Having held the reins of power for twelve years, Pei Huaiche had been at the very center of the imperial power struggle, practically locked in combat with every manner of fiend and monster for a decade.
In the arena of political warfare, he had sparred with cruel officials who bled the common people dry, contended with courtiers who formed factions for private gain, and had never let slip the powerful clans who colluded with local authorities and terrorized entire regions.
In the arena of martial combat, he had personally led three thousand iron cavalry deep into the western desert, annihilating and accepting the surrender of nearly a hundred thousand troops from the western allied forces, slaughtering until the various tribes bowed their heads in submission and retreated to their heartlands, not daring to approach the borders of Great Yuan for years.
Yet at this very moment, facing the situation with his own young wife, he found himself overcome by an unprecedented sense of helplessness.
Aside from the fact that the "child" he was to bring along this time was equally useless—it would already be a blessing if she didn't hold him back—there was also the matter that he himself was far from what he once was.
He was no longer Prince Xuan, holding the late emperor's edict, legitimately entitled to serve as regent and oversee the court.
Now he was merely a lowly bed-warmer in the princess's chambers, someone who couldn't even show his face in proper company. Worse still, his leg condition kept him trapped within the estate. Far from being able to discern the situation from the slightest stirrings of the outside world, virtually every piece of information he obtained had to pass through someone else's hands.
At this thought, a shadow of gloom flickered across Pei Huaiche's eyes, but it quickly faded as he forced his expression to relax and followed Cuihua's lead in asking, "When you entered the palace this time, did you get along well with everyone you met?"
Cuihua assumed his slightly darkened expression was merely discomfort from sitting in the wheelchair for the first time. She nodded without hesitation, her brows curving like crescent moons: "Yes! I never realized I was so likable before. Everyone was practically fighting over who could treat me better!"
Pei Huaiche's fingers gripping the wheelchair armrest tightened slightly. He asked again, "Then who treated you the best?"
Cuihua tilted her head and thought seriously for a moment, counting on her slender fingers: "The best was naturally Mother Empress. Aside from her, Consort Rui gave the most lavish gifts, and Consort De was the most enthusiastic in fussing over my well-being…"
Midway through her counting, she shook her head again, her gaze clear and bright: "But I don't think it's fair to compare them that way. Consort Rui is Mother Empress's favorite, so naturally the finest things are bestowed upon his palace. And my bald monk of a stepfather still practices vegetarianism and chants sutras, so all the affairs of the inner palace are managed by Consort De—of course he would pay more attention to my daily needs."
Having been raised since childhood by Old Man Liu, a man of great integrity, she had learned from her father the principle of repaying kindness.
She remembered everyone who was good to her, and she understood that people had different temperaments and circumstances, so she never ranked others' kindness by closeness or superiority.
Among country folk, most people never had the chance to leave their town in their entire lives, and the bonds between neighbors were passed down through generations. So being simple and honest was indeed the foundation for survival—but in this man-eating palace deep within the imperial city…
Pei Huaiche's eyes darkened slightly. Still, he had to consider her capacity to absorb such truths and couldn't bear to reveal things too deeply or too bluntly all at once.
In the end, he could only suppress his tangled thoughts for the time being, focusing his words on extracting more useful information from her innocent, artless chatter.
But just as he was about to ask another question, a small, dark-red, glossy iced fruit was suddenly pressed to his lips.
Breakfast was nearly finished. Seeing that he had only taken a few bites of the two or three dishes closest to him, Cuihua picked up this chilled fresh fruit from the jade plate on the table and fed it to him.
Her dark eyes sparkled as she held up the translucent red fruit with her slender fingers, smiling as if presenting a treasure: "Do you know what kind of fruit this is?"
Pei Huaiche's mind was still lingering on the palace affairs beyond his reach. He glanced down and almost blurted out instinctively: "Cher—"
Fortunately, he caught himself after just one syllable.
This fruit was called a cherry, a specialty of Longzhou in Liang State. Its growing conditions were extremely demanding—it only ripened on sun-facing slopes for one season each year in June and July, and it was absolutely not something ordinary folk would ever see.
