scatter petals across the ground. The connection between man and blossom suddenly softened the scene.
Wanwan had always thought Director Xiao was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but this one before her seemed capable of giving him a run for his money. His features were more defined than most—deep-set eyes, sharp contours. Rather than merely refined, he was beautiful in a way that defied convention, a beauty that was bold and unbridled. Yet this beauty wasn’t of the ordinary kind; it seeped into the very marrow of his bones, impossible to fully appreciate in one glance, yet unforgettable once seen.
For no reason, Wanwan sighed softly, thinking of Director Xiao again… The rain cast a hazy veil over the scene, and a faint red glow appeared on the horizon. The weather in May was truly perplexing. Holding the umbrella, she stole another glance—this time, her gaze met his. In his eyes, golden rings seemed to flicker faintly, like a brilliant light breaking through dense mist.Her heart suddenly raced, pounding like ten thousand galloping horses, as if she glimpsed a scene of chaos and war. Wanwan bit her lip and lowered her head again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him raise his hand. The inner garment was folded into a crimson sleeve, forming a border about an inch wide, accentuating his fair and slender fingers. He placed a bronze plaque into the tray. On it, a row of small characters was deeply engraved, reading: "Feudatory Official Yu of Jiangnan Circuit."
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