After so many days, Zhao Shu had also begun noticing how strange the man had become. Although his rebuke that day had been harsh, not only had he stopped ordering her about, he had even permitted her to leave Lantai.
From that very day onward, the cold poison had disappeared completely, never flaring up again. Once she calmed down, she gradually discerned a pattern.
Ying Wuji seemed to be avoiding her and yet insisted she remain on night watch every evening.
His moods changed as unpredictably as the weather, his thoughts as unfathomable as the sea. His nature was too dark and deeply concealed. Zhao Shu, whose own heart was straightforward and transparent, had always disliked dealing with people like him.
Other than the possibility that he was plotting some new and inventive way to torment her, she truly could not understand why he continued feeding and housing her so generously.
Before she could puzzle it out, early on the morning of the twenty-first day of the second lunar month, Ying Wuji had already disappeared. Meanwhile, four young servants had suddenly appeared in the eastern courtyard of Lantai Pavilion, sweeping and cleaning the grounds.
Ordinarily, a few additional servants would have been nothing unusual. Yet Zhao Shu noticed them immediately.
These servants were distinctly different. Every one of them was strikingly handsome.
One among them was especially tall and graceful, standing as elegantly as a solitary bamboo stalk. Describing him as possessing the appearance of an immortal would scarcely have been an exaggeration.
As Zhao Shu passed by, the man smiled at her. His smile was refined and gentle, so graceful that it briefly left her dazed. She quickly lowered her head in acknowledgment before hastening out of the courtyard.
She had originally intended to find Qi Ying. Yet for some reason, the image of that handsome servant lingered stubbornly in her mind. An indescribable sense of familiarity surrounded him. She found herself remembering the carefree days she had once enjoyed in Handan. It all felt like a dream from another lifetime, leaving an oppressive ache in her chest. Without realizing it, she changed direction and headed north toward the stables instead.
She had always been like this since childhood. Whenever something upset her, she would spend some time in the animal gardens.
Only, in the past, her troubles had all been trivial matters.
Now…
Her kingdom had fallen. She had lost her throne. Her grandfather was gravely ill. Even she herself might not survive past the third month.
Compared to those, her current unhappiness was unbearably cruel.
She had just raised a hand to wipe at her face when distant cries and panicked shouting suddenly reached her ears. She hurried forward two steps. As she rounded the corner into the open pasture, she was met with a terrifying sight.
A young woman dressed in green sat atop a horse that had gone completely mad. The horse reared violently again and again but refused to run, repeatedly standing upright before crashing back down onto the ground. Whenever anyone approached, or whenever the girl tried to dismount, it snorted fiercely, utterly determined to throw her off and trample her to death.
Zhao Shu recognized it immediately. It was the snow-white steed Mi Rong had brought that day. The horse had never been fully broken.
To her surprise, she also saw Ying Wuji present. Judging by his expression, the young woman seemed to matter greatly to him.
“Bring a crossbow.” No matter how reluctant he was to kill such a magnificent horse, this was no time for hesitation.
The moment Zhao Shu heard those words, she dashed toward the white horse without a second thought. Spotting her, the man immediately shouted, “Stop her! Go get the crossbow!”
“No!” She immediately rushed back in front of him, her eyes shining with an arresting brilliance as she cried out urgently, “Let me try.”
Seeing his hesitation, her gaze turned pleading. She shoved the attendant aside and said, “Count silently to fifty. If I haven’t succeeded by then, it won’t be too late to act.” With that, she stumbled into a run, nearly throwing herself into the paddock on the left.
The light in her eyes was too dazzling. Ying Wuji personally took up the crossbow, drew the string, and aimed, but he found himself unable to pull the trigger.
Everyone watched with pounding hearts.
One attendant truly began counting in his mind. He had only reached twelve when Zhao Shu came hurrying back carrying a small earthen jar. She took out what appeared to be a slice of pickled pingpo fruit, tossed one piece toward the horse, then held up an entire cabbage and began talking to it without pause.
Because the horse was so violently temperamental, everyone kept their distance for fear of provoking it further. From afar, they saw only the slight young man standing before the constantly rearing horse. The gentle spring sunlight fell across her slender silhouette. Her mouth never stopped moving, though from so far away they could not hear what she was saying.
But the horse understood.
Moments later, the snow-white steed miraculously calmed down. It ambled over, took the fruit from Zhao Shu’s hand in a single bite, and even lowered its neck to nuzzle against her.
The crossbow was lowered. Watching the white horse lazily swish its tail as it wandered about, everyone clicked their tongues in amazement.
The young woman on horseback finally recovered from her fright and leaped to the ground. Her emerald robes fluttered as she barely steadied herself before grabbing her riding whip and shouting, “Stablemaster, get over here! I nearly lost my life riding today! How do you call yourself a stablemaster when you can’t even tame a horse like this, “
A middle-aged man with a stooped back crawled forward and prostrated himself repeatedly. This horse was an extraordinarily rare foreign steed, famed for its fiery temperament. It should never have been ridden at this stage of its training. Yet he dared not offer a single excuse. He merely kowtowed over and over, unable even to form complete sentences.
