The next day, the first thing Yinzhen did upon returning to the front courtyard was to have Li Wanran’s “homework” brought to him.
Gazing at the drawing paper in his hand, he didn’t begin his corrections immediately this time. Instead, his eyes lingered on a line of poetry written in the bottom left corner.
“The sun sets as evening fades; the sun rises as the morning wanes.”
Beside these words was a small figure drawn shooting a heart.
Yinzhen let out a soft chuckle, remembering how Li Wanran had once curled up in his arms, pointing solemnly at that heart and claiming it was her own.
She had drawn her heart for him to see.
Lady Li always knew how to stir his emotions. As Yinzhen looked at the little figure on the paper, his eyes overflowed with a tenderness he himself hadn’t even noticed.
Setting the drawing aside for a moment, he sat at the head of the room and idly flipped through a book. He then summoned the young eunuch who had collected the drawings the previous day, asking about Li Wanran’s reaction with an air of studied indifference.
The young eunuch stood respectfully below with a bowed back. He stole a glance at Yinzhen, but seeing him seemingly immersed in his book and unreadable, he quickly lowered his head again.
Recalling the scene carefully, he chose his words with caution. “Lady Li was quite surprised to see me, Your Highness. Upon hearing that you were with Lady Song, she seemed a bit… dejected. Attendants Zhang and Yi were also present, though Attendant Zhang’s reaction was quite significant; she appeared deeply shaken.”
Dejected?
Yinzhen’s hand paused while turning a page. He remembered how, previously, when he hadn’t visited her for only a few days, she had acted as if she had suffered a great grievance.
Lady Li was indeed a bit clingy, yet a secret sense of joy bubbled up within his heart.
He lowered his eyes in contemplation for a moment before saying slowly to the eunuch, “Tell Su Peisheng to go to the storehouse, take that sapphire pendant, and deliver it to Lady Li.”
As for the mentioned Zhang and Yi, he didn’t notice them at all.
…
As May arrived, the first matter of importance was the Dragon Boat Festival.
Celebrations began in the palace on the first day of the month. Every doorway in Li Wanran’s small courtyard was hung with calamus roots to ward off evil spirits. Beyond that, people were busy sewing “Five Poisons” sachets to give to those close to them.
Li Wanran had spent the last two days in her room sewing sachets with Banxia. Even Attendant Zhang, who usually loved wandering over to Lady Song’s place, was doing the same. Having just finished copying the palace rules and handing them in, she was now hurriedly making sachets.
At this time last year, she would have found an excuse to make Attendant Yi do the work for her while she sat back and reaped the rewards. But times had changed; Yi had defected to Li Wanran’s side. Wary of this, Zhang didn’t dare lightly approach Yi for favors anymore.
While the women of the harem were busy, the princes and high officials were even more so. Sacrificial activities began in the morning and continued until the fifth day of the month, followed by a grand palace banquet.
Yinzhen was seated at the banquet when the Third Prince suddenly approached with a wine cup, throwing a free arm around Yinzhen’s shoulder.
The Third Prince looked at Yinzhen with a teasing expression. “It’s May now, and your wedding day is drawing closer and closer, Fourth Brother. Do you want your Third Brother to share some experience with you?”
His eyes were full of banter, and he gave Yinzhen’s shoulder a playful nudge.
“I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Third Brother,” Yinzhen replied.
Looking at his somewhat unreliable elder brother, a trace of helplessness flashed in Yinzhen’s eyes as he unobtrusively shifted his shoulder away.
“Oh, it’s no trouble—”
Before the Third Prince could finish, the First Prince and the Crown Prince, noticing the commotion, walked over with their wine cups to ask what they were discussing.
“You’ve come at the perfect time. I was just talking to Fourth Brother about his wedding,” the Third Prince said.
The two were instantly intrigued. Since their younger brother was about to marry, how could they, as elder brothers, not have something to say?
