As dusk approached, the imperial study hall dismissed its royal pupils.
The four-year-old Seventh Prince carefully arranged the best calligraphy he had written today—the one that had earned his tutor's praise. When he showed it to his mother, she would surely commend him.
With this thought, he glanced at the Third Prince ahead, who was also tidying his belongings.
The Third Prince was his full-blooded elder brother, both being sons of Consort Zhuang.
Despite this, the Seventh Prince had always felt their mother favored his third brother. Whenever they paid their respects to her together, her gaze lingered almost exclusively on the elder sibling. The younger prince longed to be looked upon with such tenderness, to be held and praised by her. This year, as soon as he was permitted to study in the imperial hall, he had devoted himself earnestly to his lessons, believing excellence would earn his mother's approval.
As the princes dispersed, the Seventh Prince caught up with the Third Prince, and the two walked side by side toward Consort Zhuang's Yikun Palace.
"Do you enjoy your studies, Little Seven?" the Third Prince asked along the way.
The Seventh Prince nodded. "Yes."
The Third Prince smiled. "If there's anything you don't understand, ask me. I'll teach you."
At eight years old, the Third Prince already possessed considerable maturity for a royal. He knew that among all their brothers, only Little Seven was his true sibling by blood. While others might compete for their father's favor and attention, Little Seven never would. When they grew up, the younger prince would become his most reliable ally.
The Seventh Prince, having just begun his education, had learned little so far and thus had no academic questions.
His greatest confusion was why their mother preferred his brother.
But he kept this to himself, aware that even his brother couldn't fathom their mother's thoughts.
Upon reaching Yikun Palace, they found Emperor Jiande present as well.
"Your sons pay respects to Father Emperor," the Third Prince led the greeting, with the Seventh Prince following.
Emperor Jiande smiled, aware the boys had just come from their studies, and first examined the Third Prince's progress.
As the elder prince answered, the Seventh Prince nervously clenched his fists, his bright eyes darting between his father and mother. He knew he would soon be tested—what if he answered incorrectly? Should he show the emperor his prized calligraphy? But Father Emperor was so stern—what if he disapproved?
The Third Prince demonstrated exceptional brilliance, delighting the emperor. The better his answers, the more Emperor Jiande probed his knowledge with increasingly challenging questions.
Time passed until the emperor finally stumped the Third Prince.
Rather than struggling to respond, the elder prince gracefully requested his father's guidance.
This composure pleased Emperor Jiande even more, and he patiently explained the concept to his son.
As their conversation concluded, the Seventh Prince's anxiety peaked. Just as he braced for his own interrogation, Consort Zhuang—who had been observing with a smile—spoke up. Her voice was soft and alluring as she addressed the emperor, "Your Majesty, it grows late. Shall I have the evening meal served?"
Consort Zhuang's captivating beauty instantly diverted Emperor Jiande's thoughts to more intimate matters. Earlier, while resting from reviewing memorials, he had recalled a tender moment with her and decided to visit that evening. Since nightfall approached, an earlier meal would allow them to sooner indulge in pleasures.
Emperor Jiande nodded his assent.
With a smile, Consort Zhuang ordered the meal to be served.Neither the Emperor nor Consort Zhuang noticed the Seventh Prince's tension and disappointment. The Third Prince was still pondering his father's teachings and didn't pay attention to his younger brother either.
During the meal, Consort Zhuang's attention remained entirely on Emperor Jiande. The Seventh Prince sat silently beside his elder brother, eating properly according to etiquette. After finishing their meal, the two princes requested permission to withdraw in unison and returned together to the princes' residence. The Third Prince accompanied the Seventh Prince all the way to Yunhai Residence before returning to his own quarters.
Li Yuniang had been waiting in the courtyard since earlier.
She was the Seventh Prince's wet nurse. Initially, she was merely one of two wet nurses Consort Zhuang had prepared for the Seventh Prince. When the prince experienced discomfort after drinking the other wet nurse's milk, Li Yuniang became his sole wet nurse. After the Seventh Prince was weaned, she continued serving as his personal attendant.
