Gao Yuexing: “Do they think covering their ears will let them pretend nothing happened?”
Li Fuxiang: “He’s just hoping for a lucky escape. If he realizes he can’t hide the truth, he’ll be the first to step forward and point fingers.”
Gao Yuexing chuckled and said, “In that case, let’s wait. I don’t think that day will be far off.”
The swing was a bit small, tied here by the princess’s order. It was spacious enough for one person but a bit cramped for two.
Gao Yuexing gripped the floral vines of the swing tightly, resting her face on her arm, showing only her back to Li Fuxiang. He watched for a while, then couldn’t resist leaning forward to nudge her shoulder and ask, “What are you thinking about?”
Gao Yuexing turned to face him, brushed off his hand, and said, “Don’t bother me. I’m thinking about the late Empress Dowager.”
Li Fuxiang said, “If you can’t figure it out, just stop thinking about it.”
Gao Yuexing, who knew his temperament best, blinked and asked, “Are you feeling stifled in the palace? How about I accompany you out for a stroll?”
Sure enough, it was exactly what Li Fuxiang wanted.
Li Fuxiang immediately agreed with delight, “Alright.”
He no longer needed the Emperor’s permission to leave the palace.
Gao Yuexing changed into a simple outfit in Chunhe Palace. Half an hour later, two small red horses galloped out of the palace gates, one leading and one following.
Beyond the imperial city was Huayang Street.
Currently, the two most prestigious residences on Huayang Street were the Prince Xin’s Mansion at the westernmost end and the Prince Xiang’s Mansion at the easternmost end.
The Prince Xiang’s Mansion was close to the imperial city.
Li Fuxiang reined in his horse at the gate.
“This should be far enough,” he said.
Gao Yuexing followed behind him, looking up at the soaring eaves and the jade-glazed decorations on the name plaque above the door.
The Prince Xiang’s Mansion—this was to be their future home.
In her heart, Gao Yuexing began recalling the layout of the Prince Xiang’s Mansion in her previous life.
It wasn’t particularly remarkable, just a standard, well-constructed prince’s mansion. The only unique feature was the Yanbo Terrace, built within the hot springs. In winter, the underground heating system made it an exceptionally comfortable retreat.
It all felt like a lifetime ago.
Li Fuxiang asked her, “Do you want to go inside and take a look?”
They had received the imperial decree for their betrothal, making them a perfect match in both name and status. If Gao Yuexing wanted to visit his mansion, it was entirely proper and beyond reproach.
However, a sudden wave of apprehension surged in Gao Yuexing’s heart. She shook her head and refused.
She couldn’t explain it.
Having lived again for so many years, she had gradually distanced herself from the events of her previous life. Sometimes, she even thought it was nothing more than a nightmare that would never touch reality.
The current tenderness and warmth felt too comforting.
Occasionally, when she awoke alone in the middle of the night, hugging the quilt quietly, Gao Yuexing had to repeatedly warn herself not to let her guard down.
Li Fuxiang looked at her, puzzled. “You don’t like staying at the prince’s mansion outside the palace with me?”
Meeting his gaze, Gao Yuexing found herself at a loss for words.
Li Fuxiang lowered his head in disappointment and said, “I understand.”
What did he understand?
Li Fuxiang continued, “You must not like living in unfamiliar places. How about I renovate it into something you’re familiar with, like Xuancao Hall?”
Gao Yuexing replied, “Don’t trouble yourself over this. It’s not because of that.”
Li Fuxiang pressed, “Then what is it? Are you unhappy being with me? Why do you always seem inexplicably sad?”
He could completely sense her emotions.
Gao Yuexing understood it all in her heart. It was unreasonable for her to let the experiences of her previous life trap Li Fuxiang in her own fears and apprehensions.
Li Fuxiang had never done anything wrong.
Urging her horse closer to his, Gao Yuexing reached out to touch Li Fuxiang’s face and said, “I’m not sad, Your Highness. Once your prince’s mansion is truly complete, filled with beauty and charm, will you come and marry me, alright?”
She, too, was looking forward to it.
Li Fuxiang brightened up again, nodding earnestly and agreeing with a heartfelt “Alright.”
The two of them spurred their horses into a gallop, racing freely. In the wind, Li Fuxiang said, “I’ll take you to see my drill grounds.”
