Eunuch Gui felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He quickly brought in the young eunuch carrying the flower pot.
This was the young eunuch’s first time meeting the Emperor. After entering, he didn’t dare lift his head, clutching the exquisite Wei Purple peony tightly in his arms before dropping to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling with nervousness.
“Your servant pays his respects to Your Majesty!”
Feng Jue’s gaze immediately settled on the Wei Purple peony, his expression softening unconsciously, a trace of tenderness appearing at the corner of his lips.
“Was this sent by the Princess?”
The young eunuch replied, “Your Majesty, Princess saw how splendidly this peony was blooming and specifically ordered this servant to bring it into the palace for Your Majesty to admire.”
Feng Jue set down his brush. “Bring it here for Zhen to see.”
Eunuch Gui, distrustful of the young eunuch, went down himself to take the pot from his hands. Holding it as if it were a rare treasure, he presented it with both hands onto the desk. Seeing His Majesty gently touch the peony petals, his gaze so gentle it seemed like a different person from before, Eunuch Gui secretly wiped the sweat from his temple.
It really does depend on the Princess. Just this single pot of flowers completely doused His Majesty’s anger.
Feng Jue appreciated elegant things. In the past, there were officials who carefully cultivated exotic flowers and rare plants to flatter and curry favor. He considered it too extravagant and suppressed this practice. But when Xiangyi did the same thing, he only found it fitting and comforting.
This child, whenever she sees something good, she always thinks to share it with him. How could he not cherish and love her?
“Was the Princess happy upon entering Cuiwei Garden?” Feng Jue was somewhat impatient to hear Xiangyi’s reaction. That villa was planned by his own hand, and the palace servants were carefully selected, all because he worried that Xiangyi might find some aspect uncomfortable or unaccommodating.
Xiangyi had been by his side for a full ten years. He had long regarded her as his own daughter. That feeling of being a father was truly ineffable. He had even once thought about simply adopting Xiangyi as his goddaughter, but her biological father, the Marquis of Pingyang, was still alive after all, so the matter was eventually set aside.
But it didn’t matter. When Xiangyi married, he would promote her to Princess and have her wed with all the pomp and circumstance of the imperial family.
Hearing his calm voice, the young eunuch was no longer as frightened as when he first entered. “Your Majesty, Princess was truly delighted with the bestowed Cuiwei Garden, especially the peony garden. She stopped and looked at it for a long time…”
As Feng Jue listened, Xiangyi’s charming, smiling face unconsciously floated into his mind. The corners of his lips slowly turned upward, and the gloom in his chest vanished completely.
He then asked a few more questions. The young eunuch answered clearly and logically. Feng Jue was immensely patient, not feeling the slightest bit of annoyance, and before he knew it, a long time had passed.
Finally, he had Eunuch Gui reward the sweet-tongued young eunuch with some silver and ordered someone to select some jewelry and fine silks from his private treasury to be taken back to Xiangyi.
In the past, people often used Xiangyi’s favor to criticize her, saying her life was extravagant and exceeded regulations. Feng Jue at the time did not comment. After court, he continued as before, only now all the rewards for Xiangyi came from his own private treasury.
Since ascending the throne, he had always been frugal, neither extensively building palaces nor indulging in pleasure trips. The money saved was used to dote on the child he cherished. No one could say much more about that.
After the young eunuch left with the rewards, the atmosphere in the Zichen Hall relaxed considerably. Eunuch Gui remembered the days when the Princess was around and truly wished she could stay in the palace forever. Serving the Emperor was like serving a tiger.
Only then did Feng Jue have time to take a sip of tea to moisten his throat. He lowered his head to continue dealing with the memorials, occasionally looking up at the Wei Purple peony on the desk, as if that one glance could give him boundless energy.
Meanwhile, Zheng Xiangyi was nearly dazzled by the large chest of items brought back with the young eunuch.
“All of this was bestowed by His Majesty?” Didn’t she send flowers for His Majesty to see? Why had His Majesty instead bestowed so many things? It made her feel somewhat ashamed. It was just a pot of flowers, not even planted by her, exchanged for so much jewelry and silk.
The young eunuch, having just met the Emperor, was very excited. “Princess, it was all bestowed by His Majesty.”
Zheng Xiangyi had someone open the chest. She ran her palm over the fine, smooth silk. His Majesty had excellent taste; the gold and red color scheme was both luxurious and festive.
“Have the seamstresses take this silk down to make clothes. I will wear this outfit to the flower-viewing banquet next month.”
Hmph, by then she would make those gossips see. The hairpins on her head, the clothes on her body were all personally selected and bestowed by His Majesty. His Majesty doted on her, and no matter how displeased others were, they could only hold it in.
Upon returning to her study, Zheng Xiangyi began writing invitations. She first wrote a few for those she was familiar with, then left the rest to Muqin and the others to handle. She required that all officials in the capital, regardless of rank, as long as their families had unmarried daughters around her age, would receive one.
As for whether those who received the invitations would come, that was not something she needed to consider. Being able to receive an invitation personally written by Princess Deyi would be considered a huge gain for them.
Zheng Xiangyi wrote until evening. After dinner, she learned from Muqin that there was actually a hot spring pool within Cuiwei Garden. It was now late April, the weather still carrying a slight chill, which became even more noticeable after nightfall.
Zheng Xiangyi changed into a bathing robe. Stepping into the hot spring pool, she sighed comfortably, her eyes narrowing in contentment. The water’s surface was covered with freshly picked peony petals, making her exposed skin appear luminous, smooth, and tender as congealed fat.
Muqin and a young palace maid named Ruowei were attending to her on the side. Seeing her appearance at this moment, their faces reddened.
