The spring water slipped over Song Mingzhi’s shoulders. The night wind blew past him at that moment, carrying a faint chill.
Before the instinctive shiver could take hold, Mu Yanzhou had already lifted his other hand, drawing Song Mingzhi’s shoulders into his embrace to shield him from the bone-chilling cold of the spring night. In an instant, their bodies were pressed tightly together.
“Thump-thump, thump-thump.”
Song Mingzhi’s heart leapt with nervousness. He had never embraced anyone before. An eerie, tingling sensation spread like a ripple from his shoulder throughout his entire body, so much so that even the fingertips he had carefully rested on Mu Yanzhou’s shoulder trembled involuntarily.
This feeling was far too strange.
The crisp spring wind dispersed the faint, elusive laughter near his ear. It might have been Song Mingzhi’s imagination, but it seemed as though Mu Yanzhou lightly tapped his finger twice on his shoulder before asking softly, “Is this, okay?”
His voice was slightly hoarse.
The hot spring water in Zhuohua Courtyard flushed Song Mingzhi’s exposed skin red. The heat continued to spread, creeping all the way to his cheeks and earlobes. At a critical moment like this, His Highness, the Prince of Qi, was still mindful of his feelings. Song Mingzhi couldn’t help but grit his teeth and whisper, “It is okay.”
His tone was slightly unnatural.
The peach blossom branches cut the moonlight into pieces, scattering it into the pool, where it blended with the rising mist.
Mu Yanzhou’s presence suddenly drew closer.
While Song Mingzhi silently recited “It is fine, it does not matter” in his heart to endure the tingling sensation, he followed the sound and looked toward the courtyard gate of Zhuohua Courtyard. Not only had Song Mingzhi locked the gate earlier, but he had also inserted the horizontal wooden latch into the slot from the inside, locking the entire courtyard. The Imperial Guards had failed to break it down on their first attempt, and now they were loudly counting down, “Three, two, one,” preparing to charge at the gate once more with all their might.
Mu Yanzhou stroked Song Mingzhi’s long hair. His fingers inadvertently slid past the trembling vein on the other man’s neck, right where his heartbeat was pulsing.
His tone, lazy yet revealing an unmistakable sense of danger, said, “I ask that my beloved consort cooperate.”
At the same time Mu Yanzhou’s voice fell:
“Bang!”
The courtyard gate of Zhuohua Courtyard swayed violently after a heavy thud.
Outside the courtyard, Mu Sian raised his eyebrows high and turned quickly to the Imperial Guards, shouting excitedly, “Charge again!”
The guards, eyes reddened by the effort, replied, “As you command, Your Highness!”
They crouched slightly and pushed off with their legs, charging at the gate with full force. Following another heavy impact, the horizontal latch finally gave way, emitting a crisp “snap.” The red-lacquered, carved gate slowly creaked open.
Yuan Jiu gripped his hands silently and looked away.
His Highness, the Prince of Qi, was always very cautious. But this incident had happened too suddenly. Furthermore, with no spies left in Huiming Hall to monitor his every move and notice whether he was in the residence or not, the Prince had chosen to take a risk and leave the residence to take control of the situation.
As the saying goes, if you walk by the river often, you are bound to get your shoes wet. He did not know how the Prince would explain this miscalculation to the Emperor.
Disaster was imminent. Yuan Jiu’s legs went weak, but he forced himself not to show it. He hurriedly calculated in his mind that if all else failed, he would claim the Prince had snuck out to get a drink. The surrounding attendants also gritted their teeth, forcing down the thought that they were at death’s door.
However, the scene inside Zhuohua Courtyard was completely different from what they had imagined.
Mu Sian led the Imperial Guards, rushing into Zhuohua Courtyard in high spirits, shouting, “Get this King…”
Before his words could fully fall, he suddenly widened his eyes, forcibly swallowing the rest of his sentence back down his throat. He staggered back a few steps, stammering toward the courtyard, “You, you… how are you in Zhuohua Courtyard?!”
Yuan Jiu: “!!!”
He rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked into the courtyard.
It was late spring. In Zhuohua Courtyard, the hundred-year-old peach tree was in full bloom. From a distance, it looked like a pale red cloud hanging low to the ground. When the night wind rose, the entire courtyard was filled with falling blossoms dancing in the air.
