Chun Feng didn’t want to go. But there was no choice—the door had been opened for her alone. Otherwise, why call for no one else, only her? She puffed out her cheeks, dragging the soles of her shoes across the stone path until she reached the red‑lacquered wooden door studded with bronze nails.
Seeing her reluctance, Chang Ying chuckled inwardly and explained, “His Highness ordered the Princess to come to the Eastern Palace…”
Chun Feng cut him off: “No need to say it—I already know.”
Chang Ying raised his brows. “Oh?”
With a solemn face, Chun Feng—imitating someone she’d seen—declared, “It must be because he fears I won’t be able to study properly at the Academy. So better to come to the Eastern Palace, which is quiet and suitable for reading. Isn’t that right?”
Chang Ying couldn’t hold back a laugh. “The Princess is perceptive—exactly so.”
Chun Feng: “…”
Hmph. In the end, Li Xuan just wanted to keep her under his thumb. True, she shouldn’t have acted as she did, but since it was already done, couldn’t he simply shut himself away like the Emperor, pretending not to notice?
Before long, she was led into a familiar hall—the very place where Nanny Huang had once taught her court etiquette. The sight of the old furnishings stirred an unexpected sense of closeness.
Xiang Rui set down her book chest, folded her hands, and withdrew.
The tutor assigned to Chun Feng was none other than the former Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, an elderly gentleman with a white beard, surnamed Zou. He had once instructed the Crown Prince himself, but now, well into his seventies, had retired. For the sake of his descendants’ prospects, he had taken up this post in the Eastern Palace. His voice was loud and steady, his manner uncompromising—an old stickler, clearly not one to bend the rules.
At that moment, Chun Feng found herself missing the company of children. Truly, this kind of study left her “dazed and drunk”—like a fool, like someone tipsy. Fortunately, she had no ambition to be a great writer; she only wanted to recognize the characters.
Earlier at the Academy, she had already marked out many words from Lin Qingxiao’s letters. That noon, when Master Zou packed up his books to go to lunch, Chun Feng brought her paper to ask.
He glanced at it and said, “These are very simple. The Princess might as well go to the Book Pavilion herself—reviewing the old to learn the new.”
Chun Feng suspected he was simply eager for his meal. She herself wasn’t in a hurry. Xiang Rui had brought plenty of sweet pastries that day, and after eating so many, her mouth felt cloyed; she wasn’t much inclined toward lunch. So she and Xiang Rui set off for the Book Pavilion.
In the Eastern Palace she had few acquaintances—Chang Ying was one, and another was the eunuch Jin Yun, who had once escorted Yu Xiujun and Lin Datian to Furong Pavilion.
Since Chang Ying wasn’t around, Chun Feng stopped Jin Yun and announced her wish to go to the Book Pavilion.
Jin Yun hesitated and said, “The Book Pavilion is not a place one can enter at will. Permission must be sought from the Crown Prince.”
Chun Feng gave a soft hum. “Then go ask.”
Had anyone else spoken so, Jin Yun would have refused outright. But if it was Chun Feng. He recalled the last time, when he had escorted her foster parents into the palace. No matter what, that had been a breach of protocol—something rare under the Crown Prince’s strict ways. And besides, Chang Ying had never treated this little princess with indifference. Thinking of this, Jin Yun truly went to ask.
The Crown Prince was not in the Eastern Palace that day, so Jin Yun ran to the Taiji Palace to find him. Before Chun Feng grew impatient, he returned smiling: “Princess, please.”
They climbed the steps, circling several times before reaching the library. The plaque read Qingke Pavilion. Inside, the air was dry and tranquil, filled with a steady fragrance. A set of boxwood table and chairs inlaid with mother-of-pearl stood by the window. Several rows of wooden shelves were neatly arranged, laden with books.
Chun Feng looked out the window and saw many buildings, among them her own Furong Pavilion. She realized this was the very building she had glimpsed from Furong Pavilion—where she had once seen a tiny figure, resembling Hui’er, carrying water across the courtyard. For a moment, her curiosity nearly made her forget why she had come.
At her side, Jin Yun asked, “What book does the Princess wish to find?”
Chun Feng came back to herself. She disliked the way Jin Yun watched her as though guarding against a thief, so she said, “Be quiet. I’ll choose myself.”
Still, Jin Yun kept his eyes on her. “Yes.”
But when she turned to the shelves, she remembered—she could not read. She picked up several books to compare, finding no difference, then glanced at Jin Yun. His expression seemed to say: You told me to be quiet, but you’ll have to ask me anyway.
Chun Feng casually took a scroll. “This one.”
Jin Yun looked disappointed, glanced at the book, and said, “Yes.”
What she did not know was that the “Book Pavilion” Master Zou had meant was the Imperial Library at Chongwen Hall, a vast collection open to royal students. Qingke Pavilion, however, was Li Xuan’s private library.
The next day, during Master Zou’s endless lecture, Chun Feng grew drowsy. At some point, the old man suddenly fell silent. She woke to find him staring at the book on her desk—the very one she had taken from Qingke Pavilion.
Chun Feng tried sliding the book from left to right. Master Zou’s gaze followed it from left to right.
In a flash, the old man strode to her desk, astonished. “Princess, where did this book come from?”
Chun Feng replied, “From the Book Pavilion.”
Master Zou shook his head. “Impossible. The Imperial Library could never hold this volume. This is—this is The Treatise on Rivers and Mountains by the Recluse of Heyang. A unique copy!”
