Emperor Yongchang left with the four imperial guards openly displayed before him. As for how many he left hidden in the shadows to protect his son, Zhao Sui didn’t search for them, because those were Father Emperor’s people.

Zhao Sui also had no time to care about those guards. His gaze remained fixed on Miss Yao, whose name he had only learned today.

As Emperor Yongchang walked away, Yao Lin was the first to come to his sister’s side, asking curiously: “Sister, what did you ask Old Master Zhao?”

Yao Huang glanced at Prince Hui, who lagged two steps behind her brother, and casually made something up: “I asked him whether his relationship with the abbot was deep enough, and whether it would be convenient for him to get me a string of prayer beads blessed by the abbot.”

Fragrant Mountain Temple was the second most famous temple near the capital’s suburbs. Every day, batches of blessed prayer beads and bracelets were sold at the temple. The more famous the monk who blessed them, the higher the price. Those blessed by the abbot were things ordinary pilgrims couldn’t even catch a glimpse of.

Yao Lin was shocked: “How could we have the face to ask that? We’re not even familiar with Old Master Zhao—”

Zhao Sui: “No harm. My father is very familiar with the abbot. As long as the abbot has some available, he should be able to select a string for Miss.”

Yao Huang: “It doesn’t matter if there aren’t any. I was just asking casually. I don’t particularly want them.”

She randomly picked a direction and walked off.

Without elders present, Yao Lin directly inquired with Lord Zhao beside him: “I wonder what position Uncle holds? He looks truly imposing.”

Zhao Sui: “Once inside the temple, all are pilgrims. Worldly vanities aren’t worth mentioning.”

Yao Lin: “I understand. Uncle must be a high official. Your Lordship is modest and doesn’t want to show off in front of us.”

The martial academy was full of wastrel sons who bullied others relying on their family backgrounds. Lord Zhao had that kind of divine steed and could scatter dozens or hundreds of taels of silver like water—clearly a person of great wealth and nobility.

Zhao Sui tacitly acknowledged it.

Yao Lin kept him company chatting from behind. Yao Huang led the way in front, first going to the Great Buddha Hall to offer incense.

Two prayer cushions were arranged side by side before the Buddha statue. After the three of them queued for a while, both cushions happened to become vacant at the same time.

Yao Huang immediately walked toward the left cushion.

Yao Lin never believed in such things. He asked the handsome young master behind him quietly: “Will Your Lordship go?”

Zhao Sui glanced at Miss Yao, who had already knelt on the cushion, stepped forward several paces, and knelt on the other cushion.

Yao Huang tilted her head slightly and saw Prince Hui’s hastily lowered eyelashes.

She smiled, pressed her palms together, and began to worship sincerely. First, she prayed for the peace and prosperity of family and friends. Second, she prayed for her own marriage to be as she wished.

After finishing her worship, with people coming and going in the temple and nothing interesting to view, the three went to the back mountain to enjoy the scenery.

Just after walking out the temple’s back gate, Zhao Sui suddenly stopped, looking thoughtfully toward the temple.

Yao Lin: “What’s wrong? Did Your Lordship lose something?”

Zhao Sui lowered his eyes and said: “I suddenly feel thirsty. I wonder if the temple sells tea.”

Yao Lin had accompanied his mother and sister here several times and immediately said: “Yes, two wen coins for one bamboo tube. The tea is free—you can go refill it anytime after drinking it all. Ah, Your Lordship must not be familiar with the route. I’d better go instead. Sister, do you want some?”

Yao Huang: “Yes.”

Yao Lin was about to return to buy water. Zhao Sui grabbed his wrist, his other hand moving to untie the pouch at his waist.

Yao Lin shook him off forcefully, saying angrily: “Your Lordship has shown us siblings much care. Although I’m not as wealthy as Your Lordship, I can still afford two wen coins worth of water!”

After speaking, he ran off.

Zhao Sui looked toward Miss Yao, only to see Miss Yao glare at him. Looking displeased, she walked to a bodhi tree several measures away and turned her back to this direction.

