With the young assistant official absent, several young men wanted to try riding the mount he had lent Yao Lin.

Yao Lin said seriously: “If this were my horse, I’d let you try it however you wanted. But this was lent to me by that lord. Without his permission, I cannot make decisions on my own.”

Master Fan nodded: “That’s the correct reasoning. The finer the horse, the more spirited it is. All of you behave yourselves and don’t harbor foolish thoughts.”

The young men gave up on the idea of test riding and each mounted their own mule or horse.

Li Tingwang rode alongside Master Fan and asked: “Master, may I know that lord’s honorable surname?”

Master Fan thought about how Yao Lin’s sister had already guessed, and Prince Hui himself had no intention of concealing his surname, so he casually replied: “Zhao.”

The imperial family’s surname was Zhao, but Zhao was also one of the common surnames among the people. Master Fan spoke so readily that Li Tingwang didn’t immediately think of the imperial family—after all, he had been playing polo down below all morning, unlike Yao Huang who had seen Master Fan’s respectful obedience before that lord at close range.

Master Fan didn’t want to discuss Prince Hui further and began commenting on the young men’s polo performance.

Arriving at Wangxian Tower, Master Fan remembered Prince Hui’s teaching that students shouldn’t be greedy for wine, so he only ordered one jar for the ten to satisfy their cravings.

When ordering dishes, Master Fan opened the pouch Prince Hui had given him. Inside was a hundred-tael banknote, five one-tael small gold ingots, and several taels of loose silver.

Master Fan then scanned the ten young men sitting fully around the table and helplessly took out the five gold ingots, saying: “Order to this amount. If you exceed it, you’ll split the difference.”

Li Tingwang, sixteen years old and having worked hard through two matches to earn only two taels as prize money: “…”

Yao Huang and her companions returned to Longevity Lane after dining at the restaurant.

Luo Jinhua: “Why didn’t you come back with your brother?”

Yao Huang briefly explained, omitting her speculation about that assistant official’s identity to avoid worrying her mother.

Full and satisfied, Yao Huang returned to the west wing for an afternoon rest. Lying on the kang, she couldn’t sleep, her mind full of Lord Zhao’s handsome features and heroic bearing while playing polo.

Yao Huang felt somewhat melancholy.

Such a handsome gentleman—if his family background matched hers, Yao Huang would not only dare to respond to his gaze, but even if he showed no interest in her, she would dare to actively pursue him, just as her mother had once boldly flirted with her father, turning the man she fancied into her own husband.

Just guessing he came from a prestigious family, Yao Huang had given up such thoughts. After learning he was an imperial prince, Yao Huang dared not harbor such fantasies even more.

After tossing and turning several times, Yao Huang fell asleep. Upon waking, she didn’t dwell on that person anymore. She called A’Ji to bring water, washed her face, and left the west wing.

The Yao family’s south gate was closed. Sounds of her father and brother came from the back courtyard, seeming to mention something about a horse.

Yao Huang walked over puzzled and saw her parents, brother, and even their household servants all surrounding a black fine horse, observing it.

The fine horse stood motionless, like a fake horse.

Yao Huang ran over quickly and looked at her brother: “What’s this?”

Yao Lin’s face showed the joy and pride of having found gold: “Just after you all left, Lord Zhao saw I had no mount and lent me his.”

Yao Huang: “Then how did Lord Zhao get there?”

Yao Lin: “He didn’t go. He said he still had business and returned to the Martial Academy. He only provided the silver.”

Yao Huang: “…”

She didn’t want to overthink it, but such a noble person, such an expensive horse—was it Lord Zhao’s naturally generous and straightforward nature, or…

After the others lost interest in the fine horse and dispersed, Yao Huang quietly asked her brother: “What connection do you have with Lord Zhao? Why would he be willing to lend you his horse?”

Yao Lin thought about it and mentioned that day when he was standing as punishment and had extra encounters with Lord Zhao.

Yao Huang asked her brother to be more specific. Learning that Lord Zhao had quite abruptly asked about her brother’s family background, Yao Huang’s heartbeat became completely chaotic.

Fearing Lord Zhao’s divine steed might be stolen at their house, Yao Lin cautiously slept in the mule shed’s haystack for a night. The next day, he rode the divine steed to the Martial Academy early.

