Zhu Nanxian and Zhu Qiyue fought to a draw.

Emperor Jingyuan praised them: “Excellent! My sons should all be vigorous and spirited. Wu Chang, bring my Kunyu bow to bestow upon Nanxian.”

Wu Chang acknowledged the order and quietly instructed a nearby palace attendant with a few words. The attendant hurried off.

Emperor Jingyuan looked toward Zhu Qiyue and, after thinking for a moment, said: “These years you’ve commanded troops in Lingnan. Even when General Cao passed away the year before last, you couldn’t return to the capital to pay respects. Since you’ve returned this time, stay for a while longer. I’ve heard from Marquis Anping that Qihuan will also return to the capital soon. You can wait for her in the palace and stay together until autumn before leaving.”

The Twelfth Princess Consort Qihuan was the eldest daughter of the Qi family of Marquis Anping’s household, younger sister of Left Commander-in-Chief Qi Wujiu. According to Great Sui custom, after a legitimate wife gave birth to the eldest legitimate son and completed her confinement period, she could return to her natal family to stay for half a year.

Zhu Qiyue acknowledged this.

Emperor Jingyuan continued: “I hear that after returning to the capital, you go daily with Nanxian to the Northern Military Camp? Well, since you’re to stay in the capital for half a year now, it truly won’t do for you to have no proper position.” As he spoke, he suddenly said: “Left Commander-in-Chief, Minister Gong.”

Qi Wujiu and Gong Quan responded in unison: “Your subject is here.”

Emperor Jingyuan said: “Give the Yingyang Guard to Qiyue to temporarily command.” Then, seeing the astonishment in Zhu Qiyue’s eyes, he slowly smiled: “He has an impatient temperament and cannot wait for anything. It just so happens the winter hunt is tomorrow—you two do me a favor and give him the tiger tally first thing in the morning.”

The Yingyang Guard was one of the top twelve guard units. Although it didn’t compare to the Yulin Guard or the Jinwu Guard, for Zhu Qiyue, being a prince born of a concubine, commanding an imperial guard unit was an enormous honor.

All of Zhu Jingyuan’s love in life had been given to the late Empress, but if one were to speak of whom he owed the most in this lifetime, it would be Consort Shu, mother of Zhu Yiheng and Zhu Qiyue.

Consort Shu was originally the daughter of an official, her birth not lowly. However, not long after she entered the palace, her father was imprisoned for crimes, and she too was demoted to the rank of Attendant. Later she gave birth to the Tenth Prince Zhu Yiheng. Though promoted to the rank of Jieyu, her own son was taken away to the Imperial Noble Consort’s palace.

Only after later giving birth to Zhu Qiyue was she enfeoffed as Consort Shu.

Like Zhu Nanxian, Zhu Qiyue had loved martial arts from childhood, but unfortunately Consort Shu was a criminal official’s daughter and faced many restrictions. Following various generals to the military camps to study martial arts was a privilege reserved for legitimate princes.

When the Twelfth Prince was very young, he hoped day and night that Little Thirteenth would return from the military and teach him what he had learned. Perhaps he never realized that when he watched Little Thirteenth demonstrate earnestly before him, his eyes would reveal an extremely envious gaze.

Such a gaze, falling in Consort Shu’s eyes, was a wound to her heart.

This woman whose temperament had always been as calm as water had never asked Zhu Jingyuan for anything in her life. Even when Zhu Yiheng was taken away, she had only silently wept as she watched. The only time was when she entreated Emperor Jingyuan to let Twelfth go to the military camp together with Little Thirteenth.

But it was like a stone dropped into the sea.

At that time, Zhu Nanxian himself only knew rudimentary martial arts. After teaching for half a year, even he couldn’t make sense of it anymore.

So the small child hugged his head and crouched on the ground. After thinking for a long while, he suddenly lifted his face and smiled brightly: “Twelfth Brother, why don’t I petition Father Emperor to let you come with me to the military camp?”

Zhu Qiyue shook his head: “It’s useless.” His mother consort had already petitioned.

Zhu Nanxian’s eyes had been bright as stars since childhood. He said firmly: “Next month is my birthday. Father Emperor said he would grant me whatever I wanted. I’ll petition him for you.”

And so a month later, when Zhu Qiyue stood in the military camp with its billowing dust from horses’ hooves and its stern iron armor, he finally understood that people truly were different from one another. Some things that were harder for him than plucking stars from the sky were, for Thirteenth, a legitimate prince, merely a matter of one sentence.

But young Zhu Qiyue thought again—he had asked to study martial arts and received permission to study martial arts. He had sought benevolence and obtained benevolence. Actually, it wasn’t bad.

Moreover, Thirteenth had never once put on airs before him. From childhood to adulthood, he had always respected him as both elder brother and friend.

Zhu Qiyue lifted his robes and knelt, deeply kowtowing three times: “Your son—thanks Father Emperor for his great grace.”

After this matter concluded, Academy Scholar Wu presented a golden card with over ten characters proposed for the Seventeenth Prince.