Zhao Sui hesitated for a moment but still followed, maintaining a distance of two or three steps. He explained in a low voice: “It wasn’t my intention to frighten Miss. It was truly impossible to disobey Father’s command.”

He could refuse the princess consort candidate Father Emperor arranged, but his marriage must be decided by Father Emperor. So if Father Emperor wanted to see with his own eyes whether the young lady he had chosen was suitable to be the imperial family’s daughter-in-law, Zhao Sui couldn’t refuse.

Yao Huang: “Didn’t we agree that you and I would become more familiar with each other first, and only then would you report to the Emperor?”

Zhao Sui: “Yes, but I’ve reached marriageable age. Father Emperor suddenly proposed holding a selection ceremony for me. I could only report it in advance.”

Yao Huang’s heart tightened. She turned her face away and said: “A selection ceremony would be so good. So many young ladies from the capital for you to choose from—”

Zhao Sui: “I already have a princess consort candidate I admire. Holding a selection ceremony would just be going through the motions—wasting people’s resources and money isn’t what I desire.”

Yao Huang only felt both her cheeks burning with fire. She walked several steps to the side, still with her back to him.

From time to time, pilgrims came down from the back mountain or were just heading up. Their conversation couldn’t be heard by others. Zhao Sui could only continue following the young lady ahead: “I wonder what Miss asked Father Emperor?”

Yao Huang glanced at his shadow falling on the grass and smiled: “I asked him whether, if after today’s interaction I still didn’t want to marry you, he would punish our whole family. The Emperor was magnanimous and generous and put me at ease.”

Zhao Sui: “…”

There was no sound behind her for a long time. Yao Huang turned her head and saw Prince Hui standing there like a jade tree, eyes lowered and brows drawn. She asked doubtfully: “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Only then did Zhao Sui look up. After making eye contact with her once, he lowered his gaze again and said: “I don’t know what to say, nor how to conduct myself next to win Miss’s favor.”

Yao Huang: “Then isn’t that cheating? I want to understand your temperament. If you don’t speak, how can I understand?”

Zhao Sui: “I usually don’t talk much.”

Yao Huang: “Fine. Then let’s each stand here. Neither of us needs to acknowledge the other.”

Zhao Sui just watched helplessly as the young lady walked several more steps away.

Not speaking would only make her angry. Speaking—

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Sui followed and brought up the Father Emperor who had come along: “I’ve already made clear to Father Emperor my determination to only marry you as my wife and not take concubines. Father Emperor was somewhat displeased at the time, but just now Father Emperor allowed me to continue touring with you two. It’s evident that after seeing you, Father Emperor was also very pleased and won’t oppose our marriage anymore.”

Yao Huang: “I haven’t decided to marry you yet. Whether he likes me or not doesn’t matter.”

Zhao Sui: “I know. What I mean is, you only need to consider whether I myself am worthy of your affection. You need not worry about other matters.”

Yao Huang was just about to nod when her foot suddenly slipped.

Zhao Sui immediately stepped forward to support her shoulders. After Yao Huang steadied herself, he released his hands at the first opportunity.

Yao Huang looked down with lingering fear and discovered she had accidentally stepped in a small puddle concealed by green grass. There wasn’t much water in the puddle—it only dampened the upper part of her shoe—but now her brand-new embroidered shoe was covered entirely in mud…

The embarrassment made Yao Huang’s face flush completely red. She wanted to use grass blades to wipe away that mud, but this action wasn’t particularly dignified either.

If it were someone else standing before her, Yao Huang wouldn’t care what they thought. But the one who witnessed this scene was the refined and noble Prince Hui, the handsome young master she had thought about countless times while looking at the painting.

“I, I’ll go back first.” Yao Huang wanted to flee—flee to somewhere he couldn’t see.

Zhao Sui didn’t want her to leave. Knowing she was embarrassed about the embroidered shoe, Zhao Sui took out the handkerchief from his sleeve and knelt down on one knee: “Pardon my offense.”

As he spoke, one hand slightly lifted aside Miss Yao’s pale green skirt, while the other hand gripped the bamboo-green handkerchief and wiped toward the mud on her white shoe upper.