Master Fan and a plainclothes youth who clearly practiced martial arts stood near the main gate of the Martial Academy. Seeing him, Master Fan beckoned.

Zhang Yue didn’t say much to Yao Lin, simply taking away the prince’s horse.

From Master Fan’s mouth, Yao Lin learned that Lord Zhao had only come to the Martial Academy temporarily for inspection and wouldn’t remain there permanently on duty.

Yao Lin felt somewhat regretful—he had wanted to find an opportunity to spar with Lord Zhao in martial arts. However, the Martial Academy’s coursework was heavy, and Yao Lin quickly set aside thoughts of Lord Zhao. That is, until several days later when the Academy Supervisor, in his fifties, called all academy officials, literary and martial instructors, and students to the training grounds to loudly announce several new regulations. These included requiring outsiders who weren’t Martial Academy officials, teachers, or students to register their purpose at the gate before entering, and requiring students to maintain proper dress during private polo matches…

Yao Lin gritted his teeth: “This must be Lord Zhao’s doing!”

At the end of the second month, returning home for his rest day, Yao Lin complained about these new regulations to his family at the dinner table.

Yao Huang silently picked at her food, the image of Lord Zhao standing quietly with lowered eyes flashing briefly through her mind.

Prince Hui’s Residence.

Zhao Sui walked slowly alone along the main path of the back garden.

Some thoughts could be hidden from others but couldn’t deceive oneself—for instance, the fact that ever since that chance encounter, he couldn’t help but recall Miss Yao’s various expressions and actions.

Zhao Sui loved reading, but he wasn’t a bookworm. He understood very clearly what this kind of attention to Miss Yao signified.

Zhao Sui could directly inform Imperial Father and have Imperial Father arrange a marriage for him, but he wasn’t certain whether Miss Yao had feelings for him, and even less did he want her to compromise unwillingly because she dared not defy the imperial family’s favor.

Walking along, a peony garden appeared in Zhao Sui’s field of vision. The spring light was gentle and harmonious—some peonies had already bloomed.

Zhao Sui walked toward the peony flower beds.

The landscaping of the entire back garden of Prince Hui’s residence had been determined by Zhao Sui himself, so he recognized every famous tree and renowned flower in the garden.

Passing an early-blooming Yao Huang peony, Zhao Sui stopped. That day when Miss Yao went to watch matches at the Martial Academy, she had worn just such a pale yellow dress. The fabric was plain cloth, not particularly conspicuous among the silk and satin dresses of the other young ladies, but that bright color suited her well. Even when not smiling, she looked spirited; when smiling, it was like spring light dancing among the peony flowers.

Yao Huang, Miss Yao—both contained the character “Yao.” Unfortunately, Zhao Sui only knew her surname was Yao, only knew her friends and family would call her “Yao Yao,” but didn’t know her given name.

“Qing Ai.”

Zhao Sui called out while facing this Yao Huang peony.

Qing Ai, who had been following behind, immediately hurried over.

Zhao Sui: “Fetch an easel. I wish to paint.”

Qing Ai departed quickly and shortly returned with Fei Quan, bringing an easel, painting paper, and various colors of paint.

Zhao Sui then spent the entire morning slowly painting a peony, finally titling it “Yao Huang.”

The capital’s peonies were renowned throughout the realm. Not only did the imperial palace, princely residences, and marquis and duke households like to open special gardens for planting peonies, but among the common people, wealthy merchants also opened peony gardens. This both satisfied their own family’s refined interest in viewing peonies and allowed them to sell “flower tickets” to visitors in spring to earn silver.

The capital had several peony gardens. The more peony varieties and the more exquisite the garden scenery, the more expensive the flower tickets. The most expensive, “Splendid Garden,” actually cost one tael of silver per ticket.

On the evening of the ninth of the third month, Li Tingwang came to the Yao family with three flower tickets, inviting the Yao siblings to visit Splendid Garden tomorrow to view peonies: “My father wanted to take my mother and me, but he has unexpected business. My mother insists on waiting for him. These tickets can only be used tomorrow, so I have no choice but to take my best brother and his sister.”

Yao Lin had no interest in viewing flowers, but he knew his sister loved peonies, especially the “Yao Huang” among peonies.

Without thinking, he reached for the tickets.