Li Yuniang had originally entered the palace to become a wet nurse out of necessity.
Both she and her husband came from poor families. When her husband passed the imperial examinations and obtained a minor official position in the capital, they thought their hard days were finally over. Little did they expect how expensive everything in the capital would be - from housing to social obligations, even basic necessities cost money. The couple could only squeeze into the government-provided accommodation for officials.
With the burden of living expenses resting entirely on her husband's shoulders, Li Yuniang felt for his struggles. When she heard the palace was selecting wet nurses for the princes - requiring them to be wives of officials, offering ten taels of silver per month with potential bonuses for good service - she was immediately tempted. After discussing with her husband, she applied and was fortunately selected.
Though Li Yuniang entered the palace for the money, once she actually held the Seventh Prince in her arms, nursing and caring for him day and night, she came to regard him completely as her own child in her heart. She naturally didn't expect the prince to see her as his mother; Li Yuniang simply hoped this child would grow up peacefully, free from illness and hardship, without suffering any bitterness.
Though the sky had darkened, Li Yuniang could still discern the displeasure on the Seventh Prince's face.
The Seventh Prince ignored her and quickly entered his residence.
Li Yuniang slowed her pace and quietly inquired with Eunuch Kang, who attended the Seventh Prince. Though only thirteen years old, Eunuch Kang possessed remarkable perceptiveness, having observed and understood every one of the prince's movements and moods. He quickly explained: "His Highness's calligraphy was praised by his tutor, but he didn't get to show it to Her Majesty."
Understanding the situation, Li Yuniang turned to attend to the Seventh Prince.
Having been unable to express his feelings at Yikun Palace, where he had to conceal even his disappointment, the Seventh Prince now back in his own domain didn't throw a tantrum but no longer hid his dejection. With drooping eyelashes and pursed lips, he looked so pitiful that Li Yuniang's heart ached. No one understood better than her how well-behaved and easily comforted the Seventh Prince truly was.
The Seventh Prince threw the calligraphy he hadn't been able to present to his father and mother onto the table.
Pretending to tidy up, Li Yuniang unfolded the paper and asked in surprise: "Your Highness, why have you brought back the characters written by your tutor?"
The Seventh Prince had noticed her actions and had been anticipating her reaction to seeing his calligraphy. Hearing her mistake it for his tutor's work, he replied somewhat displeased: "It's not my tutor's - I wrote it."
Li Yuniang expressed even greater astonishment: "These characters are so exquisitely written, with such forceful brushstrokes that penetrate the paper - could they really be Your Highness's work?"
Hearing this, the Seventh Prince's lips couldn't help curling upward slightly.
Li Yuniang held the paper with both hands, examining it carefully while offering continuous praise. For a character with seven strokes, she could find seven different ways toHe praised every stroke of the character, making the Seventh Prince blush with embarrassment.
In a better mood, when Li Yuniang coaxed him to sleep, the Seventh Prince lay in bed, gazing at his wet nurse seated beside him, and finally voiced his innermost thoughts: "Nurse, does Mother Consort dislike me? Today, Father Emperor was present too. He asked Third Brother many questions, but just as it was about to be my turn, Mother Consort interrupted."
Li Yuniang asked gently, "Why did Her Highness interrupt?"
The Seventh Prince replied, "It was time to eat."
Li Yuniang said, "That explains it. The Emperor is burdened with countless affairs of state every day, and Her Highness was likely concerned about the Emperor going hungry, so she reminded him at the appropriate moment after he finished speaking. It wasn’t because she dislikes Your Highness."
The Seventh Prince felt somewhat comforted.
Li Yuniang patted his head and said, "Your Highness, the older one gets, the more worries one carries. Sometimes adults may seem idle, as if they’re doing nothing, but their minds are occupied with many matters. So, if Your Highness ever feels neglected by someone, it may not be because they truly wish to ignore you, but because they are preoccupied with their own thoughts."
The Seventh Prince seemed to understand, yet not entirely.
