Zhenzhen, whose given name was Chen Wei, was the daughter of the Director of the Court of Imperial Delicacies, and her closest confidante.
They had first met in Yanjing when both were nine years old, and now, eight years later, their friendship remained as close as ever.
Zhenzhen must have been waiting for her, for the moment she saw her arrive, she immediately came forward with a shy smile.
"Shanshan."
Shanshan was her childhood name, known only to those closest to her—her family, and dear friends like Zhenzhen.
Those with only a passing acquaintance would address her as Yunniang.
Just as now—when the other young ladies saw that Liu Yun, their easygoing companion, had arrived, they all greeted her in turn.
Daughters of the Three Departments, the Nine Courts, the Censorate—the Zhao family, the Li family, the Sun family, the He family…
The young ladies were dressed in their finest, each one lovely and radiant, a dazzling sight to behold.
But Liu Yun returned each greeting with poise, her words warm and proper.
"Greetings, Second Lady Zhang."
"Fifth Lady Qin, your gown today is simply beautiful."
"Third Lady Sun, your complexion is so rosy—you must have slept well last night."
"Seventh Lady Zhong, your hairpin is exquisite."
…
She patiently acknowledged every lady who came to greet her, her smile soft and affable, like a gentle spring breeze.
"Come, I've set up a swing over there—let's play together."
Once the two of them were alone, Chen Wei immediately pulled Liu Yun along.
At the mention of a swing, Liu Yun's face lit up with joy, and she went eagerly.
Every year during the spring outing, the trees with the best branches were always claimed by ladies who arrived early or whose fathers held higher official rank. Liu Yun rarely managed to find a suitable tree for tying up a swing.
After failing once or twice, she had simply given up.
But this year, luck was on her side—Zhenzhen had found a good tree, and she would get to play on a swing after all.
Though her own Wuchun Courtyard had a swing, it was never quite the same as swinging on a spring outing.
The two walked hand in hand, chatting as they went.
"Shanshan, did you know? His Highness the Crown Prince came today too!"
They had just met up along the way, and at this news, Liu Yun asked hurriedly, "What? The Crown Prince came to Weishui?"
Spring outings were all the rage among young men and women, true enough, but for the Crown Prince, born into the imperial family, it probably held little interest.
Who would have thought he'd come this year?
And with such a grand procession—one might have thought he was here to perform a sacrifice on behalf of His Majesty.
"Yes, I don't know why either. I just saw a company of light cavalry ride past, the Crown Prince at the lead, heading into the woods."
"Probably for horseback riding or hunting."
Zhenzhen was clever with her hands. To make the swing prettier, she had gathered many wildflowers and wound them around the swing's ropes. Simple though it was, it was a vision of spring.
"Who cares about him."
Liu Yun's attention was entirely captured by the swing—she had no mind for anything else. She gave a perfunctory reply and went to sniff a small, unknown purple flower on the swing rope.
"So fragrant."
Chen Wei smiled shyly, sat down on the swing first, then pulled Liu Yun to sit beside her, saying cheerfully, "Sit down quickly—let's swing together!"
Unlike the other young ladies, the two of them were timid by nature. They didn't dare swing standing up—not only were they afraid of heights, but they also worried about losing their footing and falling.
And so they swung gently, back and forth. Because they were sitting so close, Chen Wei noticed the apricot blossom hairpin in Liu Yun's hair and let out a small "ooh." "Shanshan, is this your new hairpin? It's so pretty!"
Liu Yun had been waiting all along for Zhenzhen to notice her new hairpin. The moment Zhenzhen asked, her eyes curved into crescents as she took the apricot blossom hairpin from her hair and handed it to Zhenzhen for a closer look.
"That's right—it's the design I drew myself and had Baofu Hall craft. Isn't it lovely?"
Chen Wei took the apricot blossom hairpin and naturally showered it with praise, her eyes brimming with admiration.
Seeing this, Liu Yun crossed her arms with a coy, charming air and said, "Since you like it so much, then beg me—and I'll let you wear it for a while."
Chen Wei laughed first, then played along: "Pretty please, Shanshan, let me wear it for a bit~"
The two dissolved into giggles, their joy outshining the spring scenery of Weishui.
