Some people rarely smiled in everyday life. After seeing them that way for long enough, others simply assumed it was their inborn nature, something that could never change. Yet who in this world was born solemn and disciplined every single day? Who entered the world already wearing a cold face, incapable of smiling?
If anyone had the choice, who would not wish to live an easy, carefree, joyful life?
The spring sunlight filtered through the gaps in the vine trellis overhead, scattering onto the usually sinister, icy jade-like face before her, warming it with flecks of golden light.
Zhao Shu had certainly not forgotten how domineering and overbearing he had been the previous night when desire had overtaken him. But at this moment, as she stretched upward, unable to reach the rabbit, she happened to look directly into his crystal-clear jade-green eyes, overflowing with the warmth of spring sunlight. She forgot what she had been doing, utterly captivated by the breathtaking beauty of the face before her.
The northern Hu tribes might have lived in untamed wilderness, but their features were strikingly sculpted. Though generations of nomadic life had left their skin rougher than that of the Central Plains, their complexions were often exceptionally fair.
Zhao Shu had met his mother before. Even after age and madness had overtaken the Hu woman, she remained the most breathtaking beauty Zhao Shu had encountered in all her travels through the kingdoms.
The first time Zhao Shu saw her, she had been filled with admiration and confusion alike. How could such a peerless beauty have gone unnoticed by the powerful, ending up among wandering refugees instead of being taken into some noble household?
The man before her had inherited nearly seventy percent of his mother’s appearance. It was only because he was a man, with such an imposing presence and commanding stature, that people so often overlooked just how extraordinarily handsome he truly was.
Now Zhao Shu stood on tiptoe, no more than a fist’s distance away from him. The spring breeze was cool, but the scattered sunlight was warm. Slanting rays illuminated his jade-like face and the faint upward curve of his lips, revealing the beauty that had always been hidden beneath his usual severity.
Dead loofah vines, not yet budding with new spring growth, swayed gently above his dark hair and flawless face.
The withered vines spoke of death. The man beneath them embodied life.
The contrast only made his face seem all the more vibrant and breathtaking.
Zhao Shu had grown up pampered and surrounded by luxury, always loving beauty and lively surroundings. For a moment she stared in complete fascination, marveling inwardly. When this man smiles, it’s as though he’s become an entirely different person. So Imperial Grandson Ji can actually look this youthful and full of life.
She stretched both hands as high as she possibly could, yet there was still a considerable distance between her fingers and the rabbit. Figuring that whatever ill will he bore toward her had probably already run its course, and besides, believing he preferred men, she finally gave up with a sigh and let her arms fall.
“Zhongnan is supposed to be beautiful once spring arrives, with lovely mountains and rivers. I’ve never been there before, so sure, I’ll go.” Pouting slightly, she casually added in a flattering tone, “And another thing, Ying Changsheng, you look really handsome when you smile. You should smile more often. Now give it back to me. You’re going to hurt it.”
She wisely swallowed the second half of what she had been about to say: With a face like yours, if you smiled more often, who knows how many ministers who disagree with you would switch sides.
Ying Wuji’s heart surged like a storm-tossed sea. Yet the smile froze upon his face. After a silent moment, he let it fade, returning to the cold, stern expression he usually wore. Releasing his grip, he dropped the big wild rabbit back into Zhao Shu’s arms.
Tilting his head upward so she could not read his expression, he brushed past the girl who was hugging the rabbit protectively. Avoiding the vegetable patch as he headed toward the western garden exit, he deliberately ordered in a cold voice, “Pack your needles and medicines. We leave tomorrow. During this next month… don’t let yourself die.”
Without waiting for an answer, he strode through the crabapple moon gate. A suspicious flush spread across his snow-pale face as he thought to himself: If you die, you won’t live to see the day I lead my army into Handan.
***
After every arrangement had been made, the following day, shortly after lunch, Steward Li had the carriage and horses prepared. He then led more than a dozen unfamiliar maids and servants to wait outside the residence gates.
When Zhao Shu arrived, she found the old steward personally carrying a large basket of alfalfa, giving his final instructions to several attendants.
This time, Cai Pi was accompanying them as well. He bustled back and forth nonstop, and throughout the entire courtyard, all that could be heard was his lively chatter with Steward Li. The other attendants, by contrast, remained silent as they busied themselves with the final inspections.
