The two assassins Jiang Qiang and Jiang Sheng, sent out by Princess Imperial Fucheng, disguised themselves as traveling merchant brothers using forged travel permits made years ago. In late February, they arrived at Ning County, located northeast of Qingxia County.

During the day, the two men carried shoulder poles, pretending to sell cloth remnants, hairpins, and other sundries to villages near the Fengyan Canal. In reality, they were secretly scouting for suitable canal sections to sabotage. Thus, they witnessed vast stretches of barren fields made desolate by years of drought, as well as the network of large and small canals threading through this plain wasteland like roots.

On the first day of the third month, Qingxia County Magistrate Di Xian officially opened the sluice gates to release water. This grand occasion attracted not only the common people who would benefit from the canal, but also residents from surrounding counties and villages. Those with money traveled by horse-drawn or mule-drawn carts; those without walked on foot. Amid the bustling crowds, the Jiang brothers carried their poles selling snacks, conducting brisk business while waiting for the officials to open the gates, appearing every bit like normal traveling merchants.

A stone monument had already been erected at the canal head, inscribed with the circumstances of Di Xian and his son’s canal construction. Wave after wave of common people crowded before the monument to watch the excitement. Naturally, literate individuals read aloud, and although Jiang Qiang and Jiang Sheng stood at some distance, they still caught the words “Emperor Yongchang,” “Prince Hui,” and “Prince Kang.”

The two men exchanged glances several times.

Great wealth comes with great risk. Since Princess Imperial Fucheng had sent them to frame the two princes by breaching the canal and destroying fields, they naturally had to secure an escape route for themselves and their families.

Jiang Qiang and Jiang Sheng were not actually brothers, but after this ordeal they had become as close as siblings. During their journey, they had agreed that once the deed was done, Jiang Qiang would return alone to report to the princess, collect the other half of their reward silver, and take both families to the neighboring country to live under assumed names. Jiang Sheng would remain hidden; if the princess attempted to silence them through murder, Jiang Sheng would turn himself in to the authorities, using this to compel Princess Imperial Fucheng to keep her promise.

When the auspicious hour arrived, at Di Xian’s command, the heavy water gate slowly rose. The muddy yellow waters of the Yellow River immediately roared into the broad canal newly built last year, surging forward along the channel dozens of zhang wide like thousands of troops and ten thousand horses. The river water crashed against the thick canal walls on both sides, splashing droplets that landed on the faces of nearby spectators.

Both Jiang Qiang and Jiang Sheng’s expressions turned solemn. If they were to breach the canal here, first they would need to dig ceaselessly day and night for several days, and second, once they broke through, the raging Yellow River current would likely swallow them immediately.

Fortunately, the princess only wanted a small disaster that would flood some fields.

According to County Magistrate Di’s policy of irrigating once every ten days, they were in no hurry to act today. The princess had also told them to plan carefully and execute in the fourth month. After all, officials, however bold, would not dare build a canal that broke after just one use. Waiting until after three or four water releases before the breach occurred would better prove the supervising officials’ corner-cutting and shoddy workmanship.

The Capital.

On the fifth day of the third month, taking advantage of the strong midday sun and the deliberately heated floor heating in the room, Yao Huang was attended by Nanny Jin and the senior maids for a quick bath. After washing, she dressed warmly and sat on the heated kang in the eastern side room, drying her hair in the warm sunlight streaming through the window.

Her dried hair was fluffy and carried a faint sweet osmanthus fragrance—even Yao Huang herself was in love with it.

At dusk, Prince Hui returned to the manor from the palace. As usual, he bathed and changed clothes in the front courtyard to remove all outside impurities before coming to the rear courtyard.

Nanny Jin, the wet nurse, A’Ji, and the other senior maids all knew the prince would come at this time. After completing their duties, they withdrew to the main hall, waiting for their masters to call before entering again.

Prince Hui pushed his three-wheeled wheelchair into the side room and habitually looked toward the kang. He saw the princess wearing a crabapple-red long dress, leaning against the window with a book held high, blocking her face. The swaddling clothes were placed beside the princess in a spot where the setting sun couldn’t reach. The child, only nine days old, was so tiny lying in the swaddling that his face couldn’t be seen clearly.

