In late April, the sky brightened very early. After finishing breakfast, the sunlight was bright and gently warm—the most comfortable time of morning. Any later and it would become scorching.

As agreed last night, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui in his wheelchair through the front residence and came to the rear garden.

Garden landscaping emphasized winding paths leading to secluded depths. Along both sides of a long stone-paved path grew various flowering trees: graceful and elegant maples, dragon claw locusts with thick trunks, magnolias and red plums past their blooming season, crabapples still bearing pink blossoms, and old osmanthus that would only bloom in autumn…

Yao Huang usually saw willows, peaches, and locusts. Many tree species she had only heard of. Yesterday when touring the courtyard she had purely enjoyed the novelty, but now accompanying the garden’s master, whenever Yao Huang saw an unfamiliar tree she would stop: “Your Highness, what tree is this?”

Zhao Sui would glance and answer accordingly.

After several instances, without Yao Huang needing to speak, as soon as the wheelchair stopped and her finger pointed, Zhao Sui would directly state the name.

Passing the pond, Yao Huang pointed toward the verdant vines extending along a section of the riverbank.

Zhao Sui: “Winter jasmine.”

Prince Hui seemed to recognize everything. At first Yao Huang only felt admiration, but gradually a mischievous thought arose. Taking advantage of walking behind the wheelchair, she deliberately stared at the ground near rare flowers and famous trees.

The wheelchair stopped again. Zhao Sui scanned the surroundings—only a somewhat distant tree hadn’t been discussed yet, so he said: “Ginkgo.”

Laughter came from behind. Just as Zhao Sui was about to turn his head, the princess in her red dress had already stepped into the adjacent grass, pointing to a wild plant hidden behind shrubs that had bloomed several tender yellow flowers, asking him: “Your Highness, what is this?”

Zhao Sui looked at the wild plant.

Yao Huang gazed at him with complete seriousness and expectation.

Several zhang away, Qing Ai craned his neck to finally see the wild grass the princess was pointing at. His face showed chagrin—damn it, which gardener had been lazy and failed to notice this dandelion!

A’Ji asked strangely: “Why are you panicking?”

Qing Ai glanced at her, unwilling to expose his prince’s shortcoming, and could only resume a calm appearance.

Up ahead, after a moment of silence, Zhao Sui said: “A wildflower.”

Yao Huang smiled: “Finally it’s my turn to be Your Highness’s teacher. This is indeed a wildflower, but wildflowers also have names. This one is called dandelion. After the flowers wilt it grows white fluff that scatters into the air when the wind blows. Common folk’s children love to blow on these for fun.”

Zhao Sui took another look at the dandelion’s leaf shape.

Yao Huang returned to the path and pushed the wheelchair forward.

When Qing Ai passed this spot behind them, he stared at that dandelion with complex feelings, not knowing whether to pull it out or leave it. Pulling it might upset the princess, leaving it might offend the prince’s eyes since he’d just failed to answer correctly.

A’Ji discerned his bitter resentment and asked: “Is there something wrong with this flower?”

Qing Ai: “The garden is inspected daily. At least along both sides of the main path, no weeds are permitted.”

A’Ji looked around in surprise. Indeed, except for this one dandelion, everywhere else had obviously planted shrubs. Even the lawn was neatly laid with a single type of grass.

“But this flower is quite pretty. The princess loves yellow flowers most,” A’Ji said quietly.

Qing Ai felt even more troubled. Ever since the princess entered the household, he and Fei Quan had to be on edge several times daily when going to Ming’an Hall. The princess was wonderful in every way, just somewhat lacking in caution. Much of what she said to the prince was tantamount to pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth.

Temporarily noting the dandelion’s location, Qing Ai led A’Ji to continue following.

Past the bamboo grove was the vegetable garden.

Since it imitated a farming household, there were no stone paths here—all earthen roads, though fortunately flat and firm enough.