Under the tree was a hot spring pool, which was currently billowing with mist. Half of the courtyard was hidden behind this mist and smoke.
Yuan Jiu vaguely saw a familiar figure in the hot spring. It was the Prince of Qi!
The night wind dispersed a bit of the mist, and he fixed his eyes to see clearly. The Prince was not alone in the pool; in his arms was a jade-colored figure!
The moment the gate opened, Mu Yanzhou quickly raised his hand, tightly shielding Song Mingzhi. He used his sleeve to cover the other man’s exposed shoulders and turned his body away, facing his back toward Mu Sian and his group of uninvited guests. “Get out!”
After saying this, he lowered his head and planted a light kiss on the top of Song Mingzhi’s hair, whispering comfortingly, “It is fine, don’t be afraid.”
The Prince… he is actually in the residence!
Seeing this scene, the Imperial Guards were as pale as death, stunned on the spot. A few moments later, they finally regained their senses, pushing each other and staggering out of the courtyard. In the blink of an eye, only Mu Sian remained, nailed to the spot like a post, unable to utter a single sound for a long time.
Mu Yanzhou said coldly, “What is it? Why can I not be in my consort’s courtyard?”
His mood shifted as quickly as flipping a page.
Song Mingzhi: “…”
As expected of the Prince of Qi.
Song Mingzhi’s body trembled. Realizing the current situation, he immediately bit his lower lip and leaned into Mu Yanzhou’s arms, cooperating with his words, “It is fine.”
Mu Sian was dumbfounded, stammering, “I… I… this King is here to search, to search for a criminal!”
While speaking, Mu Sian couldn’t help but fix his gaze on the hot spring pool. He had almost completely forgotten the serious task of searching the city for the criminal that he had been leading the Imperial Guards to do today.
Song Mingzhi tightened his fingers subconsciously. But once he thought of the surrounding gazes, he forced himself to relax his fingers. His body, however, remained stiff.
A low chuckle reached Song Mingzhi’s ear. He closed his eyes in distress. If someone had told him a month ago that he would return to a hundred years ago and sit on Emperor Wen’s arm, he would have thought the person had taken too much medicine and gone insane.
My God! How could such a thing happen in the world? This is far too bizarre.
His quickening heartbeat passed through his body to Mu Yanzhou’s ear, inadvertently betraying the owner’s overwhelming panic. Mu Yanzhou patted Song Mingzhi’s back gently and looked toward the courtyard gate, saying languidly, “Searching for a criminal?”
He gave a disdainful laugh, whispering, “Prince Liang has trespassed into my residence, broken down the gate, and disturbed my consort. If someone did not know better, they would think I was the criminal you were looking for.”
Mu Sian knew he was in the wrong and his face turned ashen. “This King, really, really did not mean that…” He cleared his throat, forcing the last bit of composure, “Third brother, please do not misunderstand.”
Although Mu Sian and Mu Yanzhou were both Princes of Great Chu, from the moment Mu Sian could remember, Mu Yanzhou had always been one step ahead of him. When Empress Xianping was alive, the Liu family was at the peak of their power, and the current Emperor, placed on the throne by the Liu family, not only favored the Empress alone but also doted on Mu Yanzhou. He, the First Prince, was a transparent figure in Feng’an Palace.
Later, the tides finally turned. After Empress Xianping passed away, the Liu family gradually declined. Mu Yanzhou, once the favored son of heaven, was spoiled by the Emperor into the notoriously “decayed wood” of Chongjing. He, meanwhile, had entered the court and was now enjoying endless glory, chased by many. If he had one regret, it was that Mu Yanzhou had been idle in his residence for years and hadn’t been able to see his own success with his own eyes.
For Mu Sian, this was like punching a wall of cotton. Today, he had originally intended to use the “search for the criminal” as an excuse to flaunt his power and irritate Mu Yanzhou. Even if the Emperor found out, he would surely not blame him, let alone take it to heart. He never expected he would accidentally blow the matter out of proportion!
Mu Yanzhou’s tone was exceptionally cold and hard: “Oh? Prince Liang did not mean that?”