When Steward Li saw Zhao Shu, the wrinkles on his aged face blossomed into a smile. All traces of the stern demeanor with which he had been reprimanding the servants moments before vanished without a trace. He hurried over, placed the basket of alfalfa into the front, spacious yet simply decorated carriage right in front of her, then leaned closer and explained in a low voice with a smile, “Please forgive us, noble person. This time, the Imperial Grandson is going to Zhongnan Mountain to pray for blessings on behalf of his father and grandfather. I spent the entire night carefully selecting what to pack, but I only dared bring this one extra carriage. Zhongnan is a harsh and chilly place, so I hope you’ll bear with the inconvenience.”
When Ying Wuji rode over on horseback, he noticed that an additional carriage had been added behind the original one. Zhao Shu was standing beside it, cradling the rabbit and chatting warmly and politely with Li Yuanxu. He frowned and let out a cold chuckle. He merely said to Cai Pi, “Let’s go,” and did not order anyone to remove the extra carriage of clothes and luggage.
***
Only upon reaching what Steward Li had called “a harsh and bitterly cold place” did Zhao Shu discover that it was merely a valley in Zhongnan Mountain, the closest one to Xianyang. Lord Hengyuan had built a palace complex there. The main southern hall was dedicated year-round to the Four Guardian Deities, while the inner palace, extending farther into the mountain along the terrain, was exquisitely designed and lavishly furnished.
In the distance flowed a tributary of the Ba River leading toward Xianyang. From the Observatory, the tallest structure in the entire palace complex, one could overlook a vast lake shrouded in mist to the north of the valley. White clouds drifted through the mountains, green haze floated between the peaks, and among the countless ridges, an occasional towering summit rose straight into the heavens.
They arrived well before late afternoon. The sun shone brightly, filling the valley with gentle warmth. Compared to the outside world, the valley seemed somewhat more humid and mild. Plum trees filled the palace grounds, their blossoms still intact. Whenever the spring breeze stirred them, the scene resembled a celestial paradise.
She was assigned to a heated chamber fitted with underfloor heating and connected to a natural hot spring. The room’s bronze mirrors bore elegant and intricate patterns, while the carved beams and painted decorations were exquisitely crafted. There were even entire chests and dressing cases filled with luxurious robes and jeweled hair ornaments. Zhao Shu guessed that the chamber had once belonged to some favored consort. Everything, however, had grown old and gathered dust, as though no one had lived there for many years.
She quietly busied herself with two attendants for nearly two hours. By the time dinner approached, the pair gestured with repeated “ah, ah” sounds, signaling that they were to escort her to see their lord. No matter how Zhao Shu questioned them along the way, they answered only through respectful gestures, never speaking a single word.
After trying several times, she suddenly widened her eyes and asked hesitantly, “Y-you… can’t speak, can you?”
One of the maids looked at her apologetically, pointed toward her own mouth, where her tongue was gone, then knelt together with the eunuch beside her.
Zhao Shu quickly helped them both to their feet. Hugging the rabbit, she walked ahead first, her heart heavy. As she made her way through winding corridors and covered walkways toward the main courtyard, she deliberately struck up conversations with several other attendants she encountered along the way. Without exception, she discovered that every one of them had had their tongues cut out.
A fine layer of cold sweat spread across her back. More than fear, however, she felt anger. She thought bitterly that an evil man would always remain evil. No matter how handsome he might be, the cruelty and callousness in his bones could never truly change.
Thus, during dinner, she sat as far away from the man as possible, the rabbit still in her arms, her face noticeably cold. Ying Wuji asked her about matters concerning the royal court in Handan, but she answered each question with only a few curt words while absentmindedly feeding the rabbit, making no effort to hide her indifference.
“You once held the Crown Prince’s seal, yet you’re saying you aren’t even familiar with the generals commanding Zhao’s armies…”
In truth, the civil unrest in Handan that February had already provided Qin’s spies with the perfect opportunity to infiltrate. Everything he was asking had long since been investigated. He merely brought it up casually while thinking through troop deployments for the coming campaign against Chu.
