The music and dancing filled the hall with splendor. Qi Yi cast a faint glance at the swaying gauze skirts of the dancers, finding it all rather dull. He shifted his gaze aside, where a palace maid in a misty cloud-colored gown was bowing her head, attending to the consorts.
After rushing along mountain roads since dawn, then busying himself with preparations for the banquet at noon, and now standing to serve the consorts—no wonder she looked weary after such a day.
Qi Yi was startled for a moment. Why was he suddenly thinking of such things tonight? The strong liquor burned down his throat. He tried to distract himself, yet his eyes kept straying to the maid’s hairpin—a blossom ornament that trembled with each movement, lively as spring flowers. It reminded him… of Jiang Nian.
She, timid as she was, would cry at the slightest stern word, yet still pretended calm when hiding her paintings, thinking herself flawless. But that flower hairpin of hers would tremble so wildly it looked ready to flutter off like a butterfly.
“Heh…” A soft chuckle escaped him. Rong Chengguang, ever observant, caught the faint curve at His Majesty’s lips.
Following his gaze, Rong Chengguang saw the maid with the flower hairpin. His eyes flickered, and he said quickly: “Your Majesty, the new maid reports that the camp has already been tidied.”
Qi Yi glanced at him, raising the cup to his lips. “You seem more impatient than I am tonight.”
Rong Chengguang rubbed his neck with a sheepish smile. “This old servant only wishes to ease Your Majesty’s burdens. Tomorrow’s affairs will be busy—if you retire earlier, it will be better.”
“…Nosy.”
“Your Ladyship, are we really safe sneaking out like this? If His Majesty returns and finds you gone, he might be angry.”
Jiang Nian waved her hand confidently. “Don’t worry. I just told Rong Chengguang the camp was cleaned. Do you know what he answered?”
Lian Zhi asked, “What did he say?”
Jiang Nian arched her brows. “He said His Majesty is busy entertaining guests at the banquet and won’t return until later. So relax.”
With that, Jiang Nian watched the shadow play rehearsal without a care.
This year’s shadow play had added strange novelties to please foreign guests, and Jiang Nian watched with delight.
The last time she had seen a shadow play was years ago, during the Lantern Festival, when Qi Yi was still Crown Prince. They had watched together. The plot was silly, the voices comical—she laughed until tears streamed down her face. Turning, she saw Qi Yi’s cold expression and asked in puzzlement: “Why don’t you laugh?”
Qi Yi said nothing, only stared at her. From his gaze, she read disdain, as if he thought her foolish. She stomped her foot: “Even if you won’t laugh, you must watch with me. I’m telling you, Qi Yi, from now on you must accompany me to every shadow play.”
Later, when Qi Yi ascended the throne, shadow plays were forbidden in the palace. Yet she fussed and clamored until he broke tradition and summoned the finest troupe. Alas, within half a year, she grew so carried away by the stories that she set fire to the stage, and the troupe was expelled from the palace.
Now, watching again, Jiang Nian felt as though she had returned to those earlier years—still spoiled, but not yet hardened into a venomous consort.
Lost in thought, she nearly let her maid’s disguise slip. Lian Zhi tugged at her sleeve, whispering: “Your Ladyship, we’re still dressed as palace maids. We mustn’t be discovered. If someone reports us to His Majesty, our cover will be blown.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Jiang Nian brushed it off, pulling Lian Zhi closer with a grin. “Lian Zhi, look at that pig—it looks just like Zhao Jing! Clumsy, stupid, and fat—nearly three times my size. And yet the Empress Dowager dares call him a dragon in the making. Honestly, if dragons were that fat, could they even fly?”
“And that one—doesn’t it look like…”
The entire palace had been compared by Her Ladyship—everyone from the Empress Dowager and the young prince down to the cats and dogs kept by the consorts. None escaped her playful remarks. Lian Zhi had wanted to stop her, knowing such talk was improper, but before she could speak, Her Ladyship had already moved on to mocking someone else.
