After all the commotion with the bamboo spirit and then the Crown Prince, by Yao Huang’s reckoning she could have slept until nearly noon, but the Crown Prince, who had the day off, woke her at the hour of chen.

After hiding several times but unable to escape, Yao Huang poked her head out from the quilt and glared resentfully at the Crown Prince in front of the heated platform: “Your Highness is in such good spirits, go exorcise demons in the bamboo grove. Why must you disturb my sweet dreams?”

The Crown Prince had that refined expression of not understanding what nonsense she was spouting and having no intention of delving deeper. He only explained, “The day before yesterday I sent a visiting card to Mother-in-law, stating clearly that I would accompany you back for a visit today. I also asked Mother-in-law to bring Grandfather’s family over for a small gathering. They should be waiting by now.”

Only then did Yao Huang notice the Crown Prince was wearing a jade crown. Usually when he rested at the residence, he only used a jade hairpin to bind his hair.

Her complaint turned to delight. Yao Huang crawled out of the quilt, about to go embrace the Crown Prince.

Zhao Sui promptly held the Crown Princess in place at the edge of the platform. Looking at her pair of snow-white feet dangling below, he reminded her, “The carriage and horses are all prepared. Hurry and change your clothes.”

Yao Huang then extended her right foot to rub against the Crown Prince’s leg.

The Crown Prince turned the wheelchair and quickly departed.

After Yao Huang finished getting ready, A’Ji also delivered her breakfast. Yao Huang sat at the stone table in the small bamboo grove courtyard, listening to the clear bird songs outside and watching the handsome Crown Prince beside her holding a book scroll to keep her company during the meal. She finally appreciated the quiet beauty of this place.

As she pushed the Crown Prince away, Yao Huang said quietly, “We’re moving on the twenty-eighth, so we can still stay at the prince’s residence for eight more nights. How about picking times when Your Highness doesn’t need to attend court and staying a few more nights in the bamboo courtyard?”

The Crown Prince facing forward didn’t acknowledge her. Just as Yao Huang was about to blow on the top of his head, she noticed the Crown Prince’s earlobes had turned red.

Yao Huang said, “…I just like the quietness here. Your Highness mustn’t misunderstand.”

The Crown Prince remained silent.

Yao Huang said irritably, “Forget it. Even if Your Highness invites me to come, I won’t come anymore. The innocent are naturally innocent.”

The Crown Prince looked at the bamboo groves gradually retreating on both sides and very much wanted to tell the Crown Princess that while the bamboo grove was inanimate, the bamboo spirit wasn’t necessarily limited to appearing only in the bamboo courtyard.

The Yao family’s new residence was close by. The Crown Prince couple, bringing Jun’er, arrived quickly.

The Yao and Luo families were indeed all waiting. They were exempted from the kneeling ceremony by the Crown Prince’s initiative.

Zhao Sui had arranged today’s visit to allow the Crown Princess to reunite well with her natal family one more time before entering the palace. His accompanying her was a matter of propriety, but if he stayed the entire time it would only make everyone uncomfortable. So after chatting with Yao Zhenhu and the others for about two quarters of an hour, Zhao Sui left first, agreeing to return at the hour of shen in the afternoon to take the Crown Princess back to the residence.

After the Crown Prince left, Li Fuwei also walked away on the pretext of getting gifts for Jun’er. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to be close to her husband’s relatives, but on this side of the family, aside from her husband Yao Lin, mother-in-law Luo Jinhua, and the Crown Princess who could relax and be at ease with her, the other people looked at her with eyes no different from how they looked at the Crown Prince—all respectful yet fearful.

Some relationships needn’t be forced. When both parties could maintain distance, both were actually more comfortable.

After the daughter-in-law left, Luo Jinhua explained her good intentions to Grandfather, Grandmother, and the others.

Grandfather said, “What’s there to worry about? Not only is she not looking down on us, but even if she were, we wouldn’t mind. As long as she and Lin can live well, that’s all that matters.”

Duke Zhenguo’s residence—a first-rank meritorious noble family that had been passed down generation after generation since the founding of Great Qi. The young ladies of the residence were nearly as precious as princesses in the palace. The son-in-law and grandson were at least officials. He, his wife, and their two sons and daughters-in-law were all farmers in a small town. They had already benefited considerably from their grandson’s marriage. How could they be picky about anything else?

Besides, except for when their daughter and son-in-law invited them for New Year and festivals, they wouldn’t regularly come to the capital for no reason. The city might be rich and prosperous, but it wasn’t as comfortable as staying in their town, where everyone around them was farming neighbors and townsfolk, all speaking in local dialect. No one needed to laugh at anyone.

