As soon as the mention of that Miss Chen came up, the emperor felt his head ache.
If this matter were to be traced back, it would be quite a long story, spanning nearly two years.
Li Fuxiang had grown up under the emperor’s care and, in some respects, was no different from an ordinary child. The emperor no longer confined him to the Qianqing Palace and tried to give him some freedom. With experts accompanying him, the emperor permitted him to leave the palace to play. Li Fuxiang loved wandering around the capital, exploring every interesting place. That incident, however, was purely a coincidence. Two years ago, while riding past the lakeside, he encountered Minister Chen of the Ministry of Personnel’s beloved daughter admiring lotus flowers. She accidentally lost her footing and fell into the water.
Li Fuxiang simply reached out and saved a person.
But when Miss Chen returned home, that very night, she cried and wailed, almost hanged herself with a rope, claiming that her summer attire was thin and, having been soaked by water, revealed too much, disgracing her in front of a man, leaving her purity sullied and her life meaningless.
It was truly frustrating.
Initially, no one thought much of it, but her dramatic reaction caused everyone to think otherwise.
—Did Li Fuxiang see anything inappropriate when rescuing her?
—It didn’t matter if he did or didn’t; since the young lady had made such a claim, even if he didn’t, it was as if he had.
The Vice Minister of Personnel lowered his pride, kneeling and begging the emperor to give his daughter a way out.
The emperor still said the same thing: matters of the heart must be agreed upon by the children.
Li Fuxiang, of course, refused. In front of Minister Chen, he even went so far as to say, “Oh, had I known this, I wouldn’t have saved her.”
How could such a thing be acceptable?
It was one thing to think this way, but how could he say it out loud?
The emperor reprimanded him, and he stormed off. Furious, the emperor confined him to the palace for three days, forbidding him from leaving.
The aftermath of this incident turned into a two-year-long dispute. Miss Chen continued her dramatic threats of suicide daily, ruining her reputation throughout the capital. The Chen family’s demands weren’t high—they just wanted Li Fuxiang to agree, even if it was to take her as a concubine.
The emperor, as Li Fuxiang’s father, was endlessly worried, but Li Fuxiang himself didn’t see it as a big deal. He continued eating and playing as usual, except he memorized the faces of everyone in the Chen family. Whenever he encountered them, he would flee from a distance, ensuring no one could catch him.
The Chen family thought he was an incorrigible scoundrel.
Li Fuxiang, on the other hand, felt the Chen family were shameless rogues.
When Gao Yuexing first returned to the capital, she wasn’t aware of this two-year-long uproarious farce. However, such matters couldn’t stay hidden for long. The princess’s Hundred Flowers Banquet was scheduled for the next month, and all unmarried noble ladies in the capital would be invited. Since Gao Yuexing had returned to the capital, Gao Jing couldn’t keep her confined to the family mansion. Once she started mingling with her peers, she would naturally hear about it.
What would Gao Yuexing do once she found out about this?
Neither the emperor nor Gao Jing had any idea.
In the distant riding field, Gao Yuexing mounted a red horse and, accompanied by the Imperial Horse Office, slowly tried taming it.
Li Fuxiang led his own horse over. The two identical red horses nuzzled each other, reluctant to part.
The reason Li Fuxiang hadn’t brought it up was that, in his mind, this wasn’t even worth mentioning.
He was determined never to get involved with any girl other than Gao Yuexing again, fearing he might truly suffer a beating. He firmly remembered Gao Yuexing’s admonition from years ago.
In the eyes of the public, most of the fault still lay with Li Fuxiang.
After all, the young lady could no longer marry anyone else. By lowering herself to the status of a concubine, what more could Li Fuxiang be dissatisfied with? Treating her as an ornament in the household would at least save her life. Helping someone should be done thoroughly—if you’re going to rescue them, then see it through to the end. Accepting her would leave everyone happy.
What’s more… who in the capital didn’t know that His Highness the Fifth Prince, Li Fuxiang, was nothing more than a frivolous and idle fool? Who was really out of whose league here? The young lady wasn’t even disgusted by him; he should be burning incense in gratitude.
No one expected that after a trip to the border, Li Fuxiang would return as a celebrated young general known throughout the land.
And upon returning to the capital, the first thing he did was ask the emperor for a wife, stirring a storm of emotions in everyone’s hearts.
What left Li Fuxiang most vexed was why the emperor wouldn’t agree to his request.