As Zhao Shu stroked the horse’s head, she immediately realized that although this young woman looked delicate and charming, she was undoubtedly someone accustomed to killing. She had two cousins back in Handan who were much the same.
Frowning, she led the snow-white steed forward, intending to explain its untamed nature.
“Men! The stablemaster has neglected his duties and nearly endangered the Princess’s life. Since it was not intentional, dock his salary for three months and dismiss him. Cheng Wu, escort the Princess back personally. I have business outside the city.”
No sooner had Ying Wuji spoken than the young woman pouted unhappily and kicked the kneeling stablemaster aside. “Brother! Today is such a wonderful day. Huan’er came specially to congratulate you, and Mother also…”
“Weiyang!” The sharp rebuke rang out abruptly. Dark flames of anger flickered within the man’s jade-green eyes. Even Zhao Shu, standing some distance away, jumped in fright at the shout, let alone the young woman herself.
“Princess, please mind your words.” Cheng Wu hurried forward, dismissing everyone from the scene. Only after watching his lord acknowledge him with a nod before riding away did he lean close and quietly explain matters to Princess Weiyang.
An urgent report had arrived during the fourth watch of the previous night. Prince Yi had been ambushed while advancing into southern Zhou. Though he had survived, he had managed to bring only three thousand men back to Qin in a disorderly retreat.
The battle had originally been nothing more than a probing surprise attack, and no official report had even been sent to the other states.
At such a critical moment in the struggle over the succession, this incident might well determine Old King Qin’s final decision.
But regardless… a failed campaign against Zhou was unquestionably bad news for Qin.
“And who would dare tell Grandfather? Brother is far too cautious. Talking about court restrictions still not being lifted, it’s only a small gathering at Mother’s palace. What? Just because his name’s been entered into the legitimate branch of the family genealogy, does he have to control me too? How annoying.”
Lord Hengyuan had numerous wives and concubines, yet his principal wife, Lady Mi Yan Duchess Yong, had borne only one son and one daughter. After her eldest legitimate son died from injuries sustained in a fall from horseback due to a chronic back ailment, Princess Weiyang, Ying Huan, became Lord Hengyuan’s only legitimate daughter. Three years earlier, Duchess Yong had formally adopted Ying Wuji into her own household.
In the beginning, after mourning her brother, Ying Huan had become much more restrained, and she had even looked down upon this newly acquired half-brother. But as Ying Wuji steadily accumulated power and influence, eventually entering court on equal footing with Prince Yi, her arrogant and domineering nature gradually resurfaced. Even the way she addressed him as “Brother” had grown noticeably warmer and more affectionate.
Now that Prince Yi was on the verge of losing the king’s favor, once her brother was named Crown Prince and she inherited from her mother the western frontier lands bordering Chu, then among all the kingdoms beneath Heaven, even the legitimate royal princesses of the Zhou dynasty would have no choice but to lower their heads before her.
Thinking this, Ying Huan pursed her lips toward the direction in which the man had departed before saying to Cheng Wu, “Enough lecturing. Do you think this princess doesn’t understand? Fine, fine. I’ll just go play at Older Brother Rong’s place instead. Someone, bring along that young man leading the horse.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Wu secretly ground his teeth in despair. Displaying a mouthful of perfectly even white teeth, he forced what he believed to be his most humble and obedient smile and politely stepped in front of Princess Weiyang. “Your Highness, I’m afraid you cannot take him. He’s a hostage from the State of Zhao.”
To his surprise, the young woman’s eyes immediately lit up. The bored expression vanished from her face, replaced by a bright smile.
She skipped two steps toward Zhao Shu and looked her up and down with lively eyes.
During the chaos just now, she had noticed this young man standing directly before the horse’s iron-hard hooves. His face, fresh and radiant as blossoms touched by morning dew, had already been far more handsome than that of most young men. And yet he had stood in such terrible danger, where one careless step could have seen his chest crushed beneath the horse’s hooves. Not only had he shown no fear, but the corners of his eyes had reddened with such anxious gentleness.
He could be so gentle even toward a horse. If she were to bring him back, what would it be like to spend every day together?
Those who delighted in bloodshed did not necessarily enjoy the company of others like themselves.
Now that she knew Zhao Shu’s identity, a rosy flush spread across the girl’s cheeks. Lowering her head shyly, she seemed like an entirely different person from the one who had been shouting only moments before. “So you’re the hostage prince from Zhao. Your birth mother was Zhou Wang’s favorite royal princess. I’ve heard of you, you and I are the same age. Thank you very much for helping me just now.”
Zhao Shu froze for a moment but she almost immediately understood exactly what the young lady dressed in emerald silk was thinking.
