Translator – Ink Hub
Editor – Ms. B

A few yards away on the corridor, Prince Xuan and his wife watched this scene from a distance.

The Princess Consort said softly, “I didn’t expect Prince Zhao and his wife to be so deeply in love, unable to part for even a moment.”

Prince Xuan’s emotions were complex.

The two women were so similar, and with the makeup, one could hardly tell the difference at a glance.

But one was bright and flamboyant, while the other was gentle and reserved. One had been whispering sweet nothings in his arms only yesterday, yet her nearly identical younger sister was now his imperial brother’s bedfellow.

Seeing that familiar face leaning against someone else’s chest, embracing another man so intimately—even though he knew they were not the same person—Prince Xuan found the sight incredibly piercing.

He slowly withdrew his gaze, his tone turning slightly cold. “Let’s go.”

***

Under the rockery, Yan Xuecuī heard the footsteps fading into the distance, the smile on his lips never wavering.

Reason told him the act should end here, but his body remained addicted to the warmth and softness in his arms, unwilling to let go for a long time.

Held in his embrace, Chi Ying felt the hand on her lower back tighten even further. She took a sharp breath. “Your Highness, are you feeling better?”

Though they were in the shadows, this was still the Imperial Garden. The sounds of people were everywhere. If they were seen and word got out, she truly wouldn’t be able to show her face again.

But then she thought—even if it was embarrassing, it was Chi Yingyue’s reputation at stake. No one knew her true identity.

Since Prince Zhao refused to let go, her worrying was useless.

Yan Xuecuī, seeing that she was no longer stiffly struggling, contentedly cupped the back of her head. He pressed her cheek gently against his neck, savoring the soft contact.

It wasn’t until the voices of women talking drew closer that Chi Ying realized she still couldn’t overcome her inner hurdle. She softly called “Your Highness” to remind him.

Yan Xuecuī furrowed his brows and, with a trace of secret frustration, released her.

Chi Ying stepped out of his arms, breathing a sigh of relief. Three women in lavish silk gowns walked out from behind the rockery. The leader wore a bright red dress embroidered with a hundred butterflies among flowers. She had ruby lips and pearly teeth, her beauty full and radiant.

Chi Ying had studied the portraits several times and remembered this face most clearly. Suppressing her nervousness, she leaned forward slightly in a greeting. “Peace to Princess Huizhen.”

She was currently Chi Yingyue, the Princess Consort of Zhao. She didn’t need to perform a full formal bow to a princess; she just needed to act as if she recognized her.

The other two women were not in the portraits. They were likely noble daughters close to Princess Huizhen. Chi Ying wasn’t sure if Chi Yingyue knew them, so she simply nodded in greeting.

However, the two women seemed reluctant. Only because of her status as a Princess Consort did they bow back.

Chi Ying worried privately, guessing these two must be old acquaintances of Chi Yingyue, and perhaps they even had a history of conflict.

Yan Xuecuī stepped forward from behind her. “So it is Imperial Sister.”

Princess Huizhen was two years older than Yan Xuecuī. She had married and left the palace years ago and wasn’t close to him. She had heard of his violent reputation outside. Encountering him now, even though she knew he was blind, his half-smiling expression sent an unbidden chill down her spine.

“Seventh Brother, Sister-in-Law.” Princess Huizhen’s voice was a bit tight. “It has been a long time.”

Yan Xuecuī asked with a smile, “Is the Princess Consort an old acquaintance of Imperial Sister?”

Chi Ying clenched her fingers and took the initiative. “Yes, I have been to the Princess’s estate to watch musical performances.”

Yan Xuecuī curled his lips. “It seems the friendship is deep.”

Chi Ying couldn’t exactly say that it was Chi Yingyue who had always proactively sought out the powerful, and how others viewed her was a different matter entirely.

Before she could speak, one of the noble ladies behind Princess Huizhen chuckled softly. “Is it not so? The Princess loves to socialize, and there are always people eager to flatter and curry favor. Some slap their own faces to look fat, claiming deep friendships with the Princess… of course, I am naturally not speaking of the Princess Consort.”

Princess Huizhen glared at her, signaling her to be quiet. She turned to Yan Xuecuī. “We are going over there to admire the flowers. We won’t disturb Seventh Brother and Sister-in-Law.”

Yan Xuecuī’s smile remained. “As you wish, Imperial Sister.”

Chi Ying didn’t take the woman’s words to heart. After all, the “pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust” wasn’t directed at her. She was just relieved that Princess Huizhen hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

As Princess Huizhen’s group headed toward the peony garden, the two noble ladies—one the daughter of the Vice Minister of Works and the other the daughter of the General of Manifest Decorum—who had previously looked down on Chi Yingyue for her family’s declining status, began to whisper behind the Princess.

