A ten-chi square felt mat was spread beneath the willow shade, with a redwood low table placed in the center displaying melons, fruits, and refreshments.

Yao Huang had removed her embroidered shoes and lay facing the lake water. Opening her eyes, she saw blue sky and emerald lake. Closing her eyes, she could feel the fragmented light filtering through the branches overhead. So pleasant—whether she could catch any fish no longer mattered.

“Princess Consort, the Prince is here!”

Hearing A’Ji’s lowered reminder, Yao Huang sat up with a start and indeed saw the wheelchair slowly approaching from the opposite side.

Yao Huang quickly moved to the edge of the felt mat to put on her shoes.

A’Ji put down the fishing rod and said nervously, “Princess Consort, should I return to Ming’an Hall first?”

The Prince disliked having maids attending nearby. Every time the Prince came to Ming’an Hall, A’Ji and the others would hide far away.

Yao Huang said, “Go ahead.”

Qing Ai pushed the wheelchair around from the north side, and A’Ji left from the south.

According to the various rules Nanny Fang had taught in the palace for serving princes, Yao Huang should go meet the Prince. However, the western sun was too harsh, and Yao Huang didn’t want to wear the veiled hat again, so she simply stood under the tree shade smiling as she watched the gradually approaching Prince.

In Qing Ai’s eyes, the Princess Consort wore a white short jacket and a light yellow chest-high long skirt. Although the sun was still high, a gentle breeze blew by the lake. The Princess Consort’s long skirt was light as smoke, the hem swaying slightly with the wind, like layer upon layer of soft, delicate peony petals.

Such a Princess Consort didn’t need to do anything more—just standing there filled one’s heart with light. And when the Princess Consort smiled, the heart melted along with it.

Knowing the Prince must be in a very good mood right now, Qing Ai ventured, “Prince, look—the Princess Consort saw you coming and is smiling so joyfully.”

The Prince ignored him.

Qing Ai was too accustomed to such silence and quickened his pace.

When the wheelchair came close, Yao Huang’s gaze seemed glued to Prince Hui’s face, moving along with his movement. She said cheerfully, “On such a sunny day, I thought the Prince wouldn’t come.”

Zhao Sui looked at the fishing rod placed beside the chair. “How long have you been fishing? What’s the catch?”

Accompanied by the sound of Qing Ai’s retreating footsteps, Yao Huang sighed. “About two quarter hours, I suppose. Haven’t caught a single one. Prince, could it be there are no big fish kept in this lake?”

The pond to the east of the garden had over a dozen koi raised in it. This lake was larger, but at a glance there didn’t seem to be many fish—occasionally a few wild ducks would emerge from the water grass.

Zhao Sui said, “There are. When the residence was first established, some mature fish and fry were released. However, fishing requires patience.”

Yao Huang asked, “Then shall I fish with the Prince for a while?”

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair next to her chair, confirming the sun wouldn’t reach it before securing it in place. Then she helped him attach the bait. The bait had been prepared by Eunuch Cao—steamed dough mixed with white sugar and honey. It looked appealing and smelled sweet, even arousing a bit of Yao Huang’s appetite.

After the bait was attached, Zhao Sui cast the line himself. Once the float stabilized, he leaned back against the chair, quite leisurely.

Yao Huang’s fishing chair also reclined, but only the back portion—her shoulders and head remained exposed above the chair back.

The yellow pear wood chair surface was hard and rigid. After sitting for not very long, Yao Huang felt her bottom uncomfortable. During those years studying at home, she would always spread a soft cushion on the chair—in summer she used rush grass bundles wrapped in coarse cloth, soft and breathable; in winter she used cotton cushions that grew warm after sitting for a while.

“Does the Prince really not mind the hard chair?”

After enduring for a while, Yao Huang asked quietly.

Zhao Sui replied, “…I’m used to it.”

In the palace study hall where the princes studied, identical hardwood desks and chairs were arranged. Literary lessons lasted half a day at a time. At first it did feel hard, but no prince would speak up about it, nor would they bring their own soft cushions. All scholars throughout the realm studied this way, and after passing the imperial examinations and becoming officials, they continued sitting on such hard chairs in government offices.

