Xie Yao returned to the room and found Xie Yan unconscious again. She carefully wiped the cold sweat from Xie Yan’s forehead. As she stepped over the threshold, she saw Qingyu standing there, looking as though she wanted to say something but was hesitating.
“What is it?”
“A nanny from the Empress’s side came by just now.”
Xie Yao hurried outside. “What did she say? Has she already left?”
She was just about to instruct the steward to serve tea when Qingyu replied, “The nanny didn’t stay. She only said she had come under orders to deliver an invitation.”
A beautifully crafted invitation was handed to Xie Yao. When she opened it, she froze in surprise.
The royal family had always maintained the custom of hunting at Shanglin Garden in the spring. This year, with the war only recently ended, the Emperor intended to make the hunting event and spring banquet especially grand. Yet no matter how she thought about it, Xie Yao had never expected to receive an invitation herself.
“Her Majesty said that since you will soon be marrying into the Eastern Palace, you can already be considered one of the royal family. She thought you should come in advance and get acquainted with everyone.”
Xie Yao immediately frowned. Whether she would truly marry into the Eastern Palace was still uncertain. The Empress had simply left the invitation and left, giving her no chance to refuse.
“Miss…” Qingyu peeked at her. “So, are we going?”
In previous years, Xie Yao had also attended the spring banquet, but back then she usually remained at Princess Consort Xie’s side. Now that Princess Consort Xie had passed away, and since she had accepted the Empress’s invitation, she would inevitably be expected to accompany the Empress when the time came.
Xie Yao rubbed her temples with a headache. “What choice do I have? We’ll go.” After all, she could hardly defy an imperial command.
That evening, after settling Xie Yan in comfortably, Xie Yao had Qingyu pack a few necessities. Early the next morning, the carriage the Empress sent was already waiting outside the Xie residence.
“His Majesty’s procession has already departed from the palace. Her Majesty was worried that Miss would have no one to look after her, so she ordered this servant to accompany you.” Just as Xie Yao had expected, a nanny was already waiting outside. As she helped Xie Yao into the carriage, she spoke to her softly.
The carriage rattled along the road for more than an hour before finally arriving at the royal Shanglin Garden.
The imperial entourage had already arrived. The ministers had long since followed the Emperor to the hunting grounds, while the noblewomen and young ladies gathered in the courtyards, chatting about the latest fashionable cosmetics and fabrics. The nanny led Xie Yao toward the Empress’s residence.
Xie Yao knew the Empress wouldn’t summon her without reason, and she could guess it had something to do with the upcoming marriage. As she walked forward absentmindedly, she rehearsed possible answers in her mind.
Meanwhile, at the Eastern Palace.
Jiang Zhen knelt before Gu Changze, weeping bitterly. “Your Highness, you absolutely mustn’t put yourself through any more travel! You were so angry yesterday that you coughed up blood. You should be resting properly in the palace now. Shanglin Garden isn’t going anywhere. You can visit another time. Why must you join in the excitement this time?”
Jiang Zhen deeply regretted having mentioned, “Her Majesty specifically sent invitations to the noblewomen and young ladies.”
Before he had even finished speaking, the Crown Prince’s expression had already darkened. With a cool expression, he had only remarked, “The Empress is certainly very attentive when it comes to my affairs.”
Then he immediately ordered preparations for a trip to Huguo Temple.
The Crown Prince had always been frail. After years of careful recuperation, his health had only recently begun to improve. Some time ago, because he had returned from Huguo Temple and missed his appointment with Physician Immortal Feng, his illness had flared up several times over the past few days. Every time Jiang Zhen saw blood staining the handkerchief after one of the prince’s coughing fits, his heart jumped in alarm. Yet now the Crown Prince still intended to drag his sick body all the way to Shanglin Garden.
“Prepare the horse. The Empress clearly means no good. How can I possibly set my mind at ease? Foolish servant, since when was it your place to make decisions for me?”
Suppressing the surge of blood and pain churning in his chest, Gu Changze expressionlessly lifted his foot and kicked him.
Because of the Crown Prince’s condition, Jiang Zhen made the carriage travel much more slowly. What should have been a two-hour journey from the capital to Shanglin Garden ended up taking a full four hours.
They did not arrive until dusk was falling.