Before he finished speaking, Ying Wuji suddenly set down his bronze chopsticks. One brow rose as his tone shifted. “Why do you look so unhappy? Has someone in the palace treated you poorly?”
For once, Zhao Shu answered with open sarcasm. “You cut out all those people’s tongues, then sit here chatting idly with me, a hostage who’s about to die. If you’re already making everyone avoid us, why bother pretending otherwise? You’re so cautious it must be exhausting.”
“You know you’re a Zhao hostage, so you’re not allowed to die in Xianyang!” Ying Wuji suddenly reached out and grabbed both her and the rabbit, pulling them toward him in one swift motion. Once she was directly before him, however, he abruptly let go.
A bowl of soup overturned on the table, splashing across the rabbit’s back and soaking Zhao Shu’s sleeve. Seeing both the rabbit and the girl staring at him with wide, frightened eyes, Ying Wuji realized he had lost control. Silently, he brushed the soup from the rabbit’s fur. After standing and flicking his sleeve, he only then belatedly realized what she had actually meant by her first accusation.
Once he understood, he let out a helpless laugh. Suddenly bending down, he brought his handsome face close to hers. While she was still caught off guard, he deliberately rubbed her cheek twice, smearing the soup remaining on his fingers across her skin. Then he leaned close enough for his warm breath to brush behind her ear and murmured like a whispering demon.
“People whose lives are worth little are no different from ants. That’s especially true in times of war. You were the one who said that yourself before. Have you forgotten? As for this matter, it truly wasn’t my order. I’m not so idle that I’d concern myself with such petty, underhanded affairs. This morning, I saw you getting along quite well with Li Yuanxu. Didn’t you know? Aside from Cheng Wu’s personally trained death warriors, everyone employed in this residence is under Old Li’s management.”
Meeting her stunned, bewildered apricot eyes, Ying Wuji found himself reluctant to lose the sensation beneath his fingertips. Deliberately malicious, he used his hand to wipe the remaining soup from her earlobe and neck instead. His rough thumb slid slowly across her soft lips as he continued, “Old Li is indeed highly capable. Even I think he’s excessively cautious. If he’d chosen you, perhaps, out of pity for your kindness and sincerity, he would have personally used red-hot shears to cut out your tongue… so that you’d suffer as little pain as possible.”
Knowing Ying Wuji had no reason to lie about something like this, Zhao Shu felt as though she had been struck over the head. All at once, the crock of pickled vegetables she had been happily eating over the past several days suddenly seemed nauseating.
Had she not recklessly asked the question today, she would never have imagined that Steward Li, the cautious, humble old man with graying temples, who had shown her and Qi Ying so much consideration ever since they entered the residence, could possess such terrifying methods behind the scenes.
Her lips trembled as she tried to think of something to retort. Yet in the end, she merely parted them slightly and, with lingering fear, pressed the tip of her tongue gently against the roof of her mouth.
That small movement, however, looked entirely different in Ying Wuji’s eyes. To him, it was no different from a deliberate tease. His sticky fingers happened to rest at the corner of her lips, and heaven alone knew how much willpower it took for him to suppress the overwhelming urge to let his fingers slip inside, if only for a single touch.
Their gazes intertwined. Zhao Shu, though innocent in such matters, still caught a hint of what lurked in his eyes. She was not frightened. After all, he preferred men.
Suddenly taking a step back, she spat out the mouthful of soup that had seeped into her mouth with a loud “Ptoo!” Then, pretending to be fierce, she slapped his dirty hand away. “The soup’s a little salty. I’m full now. I’m going to wash its fur.”
Ying Wuji made no move to stop her. Only before she left did he say, “Over the next few days, physicians and practitioners of the mystic arts will be coming here. They will almost certainly discover that you aren’t a man, so remember not to reveal your true identity. The attendants in this palace are all mute and cannot read or write, so you don’t need to be guarded around them.”
***
Physicians came and went through the palace like flowing water. Ten full days passed in this manner. Only after the last traveling healer from the northern Hu tribes departed, muttering that he seemed to have encountered such an illness in his youth, though he feared no cure remained anywhere under heaven, did the secluded palace in Zhongnan finally become quiet again.
