The matter concerning the Crown Prince had finally settled. Publicly, Ye Jiao had unwittingly saved a high-ranking court official and was thus deserving of reward; privately, the An Guo Duke's household had long suffered due to their past association with the former Prince Chen, and the court owed them restitution. After all, if not for Li Long, the Crown Prince, Prince Chen would never have rebelled twelve years ago. Ye Jiao's father would not have left to pursue the Dao, and their family would not have fallen into such desolation and disgrace.
The Emperor, though troubled in spirit, always found joy in Ye Jiao's presence. Yet he shook his head and said, "Since she is tending to Xiao Jiu, let us wait until the child recovers. Summon them to the palace then, and grant rewards to both."
Gao Fu bowed in assent.
The palaces of Daming stood in grand and imposing silence. As they strolled beneath the autumn wind that whistled past glazed tiles, their garments fluttered like banners. The palace attendants followed at a respectful distance, and the imperial guards trailed behind, a modest retinue still marked by raised parasols and low-held feathered fans.
The monarch of Great Tang wore a serene expression, the weight in his gaze slowly dissipating. Suddenly, he turned northwestward and murmured, "I wonder where Li Zhang is now."
Fortunately, he had many sons. If one failed to live up to expectations, so long as others could shoulder the burden of the realm, his heart could find solace.
Gao Fu lowered his head and replied, "His Highness Prince Jin acts with swift resolve—he should have reached Shazhou by now."
"Swift and decisive," the Emperor echoed thoughtfully, a faint smile easing his features. "He is also meticulous. The guards stationed with Old Fifth were trained by him, were they not? Otherwise, they wouldn't be so capable."
He knew well what kind of person Li Jing was—if entrusted with training, he'd turn even warriors into cowards. Li Zhang and Li Jing, born of the same mother, shared a closer bond. The thought that Li Zhang would look after his younger brother pleased the Emperor—at his age, he had no desire to see brothers turn against each other, or kindred blood spilled by their own.
Gao Fu followed up with praise, "Then in this matter, Prince Jin has certainly played his part."
The Emperor, hands clasped behind him, thought of his sister and said, "There was an earthquake in Ganzhou. I had initially ordered Consort Prince Shu Zichang to go with the Ministry of Revenue for disaster relief. But I heard he fell from his horse. Later, deliver my word—send the imperial physician to examine him personally. Ensure he is well cared for."
Prince Consort Shu Zichang, the husband of the Eldest Princess, held no official post, but was deeply trusted by the Emperor.
Gao Fu acknowledged the command and, once the Emperor reached the Zichen Hall, led the physician to the Eldest Princess's residence to check on the consort.
Shu Zichang, not yet forty, had once been the third-ranking scholar of the imperial exams, elegant in bearing and handsome in appearance. Though now in his middle years, he remained vigorous and uniquely refined. After his fall, he suffered a fractured leg, but his life was not in danger. He attempted to rise and kneel in thanks for the Emperor's concern, but Gao Fu pressed him back down to rest.
With remorse, Shu Zichang apologized, "I failed to fulfill the imperial mission. I am filled with guilt and unease."
"Your Highness need not worry," Gao Fu reassured him, "His Majesty only cares for your health and bade me tell you—once you are better, he looks forward to playing chess with you at the Zichen Hall."
Shu Zichang was moved to tears, bowing low in gratitude.
As Gao Fu was leaving, he ran into Prince Zhao, Li Jing, who had come bearing ginseng. He lifted the basket lid proudly and grinned, "What do you think? Freshly harvested ginseng from Changbai Mountain—worth a fortune."
Gao Fu picked one up and admired, "Your Highness is most generous. Even the palace doesn't have such large ones."
Li Jing laughed heartily. "It's not that I'm rich—it's just that Xiao Jiu found herself a wealthy backer."
He mused inwardly: if Li Ce weren't a prince, marrying into her family or becoming a kept man wouldn't be such a bad deal. After all, with her around, he'd never want for ginseng in this life.
The ginseng had been delivered to Prince Zhao's residence by Shui Wen, one of Ye Jiao's maidservants. She knocked on the side courtyard door, placed down a large bag of ginseng, and respectfully said, "My lady asked me to deliver this."
