The garden was full of plum blossoms, their fragrance subtle and serene. At the end of the small path stood a square well of brick and stone. Luowei had been too absorbed in admiring the plum blossoms to notice, and only heard a faint rustling when she was nearly at the well’s edge: “Who’s there?”

The voice paused, as though startled.

Luowei stepped closer and, from behind that well, caught sight of a young boy.

He was crouched at the well’s edge, holding in his hands a piece of pastry with a bite already taken out of it. Crumbs still clung to the corners of his mouth, and his cheeks were gaunt, which made his pair of eyes appear all the more dark and wide.

The boy wore an expensive robe printed with the cornel pattern in brocade, yet the cuffs were frayed and unraveling, mottled with stains of varying shades — already worn and shabby.

And on so cold a winter’s day, no matter how costly the brocade, it could not ward off the chill.

“You…”

Luowei bent down, had not yet gotten the words out, when the young boy seemed suddenly frightened by something. With a swift movement, he leapt to his feet with a start, clutched the pastry tightly in his hand, and retreated several steps.

A voice called out in the distance: “Sixth Prince…”

Sixth Prince?

Hearing this title, Luowei’s thoughts moved quickly. She could only summon vague impressions from her memory — Emperor Gao presently had only six princes. Aside from the eldest who had long since been sent to his princedom, the second, third, fourth, and fifth had all reached the age of schooling, and she had seen them all in the Academy for the Virtuous.

Only the youngest, the Sixth Prince Lan, had never come to the Academy.

The Sixth Prince’s birth mother had originally been a serving maid to the Empress, and had lived with the Empress in the side hall of Qionghua Hall. But for reasons unknown, she had later been confined to Lanxun Court, and thus rarely appeared before others.

With the Emperor absent, Lanxun Court was no different from the Cold Palace. Song Lan’s birth mother was frail, yet for unknown reasons, Emperor Gao had not sought a higher-ranking adoptive mother for him.

And so Song Lan had lived here since birth, attended by eunuchs and palace governesses.

Seeing how he looked now, it seemed he had not been faring very well. Could it be that the palace servants assigned to care for him were not doing their duty?

After the calling voice rang out, Luowei was still turning over these old memories in her mind, when the young boy across from her, no longer caring about anything else, hastily stuffed the remaining pastry into his mouth all at once.

More than half the pastry was left. He very nearly choked on it. Luowei saw him clutching his throat and rolling his eyes, and quickly drew her handkerchief, wiped at the crumbs at the corners of his mouth with one hand, and lightly patted his back with the other: “Sixth Prince, swallow slowly.”

The words had barely left her lips when a heavyset palace governess came panting up the path. Before she had even taken in the scene before her properly, she opened her mouth to scold: “Where has the young gentleman been running off to, making us search all over!”

Luowei was somewhat taken aback by the governess’s tone — within the palace walls, etiquette was most strictly observed, and she had never before encountered such an impudent and rude palace servant.

“Governess, how can you speak to the Sixth Prince this way?”

Hearing this voice, the heavyset governess put her hands on her hips and looked up. Only then did she see a small girl at the side, dressed in a thick brocade robe in shades of apricot and blush, like the colors of rosy dawn.

Though she was young, she had a lovely face and fine attire. As she spoke, the white jade pendants at her ears swayed back and forth, catching the light of the mild winter sun.

The palace governess did not recognize who Luowei was, but a glance was enough to tell that this was a noble person from within the palace walls. She quickly changed her expression to a smile: “This servant did not know — the Sixth Prince is unruly, and this servant was only worried he might hurt himself while searching for him in such a hurry. Should we have caused any offense, we beg your forgiveness.”

Before Luowei could reply, the young boy at her side had tugged at her sleeve — then, seeming to think his hands were somewhat dirty, swiftly withdrew them.

The boy’s voice was thin as a gnat: “Elder sister, I wasn’t being unruly. I was just very hungry.”

The palace governess knitted her brows, but with Luowei present, had no choice but to swallow the complaint on the tip of her tongue: “Lunch was only just over. The young gentleman ought not to eat again so soon.”