Yao Huang instinctively wanted to draw her foot back.

Zhao Sui grasped her ankle along with the skirt. After she stopped moving, he released his grip.

Yao Huang’s voice even trembled slightly: “It’s so dirty. I’ll do it myself.”

Zhao Sui: “Without me, Miss wouldn’t have walked this way. It’s because of me that Miss dirtied her embroidered shoe. It’s proper that I make amends.”

Yao Huang: “If only it hadn’t rained yesterday.”

Zhao Sui: “Did Miss also think this yesterday?”

Yao Huang: “I did not!”

Prince Hui, kneeling with lowered head: “Yesterday I kept hoping the rain would stop. At midnight the rain truly stopped. I thought, perhaps this is heaven’s will.”

Yao Huang: “How do you know the rain stopped at midnight?”

Zhao Sui’s movements paused. Before he could answer, Yao Lin returned carrying a bamboo tube of water in each hand. Seeing Lord Zhao crouched before his sister, and his sister’s face flushed red, Yao Lin exclaimed in shock: “You two—”

Zhao Sui turned his body to reveal the handkerchief covered in mud in his hand, and Miss Yao’s embroidered shoe that had been mostly wiped clean.

Yao Lin secretly thought this was terrible. He quickly had Lord Zhao take the bamboo tubes while he crouched down to wipe for his sister. After wiping just once, Yao Huang became annoyed: “You’ve made the surface of my shoe dirty too!”

Yao Lin: “…”

Because the brother was clumsy-handed, they had to switch back to Lord Zhao caring for his sister. Finally, using Yao Huang’s own handkerchief as well, they managed to clean it properly. Although it was still somewhat dirty, it couldn’t be seen unless examined closely.

Zhao Sui looked at the two dirty handkerchiefs in his hand and said to the siblings: “Please wait here. I’ll go to the temple to wash the handkerchiefs clean.”

Yao Lin: “Do you know where? Otherwise, should I go instead?”

Zhao Sui wasn’t very confident in Yao Lin’s handkerchief-washing skills. Moreover, he had other arrangements.

Watching Prince Hui leave, Yao Huang walked to a place where she could get sunlight to dry her shoes.

Yao Lin circled his sister once and said admiringly: “Lord Zhao looks refined, but his handiwork is detailed enough. He wiped them really well.”

Yao Huang looked at the only spot on the shoe surface that her brother had dirtied and glared at her brother again.

After waiting about a quarter-hour, Zhao Sui returned. He had left the two clean handkerchiefs drying in a guest courtyard and would retrieve them when leaving the temple.

Yao Lin: “I didn’t expect Your Lordship to be so frugal. You’re even willing to take the trouble to wash handkerchiefs that wiped shoes.”

He would have just thrown them away.

Yao Huang pinched her brother.

Zhao Sui said: “The plants, trees, and soil there are imbued with the temple’s Buddhist nature and incense offerings—they are spiritual objects. They look dirty, but are actually the purest things.”

Yao Huang and Yao Lin: “…”

Stone steps were installed on this side of the back mountain. The three walked while enjoying the scenery, climbing up and then walking down. It took roughly over half an hour.

Zhao Sui had the siblings wait for him at the temple’s main gate while he went to retrieve the two drying handkerchiefs.

Yao Lin asked his sister: “Are you really going to keep using those handkerchiefs?”

Yao Huang: “Lord Zhao didn’t disdain my handkerchief being dirty. When did you become so fastidious about cleanliness?”

Yao Lin: “Isn’t it because you’re usually too particular? Once I used your towel to wipe my back, and you threw it at me and told me to get a new one. How is my back dirtier than that mud?”

Yao Huang: “It just is dirty. Thinking about it makes me nauseous!”

Yao Lin sneered: “Fine. After you get married, I want to see whether your husband sweats or not, and whether you’ll disdain him for it.”

While the siblings were bickering, Zhao Sui also learned that Father Emperor had already left. So he went to the abbot and explained his purpose.