“Truly, times have changed. Before, how diligent and fawning she was toward the Princess. Now that she’s a Princess Consort, she won’t even look at us properly.”

“Look at how proud she is. Once the imperial decree was issued, she vanished. Seeing her again, we actually have to bow respectfully to her.”

“If you ask me, she’s a vixen! She must have used some unspeakable means to get that marriage decree. It’s only because Prince Zhao is blind that he doesn’t know what kind of face his bedfellow has.”

“Most likely it’s just glory on the surface, and who knows the bitterness beneath? I’ve heard Prince Zhao is cruel. Who knows how many ways he has to torture people? I bet she’s just swallowing her broken teeth and blood.”

“Enough, both of you be quiet…”

Although they lowered their voices, every word of their discussion fell perfectly into Yan Xuecuī’s ears.

Just then, Princess Yuxi ran over, saying they were playing Pitch-pot outside Fufeng Hall and shouting for them to join.

The banquet had not yet begun. People were in groups—concubines admiring and arranging flowers, young masters playing grass-fighting with palace maids, and royals of similar ages drinking poetry wine or playing Pitch-pot and Shefu.

Chi Ying didn’t want to socialize. She declined, “Princess, go play. I will just stay with His Highness.”

Princess Yuxi said, “Brother Zhao should come too! Sister-in-Law, you don’t know, Brother used to…”

She caught herself before saying “never miss a shot.” Brother Zhao was blind; how could she poke at his wound?

Chi Ying saw the clear disappointment and pity in her eyes.

While blindness was a tragedy, she still remembered the first time they met. Prince Zhao had pierced an assassin’s neck with a single arrow. At the time, she had thought he was faking his blindness. To have such accuracy from such a distance just by listening—even a general who could pierce a willow leaf at a hundred paces was only so good.

If he could do that with a bow, a mere game of Pitch-pot was nothing.

Chi Ying looked hesitantly at Prince Zhao. “Does Your Highness want to go?”

Yan Xuecuī pressed his lips together. “You go with Yuxi first. I have some business to attend to. I will find you in a bit.”

Princess Yuxi laughed immediately. “Sister-in-Law, let’s go! We’ll go together!”

Since Prince Zhao had said so and Princess Yuxi was so insistent, Chi Ying could no longer refuse.

Fortunately, it was lively outside Fufeng Hall. Everyone was taking turns at Pitch-pot. Standing quietly to the side, she wasn’t too conspicuous.

Palace maids from the flower house entered in a line, carrying red lacquer trays. Each tray held freshly picked peonies. The leading maid said with a smile, “The Empress bestows flowers upon all the masters.”

Hearing this, Princess Yuxi excitedly pulled Princess Chunyi over to pick flowers. Since she wore a pink dress, she chose a “Zhao Pink” peony. She held a few branches against Princess Chunyi’s temples to compare before finally choosing a “White Snow Tower” and pinning it into her hair.

Someone in the crowd laughed and quoted, “Beauty hides the past and present, the peony shames the jade face.” The atmosphere became lively. The concubines and noble ladies no longer held back, stepping forward to choose their favorite flowers. Outside Fufeng Hall, the air was filled with the scent of perfume and the rustle of silk.

For those like Chi Ying who didn’t want to squeeze into the crowd, the maids brought the remaining peonies to them.

Beside Chi Ying was the Princess Consort of Rui, whom she had just greeted. The maid who approached happened to have only two peonies left. Fortunately, these were all carefully selected by the flower house, each one full and magnificent, not at all like leftover scraps. The two women politely deferred to each other.

The Princess Consort of Rui was wearing a mallow-purple gown today, so she first chose the “Crimson Gauze Caged Jade” peony that matched her dress. She pointed to the other one for Chi Ying. “Sister-in-Law is young and beautiful; that ‘Silver Red Reflecting Jade’ suits you perfectly.”

Chi Ying smiled and nodded, also feeling that the Silver Red Reflecting Jade was more appropriate for her.

Once everyone had their peonies and adjusted their hair, the Pitch-pot game continued.

Chi Ying scanned the surroundings, wondering where Prince Zhao had gone. Being here alone made her feel somewhat constrained and uneasy.

***

Under the rockery, Yan Xuecuī made a subtle hand gesture. Cheng Huai immediately stepped forward to receive orders.

Yan Xuecuī asked, “Who were the two women with Huizhen?”

Cheng Huai bowed. “This subordinate will investigate immediately.”

Yan Xuecuī didn’t bother with detours. “Thoroughly investigate their fathers. See if there is any corruption, dereliction of duty, or bribery. Look into their private conduct as well. Once confirmed, report it immediately to the Censorate for prosecution.”

