Emperor Heng was clearly stunned for a moment.
“What does Jiaojiao mean? Something that is both bigger and more practical…”
Suddenly, he slapped his hands together and laughed.
“I know! Jiaojiao thinks Jiaoran Hall isn’t big enough anymore. No problem. When spring comes next year, I will have those pavilions on the western side torn down and expand your palace to twice its current size.”
“No, no!”
What kind of foolish emperor spent money tearing down buildings just to make a palace bigger?
Jiaojiao’s eyes widened as she hurriedly shook her head.
“Then what does Jiaojiao want?”
“I heard Empress say that my imperial brothers will compete in martial arts during Your Majesty’s birthday celebration. They have been choosing suitable weapons these days. Jiaojiao wants to take a look too.”
The little princess blinked her round eyes and made her request carefully.
…
A moment later, she stared blankly at a long row of weapons glittering with jewels.
She had never imagined that weapons could be made this extravagant.
Look at the guard of this sword. It was covered in so many pearls and pieces of jade.
Wouldn’t the person wielding it get tired just from carrying it?
The Emperor could not help asking, “Jiaojiao, do you want to learn martial arts?”
A pretty little girl dressed beautifully and waving a sword around did sound rather interesting.
Emperor Heng silently began thinking about which martial arts instructor in the palace had the best temper and would not be driven mad by the spoiled little princess.
Jiaojiao shook her head.
“No.”
The Emperor said, “Oh?”
Jiaojiao smiled shyly.
“Jiaojiao doesn’t know any martial arts, so I can’t perform for Father during the birthday celebration. I can only help my imperial brothers choose a weapon that suits them. If one of them wins, then I will have contributed too. Father must remember that.”
The more she spoke, the guiltier she felt, and her voice gradually became quieter.
But Emperor Heng burst into laughter.
He said that he wanted to see which prince she was willing to bet on. Then, pretending to be serious, he said that if any prince took a gift from Jiaojiao and still lost, he would punish him severely.
Lin Jiaojiao stared at the overly extravagant weapons for a long time.
Finally, she reluctantly chose a long spear.
The shaft was an antique silver color, while the spearhead was sharp and gleamed with a frightening cold light beneath the candles.
What attracted her attention most was the tassel at the end of the spear.
It was a deep dusk-gray color, reminding her of the clothes Gui Heng had been wearing when she first met him.
Who could have imagined it?
That cold, lonely, inconspicuous young man dressed in gray would one day become the feared tyrant who ruled the entire world.
And in the original story, the tyrant was especially skilled with a spear.
Although the overpowered hero was good at everything, most of his glorious moments on the battlefield had been created with a long spear.
Being able to personally give Gui Heng a spear made Jiaojiao feel as though she were somehow taking part in his future glory.
The Emperor saw her struggling to pull the spear out and quickly ordered someone to help her.
At the same time, he asked, “Jiaojiao, are you sure you want this one?”
“This one.”
Jiaojiao answered firmly.
She took a breath and wiped the slight sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
The spear was simply too heavy.
She had used all her strength and still could not move it.
“Very well.”
The Emperor sighed with amusement.
“They say a girl changes greatly when she grows up. Looking at Jiaojiao’s tastes, I can certainly see that you’ve changed quite a lot.”
Jiaojiao immediately felt guilty again.
She moved closer obediently, peeled a walnut for the Emperor, and offered it to him with both hands.
The western warm room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Then an eunuch suddenly came to report,
“Your Majesty, Fourth Prince requests an audience. He says he has something to report.”
“Let him in.”
The Emperor did not seem concerned.
When Jiaojiao heard who was coming, she immediately wanted to leave.
Her Fourth Imperial Brother always looked at her strangely, as though he were trying to see right through her.
She had repeatedly confirmed with Aunt Du that the original Princess Jiaoran had rarely interacted with him.
But that look in his eyes…
Before she could think of an excuse to leave, Gui Che had already walked in.
He immediately met Jiaojiao’s nervous gaze.
The handsome young man raised an eyebrow, bowed to the Emperor, and smiled at her.
“Jiaojiao is here too?”
Jiaojiao forced a smile and nodded.
Gui Che glanced at her before saying gently to the Emperor,
“Father, since my sister is here, perhaps we shouldn’t discuss serious matters today.”
“It doesn’t matter. Go ahead.”
The Emperor’s voice was deep.
Gui Che smiled.
His expression was as gentle as a warm spring breeze.
“It is nothing important. I simply encountered a small matter at the Ministry of Revenue today and wasn’t sure whether I handled it properly, so I came to ask Father for advice.”
“It’s good that you are willing to learn. It is rare for you to have such an attitude.”
The Emperor praised him briefly.
Then he noticed Gui Che looking around at all the weapons filling the room with a puzzled expression.
He smiled.
