The imperial city of the capital lay in the north. As soon as May arrived, the weather turned fully hot.
Early in the morning, the little maid came to the main bedchamber door, stopping another maid who was about to enter. “Is Her Highness still not going out today?”
The maid replied respectfully, “She said she’s waiting for Steward Qin to return.”
The girl sighed, took the copper basin from the maid’s hands, and entered the room.
“It’s such a hot day. Does Your Highness really not want an ice box?” she asked the moment she stepped in.
Feng Lezhen met her gaze and immediately smiled.
The round-faced girl before her was Ah Ye, who had been by her side since she was five. When the treason charges came out in her previous life, Ah Ye had committed suicide in the street to buy her time to plead her case—delaying for three whole days. But three days was neither long nor short. In the end, she had lacked the skill to escape the elaborate trap laid out for her.
“Your Highness? Your Highness…”
“Hm?”
“What’s wrong with you lately?” Ah Ye asked helplessly. “You don’t like going out, and now you’re ignoring people too.”
Feng Lezhen laughed. “What did you just say?”
“This servant asked if you wanted to use the ice box,” Ah Ye repeated.
It was already summer in the capital, and the main bedchamber faced the morning sun. Even at dawn, it was already bright and stifling inside.
Feng Lezhen walked to the dressing table and sat down. “No need.”
“Why not?” Ah Ye followed her to do her hair.
Feng Lezhen replied, “It’s warm.”
Ah Ye: “…”
Feng Lezhen remained perfectly calm and even curled her lips when she caught her maid’s eyes in the mirror.
After spending a whole winter in a cold palace where even the floor heating didn’t work, and then freezing in the Imperial Prison for two days before dying with ice in her limbs, Feng Lezhen found herself more drawn to warmth in this second life.
“…This servan is going to call the physician.” Ah Ye put down the comb and prepared to leave.
Feng Lezhen quickly grabbed her. “Ben Gong is not sick.”
“You’re already spouting nonsense. How can you not be sick?” Wanting warmth in this heat? Unheard of.
As the two were tugging back and forth in front of the dressing table, Steward Qin walked in and immediately frowned. “Your Highness.”
The pair instantly stopped and sat up straight.
“Steward Qin,” Ah Ye bowed demurely.
Qin Wan saluted Feng Lezhen, then frowned at Ah Ye. “You’re a servant. What kind of behavior is this, tugging at your master?”
“I—I was wrong,” Ah Ye quickly apologized, glancing at Feng Lezhen for help.
Feng Lezhen looked entirely innocent. “I think I’m hungry.”
“I’ll go summon the meal right away!” Ah Ye rushed off, instinctively dodging to the side as she passed Qin Wan.
Seeing her reaction—like avoiding a snake or scorpion—Feng Lezhen couldn’t help but want to laugh. But then she heard Qin Wan speak: “Your Highness spoils her too much.”
Feng Lezhen gave a light cough and obediently listened to the lecture, eyes glued to her.
Qin Wan had been brought back from Jiangnan when Feng Lezhen was twelve. Along with Ah Ye, she was one of the two people Feng Lezhen was closest to in the world. In her past life, after Feng Lezhen was imprisoned, Qin Wan had worked tirelessly outside to overturn her verdict—only to be forced to drink poison for angering the emperor.
In this new life, to be able to see those who had died once more—what could be better?
Qin Wan was mid-scolding when she looked down and met Feng Lezhen’s sparkling eyes. The rest of her words caught in her throat. “Y-Your Highness…”
“I know. The current situation is precarious. I must speak and act with caution, and shouldn’t mingle idly with servants…” Feng Lezhen began. But when she saw Qin Wan’s brows crease, she swiftly changed the topic, “You’ve been out for more than ten days. Any results?”
At the mention of business, Qin Wan became serious. “Yes, Your Highness. I purchased five shops and over a hundred mu of farmland. With a bit of work, they’ll be usable. But they won’t yield profit until next year.”
“Thank you for your hard work,” Feng Lezhen smiled.
Even as an Eldest Princess, one still needed to eat and make a living. Without her own fief, and with the Eldest Princess Residence having heavy social obligations and high expenses, the monthly stipend wasn’t even enough to pay the staff. She had no talent for managing finances, so she entrusted it all to Qin Wan.
