“Summer Water Play.”

The twenty-eighth of the sixth month was the birthday of Dun ge’er, the young heir of Prince Kang’s residence.

Two days in advance, Yao Huang went to request instructions from Empress Zhou, saying she wanted to take Jun ge’er to Prince Kang’s residence on the twenty-eighth to celebrate Dun ge’er’s birthday, and incidentally let Jun ge’er grow closer to his eldest uncle’s older brothers, older sisters, and little sister. That night she would stay at the Crown Prince’s residence outside the palace, because on the twenty-ninth she wanted to visit the pregnant Eldest Princess, then stay another night at the Crown Prince’s residence, because the Crown Prince wanted to ride horses outside the city on his rest day at month’s end.

Empress Zhou: “Just say directly that you want to stay outside the palace for two nights. Would I really stop you?”

Look at this string of reasons—Dun ge’er, the Eldest Princess, the Crown Prince—even the Emperor couldn’t think to refuse.

Yao Huang smiled: “When your daughter-in-law leaves the palace, Mother Empress will definitely report this matter to Father Emperor afterward. Your daughter-in-law fears Father Emperor might misunderstand that I’m pleasure-seeking, so I’m explaining clearly to Mother Empress in advance. When the time comes, I’ll still have to trouble Mother Empress to speak favorably on my behalf.”

Empress Zhou pinched the Crown Princess’s tender cheeks. With this temperament, it was fortunate the Crown Princess herself knew restraint. If she were the Emperor’s biological princess, she probably wouldn’t even bother finding suitable reasons and would just leave the palace to play directly.

“Go ahead. Your Father Emperor is in a good mood recently—he won’t interfere.”

This year all regions had favorable weather, several neighboring states had come to pay tribute, and the northern tribes of the Wu nation were embroiled in internal strife—Emperor Yongchang was happy to watch the show.

Yao Huang smiled, having guessed early on this would be the result.

She didn’t casually make a fuss about leaving the palace. In the third month she’d gone on one spring outing, then stayed obediently in the palace for the following three months. During that time the Crown Prince twice suggested taking her out of the palace, but Yao Huang refused both times to avoid leaving too frequently and earning Emperor Yongchang’s displeasure. Recently it had been too hot—Yao Huang missed the secluded pool at the Crown Prince’s residence, so she calculated the birthdays of several imperial relatives…

In the blink of an eye it was the twenty-eighth.

Before the Crown Prince rose early to practice martial arts, Yao Huang pounced onto his back and asked with a smile: “After you finish duties tonight, will Your Highness return to the Eastern Palace or go to the Crown Prince’s residence?”

Zhao Sui remained silent.

Yao Huang touched his collar: “Who told you that you still have duties tomorrow? I have the reason of visiting the Eldest Princess. I really can’t find one for Your Highness. Fortunately it’s just one night. Hmm, perhaps Your Highness is even happy that this one night you won’t need to coax Jun ge’er or accompany me—isn’t that right?”

Zhao Sui looked at the Crown Princess’s mischievous hand and said: “You’re happy you can spend one less night accompanying me, so you’re using the same thinking to speculate about me.”

Yao Huang: “What do I have to be happy about? Your Highness is so handsome—I wish I could attend Your Highness’s bed every night.”

Zhao Sui very much wanted to remind the Crown Princess that last night she had cried while cursing him, asking if he was a reincarnated donkey, but while the Crown Princess could curse this, it was truly difficult for him to voice it.

“I’ll stay in the palace. Don’t wait for me.”

Forcefully ignoring the Crown Princess’s body pressing against him, Zhao Sui helped her sit up straight, then quickly departed. She would be going to Prince Kang’s residence in the morning—tiring her out at this moment wouldn’t be appropriate.

Yao Huang also hoped the Crown Prince would stay in the palace tonight. Otherwise, if he followed her wherever she went, Mother would be happy to see her son-in-law attached to her daughter, but Emperor Yongchang might not be happy to see his son too attached to his daughter-in-law.

From morning until noon Yao Huang spent time at Prince Kang’s residence. Prince Kang also had duties at the palace, so only the female family members and children were at the residence—it was lively and delightful beyond words. After eating the banquet there, Yao Huang directly took Jun ge’er to the Yao family’s new residence, which was only three streets away from the Crown Prince’s residence. She accompanied Mother and Sister-in-law for an hour before returning to the Crown Prince’s residence.

