Chapter 23
A man’s hand rested on He Hui’s waist, warmth seeping through her thin clothing and penetrating her skin, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
She was stunned for a long moment before finally realizing the situation before her.
She was now in the arms of the Prince of Ning.
He was holding her.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, though the strict separation between men and women was not as severe as in previous dynasties, even betrothed couples only dared to exchange tokens and hold hands privately, never allowing anyone to find out.
For them to be embraced like this, if anyone saw, it would be no different from catching them in an illicit act.
From now on, she belonged to him.
The intimacy was overwhelming; He Hui clenched the fabric of her skirt, her fingertips turning pale.
She was unaccustomed to such closeness, but she knew that if she wished to be this man’s wife, no matter how reluctant she was, she could not push him away.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly in the darkness as she slowly pressed herself closer to his chest.
“Enough… I’m rather clumsy, and besides, you are so busy…”
Her handwriting was truly ugly; she did not even understand the meaning of the words she had written.
Yet it was precisely because of this that she piqued his interest, wasn’t it?
The Emperor’s body was already warm with heat, and having her pressed against him like this only stoked the fire within.
Having a warm, delicate beauty in his arms naturally made him want to be closer.
The medicinal broth the Empress Dowager had sent contained deer blood, deer antlers, and some ox whips—things meant to invigorate and strengthen—yet he had already ordered it replaced and never drank it. What was finally delivered was just a simple tea.
Even so, those invigorating ingredients had not entered his mouth, yet that burning heat flared up inside him inexplicably.
Just like that day.
The Emperor’s gaze fell upon the arhat couch in the room, and again the image before his eyes was of the woman in his arms, one pale leg exposed and resting on him, her upper body leaning back, biting her lip, shyly looking at him.
She was not yet aware of how she appeared in the shadows, making her seem even more bashful, her eyes veiled with a misty sheen, endearing to the point of wanting to reach out and wipe away the faint redness at the corners of her eyes, yet also wanting to roughly tease her until she was flustered.
Did she understand that such a posture and expression were not to be lightly revealed to a man, especially one who had shared a room with her and seen her body?
She understood.
She just did not know his true identity; he only thought he was Li Yuanjing.
All her coyness and attempts to please, shamelessly revealing patches of skin, were because she believed he was her lover, her future husband.
At this thought, the fire burning within the Emperor suddenly died down.
The young girl lifted her head in his arms, her gaze falling into empty space, her almond-shaped eyes shimmering with moisture in the faint light.
“Young master?”
The Emperor pressed his lips and released his hand from her waist, taking the paper from her hand and unfolding it on the table.
The room was dark, making it hard to see clearly, but he could still discern that the characters on the paper were incorrect.
Hearing the sound, she bit her lip, ashamed, “Please don’t look.”
His hand brushed her rosy cheek, leaving her stunned.
“It’s nothing; wanting to learn to read is a good thing. When I first learned to write as a child, my characters weren’t as neat as yours.”
He pulled her close, gently wrapping his arms around her from behind, then casually took a copy of the Mencius from the bookshelf.
“Today, we’ll start with the characters in here. Later, I’ll find some beginner texts, simple and easy to understand, to teach you.”
With that, he lit a candle nearby.
The flickering flame danced before He Hui’s eyes; she blinked, slightly disoriented.
The Emperor reached out to shield her eyes from the glaring light.
He Hui was taken aback.
He noticed even such subtle details.
Apart from her grandmother and mother, no one had ever done such a thing for her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently, lowering his hand and flipping open the book with one hand, dipping the brush into ink.
She could not see him; only his voice echoed in her ears.
He Hui asked hesitantly, “...You really intend to teach me?”
Was it not merely a pretext to flirt with her through teaching writing?
The man placed the brush in her palm and grasped her hand. Her wide sleeves concealed his robe and arm, revealing only two slender fingers.
“If you want to learn, I naturally must teach. It’s always good for a girl to read more.”
He Hui was dazed, her thoughts drifting.
This was different from what her father had told her since childhood.
“Didn’t people say that a woman’s virtue lies in having no talent?”¹
The man chuckled, “Chen Jiru’s words have been greatly misunderstood. Men who lack ability and haven’t studied properly often use this saying to scold the women in their families. They’re cowards; you needn’t mind them.”