The newly scattered seeds hadn’t yet broken through the soil. Only the transplanted sweet potato seedlings and grape vines were green.

The tiny sweet potato seedlings held little interest. Yao Huang directly pushed Prince Hui under the grape trellis. The tender green grape leaves were illuminated translucently by sunlight. The topmost leaf buds were slender and curved—some had already climbed onto the overhead frame, others still hung in midair, but their tips pointed forward. Perhaps by tomorrow morning they would have climbed up.

Seeing the prince was attracted to one particular leaf bud, Yao Huang stopped and waited for him to withdraw his gaze before slowly moving forward, asking as she walked: “Your Highness, do you prefer eating green grapes or purple ones?”

Zhao Sui: “Either is fine.”

Yao Huang smiled: “I prefer the purple ones more, but I still planted one trellis of purple and one of green. Then we can alternate eating them. Whatever we can’t finish can be dried into raisins.”

Leaving the vegetable garden, Yao Huang still hadn’t had enough. The morning garden possessed another kind of tranquility and vitality—just walking casually made one feel refreshed and carefree.

“Your Highness, accompany me a bit longer. We’re not departing until the hour of the Snake anyway—it’s still early.”

She wanted to see her parents, but if they arrived home too early, she would be happy but the prince would have to stay in her father’s unfamiliar and cramped home, which would likely be very dull and difficult for him to endure.

Zhao Sui’s three daily massage sessions all had set times that had never been changed since being established.

The garden was large. He didn’t spoil the princess’s interest, only saying: “We can tour for another half hour.”

Yao Huang estimated: “Then I’ll walk faster—that should be just enough to complete one full circuit.”

She no longer delayed by identifying passing tree species, purely touring. When she sped up, she felt nothing herself, but Zhao Sui sitting in the wheelchair felt a gentle breeze blowing toward them, carrying the scent of earth and vegetation, carrying the fragrance of peonies and herbaceous peonies.

When they turned to the west garden, they faced a lake of shimmering clear water. The sunlight was too dazzling, causing both to simultaneously tilt their heads aside.

With open views, the wind was somewhat stronger—cool and comfortable.

Yao Huang pointed toward the pavilion in the lake’s center: “Your Highness, can people live there?”

Zhao Sui: “Mm.”

Yao Huang said happily: “Then in summer, may I move there to stay? It must be cooler there.”

Zhao Sui: “You may.”

In good spirits, Yao Huang couldn’t help humming a little tune.

Zhao Sui: “…”

His princess was very beautiful with a lovely voice, but her melody was truly difficult to praise.

After enduring for a while, he had to proactively initiate conversation: “From whom did you learn this tune?”

Yao Huang felt inexplicably touched. These past two days she’d been the one constantly seeking conversation while the prince responded indifferently. Today the prince was finally willing to chat with her!

“My mother and Aunt Wu both know some little tunes. After hearing them often, I learned to sing them.”

Zhao Sui: “Do you often sing at home?”

Yao Huang: “Not really. When I’m in a good mood I just start humming. How is it—does Your Highness think I sing well?”

Zhao Sui: “…Mm.”

He wouldn’t go so far as to pour cold water on his princess when she was in good spirits.

Receiving praise, Yao Huang continued singing softly.

The garden was quiet. Though Yao Huang’s voice wasn’t loud, Qing Ai and A’Ji following behind still heard it.

Qing Ai looked at A’Ji with complex feelings.

A’Ji actually began humming along too, with the same melody as her princess.

Qing Ai: “…”

Returning to the moon gate connecting the front residence to the garden, signifying the prince had fulfilled his promise to accompany the princess on one circuit, Qing Ai, for the first time in a long while without waiting for the prince’s order, mustered courage to catch up and said to Yao Huang: “Princess, please return to rest. This servant will escort His Highness back to the bamboo courtyard.”

Yao Huang looked at Prince Hui’s profile: “May I escort Your Highness a few more steps?”

