After the snow, the skies cleared, and a rare warm sun emerged over Yong’an City following days of rain and snow.
The dim yet dazzling winter sunlight filtered through thick clouds, leaving only a faint, pale glow that silently bathed the cold, desolate land.
Just past the hour of the Snake.
The usually tranquil and peaceful Brocade Palace was suddenly visited by an unexpected guest, startling all the servants in attendance.
The visitor was Li Xun. He had not come to deliver a message but to escort someone.
Upon seeing Su Tiyue in the main hall, Li Xun bowed respectfully and said, “Consort Shu, the Chief Superintendent has instructed this servant to take you to a place.”
Su Tiyue furrowed her brows and asked in surprise, “What place?”
Li Xun replied, “Jingxin Pavilion by Moonview Lake.”
Su Tiyue remained silent, glancing sideways at Liu Wan and Qing Wu beside her, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She found Xiao Heye’s behavior peculiar but couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
If Xiao Heye wanted to see her, he could simply have Li Xun take her to Nightfall Pavilion. For no apparent reason, what scheme was he plotting this time? Su Tiyue truly couldn’t figure it out.
Qing Wu looked at Su Tiyue and then at Li Xun across from her. Seeing her mistress’s troubled expression, she assumed Su Tiyue was unwilling to go. She said to Li Xun, “Eunuch Li, the weather is bitterly cold, and Moonview Lake has long since frozen over. Our mistress has only just recovered her health. Does your Chief Superintendent disregard her delicate constitution, insisting on meeting in such a place to endure the cold wind?”
Li Xun smiled faintly and replied to Qing Wu, “The Chief Superintendent surely has his reasons for doing so. As servants, we simply follow orders… isn’t that right, Miss Qing Wu?”
Qing Wu glared at him. “You…”
Su Tiyue also understood that Li Xun’s words were not just directed at Qing Wu but also at herself.
Xiao Heye wanted Su Tiyue to obey him unquestioningly. If he wanted her to go east, she could not go west. This kind of control was as if Xiao Heye had personally tailored every step she would take from now on, and Su Tiyue could only comply.
After a moment of silence, Su Tiyue finally asked leisurely, “Eunuch Li, do you know why your Chief Superintendent has summoned me to Jingxin Pavilion?”
Li Xun replied, “Your Ladyship will know once you arrive.”
“Hiding and concealing things—it’s definitely not for any good purpose,” Qing Wu muttered softly from the side. Liu Wan, afraid she might say something more reckless, quickly nudged Qing Wu with her elbow to stop her from speaking out of turn.
Su Tiyue stood up and said, “In that case, I will go change my clothes.”
Li Xun responded with a “Yes,” bowed, and retreated from the room, dutifully waiting by the door.
Not long after, Su Tiyue emerged, still wearing the same clothes as before, but now with an additional plum-red cloak.
Liu Wan, feeling uneasy, asked her again, “Your Ladyship, are you sure you don’t want us to accompany you?”
“No need, don’t worry. I’ll return soon.”
Su Tiyue and Li Xun left the gates of Brocade Palace. After walking several steps, she turned back and saw Liu Wan and Qing Wu still standing foolishly at the entrance, unwilling to return. The scene felt like a sorrowful farewell.
Su Tiyue glanced back at them and waved her hand, signaling for them to go back inside.
Wangyue Lake is located in the Northern Garden, connected to the Imperial Garden, both renowned as places of breathtaking scenery within the royal palace. Jingxin Pavilion stands at the center of the lake, an ideal spot for admiring the view and gazing at the moon.
Li Xun led her through the Imperial Garden, walking along the stone bridge built over the lake. As far as the eye could see, everything was a vast expanse of white. The lake merged seamlessly with the Imperial Garden, blending into a single hue. Though it lacked the vibrant, colorful splendor of other days, its purity was astonishingly beautiful.
Appreciating the snow on the lake indeed held a unique charm.
From Jingxin Pavilion, Xiao Heye spotted Su Tiyue approaching him from afar long before she arrived.
He leaned back slightly, his long legs casually bent, sitting lazily beside the stone table. His right hand rested on the tabletop, his slender, cool fingers lightly pressed against his lips, rubbing back and forth. His deep, unfathomable eyes seemed to gaze vaguely at the petite figure.
Su Tiyue was dressed as usual today, without any deliberate adornment.