Li Ce was playing chess with Li Jing. Hearing this, he stepped out and asked, "Where is your mistress? Why didn't she come herself?"
Shui Wen stammered, unskilled at lying and unable to reveal the truth. She could only reply, "My lady has not yet married, and it would be improper for her to wander outside freely."
Li Jing scoffed at that. "Not proper? Was it a ghost that threatened me with a sword yesterday, then?"
Shui Wen offered no explanation. She bowed solemnly and turned to leave.
The chess game came to an abrupt end. Li Ce claimed he felt cold and moved to the veranda to bask in the sun. Li Jing, meanwhile, busied himself with sorting the ginseng—keeping the largest for himself, sending the medium ones to the Eldest Princess's residence, and leaving the smallest for Li Ce.
Just as he was about to leave, Li Ce tugged his sleeve.
"Does the Prince Consort really need so much?"
"Don't be stingy!" Li Jing snapped. "You even attended the Qiqiao banquet at her residence. If it weren't for her, how would you have met the lioness?"
The lioness, naturally, was Ye Jiao.
At those words, Li Ce nodded and let him go. Alone in the sunlight, he eventually smiled.
"She must be shy," he murmured. "I should formally propose."
And a proper proposal, of course, required ceremony. First, he must inform the Emperor, who would order the Ministry of Rites to deliver the formal marriage gifts to the An Guo Duke's residence, just as they had for other royal consorts—to show equal favor.
But Li Ce found that too modest. He wished to give her everything he owned.
He summoned a retainer. "Go to the house in Huaiyuan Ward, fetch the silver notes, and purchase some things."
"What things?" the servant asked.
"Gold," Li Ce replied. "The finest headpieces from every gold shop in the capital. Buy as many as the money allows."
The servant looked astonished. "All of the notes? Not saving any?"
"No need," said Li Ce, eyes bright with starlight. "The shop brings in monthly profits. What's the point of hoarding silver?"
Over the years, Li Ce had conducted business in the capital and accumulated considerable wealth.
Speaking of the shop, he recalled the account books. "Also," he added, "bring me the ledgers. I need to review them. I'll be using them soon."
Naturally, to gift them.
Once Ye Jiao married into his household, the books would be hers. She spent money freely—he couldn't let her feel that married life was less extravagant than life at home.
With that thought, Li Ce felt reassured. He looked up at the sun, smile lingering in his eyes and on his lips.
She had once said she would bask in the sunlight with him—he would become a carefree prince, and she his idle consort. They would spend their days heartlessly, aimlessly, like the sun above and the wind of autumn.
But…
Li Ce hesitated. If he proposed without warning, would he frighten her again?
Perhaps it was better to ask first.
Ye Jiao had been staying home for several days now.
She didn't wish to go out—for every time she did, she found herself unconsciously drawn northward. That was where Prince Zhao's residence lay. And within it, Li Ce.
Whenever she thought of him, her heart felt like a feather—light, restless, unable to sit or lie still. Her thoughts scattered.
She asked her sister Ye Rou how to calm her mind.
Ye Rou offered several suggestions.
Embroidery was impossible. Archery, then—but to her shock, she missed the target entirely.
Servant Feng Jie was stunned. "Miss, the last time you missed was when you were seven, wasn't it?"
"No!" Ye Jiao snapped. "It was when Fu Mingzhu proposed."
She and Fu Mingzhu had known each other since childhood, though they often pretended not to. Later, he persuaded his family to seek her hand.
She should have been happy, yet she only felt disoriented.
This current feeling was somewhat similar—but not quite the same.
"Ugh!" Ye Jiao threw down her bow. "I need to go out."
"Let's go, Sister," she tugged Ye Rou. "You can go out now. Let's go shopping. Mother asked me to buy you hair ornaments—I've already prepared the silver notes."
This was her last resort to cheer herself up. As long as she could shop, she would be happy.
But Ye Jiao never expected that in the capital's largest gold shop, the shopkeeper would greet her with a regretful bow.
"My apologies, Miss Ye. Our finest pieces have all been bought out."
Ye Jiao stood frozen. "What about the second-best?"