And given his current identity as a "country bumpkin," there was no way he could have seen or eaten one before.
So he quickly changed his answer, his tone carrying just the right amount of hesitation: "I… don't believe I do."
Cuihua was amused by his rare moment of being caught off guard and let out a chuckle, shallow dimples appearing at the corners of her cheeks: "Learned something new from me again, haven't you? This is called a cherry. When I ate it in the palace, I loved it so much. Mother Empress saw this and specially had two catties of the biggest, reddest ones carefully selected from the tribute fruits for me to bring back."
Pei Huaiche opened his mouth and accepted the cherry. With a gentle bite, the cool, sweet juice spread between his teeth, yet it couldn't dissolve the solemn furrow between his brows.
He suddenly realized another equally troublesome problem: while it was indeed difficult for him to personally investigate those imperial relatives and nobles, Cuihua and he were bound to see each other every day.
In other words, as her horizons gradually expanded, if he wasn't careful with his words and actions, before he could even deal with the wolves and tigers outside, his own identity might first arouse her suspicions.
After breakfast, Cuihua pushed him around the estate, stopping here and there. Pavilions, towers, winding paths leading to secluded spots—it took nearly a full hour before they had seen most of the sprawling princess residence.
They finally stopped by the lotus pond in the back courtyard. Cuihua had grown warm from walking, so she simply removed her shoes and stockings and dipped a pair of fair, tender feet into the shallow pond water. Ripples shimmered with the sunlight, leaping like scattered gold around her toes.
She let out a contented sigh. "Husband, there was actually a small stream behind the village where we used to live. The water was just as clear. For the past two summers, I kept thinking how wonderful it would be if I could bring you there to play in the water."
Pei Huaiche steadied his mind, his gaze sweeping over her slender feet submerged in the water, his voice gentle. "I know. Last winter, Gouwa said he was craving meat and went to the stream to chisel ice and catch fish—and got a beating from his father for it."
Cuihua's face bloomed into a radiant smile at his words, light dancing in her beautiful eyes. "Haha, when I was little and had a craving, I did the same thing with the village boys. My father was angry, but he couldn't bear to hit me. He just took me to their homes to complain, saying they had led his precious daughter astray."
As she spoke, she hiked her skirt up a little higher, revealing a section of calf as fair as a tender lotus root. Her round, pearl-like toes gently stirred the pond water, sending ripples spreading outward, her expression relaxed and carefree.
Pei Huaiche watched her lively reflection in the water in silence, then said softly, "If you'd like fish in the pond, I'll speak with Steward Di and have him buy some fry to release into it."
Cuihua shook her head, however. "I don't care for delicate ornamental fish. Even if we stocked it with edible fish, the meat raised in still water wouldn't be fresh. Better to just have the kitchen buy what's already available."
She turned her face to him, her smile especially brilliant in the sunlight. "Actually, whether there are fish or not isn't the point. What I mean to say is—being able to enjoy every blessing together with you now, that's what's truly wonderful."
Looking at her simple, clear smile, the restlessness that had been gathering at the tip of Pei Huaiche's heart was, strangely, calmed somewhat.
He thought—if she delighted so much in today's wealth and stability, then he had nothing to complain about either.
After all, what he sought for the rest of his life was never the quiet contentment of poverty. It was only her—to find his place in her.
Cuihua showed little interest in redesigning the pond, but her eyes landed on an empty patch of land beside it, and she grew excited at the idea of turning it into a small vegetable garden.
Her reasoning was perfectly sound: "Even though the vegetables and fruits the household sends over every day are perfectly fresh, I still want to grow some myself. Not only will it keep me active—otherwise I'll soon turn myself into a plump little princess from all that eating and no moving—but when the harvest comes in, I can send some to the palace and make Mother Empress happy."
She had clearly taken his earlier words to heart. When it came to honoring an elder like the Empress, who already had every necessity and luxury at her disposal, sincerity always mattered more than the specific gift itself.
Pei Huaiche nodded, his gaze sweeping over that fertile soil. "Liang's climate is mild and moist—many crops can yield twice a year. The spring planting season has already passed, so start with those options. Tell me what you choose, and I'll mark out the land for you."