Li Yuniang continued, "The concerns of adults will become clear to Your Highness when you grow older. For now, since you are still young, focus on your studies. If Your Highness writes beautifully, memorizes texts fluently, understands them thoroughly, and masters martial arts so well that you can confidently respond whenever the Emperor or Her Highness examines you, they will naturally praise you."
This, the Seventh Prince understood. With determined eyes, he declared, "I will work hard!"
Some time later, the Seventh Prince finally had a chance to showcase his abilities before Consort Zhuang. He recited a recently learned essay clearly and fluently.
Consort Zhuang was delighted. Holding the Seventh Prince’s shoulders, she said, "Hui’er is so clever, just as smart as your Third Brother was at your age." Her children were superior to the other princes—both sons brought her pride.
The Seventh Prince was overjoyed. Mother Consort had finally praised him.
But at the dinner table, Consort Zhuang continued to chat incessantly with the Third Prince, only occasionally serving dishes to the Seventh Prince.
In May, the Dragon Boat Festival was to be held, and several princes argued over supporting different dragon boat teams. The quarrel escalated into a physical fight. The Second Prince threw the first punch at the Third Prince, who retaliated in kind. The two tangled together, and when the Fifth Prince joined in to help the Second Prince, the Seventh Prince rushed to aid the Third Prince. In the chaos, someone’s fist struck the Seventh Prince’s face, causing his nose to bleed.
News of the princes’ brawl spread quickly, and several consorts hurried to the scene.
Upon seeing Consort Zhuang, the Seventh Prince’s eyes reddened, and the tears he had been holding back finally fell. But Consort Zhuang’s attention was entirely fixed on the Third Prince’s face. She noticed a scratch from fingernails on his neck and a red mark on his forehead. Anxiously, she gripped the Third Prince’s arm, checking to see if he had been disfigured.
It was the Third Prince who, turning his head, noticed the Seventh Prince being tended to by Eunuch Kang. The little boy’s hair was disheveled, his face bruised and swollen, with tears streaming down.
The Third Prince wanted to check on his younger brother, but Consort Zhuang pulled his shoulder back, worriedly asking if he had any other injuries.
The Third Prince shook his head and was about to remind his mother to see to his brother when the Second Prince’s mother approached to confront them.What followed was a fierce battle among the consorts and concubines. In the end, Emperor Jiande arrived and punished the princes involved in the fight, while the accompanying eunuchs were also beaten with boards.
When the Seventh Prince saw the blood on Eunuch Kang's buttocks, he fell ill that very night, developing a fever.
His head ached, his face hurt where he had been struck, and in his dizzy, dazed state, he called out for his mother.
A warm hand pressed against his forehead, soon replaced by a cool cloth. The Seventh Prince blinked open his teary eyes and saw a familiar, beautiful face—as lovely as his mother’s, but his mother had never looked at him with such gentle eyes.
“Nanny,” the Seventh Prince sobbed, tears flowing even more freely. He missed his mother; he longed for her to be by his side. “Nanny, why does Mother only care for my elder brother? She didn’t even look at me after I was beaten.”
These words cut into Li Yuniang’s heart like a knife. She felt deeply aggrieved on behalf of the Seventh Prince—such a well-behaved and sensible child. Why couldn’t Consort Zhuang spare a little more care for him?
“Your Highness is still small and was blocked by taller figures. Eat well and grow taller, and Her Ladyship will surely notice you,” Li Yuniang coaxed softly.
The Seventh Prince recalled the scene and thought perhaps his mother truly hadn’t seen him.
Li Yuniang wiped the tears from the Seventh Prince’s face, cleaned him up, and reapplied the swelling-reducing ointment.
Gazing at his nanny’s gentle face, the Seventh Prince couldn’t help but whisper, “I wish you were my mother.”