She couldn’t help but laugh: “Your Ladyship, you really mustn’t say more. If someone with ill intent overhears, the ministers of the front court will surely lodge complaints against you again.”
Jiang Nian had been branded a “demon consort” for years and no longer cared. “Let them. What of it? I’m speaking of the harem, not of them.”
“Ah, Lian Zhi, don’t just stand there—look, look…” Jiang Nian’s brows curved with delight at the shadow play, her smile radiant as a spring peony, dazzlingly bright.
Lian Zhi felt a pang in her heart; it had been so long since she’d seen Her Ladyship laugh so freely. Not long after entering the palace, Her Ladyship had changed—becoming cruel, arrogant, always opposing His Majesty, and never smiling at her maids. She had grown dark and joyless. But now, she seemed to be changing back, little by little.
“Miss Jiang.” The sudden male voice cut in.
Jiang Nian and Lian Zhi turned together, facing a rather handsome young man.
Jiang Nian found him vaguely familiar, though she couldn’t place him. Lian Zhi, however, blanched.
Seeing Jiang Nian’s lack of recognition, the man showed no displeasure. He flattered her: “It has been a long time since I last saw Miss Jiang. My master heard the palace caught fire and that your residence was burned. He sent me to ask—did you suffer any injury?”
Master? Miss Jiang?
Jiang Nian studied his face for a long moment before recalling—he was Yu Yang, Huo Fan’s guard.
At the thought of Huo Fan, her smile faded. She remembered that in the storybook, much of the ruin of her relationship with Qi Yi stemmed from Huo Fan.
The Huo family had eight sons. Huo Fan’s mother was the least favored, so his days in the household were no better than a servant’s. To win recognition, he resorted to any means. In the tale, she—the “vicious consort”—fell for Huo Fan, forcing Qi Yi to grant him rank and riches. Once Qi Yi’s disgust was complete and she lost her value, Huo Fan turned to her younger sister instead.
Her disguise as a palace maid was known to very few, yet Yu Yang had found her. Clearly, someone in her palace had secretly reported to Huo Fan. Truly calculating.
“This consort is unharmed.”
Yu Yang was momentarily surprised. He hadn’t expected such coldness. In the past, she would have clung to him, asking after his master’s affairs, perhaps even arranging a meeting.
“That is well.” Yu Yang feigned relief, then, noticing her maid’s attire, added slyly: “Miss Jiang is a consort—why dressed as a maid? His Majesty… is this not deliberate humiliation? If my master saw, he would surely pity you. A shame…”
Jiang Nian pretended not to catch the hint and asked, “A shame what?”
“Ah…” Yu Yang sighed, face full of pity. “Miss Jiang knows my master is of little standing among the young lords of the capital. He suffers scorn and neglect. This year, he was fortunate to join Lord Huo at the grand hunt, but he is poor at riding and archery. If tomorrow he fails to catch anything, the ridicule of the young lords is nothing—but if Lord Huo is disappointed, my master’s days in the family will be even harder.”
Speaking with false emotion, Yu Yang even dabbed at nonexistent tears, desperate to stir her sympathy. His acting surpassed that of any troupe. Truly wasted as a mere guard. Yet no matter how fine the performance, it requires an audience willing to believe.
Jiang Nian blinked, then exclaimed indignantly: “What? How could that be? Wouldn’t Huo Fan disgrace the entire Huo family? Lord Huo, with so many grandsons, why choose one who cannot ride or shoot? Isn’t that deliberate humiliation?”
No family would bring a child to a banquet only to invite shame—it would be slapping their own face. Yet Jiang Nian looked genuinely upset, as though she truly failed to grasp the underlying scheme.
Yu Yang ground his teeth, forced to be blunt: “Miss Jiang, none of that matters. What matters is tomorrow’s hunt. When the tally of game is made, if you could help my master by providing some prey from elsewhere, he would surely win Lord Huo’s favor. Then his life in the family would not be so bitter.”