The Crown Prince arched an eyebrow and smiled. “Now that Third Brother mentions it, I remember as well. The date is coming up soon, isn’t it?” He patted Yinzhen’s shoulder. “Second Brother will definitely prepare a large red envelope and a grand gift for your wedding.”
Toward this younger brother—who was usually cold and taciturn but handled his duties efficiently—the Crown Prince was more than willing to maintain a facade of brotherly affection. If he could take this opportunity to bring Yinzhen under his wing, it would be even better. With that thought, the Crown Prince’s gaze grew increasingly warm.
The First Prince did not miss the Crown Prince’s look and curled his lip inwardly. He truly couldn’t stand the Crown Prince acting like a “good older brother” just to recruit the Fourth Prince. As if no one could see through his little schemes.
Believing himself to be no less capable than the Crown Prince, the First Prince immediately began competing with him, determined to outdo his rival.
The Crown Prince had been raised as the Emperor’s favorite, so he was hardly a patient man. While he and the First Prince were fine as children, their relationship had become ambiguous and strained as they grew older. If one was outshone today, the other would surely find a way to make up for it tomorrow.
Both had been drinking that evening. With the alcohol going to their heads, they used Yinzhen’s wedding as an excuse to start a drinking competition. The Third Prince made no move to stop them, standing aside cheerfully to watch the show, occasionally adding fuel to the fire with a few comments.
Yinzhen watched his noisy brothers with a growing headache. Seeing that he couldn’t stop them, he thought of a way to leave, but several of the younger princes saw the excitement and ran over to join in. For them, this was a rare opportunity to tease their usually stern Fourth Brother without fear of his cold glares.
The atmosphere became even more lively. Gradually, someone suggested the older princes pull Yinzhen into a drinking bout. They claimed it was to “help him train his tolerance,” lest he get drunk on his wedding day and disgrace the imperial family.
The younger princes were kept under a tight watch by their wet nurses and personal eunuchs, who didn’t dare let them touch a drop of alcohol. Those with gentler tempers were coaxed away by their attendants, while the more boisterous ones stayed behind to cheer. The Ninth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Princes, in particular, were more than happy to watch the chaos unfold.
While Yinzhen’s side was bustling, the Prince’s Residence was much the same.
The back courtyard had its own small banquet. Originally, Li Wanran and the others had planned to wait for Yinzhen to return before starting. However, after waiting for a long time, a messenger arrived to say that the Fourth Prince wouldn’t be back for a while and that they should eat without him.
Though Lady Song was disappointed, she could only let it go and invited everyone to take their seats. Attendant Zhang muttered on the side about how it was a waste, as she had spent hours on her makeup.
Li Wanran didn’t have so many thoughts; she just wanted to eat! She was starving from waiting for Yinzhen. Since they didn’t have to wait anymore, she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her from her meal.
“Then let us begin the feast,” Li Wanran said to Lady Song, unable to wait a moment longer.
As soon as she finished speaking, before anyone could respond, she had already picked up her chopsticks. Lady Song, who had intended to say a few more words to show off her status, pursed her lips and said nothing more. After all, Li Wanran’s rank was equal to hers and she was currently in favor; the only thing Song could hold over her was seniority.
“Sister Li is right. Everyone is hungry, let’s eat.”
Since the person they wanted to see wasn’t there, no one was in the mood to talk. The banquet hall fell silent, save for the occasional clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
Although the food was delicious, Li Wanran, who was busy eating, felt something was off. She looked around but found nothing unusual. The feeling was intermittent, and she couldn’t quite place it, so she assumed she was just tired from doing needlework for the past two days. Still, it made her slow down her eating considerably.
A moment later, just as Li Wanran picked up a piece of food, the sensation of being secretly watched washed over her again. She looked up abruptly and caught Attendant Zhang’s scrutinizing gaze before Zhang could pull it away.
Li Wanran frowned. So those weird feelings earlier were all because Zhang was peeking at her? Why was she looking at her for no reason? Given Zhang’s personality, she was likely up to no good. Li Wanran let her suspicious gaze fall unreservedly on her.
