With urgent matters weighing on her mind, Liu Yun felt the carriage was moving far too slowly—she wished she could sprout wings and fly.
After rushing along the entire way, the Liu family carriage finally came to a stop before Tianqin Tower.
Liu Yun dared not delay. Leaning on Jin He, she hurriedly descended from the carriage and stepped into Tianqin Tower with a solemn expression.
"Where is your proprietor? I have urgent business."
The shopkeeper had barely lifted his head when he heard these words. He hesitated for a few breaths before Liu Yun urged him impatiently, "What are you standing there gaping for? Go fetch your proprietor at once!"
Her father had no idea what kind of days he was enduring in the Dali Temple prison—Liu Yun was burning with anxiety.
"Might this be Lady Liu?"
Just as the shopkeeper was hesitating, a voice of urgent inquiry came from nearby.
It was a plump, middle-aged man in resplendent attire, smiling with amiable warmth and an utterly approachable air.
Liu Yun did not know who this man was and only stared at him with wariness.
Noticing this, the middle-aged man immediately slapped his own forehead and explained, "Lady Liu, do not misunderstand—this Zhu is the proprietor of Tianqin Tower. I heard Lady Liu sought me out for urgent business, so here I am."
Hearing that this was precisely the man she needed, Liu Yun's guard relaxed. She didn't bother to wonder how the proprietor of Tianqin Tower knew at a glance that she was a daughter of the Liu family.
"Excellent. Proprietor, please step aside with me so we may speak in detail."
The White Jade Dragon Jue concerned the Crown Prince, and Liu Yun had no wish to draw attention.
Once they reached the private room, Liu Yun produced the jade disc that represented the Crown Prince's identity and offered it to Zhu Fu for verification.
But the moment the man laid eyes on the jade disc, he dropped straight to his knees and received it with the utmost reverence.
Liu Yun was caught completely off guard by this sudden display and stood frozen until Zhu Fu spoke to her, snapping her back to her senses.
"Lady Liu wishes to see His Highness, does she not?"
Liu Yun nodded at once and pressed, "That's right—when can His Highness come?"
A hint of difficulty crept across Zhu Fu's face as he replied, "That, I cannot say for certain. However, I will deliver your message to His Highness as quickly as possible. If Lady Liu has no other matters, you may wait in the Spring Room."
The third floor of Tianqin Tower had only four rooms, named Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—collectively known as the Four Seasons Rooms.
They were positions reserved long ago by noble patrons and were never permitted for use by outsiders.
Liu Yun only knew that the owner of the Autumn Room was Princess Changyang; of the rest, she knew nothing at all. Now she had learned of one more.
With no time to dwell on such trivialities, Liu Yun followed at once, but before Zhu Fu departed, she exhorted him repeatedly to be quick about it.
The Dali Temple prison was no place for a human being.
The door creaked shut, and Liu Yun sat on the couch with a worried heart, carefully surveying this room that appeared understated yet was luxurious in every detail.
Though called a room, it was more like a cluster of chambers—complete in every respect and vast in its footprint.
All the furnishings within were crafted from golden-thread nanmu wood. Antiques and calligraphy scrolls were everywhere, all genuine works of the great masters. The inkstone was a Chengni Inkstone, the brush a Purple Hare-fur Brush, the ink Li-style Gui Ink, and the paper Chengxintang Paper.
Any one of these items, taken out into the world, would be treasured and cherished by every scholar under heaven.
Liu Yun admired them, and her heart delighted in them.
She often wrote storybooks—if she could obtain fine brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, her writing would surely flow as if guided by divine inspiration.
Her younger brother, who studied his letters, would surely love them too.
It was just a pity that each of these items was worth a small fortune. The Liu family was neither wealthy nor noble, and none of them were extravagant by nature—they would never deliberately pursue such things.
Liu Yun touched them a few times to satisfy her curiosity, sighing inwardly at the thought.
The Crown Prince was the Crown Prince—he picked only the finest of everything!
Soon after, a young attendant delivered an assortment of tea and pastries.
They were exquisitely crafted, beautiful in shape, fragrant and sweet—pastries from Baoyue Studio.
It was the only pastry shop in the capital that supplied the imperial palace. A single box cost five gold pieces—not only could ordinary folk never afford it, even families like the Liu family dared not indulge casually.
It was only on the year she came of age that her parents had generously bought her a box to celebrate, leaving it for her to enjoy.