The Xiaoqi Camp was his troops.
Li Fuxiang had a very clear sense of possession when it came to what was “his.”
Since they were his, no one else could touch them.
No one was allowed to take them, and no one was allowed to bully them.
Even during his leisure time, he had to drop by regularly to ensure everything was as it should be.
He treated Gao Yuexing the same way—she was his future wife.
During the years Gao Yuexing was away, Li Fuxiang couldn’t put into words how he felt. It was as if a piece of flesh had been forcibly torn from him, more painful than pulling out his nails.
For all those years, he endured the endless agony, his heart steeling itself, thinking constantly of bringing her back to his side.
The Xiaoqi Camp’s drill grounds were on Qingliang Mountain.
As Gao Yuexing and Li Fuxiang left the city gates, they had barely traveled a short distance before they coincidentally encountered a group of soldiers galloping ahead, stirring up a whirlwind of dust along the official road.
Li Fuxiang and Gao Yuexing instinctively moved to the side, not wanting to get covered in dust, their curious eyes following the group of soldiers.
As they drew closer, Li Fuxiang noticed that they were clad in the light armor of the Xiaoqi Camp.
They were his soldiers.
Li Fuxiang immediately felt a surge of confidence. Urging his horse forward, he intercepted them.
The soldiers of the Xiaoqi Camp abruptly halted. Looking closely, they were shocked to see their long-missing leader. The foremost soldier immediately greeted him as if seeing his savior, exclaiming, “Your Highness—your humble servant has finally seen you again!”
As he dismounted, he even carried down a half-grown child from the saddle, about five or six years old, who stared blankly with wide, round, black eyes.
Li Fuxiang asked, “You picked up a child?”
Gao Yuexing tilted her head, puzzled. From her position, she could see a sticky bloodstain on the child’s face. It didn’t seem to be a simple matter.
The soldier explained, “Your Highness, it’s fortunate we ran into you. We rescued this child who fell off a cliff along the mountain road. He said his grandmother and mother were taken by someone. We were just about to take him to the yamen to report the incident.”
Li Fuxiang casually asked, “Where did this happen?”
The soldier replied, “About thirty li along the official road toward the outskirts of the capital.”
Li Fuxiang frowned. “Another disturbance near the capital? Bandits robbing and kidnapping?”
He glanced down at the child and noticed the boy’s luxurious attire, indicating he wasn’t from an ordinary family.
Li Fuxiang asked, “What’s your name?”
The child remained silent for a moment.
The soldier patted his shoulder. “Answer him.”
The child, remembering the soldier’s life-saving help, obeyed and answered, “My name is Zhou Xiaohu.”
A simple childhood nickname.
Gao Yuexing remarked, “That’s a milk name.”
Li Fuxiang continued questioning, “What’s your father’s name?”
The boy replied, “He’s dead.”
Li Fuxiang: “Was he killed by the people who attacked you?”
The boy said, “He died long ago.”
Li Fuxiang asked, “Who else is in your family?”
The boy answered, “My grandfather.”
Li Fuxiang: “Where is your grandfather?”
The boy thought for a moment, then gestured with his hand, indicating something vast. “In a house filled with gold.”
Li Fuxiang asked, “Where am I supposed to find a house filled with gold?”
Gao Yuexing speculated, “Maybe he means they’re very wealthy?”
Li Fuxiang, always inclined to agree with Gao Yuexing, nodded. “That could be it.”
The soldier asked, “Your Highness, what do you think we should do?”
Li Fuxiang said, “Do what you need to do. Have someone lead the way. I’ll go take a look at the scene where his family was attacked.”
With a soldier from the Xiaoqi Camp leading the way, Gao Yuexing and Li Fuxiang galloped swiftly for over thirty li, bypassing Qingliang Mountain and reaching a low slope on the opposite side.
The soldier pointed to a crooked willow tree with a mark on it and said, “This is where we heard a child crying below. That’s where we found Zhou Xiaohu.”
Li Fuxiang glanced down the slope. It was steep but not sheer; with some luck, falling down might indeed result in no injuries.
He pushed aside the dense shrubbery and spotted a carriage stuck precariously at the edge of the broken slope. Without hesitation, Li Fuxiang leaped down, stepped onto the carriage shaft, and climbed inside to investigate.
Seeing this, Gao Yuexing grew anxious and wanted to go down as well. She lifted her skirt and paced along the edge of the slope.