Caught in the act, Zhang panicked for a moment. She guiltily averted her eyes and instinctively looked for something to cover her fluster. Catching sight of Attendant Yi beside her, she pointed at the Five Poisons sachet at Yi’s waist and asked pretentiously, “That sachet pattern is quite exquisite. I didn’t realize you had such clever ideas, Sister.”
Her voice, though not loud, was very clear in the quiet room.
Lady Song’s attention was drawn to them. She looked up and smiled. “What clever idea? I’m quite curious now.”
“This sachet was a gift from Lady Li. I also found it very charming,” Yi replied.
Hearing this, Attendant Yi stood up and unhurriedly unfastened the small sheep-shaped sachet from her waist, holding it up so everyone could see it clearly. After a while, she tied it back.
Lady Song turned to Li Wanran in surprise. “Lady Li is truly refined and intelligent. I doubt anyone else would have such wonderful ideas.”
Zhang, on the side, breathed a sigh of relief and began poking at her food with her chopsticks in frustration. Lady Li was far too alert; she had actually noticed just from being looked at for a little too long!
Seeing that the conversation had turned to her, Li Wanran stopped watching Zhang and said modestly, “It’s nothing, just…”
Before she could finish, a commotion was heard outside. The women turned to look as Yinzhen walked in, smelling strongly of alcohol. His steps were steady, and he didn’t look drunk; he appeared quite normal. As he walked toward the head seat, his eyes darted quickly toward Li Wanran.
The serving palace maids rushed to bring fresh tea and utensils. As soon as he sat down, Lady Song asked with a joyful face, “Didn’t you send word that you wouldn’t be back for a while? Why…?”
Yinzhen took a sip of tea before answering, “It broke up halfway through, so I came back.”
In reality, the Emperor had heard they were having a drinking competition and sent someone to scold them, causing them to disperse. Even then, the First, Second, and Third Princes were still reluctant and tried to drag him into a future appointment.
Lady Song didn’t know the inside story, but she was simply happy that Yinzhen could return to eat the Dragon Boat feast with her. Attendant Zhang was even more ecstatic. Aside from the day the Fourth Prince returned home, this was her first time seeing him, and her excitement was beyond words.
Zhang couldn’t care about anything else; she only wanted to redeem her image in the Prince’s heart. Suppressing her excitement, she took small steps toward Yinzhen, pulled a Five Poisons sachet from her sleeve, and said bashfully, “Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I have made a few Five Poisons sachets for you, Your Highness. I wish you good health.”
Seeing Zhang boldly try to get ahead of her, a flash of displeasure crossed Lady Song’s eyes, though it vanished quickly. She smiled and had her maid, Tinghe, present the sachet she had made as well. “I have also made a sachet for you. I hope you won’t find it lacking.”
Yinzhen nodded and signaled Su Peisheng to take them. “You are both very thoughtful. Go back and sit.”
He then looked at the silent Li Wanran. From his vantage point, he saw Attendant Yi sitting quietly with her head down, while Li Wanran was still stuffing her mouth as if she hadn’t eaten in eight years.
“When I was at the door, I heard you mentioning some ‘clever idea’?”
Yinzhen’s unreadable gaze landed on Li Wanran, who was currently sneaking a piece of food. He was back, yet she was still eating—could those dishes possibly be more attractive than him? He looked at Lady Song and Attendant Zhang, then back at Li Wanran, who was focused solely on her food. Did she really have nothing to give him?
Yinzhen narrowed his eyes, an inexplicable surge of irritation rising in his heart.
If Li Wanran knew what he was thinking, she would have cried out in injustice. Anyone who had only eaten breakfast and then starved until evening would probably have no mind for flirting. To this, Zhang and Song would simply say: “Skill issue.”