She had shared a few pieces with her younger brother, and the two siblings had eaten until their bellies were round, skipping dinner that evening.
But now, simply by sitting in this Spring Room that belonged to the Crown Prince, she had a pile of Baoyue Studio pastries before her.
There was also a pot of tea, its fragrance fresh and delightful.
Unfortunately, Liu Yun had little knowledge of the art of tea. Had her father been here in her place, he would have been full of praise, savoring it slowly and carefully.
The tea leaves were purple in color, shaped like bamboo shoots, costing ten gold pieces per liang. It was a tribute tea for the imperial household, famed far and wide.
But Liu Yun had no heart to enjoy these delicacies at the moment, nor did she dare. These things were not hers to begin with.
In the corridor far away, Zhu Fu instructed the shopkeeper, "See to it that the lady in the Spring Room is well attended. Do not be negligent or remiss."
The shopkeeper nodded hurriedly. "Rest assured, Proprietor. Everything will be provided according to His Highness's usual standard—she will not be slighted."
"Good. If Lady Liu has any needs, do your best to fulfill them. I will go report to His Highness now."
After the shopkeeper bowed in farewell, Zhu Fu went to the rear courtyard, swiftly wrote a note, took a pigeon from the cage beneath the eaves, bound the note to its leg, and released it into the air.
Before long, a snow-white pigeon swept across the sky above the Eastern Palace.
Xiao Heng, seated by the window, had been glancing up at the sky from time to time to rest his eyes—he spotted the white pigeon immediately.
She waved toward the window, and a white dove swooped down nimbly, landing obediently on Xiao Heng's slender fingers with a soft cooing sound.
But once he had the note in hand, Xiao Heng's gaze no longer lingered on the bird. He scanned the paper and rose to his feet.
"Finally…"
He murmured something under his breath, his expression brightening with sudden clarity.
As he stepped out of the study, Su Lin immediately approached and asked, "Where is Your Highness headed?"
"Prepare the carriage. Tianqin Tower."
Su Lin knew full well where they were going, but his face betrayed nothing as he replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness."
…
Tianqin Tower, Spring Chamber.
Perhaps because she hadn't slept well the night before, Liu Yun began to feel drowsy after waiting in the comfortable room for a short while.
Her mind grew hazy, and her limbs felt heavy and weak.
"Is the mistress feeling sleepy?"
Jin He was the first to notice her mistress's drowsiness.
Whenever her mistress grew sleepy, not only did her double eyelids become more pronounced, but her gaze also began to drift and glaze over—it was impossible not to notice.
"Mmm… so sleepy."
Yawning, Liu Yun replied in a daze, her body already searching for a comfortable place to lean against.
Jin He sighed and said, "It must be because the mistress slept too little last night. Now she can't hold on any longer."
"How about this—the mistress can lean against the couch and rest for a while. This servant will wait outside and keep watch. If I see the Crown Prince arrive, I'll knock on the door immediately to alert you."
Liu Yun thought this was a good idea, and she was truly exhausted, so she nodded in agreement.
"Then sister, do keep a sharp eye out."
When one comes to ask a favor, one certainly can't be caught asleep at the first meeting.
After Jin He left, Liu Yun didn't dare lie down on the bed, so she simply leaned against the couch and dozed off.
Closing her eyes felt so wonderful!
Before she drifted hazily into dreamland, Liu Yun muttered to herself.
Morning light streamed through the window lattice, spilling onto the peonies on the flower stand and the young woman sleeping soundly beside them.
The girl sleeping in the spring morning had rosy cheeks, surpassing all the scenery in the world.
Everything was silent, carrying the tense atmosphere of a storm about to break.
Because he had ridden his horse at full gallop, Xiao Heng's breathing was slightly unsteady when he arrived at Tianqin Tower, but his eyes were bright and piercing.
Zhu Fu had been waiting for some time. Seeing the Crown Prince's glossy black steed from afar, he hurried forward to greet him.
"Your High—"
He barely got out one word before being cut off by the Crown Prince's cold, stern tone.
"Enough pleasantries. Where is she?"
Zhu Fu didn't dare delay and immediately clasped his hands and said, "The lady is currently in Your Highness's Spring Chamber."
"Good."
With that, he didn't even need Zhu Fu to lead the way. His long legs crossed the threshold as he stepped into Tianqin Tower, heading straight upstairs with clear purpose.
