Zhenzhen, whose full name was Chen Wei, was the daughter of the Director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments and her closest confidante.
They had met in Yanjing when they were both nine years old, and now, after eight years of friendship, they were as close as sisters.
Zhenzhen must have been waiting for her, for as soon as she arrived, she shyly approached with a warm smile.
“Shanshan.”
Shanshan was her childhood name, known only to her closest family and confidantes like Zhenzhen.
Other young ladies with whom she was acquainted would address her as Yunniang.
For instance, at that moment, seeing Liu Yun—a gentle and amiable companion—arrive, many greeted her.
There were young ladies from the Three Departments, the Nine Ministries, the Censorate, and families like the Zhaos, Lis, Suns, and Hes…
All dressed in their finest, each looking vibrant and lovely, creating a dazzling sight.
But Liu Yun returned each greeting with grace and warmth.
“Greetings, Second Lady Zhang.”
“Fifth Lady Qin, your dress today is truly beautiful.”
“Third Lady Sun, your complexion is glowing—you must have slept well last night.”
“Seventh Lady Zhong, your hairpin is so exquisite.”
…
Patiently, she acknowledged every young lady who greeted her, her smile soft and inviting, like a gentle spring breeze.
“Come, I set up a swing over there. Let’s go play together.”
Once they were alone, Chen Wei immediately took Liu Yun’s hand and said.
Hearing there was a swing to play on, Liu Yun’s face lit up with joy.
Every year during the Spring Outing, the best-looking trees were quickly claimed by those who arrived early or whose families held higher official ranks, leaving Liu Yun with few suitable options for tying a swing.
After failing to find one a few times, she had simply given up.
This year, however, was fortunate—Zhenzhen had found a good tree, and now she could enjoy the swing.
Although her Wuchun Courtyard also had a swing, it never felt quite the same as the one during the Spring Outing.
Hand in hand, they walked briskly, chatting along the way.
“Shanshan, did you know? The Crown Prince has come today!”
Having just encountered him on the way, Liu Yun was startled and asked anxiously, “What? The Crown Prince has come to the Wei River?”
While the Spring Outing was a popular event among young men and women, it likely held little interest for the Crown Prince, born into the imperial family.
Unexpectedly, he had come this year.
And with such a grand entourage—one might have mistaken it for the Emperor himself coming to offer sacrifices to heaven.
“Yes, I don’t know why, but a troop of light cavalry came galloping over, led by the Crown Prince, heading into the forest.”
“Probably for horseback riding or hunting.”
Zhenzhen was clever and skillful. To make the swing more beautiful, she had gathered wildflowers and woven them around the ropes. Though simple, it was a delightful sight filled with the colors of spring.
“Never mind that.”
Liu Yun’s attention was entirely captured by the swing. She paid little heed to anything else, casually brushing off the topic before leaning in to smell a small, unnamed purple flower on the swing rope.
“It smells lovely.”
Chen Wei smiled shyly, first sitting on the swing and then pulling Liu Yun to join her. With a cheerful tone, she said, “Quick, sit down! Let’s swing together!”
Unlike other young ladies, both were timid by nature, afraid to stand on the swing. They feared heights and worried about losing their balance and falling.
So they swung gently and leisurely. Sitting so close, Chen Wei noticed the apricot blossom hairpin in Liu Yun’s hair and exclaimed softly, “Shanshan, is this your new hairpin? It’s so beautiful!”
Liu Yun had long been waiting for Zhenzhen to notice her new hairpin. As soon as Zhenzhen asked about it, her eyes immediately curved into crescents as she took the apricot blossom hairpin from her hair, letting Zhenzhen examine it closely.
“That’s right, it’s the design I drew myself last time and had Baofu Zhai craft. Isn’t it lovely?”
Chen Wei took the apricot blossom hairpin and naturally praised it profusely, her eyes brimming with admiration.
Seeing this, Liu Yun crossed her arms and said playfully, “Since you like it so much, beg me, and I’ll lend it to you for a while.”
Chen Wei first chuckled, then played along, “Oh, dear Shanshan, please let me wear it for a bit~”
The two burst into laughter, their joy surpassing the spring scenery along the Wei River.
However, flowers plucked from their branches wither quickly under the sun, so Liu Yun and Zhenzhen decided to search for fresh blooms once more.