Emperor Jingyuan picked it up and scanned through it, his gaze suddenly pausing on the two characters “Min’er.”

The Hanlin Academy had particular considerations when proposing characters for princes. If the characters weren’t intimately related to their birth, then they expressed high hopes for their lives and for the realm and its altars.

The Seventeenth Prince was legitimate. Not one of the characters on the golden card failed to eulogize Emperor Jingyuan’s great achievements and magnificent deeds—except for “Min’er.”

“Min” meant autumn. Zhu Jingyuan remembered that Seventeenth was born on the nineteenth of the ninth month, deep autumn, when even the osmanthus blossoms had faded. And that year, it was precisely in such a season that he returned victorious. When he first saw Seventeenth, the child was already one year old. The Empress had waited for him nearly two years.

The two characters “Min’er” contained no splendid rivers and mountains painted with bold brushstrokes, nor any compassionate sentiments toward the people. Yet the single character “er” seemed to have an infinitely long trailing note, slowly expressing his longing for the late Empress over these years.

This character was as if it had been proposed from the depths of his heart.

Emperor Jingyuan asked: “The two characters Min’er—which among you proposed them?”

Academy Scholar Wu was startled and hurriedly bowed down: “In reply to Your Majesty, these characters were not proposed by your subjects, but were sent over yesterday by Censor Su of the Imperial Censorate.”

All the officials had been listening as Emperor Jingyuan bestowed the character. They stood scattered about, and upon suddenly hearing that these characters were actually proposed by Su Jin, their gazes searched through the crowd for quite a while before finding her standing together with Shen Xi and Zou Liren.

Zhu Jingyuan’s voice immediately turned cold: “You are someone from the Imperial Censorate—how are you helping the Hanlin Academy propose characters?”

Su Jin came forward and bowed down. Before she could answer, the Seventeenth Prince rushed to say: “In reply to Father Emperor, your son heard that Censor Su was highly talented and requested his help in proposing them.” He truly couldn’t contain his heartfelt delight and bent down to earnestly request: “Father Emperor, your son likes the character Min’er. I beg Father Emperor to bestow upon your son the character Min’er.”

Emperor Jingyuan looked expressionlessly at Su Jin. After a long moment, he shifted his gaze to glance at the Seventeenth Prince and said with a cold laugh of rebuke: “Worthless.” Then, expressionlessly: “You’re only worthy of the two characters ‘Min’er.'”

Taking up the vermilion brush to circle the selection on the golden card, Zhu Jingyuan stood up and said: “Minda, you handle more matters tonight. You’ll decide on tomorrow’s winter hunt arrangements. When it’s time to depart at the hour of mao, I’ll come over then.”

Zhu Minda said: “Father Emperor, rest assured. Your son will naturally arrange everything properly.”

Emperor Jingyuan looked at him quietly, then after a moment said again: “After the winter hunt, on the seventh of the first month there’s prayers at Zhaojue Temple, on the fifteenth of the first month welcoming spring at the city gate tower, and after court opens there’s inspection of the three armies—you’ll handle all of these as well.”

At these words, even Zhu Minda was stunned for an instant—

Throughout all dynasties, the nation’s fortune after the new year was of paramount importance. Therefore, the prayers, spring welcoming, and military inspections after the year’s end were all personally conducted by the emperor without exception.

And Zhu Jingyuan entrusting all these matters to the Crown Prince probably meant he would pass on the throne after the spring military inspection.

Zhu Minda respectfully performed a bow: “Your son obeys the command.”

Emperor Jingyuan raised his wine cup and held it up toward everyone seated: “I am weary. All of you enjoy yourselves.” He drank it down in one gulp and departed with long strides.

Earlier the officials had all relaxed, and now that Emperor Jingyuan had left, they wanted to enjoy themselves even more. Some less restrained individuals had already begun drinking games, one cup on the left, another on the right.

Zhu Nanxian drank distractedly through several cups offered by his imperial brothers. Seeing Vice Minister of Rites Zou draw out that red compatibility card again and hand it before Su Jin, he was about to rush over when his arm was grabbed. Zhu Min’er looked at him with flashing eyes: “Imperial Brother, shall we go see Little Lin at Imperial Sister-in-law’s side?”

Zhu Nanxian’s gaze was glued to that red card, somewhat impatiently: “Can’t you go by yourself?”

Zhu Min’er looked extremely embarrassed: “But that area is all female relatives.”

Zhu Nanxian glanced at him and said again: “Then go find Ninth Brother to play chess.”

Zhu Min’er blinked at him: “Just now Ninth Brother and Third Brother went to the opposite bank together. Didn’t Imperial Brother see?”

Zhu Nanxian’s mind was preoccupied with Su Jin, so he didn’t think much about what Zhu Jiyou and Zhu Yutang were doing at the women’s quarters. He just watched as Zou Liren finished speaking at length and was about to stuff the red card into Su Jin’s hands.

Zhu Nanxian was thoroughly annoyed. That bastard surnamed Shen—he only knows how to watch the show and doesn’t know to intervene!