It was just past the hour of the monkey. Nanny Liu, who had arrived early, had already instructed the old servants of the Crown Prince’s residence to prepare the water for the secluded pool.

The wet nurse took Jun ge’er to rest after the midday meal. Yao Huang was also a bit sleepy and decided to sleep first before playing in the water.

In the palace, the Crown Prince was diligently attending to duties as always. Though he occasionally wondered what the Crown Princess outside the palace was doing, he would quickly and rationally suppress such thoughts.

Zhao Sui truly hadn’t planned to leave the palace tonight to find the Crown Princess. First, it really was just one night—he didn’t want the Crown Princess laughing at him for not being able to wait even one night. Second, leaving the palace required reporting to Father Emperor, and Zhao Sui couldn’t think of how to broach the subject with him.

Just before the end of duties at the hour of the rooster, a young eunuch from Qianyuan Hall delivered a letter and withdrew before the Crown Prince could open it.

The envelope had no writing on it, but only Emperor Yongchang could command servants from Qianyuan Hall.

Zhao Sui had already guessed the letter’s contents but still had to open it to confirm. Taking out the letter paper, it indeed had one sentence written in vermillion brush: Go. Jun ge’er is accustomed to seeing you every day.

Heat faintly rose on the Crown Prince’s face. Then he lingered at the Ministry of Works until almost all the officials had left before taking Qing Ai out of the palace.

The Crown Prince’s residence was west of the imperial city. Jingwu trotted quickly and soon delivered the Crown Prince to his former residence.

Zhao Sui arrived at Ming’an Hall but only saw the wet nurse playing with Jun ge’er. The Crown Princess had just gone to the Lake Heart Pavilion after dinner and would sleep there tonight as well.

The Crown Princess who had just eaten certainly couldn’t immediately enter the water. Zhao Sui returned to the front courtyard to bathe and change clothes.

The Crown Prince washed quickly, and Chef Kong, who continued to stay at the former residence to cook because the masters frequently returned, also cooked quickly, promptly delivering three newly stir-fried dishes.

The Crown Prince ate absentmindedly until seventy percent full. After rinsing his mouth, he took Qing Ai to the rear garden.

Summer days were long—a trace of sunset still remained at the horizon. As Zhao Sui walked alone along the covered bridge connecting the lakeshore to the Lake Heart Pavilion, the breeze meeting him still carried the day’s heat and the lake water’s moisture.

The Lake Heart Pavilion was a small island. The Crown Princess staying here alone didn’t require many attendants—only Nanny Liu and A’Ji were close by, plus two young eunuchs and two palace maids originally responsible for cleaning the Lake Heart Pavilion. Now that the Crown Princess wanted to swim, only one eunuch from these four was arranged to keep night watch at the covered bridge to prevent outsiders from trespassing. The other three could return to their rooms to rest.

The Crown Prince arrived silently. Qing Ai had the young eunuch on night watch lock the gate at this end of the covered bridge before going to rest. He then whispered a few words to Nanny Liu guarding the rear hall. After Nanny Liu found a pretext to call A’Ji away from the secluded pool, the Crown Prince, who had been waiting in the shadows the entire time, slowly walked toward the secluded pool.

Night was falling. Two lamp stands were set along the small path leading to the secluded pool. Rounding the short but sufficiently concealed artificial mountain path, there was only one lamp at the secluded pool’s edge.

The Crown Princess, who had entered the water not long ago, was swimming enthusiastically. After she swam two laps and stood at the shore to wipe her face and look toward the artificial mountain path, the entire view was the same as when A’Ji had left, except the sky had darkened somewhat. The Crown Princess only glanced casually and didn’t notice that beside the clothing she’d left on shore, there was now an additional set of men’s garments.

Just then, a sound of breaking water suddenly came from behind. Before Yao Huang could turn her head, a powerful arm fiercely wrapped around her waist and pulled her backward. When Yao Huang crashed into the other person’s hard chest, their other hand tightly covered her mouth, suppressing her about-to-escape cry of alarm.

Not yet thinking of the Crown Prince, Yao Huang instinctively raised her elbow backward, attacking the other person’s waist and abdomen.