He Hui’s heart was deeply shaken.
She had never heard such words before. If her father heard this, he would surely be furious.
She lowered her head, looking at the characters the man wrote while holding her hand, and dropped her gaze.
The Prince of Ning seemed far better than she had imagined.
Even if not for her own future, just for her heart alone, becoming his princess consort did not seem so bad.
—
In the days that followed, He Hui learned to write with the Prince of Ning. Although progress was slow, she had at least learned a few characters, a vast improvement from before when she was completely illiterate.
To be honest, literacy was of little practical use to her now, as the Empress Dowager did not require her to read or write. Affairs of the palace were handled by the imperial consorts, unrelated to her.
Her purpose in entering the palace was simply to win the Prince of Ning’s favor.
Still, He Hui was very happy.
Each new character she learned brought her satisfaction, a feeling she had never experienced before.
It was novel, fascinating, and addictive.
She kept this secret well; even Yao Zhu did not know. So whenever Yao Zhu saw her smiling, she would ask, “Miss, what delight have you found? Share it with your servant.”
He Hui, thinking her handwriting was still poor and not presentable, would smile and shake her head, “Nothing.”
Yao Zhu did not press but reminded her, “Tomorrow is the Longevity Festival. The Empress Dowager just sent word for you to accompany us to the banquet to pay respects to His Majesty.”
He Hui was surprised. “Sister said last time I only needed to kowtow with the ladies-in-waiting. Why must I go to the banquet?”
Yao Zhu closed the door and window, leaning close with a conspiratorial smile. “Miss, congratulations in advance on your great happiness.”
He Hui was even more confused.
“What do you mean?”
“If you were just Miss Shen brought in by the Empress Dowager, naturally you wouldn’t be allowed at the banquet to toast His Majesty. But if you have another status?”
“What status?”
Seeing her blank expression, Yao Zhu whispered anxiously, “His Majesty’s future wife, miss. Your relationship with the young master is probably set.”
Only members of the royal family and imperial relatives could attend the palace feast on such a day; those not on the royal roster could not enter.
The Empress Dowager’s invitation to He Hui to the banquet spoke volumes.
He Hui was still stunned. “How did it happen so fast?”
“It’s not fast,” Yao Zhu said, sorting the clothes and headdresses just delivered by the Afternoon Wardrobe Bureau. “You’ve been here almost a year now. The Empress Dowager thinks the time is ripe and naturally wants to settle it.”
That night, He Hui slept late, pondering Yao Zhu’s words and recalling the flattering expressions of palace maids and eunuchs when they saw her, feeling dazed.
Was she really betrothed to the Prince of Ning?
Even after waking and preparing the next morning to go to Yuxi Palace, He Hui still had not fully grasped it. After paying respects to the Empress Dowager and the ladies, she sat alone at the back, lost in thought.
The Emperor was to first visit the ancestral temple of the previous dynasty to receive official congratulations and a banquet before coming. Everyone waited, but fortunately, the Bell and Drum Department had arranged performances of various arts and dances to keep the nobles entertained.
Li Yuanjing arrived early after the previous banquet. The Empress Dowager smiled upon seeing him. “Have the palace servants offered the gifts to your father?”
Li Yuanjing obediently replied, “They have been offered. Heaven is pleased. The divination says they will surely bless the Emperor with good health and our Great Zhou with peace and prosperity.”
The Empress Dowager was pleased and called him up. “You did well. Your father will surely reward you. Take your seat.”
As Li Yuanjing rose to move forward, the Empress Dowager called him back, pointing to He Hui. “Sit beside Miss Shen.”
Among the attendees were palace concubines, married princesses, and imperial relatives. Upon hearing this, many glanced at He Hui and whispered.
He Hui stood, and Li Yuanjing pursed his lips but smiled brightly when he looked up. Sitting beside her, he cast a quick glance her way as she settled, which she noticed, but when she looked back, he had already withdrawn his gaze.
After a dull wait, Li Yuanjing stood and said, “Grand Empress Dowager, the palace servants have arranged the birthday gifts before the Buddha. Shall we bring them here for you and the ladies to see?”
The Empress Dowager nodded, and all agreed.
Soon, palace servants appeared carrying boxes in sequence.