Around the Hour of Xu (about 7 p.m.), Xie Yao was summoned to the Empress’s courtyard for the third time that day. As expected, when she had first arrived that morning, the Empress had probed her feelings about marrying into the Eastern Palace. Xie Yao had skillfully evaded the question, but the Empress was clearly not satisfied. Before the evening banquet had even begun, she had already sent for Xie Yao again.
Xie Yao had not rested well in the past few days. After arriving at Shanglin Garden, she had to carefully navigate the Empress’s words and maintain social relations with the capital’s noble ladies. Naturally, she became even more exhausted. After walking only a short distance, weariness was already evident on her face. Rubbing her brow tiredly, she thought to herself:
Setting aside whether she actually wanted to marry into the Eastern Palace, the Empress’s eagerness was not normal. How had the Empress seen through her reluctance?
Lost in her thoughts, Xie Yao did not come back to her senses until the nanny before her suddenly fell silent, then dropped to her knees in alarm and called out, “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Only then did Xie Yao raise her head.
A bright moon hung in the night sky, its clear silver light spilling across the ground. Gu Changze stood beneath it in a sky-blue brocade robe. His face was as handsome as carved jade, his figure tall and straight. Though he looked travel-worn, with a trace of fatigue on his face, his gaze fell directly upon Xie Yao.
“Greetings, Your Highness.” Xie Yao quickly lowered her head and curtsied.
“Where is Miss Xie headed?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, the Empress has summoned Miss Xie.”
The nanny answered before Xie Yao could speak. Gu Changze nodded slightly and said, “As it happens, I have business with Miss Xie as well. Go inform Her Majesty that Miss Xie will not be coming over today.”
The nanny looked troubled and was about to object, but Gu Changze had already waved his hand dismissively, making it clear that no argument would be tolerated.
The nanny could only withdraw.
Xie Yao quietly let out a sigh of relief. “May I ask what business Your Highness has with this subject?”
Gu Changze smiled gently. His gaze lingered on her as he carefully looked her over. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, he finally said, “I waited for Miss Xie at the Eastern Palace for half a day yesterday.”
Waited for her? Xie Yao was stunned for a moment. Then she suddenly remembered. After receiving the Empress’s invitation yesterday, she had been busy arranging the trip to Shanglin Garden and had completely forgotten to deliver the prescription to the Eastern Palace. She first looked Gu Changze over with some concern. Seeing no displeasure or reproach in his eyes, she finally relaxed. After all, it had been her fault.
Xie Yao bowed openly and gracefully. “I have troubled Your Highness to think of me and wait for me. This subject asks Your Highness’s forgiveness.”
“There is no need for apologies. It will not be too late to deliver the prescription after we return.” Gu Changze brushed the matter aside as if it were nothing, making no mention whatsoever of the three hours he had spent waiting in the Eastern Palace the previous day.
“Have you adjusted well to the journey from the capital to Shanglin Garden today?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, everything is well.”
“The Empress summoned you today because of the marriage?”
Xie Yao had not expected Gu Changze to guess so accurately. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
“Indeed.”
She wondered whether Gu Changze had mentioned the matter to the Emperor and Empress after returning, causing the Empress to try persuading her.
Just as Xie Yao was about to ask, Gu Changze nodded lightly. “I understand. Starting tomorrow, she will not summon you again.”
What did that mean? Yet Gu Changze said nothing further and simply continued walking ahead. Xie Yao followed behind him and hesitantly spoke up.
“What Your Highness said just now…” She stopped abruptly mid-sentence.
Moonlight streamed down from above, and in that pale glow she finally noticed how unusually pale Gu Changze’s complexion was. “Your Highness! What’s wrong?”
“I…” Gu Changze turned around, but before he could finish a single sentence, he suddenly collapsed backward without any warning.
“Your Highness!” Xie Yao immediately reached out to catch him, but the force of his falling body threw her off balance. Wrapped in his embrace, she was pulled down with him.
With a thud, they fell to the ground together.
The spring night was still somewhat chilly. The man’s tall frame completely enveloped her. His handsome face was suddenly so close that it seemed magnified before her eyes. Their breaths mingled. Through the thin layers of their spring garments, she could feel the scorching heat radiating from his body, and her face instantly flushed red.