They even made it a competition to see who could gather more and prettier flowers.
Eagerly, Liu Yun parted ways with Zhenzhen and began her search for beautiful flowers.
Not only that, seeing Zhenzhen enlist her maid Bixin to help, Liu Yun also sought Jin He’s assistance.
“Quickly, dear sister, help me search over there. We mustn’t lose!”
Jin He shook her head with a smile and hurried off.
How could she disappoint her young mistress?
With this thought, Jin He also set to work diligently.
Liu Yun searched earnestly, gradually moving to the edge of the woods without realizing it. Just as she spotted a cluster of milk vetch and was about to pick it, something suddenly fell from above.
It crashed heavily to the ground, crushing the milk vetch she had painstakingly found beneath it.
Without needing to inspect it, the cluster of milk vetch was surely smashed to pieces.
Everything happened so abruptly that Liu Yun froze, staring blankly at the goose pierced by an arrow before her.
Scattered droplets of blood stained the tender, verdant spring grass, marring the vibrant vitality unique to the season.
It was jarring.
Not only did it ruin the spring ambiance, but it also forced her to witness the passing of a life.
And the one that died was a goose—a symbol of loyalty.
A creature she had only ever seen at wedding banquets before.
It felt somewhat pitiful.
The sound of approaching hooves snapped Liu Yun out of her daze. Bewildered, she looked up.
Then her expression changed dramatically.
Leading the group was a young man in purple robes and a jade belt, his purple-gold crown gleaming brilliantly under the sun. It was none other than Crown Prince Xiao Heng, whom she had encountered on the road earlier.
Behind him followed a contingent of Imperial Guards, riding forth with great fanfare.
Liu Yun immediately stood up nervously, wanting to distance herself as far as possible, not daring to provoke this formidable figure in the slightest.
But the four-hoofed horses opposite her were far faster. In the blink of an eye, they galloped right up to Liu Yun.
With the Crown Prince now present, etiquette dictated that Liu Yun should pay her respects. Otherwise, she risked being accused of impropriety.
Thus, suppressing her fear, Liu Yun rose and performed a flawless Wanfu Greeting.
“Your humble subject greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
In Liu Yun’s own view, she had behaved properly and made no mistakes. But in Xiao Heng’s eyes, the young girl before him seemed timid, like a startled rabbit.
Even her voice was soft and faint, like a feather gently brushing against the ear.
Xiao Heng gave a light command, reining in his horse. The sleek, towering black steed made the young lady in pink and green appear even more delicate and fragile.
The Imperial Guard soldiers beside him dismounted, retrieving the already lifeless goose and leaving behind a crushed cluster of milk vetch.
A messy heap, its petals scattered and broken.
“What are you doing here?”
A strange opening question. Liu Yun even wondered if the two of them were somehow familiar.
Although puzzled by the Crown Prince’s attitude and unable to fathom his purpose in asking such a question, Liu Yun dared not delay in replying. She answered honestly, “Picking flowers, to go back and tie a swing.”
The girl spoke haltingly, her hands twisted together, appearing wooden and utterly devoid of lively charm.
Yet this Crown Prince displayed rare patience. Gazing at Liu Yun’s empty hands, he leisurely inquired again, “And where are the flowers?”
Liu Yun looked bewildered. She instinctively glanced at the crushed milk vetch trampled by the descending wild goose and mumbled, “They were crushed.”
Silence instantly fell over the scene. Out of fear, Liu Yun lowered her head and fidgeted with her hands, failing to notice the fleeting smile in the young man’s eyes atop the black horse.
“Then I shall compensate you!”
“Catch.”
Before Liu Yun could process the first statement, still dazed, the second command prompted her to look up.
Even though she did not understand the Crown Prince’s meaning nor knew what she was supposed to catch, Liu Yun instinctively raised her head.
The moment she looked up, she saw the Crown Prince unfasten something from his waist and casually toss it toward her.
A warm, lustrous glow shimmered under the sunlight, and in an instant, it landed in Liu Yun’s hand.
Liu Yun glanced down at her palm, where a Jade Jue carved with dragon patterns lay quietly.
Warm and translucent, it was clearly of the finest quality.
Moreover, adorned with dragon motifs, it was not something an ordinary person could possess.