But flowers plucked from their branches would soon wither under the sun, so Liu Yun and Zhenzhen decided to go find some fresh blooms.
And not only that—they would compete to see who could gather more, and whose flowers were prettier.
Liu Yun parted ways with Zhenzhen in high spirits and went off in search of beautiful flowers.
Not only that—seeing Zhenzhen enlist her maid Bixin to help, Liu Yun also called on Jin He to lend a hand.
"Hurry, dear sister, go look over there for me—we can't lose!"
Jin He shook her head with a smile and hurried off.
How could she ever disappoint her young mistress?
With that thought, Jin He set to work with brisk efficiency.
Liu Yun searched with great focus, and before she knew it, she had drifted to the edge of the woods. Just as she spotted a cluster of milk vetch and was about to go pick it, something suddenly fell from above.
It crashed heavily to the ground, crushing the milk vetch she had so painstakingly found beneath it.
No need to check—that cluster of milk vetch was surely smashed to bits.
Everything happened so suddenly that Liu Yun was frozen in place, staring blankly at the wild goose lying before her, pierced clean through by an arrow.
Scattered drops of blood stained the tender green grass blades of spring, marring the vibrant vitality that belonged uniquely to the season.
It was jarring to the eye.
Not only did it ruin the spring scenery, but it also made her witness the passing of a life.
What had died was a goose—a symbol of fidelity.
The very kind of goose Liu Yun had only ever seen at wedding banquets before.
Somewhat pitiful.
The sound of hooves drew nearer, and Liu Yun snapped out of her daze, looking up in confusion.
Then her expression changed drastically.
The young man at the head wore a purple robe with a jade belt, his purple-gold crown gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight—it was none other than Crown Prince Xiao Heng, whom she had encountered on the road earlier.
Behind him followed a tight formation of Imperial Guards, thundering toward her on horseback.
Liu Yun immediately stood up in alarm, wanting to flee far away, not daring to touch this ominous figure in the slightest.
But the four-legged horse across from her was far faster than she was, and in the blink of an eye, it had galloped right up to her.
Since the Crown Prince had arrived, propriety dictated that Liu Yun pay her respects—otherwise, she might be branded with the unsightly label of discourtesy.
And so, suppressing her fear, Liu Yun rose and performed a flawless bow of greeting.
"Your servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
In Liu Yun's own view, she had been perfectly proper and made no mistake. But in Xiao Heng's eyes, the young woman before him was timid and shrinking, like a startled rabbit.
Even her voice was soft and weak, like a feather brushing lightly back and forth against one's ear.
Xiao Heng gave a light command and reined his horse to a stop. The tall, glossy black steed made the young lady in pink and green appear even more delicate and frail.
The Imperial Guards dismounted, picked up the thoroughly dead goose, and left behind a patch of crushed milk vetch.
A messy clump, petals scattered every which way.
"What are you doing here?"
It was a strange opening line—Liu Yun even wondered if the two of them were supposed to be familiar with each other.
Though she found the Crown Prince's attitude odd and couldn't fathom why he was asking, Liu Yun didn't dare delay in answering. She replied honestly, "Picking flowers, to tie onto a swing back home."
The young woman spoke haltingly, her hands twisting together, looking wooden and dull, with not a hint of lively spirit about her.
But this Crown Prince was unusually patient. Gazing at Liu Yun's empty hands, he asked again, slowly, "Then where are the flowers?"
Liu Yun looked bewildered, instinctively glancing at the milk vetch crushed when the goose had fallen, and mumbled, "They got crushed."
The silence that followed was heavy. Out of fear, Liu Yun kept her head down, picking at her fingers, and failed to notice the flicker of a smile that passed through the young man's eyes atop the black horse.
"Then I'll compensate you for them!"
"Catch."
Liu Yun hadn't even processed the first sentence, still dazed, when the second one made her look up.
Even though she didn't understand what the Crown Prince meant by that, nor what she was supposed to catch, Liu Yun still raised her head out of instinct.
The moment she looked up, she saw the Crown Prince unfasten something from his waist and casually toss it toward her.
A warm, lustrous gleam flashed in the sunlight, and in an instant, it landed in Liu Yun's hands.
Liu Yun glanced down at her palm. A jade disc carved with dragon patterns lay quietly there.
Warm and translucent, clearly of the finest quality.