Zhao Sui: “No need.”

Yao Huang had no choice but to yield the wheelchair to Qing Ai.

Qing Ai silently pushed the prince. Upon reaching the spot where the dandelion grew, Qing Ai requested instructions: “Your Highness, this weed?”

Zhao Sui: “Leave it.”

The return visit gifts had been loaded ahead of time onto a specially prepared carriage by servants. When departure time arrived, Qing Ai and Fei Quan also escorted Prince Hui to Ming’an Hall.

The prince and princess each wore festive red garments. Both had fair complexions—Zhao Sui had a kind of pallor from long absence of sunlight, while Yao Huang was radiant and strikingly beautiful.

After boarding the carriage, Zhao Sui maintained his usual silence. Yao Huang actually sat properly upright as well, eyes downcast, thinking unknown thoughts.

From Prince Hui’s manor on the west side of the Imperial City to Longevity Lane in the southeast of the capital was quite a long journey. Yao Huang held it in the entire way. As they neared their destination, she looked at Prince Hui with hesitation.

Zhao Sui: “Speak freely if you have something to say.”

Yao Huang said worriedly: “I’m afraid if the hospitality at home is inadequate, Your Highness will become angry.”

Everyone at the prince’s manor who had served him so long was so cautious, fearing to provoke his anger. Her father, mother, and brother were all unsophisticated people—how could Yao Huang not be nervous?

Zhao Sui: “I don’t anger that easily.”

Yao Huang extended her pinky toward him: “That’s what you said. Shall we pinky promise?”

Zhao Sui glanced at her solitary extended pinky, turned his head away—too undignified for this.

His head turned but his hand didn’t move. Yao Huang proactively hooked his left pinky resting on his leg, shook it and said: “It’s settled then. Even if you get angry, you must pretend nothing’s wrong. When we return to the manor, Your Highness can take it out on me—punish me however you wish.”

Zhao Sui: “…”

Outside the carriage, Zhang Yue ordered two guards to go ahead and clear the way, glaring back into their respective households all the neighbors of Longevity Lane who had prepared to watch the excitement, leaving only the Yao family members waiting respectfully at their door.

The carriage stopped. Before the door opened, Yao Huang supported one side of the wheelchair, and when Prince Hui was unprepared, kissed his ear, then whispered: “Give Your Highness some benefits first, so you won’t turn your back on me.”

Zhao Sui: “…”

Yao Huang smiled at him and lowered her head to undo the securing devices.

Opening the door, laying the wooden planks—under the eye-opening gazes of Yao Zhenhu and others, Yao Huang and Qing Ai cooperated to push the wheelchair down from the carriage.

As the Yao family members nervously came forward to pay respects, Yao Huang looked at her family’s door threshold and turned to instruct Qing Ai: “Lay the plank across the middle of the threshold.”

Qing Ai’s thoughts flew, grasping the idea. He had Fei Quan take over the wheelchair while he carried the long plank to lay it down, placing its middle section on the threshold with the south end touching ground first. This way, Prince Hui’s wheelchair could enter through the plank—more dignified than deliberately lifting him.

The Yao residence was small, requiring only passage through two thresholds—the main gate and the south door of the main hall—before Prince Hui was pushed to the seat of honor in the main hall.

Several guards carried or held items as they unloaded the return visit gifts from the second carriage, standing in the courtyard awaiting handover.

Zhao Sui looked outside and said to the Yao couple: “Some modest gifts—please accept them, father-in-law and mother-in-law.”

Yao Zhenhu had a naturally loud voice that grew louder when nervous, forgetting to lower it: “Your Highness is too kind! Your coming already brings light to our humble dwelling—gifts or no gifts, it’s all fine!”

Luo Jinhua tugged his sleeve and said apologetically: “Your Highness, he’s unsophisticated. Please don’t hold it against him.”

Zhao Sui smiled faintly. He’d led troops—he’d seen people far more unrefined than Yao Zhenhu.

