Cuihua had grown up following Old Man Liu hawking tofu at the market in town, and with her naturally cheerful disposition, though she was out of step with the intricate twists and turns of the deep palace, she was hardly timid or fearful of others.
Pei Huaiche, though unable to accompany her into the palace, had made every possible arrangement for her.
He first asked Nanny Du, who returned to the palace daily, to greet the Fourth Princess Li Chan and the Fifth Princess Li Yuan on his behalf. After obtaining the two princesses' consent, he then summoned Baodian, who would accompany Cuihua into the palace, and gave her meticulous instructions covering every detail.
As it turned out, Cuihua treated this trip to the palace to see her sisters as nothing more than casual family chatter, completely relaxed and at ease. Pei Huaiche, on the other hand, had tossed and turned the night before, getting less than an hour of sleep, his nerves wound so tight that he was even more anxious than when the young emperor had first ascended the throne and held court.
The next day, as he saw Cuihua off from the residence, Steward Di, who had been working closely with him lately, noticed the dark circles under his eyes and couldn't help but advise: "Master Pei, forgive this old servant for speaking out of turn, but if you keep pushing yourself like this, you might not be able to accompany the Princess for many more years."
Excessive worry takes the greatest toll on one's spirit, and moreover, this "Master Pei's" constitution, as anyone could see, could not withstand the way he was driving himself.
Pei Huaiche was still mentally calculating whether he had overlooked anything when he heard these words and was momentarily taken aback. After a long pause, he tugged at the corner of his lips, his tone inscrutable, and said with a dry smile: "Then shouldn't I all the more clear the path ahead for her while I still can? So that in the future, when I'm gone, I won't have to trouble you all to keep worrying on her behalf?"
Steward Di hurriedly protested: "Don't say that, Master! We mustn't speak of 'setting out on a great undertaking only to perish midway.' If that were to happen, it wouldn't matter that this old servant would hate to lose you—but the Princess dotes on you so; she would be heartbroken."
Pei Huaiche only raised an eyebrow faintly without further comment, yet that day at noon, he not only ate half a bowl more rice than usual but also took a half-hour nap after the meal.
Exhausting himself for another's benefit—that foolish thing he had done once was enough. Since this life of his had been saved by her, he did have some regard for preserving it after all.
He couldn't bear the thought of someone else using his achievements to grow close to her in the future, doing the things that only he could do for her.
And Cuihua, who had entered the palace to see her younger sisters, indeed proved not to be as incapable of handling matters as he had feared.
The Empress was pleased to see the sisters getting along harmoniously. Upon hearing that Cuihua had specially come to the palace to visit her two younger sisters, she graciously bestowed a full table of delicacies prepared by the imperial kitchen.
Li Yuan, being lively by nature, pulled Cuihua to sit down and laughed: "Elder Sister, A-chan and I are definitely basking in your good fortune this time. In the past, when Mother Empress bestowed refreshments, it was only one or two plates—but today, the whole table is spread out!"
In truth, Li Chan and Li Yuan had grown up in the palace and their daily fare was hardly lacking; they didn't want for fruits and snacks. But the significance of a personal bestowal from the Empress Mother was different.
The three sisters sat together chatting and laughing, the hall filled with warm fragrance, shadows of flowers gently shifting outside the window. For a moment, their conversation was filled with genuine joy and laughter.
Cuihua had a natural gift for entertaining half-grown children. One moment she praised the exquisite artistry and beautiful conception of Li Chan's paintings, the next she exclaimed in wonder at the novel trinkets Li Yuan had collected. Within moments, she had both younger sisters beaming with delight, and they even began vying subtly for her attention.
She noticed that most of the Empress Mother's bestowed refreshments had gone into her own and Li Yuan's stomachs. Her gaze fell on the plate of pastries by Li Chan's hand that had remained untouched for some time, and she couldn't help but laugh: "Sister Chan'er eats so delicately—like a little fairy maiden who doesn't partake of mortal food."