Beneath her plum-red cloak, she wore a light pink gown, its hem embroidered with delicate, pure white jasmine petals. A moon-white brocade belt cinched her slender waist, so delicate it seemed almost too fragile to hold. In her hair, she wore only a simple gold hairpin adorned with a jade butterfly pendant, which emitted a crisp, melodious tinkling sound with every step she took.
A beauty with bright eyes and gleaming teeth, lightly adorned with makeup, each step as graceful as a lotus, the gold hairpin chiming softly… These were the very words that came to Xiao Heye’s mind as he looked at the person before him.
Yet, he wondered, what thoughts might cross the mind of someone else upon seeing Su Tiyue?
As soon as Su Tiyue entered the pavilion, Xiao Heye’s gaze remained fixed on her. Feeling slightly unnerved by his stare, she softly asked, “May I ask why Chief Eunuch Xiao has summoned me here?”
Su Tiyue glanced at the young eunuch standing behind Xiao Heye. Besides Xiao Heye and Li Xun, there were others present in the pavilion, so she spoke with caution.
Xiao Heye snapped out of his reverie, a faint smile gracing his stern face. He stood up, spreading his palms and gesturing toward the chessboard on the stone table. “This humble servant dares to ask Her Highness to accompany me for a game of chess.”
Su Tiyue looked up at him, her red lips curving into a helpless smile. “I’m afraid Chief Eunuch Xiao will be greatly disappointed, but I do not know how to play chess.”
“Tsk.” Xiao Heye was refused, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he continued, “Then perhaps this humble servant could accompany Your Highness in savoring some tea and admiring the snowy scenery. How does that sound?”
“You… you summoned me here just for this?”
The corners of Xiao Heye’s lips curled upward in a sly smile. “Yes… and no. But it won’t take much of Your Highness’s time—no more than half an incense stick’s worth.”
Without waiting for Su Tiyue to refuse, Xiao Heye said, “Please take a seat, Your Highness.”
Su Tiyue’s face darkened as she reluctantly sat on the stone stool. To prevent the nobles from catching a chill in the winter cold, thick cushions had been placed on the stone stools in the pavilion.
Xiao Heye sat down as well and handed her a small, exquisite hand warmer, reminding her, “Your Highness, take care of your health.”
Su Tiyue accepted the hand warmer, clasping it tightly in both hands. Warmth gradually spread from her palms.
She had no idea what Xiao Heye intended to do. Often, Su Tiyue found his thoughts inscrutable, so she simply stopped trying to guess.
Xiao Heye poured a cup of steaming hot tea and placed it before her. Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the two attendants behind him.
The vast, empty expanse of the lake made the surroundings feel even more silent and still.
Xiao Heye held black and white chess pieces in his hands, his attention entirely focused on the chessboard, occasionally stealing glances at Su Tiyue’s every move.
Su Tiyue had no interest in admiring the snow, nor did she understand the game of Go. Bored, she lowered her head and fiddled with the hand warmer in her grasp.
Just then, some commotion drifted over from the direction of the imperial garden’s back gate.
Following the sound, Su Tiyue looked toward it… and discovered that the Emperor and Consort Ji, along with their entourage, were chatting and laughing as they approached the Jingxin Pavilion.
Su Tiyue suddenly panicked. She turned back, her face filled with astonishment as she glanced at Xiao Heye, her breathing gradually growing erratic, leaving her utterly flustered.
So, Xiao Heye had asked Su Tiyue to come to the Jingxin Pavilion… precisely to arrange for her to encounter the Emperor.
Su Tiyue glanced back at the path she had taken, which stretched clearly to the end. The road was empty, without a single passerby. Running or fleeing now would be too abrupt, too deliberate. Moreover, the Emperor’s party was approaching quickly, and it seemed they would soon be right before them…
Xiao Heye also noticed the Emperor’s approach, yet he remained unmoved, leisurely placing a black chess piece slowly in the center of the board. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Su Tiyue’s panicked expression, feeling a subtle sense of pleasure.
He watched as she quickly set the hand warmer on the table, gathered her cloak with both hands, and tried to wrap herself entirely within its thick, secure folds.
Su Tiyue paused for a moment, then felt a slight chill on the back of her neck. She reached up to tighten the hood around her neck, not daring to expose even the slightest bit of skin to the air.
Xiao Heye found it increasingly amusing. Finally, he set down the chess piece in his hand and said to Su Tiyue in a leisurely tone, “Your Ladyship, this isn’t your first time meeting the Emperor. Don’t lose your composure.”
His tone carried a hint of nonchalance and playful mockery.