“The Princess is truly beautiful,” Ruowei, who was bold, said. The other palace maids were intimidated by the Princess’s imposing presence and dared not step forward proactively. Only she, Ruowei, wanted to strive for a future.
Zheng Xiangyi raised her hand, the sound of flowing water cascading down. “You have good taste.”
Zheng Xiangyi was well aware of what she looked like. Feng Yu, that tasteless traitor, betraying her was his own blindness. She would never look for reasons within herself.
She was such a great beauty, exclusively favored by His Majesty. Who couldn’t she marry if she wanted? Back then, Feng Yu had clearly taken advantage of her. A prince, so what? He was only good-looking at best. If one really compared, he wasn’t even as handsome as His Majesty.
His Majesty’s face… that was truly like an orchid and jade tree, with the grace of a crane and the bearing of a pine.
Zheng Xiangyi’s face flushed without her realizing it, and she sank deeper into the water.
Muqin only thought the bath temperature was a bit high. Seeing her flushed face, she didn’t think much else, only advised, “Princess, just soak for a little while longer. Any more and your skin will wrinkle.”
Zheng Xiangyi gave her a sidelong glance. “I haven’t been in the water for long.” As she spoke, she swam further inside instead, like a mermaid floating on the water’s surface, glancing back at her with a light laugh.
“Princess!” Muqin helplessly watched as she splashed water toward her, soaking her clothes, and said exasperatedly, “If you continue like this, this servant will have to report to His Majesty upon returning to the palace.”
Caught by her words, Zheng Xiangyi pouted unhappily. “I’m already so old, and you still want to report to His Majesty. Isn’t that embarrassing?”
Ruowei secretly watched the playful interaction between the master and servant, feeling both surprised and envious. She had only heard before that Princess Deyi had a willful and difficult temperament to serve, but she treated this Muqin girl exceptionally well.
She became even more determined to become the Princess’s confidante and interjected, “His Majesty dotes on the Princess the most. He definitely wouldn’t be upset with the Princess over such a small matter.”
“Oh?” Zheng Xiangyi swam toward her, resting her dripping arm on the edge of the pool as she looked up and asked, “You also think His Majesty dotes on me the most?”
Ruowei: “Naturally. His Majesty has never brought anyone else to this Cuiwei Garden before.”
Zheng Xiangyi couldn’t help but feel sweet inside. Muqin, afraid she would catch a chill, hastily fetched a dry towel to wrap around her upper body. Zheng Xiangyi’s eyes shifted, and she asked the young palace maid, “How long have you been serving here?”
Ruowei replied, “This servant has been here since she was eight years old. It has been nine years now.”
Zheng Xiangyi, holding onto Muqin’s hand, rose from the hot spring pool. After drying her body with a towel, she draped on a red bathing robe. Her cloud-like hair still dripped water downward, with a few strands clinging messily to her forehead.
“How many times has His Majesty come here over the years?”
“Not many, only four or five times.”
Although Zheng Xiangyi had lived mostly in the palace in the past, she wasn’t by His Majesty’s side every day. There were always times when it wasn’t convenient to accompany him.
“Then I ask you…” Zheng Xiangyi looked at her face, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly. “When His Majesty was here, did he ever summon women to accompany him?”
Zheng Xiangyi knew. Over the years, although His Majesty had never summoned the palace concubines, there were always people who tried to send women to his side. And some even… some clueless ones attempted to start with her.
Ruowei stammered, “No… His Majesty has never summoned women to accompany him.”
Zheng Xiangyi smiled. “This Princess likes you very much. From now on, come serve by my side.”
Ruowei was overwhelmed by the favor, unable to believe she had achieved her wish so easily. She hurriedly kowtowed. “This servant thanks the Princess for your appreciation!”
Zheng Xiangyi, wearing wooden clogs, stepped out of the hot spring palace, the long hem of her robe trailing on the ground like red clouds.
“Princess…” Muqin followed behind her, gazing at her figure, wanting to speak but hesitating, her eyes carrying a hint of conflict, a flicker of understanding, and a trace of fear.
Zheng Xiangyi stopped walking, looking up at the high, bright moon in the sky, but did not turn around.
“Muqin, who do you think His Majesty will appoint as Crown Prince?”
Muqin dared not answer. She was frightened by the speculation in her heart.
Zheng Xiangyi asked casually, not really expecting an answer from her, and slowly walked away.
Late at night, the world was silent. Zheng Xiangyi found it difficult to sleep alone, and she rarely dreamed. She dreamt of the time after the Empress Dowager passed away, when she had just moved to Zichen Hall. That year, she was five years old.
A young child who had lost her relied-upon elder couldn’t avoid feeling panicked and afraid. After nightfall, she would curl up alone under the covers, silently shedding tears. Then the dark, stuffy quilt was opened. A hand gently stroked her head and said to her, “Don’t cry. I’m here.”
Zheng Xiangyi sniffled and suddenly buried her head in his embrace. Those strong arms held her tightly, like majestic mountains or steady ocean waves, the rhythmic heartbeat echoing in her ears.
She fell asleep peacefully in such an embrace and never had nightmares again since.
She awoke. The dawn light broke, but only she lay alone on the pillow.
Zheng Xiangyi rubbed her eyes and got up, thinking to herself, why not simply let her be reborn back to an even younger age? That way, she could continue to cling shamelessly to his embrace.
After breakfast, as Zheng Xiangyi was thinking about returning to the palace, she suddenly received a big surprise.
The man wore a blue robe, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin, that refined scholar’s aura even more vivid. He looked at her stunned expression, his folding fan swaying back and forth as he suppressed a smile, the corners of his lips curling up.
“What? Are you so surprised to see me like this?”