The third day of the third month—the Spring Outing Festival.
As the morning mist receded, pale golden sunlight spilled like a gossamer veil over the exquisite little courtyard below.
On the spring apricot blossoms that had bloomed only days before, dew droplets grew ever sparser under the dawn light, leaving the petals damp. A casual brush of the hand sent the shaken droplets splashing onto the back of one’s hand.
Cool and refreshing.
Take the little maid sweeping the grounds, for instance—she giggled as she flicked the cool droplets from the back of her hand, then lifted the dew-kissed apricot blossoms to her nose, her eyes crinkling with delight.
At the open doorway, several maids in green skirts emerged carrying washing implements, having finished their morning attendance on their young mistress.
Pale golden sunlight streamed through the latticed window, falling upon the soft pink petals nestled in the white porcelain vase, gilding the already delicate spring apricots with a radiant halo. Warmth suffused the room.
Her gaze drifted lightly to the girl’s exquisite dressing table, where a mirror of polished bronze, clear and bright, was set into the yellow rosewood frame, reflecting a face untouched by cosmetics in the early morning.
An oval face, willow-leaf brows, and round, luminous apricot eyes.
Beneath a pert, rounded nose sat rosy lips—a small cupid’s bow above a slightly fuller lower lip.
To be fair, her features could only be called pretty—not particularly striking in the capital of Yanjing, where beauties abounded like clouds.
Only her skin, white and luminous as snow, might catch the eye a little more under the sunlight.
Beyond that, nothing else.
“Today is the Spring Outing Festival! Jin He, do my hair in something light and neat!”
Like her face, the girl’s voice was sweet and soft, but because of her bubbling excitement, it carried a crisp, lively note that warmed the heart.
Behind her, a maid in blue attire smiled and replied, “I understand, miss. How about I do twin buns today and pin in the new apricot blossom hairpin you got?”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Nothing could be more satisfying than that. Liu Yun nodded happily, her silky black hair bouncing with the motion of her little head, making her skin look as white as snow and as lustrous as jade.
Jin He had nimble fingers—she had mastered the art of hairstyling since childhood. Whatever the style, she only needed a few glances to learn it. She was truly clever and skilled.
In no time, a pair of playful, neat twin buns was finished, and Jin He pinned in a delicately crafted apricot blossom hairpin.
The pin itself was of warm, fine white jade, topped with a spring apricot blossom carved from rose quartz.
The stone was soft pink and lustrous, translucent and dreamlike in the sunlight—a beauty no young woman could resist.
This was Liu Yun’s newly commissioned hairpin, delivered by Baofu Studio only at dusk yesterday. She had even slept holding it last night.
Her eyes sparkling as she gazed at her reflection, she happily touched the smooth, translucent apricot blossom pin, cupping her face and turning this way and that, her smile never fading.
When she had admired herself enough, Liu Yun sat up straight and said to Jin He, who was still behind her, “We’ll be out playing today, and with the sun so strong, I’ll be sweating plenty, so skip the powder. Just do my brows and apply some lip balm for me, sister.”
Unlike when she had to be proper and composed outside, Liu Yun was much more affectionate with those close to her in private.
For instance, she called Jin He and Yu He—who had served her since childhood—”sister.”
Last year, Yu He had reached the proper age and found a sweetheart she fancied, so Liu Yun had gifted her a dowry and sent her off in marriage.
Jin He had no particular sweetheart and didn’t wish to leave, so she had stayed on to continue serving.
Unlike Yu He’s quiet reserve, Jin He was lively and cheerful, loved to laugh, and talked a bit more.
At this moment, hearing Liu Yun’s request, she said with a smile, “Don’t worry, miss, I know just what to do. Besides, with skin as fair as yours, you don’t need powder anyway.”
True—if one had to pick a single trait, the one thing Liu Yun had over most people was her dazzlingly fair skin.
At this moment, her pale, snow-white cheeks, flushed from a full night’s sleep, were tinged with two rosy clouds like wisps of sunset.
Like she’d already applied rouge—saving Jin He the trouble of dabbing any on.