He held Song Mingzhi and said to everyone inside and outside the courtyard, “Whether I misunderstand or not is not the important thing. I just wonder if Father would overthink this.”
Outside the courtyard gate, the Imperial Guards heard him clearly. The next moment, a guard lost his grip on his long sword, which fell to the stone steps with a “clang.”
No matter how good-tempered someone is, being interrupted while doing such a thing makes them angry. Moreover, everyone in Chongjing knew that the Prince of Qi was not just casually fond of his consort.
It is really over now! The Prince of Qi would certainly go to the palace and complain to the Emperor. And he would fall into deep trouble along with Prince Liang!
That sound finally snapped Yuan Jiu out of his trance. The Prince had said everything he needed to say. To avoid complications, Yuan Jiu immediately stepped forward to see them off: “Prince Liang.”
He quickly walked forward, bowed to Mu Sian, and reminded him, “You have already searched Huiming Hall. Now, whether it is something you should see or something you shouldn’t, you have seen it all. It is time to confirm that the so-called criminal is not in the Prince of Qi’s residence, right?”
Mu Sian was stunned, murmuring, “Right, right…”
As if realizing something, he immediately withdrew his gaze from the pool. His already ugly expression became even more bizarre at Yuan Jiu’s words. Mu Yanzhou had not been in Huiming Hall earlier. The attendants on night duty had failed to stop Mu Sian, who was blinded by excitement, making him forget the other man’s status as a Prince. He had led the Imperial Guards to flip Huiming Hall upside down. He had indeed gone too far.
Mu Sian’s face shifted between red and white, but he stood rooted to the spot. Mu Yanzhou finally said impatiently, “Why?”
He raised his hand to comfort the person in his arms and asked, “Prince Liang, are you not going to continue searching for the so-called criminal tonight?”
Mu Sian’s breath hitched. “!”
Great Chu had no curfew policy. The reason for the lockdown in Chongjing tonight was all because of the incident at Feng Ronggui’s residence. Now, the criminal was still at large, and he had a pile of important tasks unfinished, yet he had spent half the night in the Prince of Qi’s residence with over a hundred Imperial Guards! Mu Sian’s heart sank heavily.
This farce tonight, even if it has not spread out of the Prince of Qi’s residence yet, has already given me an ominous premonition of impending disaster.
No, the night is already half over. I absolutely cannot waste any more time in the Prince of Qi’s residence.
The most urgent task now is to capture the criminal from the evening and salvage the situation!
Mu Sian gritted his teeth and said to the Imperial Guards outside the gate, “Let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Mu Sian left a parting shot: “I will not disturb my third brother’s business.”
He then led the Imperial Guards out of the Prince of Qi’s residence, crestfallen, with no trace of his earlier arrogance. Seeing this, Yuan Jiu immediately stepped forward. He quickly picked up the wooden latch from the ground, bowed toward the courtyard, and vanished from Mu Yanzhou’s sight along with the other attendants as fast as he could: “Your Highness, please continue… this servant will not disturb you.” He did not forget to thoughtfully pull the gate shut behind him.
The firelight faded into the distance.
Inside Zhuohua Courtyard, it was finally quiet.
※
He did not know how long it had been.
The footsteps outside Zhuohua Courtyard completely disappeared. Mu Yanzhou finally released his arms and let Song Mingzhi go.
It is finally over!
Song Mingzhi subconsciously took a large step back. He sank into the spring water, floating back to the surface just before suffocation.
Mu Yanzhou was already sitting on the edge of the pool. He picked up the bloody clothes he had thrown behind the rock and burned them to ashes with a fire striker. The wound on Mu Yanzhou’s chest was still oozing blood. Not only did it stain half of his inner garment, but there was also a trace of scarlet in the spring water. Yet, he seemed not to feel the pain at all.
Far from being in a hurry to treat the wound, Mu Yanzhou curled his lips and looked at Song Mingzhi with a smile, “Thank you, my beloved consort, for today.”
Song Mingzhi regained his senses, “What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?”
The wound on the Prince’s body could not be delayed any longer. Song Mingzhi quickly adjusted his mood and stepped out of the pool. At the same time, he urged Mu Yanzhou: “Your Highness, please hurry inside; treating the wound is of utmost importance.”