“This object is too precious. This humble girl cannot accept it. Please, Your Highness, take it back…”
Being the daughter of an official family, Liu Yun was not so foolish as to take what she should not. She immediately intended to return it.
However, the other party gave her no chance. With a tug of the reins, the black horse beneath him turned around, leading the contingent of Imperial Guards away.
The sound of hoofbeats gradually faded, leaving Liu Yun standing alone in astonishment, her palm burning.
Due to Crown Prince Xiao Heng’s appearance, everyone’s gazes, both overt and covert, turned toward her.
Talented scholars and ladies composing poetry, literati and refined gentlemen engaged in the winding stream drinking game, elegant maidens and noble gentlemen playing the qin or painting.
After the Crown Prince rode away, they could only stare at Liu Yun, who stood there like a dumbstruck goose.
Especially since Liu Yun was well-liked. Once the Crown Prince and his entourage departed, many young ladies swarmed around her, chattering and inquiring eagerly.
“Yunniang, Yunniang, why did His Highness speak to you?”
“What did His Highness give you?”
“What happened? Why did His Highness give something to Yunniang?”
“What treasure is this? Let me see?”
There were also high-born young ladies who prided themselves on their status, disdaining to lower themselves by inquiring about the Crown Prince’s affairs. Yet they all paused their activities, subtly directing their attention toward Liu Yun.
In Yanjing, and indeed throughout the entire Great Yan, this was not at all strange.
Crown Prince Xiao Heng was the only son of the late Empress, who passed away prematurely, and the sole legitimate son under His Majesty.
After the Empress died from postpartum hemorrhage, the Emperor, overwhelmed with grief and loving the house for its crow, designated the newborn infant as the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Xiao Heng excelled in both literary and martial arts, resolute and decisive, greatly favored by the Emperor, receiving exceptional affection.
Not only was his position as Crown Prince as stable as Mount Tai, but he also possessed a face of breathtaking beauty.
Lush, flamboyant, it was a sharp and aggressive handsomeness that left a lasting impression.
To be honest, the first time Liu Yun saw Crown Prince Xiao Heng’s face, she too was captivated for quite a while.
Appetite for beauty is human nature; she could not be blamed for that.
However, the Crown Prince’s temperament was rather difficult, coupled with his demanding status. Liu Yun harbored no thoughts toward him, nor dared to have any.
Faced with the questioning of a group of young ladies, Liu Yun couldn’t come up with a decent lie, so she honestly told the truth.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had given away the Jade Jue he wore as compensation for the crushed purple vetch belonging to the Liu family’s daughter, the ladies all showed expressions of astonishment.
“The Crown Prince is too generous. It’s just a wildflower—why use his personal Jade Jue as compensation?”
“Exactly, it’s too extravagant!”
“Indeed, His Highness the Crown Prince is truly unpredictable.”
…
“What status does His Highness hold? Giving away a piece of jade is as trivial to him as tossing a copper coin is to you. What’s the big deal?”
“How laughable you all look, so inexperienced!”
Amid the varied opinions, a clear, sharp voice suddenly cut in, its arrogant tone filled with disdain for these young ladies.
Though the mocked young ladies felt indignant, they could not retort.
This was because the speaker was surnamed He—the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Wei’s household, the maternal clan of the Empress Dowager. Deeply favored by the Empress Dowager, she had been enfeoffed as County Princess Rong’an.
County Princess Rong’an, He Xiang, was the most domineering figure in Yanjing. However, due to her deep affection from her grandaunt, Empress Dowager He, few in Yanjing dared to provoke her.
Thus, after County Princess Rong’an’s words fell, no one dared to refute her for a moment, and the atmosphere turned awkward.
Liu Yun naturally felt awkward as well, especially since she feared being targeted and challenged by County Princess Rong’an. She wished she could vanish into the ground.
All of Yanjing knew that County Princess Rong’an admired the Crown Prince. She had pleaded with the Empress Dowager many times, but as the Crown Prince had no interest, she had been rejected repeatedly.
Although this incident involved only a Jade Jue, because it belonged to the Crown Prince, Liu Yun worried that County Princess Rong’an would be displeased.
But no matter how she tried to avoid attention, as one of the two central figures in the earlier incident, Liu Yun was inevitably noticed by County Princess Rong’an.
“Hey, which family are you from?”
A royal relative like County Princess Rong’an naturally wouldn’t remember a family like the Lius or recognize Liu Yun.
