Li Fuxiang skillfully navigated his way into Wen Zhaorong‘s wine cellar, where the scent of osmanthus brew was sweeter than the flowers outside.
Gao Yuexing couldn’t help but marvel at the mere fragrance. “Wen Zhaorong’s winemaking skills are absolutely unmatched,” she praised.
Li Fuxiang filled a red-leafed glass flask with some and said, “Let’s go.”
In her past life, Gao Yuexing enjoyed sipping floral wines after marriage. Her drinking tolerance wasn’t great, and she would become tipsy after just a few cups, often sleeping through until late into the night.
When Li Fuxiang handed the spout of the flask to her, she declined without a second thought.
She had once enjoyed drinking simply because life in the royal residence was so idle that even her bones felt lethargic. But now, things were different.
Seeing her refusal, Li Fuxiang drank it all himself.
As soon as they stepped out of the doors of Mifei Palace, he laid down right under an osmanthus tree, the ground covered with fallen blossoms, and refused to move.
Gao Yuexing crouched beside him, knowing he wasn’t drunk, and said, “Get up quickly. The ground is cold.”
Although Li Fuxiang wasn’t drunk, his eyes no longer carried the clarity they usually did.
Under the dappled shadows of the flowers, Gao Yuexing stared at him in a daze.
Though he wasn’t smiling, the corners of his eyes seemed to hold onto the last vestiges of the evening’s glow.
There was no doubt—he was handsome.
Even if Gao Yuexing had lost all memories of their time together, she would still find herself captivated by him at first sight.
She knelt beside him, gathered a handful of flowers from the ground, and scattered them over his face and neck.
Li Fuxiang said, “Bury me.”
Gao Yuexing replied, “Why would I bury you?”
Li Fuxiang said, “If you bury me, in twenty years, I’ll turn into wine.”
Gao Yuexing retorted, “Nonsense! If you’re buried underground, you’ll just rot and stink. But…”
She trailed off mid-sentence.
Li Fuxiang rolled over and asked eagerly, “But what?”
Gao Yuexing said, “But the flowers will bloom beautifully. If I go before you someday, make sure to plant a crabapple tree to feed me… If the crabapple blossoms are vibrant, it’ll be like I’ve glimpsed spring on earth once more.”
Li Fuxiang gazed into her unfathomable eyes, neither speaking nor causing trouble.
Gao Yuexing urged, “Promise me.”
But Li Fuxiang refused to reply.
Xu Xiude, watching their playful banter from the doorway, tactfully stepped back inside. However, upon turning around, he saw the emperor walking out, so he covered his mouth and gave a soft cough.
Still, no one paid him any mind.
The emperor strode out briskly, his steps purposeful.
The two children beneath the osmanthus tree outside collided directly with his gaze, causing him to stop abruptly in his tracks.
After late autumn, each rainfall brought a deeper chill, and soon withered branches would cover the ground, and the city would be blanketed in snow.
Before him, the bright osmanthus blossoms stood as the last vivid colors before winter’s arrival.
He suddenly felt reluctant to disturb the scene.
Gao Yuexing noticed the emperor to one side, tilted her head slightly, and looked over.
Li Fuxiang propped himself up on her knees and sat up halfway, saying, “Your Majesty… have you ever tasted Wen Zhaorong’s osmanthus brew? Did it remind you of the person you find hardest to forget in this lifetime?”
The emperor looked at him, then said to Xu Xiude, “Have someone escort him back. He’s had a bit too much to drink.”
Gao Yuexing frowned slightly, sensing a hidden meaning in Li Fuxiang’s words.
Xu Xiude turned and summoned two eunuchs from Mifei Palace. They supported Li Fuxiang from both sides and helped him up.
Gao Yuexing also stood and cast a distant glance toward the pavilion of Mifei Palace.
At a window, a slender figure stood. Though the distance blurred the details, the peony hairpin the size of a palm at her temple was strikingly vivid.
Li Fuxiang straightened himself, suddenly walking with steady steps as if nothing had happened. Without needing support or assistance, he followed the eunuchs back to Qianqing Palace. There, a bowl of sobering soup was placed before him.