“I was just letting Jiaojiao choose a reward. Come take a look and see what you think of your sister’s choice.”
Gui Che smiled at Jiaojiao.
Jiaojiao reluctantly walked over and pointed at the silver-glinting spear.
Gui Che stood up.
He carefully examined it for a while, slowly running his fingers along the shaft and tassel. Then he flicked the spearhead lightly with his finger before giving his judgment.
“A fine spear. There are not many ornaments on the shaft, but the craftsmanship is excellent and no less impressive than those decorated with jewels. Even more valuable is this gray tassel. It is made from the tail of a wild rhinoceros from the Hanhai region. Once it is swung, it will surely create an imposing gust of wind.”
He smiled at Jiaojiao, who was nervously waiting for his opinion.
“Jiaojiao has very good taste.”
Jiaojiao had actually been worried that she might have chosen badly.
If she gave the spear to Gui Heng and it turned out to be something he disliked, she would have completely embarrassed herself.
Hearing Gui Che praise it, she finally relaxed and gave a shy smile.
Gui Che looked at her.
Then, without warning, he asked,
“Did Jiaojiao choose this for herself?”
Jiaojiao’s smile disappeared.
The Emperor cheerfully took over the conversation.
“Of course not. Jiaojiao said she wants to give it to someone, but even I don’t know who. Fourth Brother, take a guess.”
Gui Che’s eyes held a faint smile.
He stared at Jiaojiao without blinking.
“I don’t know. But I imagine that whoever receives this carefully chosen spear from my sister will be so moved that they will wish to take up the spear immediately and fight for her.”
His voice was soft.
“Jiaojiao had better… choose the right person.”
Jiaojiao’s eyes flickered.
Her long eyelashes blinked repeatedly as she desperately tried to think of an answer.
She thought and thought, but could not come up with anything suitable.
So she could only curve her lips into a shy smile and honestly call out,
“Fourth Imperial Brother…”
Please, just let me off.
Gui Che continued looking at her.
Jiaojiao was helpless.
After a long while, she finally stammered out,
“Fourth Imperial Brother is skilled and agile. No matter what weapon you use, you will surely be able to give Father a wonderful martial performance.”
The Emperor burst out laughing.
“Jiaojiao, by saying that, you’ve practically pushed your Fourth Imperial Brother onto the stage.”
“I will certainly do my best.”
Gui Che gave her a deep look before turning back to the Emperor, smiling and chatting with him.
Only then did Jiaojiao slowly let out a breath.
She relaxed her aching cheeks and secretly rubbed them with her hands.
While she was rubbing her face, Gui Che suddenly turned around.
Jiaojiao jumped in fright.
But he only smiled slightly at her.
There was an unreadable emotion in his beautiful, expressive eyes.
Then he turned away again.
…
As soon as Jiaojiao left Qianyuan Hall, she ordered someone to deliver the silver spear to Changhui Palace.
Gui Heng was reading when he saw the silver spear.
He raised an eyebrow.
“This was sent from Jiaoran Hall too?”
“The servant came from Qianyuan Hall, but the gift was indeed Princess Jiaoran’s idea.”
The palace servant answered respectfully.
“The Emperor gave some rewards today. The princess personally chose this spear for Fifth Prince, hoping it will help Your Highness win first place in the martial competition during the birthday celebration.”
Gui Heng’s eyes swept over the spear tassel.
He calmly thanked the servant and told A-Li to accept it.
As soon as the servant left, A-Li immediately became angry.
“I thought the princess had really changed! But she’s still the same as before! Everyone knows that His Majesty wasn’t satisfied with Your Highness’s spear skills at the martial training ground that day. She deliberately sent you this to make fun of you!”
Gui Heng’s eyes moved upward.
He slowly rubbed the antique-silver shaft of the spear.
He felt something…
Something very strange.
Even he found it unbelievable.
The moment his fingers touched the spear, he felt a strange sense of fullness.
He tried gripping it.
In an instant, his entire mind sharpened.
It was as if he had taken hold of some kind of authority.
“No.”
Gui Heng spoke calmly.
“It is because she likes it.”
“She likes it? But this spear is for you!”
Gui Heng glanced at him.
“To willingly give something one loves to another person is both affection and trust.”
He paused.
“Besides…”
He raised his arm and slowly brought the spear up to his shoulder.
“How do you know I am not skilled with a spear?”
The moment his words fell, a flash of silver appeared.
The heavy silver spear shot forward like a meteor breaking through the sky, cutting through the air in a fierce arc before plunging straight into the ground.
The stone floor cracked with a sharp sound.
Countless tiny pieces of stone flew outward.
The spear vibrated with a deep hum, and even several breaths later, the tassel was still trembling violently.
Under A-Li’s shocked gaze, Gui Heng lowered his head and slowly spread his fingers.
He stared intently at his palm.
He would win.
If that was the reward she wanted from him.