The abbot displayed before Prince Hui all the prayer bead strings, Buddhist beads, wooden bracelets, gold bracelets, and jade bracelets he had blessed last time. Originally there had been twelve boxes of each type, but because some had been given away successively, the boxes displayed before Prince Hui weren’t so uniform.

Each box contained a single item. Zhao Sui quickly looked through them, finally selecting one box of lotus-carved red gold bracelets, one box of mutton-fat jade bracelets, and one box of small-leaf red sandalwood prayer beads with lustrous red color, each bead the size of a cherry.

Zhao Sui: “This afternoon I’ll send someone to make a merit donation.”

The abbot indicated that the Emperor had already made a donation. These three boxes of Buddhist objects had their own affinity with His Highness Prince Hui—there was no need to donate again.

Though Prince Hui was young, he wouldn’t truly not make a donation.

Taking leave of the abbot, Zhao Sui went to meet up with the Yao siblings.

With many eyes at the temple’s main gate, the three first descended the mountain. After racing their horses back to the city, Zhao Sui invited the siblings to dine at Wangxian Tower. Upon entering the private room, he took out a palm-sized round wooden box from his sleeve and gave it to Yao Huang: “This is a prayer bead string my father is giving Miss, presented by the abbot.”

Yao Huang: “Please thank Uncle for his expenditure.”

Zhao Sui: “It’s also because my father found Miss agreeable.”

Yao Huang opened the box. Inside was a string of beads like red cherries, emanating a lustrous glow, resembling jade stone.

Yao Lin asked the same question his sister was curious about: “What kind of wood is this?”

Zhao Sui: “Forgive my poor judgment. I don’t know either.”

Yao Huang didn’t believe it at all. Taking advantage of her brother going to the restaurant’s washroom, she asked again.

Zhao Sui lowered his eyes and said: “Small-leaf red sandalwood.”

Though Yao Huang had never seen it, she knew this wood was precious. She immediately tried to return the prayer beads to Prince Hui.

Zhao Sui: “I just feel that Miss is very suited to wearing this color.”

After speaking, he took out a folded bamboo-green silk handkerchief from his chest. After unfolding it, he placed it before Miss Yao: “These two styles also suit you very well.”

Two bracelets lay folded on the silk handkerchief—one golden and gleaming, one white and smooth.

Yao Huang: “Are you trying to bribe me?”

Zhao Sui: “This is my apology for causing Miss to dirty her embroidered shoes.”

Yao Huang closed the handkerchief with difficulty and said: “If it’s an apology, the prayer beads are enough.”

Zhao Sui looked up, gazing at the young lady opposite and asking: “Truly don’t like them?”

Yao Huang was panicked by his gaze. She lowered her head and said aggrievedly: “I’m just a vulgar commoner. How could I possibly not like them? But without a name or status, I can’t accept such expensive gifts from you.”

Zhao Sui: “Then shall I keep them for Miss first, and give them to you after Father Emperor grants the marriage?”

Yao Huang’s eyelashes trembled lightly. She heard the hook hidden in his words.

But she had already agreed before Emperor Yongchang. As soon as he asked after returning to the palace, he would know she was already willing.

So Yao Huang nodded with her face completely flushed.

From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Prince Hui flexing his slender fingers several times. Yao Huang turned her face away and said: “I’m not agreeing because of your two bracelets. Don’t look down on me.”

Zhao Sui: “I won’t. I know you’re not someone who craves vanity.”

Yao Huang: “Wrong. I’m very greedy, but vanity alone isn’t worth my greed. Your person must also please me.”

Zhao Sui then placed the two bracelets along with the handkerchief into the wooden box containing the small-leaf red sandalwood prayer beads and closed the lid.

Yao Huang saw everything clearly and asked: “That’s your handkerchief. Where’s mine?”

Prince Hui lowered his eyes.

Yao Huang extended her hand toward him: “Give it back to me.”

At this moment, Yao Lin returned. The instant he pushed open the door, Yao Huang quickly lowered her hand.

There was no further opportunity to demand the handkerchief back, and Prince Hui, who appeared to be a gentleman observing propriety, truly didn’t proactively return it to her either.