She simply drew a pair of crescent-moon brows as usual, applied a thin layer of vermilion lip balm, and finished with a pearl flower decal on her forehead. Done.
Looking at the fresh-faced young girl in the mirror, Jin He smiled with satisfaction.
In Jin He’s heart, her mistress was the prettiest young lady in all of Yanjing.
Since they were going out for a spring stroll, Liu Yun set aside her chest-high ru skirt and chose a light, narrow-sleeved half-sleeve outfit instead.
A pale yellow small-sleeved silk blouse, over which she wore a spring-green open-collar half-sleeve jacket, paired with a lotus-pink waist-high skirt.
Last, a sheer apricot-pink silk shawl draped over her shoulders.
As she stepped out of Wuchun Courtyard, Liu Yun saw her mother approaching, stuffing a bundle of things into her hands and telling her to take them along.
“Take it all with you—eat and drink when you’re thirsty or hungry, and don’t ruin your health just because you’re having fun. And these medicines—if a bug bites you out in the wild, put some on right away.”
Zhang Yuhua clasped her daughter’s soft little hand and gave her instructions, her face full of a mother’s loving concern.
Inside were several of Liu Yun’s favorite pastries, along with a lychee drink chilled with ice.
It was called a lychee drink, but it wasn’t made from real lychees.
Lychees were precious—whether from Lingnan or Sichuan, transporting them to Yanjing was no easy feat.
Thus, every year, the lychees that were sent with great effort and expense would be distributed by His Majesty to the princes, dukes, and nobles. A minor official of the fifth rank like the Liu family had no fortune to enjoy them.
It was only at the age of fifteen that Liu Yun had the good fortune to taste one at Princess Changyang’s birthday banquet, and she had been longing for it ever since.
The lychee drink was brewed from dark plums, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and rock sugar. Though it was not truly made of lychees, it could imitate a bit of the flavor, and Liu Yun liked it very much.
Joyfully, she let the maidservant behind her take the pastries and drinks, along with some medicines to ward off mosquitoes and insect bites. Liu Yun said in a soft and sweet voice, “Thank you, Mother, I understand.”
Her mother was the gentlest and most amiable mother in the world. Liu Yun wished that in the next life, and the life after that, and for all eternity, she could be mother and daughter with her.
Zhang Yuhua stroked her daughter’s bun, which was shaped like a little rabbit, and said with a gentle smile, “Alright, be safe, and go enjoy the spring outing.”
Liu Yun hummed in acknowledgment, bid farewell to her mother, and stepped out of the house.
The Liu residence was located in Yong’an Ward in the southwest of the city, separated from the bustling Western Market by three wards. Though it was not a prime location, the capital was vast, and living there was no easy feat.
In order to have a decent residence in the inch-of-gold Yenching City, Father had spent eight hundred strings of cash to purchase a two-courtyard house. Having served as a county magistrate for ten years, he had spent most of his savings.
Thus, the family had lived frugally for the first two years. Fortunately, the treatment of officials in the capital was better, and the Liu family quickly gained a foothold in Yenching, becoming one of the countless minor officials in the city.
Just as Liu Yun was among the young ladies of Yenching—unremarkable.
Stepping out of the house, Liu Yun mounted a small carriage with the help of a footstool, and with some servants and maidservants, headed toward the Wei River outside the city.
To uphold the family’s standing, Father, after purchasing the residence, had gritted his teeth and added two carriages.
One large and one small—the large cost eighty strings, the small sixty.
Father and Mother used the large one, while Liu Yun and her younger brother used the small one.
As the carriage moved, the two lanterns bearing the character “Liu” hanging under the eaves swayed rhythmically.
Although Yong’an Ward was far from the imperial city, and Father had to rise early every day to report for duty, it was much closer when leaving Yenching City.
One only needed to pass through Xuanyi and Yongda wards to reach Xuanwu Avenue, which led to the outskirts.
In the third month of spring, clothing was thin, and the carriage was a bit stuffy. Liu Yun occasionally lifted the curtain to let in air.
From a distance, she saw the wide and clean Xuanwu Avenue.
It could accommodate ten carriages side by side, with green willows planted on both sides, their verdant branches swaying in the wind.