The northern healer had only left that morning. Zhao Shu was sitting alone, feeling lonely and dejected, when, shortly before lunch, a mute attendant from the main courtyard arrived carrying a pale green note. Written across it in vigorous large seal script, flowing like a dragon in flight, was a message from Ying Wuji inviting her to accompany him on a trip across the lake, where they would also have lunch together aboard the boat.
After thinking for a moment, she stopped the mute attendant. “The Imperial Grandson isn’t entertaining any guests? He’s inviting only me?”
The attendant smiled amiably. He gestured for quite some time, but seeing that she could not understand sign language, he simply nodded firmly. Though they had not known one another long, the servants all seemed genuinely fond of the mysterious young gentleman living in the residence.
He had sought physicians for her one after another, and now he was inviting her alone on a lake excursion. Having not seen him for many days, Zhao Shu could not help feeling strangely uneasy whenever she thought of him.
Recalling the way he had grabbed her face with soup-covered hands before, she secretly grumbled to herself. Surely he hasn’t still got designs on my “male body,” has he?!
After hesitating again and again, she finally decided to take a gamble. The place was secluded, and Ying Wuji himself had said these mute attendants were even more reliable than his death warriors. Even in the worst-case scenario, if someone discovered her true identity again, it would still be better than remaining ignorant and losing her chastity before death to someone she did not love.
***
The lake mirrored the surrounding mountains. The shore was lined with dense, low-growing camellias, and where the painted pleasure boat was moored stood the end of an apricot grove that stretched for more than ten miles. Though spring still carried a lingering chill, the apricot blossoms feared no cold, blooming in profusion across the hills.
A tall figure stood quietly upon the lakeshore, his broad robes and wide sleeves stirred gently by the breeze. With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed at the drifting reflections of clouds upon the water, seemingly deep in thought, plotting some unseen design.
Soft footsteps rustled behind him. When Ying Wuji turned, his pupils trembled. Every strategy and calculation occupying his mind vanished in an instant.
There stood Zhao Shu, dressed in a pale apricot-yellow skirt. One hand supported the wild rabbit beneath its rump while the other gathered up the overly long hem of her skirt as she carefully hopped her way down the thorn-covered slope.
Though her awkward gait lacked all elegance, it could not conceal the innocent charm of a young girl. The disguised features upon her lotus-like face appeared somewhat pale beneath the brilliant midday sun, yet they could not hide her graceful beauty. She was not a devastating beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, but she possessed a rare, indescribable elegance unlike anything else in the world.
More remarkable still was her figure. Her slender waist and graceful curves, outlined by the snug upper garment, surpassed even the famed dancing girls of Xianyang.
At nothing more than a distant glance, Ying Wuji felt his heart pounding like a war drum, his very soul seeming to melt.
She hurried down the slope and stopped beneath a young apricot tree just beginning to blossom. Without offering any explanation, she simply lifted her skirt enough to reveal the embroidered shoe peeking out beneath it and saluted him with exaggerated grievance. “These women’s embroidered shoes are far too difficult to walk in. I don’t even know whose they are. Every dress is tighter than the last, yet the shoes are this big.”
She amused herself by lifting the tip of one foot and giving it a playful shake. Sure enough, there was nearly two finger-widths of empty space inside the shoe, explaining why she had been shuffling along awkwardly all the way here.
“Serve the meal.” Ying Wuji merely turned away with a cold expression. After giving the order to the mute attendants, he started toward the boat.
Only then did Zhao Shu secretly stick out her tongue in relief. She knew she had gambled correctly. Just as she happily stepped ahead of him, Ying Wuji’s sideways glance happened to fall upon the embroidered character “Zheng” stitched near the hem of her skirt.
In an instant, every trace of tenderness vanished from his heart.
With a harshness unlike anything she had heard from him before, he barked, “Who found you that dress? Take it off this instant!”
The shout startled even the rabbit in her arms. It gave a little shiver, smacked its three-part mouth, and looked up at the man with innocent confusion.
…
By afternoon, the painted boat had passed countless mountain ridges and entered an open stretch of the lake. The sunlight had grown dimmer, and with the breeze blowing once more, the air turned noticeably colder.
Zhao Shu watched Ying Wuji finish the last bite of his meal. She had also listened to his account of Lady Zheng’s six glorious years as the emperor’s favored consort. Meanwhile, she busied herself rolling a homemade lint roller over the rabbit’s fur to remove loose hairs.
