The separate residence’s kitchen wasn’t large, but the cook kept it spotlessly clean.

Li Buyan pulled open the cupboard, looked at the contents inside, and turned her head. “Today let’s not do noodles—how about I make you egg fried rice instead?”

Zhao Yishi stood at the doorway. “Fine.”

Li Buyan said, “Don’t just stand there—come in and start the fire.”

Wang Yin, who had followed along, felt his scalp go completely numb. He thought: I know you’re bold, Miss Li, but do you know who you’re ordering around?

The future emperor!

You’re making the emperor crawl into the stove pit to start a fire?

“This servant will do it, this servant will do it…”

“Stand down!”

Wang Yin fell to his knees with a thud, his face mournful. “Your Highness, this is absolutely improper. Your person is worth a thousand gold pieces…”

“Shen Chong.”

Shen Chong stepped forward and grabbed Wang Yin by the back of his collar, dragging him outside.

Outside the kitchen, Tang Yuan and Lan Chuan stood on either side.

Tang Yuan’s legs kept trembling.

When that noble person entered, she knew immediately he was no ordinary man. Setting aside his appearance, just the aura surrounding him was nothing like what could be cultivated in an ordinary high household.

Who would have thought—he was actually…

Lan Chuan blinked her eyes innocently and asked, “Sister Tang Yuan, who is His Highness?”

Tang Yuan was so frightened she quickly rushed over to cover her mouth, whispering, “The Imperial Crown Prince’s Heir.”

Imperial! Crown Prince’s! Heir!

Lan Chuan’s heart cried “Amitabha!” as she quickly knelt down, kowtowing three solid times toward the kitchen.

After kowtowing, Lan Chuan stood up, pressing her body tightly against Tang Yuan’s, her legs also beginning to tremble.

…

In the kitchen, Zhao Yishi looked at the stove pit, completely at a loss for what to do.

“Move aside.”

Li Buyan gently pushed him to one side, sat down in the stove pit, and used a fire starter to light the kindling.

The fire quickly caught. Li Buyan stuffed several pieces of firewood into the stove and looked up to ask, “Did you see how it’s done?”

The firelight reflected on her face, making it rosy. Scattered points of light shone in her eyes.

“Didn’t learn it.” He looked at her and said.

Li Buyan rolled her eyes at him, stuffed a few more pieces of firewood into the stove, stood up, and extended her thumb toward him, pointing it downward.

“Stupid!”

Zhao Yishi laughed softly.

Li Buyan walked to the stove. Zhao Yishi followed.

“Don’t come over—the oil will splatter on you in a moment.”

Zhao Yishi stepped back several paces. Looking at the red-glowing fire in the stove pit, he simply lifted his robe and sat down.

With this sitting, he made an unexpected discovery.

Though the stove area was small, it was incredibly warm. His entire body was heated by the fire, and all thoughts left his mind—he just wanted to sit here lazily.

A sizzling sound.

The lard hit the wok.

“Make the fire bigger.”

Zhao Yishi poked out half his head. “How do I do that?”

Li Buyan waved her spatula. “Stuff more firewood in.”

“Oh.”

Zhao Yishi fumbled to stuff in one piece, but seeing it wasn’t enough, stuffed in another.

Li Buyan walked to the stove pit and suddenly squatted down, tilting her chin up slightly. “Your Highness, don’t stuff them in one by one—put in a handful.”

Zhao Yishi grabbed a handful of firewood and stuffed it in, turning his head to look at Li Buyan. “Is this enough?”

Li Buyan rose up a bit, took the fire poker from his hand, and scraped at the bottom layer of ash in the stove pit.

The flames immediately blazed up.

She reached out and flicked his forehead, saying softly, “Now that’s enough.”

“Li Buyan.”

Zhao Yishi grasped her wrist, his voice seeming to carry a hint of the stove’s warmth.

“Have you figured it out these past days? Do you like me or not?”

“Zhao Yishi.”

She looked at the two flames reflected in his eyes, calling him by his full name in return. “Do you like me?”

Having said this, her hand gently pulled free, and she walked to the wok to crack eggs into it.

Smoke suddenly billowed up, filling the entire room.