No time for idle chatter, before Song Mingzhi’s words fully faded, he helped the other man into the main room behind the courtyard. “Your Highness, please wait a moment while I find you clean clothes.”
Earlier, they had both fallen into the hot spring, and their clothes were soaked through. Now, spring had not yet ended. After leaving the hot spring, the night chill pressed in on them. For a moment, it felt biting.
Song Mingzhi turned and walked to the wardrobe. Before this, although Mu Yanzhou had never spent the night in Zhuohua Courtyard, the attendants in the residence still diligently prepared brand-new clothes for him. Song Mingzhi didn’t have to search long before finding an inner garment.
Mu Yanzhou took the clothes and said casually, “Is there no one else in Zhuohua Courtyard tonight?”
Song Mingzhi’s movements paused. As if not hearing the subtext in Mu Yanzhou’s words, he replied, “I am not used to having too many people serving me, so I usually let them rest on their own at night.”
Mu Yanzhou nodded slowly, “I see.”
As he spoke, he took off his blood-stained inner garment to change into clean ones, without the slightest intention of avoiding Song Mingzhi.
Mu Yanzhou’s daily attire was very loose. Until this moment, Song Mingzhi caught a glimpse of clear, yet not overly exaggerated muscles covering his body.
Song Mingzhi: “!”
He turned around instantly.
Wait, that is not right.
After turning around, Song Mingzhi realized belatedly that since he and the Prince were both men, there was no need to avoid each other at all.
A chuckle reached his ear. Mu Yanzhou asked softly, “What is the matter?”
As he changed his clothes, he fixed his gaze on Song Mingzhi. His expression was slightly unnatural. After a pause, he quickly walked to the table and changed the subject: “Your Highness, please wait.”
Mu Yanzhou saw that Song Mingzhi was in no hurry to change out of his wet clothes, but instead, was frantically looking for medical supplies and bandages. Fortunately, these were common supplies in the residence, and Song Mingzhi found them without much effort. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Although Mu Yanzhou’s arrow wound was very deep, it did not affect his movements. By the time Song Mingzhi brought the medicine and turned around, he had already changed into his clothes and was sitting on the couch.
He turned his gaze to the roll of bandages, blinked, and said sincerely, “My beloved consort, I cannot see the wound; what should I do?”
The most prominent wound on Mu Yanzhou’s body was below his collarbone, truly a blind spot.
Song Mingzhi did not think much of it. He hurried forward, leaned down, and said, “Your Highness, do not worry, I will handle it.” He focused his attention on the wound.
Mu Yanzhou smiled, “Good.”
He opened his collar, not showing the slightest bit of reservedness. Although Mu Yanzhou’s arrow wound was small, it was deep; luckily, it had not damaged any organs. Song Mingzhi observed it briefly and then quickly took a cloth and clean water to clean the wound below his collarbone. He was completely devoted, focused on the injury in front of him, without looking down even once.
Mu Yanzhou narrowed his eyes. Song Mingzhi’s movements in treating the wound were excessively skilled. It did not look like his first time doing this.
Unfortunately, the Prince of Qi’s observation did not last long.
Warm breath, like a feather, brushed across Mu Yanzhou’s chest with Song Mingzhi’s movements, sweeping away the chill of the spring night. Mu Yanzhou couldn’t help but frown slightly. Before he could adapt, cool fingertips touched him again.
A strange ripple of goosebumps spread instantly from this spot throughout his entire body.
Mu Yanzhou: “…”
His body stiffened. His gaze, following his disordered breathing, fell on Song Mingzhi’s trembling eyelashes. In the next instant, the feeling from their embrace reappeared in his heart without warning.
Mu Yanzhou took a deep breath, casting his gaze past Song Mingzhi’s shoulder into the courtyard.
“Your Highness, please wait.” Song Mingzhi thought he had accidentally touched the wound. After saying this, he carefully picked up the wound medicine and sprinkled it lightly below Mu Yanzhou’s collarbone. Then, he quickly brought the bandage and wrapped it around the injury. From beginning to end, he did not touch Mu Yanzhou’s wound again.