Zhao Sui understood the Princess Consort’s meaning—she found it uncomfortable.

Zhao Sui could understand her discomfort. Her entire body, except for bones, had no part that wasn’t soft. How could such softness endure prolonged compression by hard wood?

“Move the felt mat to the shore. You can sit on the mat to fish.”

Yao Huang immediately went to rearrange things. After moving the felt mat properly and looking at the Prince sitting in the wheelchair a full head taller than her, Yao Huang invited, “Prince, come over here too. When you’re tired, you can even lie down for a bit.”

Zhao Sui didn’t respond.

Yao Huang realized and quickly added, “I’ll carry you on my back.”

Zhao Sui was silent for a moment, then agreed. At least when she carried him on her back, she couldn’t see his helplessness.

Yao Huang first set down his fishing rod, then carried the Prince down from the wheelchair on her back as before. Kicking off her embroidered shoes and stepping onto the felt mat, Yao Huang suddenly realized the tricky part. Previously there had been Jingwu, and also Qing Ai and Fei Quan to help. But now she had to place the Prince on the low mat—this process had become much more difficult.

Imagining several positions in her mind, Yao Huang said facing the lake, “Prince, I’ll slowly squat down. You just hold firmly onto my shoulders.”

Zhao Sui made a sound of acknowledgment and tried to mobilize his feet, but both legs still had no sensation whatsoever, as if they weren’t part of his body.

Yao Huang’s hands clasped behind his waist in reverse. Lowering her head, she could see the Prince’s feet had already reached the mat, but those feet couldn’t press down firmly and thus couldn’t reduce the weight she bore. Her knees bent more and more, her waist lower and lower. When Yao Huang truly couldn’t support it anymore, her left lower leg suddenly knelt on the mat. At the same time, Zhao Sui’s left hand braced against the mat, helping her maintain balance.

When Yao Huang turned around, Zhao Sui was already supporting his upper body with both hands.

Yao Huang instinctively moved to help him reposition his legs. Zhao Sui waved her off and, using one hand for support and the other to move his legs forward, finally adjusted into a cross-legged sitting position.

Before Zhao Sui could stand upright supporting himself on railings using only his arm strength, he had first practiced arduously how to sit stably.

Yao Huang didn’t know any of this. She only saw the practiced nature of the Prince’s various movements—a sense of calm composure.

Only after Zhao Sui was seated did he look over. Seeing her flushed face with fine beads of sweat floating on her forehead, he asked, “Tired, aren’t you?”

Qing Ai and Fei Quan were probably guarding the entrance to the back garden right now, preventing servants from wandering over intentionally or unintentionally.

Yao Huang smiled. “A little. But now it’s convenient for us to talk, so that moment of exertion was worth it.”

Zhao Sui really wanted to remind her that when fishing, it was best not to chat idly.

Yao Huang went to fetch the bait, fish bucket, and both their fishing rods, bringing them over. When placing the rods, hers angled toward the south and Zhao Sui’s toward the north, not interfering with each other.

Yao Huang couldn’t stay quiet. Before long, she asked softly, “Did the Prince fish often before?”

Zhao Sui replied, “When living at the Prince’s residence, about two or three times a month.”

Before age eighteen he had lived in the palace. Although the imperial palace was also his home, it was full of rules everywhere—do more, err more; do less, err less. When he didn’t need to study or practice martial arts, Zhao Sui would stay in his own courtyard reading and practicing calligraphy. After being enfeoffed and establishing his residence, when Zhao Sui wasn’t on duty and during rest days, he neither socialized with officials nor visited friends, but found things to occupy his time in his own residence.

Those years had many military campaigns. Counting it up, he had actually only lived at the Prince’s residence for less than three years total, including this past year after his legs were injured.

Yao Huang only felt this frequency already counted as a hobby. “Since the Prince likes it, shall I accompany you fishing more often in the future?”

Fishing while letting the Prince get sun—another case of killing two birds with one stone.

Zhao Sui said, “Depends on whether you like it. No need to force yourself.”