Qin Wan picked up the comb and continued to brush her hair. “I heard that in the past few days, Your Highness has not been fond of going out, and you’ve even forbidden anyone from bringing ice boxes into your room. Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I just don’t want to see anyone.” Feng Lezhen looked at her reflection in the mirror. Even though she had been reborn, many problems still remained unresolved. She needed time to carefully think of a way to break the stalemate.
Qin Wan continued to guess, “Could it be because Lord Fu has yet to return, and you’re in low spirits because of that?”
Half a month ago, Fu Zhixian had taken on the task of repairing ancient scrolls and went to Langzhou with a group from the Hanlin Academy. He had said he would return around the Dragon Boat Festival, but even now, he had yet to come back.
“Of course not,” Feng Lezhen smiled, the amusement never leaving her eyes. “I would be more than happy if he came back even later.”
So that she wouldn’t immediately feel like taking up a knife to kill him the moment she saw him.
Qin Wan didn’t believe her. “Since you got engaged five years ago, Your Highness has never been separated from Lord Fu for this long. It’s perfectly reasonable to feel upset.”
Feng Lezhen: “…” There’s no explaining it.
“The combing is done. If Your Highness still doesn’t wish to go out today, shall we just use pearls for the hair ornaments?” Qin Wan asked, looking at the girl in the mirror who wore no makeup.
The all-powerful Eldest Princess, once stripped of her ornate headpieces and grand robes, looked no more than a clean-faced young girl.
Feng Lezhen lazily agreed. As Qin Wan was fixing a flower into her hair, Feng Lezhen suddenly said, “If you’re free these days, would you help me look for someone?”
Qin Wan paused. “Who does Your Highness wish to find?”
That blood- and dust-covered face surfaced in Feng Lezhen’s mind once again. After a brief silence, she slowly said, “Bring me brush and ink.”
Qin Wan quickly responded and had someone bring the writing materials.
Relying on her memory, Feng Lezhen sketched the person’s appearance, then handed the drawing to Qin Wan. “I don’t know this person’s name or background, just that they seem somewhat familiar. I must have seen them before. Follow the drawing and look for them. Report to me immediately if you find them.”
“Yes.” Seeing that there were no other instructions, Qin Wan took the portrait and left.
As soon as she left, Ah Ye came in with breakfast and stayed to accompany Feng Lezhen until noon. When she finally stepped outside, she saw Qin Wan standing in the courtyard, frowning as if troubled by something.
In this Eldest Princess’s estate, the person Ah Ye feared most was this strict and by-the-book Qin Wan. Her first instinct was to avoid her, but curiosity got the better of her, and after hesitating for a while, she finally stepped forward. “Q-Qin Steward Qin, what are you doing?”
“Her Highness asked me to find someone,” Qin Wan replied.
“Who?” Ah Ye asked after a pause.
“I have no idea of their name or identity. The only clue is a portrait,” Qin Wan said.
Hearing this, Ah Ye looked at the rolled-up paper in her hands. “Why don’t you let me take a look?”
Qin Wan handed her the portrait.
Ah Ye carefully unrolled it, her expression serious.
A moment later, she rolled the drawing back up. “Her Highness drew this?”
Qin Wan didn’t answer, which was as good as confirming it.
“…Then I’d guess it’ll be pretty hard to find this person.” Ah Ye immediately looked sympathetic. Her Highness was accomplished in both civil and military affairs, but when it came to the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—she was utterly clueless. Among those, her drawing skills were by far the worst, though she herself never seemed to realize it.
Just from this portrait alone, Ah Ye found it hard to imagine anyone whose eyes were longer than their eyebrows, or whose lips were thicker than the cured sausages drying in the kitchen.
“So, Steward Qin, what are you going to do?” A-Ye asked.
Qin Wan carefully put away the portrait. “Since it’s Her Highness’s order, I must give it my best effort.”
Ah Ye immediately felt deep respect.
“Lord Fu has yet to return, and Her Highness is probably quite agitated. Stay with her more over the next few days, and encourage her to go outside when you can,” Qin Wan reminded her.
Ah Ye readily agreed and did as instructed, but no matter how hard she tried to persuade her, Feng Lezhen showed no intention of leaving the house. She spent her days holed up in her room, staring blankly into space. Sometimes, her face would suddenly turn frighteningly cold, as if she’d remembered something unpleasant.