With a sigh, she shook her head and said with an awkward smile, “No wonder all her clothes are so tight. That wicked woman harmed so many people and was cruel to the core. Just to suit your father’s tastes, she even took Xiji Pills, something so vicious and harmful, even on herself. In the end, she couldn’t even bear a child.”
Surrounded by beautiful mountains and sparkling waters, accompanied only by a man who preferred men, even the fright he had given her earlier could not spoil the afternoon. It was the most carefree day she had enjoyed in more than half a year.
She picked up a cup of lightly brewed peach blossom wine and took a small sip. Her hands moved more and more smoothly as she rolled away the rabbit’s loose fur.
Stories from the inner palace could simply be treated as gossip, nothing more.
Enjoy today’s wine while today’s wine remained.
Yet the moment Ying Wuji seemed about to continue speaking, she immediately stood up and pointed excitedly toward another painted boat in the distance. “Look over there! That boat has so many rabbit lanterns! Tonight, when they’re all lit and reflected together with the stars upon the lake, it must be such a beautiful sight.”
She was not foolish enough to let him continue recounting the circumstances of his younger sister’s death. Merely wearing one of Lady Zheng’s dresses had nearly made him want to bore a hole through her with his glare. If there had been spare clothes aboard the boat, she would have changed out of the overly tight dress immediately.
Ying Wuji concealed the loneliness and grief flickering between his brows. Following the direction of her finger, he glanced toward the distant boat decorated with rabbit lanterns. A silent, icy smile curled at the corner of his lips. Then he summoned one of the mute attendants and quietly gave an order.
The pain of losing family, he had endured it twice. Lady Zheng had long since died without even a place to bury her remains, but there were still some people who owed him the same fate.
The two boats gradually drifted farther and farther apart.
Murder was best done on a moonless, windy night. There were still two hours until dark, so he slowly turned his shadowed gaze back to the figure standing at the bow.
“Ah! Why does that boat seem even farther away now?”
She had not done up her hair today. Her thick black locks hung loose, gathered only casually beneath her shoulders with a plain wooden ring. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, covering nearly half her back.
Having dressed as a man for more than ten years, her hair reached only a few inches below her hips. Even where it passed her waist sash, it remained thick enough to conceal almost half her lower back.
Seen from behind, her slender, delicate figure looked no older than a young girl who had not yet reached puberty.
Ordinary women could never have fit into Lady Zheng’s dresses; what made them remarkable was the impossibly tiny waist they were designed for.
Since Lady Zheng’s death, his royal father had sighed to him more than once that there was no longer another beauty in Changming Palace with such a figure.
But Lady Zheng had taken the sinister drug Xiji Wan. As for the person before him… he distinctly remembered how she used to gallop about on horseback, causing trouble everywhere. Yet despite all that, she had eaten five meals a day, enough that every innkeeper in Handan had eagerly awaited her visits.
Beautiful she certainly was, but the heat in his eyes gradually faded, his brows drawing together. He could not help wondering just how much suffering this person must have endured before she could fit into that enchantress’s dresses.
The next instant, the young woman turned halfway around. Between her slender waist and delicate shoulders, her full breasts were lifted beneath her apricot-colored robes, round and abundant, soft as jade and flowers, as she offered him an ingratiating, awkward smile.
Before those white teeth could part to speak, Ying Wuji abruptly looked away from her and casually smoothed the front of his robe. Merely watching her from afar for a while had already stirred a reaction in him.
When the young woman quickly walked over and asked, “Ying Changsheng, can you tell me whether the Zhou envoy is about to arrive in Xianyang? You aren’t really planning to keep me in this place for an entire month, are you?”
The large wild rabbit in her arms nudged against her at just that moment. A wave of unbearable heat swept through his body. Before she could come any closer, Ying Wuji suddenly stood, turned his back to her, and headed toward the second floor of the painted pleasure boat.
Only after he stood did the suspicious bulge become barely concealed beneath the heavy folds of his outer robe.
Without another thought, he tossed out, “The Zhou advance envoys have already arrived. Ji Qiao should enter the city the day after tomorrow. I’m a bit tired. Do as you please.” With that, he strode into the inner cabin of the pleasure boat.
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