Suddenly, Yao Huang’s float sank. Having just found fishing boring, Yao Huang immediately perked up, sharply lifting the fishing rod upward. A palm-length fish was flung out of the water.

Yao Huang swung the fish onto the shore, only then discovering this fish was quite small—at most it could be stewed for soup to taste the fresh flavor.

“Never mind, I’ll put it in the bucket first. If I can catch a big one later, I’ll release this one back.”

Regardless, having the first catch, Yao Huang was even more motivated.

“Why did you push a note through this morning?” Zhao Sui asked, watching the float in the water.

Yao Huang glanced at him and explained, “I was afraid of disturbing the Prince’s reading or rest. After all, it wasn’t anything important. Conveying messages through notes is more convenient.”

If he weren’t a prince, she could even skip the morning greeting and just go straight out.

Zhao Sui said, “For conveying messages you can write notes, but when you bring gifts back, you can give them to me personally. I also want to know what places you’ve been to.”

Yao Huang replied, “Alright, I’ll remember.”

It was good to inform him too. If there were any places or things that displeased the Prince, she could correct them promptly.

By dusk, the two had caught a total of eight fish. Finally, Yao Huang caught a large grass carp weighing an estimated ten-plus pounds. Walking a long stretch along the riverbank and exerting face-reddening effort, she finally dragged the fish out of the water. When removing it from the hook, she was splashed with water all over her body and face, twisting her head and spitting several times.

While she was spitting out water, the grass carp flipped its tail and jumped forcefully to the lake’s edge. Yao Huang lunged to grab it. The grass carp jumped again with a splash into the water, making Yao Huang shriek with fury!

Zhao Sui had been watching her the whole time.

At the entrance to the back garden, Qing Ai and Fei Quan were startled by the Princess Consort’s sudden scream. Qing Ai even rushed forward a distance before the Princess Consort’s exasperated voice came from the lakeside again: “I’ve memorized it! I’m coming back tomorrow to fish. If I don’t catch it, I’ll keep coming back—sooner or later I’m going to stew it and eat it!”

Qing Ai: “…”

Since neither the Prince nor Princess Consort were in any trouble, the two eunuchs continued guarding the gate.

By the lakeside, Yao Huang returned to the felt mat huffily. Looking at the Prince steadily holding his rod, then looking at her own dampened bodice and skirt hem, she hated that fish even more.

Zhao Sui said, “Extend your hand.”

Yao Huang extended her left hand without understanding why.

Zhao Sui said, “Both hands.”

Yao Huang had no choice but to extend her right hand as well.

The backs of her hands were wet, with red marks on her wrists from being slapped by the fish tail. Zhao Sui turned over her palms—they were stained with grass leaves and wet mud, but fortunately hadn’t been cut by fish scales.

Zhao Sui took out a handkerchief—a clean, snow-white silk handkerchief.

Seeing it, Yao Huang quickly withdrew her hands. “I’ll just wash by the lake. Don’t ruin such a pretty handkerchief.”

Saying this, she crouched by the lakeside, scooping water to wash her hands and wrists.

The lake water was cool and refreshing. Yao Huang’s heart, which had first boiled then grown frustrated and disappointed, regained its calm. Looking at the golden ripples in the center of the lake, Yao Huang turned her head toward Prince Hui and smiled. “Such a wonderful place—no wonder the fish inside grow so fat.”

Zhao Sui returned a faint smile.

Shaking the water off her hands, Yao Huang returned to the bucket. She tossed two small fish back and arranged, “Six fish. The Prince eats one, Fei Quan and Qing Ai are rewarded one, I get one, the four senior maids are rewarded one, and the remaining two will be served when entertaining my father and the others at noon the day after tomorrow. What does the Prince say?”

Zhao Sui said, “I can’t finish one fish alone. How about you and I dine together?”

Yao Huang replied, “That works too. My father and the others can really eat anyway—two fish might not even be enough for them.”

Zhao Sui said, “Leave the things here. Fei Quan and the others will come tidy up.”

Yao Huang then came to push the wheelchair.

Zhao Sui said, “Let’s go to Ming’an Hall. You should change clothes early to avoid catching a chill.”