This worried Ah Ye greatly. More than once, she considered calling the palace doctor to check on Her Highness, wondering if she might have been tainted by something unclean. Of course, this was just a thought. She wouldn’t dare make such a decision on her own. Every time she saw something was wrong, all she could do was silently pray for Lord Fu to return soon.
Perhaps her prayers worked, because three days later, around dusk, Fu Zhixian finally returned to the capital.
“Lord Fu arrived home half an hour ago. He should be on his way to the Eldest Princess’s estate soon. Shall I get you ready, and you can have dinner together with him?” Ah Ye asked excitedly.
Feng Lezhen was focused on arranging flowers. “No need to wait. Bring the food now. I’m hungry.”
Ah Ye was surprised. “You’re not going to wait for Lord Fu?”
“He’s off somewhere drinking and enjoying himself. Better not wait.” Feng Lezhen placed the last lily into the vase, clapped her hands, and looked quite pleased.
Just as Ah Ye was about to say something, Qin Wan entered. “Your Highness, Lord Fu sent word. On his way here, he ran into the second young master of the Hua family, who insisted on treating him to drinks. He couldn’t refuse and has gone to the Yizui Pavilion. He asks that Your Highness not wait for him for dinner; he will come by as soon as possible.”
Ah Ye looked at Feng Lezhen in shock.
Feng Lezhen remained perfectly calm. “Got it.”
Once Qin Wan had finished reporting and left, Ah Ye couldn’t help asking, “How did Your Highness know Lord Fu would run into the second young master of the Hua family?”
“I know everything,” Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself: how could I forget something that’s already happened?
Ah Ye immediately looked at her with admiration.
The moon rose, and night deepened. The bustling streets of the capital remained lively. In the bright lights, performances began at Yizui Pavilion, drawing cheers from the crowd.
In a private room deep on the second floor, the doors and windows were tightly shut. A servant was about to deliver tea and snacks but was stopped by the manager. “There are distinguished guests inside. Do you think it’s your place to barge in and embarrass yourself?”
With that, the manager went in personally. The scolded servant was left sulking and asked another servant, “Who are these important guests that the manager is making such a fuss over?”
“Do you know the Hua family? The imperial family’s maternal relatives. The host inside is the second son of the main Hua branch, Hua Shu—His Majesty’s own cousin. He’s entertaining the fiancé of the Eldest Princess, Lord Fu, Fu Zhixian!”
The young servant clicked his tongue in astonishment, not someone to mess with, definitely not.
Inside the private room, a veiled dancer from the Hu Region was twisting her slim waist with fervor, but the man facing her was already dead drunk—slumped over the table, motionless, completely uninterested in the spectacle before him.
It wasn’t even midnight, and the crowd was already tipsy. Hua Shu gave the drunken man beside him a casual shove and joked, “I wonder, how do these ladies compare to Her Highness the Eldest Princess?”
The man lying facedown didn’t respond, but the others roared with laughter, all claiming that the Eldest Princess was stunning enough to topple a kingdom—how could a few dancers compare? It was only the wine talking—sober, none of them would dare jest like this.
Hua Shu gave a soft snort and pushed at Fu Zhixian again. “Lord Fu, I’m talking to you.”
“…Hmm?” Fu Zhixian barely managed to sit up, his drunken eyes hazy as he looked toward the lead dancer.
She had never seen him clearly before—he’d been face-down since she entered—but the moment she caught sight of his shimmering, deep eyes, she blanked out and missed several steps in her dance.
“As expected of our dear Lord Fu, he can drive women to distraction without lifting a finger. No surprise the Eldest Princess is so head over heels,” someone quipped.
Fu Zhixian, apparently too drunk to care, simply pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a faint smile.
“Lord Fu, do you find this Hu-region beauty to your taste?” Hua Shu pressed on, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “Say the word and she’ll be in your bed tonight.”
The dancer blushed and glanced shyly at the two men.
“What?” Fu Zhixian frowned, confusion written in his stunning features—clearly too drunk to follow.
“It’s nothing, just a reminder for Lord Fu to drink less. We still need to go to the pleasure boat later to listen to music.” Hua Shu lost interest upon seeing him this drunk. When he caught the disappointed look in the dancer’s eyes, he even shot her a warning glance.