The other person stepped back to avoid it while simultaneously turning her around.

Yao Huang finally saw her own Crown Prince’s handsome face. Though the hair bun with its jade hairpin was wet from water, it remained neatly bound—only water droplets continuously rolled down and slid past the Crown Prince’s lowered brows and eyes. The Crown Prince who had entered the pool wore a set of inner garments. At this moment, that white silk inner garment clung tightly to the Crown Prince’s body, outlining the chest and abdominal contours he rarely gave the Crown Princess opportunities to glimpse.

While Yao Huang examined the Crown Prince, though he was a head taller and had to lower his gaze, he was perfectly positioned to silently watch the Crown Princess before him.

The Crown Princess wore a lotus-blue gauze dress—even more revealing than what she’d worn swimming here last summer. Looking at just the top, it resembled a chest-wrap.

When the lotus-blue gauze got wet, it became almost dissolving-thin and transparently adhered to the Crown Princess’s skin…

Perceiving where the Crown Prince’s gaze had fallen, Yao Huang abruptly hugged her chest and sank into the water.

Zhao Sui lifted her out in one motion, forcing the Crown Princess to retreat two steps until she pressed against a stone wall standing at the shore.

As the Crown Prince lowered his head, the Crown Princess bit her lip and raised her face. A pair of hands pushed, grabbed, and struck at his shoulders, but couldn’t affect the Crown Prince in the slightest.

The Crown Prince came with fierce momentum. Yao Huang had no chance to speak at all—not until the roiling waves finally calmed, not until the Crown Prince held her and sat on the first step at the pool’s entrance, keeping most of her body still soaked in water that retained the day’s fierce sun’s warmth. Only then did Yao Huang, pillowing on his arm, ask weakly: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t leave the palace tonight?”

Zhao Sui brushed aside a strand of wet hair stuck to the Crown Princess’s cheek and avoided her gaze: “Father Emperor was worried about Jun ge’er and told me to come check on him.”

Yao Huang: “Then Your Highness should go accompany Jun ge’er. Why did you come bully me?”

The Crown Prince didn’t answer and proceeded to help the Crown Princess clean herself. The entire pool of lake water was readily available.

The Crown Princess’s body trembled. She twisted to bury herself in the Crown Prince’s chest, barely gathering strength to grab the Crown Prince’s shoulders to vent her dissatisfaction.

With the Crown Princess too shy to raise her head or speak, the Crown Prince took advantage to say: “The water here is deep—I was afraid you’d have an accident alone.”

Yao Huang couldn’t escape the Crown Prince’s hands and could only splash water toward the Crown Prince’s face, hoping to interrupt his movements.

Zhao Sui cooperatively released the Crown Princess.

Yao Huang immediately swam away. Discovering the Crown Prince wasn’t pursuing, Yao Huang breathed a sigh of relief, but she quickly realized the Crown Prince’s wickedness—because her outer garment and towel were on the shore behind the Crown Prince. As long as she wanted to come ashore and get dressed, she’d still have to return to where the Crown Prince was!

Yao Huang swam back to where the Crown Prince had just bullied her and found the gauze dress she’d specifically had Chun Yan sew for water play floating in the water. However, when Yao Huang happily turned the gauze dress to its front side and was about to put it on, she was stunned when she saw a small tear in the dress. The Crown Prince had only kissed her a few times—when had he used his teeth?

Furious with shame, Yao Huang glared at the Crown Prince from afar and suddenly began calling for A’Ji toward the artificial mountain.

Zhao Sui: “…”

The Crown Prince reentered the water, approaching the Crown Princess like a swimming fish.

Yao Huang couldn’t be bothered with calling A’Ji anymore—she turned and fled.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince whose legs had fully healed had longer legs, greater strength, and even better swimming ability than her. Yao Huang had only escaped half a lap before the Crown Prince caught her ankle and pulled her back.

When they both resurfaced, Yao Huang angrily pounced into the Crown Prince’s embrace and pulled at his inner garment, wanting to tear it open too.

Zhao Sui grasped the Crown Princess’s wrists with a smile.

Yao Huang then went to bite his inner garment.

Zhao Sui directly hoisted the Crown Princess onto his shoulder, walked across most of the pool, and brought the Crown Princess ashore.