Realizing she couldn’t escape, Liu Yun steeled herself and stepped forward to pay her respects. “My father is the Director of the Ministry of Works. I am Yunniang of the Liu family, greeting the County Princess.”
County Princess Rong’an glanced at the white jade dragon jue in Liu Yun’s hand, feeling a pang of jealousy, which made her tone rather unpleasant.
“I thought it was something significant, but it turns out you’re just the daughter of a minor fifth-rank official. How dull.”
“However, Liu Yunniang, what status does my cousin the Crown Prince hold, and what status do you hold? Even if it’s just a Jade Jue he casually discarded, you are unworthy of it. Do you understand?”
The unsparing mockery fell word by word, as if with immense force, causing Liu Yun’s face to alternate between pale and flushed, her eyes growing hot.
Even she herself felt she couldn’t possibly keep the Crown Prince’s white jade dragon jue and intended to report to her father upon returning home, asking him to find a way to return it.
But being mocked and humiliated in front of so many young ladies still made Liu Yun feel ashamed and heartbroken.
Even though her father had toiled for most of his life and remained only a minor fifth-rank official, and even though she, Liu Yun, was just an ordinary young lady with average talent and appearance—
She still had her self-respect and wished to earn others’ respect.
She didn’t believe she was so unworthy.
“Yes, the County Princess’s lesson is correct. I will have my father return the Jade Jue to His Highness the Crown Prince upon returning home.”
Even though Liu Yun felt deeply wronged and on the verge of tears, she still remembered who He Xiang was.
The Empress Dowager’s most beloved granddaughter, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Wei’s household, and the County Princess Rong’an enfeoffed by His Majesty.
Her Liu family could not afford to offend her.
Clutching Zhenzhen’s hand as she came over to comfort her, Liu Yun forced a smile.
County Princess Rong’an naturally noticed the pitiable and awkward state of Liu Yunniang, which was indeed rather touching.
But so what?
Seeing that she was still obedient and well-behaved in front of others, County Princess Rong’an snorted, “At least she knows her place.”
With that, she turned to leave.
But before going, she cast a reluctant glance at that white jade dragon jue.
She didn’t have any of her Crown Prince cousin’s things!
If she hadn’t known that her Crown Prince cousin disliked others touching his belongings without permission, Rong’an would have definitely taken that jade jue.
Her Crown Prince cousin made her admire him, but he also made her fear him.
…
Because of this incident, Liu Yun’s mood was affected. After bidding farewell to Zhenzhen, she returned home early.
Having endured such ridicule and humiliation, it was hard for her to smile. She held back her sadness all the way home.
Once home, upon seeing her loving mother, Liu Yun could no longer hold back. Sobbing intermittently, she told her mother about how County Princess Rong’an had ridiculed her.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuhua was first angered that her daughter had been bullied, then she held her daughter in her arms to comfort her, blaming and resenting herself for her inability to do anything against the Empress Dowager’s maternal clan.
In truth, Liu Yun didn’t really want to do anything about it; she just wanted to vent her emotions. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have held back at the Wei River earlier.
“It’s alright, Mother. I feel much better after saying it. Don’t worry about it; I’ll be fine on my own in a couple of days.”
Wiping the tears from her face, Liu Yun put on her usual sweet smile to comfort her mother.
“Ah…”
“It’s all because your father and I aren’t of noble birth, letting our Shanshan be bullied for no reason.”
“It’s all that Crown Prince’s fault, giving that jade jue for no reason and causing our Shanshan to end up like this!”
“Don’t worry, when your father comes back tonight, I’ll tell him to return it. Go back and rest now; look at you, crying so much you’ve become a little tear-streaked kitten!”
Comforted by her mother, Liu Yun felt much better. Nodding, she returned to Wuchun Courtyard.
That night, when Liu Shiwen returned from his duties and heard his wife’s account, his face also showed a look of shame.
“It’s all my fault for being incompetent, just a fifth-rank assistant director, letting our daughter be bullied for no reason.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll return the jade jue to the Crown Prince at tomorrow’s court assembly.”
“But…”
Liu Shiwen paused, his gaze falling on the dragon-patterned jade jue. After pondering for a while, he hesitantly said, “Do you think the Crown Prince might have feelings for our daughter…”
Author’s Note:
More tomorrow
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