And with dragon carvings on top of that, it was hardly something an ordinary person could possess.
"This item is far too precious. Your servant cannot accept it. Please, Your Highness, take it back—"
At least she was the daughter of an official family; Liu Yun wasn't so foolish as to take something she shouldn't. She moved to return it immediately.
But the other party gave her no chance at all. With a tug of the reins, the black horse beneath him turned around at once, and he led the troop of Imperial Guards away.
The sound of hooves faded into the distance, leaving only Liu Yun standing there with a stunned expression, her palm burning hot.
Because of Crown Prince Xiao Heng's appearance, everyone's gazes had turned toward her, openly or covertly.
The talented scholars and ladies composing poetry, the literati gathered by the winding stream, the gentlewomen and gentlemen playing the zither and painting.
After the Crown Prince rode off, all they could do was stare at Liu Yun, who stood there like a dumb goose.
And Liu Yun was particularly well-liked, so the moment the Crown Prince's party was gone, a swarm of young ladies rushed over, chattering away with questions.
"Yunniang, Yunniang, why did His Highness speak to you?"
"What did His Highness give you?"
"What happened? Why would His Highness give you something?"
"What is this fine thing? Let me see?"
Some young ladies from prestigious families, too proud to lower themselves by coming over to inquire about the Crown Prince's affairs, nevertheless paused in what they were doing and cast discreet glances toward Liu Yun.
In the capital, and indeed throughout all of Great Yan, this was hardly surprising.
Crown Prince Xiao Heng—the only son of the late Empress, who had died young, and the sole legitimate son of His Majesty.
The Empress had died of postpartum hemorrhage, and His Majesty, overcome with grief, had transferred his love to the child and established the newborn as heir to the throne.
Crown Prince Xiao Heng excelled in both civil and martial arts, resolute and decisive, and was deeply favored by the Emperor, who doted on him greatly.
Not only was his position as heir secure as Mount Tai, but he had also been blessed with a face that left people in awe.
Rich, flamboyant, a striking handsomeness so sharp it bordered on aggressive—unforgettable at first sight.
To be honest, the first time Liu Yun had seen Crown Prince Xiao Heng's face, she too had been captivated for quite a while.
The appetite for beauty is human nature—she couldn't be blamed for it.
But the Crown Prince had a rather difficult temperament, and with such an exacting status, Liu Yun harbored no thoughts about him whatsoever—nor did she dare to.
Faced with the group of young ladies pressing for answers, Liu Yun couldn't fabricate a plausible lie, so she told them the truth.
When they heard that the Crown Prince had given away his personal jade disc to compensate for the milk vetch crushed beneath him belonging to the young lady of the Liu family, all the ladies showed expressions of astonishment.
"The Crown Prince is far too generous. It was just wildflowers—why use his personal jade disc to make amends?"
"Exactly, that's extravagant!"
"Indeed, His Highness the Crown Prince is truly unfathomable."
…
"What status does His Highness hold? Tossing out a piece of jade is like you lot casually throwing a copper coin—what's the big deal?"
"How laughable, all of you acting like you've never seen anything!"
Amid the clamor of opinions, a clear, crisp voice suddenly cut in, its arrogant words dripping with contempt for the assembled young ladies.
Though the young ladies who had been mocked felt indignant, they dared not retort.
For the speaker bore the surname He, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Weiguo's household from the Empress Dowager's maternal clan. Deeply beloved by the Empress Dowager, she had been enfeoffed as County Lady Rong'an.
County Lady Rong'an, He Xiang, was the most domineering figure in the capital, but because she was so favored by her grand-aunt, the Empress Dowager, few in the capital dared to provoke her.
So when County Lady Rong'an's words fell, no one dared to rebut for a moment, and the atmosphere grew awkward.
Liu Yun was naturally awkward as well, especially fearing that County Lady Rong'an would single her out for attack. She wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
The entire capital knew that County Lady Rong'an adored the Crown Prince. She had begged the Empress Dowager many times, but because the Crown Prince had no interest, she had been rejected just as many times.
Though this was only a jade disc, because it belonged to the Crown Prince, Liu Yun worried that County Lady Rong'an would take offense.
But no matter how she tried to avoid notice, as one of the two protagonists from earlier, Liu Yun was still spotted by County Lady Rong'an.