After brief greetings, Yao Huang took charge of arrangements: “Elder brother, go find an empty room to receive the gifts, and have the guards rest in the gatehouse.”

Yao Lin departed as if granted amnesty.

Yao Huang then pointed to the two baskets of mangoes in Hua Mei’s hands and introduced them to her parents: “These are honey mangoes, tribute items from Jiaozhou that the Emperor bestowed upon His Highness. They’re especially sweet. His Highness specifically had me bring two baskets—one for our family, one for grandfather’s family. This fruit doesn’t keep well. This afternoon have elder brother deliver them to grandfather’s family and tell them to finish them today—don’t let them spoil.”

Luo Jinhua quickly pulled her husband to express thanks.

Yao Huang smiled: “His Highness doesn’t like excessive formalities. Don’t be so polite. Hua Mei, go to the kitchen and cut two near the end of the meal to bring up.”

Hua Mei bowed and withdrew. Only after leaving the main hall did resentment flash through her eyes.

They’d departed late and the journey was long—neighbors were already eating lunch. Yao Huang asked her mother: “Are the dishes all prepared?”

Luo Jinhua: “Almost. Just a few dishes that need stir-frying right before serving—they’ll be ready shortly.”

Yao Huang: “Then serve the meal. We’ll chat while eating.”

Luo Jinhua went to the kitchen.

With the prince and princess visiting, Luo Jinhua had specially invited two renowned chefs from a great restaurant. Normally such renowned chefs only accepted orders from distinguished noble families, but hearing that the Yao family’s returning son-in-law was Prince Hui, the restaurant not only didn’t charge the Yao family but brought their own wine and ingredients. Luo Jinhua felt too uncomfortable and insisted on paying, so the restaurant casually accepted a few taels of silver.

Cold dishes came first. Yao Huang glanced at the presentation and asked doubtfully: “Did Aunt Wu make this?”

Just as Luo Jinhua was about to signal her daughter with her eyes, Yao Zhenhu said with a naive smile: “How could that be? Your mother specially invited master chefs from Wangxian Restaurant. Aunt Wu’s modest skills probably wouldn’t suit His Highness’s palate.”

Zhao Sui: “You’ve put father-in-law and mother-in-law to great expense.”

Yao Zhenhu: “Not expensive, not expensive at all. When the restaurant learned we were cooking for Your Highness, they didn’t charge us much.”

Luo Jinhua: “…”

Yao Huang: “…Alright, everyone eat.”

Yao Zhenhu loved wine. The better the dishes, the more he wanted to drink. Besides, which family entertaining a son-in-law didn’t serve wine?

Disregarding his wife’s repeated warnings beforehand, Yao Zhenhu tested the waters: “Does Your Highness drink wine?”

Luo Jinhua stepped on his shoe.

Yao Zhenhu’s face showed nothing, looking expectantly at his son-in-law.

Zhao Sui: “I can have a cup or two.”

The corners of Yao Zhenhu’s mouth stretched. Without summoning a maid, he ran to the room himself to fetch a jar of his treasured wine.

The house had no small wine cups. He directly poured the prince a bowl—seven-tenths full.

Yao Huang glared at her father, about to remonstrate when Zhao Sui grasped the large bowl with both hands and said to Yao Zhenhu: “To father-in-law.”

After speaking, he drained the bowl in one breath.

Yao Zhenhu praised him heartily and also emptied his bowl. Yao Lin, not to be outdone, also drained a bowl.

Yao Zhenhu wanted to continue pouring when he discovered the wine jar on the floor had actually been clamped under her skirt by Luo Jinhua’s foot.

Luo Jinhua didn’t look at her husband. Seeing the prince son-in-law seemed to have little interest in the table full of dishes, she said somewhat embarrassedly: “Your Highness, I’m not skilled at cooking, but I do make excellent wheat-based foods. The little bok choy in our courtyard happens to be tender, so I steamed a pot of little bok choy buns that the princess loves most. We also have rice—which would Your Highness prefer?”