Zhao Sui moved to the edge of the kang. The princess’s book remained held high.

For a moment, Zhao Sui couldn’t determine whether the princess was too engrossed in reading to notice his entrance, or deliberately waiting for him to climb onto the kang.

To be safe, Zhao Sui asked, “What are you reading?”

The princess, hiding behind the book, laughed. “Isn’t it written on the cover?”

Zhao Sui: “…”

His gaze swept over the characters on the cover facing him. Prince Hui supported himself on the edge of the kang with both hands and skillfully hoisted himself up.

He positioned the wheelchair, lifted his legs onto the kang, and Zhao Sui inched forward bit by bit toward the swaddling clothes.

Jun’er was actually awake, his phoenix eyes—inherited from his father—wide open, his two small hands clasped together on his chest. While his mother quietly read her book, he lay there just as quietly.

Zhao Sui extended his index finger between Jun’er’s loosely curled hands.

The little one curved his mouth into a smile.

Because the princess was too absorbed in her reading, Prince Hui simply continued entertaining the child. It wasn’t until the familiar faint osmanthus fragrance finally caught his attention that Prince Hui thought of something and asked the book held high by the princess, “You washed your hair?”

The princess: “Yes, I even bathed. It’s been two and a half hours since I finished, and nothing’s wrong. Physician Li examined my pulse before the prince returned, so the prince needn’t worry about me catching cold.”

Zhao Sui: “…”

After a moment of silence, he took the book from the princess’s hands.

Yao Huang hadn’t actually intended to read. Hiding her face behind the book was meant to give Prince Hui a surprise. Yet after waiting so long, Prince Hui had only just now made his move.

She wanted to glare at Prince Hui, but after several days of not seeing him so clean and fresh, Yao Huang felt somewhat shy. She lowered her eyes early, avoiding Prince Hui’s gaze.

What Zhao Sui saw was a princess with fluffy hair like clouds, with the ruby peony hairpin bestowed by Father Emperor inserted in her hair.

For some reason, the princess’s face had flushed bright red. Just looking at her, one could feel the warmth of her delicate skin.

Yesterday’s princess without washed hair was also beautiful, but the princess at this moment was beautiful enough to make one’s mouth water.

Suddenly, the princess’s eyelashes moved.

Before the princess could look over, Zhao Sui timely lowered his eyes, casually hooking Jun’er’s little hand in the swaddling clothes, as if he hadn’t noticed the princess’s refreshed beauty after bathing at all.

Yao Huang: “…”

Although she suspected Prince Hui might be pretending, she was still displeased—displeased enough to want to pull out her hairpin and jab him with it.

With a light humph, Yao Huang picked up the book again and leaned against the opposite wall to read, extending only her two stockinged feet toward Prince Hui, one resting on top of the other.

Prince Hui’s eyes were still on the swaddling clothes; only he knew who occupied his mind.

After dinner, the wet nurse carried away the young prince. Prince Hui first returned to the front courtyard for two quarters of an hour of massage, then cleaned himself again before coming to the rear courtyard.

The princess was already lying in bed.

Zhao Sui extinguished the lamp. After getting into bed, he directly embraced the princess from behind.

The princess’s body hadn’t fully recovered yet, but this kind of embrace was fine now—unlike the last few months of pregnancy when even turning over required caution.

Yao Huang flung off Prince Hui’s arm as it draped over her.

Zhao Sui stopped embracing her, only brushing aside the hair scattered at her neck and lowering his head to kiss.

Yao Huang tried to squirm away like a loach. This time, Prince Hui’s arm instantly wrapped around her, forcefully pulling the princess who had moved some distance away back into his embrace.

Prince Hui sitting in his wheelchair looked even more powerless than a frail scholar, as if anyone could bully him. Only Yao Huang knew how strong his arms were. Just this simple action—one Prince Hui hadn’t dared perform since she became pregnant—startled a short cry from Yao Huang.

Zhao Sui tensed all over and loosened his grip. “Did I hurt you?”

Yao Huang: “…Yes, the prince should let go quickly.”

Zhao Sui could distinguish the princess’s tone. Not only did he not let go, he turned her around, his right hand brushing aside the princess’s long hair before naturally cupping her heated face.