Chun Feng, even if she didn’t fully understand, could tell from his tone that this was a treasure. Before Master Zou could reach for it, she quickly hugged the book to her chest.
Master Zou restrained his excitement. “Princess, may I have a look?”
Chun Feng gave a little laugh and pulled out a few sheets from her book box. “Then let me ask you—what do these characters mean?”
Just yesterday he had told her to look them up herself. Now, holding the paper, Master Zou explained each one carefully: “This is *ji*, meaning anxious; this is *zhao*, meaning to search…”
Chun Feng nodded, committing them to memory.
Before he could return to the book, she added, “Oh, by the way, haven’t the lessons been too heavy these past few days?”
Master Zou sighed. “I’ll assign a little less in the future.”
Chun Feng groaned. “But I haven’t even finished yesterday’s work. Teacher, do you have any solution?”
Master Zou blew his beard and glared. “You little rascal, always pushing your luck!”
Chun Feng flicked her fingers against the book’s cover.
After a long struggle, Master Zou finally said, “Assignments already given cannot be reduced at will. Perhaps I could write a little myself?”
That day, when Jin Yun found Li Xuan, he was in the Taiji Palace, instructing Eunuch Kang: “The Wang family’s matter is not fit for Father to interfere. Go and tell him so.”
It was not a discussion, but a command.
Eunuch Kang’s face turned ashen, but he could only bow. “Yes, this servant understands.”
When Li Xuan heard that Chun Feng wished to go to the Qingke Pavilion, he hesitated only a moment before agreeing. Since he had brought her into the Eastern Palace, there was no need to force her to study at the Academy. Qingke Pavilion had the same books as the library there. Better that she not feel she was suffering some great injustice.
Several days later, when Li Xuan finally had a free moment, he ordered Chang Ying: “Summon her.”
No need to say who—Chang Ying bowed and withdrew.
Soon, Chun Feng and Xiang Rui arrived outside the hall, one after the other.
Chun Feng thought, surely old Zou would not betray her, so she walked in openly.
Indeed, Li Xuan had not called her for punishment, but to take her to Shouyang Palace. The last time he had suddenly appeared at the Academy, his true purpose had been to bring her to see the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was strolling in the courtyard, leaning on her staff, supported by Ming Yuan.
Just then, the “siblings” arrived.
Li Xuan wore a pale yellow robe embroidered with cloud patterns, a black gauze cap upon his head. His long brows swept into his temples, his gaze deep and commanding. Chun Feng followed two steps behind. Entering the main hall of Shouyang Palace, they bowed. “Grandmother.”
The Empress Dowager slowly exhaled and bade her grandson and granddaughter rise. She studied Chun Feng closely. After some time in careful nurture, the girl’s lively spirit had not diminished. Her eyes shimmered like flowing water, yet carried a new steadiness—making her all the more endearing.
If not for the recent troubles with etiquette and the Academy, the Empress Dowager might have said outright: this child is truly sweet and lovable.
Naturally, she no longer doubted Chun Feng’s identity. She asked a few gentle questions about her daily life, which Chun Feng answered one by one.
Then the Empress Dowager said, “And how goes your reading in the Eastern Palace?”
Chun Feng had Xiang Rui present her assignments. The first half was her own crooked handwriting; the latter half, of course, was written by old Zou. But she felt no worry that the Empress Dowager would notice.
Sure enough, after looking through three pages, the Empress Dowager said, “There is room for improvement.”
Chun Feng replied brightly, “Granddaughter has only just taken up the brush. Teacher says that to write like this already shows ‘extraordinary talent.’”
In truth, Master Zou had used those words with biting irony. But Chun Feng, hearing them as praise, took them at face value.
Seeing her little pride, the Empress Dowager’s expression softened. “Good, good. No need to rush. There is plenty of time ahead.”
Chun Feng was just about to reclaim the papers when the Empress Dowager added, “Let Xuan’er take a look as well.”
Chun Feng froze.
Chang Ying handed the papers to Li Xuan. He did not hurry to read them, merely set them at his side. His fingers pressed lightly on the page, tapping once.
While grandmother and grandson spoke, Chun Feng’s mind was entirely caught up in her assignments. How had they ended up in the Crown Prince’s hands again!
She clutched her teacup, her mood rising and falling—regretting one moment that she had asked old Zou to help write, then fuming the next that the Empress Dowager had so casually handed the papers to Li Xuan.
Then she thought: Li Xuan was so busy; would he really bother to look at her homework? Perhaps she needn’t worry too much after all.
Lost in thought, Chun Feng suddenly heard Ming Yuan call softly: “Princess?”
Only then did she realize Li Xuan had already risen to leave, her assignments now in Chang Ying’s hands.
Chun Feng gave an awkward little smile and quickly followed after them. But how was she ever going to get those papers back? She frowned, then bit her lip, fretting over it.
Xiang Rui tugged at her sleeve several times, but Chun Feng barely noticed—until the man ahead stopped in his tracks. Looking up, she saw that she had trailed Li Xuan all the way back to the Eastern Palace.
Li Xuan stood with one hand clasped behind his back, his expression cool, carrying the natural hauteur of one born to command. He lowered his gaze to her, as though wondering why she had followed him here.
Chun Feng steeled herself and whispered, “Royal Brother, I… I want to eat with you. May I?”