He always seemed to have a way of shaping their days into something even more agreeable and satisfying.
Cuihua looked at him with eyes curved into crescents, feeling that among all the blessings heaven had bestowed upon her, this destined union before her eyes was the one that pleased her heart the most.
After strolling through the estate, Cuihua noticed that the shadows had lifted from Pei Huaiche's brow, and a thought quietly took root in her heart—she wanted to travel with him through Xiangjing again in the future.
But to make that happen, not only would his daily wheelchair need to be modified for greater ease, the household's current carriage would also require reworking. It was by no means something that could be hastily prepared in just a few days.
Fortunately, Cuihua was in no hurry. She and Pei Huaiche both still had matters to attend to, so there was no need for urgency.
Pei Huaiche was busy consulting with Steward Di, replanning the estate's layout for her sake. Meanwhile, after a few days of rest at the residence, Cuihua welcomed the etiquette instructress the Empress had dispatched from the palace.
Baodian did not disappoint Cuihua's trust. She had originally been one of this Nanny Du's prized students, and on the very first day the nanny arrived, Baodian had already smoothed over the matter of Pei Huaiche's circumstances on Cuihua's behalf.
Having served in the palace for over twenty years, Nanny Du knew well that meddling in this affair would earn her no favor with the Empress—and would only invite the princess's displeasure. So she accepted the reward money without protest and focused solely on the duties within her purview.
Of course, her willingness to extend this courtesy also came from the quite favorable impression the princess and the household's disabled male consort had made on her over the past few days of interaction.
The princess went without saying—born of imperial blood, not only naturally gifted and quick to learn everything, but also of a bright and innocent temperament, gracious to her subordinates, never putting on airs of nobility. It was hard not to grow fond of her.
And the male consort, whom the entire household addressed as "Master Huai," was nothing short of impeccable in his conduct toward others—his bearing and elegance so distinguished and refined that he scarcely seemed like someone who could have been raised in the common streets.
This led Nanny Du to privately marvel that the imperial bloodline was truly blessed by heaven—that their princess could have found such a man from the remote borderlands of Yuan. It was almost beyond belief.
In short, when ordinary people first heard that a princess who had been lost among the common folk had finally returned to court, still doting as before on the disabled village husband she had taken in the countryside, most would be somewhat surprised—at most sighing, "The princess is truly devoted."
Yet having truly met Pei Huaiche, all that astonishment would turn into regret and pity.
Had fate not cruelly crippled his legs, with such character, appearance, and learning, how could he have been relegated to the princess's estate, serving merely as a bed-warmer hidden from the light?
Thinking thus, Nanny Du felt all the more that the Second Princess was a fortunate one.
Much of what transpired within the palace could not be judged by appearances alone. Even with the Empress's favor and the princess's own cleverness, one newly entering the palace was still vulnerable to deception and harm. To have someone as meticulous as Pei Huaiche, who genuinely cared for her, planning at her side—this was a blessing not easily found.
That day, having finished her etiquette lessons with Nanny Du, Cuihua—who had begun to carry herself with a hint of princessly bearing—stepped lightly into Pei Huaiche's chamber, her eyes shimmering with a watery gleam, clearly bearing something she wished to discuss with him.
Pei Huaiche was in the midst of reading a book. Hearing her approach, he looked up, and upon seeing it was her, gently set the volume down on the desk. "There are still ten days until the Mid-Autumn palace banquet. Has Nanny Du reminded you that you should discuss with me the matter of preparing gifts for the palace elders?"
Cuihua started, then broke into a smile, her peach-blossom eyes curving like crescent moons. "I haven't said a single word yet—how is it you can divine this before I even speak?"
Because all my waking thoughts, save for those two scant hours of shallow sleep, are bent on devoting the remaining ten to you—thinking of how to keep you safe, how to help you steady yourself in this role of princess.
These words rolled in Pei Huaiche's throat but ultimately would not be spoken aloud to her.
Instead, he merely raised a hand to press gently at his temple, which ached faintly from prolonged mental exertion, and said in a low voice: "Count it as my having read many miscellaneous books… I know a little of divination."