After all, they had made a promise when he was younger.
For the few days Li Fuxiang had been back in the capital, the streets and alleys buzzed with talk about this promising young general. While the daughters in their boudoirs were somewhat slower to catch the news, it wasn’t long before they, too, heard the details of that day. Unexpectedly, the first to stir up trouble wasn’t Gao Yuexing but rather Miss Chen.
In recent days, some news from the palace had begun to spread—news about Gao Yuexing.
Having been away from the capital for more than four years, Gao Yuexing had long faded from people’s attention. It wasn’t until the emperor, under the guise of inviting her to visit the palace frequently as a consort’s guest, that people began to notice the second daughter of the Gao family again.
Word from the palace had it that Miss Gao, as a child, had served as a study companion to the princess and later spent some time by Li Fuxiang’s side. She and His Highness Prince Xiang were true childhood sweethearts, with a close bond since their youth, and the emperor had verbally promised them a marriage engagement.
Since the source of the rumors was the palace, it was clear that they had the emperor’s tacit approval.
Gao Yuexing received an invitation from Miss Chen to a tea gathering. She held the invitation in her hand and thought for a long time but couldn’t recall who this Miss Chen was.
She had entered the palace at the age of six and left for the Medicine Valley before she turned nine.
She hardly knew any young ladies her age in the capital, let alone had any friendships with them.
Thus, she humbly went to ask her eldest sister for guidance.
Gao Yuemin was watching their youngest brother, Gao Mingdong, practice writing.
Gao Mingdong had just started his studies and could barely hold the brush steadily. Writing was a struggle, and he often ended up with ink smudged all over his hands and face. Gao Yuemin patiently and gently wiped it off for him.
Gao Yuexing plopped down beside her elder sister with the invitation in hand and asked, “Who is this Miss Chen? Tell me, eldest sister.”
Gao Yuemin picked up the invitation. “There are two Miss Chens. Which one are you referring to?”
Before Gao Yuexing could answer, Gao Yuemin opened the invitation herself and saw the plum blossom signature with the character “Ru” at the end.
Gao Yuemin smiled. “This is the second Miss Chen. She’s only twelve this year and around your age.”
Gao Yuexing was puzzled. “Why is she inviting me? Does Father have dealings with the Chen family?”
Gao Yuemin glanced at her and said, “The second Miss Chen isn’t much of a concern. I’ve met her a few times, and she’s a girl worth befriending. But you should be cautious about their eldest daughter.”
Gao Yuexing immediately asked, “Why do you say that?”
Gao Yuemin replied, “The Chen family’s eldest daughter is now eighteen, well past the age for marriage proposals, yet she still hasn’t accepted any suitors. Do you know why?”
Gao Yuexing asked, “Why?”
Gao Yuemin sighed. “Isn’t it because her heart belongs to someone?”
Miss Chen’s invitation was declined by Gao Yuexing, who simply replied that the frequent summons to the palace lately left her little time to spare.
Li Fuxiang made good use of Consort Xian’s title. At first, he visited her every three days, but gradually, he grew bolder, turning it into a daily affair.
Gao Jing didn’t intervene. He watched coldly, waiting to see how far Li Fuxiang would take it and how he would resolve it in the end.
Today, when Gao Yuexing entered the palace, she didn’t immediately go to see Li Fuxiang because the princess intercepted her halfway.
Gao Yuexing’s time as a study companion to the princess during her childhood had been brief, leaving little opportunity for a deep bond, but the genuine emotions of youth were always a fond memory compared to the palace’s current intrigues.
Li Lanyao’s Hundred Flowers Banquet was set for next month at Liuhua Terrace, and the attendants at Chunhe Palace were preparing everything meticulously according to tradition. However, Li Lanyao remained dissatisfied, feeling something was missing.
The princess’s marriage was still undecided. The emperor, with only one daughter, ensured Consort Xian’s position in the harem remained unshaken. Naturally, the choice of consort was made with the utmost care.
Consort Xian was anxious, having already selected several outstanding young men with excellent family backgrounds and talents, yet the princess found none of them acceptable.
The emperor, having suffered setbacks in his own romantic life, refused to let his children repeat his mistakes. He insisted on not forcing the issue, saying that no matter how great the heavens and earth, his child’s wishes were most important. Thus, the selection of the imperial consort had dragged on for two years and was still unresolved.