Li Chan's pretty cheeks flushed with color at the compliment. Before she could modestly demur, Li Yuan gleefully undercut her: "Elder Sister, don't be fooled by her! That's not delicacy at all—she's clearly afraid of getting fat!"
Cuihua looked at Li Chan's waist, so slender it seemed one could encircle it with a single hand, and said in surprise: "Sister Chan'er is already so slim—and she's still afraid of gaining weight?"
Li Yuan spread her hands: "She wants to be a talented lady, doesn't she? If she's not 'thinner than the yellow chrysanthemum,' how else would she show off her literary flair and lofty refinement? I've told her all along that her body won't develop properly this way, but she won't listen. Fine, let her be—it's not me who'll be scorned by a future consort anyway."
Li Chan's pretty face flushed slightly, clearly annoyed by her sister's crude phrasing. She shot Li Yuan a glare: "What nonsense are you spouting in front of Elder Sister? You eat more than I do and weigh a few catties more. Apart from having a thicker waist, aren't you about the same as me everywhere else? Accept your fate—neither of us is built like Elder Sister."
As the two young girls spoke, they unconsciously glanced at Cuihua's chest. Though mindful of royal decorum they dared not stare directly, Cuihua followed their gaze and looked down, only to see the generous curves beneath her own clothing. She felt both helpless and understanding.
They were only twelve years old—wasn't that exactly the age when one was most sensitive to bodily changes and beginning to develop curiosity about such topics?
Cuihua smiled inwardly. Since these two princesses, raised in the palace from childhood, were willing to share such intimate talk with her, they truly regarded her as a close elder sister. So why should she, a princess who had returned from the common folk, put on airs of reserve and dampen her younger sisters' spirits?
She therefore ordered the palace attendants to close the hall doors, and the three sisters kept only their personal maids in attendance, chatting and laughing until the hour of wei. Only then did Li Chan and Li Yuan reluctantly let her leave.
Apart from her figure, the two young girls, newly awakening to romance, were also intensely curious about the fact that Cuihua had already taken a husband through matrilocal marriage among the common folk, and had brought this husband back to the imperial city with her.
Li Yuan blinked and asked, "It seems Second Sister's husband must be truly delightful—every time you mention him, your eyes and brows are full of smiles. Could he possibly be even more handsome than the young gentlemen raised in the great households of Xiangjing?"
Li Chan's eyes sparkled as she chimed in, "And how does he compare to our eldest brother-in-law? He's one of the most outstanding men in Xiangjing."
Cuihua answered without hesitation, "In any case, in all my days here in Xiangjing, I've yet to see a man more handsome than him. As for eldest brother-in-law… though he is indeed handsome, at least in my eyes, he still falls short."
This was not mere protective boasting on her part. Wei Jiangran possessed the classic appearance of a refined scholar—clean, elegant features that would indeed make most women fall for him at first sight. Yet the longer one looked, the more one felt something lacking: plenty of heroic spirit, but lacking a certain striking quality.
Her husband's beauty, by contrast, carried a piercing sharpness—a naturally exquisite bone structure, radiating a dazzling, bewitching allure.
She often felt that if his birth had been slightly better, giving him the chance to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, his bearing was such that it would be a pity for him to be merely a courteous civil official—he ought to be the kind of all-round talent who could steady the realm with a brush in hand and settle the world from horseback.
Of course, jokes aside, Cuihua had not forgotten the important matter of preparing gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Li Chan and Li Yuan were equally forthcoming, not only detailing the preferences of their various elders and their own gift lists, but also reminding Cuihua that she should prepare gifts even more generously than their own standards.
Li Chan said warmly, "Though Second Sister has only recently returned to the palace, you've already been granted your own establishment by Mother Empress's grace. Many clan relatives and court officials will be watching at this Mid-Autumn palace banquet—don't give anyone cause to find fault with your etiquette."
Li Yuan was even more direct: "If Sister doesn't know where to buy something, go to the south street of Guixiang Lane and find the son of Minister Yuan of the Revenue Bureau. He was a study companion to A-Chan and me before, and now he's also a partner in my shops here in the capital. Just mention my name and order him around as you please."