Luowei turned her head, looked at him sideways, and instead took his hand and began walking toward the way they had come: “No matter. The Prince can follow me.”

Seeing the two about to leave, the palace governess was alarmed and immediately knelt to block Luowei’s way: “Noble one, you must not! This is an imperial decree — before the Prince enters the Academy for the Virtuous, he is not permitted to leave Lanxun Court.”

“Luowei!”

Someone called her name. Following that narrow stone-paved path, a figure came running toward her. Luowei looked up from a distance and saw it was the Shu Kang Princess. She raised her hand and waved back happily, then stood on her toes and saw that Song Ling was also following behind Song Yaofeng.

The palace governess now had no excuse not to recognize who was present, and kowtowed repeatedly: “This servant pays respects to the Second Prince and the Princess.”

Song Yaofeng came trotting close. Her red cape had a trim of snow fox fur that looked wonderfully warm: “How did you end up here? Thank goodness elder brother brought me to look — otherwise I would never have found you.”

Song Ling, meanwhile, had caught sight of Song Lan, whom Luowei was holding by the hand. Before he could even exchange a word with Luowei, he frowned with concern: “It is cold, and Sixth Brother is dressed much too lightly.”

The palace governess knelt on the ground making her excuses, not daring to raise her head. Song Ling paid her no attention. After draping his own sable overcoat over Song Lan’s shoulders, he said, with measured coolness: “You may rise.”

Song Yaofeng pulled Luowei aside a few steps and whispered in her ear: “…How did you run into him? You know, his birth mother is out of favor, and on top of that, when he was born, the Imperial Astrologer submitted a memorial saying the birth hour was inauspicious and he carried ill omens — it is best to keep your distance from him.”

Song Lan huddled up and gripped the outer robe tightly. He seemed to have caught a few words the two were saying, and with reddened eyes shot a glance in their direction.

Luowei felt a strong pang of sympathy in her heart, and quietly retorted: “The celestial omens theory is groundless and empty. If he were merely kept apart from others it would be one thing, but look at how he is dressed — he must certainly have been living poorly day to day.”

Song Yaofeng looked again and also felt a measure of pity, and hesitated: “You have a point. Sixth Brother, though inauspicious, is still our blood kin and sibling. Father only said he is not permitted to leave the palace before he enters the Academy — how can these servants bully him like this? But now that elder brother has reprimanded them today, they certainly will not dare do so again.”

Song Ling had tied Song Lan’s sash properly, and was asking him questions one by one.

He was four years older than Song Lan, yet a full head taller. Song Lan had rarely seen him, and too shy to speak, hung back timidly.

Song Ling sighed and reached out to pat the round topknot on his head, then said earnestly: “You are a prince. If someone bullies you, punish them. And if punishment is not within your power, come and call for me… When I return, I will also speak to Father on your behalf, and have you enter the Academy sooner to attend lessons.”

Song Lan held onto his arm, then looked over at Luowei, and choked out: “Thank you, elder brother. Thank you, elder sister.”

Luowei and Song Ling left Lanxun Court together. Before departing, she glanced back at the young boy standing at the well’s edge. He gazed after the group with longing eyes, and when he caught her looking back, he even raised his hand and waved.

Song Ling, walking at her side, hung his head with deep remorse: “Father would not allow it, and I had previously forgotten to come and look in on Sixth Brother. Had I known earlier that he was in such a state… Sigh, in the end I have been a poor elder brother. How did he become so thin?”

He had lost his outer coat, so Luowei leaned closer and wrapped part of her own cape around his arm: “Second brother, do not be sad. From now on, we will look after Sixth Brother together. Tomorrow I will have someone send him fruit.”

Song Ling patted her on the head and said: “Weiwei has learned to look after others.”

Every time he did this, Luowei felt he was coddling a child, and so flew into indignation: “I am also an elder sister! Of course I know how to look after people!”

Song Ling, with effort, pulled himself free from his guilty sorrow and could not help but laugh.

Among the bare plum branches, he was dignified and gentle, warm and refined. Seeing her pouting displeasure, he reached out and pinched her cheek.

The young man wore only a single white jade ring on his hand. As it brushed her cheek, the touch was smooth and warm.