“Your Highness… you…”
Gu Changze lay atop her. Feeling the softness of her body and catching the faint fragrance that belonged to her alone, a hint of color appeared on his devastatingly handsome face.
“I…” Before he could finish speaking, his expression abruptly changed, pain flashing across his features.
The burning warmth she had felt moments ago quickly faded into coldness. Beneath the moonlight, Gu Changze’s already pale complexion became almost jade-white from his frailty. She could feel fine tremors running through his body. The man above her let out a pained groan, and only then did she realize something was seriously wrong.
“Someone! Someone, quickly! His Highness’s old illness has flared up!”
Before she could finish shouting, Gu Changze’s head tilted to one side, and he lost consciousness, collapsing fully onto her.
The servants heard her cries and rushed over at once. The moment they saw the scene, chaos erupted. They hurriedly carried Gu Changze back to his quarters.
At that moment, Xie Yao was overwhelmed with anxiety. From the moment she saw Gu Changze that evening, she had felt his complexion looked somewhat off, but she hadn’t thought much of it. It was only after they had both fallen onto the grass and he lost consciousness that she realized his old illness had flared up again.
Xie Yao had never witnessed one of his attacks before. The first time she saw it, he had already fainted. She was worried sick, pacing anxiously outside his quarters. When the imperial physician finally emerged, she hurried forward and asked, “How is His Highness’s condition?”
The physician immediately turned to Jiang Zhen, frowning. “His Highness’s illness has been especially severe these past few days. He should have remained in the Eastern Palace and focused on recuperating. Why did he come to Shanglin Garden?”
Jiang Zhen trembled slightly and glanced at Xie Yao.
Ever since they arrived at Shanglin Garden and His Highness, weary from travel, went straight to confront the Empress, Jiang Zhen had known exactly for whom the Crown Prince was risking his life like this.
“After taking his medicine today, His Highness was already feeling unwell. But when he heard that Her Majesty the Empress had summoned Miss Xie, he feared she might make things difficult for you. So he forced himself to come to Shanglin Garden despite his illness.”
The physician was a member of the Eastern Palace household, so Jiang Zhen spoke without trying to conceal it.
When Xie Yao heard this, she froze. “For me?”
Jiang Zhen nodded.
Receiving such a definite answer, Xie Yao was first filled with disbelief. Then it felt as though something had suddenly struck her heart, throwing her thoughts into complete disarray.
The Empress had summoned her because of the marriage. And only a few days earlier, at Huguo Temple, Gu Changze had made a promise to her. So had he really dragged his sick body all the way to Shanglin Garden, despite his condition, simply to help her out of this predicament? But why…?
Their relationship was nothing more than a marriage contract on paper. Why would he disregard his own health and rush all the way to Shanglin Garden for her sake?
“I’ll go prepare a prescription. Take good care of His Highness.” With that, the imperial physician left. Jiang Zhen hurried after him, then turned back to Xie Yao and said, “Miss Xie, please, would you go in and keep an eye on His Highness?”
Xie Yao’s thoughts were in complete disarray. Hearing him, she instinctively pushed the door open.
The man on the couch lay unconscious with his eyes closed. His forehead was damp with cold sweat, and even in his sleep his brows remained tightly furrowed. It was easy to imagine just how much pain his illness caused when it flared up. If it hurt this much, then why had he come?
Xie Yao pressed her lips together and looked at him steadily. She wrung out the cloth in the basin, sat gently on the edge of the bed, and carefully wiped the cold sweat from Gu Changze’s forehead.
If what Jiang Zhen had said was true…
Looking at his frail face and the beads of sweat on his brow, Xie Yao suddenly felt a sting in her nose. She could not even describe what she was feeling. All she could do was rinse the cloth again and again, patiently wiping him down.
The room was quiet. At first, the only sound was the faint splashing of water. Yet as Xie Yao continued tending to him, she suddenly heard Gu Changze murmuring in his sleep. “Yao…”
At first, his voice was so faint she couldn’t hear clearly. Thinking he might be asking for something, she lowered her head and leaned closer. “Your Highness, what did you say…?”
The unconscious man suddenly reached out and clasped her wrist. Then he called out again.
“Yaoyao.”
Xie Yao’s voice stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened in shock.