Through the thin layer of mist, Zhao Yishi leaned out to look at the young woman in the white fog.

The young woman wore no perfume of any kind—she was clean and pure. The skin on her wrist wasn’t particularly delicate either—it seemed touched by a bit of weathering.

Yet it was precisely this touch of weathering that tugged at Zhao Yishi’s heart.

“Li Buyan, what is ‘liking’?”

Li Buyan’s hand holding the bowl paused. She thought of Lu Shi and Tang Zhiwei. “Even if she were a beggar, you’d still be willing to cherish and pity her—that is liking.”

Zhao Yishi fell silent.

His Majesty hadn’t said it like that. He said that once a person’s heart has someone they like, they have a weakness. An emperor’s heart must be hard—no one should be pitied.

He said: In marriage, choose virtue; in taking concubines, choose beauty.

A wife should be of equal status.

He also said…

“Your Highness.”

Shen Chong’s voice suddenly sounded outside.

“Third Master has returned. He requests Your Highness come to the study.”

Zhao Yishi shot to his feet and immediately headed out.

Reaching the threshold, his steps paused. He turned around, his face showing some apology. “I need to speak with Chengyu first. I’ll be back in a moment—keep it warm for me on the stove.”

“Your Highness?”

Li Buyan held the bowl in her hands. The bowl was somewhat hot—she could only set it down slowly.

By the time she set it down and looked up again, that tall figure had already disappeared.

She looked at the two bowls on the tray. After a long moment, she murmured to herself, “Your Highness, egg fried rice must be eaten hot. Once it’s cold, the taste changes.”

…

In the study.

Xie Zhifei downed three cups of hot tea in one gulp before his throat stopped burning.

“The Jade Flute Building is completely finished. They might even implicate the old prince. Our Five Cities Commission is only responsible for sealing the building. Everyone was taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard—they should be interrogating them through the night.”

He gave Zhao Yishi a meaningful look.

“The Prince of Han entered the palace only one cup of tea later than the Marquis of Wu’an. I sealed the Jade Flute Building immediately—apart from He Yun, I didn’t let anyone leave. I can’t guarantee the Five Cities, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard definitely has his people.”

Zhao Yishi met Xie Zhifei’s gaze. “I already anticipated this.”

“Since you anticipated it, why didn’t you have the Crown Prince enter the palace too?” Xie Zhifei was quite puzzled.

When he had Zhu Qing deliver the message to Duanmu Palace, he wanted Zhao Huairen to get the news immediately and then discuss with the Crown Prince who should enter the palace.

But instead, the Crown Prince didn’t enter the palace, and Huairen inexplicably ran to the separate residence. This didn’t make sense!

“The Crown Prince was celebrating his consort’s birthday.”

“What?” Young Master Pei didn’t quite catch that.

But Xie Zhifei immediately understood. “So you didn’t even see the Crown Prince’s face.”

Zhao Yishi nodded.

Xie Zhifei felt his heart turn ice-cold.

In the past, the Crown Prince had just been somewhat weak and slow to act. How had he now become a foolish ruler even before ascending to the throne?

“Do you know why I didn’t enter the palace?”

There was a hint of self-mockery in Zhao Yishi’s words.

“The appearance of spies in the capital is a matter of state importance. If His Majesty sees me come while the Crown Prince shows no concern, his disgust toward him will deepen another layer.”

Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao looked at each other, both their eyes showing helplessness.

As Imperial Crown Prince’s Heir, Huairen had been caught between His Majesty and the Crown Prince all these years—it was too difficult.

“Huairen.”

Xie Zhifei consoled him. “This is early winter. The northern regions are even colder than the capital. No matter how quickly this war proceeds, it will have to wait until spring flowers bloom next year. Things haven’t reached that critical point yet.”

“Fifty is right.”

Pei Xiao added, “Even if the Prince of Han has taken the initiative now, it doesn’t amount to much. The court doesn’t have just him as a military officer—there are plenty who can fight wars.”

“Speaking of which, Huairen.”

Xie Zhifei slapped the small table lightly. “After thinking about it, I believe that scene Bu Liu staged at the Jade Flute Building was deliberate.”