Yao Huang closed her eyes.

Zhao Sui began kissing from the crown of the princess’s head, continuing all the way to the pile of dark hair at the back of her neck. Everywhere carried the princess’s usual floral water fragrance.

As he kissed, his hand opened the collar of the princess’s inner garment.

Yao Huang’s bones had gone soft, but she hadn’t forgotten to mock him: “I thought the prince didn’t care at all whether I had bathed or not.”

Zhao Sui: “Afraid you’d catch cold.”

Yao Huang: “But the prince’s hands are also cold—colder than my bath water and the sunlight that dried my hair. It makes me so uncomfortable.”

Prince Hui paused, then cooperatively withdrew his hand.

Yao Huang was just about to mentally curse him for being a fool when Prince Hui scooped her up.

The princess, who had her wish granted and was warmed, thus softly hummed melodies in Prince Hui’s embrace for most of the next hour.

This year’s spring was warmer than the previous two years. On the twenty-sixth of the third month, the young prince of Prince Hui’s Manor had just celebrated his full-month birthday. The next day, the Secretariat received a memorial from Lingshan County Magistrate Xu Dongyang, stating that the eight hundred mu of mountain forest medicinal fields he had experimentally cleared in the Lingshan area last year, planted with polygonatum, had all successfully sprouted. Furthermore, the four fen of land planted with polygonatum two years ago continued to grow well, once again proving the feasibility of planting polygonatum in Lingshan’s forests.

Therefore, Xu Dongyang requested the court to approve another sum of silver. This year he hoped to encourage the common people to clear five thousand mu of new medicinal fields around all suitable mountains near Lingshan, specifically for planting polygonatum.

The Second Chancellor delivered this memorial before Emperor Yongchang.

Emperor Yongchang had been waiting for Xu Dongyang’s memorial. After reading it, he ordered someone to summon Prince Kang and Prince Qing.

The two princes arrived quickly.

After passing through one new year, the twenty-eight-year-old Prince Kang remained as spirited as before, still dignified and honest as always. The twenty-two-year-old Prince Qing was different. Father Emperor refused to give him opportunities to gain experience in other departments, and his maternal grandfather had long since stopped favoring him. This left Prince Qing disheartened and dispirited. He lacked enthusiasm for everything and had lost that competitive drive. Surprisingly, he looked as if he’d aged several years.

Emperor Yongchang pretended not to notice and had both brothers read Xu Dongyang’s memorial.

Prince Kang said happily, “Excellent! Those mountain slopes were just lying fallow anyway. Now they’ve become medicinal fields, planted with polygonatum that has nourishing medicinal properties. Once they mature, there will be no worry about sales. When that time comes, the local people will have additional income, and the court will also gain more tax revenue.”

Prince Qing, usually more eloquent than him, also followed with a few words of praise.

Emperor Yongchang: “Local officials, seeking achievements, often report one measure of success as ten. Whether those eight hundred mu of polygonatum truly grow well requires the court to send someone to verify. Lingshan is close by, and the spring scenery is pleasant. You two brothers make the trip on my behalf. Examine the cleared medicinal fields carefully, inspect whether the five thousand mu of wild forest prepared for clearing is suitable, and also discreetly visit the common people who cleared land last year. If it’s truly a beneficial policy for the people, the common people will naturally support it. But if it only sounds good when Xu Dongyang speaks of it while the people complain bitterly about it, there must be problems.”

Prince Kang and Prince Qing received the command.

After leaving the Imperial Study, Prince Qing walked silently for a stretch, then suddenly looked at Prince Kang. “The matter of clearing Lingshan to plant polygonatum—could Second Brother have contributed to this as well?”

He remembered that two years ago, Mother Consort seemed to mention that Father Emperor had received polygonatum specialties that Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law brought back from their summer retreat, and praised them to several of the consorts.

Prince Kang also remembered this incident, but at that time, Second Brother had still been listless. The polygonatum specialty had been sent at Second Sister-in-law’s initiative.

Second Brother just had a good memory; he wasn’t a deity who could have a hand in every achievement, was he?

That damned Third Brother was trying to sow discord again!

Ignoring Prince Qing, Prince Kang swept his sleeves and departed.