Although she had eaten some pastries in between, they were hardly enough to satisfy her. At this moment, in Li Wanran’s heart, Yinzhen truly couldn’t compare to the food on the table.
Lady Song pretended not to see Yinzhen staring at Li Wanran and said, “Lady Li made a very cute Five Poisons sachet specifically for Sister Yi. I liked it so much that I praised her for her clever ideas.”
“Is that so?”
Li Wanran finally stopped eating, stood up, and replied obediently, “Lady Song is overpraising me. It’s just an ordinary animal sachet.” In her eyes, it really was just a normal sachet, just a bit cuter.
Attendant Yi also stood up at this moment, thinking to unfasten the sachet to show Yinzhen. However, Yinzhen waved his hand for her to sit down, indicating he didn’t need to see it. He wasn’t curious at all.
Yinzhen’s deep gaze fell on Li Wanran from time to time. Li Wanran blinked; her brain, not yet fully replenished with energy, couldn’t figure out what he meant. She looked down at herself—nothing seemed wrong. Thinking this, she looked at Yinzhen, hesitated for a moment, and then gave him a playful wink.
Yinzhen was nearly incensed to laughter by her action. Only now did he realize that Lady Li truly didn’t understand his meaning. He felt both speechless and amused. If you called her stupid, she knew how to say those heart-stirring romantic words; if you called her smart, she couldn’t read his mind right now.
Hadn’t Zhang and the others already set an example for her? And she had given Yi a sachet so early. He had been staring at her expectantly for so long, yet she still hadn’t thought to give him one.
Or was it that she hadn’t made a sachet for him at all?!
The others didn’t know about Yinzhen’s inner dissatisfaction and resentment; they only thought he and Li Wanran were exchanging flirtatious glances. Attendant Yi looked down at the table with a shallow smile, while Zhang and Lady Song were currently gritting their teeth in hatred.
They naturally hadn’t missed Li Wanran’s wink. If Yinzhen had reacted negatively, they would have felt better. But instead of reprimanding her, he was sitting there “flirting” back and forth with her.
Lady Song clenched her fists so hard that her well-maintained nails dug into her palms, but she didn’t feel it, as if she wanted to pierce her own skin. In broad daylight and in front of everyone, Lady Li dared to throw such glances at the Prince… it was truly shameless.
“I suppose my presence makes you all uneasy while eating. I shall head back first.” Unable to wait any longer for a sachet from Li Wanran, Yinzhen stood up to leave.
Lady Song quickly rose to extend an invitation. “Before the banquet, I specifically ordered the kitchen to prepare hangover soup. Why don’t you come to my quarters to sober up, Your Highness?”
“No need,” Yinzhen declined.
As he reached the door, Yinzhen suddenly stopped. He stood tall like a pine tree, radiating the aura of imperial royalty that made people afraid to look directly at him. He looked back at Li Wanran like a hawk locking onto its prey. “Lady Li, come with me.”
He said they would walk together, but he didn’t wait for her for a single second, heading straight out after speaking.
Li Wanran was stunned for a moment. She nodded to Lady Song and Attendant Yi, then quickened her pace to follow him.
Seeing this, Attendant Zhang rose in a panic to call after him, but she was frozen in place by the cold, dark glare from Lady Song. She could only watch helplessly as Li Wanran trotted after Yinzhen and left.
How could she just let Lady Li take this chance to seduce him? Zhang thought, her heart pricked by thorns. Though she was dying of anger, she didn’t dare say anything to Lady Song, so she could only stomp her foot and sit back down unwillingly.
If she couldn’t deal with Li and Song, could she at least take it out on Yi? Zhang turned around, intending to vent her frustration on Attendant Yi, but Yi didn’t give her the chance. Sensing the trouble, Yi immediately stood up and excused herself.
Zhang was caught off guard by this move, once again watching someone vanish before her eyes.
Lady Song stood frozen in place for a long time, staring blankly in the direction Yinzhen had left. After a while, she said faintly, “Everyone is dismissed.”