Inviting master chefs was one thing, but Luo Jinhua also felt that delicacies were surely what the prince had tired of eating, so she made her specialty buns as something novel.

Zhao Sui glanced at Yao Huang and said: “Then the buns.”

Luo Jinhua quickly had Qiao Niang, who was waiting outside the door, go fetch the buns.

Since the table was already full of dishes, Qiao Niang directly brought a tray of large bowls, each containing two fist-sized white flour buns. The first bowl was placed before the prince, the second before the princess.

The freshly steamed buns emitted hot vapor, releasing the fragrance of the filling.

Zhao Sui looked down at the buns. Yao Huang thought to herself that the prince only ate half a bowl of rice each meal—two buns would be quite a stretch, wouldn’t it?

She proactively picked one out and placed it beside a cold dish on a plate, smiling: “Your Highness, first taste it. If you like it, then eat the second one.”

Zhao Sui nodded. Ignoring Yao Zhenhu’s attempt to grab a bun with his hands, which Luo Jinhua stopped just in time, he picked up chopsticks and first tasted the dough—thin yet chewy, the inner layer soaked with the filling’s juices, fragrant without being greasy.

Since he’d started eating, leaving any would be impossible. Zhao Sui ate the bun while making simple conversation.

Prince Hui emphasized propriety. He ate the bun very elegantly—the bowl was completely clean without a single crumb of filling.

Yao Huang could eat three such buns in one meal. Seeing the prince had finished, she used clean chopsticks to pick up the one she’d set aside earlier, using her eyes to inquire.

Zhao Sui hesitated slightly, then agreed.

Luo Jinhua was very pleased. It seemed the prince was quite satisfied with her cooking—he ate more buns than dishes.

After the meal, Zhao Sui proactively asked about Yao Lin’s studies, finally giving Yao Huang and her mother a chance to speak privately in the west wing.

Luo Jinhua was most concerned about one matter: “The prince—in that regard, can he perform?”

Crippled legs didn’t matter, but making her daughter remain a living widow for life would be too difficult to endure!

Yao Huang’s cheeks flushed red as she turned away: “Not only can he perform, I can barely handle him.”

Luo Jinhua’s eyes widened!

Yao Huang: “Alright, alright, let’s not discuss this. I rushed back precisely to tell you—I’m doing exceptionally well there.”

She told her mother about the prince’s manor’s large garden, about the authority the prince had delegated to her. From now on, basically everything up and down, inside and out of the prince’s manor would be managed by her.

Luo Jinhua was happy at first, but then sighed: “That’s good, but it also shows the prince plans to muddle through life like this. So young, always hiding himself away—how can that work?”

Since he’d become her son-in-law, and he was handsome with a good temper, Luo Jinhua regarded Prince Hui as half a son, caring for him even though he didn’t value it.

Yao Huang didn’t respond. Sympathy was sympathy, but she had no solution either.

Luo Jinhua thought for a moment and instructed: “Speaking frankly, we all hope the prince will pull himself together, but you absolutely mustn’t presume to lecture him with grand principles. He’s read so many books and understands far more principles than us. Understanding and actually doing are two different things.”

Yao Huang: “I know. It’s been a year since the prince’s accident. The Emperor, Empress, consort, and other princes surely have all gone to comfort him, finding every way to console him. Anything I say would just be what the prince is sick of hearing. Better not to mention it.”

Mother and daughter whispered together for about half an hour. Yao Huang worried her father and brother were tongue-tied and, however reluctant, had to go out.

Yao Lin was demonstrating spear techniques in the courtyard.

Seeing his sister, Yao Lin’s face showed relief. His stomach had just gotten full, yet Father insisted he demonstrate a few moves for the prince’s instruction. Hot sun and full stomach—was this easy for him!