Cuihua believed him readily, her eyes suddenly brightening. "You even know that? Why didn't you say so earlier! Had I known you had this skill, I wouldn't have had you teach me letters back in the village—teaching can't compare to fortune-telling for making money. If your predictions were accurate, by the time Mother Empress found me, we'd have already built our brick house and had our babies!"
Pei Huaiche knew she had learned her measure now, speaking so recklessly only in private, yet he still frowned. "And then, before the Empress's joy at reclaiming her beloved daughter had even faded, she would have to hear the dreadful news—that the princess had given her a grandchild fathered by a crippled, heaven-forsaken street charlatan?"
Cuihua leaned close to him, her expression playful. "How is fate-telling a swindle? Mother Empress herself, in her wild youth, snatched a monk from a temple—both trades are just soothing people's hearts with words, the only difference being whether one shaves one's head."
Pei Huaiche finally turned serious, admonishing her: "The Empress may be your mother, but she is also the Son of Heaven. You must not speak of her lightly—mind your words."
Cuihua disliked most how he remained so bound by propriety even when no one else was around. She shot him a reproachful glance. "Only you have so many rules. Mother Empress is the emperor, but I'm a princess too—and last night you did more than just fail to 'mind your words'; you failed to 'mind your conduct' as well…"
Even as she complained, she leaned lightly against the armrest of his wheelchair, the fullness of her bosom brushing against his shoulder, deliberately trying to break through his solemn, upright facade.
Pei Huaiche went along with it, reaching out to draw her into his embrace. For a moment their forms overlapped, but with the daylight still bright beyond the window, they exchanged only a lingering, tender kiss.
After a while of intimate nuzzling, they returned to their earlier topic.
Pei Huaiche first sorted out for her who required gifts: "The Empress's gift must naturally be prepared with great care. Beyond that, there are the one Empress Consort and four Imperial Consorts of the harem. Those of lower rank need not receive gifts at the palace banquet."
Cuihua hesitated slightly. "But during the days I stayed in the palace, quite a few male consorts and imperial attendants of lower rank gave me things as well."
Pei Huaiche patiently explained the intricacies to her: "Under Liang's official system, princes and princesses all hold the rank of First Grade. Gifts presented publicly at a festival banquet differ from private exchanges—aside from one's birth parents, one need only pay respects to consorts of First Grade or above."
Cuihua nodded with a semblance of understanding, then suddenly looked up at him. "You're rather remarkable too. We were just a village girl and a village man before—same starting point, clearly. So how is it that I, the genuine princess, still stumble through after studying with a dedicated tutor all this time, while you, the 'would-be consort' with no one to teach you, have adapted faster than I have?"
Pei Huaiche naturally dared not again claim he could divine such things—nor could such matters possibly be learned through fortune-telling.
So he calmly shifted the topic back to the details of gift preparation: "As for what exactly to give, it should not be decided by us alone. Tomorrow, you might go to the palace and discuss it with your two younger imperial sisters."
During his time managing affairs at the princess's estate, Pei Huaiche had pieced together from the servants who had once served in the palace a general picture of Cuihua's siblings.
The Crown Princess, convalescing far away in Qiongzhou, enjoyed an excellent reputation—all mentions of her were praise of outstanding virtue and talent, of grace widely bestowed. She was without doubt the wise and virtuous heir apparent favored by the Empress and recognized by the court.
The Fourth and Fifth Princesses, though differing in temperament, were both clever and obedient. They had no desire to involve themselves in the heavy affairs of state, and the Empress seemed disinclined to push them into it, instead nurturing them carefully and letting each pursue her own interests.
As for the Third Prince, whom he had earlier worried might resent Cuihua's favored position—his situation was indeed more complicated, but it was true that he was disliked by both the Empress and the court officials. Whether he would even be seated at the palace banquet remained uncertain.
Since he wanted Cuihua to live as a peaceful and carefree princess, Pei Huaiche felt it would not be a bad thing for her to interact more with the twin imperial younger sisters.
Upon first entering the palace, it was better to follow established customs than to act on one's own and invite unnecessary trouble.