Li Fuxiang refused to drink it.
But the emperor insisted he finish it.
Gao Yuexing, keeping her eyes lowered and her thoughts to herself, refrained from involving herself in their matters, wishing only to conceal her presence.
The atmosphere in Qianqing Palace was unnervingly quiet.
While the emperor and Li Fuxiang were still locked in a standoff, a sudden announcement came from outside: “Grand Tutor Liu requests an audience.”
This guest was rare these days. Ever since the children in the palace had completed their studies, Grand Tutor Liu had returned to his leisurely life, enjoying his time at home. He seldom concerned himself with state affairs and rarely sought an audience with the emperor, only occasionally strolling through the Wen Yuan Library.
The Wen Yuan Library!
A sudden chill ran through Gao Yuexing as the thought crossed her mind. Her heart raced as if her words had conjured trouble out of thin air.
The emperor summoned Grand Tutor Liu into the hall.
Unable to resist, Gao Yuexing took a few steps closer, peering through the screen.
When Grand Tutor Liu entered, he was holding—books.
There were so many books that his frail body could barely carry them, so he had brought along a young page. The page carried a basket slung over his shoulder and, upon entering, placed it down as instructed by Grand Tutor Liu before stepping back to wait outside the hall.
The emperor, still unaware of the reason for the visit, welcomed Grand Tutor Liu personally.
Grand Tutor Liu knelt and bowed deeply. The emperor stepped forward to help him up. “What brings you here today, Grand Tutor, to visit me at such leisure?”
But Grand Tutor Liu refused to rise, stubbornly remaining on his knees. “Your Majesty, this old servant has failed your trust and has come today to plead guilty.”
Gao Yuexing’s heart sank.
Judging by Grand Tutor Liu’s demeanor, this matter would not end well.
Finally, the emperor straightened his posture and asked gravely, “Grand Tutor, what exactly has happened?”
Grand Tutor Liu presented a book with both hands and said, “This minister wanted to present it to Your Majesty, but feared it would sully your eyes. I thought of reading it aloud, but worried it would disgrace the ancestors and sages in the golden hall. Your Majesty, it is better for you to see it yourself!”
The emperor frowned as he took the book. “What book is this?”
As he opened the first page, Gao Yuexing’s heart tightened. She heard the sound of Li Fuxiang’s light footsteps following and stopping beside her.
Gao Yuexing turned to look at him, only to see him retreat step by step, pressing himself against the window lattice, preparing to climb out.
The emperor roared in fury, “Outrageous!” He slammed the book shut after flipping only a few pages and threw it forcefully to the ground. His gaze fell on the basket filled with a thick stack of books, and his anger only intensified. Kicking open the screen, he caught Li Fuxiang just as he was about to climb out the window.
Gao Yuexing narrowly dodged in time to avoid getting caught in the commotion.
Li Fuxiang knelt before the emperor and Grand Tutor Liu.
In a palace where imperial authority reigned supreme, where all nations bowed in submission, this scene should have been ordinary. Yet, as Gao Yuexing watched, it seemed oddly surreal.
The emperor interrogated, “Banned books—these aren’t easy to come by. Where did you get them?”
Li Fuxiang remained silent.
The emperor rephrased his question. “Who gave them to you?”
The truth was, such illicit storybooks, officially banned, circulated widely in secret. They were especially popular among rough soldiers in the barracks, where half were bachelors and the other half rarely had the chance to return home. For them, these books provided a form of release.
However, the kind of material those soldiers entertained themselves with wasn’t as varied or colorful—usually, one book would suffice to be passed around endlessly.
The book that had “offended the emperor’s eyes” now lay quietly near Gao Yuexing’s feet. She was curious about its contents, but in the presence of the emperor and Grand Tutor Liu, she didn’t dare look.
The emperor bent down and asked Li Fuxiang, “You placed these books in the Wen Yuan Library? Is there no trouble under heaven that you wouldn’t dare stir up?”
No one could guarantee that Grand Tutor Liu was the first to discover these books.
The Wen Yuan Library was vast, its collection rich, and civil officials often lingered there, reluctant to leave.