"Hey, whose family are you from?"
Someone of County Lady Rong'an's imperial kin status naturally wouldn't remember households like the Liu family or recognize Liu Yun.
Realizing there was no escape, Liu Yun steeled herself and stepped forward to pay her respects: "My father is a Director of the Bureau of Works. I am Yunniang of the Liu family. Greetings to the County Lady."
County Lady Rong'an glanced at the white jade dragon disc in Liu Yun's hand, her heart souring, and her tone turned unpleasant.
"I thought it was someone important—just a lowly fifth-rank official. How dull."
"But Liu Yunniang, what status does my cousin the Crown Prince hold, and what status do you hold? Even if it's just a jade disc he casually tossed aside, you're not worthy of it, understand?"
The merciless mockery fell word by word, as if carrying the weight of ten thousand jun, striking Liu Yun until her face alternated between pale and red, her eyes burning with heat.
Even though she herself felt she couldn't bear to keep the Crown Prince's white jade dragon disc and had planned to report it to her father to find a way to return it—
Still, being so mocked and humiliated in front of so many ladies, Liu Yun couldn't help but feel embarrassed and hurt.
Though her father had toiled for most of his life only to remain a lowly fifth-rank official, though she, Liu Yun, was merely an ordinary young lady of average talent and looks—
She still had her pride and wanted to be respected by others.
She didn't think herself so unworthy.
"Yes, the County Lady's instruction is correct. When I return, I shall have my father return the jade disc to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Even though Liu Yun felt deeply wronged inside, so upset she could barely hold back tears, she still remembered who He Xiang was.
The Empress Dowager's most beloved grand-niece, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Weiguo's household, the County Lady Rong'an enfeoffed by His Majesty.
Her Liu family could not afford to offend her.
Clutching Zhenzhen's hand as it came over to comfort her, Liu Yun forced a smile.
County Lady Rong'an naturally saw the pitiful, embarrassed state of Liu Yunniang of the Liu family—it was rather endearing.
But so what?
Seeing that the girl was obedient and well-behaved, County Lady Rong'an snorted: "At least you know your place."
With that, she turned to leave.
But before going, she cast one lingering, reluctant glance at that white jade dragon disc.
Even she didn't have any of her cousin the Crown Prince's things!
If she hadn't known that her cousin the Crown Prince disliked others touching his belongings without permission, Rong'an would have snatched that jade disc for herself.
Her cousin the Crown Prince 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 that round of mockery and humiliation, it was hard for her to smile. She held back her sadness the entire way home.
When she arrived home and saw her loving mother, Liu Yun could no longer hold it in. Between sobs, she recounted how County Lady Rong'an had mocked her.
Zhang Yuhua, upon hearing this, was first angered that her daughter had been bullied, then gathered her daughter into her arms to comfort her, blaming herself and hating her own powerlessness, unable to do anything against the Empress Dowager's maternal clan.
In truth, Liu Yun didn't want anything done about it—she just needed to vent her emotions. Otherwise, she wouldn't have held back at the Wei River.
"It's alright, Mother. I feel much better now that I've said it. Don't worry—I'll be fine in a couple of days."
Wiping the tears from her face, Liu Yun raised her usual sweet smile to comfort her mother.
"Ah…"
"It's our fault as parents for not being born into nobility, letting our Shanshan be bullied for nothing."
"It's all that Crown Prince's fault—why give a jade disc for no reason, reducing our Shanshan to this state!"
"Don't worry, when your father comes home tonight, I'll tell him to send it back. Go rest now—look at you, you've cried yourself into a little soot-faced kitten!"
Comforted by her mother, Liu Yun felt much better. Nodding in agreement, she returned to Wuchun Courtyard.
Night fell, and when Liu Shiwen returned from his duties, he listened to his wife's account and a look of shame appeared on his face.
"It's all because I lack ability, being only a fifth-rank official. I've allowed our daughter to be bullied for no reason."
"Don't worry. At tomorrow's morning court session, I will return the Jade Disc to the Crown Prince."
"But…"
Liu Shiwen paused mid-sentence, his gaze falling on the dragon-patterned Jade Disc. He pondered for a long while before hesitantly saying, "Do you think the Crown Prince might have feelings for our daughter…"