The womenfolk all looked at Yao Lin.

Yao Lin said, “…Why are you all looking at me? We’re getting along quite well.”

Many young couples among the neighbors on Longevity Lane would quarrel. He and Li Fuwei had almost nothing to say to each other, so there was nothing to quarrel about. After all, he was on duty during the day and rarely saw Li Fuwei in daylight anyway. When night came and it got dark, they went straight to sleep—no need to talk at all.

Yao Lin knew he was clumsy with words. Having married a wife who didn’t need him to sweet-talk and coax her, Yao Lin was quite satisfied.

After briefly chatting about whether the Yao Lin couple got along harmoniously, the topic returned to Yao Huang, who was about to move into the palace.

Palace matters didn’t need their concern, and they wouldn’t let the Crown Princess worry about matters outside the palace either. They all promised to definitely conduct themselves properly on their end, neither doing things like bullying others by taking advantage of their power nor accepting benefits from people with ulterior motives that would put the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in a difficult position.

Yao Huang was very clear about her natal family’s character. Although they all had some small problems common among ordinary people, on major matters of right and wrong they weren’t confused, and they wouldn’t covet ill-gotten gains. Moreover, her mother and sister-in-law were watching out for her, and could intervene promptly if circumstances changed.

Before moving, Yao Huang also separately visited the Eldest Princess’s residence and Prince Kang’s residence.

The Eldest Princess was both happy that Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law could move into the Eastern Palace, yet very reluctant to part with Second Sister-in-law: “When I lived in the palace, I always felt it was inconvenient because Second Sister-in-law lived outside the palace. Now I’ve only been out of the palace for three months and haven’t explored the capital inside and out enough with Second Sister-in-law, yet Second Sister-in-law is about to move into the palace.”

Yao Huang said, “Stop pretending to be pitiful. Do you think I don’t know how many young madams and young ladies your princess residence receives every day? They’re all those daughters of prestigious families you knew before leaving the palace. You can go anywhere you want with them and everyone will respond to your call. I only fear you’ll have so much fun with them that you’ll forget to visit me and Mother Empress in the palace.”

The Eldest Princess laughed: “Those are all for gathering excitement and relieving boredom. Second Sister-in-law is my closest confidante.”

Yao Huang said, “Say what you like, but the more young madams you know, the better. In the future, if any family has some fresh news, you must remember to tell me.”

Having become Crown Princess, although Yao Huang could still leave the palace, it definitely wouldn’t be as convenient as when she was a princess consort and could go anywhere at any time. So she could only rely on relatives and friends to keep track of interesting things happening outside the palace.

The Eldest Princess naturally agreed.

At Prince Kang’s residence, Chen Ying was already eight months pregnant, with her due date estimated for early ninth month.

Chen Ying had no natal family in the capital. Yao Huang, with whom she had become close at Embroidered Grace Pavilion, counted as half her natal family.

After dismissing the servants, Chen Ying spoke intimately with Yao Huang in a low voice: “Ever since His Majesty designated the Second Prince as Crown Prince, I’ve watched the First Prince happily continue his duties, and my heart has been even more at ease.”

Earlier she had also thought the heir apparent would be chosen between Prince Kang and Prince Qing, so from the time she married Prince Kang, she had been bearing various pressures. Consort Rou and Princess Fucheng would occasionally make pointed remarks to her—ostensibly concerned but actually all barbs. Consort Xian was dignified and gentle, not minding her humble origins, but whenever she saw Consort Xian, she became nervous, always feeling every look from Consort Xian contained deep meaning.

When Prince Qing had his incident, Prince Kang seemingly had an opportunity. Chen Ying’s nervousness transformed into whether she could actually be competent as the future Crown Princess or Empress.

When Emperor Yongchang designated Prince Hui as Crown Prince, Chen Ying began to fear whether Prince Kang and Consort Xian would be very disappointed, whether their mood would deteriorate to the point of taking it out on her. Fortunately, her husband Prince Kang was an upright and magnanimous person. Not only did he sincerely support Emperor Yongchang’s decree, he even turned around to advise her not to envy Second Sister-in-law for becoming Crown Princess…

Chen Ying didn’t envy her at all. She was only happy for Yao Huang and happy for herself, because she had long been accustomed to relying on Yao Huang. Now that Yao Huang had become Crown Princess, in the future Yao Huang would be Empress, so she could continue to rely on Yao Huang. Not that she wanted Yao Huang to help her with anything, but simply as long as Yao Huang sat high in that position, Chen Ying’s heart would be steady.