Cheng Huai understood. His Highness was going to ruin these two families. From their official careers to their private morals—if one truly investigated, few officials in the previous court were clean.

Cheng Huai immediately took the order.

However, he hesitated on one more matter. After a moment’s thought, he reported, “This morning, the hidden guards reported that there is news from Spring Willow Court.”

Yan Xuecuī’s brow twitched. “What did they find?”

Cheng Huai said, “A Concubine Xue lives in that Spring Willow Court. She was moved back to the Marquis’s estate from a rural villa last winter. It is said she is gravely ill and was brought back for treatment.”

Yan Xuecuī mused, “So the Jiji Pills the Princess had Baoshan buy, and the physician summoned from Huichun Hall, were all to treat her?”

Cheng Huai nodded. “Yes.”

Yan Xuecuī recalled the bamboo slips the hidden guards had delivered earlier. They mentioned this Concubine Xue and her daughter—*The third daughter of the Chi family, Chi Ying, age sixteen, born of Concubine Xue. At age nine, due to playfulness, she caused Madam Yin’s miscarriage. She and her mother were driven to the rural farm. Last year, she returned to the estate to beg for medicine…*

His expression grew solemn. In his mind, it was like silk being pulled from a cocoon; he finally grasped a long-buried truth.

Chi… Ying.

Yan Xuecuī asked in a low voice, “Do we know where this daughter of Concubine Xue… Chi Ying, is now?”

Cheng Huai said, “The hidden guards interrogated a servant woman from Spring Willow Court. She said that ever since Concubine Xue returned to the estate, they have never seen this Third Lady again.”

Yan Xuecuī pondered for a long time, and a knowing smile finally touched his lips.

A daughter so filial that she would return to the estate to beg for medicine for her mother—how could she disappear for half a year while her mother remained in the estate to recover?

Combine that with the Princess’s temperament, which was completely different from before her marriage; her several arguments with Madam Yin after returning to the estate; her specifically sending a doctor to Spring Willow Court for the concubine; and the phrase “swap back” that the martial maid had overheard at the Chi estate…

With all these pieces, what was there left that Yan Xuecuī couldn’t understand?

The chaotic mists in his heart cleared instantly.

So that was it.

It was… Chi Ying.

He softly whispered the name. Recalling her warm, soft embrace and her gentle, clear voice, his very bones felt a sudden ache of pleasure. A sense of unprecedented satisfaction flooded his mind.

Outside Fufeng Hall, someone finally noticed the Princess Consort of Zhao standing silently in the corner. They immediately handed her an arrow, urging her to step forward and show off her skills.

***

As all eyes turned toward them, Chi Ying wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

The two noblewomen beside Princess Huizhen saw her hesitation and immediately began to stir the pot. “Don’t you all know? The Princess Consort of Zhao is a master of archery; she hits nine out of ten shots. This little distance won’t trouble her at all.”

These words undoubtedly thrust her further into the fire.

Chi Ying’s fingers clenched into a fist, her nails digging deep into her palm. Just then, a warm, large hand suddenly reached out, gently enveloping her fingers.

Chi Ying turned to look at Prince Zhao, a faint trace of bitterness rising in her heart.

Yan Xuecuī smiled and asked, “Do you want to go?”

As soon as he arrived, the surrounding clamor died down.

Chi Ying found an excuse, whispering to him, “I… my hand still hurts.”

Going would only lead to humiliation. Furthermore, she didn’t know the extent of Chi Yingyue’s skill; if her own archery was worlds apart from her sister’s, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Yan Xuecuī said indifferently, “If you don’t want to go, then don’t. You are my Princess Consort; does anyone actually dare to force you?”

His voice was neither loud nor heavy, yet it was clear enough for everyone present to hear.

Especially those who had been jeering just moments ago; sensing the protection Prince Zhao was showing his wife, their spines stiffened and they fell as silent as cicadas in winter.

Chi Ying was also slightly stunned.

She had never imagined that a problem could be solved with a simple “I’m not going.”

Unfortunately, she wasn’t the real Princess Consort of Zhao. She was a counterfeit who had been powerless against all sorts of coercion, lacking the confidence to say no to anyone.

Chi Ying suppressed her dimming emotions as he led her by the hand away from the crowd.

Yan Xuecuī said, “The fault was mine just now. I shouldn’t have left for so long, making you feel uncomfortable.”

Chi Ying pursed her lips. “It was alright.”

Yan Xuecuī chuckled. “But why do I see that you don’t look quite right, A-Ying?”

Chi Ying had just managed to steady her low mood, but at that sudden, unexpected address, her head began to ring and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Did he call her “A-Ying”… or was it “A-Ying”?

***

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