Just as Liu Yun’s carriage was about to exit the ward lane, and the Liu family’s horse was about to step onto the bluestone road of Xuanwu Avenue, a clear sound of bells rang out, accompanied by the orderly and resounding footsteps unique to a marching procession.
“It’s the Crown Prince’s entourage!”
Someone said, and the carriages emerging from the ward lanes on both sides suddenly came to a halt.
Not only that, the carriages that had already driven out of the lanes and were ahead hurriedly moved to the sides, making way on the wide road.
Naturally, Liu Yun’s carriage also stopped at the mouth of the ward lane, waiting quietly for the heir apparent to pass first.
Quietly lifting the curtain, Liu Yun noticed that many young ladies from official families in Yenching were present.
Daughters of the Left and Right Shangshu, the Censor-in-Chief, the Zhongshu Ling, and various dukes and marquises—too many to name at once.
But the most eye-catching was a golden carriage escorted by the Jinwu Guard in the center.
That was the highest-spec carriage for the heir apparent, which should only be used for the enfeoffment as Crown Prince, the wedding of the principal wife, or attending grand court assemblies.
But today…
After much thought, Liu Yun could not think of any major event today that would warrant the Crown Prince’s golden carriage.
As she waited quietly, she suddenly saw the Crown Prince’s golden carriage also come to a stop, no longer moving forward.
With that, no one dared to move ahead of the Crown Prince. All the carriages remained in place, looking toward the Crown Prince in confusion.
After a moment, a young eunuch ran out from the Jinwu Guard and, with a cupped-fist salute to the carriages in all directions, said, “His Highness says, let the ladies go first.”
Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of surprise.
Since when was the Crown Prince so humble and courteous?
This was truly a rare occurrence—the sun rising from the west!
Though puzzled, the carriages resumed their normal course, each going where it needed to go.
Only Liu Yun hesitated for a moment on the spot.
She was now right at the mouth of the ward lane—should she advance or retreat?
But seeing that the Jinwu Guard remained motionless, waiting, Liu Yun decided to be bold.
“Let’s go.”
She said to the driver, then lowered the curtain, leaned against Jin He beside her, and chuckled, “I never thought I’d have the chance to walk ahead of the Crown Prince one day~”
Jin He smiled and replied, “You’ve experienced it this time, miss.”
Xuanwu Avenue was wide and long. After traveling for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the city gate still appeared as a faint silhouette. Just as Liu Yun was about to sigh at how slow it was, she heard a commotion from behind.
It seemed a group of people was galloping toward them, with frantic horse hooves.
At this moment, this was undoubtedly unusual. Liu Yun wanted to see who was so bold as to act recklessly in front of the Crown Prince, so she lifted the carriage curtain.
It was in that instant that the pitch-black horse’s head suddenly burst into view, adding a heavy stroke of ink to the beautiful spring day.
Then came the horse’s body, gleaming black under the sunlight.
Of course, what was most eye-catching was the person on horseback.
A purple-gold crown, a red tassel ribbon, and a young man in a purple robe with a jade belt—refined and noble as could be, handsome beyond compare.
Perhaps sensing Liu Yun’s gaze, even in the brief moment of galloping past, he looked over with precision.
Phoenix eyes carrying authority, a sharp and piercing gaze, tinged with an arrogance that placed no one beneath his notice—eyes that radiated control and aggression.
That single look made Liu Yun’s heart stop. She hastily pulled her head back.
It scared her to death. She shouldn’t have come to watch this commotion.
Although her father was only a minor fifth-rank official, Liu Yun had seen this Crown Prince at various banquets before.
But this time was a bit too close, and she couldn’t handle it.
She had a gentle and kind disposition, and she liked to associate with people of similar temperament. What she feared most were those with sharp, cutting personalities.
Crown Prince Xiao Heng was the most extreme of them all.
Arrogant and proud, with a razor-sharp temperament, the young heir steeped in imperial power carried an air of lofty majesty in every gesture.
Not to be questioned, not to be challenged.
Liu Yun instinctively feared someone like him.
That one look took her a long while to recover from, until she arrived at the Wei River and saw Zhenzhen that she finally felt at ease.