Yao Huang wanted to go, but she didn’t want to take advantage of Li Tingwang’s two taels of silver. Instinctively, she looked toward her mother passing by.

Luo Jinhua smiled: “Go ahead. The tickets are already bought—what a waste not to use them.”

After Li Tingwang left, Luo Jinhua took out two taels of silver for her daughter, telling her to find an opportunity tomorrow to give them to Li Tingwang. If she gave them, Li Tingwang would certainly be polite about it. Luo Jinhua couldn’t be bothered with that lip service. With her daughter’s temperament, she would naturally have a way to hand them to Li Tingwang without excessive courtesy.

Yao Huang: “Making Mother spend again. I had originally wanted to buy tickets for Spring Fragrance Garden.”

Spring Fragrance Garden’s grounds were smaller, with fewer peony varieties. Flower tickets only cost one qian of silver each.

Luo Jinhua: “You siblings go to Splendid Garden first. In a few days, we mother and daughter will go to Spring Fragrance Garden.”

As for her husband and son, two crude men—they should obediently stay home and practice martial arts, saving two tickets’ worth of money for the mother and daughter to buy silk peony flowers to wear in their hair.

Yao Huang happily embraced her mother, who was willing to spend money for her to view expensive peonies.

Early the next morning, Li Tingwang drove his family’s carriage to pick up the Yao siblings. He and Yao Lin both sat on the carriage shaft while Yao Huang sat alone inside the carriage.

Leaving Longevity Lane, Li Tingwang instinctively wanted to tease Yao Huang, for instance saying he’d let her experience the pomp of a wealthy young lady going out. But thinking of that Lord Zhao he hadn’t seen in a long time, Li Tingwang swallowed these words, not daring to deliberately provoke Yao Huang as he used to.

“There’s jujube paste cake in the cabinet. I just bought it this morning. Try some.”

Li Tingwang glanced back while driving the carriage.

Li Tingwang often went to the Yao family to mooch meals. With such small snacks, Yao Huang wouldn’t be polite with him. She opened the low cabinet in the carriage to take out that package of pastries, then sat outside. With one hand she pinched jujube paste cake to eat, with the other she held the oil paper package out to each of them, telling them to eat too.

Li Tingwang looked at her bright eyes. Just holding the jujube paste cake in his hand, he felt it had become sweet.

The spring light was beautiful, and all three were in good moods.

Arriving outside Splendid Garden, Li Tingwang found a place to park the carriage. He and Yao Lin guarded Yao Huang on the left and right as they walked toward the garden gate.

Outside the garden gate, the proprietor had set up several stalls selling food, beverages, and various peony embroidered goods. The most popular was the stall selling silk peony flowers.

Li Tingwang insisted on going to look.

Yao Huang laughed at him: “Are you also going to learn from those refined gentlemen and wear flowers in your hair?”

Li Tingwang: “Yes, if I wear them, I’ll be refined too.”

He actually selected a pale yellow silk peony flower, spending five qian of silver. As he was about to wear it in his hair, seeing Yao Lin laughing, Li Tingwang pressed his hand on Yao Huang’s shoulder in mock anger, wanting to insert this silk flower in Yao Huang’s hair.

Yao Huang feared his clumsy hands would mess up her hair bun. She retreated several steps to avoid him. Looking up, her gaze suddenly fell on the alley behind Li Tingwang and her brother.

Someone was riding a horse toward them, wearing tea-white brocade robes with a jade hairpin in his hair. A pair of serene, elongated phoenix eyes had somehow long been looking in her direction.

Their gazes met. Lord Zhao lowered his eyes again.

In the moment Yao Huang was stunned, Li Tingwang swiftly inserted the silk flower in his hand into Yao Huang’s hair.

The woman tending the stall had been watching Yao Huang all along. Now she excitedly shouted loudly: “Everyone, look! This young lady wearing my silk flower looks just like a celestial maiden descended from heaven!”

With that, the woman quickly circled around and personally helped Yao Huang adjust the position of the silk peony flower.

Under the amazed gazes of the male and female customers around them, Yao Huang looked again toward Lord Zhao, who had drawn somewhat closer. Lord Zhao was looking at her again, but this time, Lord Zhao didn’t hastily avert his gaze. After a brief moment of eye contact, his gaze moved upward, evidently landing on the silk peony flower in her hair.