If one of them had stumbled upon these indecent items…
Li Fuxiang’s actions were utterly preposterous.
Grand Tutor Liu said, “I detained the librarian of the Wen Yuan Library and interrogated him. Only when he was about to face punishment did he confess the truth. Your Highness, Prince Xiang, I taught you once, yet I never imagined…”
The emperor let out a weary sigh and called out, “Xu Xiude.”
Xu Xiude, already pale with anxiety, held his breath, awaiting orders.
The emperor commanded, “Bring the family discipline rod. Where is Ding Wenfu?”
Ding Wenfu, waiting outside, did not dare delay. He entered and immediately knelt.
Xu Xiude brought in the ebony discipline rod, bowed to the emperor, and then handed it directly to Ding Wenfu.
Ding Wenfu hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. His glare at Xu Xiude was sharp and resentful.
The emperor declared, “Twenty strikes. No leniency.” Then, dragging his weary steps, he retreated to the inner hall. As he passed Gao Yuexing, he gently pushed her shoulder, guiding her to follow him.
Grand Tutor Liu’s aged, hoarse voice continued to reprimand, “If the teaching is lax, the fault lies with the teacher…”
The previous phrase was, “If the child is not taught, the fault lies with the father.”
Grand Tutor Liu had now extended his admonishment to include the emperor himself.
Just as Gao Yuexing turned around, she heard the dull thuds of the punishment rod striking flesh.
But there were no cries of pain.
Gao Yuexing thought to herself, It’s just a few shabby books, was this really necessary? He shouldn’t have, under any circumstances, hidden the books in the Wen Yuan Library—the sacred ground for scholars. If only he had consulted her before hiding them, she would have made sure they were stored safely and discreetly.
As she listened to the heavy blows of the family punishment, her heart felt stifled. She glanced at the emperor, who stood at his desk, flipping through a book, though he hadn’t turned a single page for a long time.
After handing the punishment rod to Ding Wenfu, Xu Xiude didn’t wait for further orders and left quickly for the imperial medical bureau to personally summon a physician.
His timing was impeccable—he returned just as Grand Tutor Liu was leaving the palace, while Qianqing Palace remained a chaotic mess, yet to be cleaned.
A brazier burned before the emperor, and he personally destroyed every last one of the scandalous books.
Li Fuxiang lay on the pillow, his lips and face pale, his consciousness seeming faint and muddled.
Gao Yuexing checked his pulse and was about to lift his clothes when Li Fuxiang grasped her small hand.
At last, he opened his eyes. Gao Yuexing said, “Let me take a look.”
Li Fuxiang pulled her closer to his pillow and said, “No need. It’s not serious. It just sounds worse than it feels. I don’t even feel pain.” His voice was soft but steady, each word clear and unaffected, showing no signs of discomfort.
Gao Yuexing’s expression darkened.
If she hadn’t checked his chaotic pulse and known his injuries were severe, she might have believed him.
Gao Yuexing said, “You’re lying to me.”
Li Fuxiang held her hand gently, unwilling to let go. “Don’t look. Go back.”
Xu Xiude stepped forward and spoke kindly, “Miss Gao, the physician needs to treat his injuries. You are, after all, a young lady. Staying any longer might be inconvenient. Allow me to arrange for someone to escort you back to Chunhe Palace.”
Gao Yuexing was thus half-coaxed, half-deceived, and led away.
The curtains around the warm chamber bed were lowered layer by layer, obscuring her view until she could see nothing.
Xu Xiude said, “Go back, Miss Gao. Come back in two days. I guarantee you’ll see a lively and spirited young prince again. Don’t worry.”
Seated in the small sedan chair, Gao Yuexing had herself sent back to Chunhe Palace.
The princess pulled her, noticing her dazed state, and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Gao Yuexing looked at the princess, her mind taking a long while to recover.
Li Lanyao supported her with concern. “What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell? Shall I call for a physician?”
Gao Yuexing shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I’m just…” She hesitated for a moment, then let out a long sigh, finally allowing all the emotions she had suppressed to surface. “I just feel like I want to see him, to be able to see him all the time, every moment.”
So.
When, exactly, could she marry him?