Cuihua graciously accepted her sisters' kindness, and to reciprocate, promised them that the next time she came to the palace to visit, she would personally bring them steamed buns stuffed with scallion and tofu filling.
The Liang Kingdom made tofu primarily with gypsum rather than the brine method used in the Yuan Kingdom, so its texture was exceptionally smooth and tender, and it was traditionally only used in soups and broths.
Hearing Cuihua say that tofu could also be used as filling for steamed buns and dumplings, the two young girls who had never tasted such a thing widened their eyes in eager fascination.
Seeing them like this, Cuihua was naturally confident in showing off her culinary skills. Considering that dumplings were inconvenient to carry and their flavor suffered greatly when cooled, she decided to bring steamed buns instead.
When Cuihua returned to the residence, Pei Huaiche had just woken from his afternoon rest.
Having matters weighing on his mind made deep, restful sleep difficult—a habit carved into his very bones over twelve years of regency.
Not that imperial physicians hadn't earnestly admonished him, warning that continuing this way would deplete his constitution, and they had prescribed many calming remedies. But ultimately, the burdens pressing on his shoulders would not allow him to rest easy. If he didn't remain constantly vigilant, keeping himself in a state ready to attend to state affairs at any moment, who could take his place?
In earlier years, perhaps relying on his relative youth, aside from occasional headaches from overexertion, he hadn't felt much ill effect.
It wasn't until two years ago, when he brushed past the gates of death, that the old debts he owed his body came back with a vengeance.
But in those two years, he hadn't held any long-term aspirations—his only wish was to live each day and make his little wife happy through it.
That was why Steward Di's reminder today had caught him off guard, startling him into realizing that if he continued this way, he might not even outlive his elder brother—who had died in his prime, entrusting his young son to him before reaching fifty—let alone match his father, who had not only lived long but remained hale and hearty into old age, passing away almost without illness.
However, recuperating one's health was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Even though he had arranged everything as meticulously as he could, and the possibility of complications arising from Cuihua's visit to the palace was extremely slim, he still found it difficult to truly rest and restore his spirit while she was within the palace walls.
Still, the fact that he had willingly taken a rest was enough to fill Cuihua with joy. She confirmed with the attendant who managed his daily needs that he was awake before stepping lightly into his room.
After some rest, Pei Huaiche's complexion, though still pale, had regained a bit more vitality than when she had left in the morning.
Cuihua quietly regarded him for a moment, and remembering how she had praised him before her sisters, a slight curve lifted the corners of her lips. She extended a slender finger and gently tapped the handsome face so close before her.
A trace of helplessness flickered in Pei Huaiche's eyes, yet he did not look away. "You're a princess now, and still you stare at my face like this at every turn. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you for coming back from the common folk with no sense of the world?"
Cuihua's fingertips brushed lightly against his thin lips, her voice tinged with coy affection. "When my husband is this handsome, why would I need to see anyone else's world? Besides, we already confirmed it with Baodian—she said that when it comes to looks alone, there truly isn't a more handsome man than you in all of Xiangjing City."
Earlier, because Wei Jiangran had gifted a hairpin and composed a poem, Pei Huaiche had been fiercely jealous. Cuihua had thought it over and felt that her own careless praise of her brother-in-law's handsomeness at the time bore much of the blame.
So once their relationship had eased, she brought Baodian before him, letting Baodian tell him plainly whether there was any "wild man" outside the manor who could shake his standing with mere looks.
Then Pei Huaiche and Baodian had exchanged a glance, and both saw a wordless weariness in each other's eyes.
It wasn't that Baodian thought her words untrue—she simply had never imagined that being the princess's personal maidservant would include helping her mistress coax an "inner favorite" into good spirits.
And Pei Huaiche was even less willing to admit that after two years of marriage, this regent of twelve years, this Prince Xuan under whose governance Great Yuan prospered in peace and harmony, still had his most notable virtue in his wife's eyes be this face of his.
He moved his lips slightly, dissolving the warm, soft sensation her fingertip had left behind, and changed the subject. "Did your visit to the palace go smoothly?"