Zhu Fu hurried along behind, his mind racing with thoughts.
From the message being sent to now, barely a quarter of an hour had passed—at such speed…
His guess had been right after all. This Lady Liu was blessed with great fortune; her good days were likely about to begin.
But he never would have imagined that the Crown Prince, who held everyone in such high regard and was so particular in his choices, would ultimately take a liking to someone like Lady Liu.
It wasn't that Lady Liu was lacking in any way—it was just that among the young ladies of the capital, she was far too ordinary.
Zhu Fu couldn't figure it out and could only conclude that tastes differ—one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Xiao Heng reached the third floor, with Su Lin and the Eastern Palace guard commander Jiang Shuo following closely behind, and Zhu Fu bringing up the rear with some difficulty.
From a distance, Xiao Heng saw Liu Yun's maidservant standing guard at the door. Upon seeing him, she discreetly knocked twice on the door behind her.
The knocks were light and furtive, as if there was something inside she didn't want him to see.
Xiao Heng pondered this as he walked, and when Jin He moved to greet him, he waved his hand to stop her words.
"No need for formalities. I'll go in and have a look."
The door was pushed open gently. Jin He wanted to follow him inside, but the quick-witted Su Lin blocked her path.
"Hold on, sister. His Highness and Lady Liu have important matters to discuss inside. As servants, we should wait outside together."
Though Su Lin spoke with a smile, his manner brooked no argument, and his words made sense, so Jin He complied for the moment.
But her eyes remained fixed on the door with worry, as if trying to see through it to know how her mistress was faring.
Whether she was being bullied by the Crown Prince.
A man and a woman alone in a room—one always had to be on guard, even if that man was the future emperor of Great Yan.
The door creaked shut, leaving only the two of them in the spacious room.
Realizing who else was in this room, the heat in Xiao Heng's chest surged rapidly through his entire body, making him feel feverish all over, his mouth and tongue going dry.
His eyes quickly locked onto that soft, delicate figure, and a flicker of amused surprise passed through his gaze. He stepped forward with lightened footsteps.
Pale golden sunlight draped over the young woman's perfectly proportioned figure like a gossamer veil, like fine silk covering precious jade, drawing one's gaze to linger.
Xiao Heng's expression was focused as he drew closer, surveying her from head to toe.
Too plain.
Plain in her hair ornaments, plain in her clothing—none of it suited her at all.
Looking at Liu Yun's simple attire, Xiao Heng couldn't help but think of the gold, jade, and brocade silks gathering dust in his storeroom.
And the set of jadeite hair ornaments his mother had left him.
His thoughts drifted, and his movements slowed as well.
His knuckles traced over her small twin buns, then followed the hair at her temples, gently caressing the girl's porcelain-white, smooth cheek.
As if a faint electric current were running through him, Xiao Heng's fingertips tingled and began to tremble involuntarily.
Xiao Heng took a deep breath, striving to suppress his restless thoughts.
"Mmm…"
In the empty room, a girl's stifled whimper drifted through the air. Xiao Heng's gaze trembled, and he snatched his hand back in a flash.
It was entirely an instinctive reaction—even Xiao Heng himself couldn't understand why he'd done it.
What was he afraid of?
Furrowing his brow, Xiao Heng took a few more steps back and settled onto a crescent-shaped stool a short distance away.
He picked up a cup of Purple Bamboo Shoot Tea that had long gone cold, curled his lip in distaste, and set it back down.
In her sleep, Liu Yun felt something tickling her face, disturbing her rest.
She had been sleeping far too deeply—she hadn't even heard the knock she'd arranged with Jin He, and had simply drifted off into oblivion.
But the tickling sensation on her face roused her.
First, she scratched at her face haphazardly, then slowly blinked her eyes open.
And then, Liu Yun saw the Crown Prince sitting across from her, noble and aloof.
Purple robes with a jade belt, a crimson-gold crown, and a red tassel strap tied beneath his chin, tracing the sharp line of his jaw.
One glance was enough to see that his beauty was like a blade—keen and dazzling.
At that moment, the Crown Prince leaned languidly against the low table, one leg crossed casually, his phoenix eyes fixed intently on her, his expression dark and unreadable.
In an instant, all drowsiness fled Liu Yun, and she nearly tumbled off the couch.
"Y-Your Highness, when did you arrive? This—this humble woman has been remiss!"