The little girl, puffing with indignation, scooped up a handful of unmelted snow from the ground, and before she could even press it into a snowball, flung it at him. He feigned irritation and gathered snow to retaliate. Snow granules scattered in a shimmer through the winter sunlight, and the figures of the young man and the young girl gradually faded into the faint, hazy light of snow.

Then in an instant, the plum branches fell empty and still once more. A deep and settled silence.

“Elder sister?”

Song Lan’s voice pulled her back once more from the vision that sprang to life at any given moment.

Without knowing what she had stepped on, Luowei stumbled. Song Lan quickly steadied her, and like a habitual gesture of Song Ling’s from long ago, reached out and half encircled her shoulders.

Luowei’s fingernails dug deep into her palm. She spent a long while before she could barely force herself into clarity.

Song Lan spoke softly in her ear: “Are you cold?”

Luowei shook her head and, with great effort, managed a smile. She tightened her grip on his hand: “Not cold. Just now I was lost in thought — I recalled that when you were young, you were not yet as tall as me. You crouched at the well’s edge eating a mung bean cake, and nearly choked.”

Song Lan blinked, recalled these things, and his expression softened somewhat: “Yes — the first time I saw elder sister, I received your protection. I thought only that you were a goddess from the heavens, a celestial maiden descended to earth. After that day, elder sister even sent a whole food box of fruit for me.”

“At that time, I had never seen such exquisite and beautiful pastries outside of formal banquets — the finest carved honey-glazed treats from the Honey Processing Bureau, the preserved citron, the deer-call cakes, the five-spice rice cakes. They sent food for three consecutive days, and on the third day there was a dish…”

“There was a crab-stuffed orange.”

“Right, right — after I grew up, I never again tasted such a wonderful crab-stuffed orange. Had the old chef of the imperial kitchens retired?”

Luowei answered calmly: “That was something I made together with your brother.”

Song Lan fell abruptly silent. After a long pause, he gave a desolate smile, as though asking himself softly: “Was it?”

He lowered his eyes to look at Luowei — by now he was already taller than she was. The ceremonial crown from the Council of State had not been removed, and its jade beads swayed and clattered — the heavy, pressing authority of a Son of Heaven: “Why did elder sister agree to the Ministry of Rites’ request and send me alone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray?”

Luowei did not avoid his gaze: “He who employs others bears their guilt; he who rules as sovereign bears his own guilt. Your Majesty wears plain garments, takes frugal meals, and prays for the nation — such is the proper way of a sovereign. As for affairs of the court, Your Majesty need not worry — I and the Grand Preceptor will hold watch for you.”

Song Lan’s brow furrowed slightly, and this answer did not resolve his doubts.

Luowei clearly knew he was soon to turn twenty and was intent on assuming personal rule. By her usual manner of conduct, she should at this juncture be urging him to attend to everything personally and not cede power to Yu Qiushi.

Yet today she had made decisions on his behalf without warning, telling him to leave the palace for ten days, with a vague and unclear reason. If not outright self-assertion, could it be that she intended, during these ten days, to go and meet someone — or do something?

Song Lan felt a sudden chill in his heart. Weighing it over and over, he slowly resolved his mind.

He could not say if it was overly suspicious of him, but he felt Luowei had been behaving oddly of late. He might as well use this opportunity to leave the Zhuque Guard and Ye Tingyan behind in the palace to watch over her.

If he could learn her intentions clearly, he would feel more settled. And if she harbored no ill intent, it would also put his unease to rest.

He was still running careful calculations in his mind, yet Luowei had already steered the conversation elsewhere. She walked a few steps ahead and seated herself casually on the steps before the corridor, continuing to reminisce with him about old times: “Speaking of that day — not long after we parted, it was soon the end of the year. Though I had sent food, I had been lazy and had not entered the palace for quite some time afterward. Then, the late Emperor went on a spring tour and brought me along. When I came again, it was summer, and I encountered Zi Lan in the Academy for the Virtuous.”

Song Lan followed her words and cast his mind back, saying nothing. Luowei glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw his eyelashes faintly trembling.

“It was… elder sister and brother who rescued me once more.”