Cuihua's eyes were clear and bright as she nodded without hesitation. "Everything you asked me to find out, I've learned clearly. And I got along very well with the younger sisters too. No wonder everyone says more children bring more blessings—having siblings really is a rather wonderful thing."
Pei Huaiche cooperatively tugged at the corners of his lips. In truth, had he not already determined that the twin imperial princesses were nine times out of ten without ill intent toward Cuihua, he would never have allowed her to grow close to them.
As it stood, his judgment had proven accurate. Since none of the three harbored ambitions for power and their temperaments suited one another, there was no reason they wouldn't get along.
He occasionally offered a word of acknowledgment, listening idly as she recounted amusing anecdotes from the palace.
Though having the situation well in hand eased his mind somewhat, thinking of Cuihua's pure, sincere nature—how she rarely guarded herself against others—he couldn't help but feel a hidden worry stir within him.
As her husband, he naturally wished for her to live simply and happily as she did today, without thinking too much, without too many troubles.
Yet he also feared that if he remained soft-hearted and never let her glimpse the undercurrents flowing beneath all this gilded splendor, he might instead do her a disservice, leaving her forever unable to grow.
The more he thought, the more tangled his mind became. Pei Huaiche's head began to throb dully again, and he couldn't help but curl his fingers and press them against his temple.
Just as he closed his eyes with a furrowed brow, a pair of warm, soft hands quietly covered his forehead, massaging gently along his brow line with tender pressure.
Cuihua circled around to behind his wheelchair, looking at his still pallid face, her voice carrying a note of concern. "Head hurting again, isn't it? I knew it—if you weren't feeling unwell, you'd never willingly go rest during the day."
Pei Huaiche's long lashes drooped low. The reasons for his earlier nap and his current headache were far from what she guessed, but since he couldn't very well explain his true thoughts, he let her say her piece without correcting her.
Cuihua massaged him for a moment, then suddenly looped her arms softly around his neck, her delicate, supple body pressing close against his lean back.
Sensing his body tense up instantly, a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she whispered by his ear, "Speaking of which, Fifth Sister was curious and asked me—isn't it true that no matter how proper men talk, their bodies honestly prefer… a bit more fullness here?"
Pei Huaiche felt the headache that had just eased come surging back, his voice slightly hoarse. "Loose lips sink ships. From now on, mention me to them as little as possible."
Cuihua refused to let it go, pressing even closer as she coaxed softly, "But what do you really think? Do you like it or not?"
Pei Huaiche, unable to deal with her pestering, felt his Adam's apple shift as he replied with a note of resignation in his voice. "…I only feel that one day, you'll be the death of me. Does that count as liking it or not?"
He had to admit that when it came to disciplining "children," he was truly out of his depth.
In the past, with his imperial nephew, he had always felt the boy was too young, unable to bear exposing him to the dark underbelly of imperial power and court politics.
He only wanted to protect the child well, to let him, like those princes of a prosperous era sheltered by their imperial fathers, take over a realm of peace and clarity once his wings had naturally grown full.
If he couldn't even harden his heart toward his imperial nephew, how could he bear to wake this young wife he wished to shield for a lifetime from her dream of tranquil days and a promising future—especially when less than a month had passed?
Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Cuihua's rosy lips gradually pressing into a tight line.
She quietly held him for a moment, then finally buried her face against his shoulder, speaking hesitantly in a muffled voice by his ear: "Husband, I can't keep things bottled up inside, and I haven't had much schooling… so there are some things I still want to discuss with you. But you have to promise me—when you hear them, you'll only help me make up my mind, and you absolutely must not worry yourself sick over it again, alright?"
Pei Huaiche glanced sideways, catching a glimpse of her glossy lips that seemed to want to say more, and for a moment he did not understand her meaning.
Then he heard Cuihua continue in a low voice: "Even though everyone in the palace has been treating me kindly and cordially lately, and I can't tell who might have ill intentions, I still feel like everyone—including Mother Empress—is hiding something from me… I don't know how to put it, but everything in this palace seems far less simple than I originally took for granted."