One of the Xiaoqi Camp soldiers, without much thought, stepped forward and extended his arm across her path, offering to help her down.
Gao Yuexing, also without much thought, reached out.
The moment her hand touched his, the bushes below rustled, and Li Fuxiang sprang up. Wrapping an arm around Gao Yuexing’s waist, he pulled her firmly into his embrace, keeping her far away from the soldier.
Gao Yuexing exclaimed, “…Why are you so jumpy? What are you doing!”
Li Fuxiang leaned close to her ear and murmured, “The bushes have thorns. I don’t want you to get scratched. Let me carry you down.”
Gao Yuexing didn’t catch his words at all. She shrank back, glared at him, and snapped, “Didn’t I tell you not to talk near the back of my neck?”
Li Fuxiang, meeting her wide, almond-shaped eyes, seemed to suddenly remember. He loosened his grip slightly. “Oh—”
Gao Yuexing glanced at the area behind his ear.
Sensing danger, Li Fuxiang instinctively put more distance between them. He had no intention of risking another scolding.
Gao Yuexing turned her attention back to the carriage.
This time, Li Fuxiang moved closer more cautiously. He let Gao Yuexing hold onto his neck, then effortlessly carried her down the slope in a few quick strides.
When Gao Yuexing crawled into the carriage, Li Fuxiang, worried it might topple further down, steadied it by holding onto the shaft.
The interior of the carriage, much like Zhou Xiaohu’s attire, exuded wealth and opulence.
It was filled with women’s belongings, but there were no particularly valuable clues.
There was no blood in the carriage, nor were there signs of a struggle or hasty rummaging.
This suggested that the occupants were likely unharmed, and the assailants weren’t after money.
Not for wealth, nor for lust.
Could it be a personal vendetta?
Gao Yuexing emerged from the carriage and speculated, “Elderly women and children traveling toward the capital—likely to seek refuge with relatives. By the way, who was driving the carriage?”
With two women and a child, if there were no dependable men in the family, they would have likely hired a coachman. A coachman, being a strong and capable man, shouldn’t have been so easily captured or killed, right?
Li Fuxiang mused, “Based on my many years of reading supernatural stories, maybe the coachman wasn’t such a good guy.”
The soldier who had been following them suddenly spoke up, “Zhou Xiaohu said his grandfather lives in a house made of gold. Commander Ji speculates that the family might be one of the prominent ones in the capital. If we send word to the yamen, someone should come forward soon.”
Gao Yuexing asked, “A prominent family… Are there any high-ranking officials or wealthy merchants surnamed Zhou in the capital?”
Li Fuxiang: “There might be some minor officials or small-time merchants.”
Gao Yuexing understood his implication and nodded. “True. No matter how high-ranking they are, claiming to live in a house made of gold is rather absurd.”
Li Fuxiang added, “There’s one exception, though. When it comes to golden houses, the only thing that comes to mind is the Emperor’s golden palace…”
Following his train of thought, Gao Yuexing looked in the direction of the palace, and her heart suddenly sank. “That child’s surname is Zhou!”
—
Author’s Note:
Let’s talk about the Emperor father today.
The Emperor has always been a scumbag—there’s no doubt about that. He’s blatantly so. In his youth, he toyed with young girls and filled his chambers with concubines. Later, he met Zheng Yungou, whom he genuinely loved, but it wasn’t enough to make him turn over a new leaf. Even after marrying Zheng Yungou, he continued to dote on other women, fathering children younger than Li Fuxiang’s actual age, such as the princess and Li Fuyou.
It was only after Zheng Yungou’s death that he began to slowly experience the pain of loss, and his regret deepened over time. For over a decade, he stopped favoring his harem, simply because he no longer had the desire.
Every time he thought about romantic or sexual relationships, Zheng Yungou was the first person who came to mind, but she was no longer there.
As for Consort Wen, while there was a need for pretense, the scumbag Emperor could accept turning the charade into reality. However, the main reason he didn’t was that Consort Wen was unwilling.
This primarily reflects the relationship between the Emperor and Consort Wen.
Their actual relationship wasn’t that of a husband and wife but that of a ruler and subject.
So, although the Emperor’s personal life was a mess, he was still clear-headed when it came to politics. He would never force his officials into anything inappropriate.