Li Yuniang smiled, applying the ointment as she replied softly, “If Your Highness were truly my son, you wouldn’t be a prince—you’d be lucky to eat meat even a few times a year. It’s precisely because you have a noble mother that you can afford a wet nurse and I can enter the palace to serve you. Your Highness must always remember: Her Ladyship is your birth mother. No one in this world cares for you more deeply than she does. We servants are good to you partly because we rely on our wages to support our families, and partly because we’re paid to do our duties. If we neglect you and something happens, we’ll be beaten and punished.”
The Seventh Prince pursed his lips, dissatisfied that his nanny served him only for money, yet also reminded of the beaten Eunuch Kang.
After finishing with the ointment and putting it away, Li Yuniang noticed the Seventh Prince still watching her. After a moment’s thought, she said gently, “We serve Your Highness for our wages, and we dare not neglect our duties under imperial orders. But when Your Highness treats us well, we servants genuinely wish for your happiness and success—such bonds grow over time. Her Ladyship is different. She shares a blood bond with you. Even without payment, she would never abandon you. She’s just too busy—she must find ways to ensure both princes live well in the palace, and protect you both during conflicts. That’s why she can’t always be by your side. But distance doesn’t mean lack of care. Your Highness must understand her.”
The Seventh Prince remained silent.
The next day, Consort Zhuang visited the princes’ quarters. She first went to see the Third Prince, then came to check on the Seventh Prince. Seeing the bruises on his face, she felt both heartache and anger. Holding him close, she promised she would avenge him one day.
The Seventh Prince didn’t need revenge—he was content just to have his mother hold him like this.
Yet after this brief moment of tenderness, everything returned to normal.
Consort Zhuang still favored the Third Prince more, constantly praising him, while the Seventh Prince could only watch silently from the sidelines.At first, the Seventh Prince still tried to win his mother's affection, but gradually, he stopped striving.
He understood his wet nurse's words and believed his mother held a place for him in her heart, yet the Seventh Prince did not desire that kind of mother.
But it didn't matter—whatever his mother failed to give him, whether due to indifference or lack of time, his wet nurse provided.
At ten years old, the Seventh Prince studied diligently in the imperial study. His academic performance and martial skills appeared unremarkable, and Consort Zhuang paid him less and less attention. Emperor Jiande rarely noticed this son either. Instead, the Third Prince shone like a radiant pearl, attracting increasing notice.
Only Li Yuniang knew how exceptional the Seventh Prince truly was. Yet, after living in the palace for so long, Li Yuniang felt it was just as well for the Seventh Prince to remain inconspicuous.
That same year, the Third Prince suddenly fell gravely ill and passed away.
Emperor Jiande, heartbroken by the loss of his beloved son, ordered a thorough investigation. Consort Zhuang wept bitterly, and dark clouds seemed to hang over the palace.
It was later discovered that the Third Prince had died as a result of harem conflicts. Emperor Jiande executed a group of people involved.
The Seventh Prince had lost his elder brother.
Though his mother was cold toward him, the two brothers had studied together in the imperial study, and the Third Prince had often looked out for the Seventh Prince, even if the latter might not have needed it.
After his brother's death, the Seventh Prince would cry secretly at night and lose his appetite during the day.
The execution of the culprits did little to ease the Seventh Prince's grief.
One night, he dreamed of the Third Prince—in the dream, his brother was seized by two sinister-looking palace maids who covered his mouth. The Seventh Prince wept and struggled to rescue his elder brother, but his hands and feet were bound, leaving him helpless to watch as his brother was dragged away...
Rage and anguish jolted the Seventh Prince awake from the nightmare.
Gasping for breath, it took him a moment to realize someone was sitting by his bedside.
Shocked, the Seventh Prince looked over.
It was Consort Zhuang, her hair disheveled, her face pale, and her gaze vacant as she stared at him.
In that instant, a chill ran through the Seventh Prince's entire body.
As a child, he had often wished his mother would watch over him like his wet nurse did when he had nightmares. Now that she had finally come, he felt only fear.
"Did Huige'er have a bad dream?" Consort Zhuang's eyes regained a flicker of concern as she asked.
The Seventh Prince paused, then shook his head.
Having grown distant for so long, mother and son had nothing left to say to each other.
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