Painted candles flickered, and guests filled the hall. Fragrance of silk and hair, jade bowls of amber wine. Everything was fine—except… Li Chongjun had fallen ill again.
Sui Sui had eaten two candied pork elbows and still couldn’t figure out why he had suddenly grown so furious, so frighteningly furious. Just then, word came that the chief official of the Hexi military governor had requested the music stop, and offered up the beauty he had brought, to dance the *Hu xuan* for His Highness’s delight.
She had no choice but to stop thinking about him, quickly tidied herself, and slipped into the men’s banquet hall, hiding behind a painted screen to watch.
The dancer was a Han girl, her skin whiter than a Hu courtesan’s, bare snow-white arms heavy with golden armlets. She wore a light Hu-style gauze skirt—when standing, it was green, but when she spun, the pleats flared into a blazing red flower. With the sound of the Hu flute, she twirled like fire, yet in the whirl, revealed a face as pure as white hibiscus. Sui Sui was entranced.
The official humbly said: “This dance is crude, unworthy of Your Highness’s eyes.”
Li Chongjun replied graciously: “Why say so? Thanks to you, tonight I have truly opened my eyes.” Half drunk, he leaned on the couch, chatting idly with the official, but his eyes never left the dancer. Resting his chin on his hand, he smiled: “‘Only fear the song and dance end, turning into rainbow clouds that fly away’—the ancients did not deceive me.”
His face was full of eager anticipation—clearly not thinking of anything proper.
Sui Sui curled her lips.
He was such a pretender.
This shameless look was utterly different from the man who had stormed off earlier, face dark with rage. If not for that, she might have believed he was truly enjoying himself.
Sui Sui felt stage fright, but clenched her teeth and went on. She carried a snow-white lion cat in her arms, set it down, tugged its tail to make it dart out from behind the screen, then lifted her skirt and chased after it—bursting into the hall of music and dance.
Aside from the spinning beauty, everyone turned to look at her, even the flute players glanced over.
Sui Sui stopped abruptly, feigning shock as she looked around.
Li Chongjun raised his brows, feigning surprise: “Why are you here?”
Sui Sui quickly knelt, trembling: “This concubine deserves death! While dining, I was careless, and the courtyard cat ran off. I chased it and somehow ended up here…”
“Fool!” Li Chongjun slammed the table, scolding, “Are all the attendants dead? With honored guests present, how dare you blunder in and cause trouble! Get out at once!”
Sui Sui bowed her head repeatedly under his rebuke, but refused to leave. Instead, she crawled forward on her knees to his couch. The seat was low, barely an inch or two off the ground, so kneeling, she could rest her hands on his knees.
“Your Highness… this concubine knows her fault. If I don’t move, and simply stay here to accompany Your Highness while you drink, would that be acceptable?” She bit her handkerchief, casting a sidelong glance at the dancer, laughing meaningfully: “Ah, the *Hu xuan* dance—so fine, so beautiful. Surely Your Highness enjoys it very much…”
The guests, seeing this scene and Sui Sui dressed so lavishly and seductively, realized she had come prepared—not to chase a cat, but to challenge the dancer.
Li Chongjun scolded her again for her nonsense, impatient to drive her out. But Sui Sui refused to leave. Not only did her hand slowly wander to his leg, shaking it, she also brushed her half-bared chest against his knee, pressing and shifting coquettishly.
“Your Highness once loved to watch me dance the *Green Waist*. But now having seen the *Hu xuan*, having seen such a beauty, perhaps you’ll never need to watch the *Green Waist* again, nor watch me.” Her words were soft, plaintive, but her hand was bold—slipping beneath his robe, grasping something firmly. Though she shielded it with her body, others could guess.
Li Chongjun’s face changed at once. He seized her hand, teeth clenched, eyes blazing as he glared at her. Wasn’t this more captivating than the *Hu xuan* dance?
The guests lost interest in the performance and watched the battle of glances between the two in secret. The official grew anxious. When the dance ended, he had to speak: “Your Highness…”
But just then, Sui Sui began to cry, her hand still inside his robe, squeezing until his veins stood out, while she herself looked pitiful: “I know Your Highness’s heart. Since the lord has sent beauties, why not keep them? Better yet, sell me off—so I won’t be left in the cold courtyard, watching you favor newcomers. That would be worse than death—I wouldn’t last two days…”
“Nonsense! When has the official ever had such intent? You babble shamelessly—get out at once!” Li Chongjun was already groaning, breath ragged, yet forced himself upright, nodding curtly to the official: “My concubine is coarse—please forgive the offense.”
“…” The official was furious, but having been placed on a pedestal, he could not climb down. Sweating profusely, unable to think of a solution, he could only say: “I dare not, I dare not,” and signal the dancer to withdraw.
Sui Sui was likewise pulled away by two maids, one on each side, leaving behind an air thick with ambiguity.
By then, the proper dinner had already been served in the front hall. The elder guests had departed, leaving mostly young men drinking.
Seeing Sui Sui’s plaintive charm stirred some of them, reminding them of their own wives and concubines. Watching Li Chongjun endure so much, they sympathized. After a short while, hearing the distant second-watch drums, they rose to take their leave.
The official forced himself to stay until the end, hoping to speak again. But just then, Sui Sui reappeared, carrying a silver jug, pretending to change the wine—only to tease Li Chongjun once more.
The official ground his teeth in fury. He had come under the pretense of a farewell banquet, intending to test the young prince’s temperament, then sway him with beauty and slip two people into his household. But he hadn’t expected this troublesome woman, determined to ruin everything. And the fact that Prince Wei tolerated such a person at his side—he hardly seemed like someone who could accomplish great things.
The official weighed his thoughts, but had no choice. He forced himself to remain calm and took his leave. Li Chongjun glanced at the Hu-dressed beauty, as if tempted to keep her, but in the end, though roses pricked and fragrance was strong, he let the official depart.
Sui Sui, catching sight of the official’s retreat, felt she had at least done her part. She turned back and laughed lightly at Li Chongjun—only to meet his cold, shadowed face. Before her smile faded, he seized her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His expression had returned to that of a grim judge from hell.
Sui Sui’s heart clenched. She had thought she wasn’t afraid of Li Chongjun. But now she realized—she had never seen him in full.
His voice was faint, unreadable: “All this time you’ve been stammering. What is it you wanted to say?”
Sui Sui frowned, unable to answer.
“You want to leave, hmm?”
She nodded, then quickly shook her head, bewildered: “Your Highness… you don’t want me to go?”
He gave a cold laugh, denying her outright.
Sui Sui bit her lip, babbling in panic: “Your Highness need not worry. I swear I’ll keep my word! I’ll never mention you to anyone. I’ll act as though I never met you, and you never met me. These past two years—let them be as if they never happened. I won’t, I won’t…” Her words only fanned the flames.
His dark eyes were cold, deep, yet slowly curved into a smile—uncertain, bitter. He was laughing at himself. This play, from start to finish, had been a trap. He was the only one who had truly felt.
“You can leave soon. But before that—” Still gripping her chin, he shifted, slowly stroking her lips, then pried them open.
His hand was icy, even in the warm hall, like cold jade. Under the flickering lamplight, he seemed like a jade deity, cloaked in golden radiance.
A noble son, pure as jade, lofty and sacred.
His fingers stirred inside her mouth.
Sui Sui’s eyes widened, struggling to hold back her breath, not daring to move. She could hear her own heartbeat, pounding like thunder.