She had been beautiful ever since childhood and had received no shortage of hints from young women. Especially when they had all been eleven or twelve years old, before anyone had fully grown, she had always stood out among the boys for her appearance.
It was better to cut the matter off cleanly. She could not reveal her true identity, nor could she allow the girl to waste her feelings.
Declining a young lady’s affections, she was, in truth, quite experienced at it.
“Your Highness gives me too much credit. I am nothing more than a horse keeper now. This horse has not yet been fully trained. I humbly ask that Your Highness show it mercy.”
She shrank back behind the horse’s head, lowering her eyes and bowing her head, doing her utmost to appear timid, fearful, and utterly dispirited.
“No need to pardon it.” To Zhao Shu’s surprise, Ying Huan merely kept her distance from the horse and continued in a gentle voice, “I’ve been bored to death these past few days. Would you accompany me to Older Brother Rong’s residence for lunch later, Young Master?”
Zhao Shu deliberately stepped half a pace forward, making it seem as though she accidentally brushed her cheek against the horse’s head. The snow-white steed happened to have caught a slight cold over the past two days, she had counted on it. Sure enough, a long strand of glistening mucus smeared itself across her face.
She intentionally put on an embarrassed expression and hurriedly wiped it away with one hand, only managing to spread it over a larger area. Before she could even add, “This humble servant still has to shovel manure and lay fresh straw later,” the noble young lady had already retreated a step in disgust.
“Oh my! Hurry and wipe your face first.”
Once everyone had gone their separate ways and the dangerous incident had finally come to an end, Zhao Shu let out a sigh of relief. She burst into laughter, then viciously rubbed everything on her face right back into the snow-white steed’s mane, temporarily forgetting the melancholy that had weighed upon her heart.
She spent the entire day lingering at the stables to avoid returning. By dusk, Cai Pi suddenly came to fetch her. “Young Master, Lord Shaofu sent me to call for you. His Lordship flew into a terrible rage earlier and drove all those newly arrived servants out of the courtyard.”
***
In the woodshed of Lantai’s outer courtyard, Cheng Wu listened with a headache as the exceptionally handsome youth nervously defended himself.
Today’s defeat of Prince Yi had been cause for celebration after so much careful planning.
Yet after returning from paying respects at a solitary grave outside the city, his lord had, for the first time ever, begun drinking alone in gloomy silence. Who would have imagined that this beautiful youth would be so bold as to sneak into the small tower and offer himself for his lord’s bed? It was said that less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed before he was thrown back out.
Cheng Wu had also discovered certain unsavory items on the youth’s person, things used specifically to seduce men.
Although Ying Wuji himself had instructed Cheng Wu to borrow people from Young Master Rong’s residence, after they arrived, his lord had merely looked them over without saying much else.
Originally, Cheng Wu had thought there would be plenty of time. Eventually, his lord ought to have someone by his side to keep him company and care for him. Now, however, this impatient youth had completely ruined those plans.
As Cheng Wu debated how to deal with the matter, the most strikingly handsome of the four suddenly stepped forward, cupped his hands in salute, and said, “Heaven cherishes all living things. We all come from miserable backgrounds. We only entered Young Master Rong’s residence because we had no other choice. I beg Your Excellency to see clearly, I never intended to serve my lord in that manner. If Your Excellency would only permit me to remain, I am willing to chop firewood and sweep the courtyards.”
The man’s calm dignity drew a second glance from Cheng Wu. He himself had been abandoned by his parents and sent into the palace at the age of three. Though he now enjoyed prestige following his lord and was adept at navigating power, he occasionally showed a little extra leniency toward those beneath him who had likewise come from hardship.
It was not an especially important matter anyway.
Looking at the pile of filthy items he had confiscated from them, Cheng Wu decided to try the dead horse as though it were still alive, perhaps these few might prove useful someday. So he reassigned all four of them as servants in a side hall in the southeastern wing.
He had only just finished dealing with this troublesome affair when, from a distance, he spotted Zhao Shu stepping through the gate into the inner courtyard, seemingly on her way to the kitchens in search of food.
Standing upon the floating bridge, Cheng Wu turned to glance at the solitary lantern glowing in the small tower behind him. From a cloth pouch, he pinched out a scented sachet that had been specially prepared.
Then, composing himself, he raised his voice to call out to the person ahead.
After wandering aimlessly around the stables all day, Zhao Shu’s stomach was completely empty. At the sound of someone calling her, she turned around to see the bright full moon hanging in the sky like a polished mirror while a man hurried toward her across the floating bridge.
The lakeshore lay dim beneath sparse lantern light. Without the slightest difficulty, Cheng Wu secretly fastened the scented sachet to the sash of her outer robe. “The Imperial Grandson is waiting upstairs to dine with you. Things haven’t been going smoothly for him at court lately. Please offer him a few words of comfort.”
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