The dancer shivered and quickly redoubled her efforts, swaying her waist even more diligently.
Hua Shu was about to speak again when Fu Zhixian suddenly let out a muffled groan and slumped onto his lap, about to vomit.
Hua Shu’s expression changed immediately, and he quickly called over Fu Zhixian’s attendant. “Hurry, help your Lord to the changing room!”
“Yes, yes…” The attendant hastily supported Fu Zhixian and led him out.
Not long after, the attendant returned, looking troubled, and whispered in Hua Shu’s ear, “Young Master Hua, my lord accidentally vomited on himself just now, and we don’t have any clean clothes to change into. I’m afraid…”
“Then let Lord Fu head back first,” Hua Shu frowned and waved him off.
The attendant agreed and quickly left. Before he even managed to properly close the door from outside, someone inside sneered, “Just three pots of wine and he’s already this drunk—this Lord Fu is really useless.”
“So what if he’s useless? As long as the Eldest Princess likes him. The only question is whether someone like him can properly please Her Highness.”
“Surely he can, otherwise she wouldn’t have stuck with him all these years without changing to someone else.”
Another round of laughter broke out. Hua Shu found it all quite amusing. As he glanced around, he noticed that on the nearby table full of refreshments, there was an empty plate standing out among the rest.
…That Fu Zhixian—drunk as he was—still managed to finish off a whole plate of pastries?
The night grew deeper. After the initial lively bustle, the streets had mostly emptied out. The lamps on both sides had gone out, and only the pleasure boat waiting by the lakeside across from Yizui Pavilion remained brightly lit.
No one knew how much time had passed when finally the lights of Yizui Pavilion also dimmed. Several young, frivolous noblemen staggered out and directly boarded the long-waiting pleasure boat.
In a dark corner, a carriage quietly waited. When the boat had sailed to the center of the lake, the coachman finally lowered his voice and asked, “My lord, where to now?”
“The Eldest Princess’s residence.” Inside the carriage, Fu Zhixian parted his thin lips, his expression completely sober.
The coachman tightened the reins and drove swiftly toward the Eldest Princess’s estate under the cover of night. Behind them, the pleasure boat suddenly tilted and sank, disappearing into the lake amidst the sound of music and dancing.
Feng Lezhen had said she wouldn’t wait for him, and indeed, she hadn’t. But lying in bed, she couldn’t fall asleep either. Every time she closed her eyes, what surfaced was the scene from the Mid-Autumn palace banquet in her previous life—Fu Zhixian publicly accusing her of treason.
Back then, he had calmly looked at her with his usual mild eyes, delivering the deadliest blow in the most composed manner. She hadn’t even been able to defend herself in time—her mind had been consumed by just one thought:
When had the man she trusted most in this world first begun to entertain thoughts of betraying her?
Actually, it was understandable. After all, ever since the new emperor ascended the throne, she and her old allies had drifted apart. Her power was no longer as unshakable as before. Anyone with even a little sense could see that her sunset days were near and would have long started looking for another way out.
He had stayed by her side for five years, accompanying her through the most difficult times. That was already more than enough. In the end, betraying her for his own future—it was perfectly reasonable.
…Was it really?
Expressionless, Feng Lezhen sat up and drank three cups of cold tea before she finally felt a bit more comfortable. Just as she was about to lie back down, a knock came at the door.
“Your Highness, Lord Fu has arrived,” Ah Ye called from outside.
Feng Lezhen’s gaze turned cold, but somehow the restlessness in her heart gradually calmed.
The summer night was quiet, with only the faint chirping of insects. The main bedroom door slowly opened, and Feng Lezhen stood inside, her face expressionless as she looked down at the man standing in the courtyard.
He was truly handsome—especially those eyes, clear and bright, yet carrying an innate air of refinement. Contradictory yet beautiful, impossible to dismiss at a glance.
The moonlight tonight was like water, pouring all over his tall, slender figure. The moment their eyes met, all of Fu Zhixian’s usual coldness and aloofness seemed to melt away, leaving him wrapped only in the soft glow of the moon.
“Your Highness.” The corners of his lips curved up, and though his eyes still carried a trace of drunkenness, they were filled with a smile.