The Emperor’s birthday celebration was approaching, and the entire palace was filled with a festive atmosphere.
Jiaojiao had been worrying for a long time about what birthday gift to give the Emperor.
It was Aunt Du who reminded her that when giving a gift to one’s father and Emperor, there was no need for something rare or precious.
What mattered was the thought behind it.
And if the gift was about the thought behind it, naturally she should make it herself.
When Jiaojiao’s health had been a little better in the past, she had loved doing crafts and drawing to pass the time.
So, inspired by the idea, she made a round folding table screen decorated with the character for “longevity,” with the help of several palace maids.
In the past, she had learned to draw through online classes, and even the nurses had praised her drawings.
Unfortunately, when her illness became worse, she could no longer even hold a pen.
As Jiaojiao painted the peony patterns on the screen, she became a little dazed.
If she had time in the future, she wanted to do all the things she had never had the chance to do before.
Of course, she first needed to cling tightly to her powerful backer and stay alive.
Jiaojiao quietly sighed and lowered her head to continue working.
The Longevity Festival was the Emperor’s birthday.
Since the empire was currently peaceful, Empress Wen naturally arranged a grand celebration.
The banquet lasted the entire day.
From early morning, there were singing, dancing, and various performances.
Jiaojiao happily ate and drank while watching the beautiful dancers.
She was thoroughly entertained.
After lunch came the long gift-giving ceremony.
From foreign vassal states far away to members of the imperial family close by, everyone had racked their brains to offer precious gifts for Emperor Heng’s birthday.
Jiaojiao remembered that Gui Heng’s birth mother, Noble Consort Yan, came from the vassal state of Yilan.
So when she heard that the Yilan envoys had arrived to offer their congratulations, she immediately leaned forward to take a look.
The envoy who presented Yilan’s birthday gift was a woman.
She was strikingly beautiful and seemed to be of mixed blood.
Her appearance was almost indistinguishable from the people of the Yong Dynasty.
Only her thick, curly hair revealed that she shared the same ancestry as Gui Heng.
Jiaojiao asked Aunt Du about it.
Only then did she learn that when Emperor Heng had conquered Yilan, he had believed the people there were fierce and difficult to control.
To prevent future trouble, he had required the Yilan royal family to marry into the Yong Dynasty, ensuring that the Yilan royal family would always have Yong blood in their lineage.
The envoys allowed to come to court were all nobles.
Judging from the woman’s appearance, her status was probably quite high.
Hearing this, Jiaojiao felt uncomfortable.
She could not help glancing at Gui Heng.
He looked completely calm, as though he were seeing nothing more than an ordinary scene.
Jiaojiao’s plan to admire an exotic beauty had failed, so she leaned back into her soft chair and relaxed again.
After five in the afternoon, everyone finally moved toward Chengyue Terrace, the highest platform in the palace, where the birthday banquet would be held.
The princes’ martial competition would take place before the banquet officially began.
At the high platform, the Emperor and Empress sat in the center.
Noble Consort Roujia was also seated beside the Emperor, only slightly lower than the Empress.
As Jiaojiao passed by her, she carefully called,
“Mother.”
As expected, she received nothing but an eye-roll.
Jiaojiao had expected it, but she still could not help feeling disappointed.
She pouted and ate three red-date pastries before finally feeling a little better.
Then she shifted her attention to the miniature martial arena in the center of the banquet.
Because of this, she did not notice that after rolling her eyes at her, Noble Consort Roujia continued staring at Jiaojiao’s profile for a long time.
Her beautiful face was filled with complicated, unreadable emotions.
…
The princes first put on their ceremonial robes and raised their cups to offer birthday blessings to their father.
Only afterward did they go below to change clothes, warm up, and prepare for the martial competition.
The princes’ ceremonial robes were a very deep ink-blue.
They had wide sleeves and flowing robes that fluttered in the wind, making them look almost like immortals.
The princes were all tall and handsome.
Standing neatly in a row with their sleeves gathered as they raised their cups to wish their father a long life, they were an especially pleasing sight.
Jiaojiao held a small piece of dried apricot in her mouth and rested her cheeks in both hands, watching with great enjoyment.
“May Father live for ten thousand years, and may the Great Yong Dynasty prosper for generations.”
Moonlight flowed like water, clear and bright.
Unlike the other princes, who wore their hair partly tied up and partly loose, Gui Heng still had all his hair bound with a silver crown.
His posture was elegant and dignified.
He raised his cup first to the moon, then to the Emperor.
A faint touch of moonlight rested between his brows, making him look like a high mountain covered in frost.
Jiaojiao stared at him, lost in thought.
At Chengyue Terrace, the princes raised their heads and drank the wine in their cups in one go.
As if sensing the girl’s gaze, Gui Heng deliberately—or perhaps unintentionally—looked in her direction as he left.