He could wait no longer and tossed out: “Go find Eldest Imperial Brother and have him keep you entertained!”

Just as Su Jin accepted the red card, a figure flashed before her eyes, and in an instant the red card was snatched from her fingertips.

Zhu Nanxian steadied his breathing and, as if very calmly, looked at the red card in his hand. He coughed and, putting on a somewhat serious manner, asked: “What is Vice Minister Zou doing?”

Zou Liren was somewhat surprised. What—now that the Thirteenth Prince had become Left Director of the Imperial Clan Court, did he have to manage even such trivial matters as officials’ daughters’ marriages? Could it be he was upset that he hadn’t informed him first?

So Zou Liren very carefully informed him: “In reply to Your Highness, this subject is proposing a marriage match between my eldest daughter and Censor Su.”

Zhu Nanxian’s head throbbed, and he blurted out: “How dare you!”

Zou Liren looked completely bewildered, seeming not to understand how exactly he had been so daring.

At this moment, Shen Xi suddenly exclaimed “Oh my!” and looked Zou Liren up and down with great astonishment, clasping his hands and bowing deeply: “This truly calls for congratulations to Lord Zou!”

Zou Liren’s face wrote five characters—”What is all this about?”

Shen Qingyue explained very patiently: “May I ask Vice Minister Zou, did your eldest daughter come today?”

Zou Liren said: “She came.”

Shen Xi said: “It seems that for tomorrow’s winter hunt, the woman the Thirteenth Prince is determined to bring is precisely your honored daughter. In that case—” He deliberately paused, waiting for Zou Liren’s heart to rise to his throat, then said as if speculating: “The consort the Thirteenth Prince wishes to take would that not also be…”

“Shen Qingyue!” Zhu Nanxian could bear it no longer, his expression saying “if you say one more word I’ll dismember you.”

He steadied his composure again and said to Zou Liren: “Lord Zou, please don’t misunderstand. This prince doesn’t mean that.”

Only then did Zou Liren’s heart descend from his throat.

In his view, being too blessed wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Being able to arrange marriage with Censor Su would be perfect good fortune, but if one married into the Zhu family and became imperial in-laws, that would be somewhat more blessing than one could bear.

Just like when a pie falls from heaven—if it’s a golden pie, it will only crush someone to death.

Shen Xi said in amazement: “Not that meaning?” He thought carefully again: “Ah, now I understand.”

Then he said with a grin: “Lord Zou, His Highness is offering to serve as guarantor for your honored daughter’s match with Censor Su!”

“Cuiwei” had been handed to a palace attendant earlier. Zhu Nanxian felt at his waist and said calmly: “Where is this prince’s saber?” Then he looked around—it seemed he was going to find his saber.

Zhu Nanxian hadn’t gone far when Su Jin called out from behind: “Your Highness.”

She bowed to Zou Liren: “Many thanks for Vice Minister Zou’s kind intentions, but this official recently had a relative pass away. I plan to return to my hometown after spring begins and presently have no mind for marriage.”

Zou Liren was ultimately a person who understood propriety. Hearing Su Jin say this, he replied: “So such a thing has occurred. It was wrong of this Zou to propose marriage at such a time. Please accept my condolences, Censor Su.” With that, he returned a deep bow to Su Jin, turned, and left.

After Zou Liren had walked far away, only then did Zhu Nanxian ask: “You… had a relative pass away?”

Su Jin said: “I was just wanting to tell Your Highness and Lord Shen about this. Actually it’s not a relative, but an uncle who once took me in and raised me.” She glanced at the two of them and explained: “But there’s no rush to leave immediately. I already sent a letter yesterday. Once someone from Qizhou replies, I’ll see when to depart. Ultimately… I must wait until all matters are settled.”

Shen Xi knew that Su Jin always had her own arrangements for everything, so he said: “Very well.” Then added: “You needn’t force yourself. If you need help, you can always tell me.”

He understood what Su Jin meant by “all matters are settled.”

The incident at the Palace Front Hall hung over both their hearts like an undispersed shadow. Shen Xi felt the same unease in his heart.

Zhu Nanxian thought deeply for a moment and said: “Qizhou is in Guangxi Circuit. I’m leaving early—I must depart on the seventh. How about this—I’ll first bypass Nanchang and head south to visit your hometown in Qizhou, then send an urgent message back so you can have peace of mind.”

Su Jin looked up at Zhu Nanxian.

She had never liked to trouble others with anything. She should have refused, but in a flash, she found herself, contrary to her usual self, not wanting to refuse.

This trace of warmth within reach was like the first ray of sunlight after the depths of winter when spring begins—sufficient to break through ice.

Su Jin couldn’t help but smile. Unfortunately, before she could say anything, a commotion suddenly came from across the river, accompanied by several slight cries of alarm. A palace attendant hurried over from the Yaoshui bridge and bowed down before Zhu Nanxian: “Your Highness, something has happened to Fourth Miss Qi!”