Inside were silk flowers, dice, various garments, transcriptions of Buddhist scriptures, and poetry collections—an overwhelming display.
Everyone found it amusing and joked.
Suddenly, someone asked, “Hey? What did Miss Shen send?”
He Hui was called upon unexpectedly. She looked up to see the questioner was the favored consort at the Rainflower Pavilion—the Consort Qing.
He Hui stood respectfully. “Your Highness, it is a pair of bat embroideries, wishing His Majesty longevity and health.”
“Oh?” Consort Qing turned to the Empress Dowager. “If Miss Shen sent it, Empress Dowager, let us have it displayed so we may see her handiwork.”
The Empress Dowager nodded.
Soon, a palace servant brought the embroidery. As the red cloth was lifted, everyone was momentarily stunned, then drew sharp breaths and exchanged glances.
He Hui looked puzzled and instinctively glanced at the embroidery, only to find that it was not bats but a fierce, snarling cat.
A vicious cat.
She looked to the Empress Dowager, whose face had already darkened.
He Hui’s heart dropped, and she looked at Li Yuanjing, who also stared in surprise, pointing at her. “What is going on?”
It was well known throughout the palace that the Emperor disliked cats. For her to present such an embroidery at the Longevity Festival—what was she trying to do?
Was she cursing the Emperor?
Consort Qing appeared frightened, clutching her chest. “Miss Shen is utterly shameless.”
More than shameless—malicious. “Empress Dowager, this looks like the witchcraft of the Han Dynasty.”
Though such witchcraft no longer caused universal terror, it remained taboo.
The Empress Dowager’s expression grew extremely grim.
She turned to He Hui. “Miss Shen, what exactly did you embroider?”
He Hui, now realizing she had been framed, sweat thinly down her back, and answered honestly, “Your Majesty, I indeed embroidered a pair of bats, not a cat.”
“Jing’er,” the Empress Dowager called Li Yuanjing. He rose, inquired with the two servants who had carried the embroidery, then returned respectfully. “Grand Empress Dowager, this is without doubt the embroidery Miss Shen sent.”
His tone was filled with heartbreak.
He Hui stared at him blankly, finding it hard to reconcile the man before her with the Prince of Ning she had secretly met.
“Then—”
Amid the confusion, the sound of eunuchs clapping came from outside, followed quickly by the announcement: “His Majesty has arrived.”
Everyone hastened to pay respects. The Emperor entered, seeing the scene, and asked, “What’s the matter?”
The Empress Dowager explained the situation.
The Emperor responded with an “Oh,” and said, “She did embroider a pair of bats. I saw it earlier.”
His words caused surprise, especially from Li Yuanjing, who instinctively denied, “Father—”
The embroidery had been swapped and burned before entering the ancestral temple. How could His Majesty have seen it?
But before he could finish, the Emperor gave him a sharp glance that silenced him.
The Emperor sat on the throne and casually remarked, “It’s just a misunderstanding, not worth such a commotion. Let the banquet continue.”
All could see the Emperor did not wish to pursue the matter and acted as if nothing had happened, proceeding to pay their respects in turn.
He Hui sat dazedly, glancing at the Emperor.
Why did he help her?
Her heart was in turmoil, unable to understand. Before she could react, the Empress Dowager summoned her.
“Miss Shen, you’re scared, aren’t you?”
He Hui shook her head, saying no.
The Empress Dowager smiled. “Go and kowtow to your Emperor.”
He Hui thought the Empress Dowager wanted her to thank the Emperor for clearing her name, so she went forward, solemnly performing the grand kowtow and speaking auspicious words of longevity.
The Emperor said nothing at first, then after a long pause, spoke, “Rise. I accept your sincerity.”
His voice echoed in her ears, oddly familiar, but she was too nervous to recall why.
Just as she was about to stand, the Empress Dowager called out, “Wait.”
She beckoned Li Yuanjing to kneel beside her and said to the Emperor, “Today is a joyous day. People say one joy brings another. Let us learn from them.”
The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager.
She continued, “Miss Shen has been in the palace quite a while. I see she is a good child. She and Jing’er make a fine match. Why not settle their marriage today?”
The Emperor was taken aback, unconsciously gripping the armrest of the throne within his sleeve.