When Gao Yuexing entered the palace, Li Lanyao was waiting at the palace gates to intercept her. “It’s so hard to see you. Fifth Brother is too overbearing.”
Li Lanyao had grown increasingly elegant and graceful. Standing on the bridge with attendants on either side, her robes floated gently in the wind, and the scene at her feet looked like a blooming pomegranate flower. Just one glance was enough to leave one in awe.
Gao Yuexing jumped off the carriage and said, “Did Your Highness purposely wait here for me?”
Li Lanyao took her hand. “Come with me to Liuhua Terrace. Stay for lunch. I’ll treat you to crabs.”
Gao Yuexing replied, “Mid-Autumn Festival is still half a month away.”
Li Lanyao said, “I can’t wait. I need to satisfy my craving early.”
Gao Yuexing asked, “Just the two of us?”
Li Lanyao laughed. “I’d like that, but as soon as I intercepted you here, it won’t take long before someone smells it out and chases after us.”
Liuhua Terrace was adjacent to Chunhe Palace, and since Gao Yuexing was here, it was only proper for her to pay respects to the mistress, Consort Xian.
After all these years, Consort Xian remained the foremost figure in the harem, enjoying steady favor.
Gao Yuexing followed protocol and bowed. Consort Xian graciously invited her to rise.
After the death of Lady Xu Zhao, the emperor had, after two or three years, officially placed Li Fuxiang under Consort Xian’s title. Of course, the emperor still personally raised him, and he lived in Qianqing Palace. However, in name, he was now associated with Consort Xian, and whenever they met, Li Fuxiang had to call her “Mother Consort.”
This single title tied their fates together, both in glory and disgrace.
In Consort Xian’s eyes, the marriage between Gao Yuexing and Li Fuxiang was a foregone conclusion. The pair were mutually fond of each other, and with the emperor’s approval, they were destined to be one family in the future.
Standing under the corridor, Gao Yuexing noticed that the Nine-Curved Pond in Consort Xian’s courtyard still housed the Phoenix-tailed koi fish. She wasn’t sure how long fish lived or if these were the same ones from years ago. Everything seemed to have changed, yet also remained the same.
Gao Yuexing also saw Aunt Wei, who still served by Consort Xian’s side. Over the years, Aunt Wei had aged considerably. Her brows and eyes remained stern and sharp, but in Gao Yuexing’s presence, she consciously lowered her head, adhering strictly to her role as a servant and refraining from unnecessary speech.
The princess’s Hundred Flowers Banquet, though not as grand as the Lantern Festival for Li Fuxiang’s birthday, was still one of the most celebrated events in the capital. Any unmarried daughter from a family of seventh-rank officials or above would be invited. Simultaneously, Consort Xian hosted a banquet for the noblewomen in Chunhe Palace, making for a lively occasion.
Gao Yuexing observed the arrangements at Liuhua Terrace. Each year, the decorations grew increasingly lavish, yet the gold, silver, and jewels were carefully restrained. It was clear that Consort Xian wished to avoid accusations of extravagance.
The off-season peonies cultivated in the greenhouse had been carefully timed to bloom next month, ready to add the most dazzling touch to the princess’s Hundred Flowers Banquet.
The Liuhua Terrace was still missing some floral decorations, but with no outsiders present today, the princess, having received two large baskets of crabs, decided to host a banquet right there on the terrace.
Just as the princess had predicted, not long after Gao Yuexing arrived, Li Fuxiang came looking for her. Having waited in vain at Qianqing Palace, he sent someone to inquire about her whereabouts, then headed straight for Liuhua Terrace.
The princess smirked, “What did I tell you?”
Gao Yuexing, in fact, had something she needed to ask Li Fuxiang, but with so many people around, it wasn’t easy to speak openly.
No sooner had Li Fuxiang arrived than the emperor, having just finished court, decided to come by and take a look as well. With the emperor’s arrival, Consort Xian naturally came in person to welcome and accompany him.
By coincidence, the Zheng brothers, Zheng Yan and Zheng Yi, had just finished handling the reorganization of the Xiaoqi Battalion and entered the palace together to seek an audience. The emperor, seeing that they were already there, decided to keep them. Since they’d come this far, they might as well stay and enjoy the crabs before leaving.
What had initially been a casual invitation from the princess to intercept Gao Yuexing at the palace gates eventually turned into a lively and formal banquet.