Yao Huang embraced Chen Ying and smiled: “After you give birth, I’ll come see you again.”

The twenty-eighth day of the seventh month—an auspicious day suitable for moving.

Everything in the Eastern Palace was new and of materials one grade higher than those at the prince’s residence. For this move, the Crown Prince’s family only needed to transport their treasury stores and some cherished items they were accustomed to using. This Prince Hui residence would become the Crown Prince family’s potential residence, still belonging to the Crown Prince. Some of the craftsmen and servants originally used at the residence would continue to stay here to care for the mansion, including Chief Steward Guo Shu who would continue to handle external affairs for the Crown Prince.

Eunuch Cao, Nanny Liu, as well as Qing Ai, Fei Quan, and others were originally palace servants the Crown Prince had brought out from the palace. This time they would move into the Eastern Palace. The four senior maids and four second-rank maids beside Yao Huang would also move into the Eastern Palace to become senior palace maids and second-rank palace maids of the same rank beside the Crown Princess.

As for the pets kept at the residence, Jinbao had already become a eunuch, so he would definitely move in. The male deer in the deer park would continue to be kept at the prince’s residence, while the female deer and the baby female deer born just this past April would move into the new Eastern Palace deer park that the Crown Prince had personally outlined for them.

On the twenty-seventh, Eunuch Cao and Nanny Liu first led a group of palace servants to deliver various large items and the dog and deer to the Eastern Palace. On the twenty-eighth when the Crown Prince’s family of three entered the palace, they were basically traveling light. When they actually arrived at the Eastern Palace, the various halls had already been arranged neatly, and fresh potted flowers had been placed in the masters’ inner chambers and reception halls.

The doors, windows, corridors, and columns were painted with fresh, brand-new lacquer that shimmered with attractive luster in the sunlight, making one’s heart feel bright just looking at them.

After touring the rooms, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui to first see the deer park converted from the eastern attached courtyard.

With the various buildings of the attached courtyard demolished, the park looked much larger. The deer park was built imitating the landscape where hills and grasslands meet in the North Park, with a small raised hillock planted with well-arranged plum and maple trees. Below the hillock was flat grassland with a winding stone path laid through the middle.

Though the entire imperial palace was surrounded by walls on all sides, Yao Huang saw in the Eastern Palace a patch of grassland that lifted one’s spirits.

She kissed the Crown Prince’s ear: “I love this place.”

After viewing the two female deer, one large and one small, Yao Huang pushed the Crown Prince to the western garden.

If the beauty of the deer park lay in its openness, the garden’s beauty excelled in its winding paths leading to secluded places. In an area of the same size, the garden actually concentrated artificial mountains, ponds, decorative rocks, famous flowers and trees, and covered walkways all in one place. The scenery changed with almost every step. Yao Huang could already imagine that when Jun’er grew a few years older and came here to play hide-and-seek with her, how much effort she’d have to expend to find him!

Walking along, after another artificial mountain, a clearing about one zhang long and over six chi wide suddenly appeared. Because it was concealed between the artificial mountain and the covered walkway beside it, from a distance one couldn’t discover this area was actually empty.

Yao Huang stopped the wheelchair and asked in confusion, “Your Highness, why is this empty? Haven’t you decided what flowers to plant yet?”

Zhao Sui said, “We can make two vegetable beds.”

The Crown Princess didn’t love the hard work of field labor, but she enjoyed occasionally watering the vegetable beds and personally picking some small vegetables at harvest time.

Yao Huang was both delighted that the Crown Prince still remembered this small quirk of hers and felt somewhat embarrassed: “In such a beautiful garden, won’t planting vegetables make it seem incongruous?”

It would be like the Crown Prince painting a fine painting and her insisting on writing a line of ordinary, aesthetically unpleasing vulgar characters on it.

Yao Huang was a common person, but she understood appreciation and cherished beautiful things. She would never scribble randomly on the Crown Prince’s paintings.

Zhao Sui lowered his eyes: “As long as you like it, opening a few more vegetable beds would be fine too.”

He had lived in the palace for over ten years. The princes’ residences only had one courtyard. Even after moving back into the palace after several years, Zhao Sui could adapt.

The Crown Princess was different. She loved strolling in gardens. The Eastern Palace happened to have two extra attached courtyards, so Zhao Sui converted them into gardens for her.

Since they were the Crown Princess’s gardens, the Crown Princess could plant whatever she liked.

Yao Huang looked at this Crown Prince who dared to pretend to be a bamboo spirit to bully people at night but was reserved even about saying sweet words during the day. She smiled and bent down, kissing the Crown Prince’s ear again: “How wonderful, I love this place too.”