After resting for two consecutive days, Yao Huang took Prince Hui out again. She took him to the foot of mountains in the suburbs to gaze at the autumn leaves in the mountains, layered and interlaced in brilliant colors. She took him to a small Taoist temple that could be reached without climbing steps to offer incense and pray for blessings. She also took him to her maternal grandfather’s home to pick the large, red persimmons that, having been touched by frost, tasted just right.

Telling her maternal grandfather and his family to each go about their business, only Yao Huang accompanied Prince Hui in the large courtyard.

Under the eaves lay a long pole specifically for picking persimmons. The pole head had a narrow cutting blade. Gently cutting near the persimmon stem, the heavy large persimmon would fall into the net bag tied to the pole head. Though it seemed simple, it still required some skill. If the person holding the pole didn’t have good eyesight, the persimmon might miss and fall directly to the ground, splitting or smashing.

Yao Huang held up the long pole and picked one. She walked farther away and directly extended the pole head before Prince Hui.

Zhao Sui cooperatively retrieved from the net bag a red persimmon as large as his fist.

Yao Huang stood the long pole upright, ran over, and gently squeezed the persimmon still in Prince Hui’s hand. “These can be eaten now, but if we bring them back to the manor and put them on the windowsill to dry for two more days, they’ll taste even sweeter when eaten.”

Zhao Sui looked at the red persimmon before him. In his memory, when he was very young, Nanny Liu seemed to have held a bowl and fed him the peeled persimmon flesh. He had also seen dried persimmon cakes at the consort’s place. This kind of persimmon just picked from the tree—Zhao Sui was seeing it up close for the first time.

“It’s the prince’s turn now. Your archery is good and your eyesight is strong. The persimmons you pick should be sweeter than this one of mine.”

Yao Huang took away the persimmon with one hand and stuffed the long pole into Prince Hui’s hands with the other.

Zhao Sui didn’t particularly want to try.

Yao Huang pushed him beneath the outer perimeter of the persimmon tree’s canopy and smiled. “We only come to pick persimmons once a year. Prince must treasure the opportunity.”

Zhao Sui could feel the excitement in the princess consort’s voice.

Before the Double Ninth Festival, the princess consort seemed to be starting to tire of these days of accompanying him. After the festival, she suddenly became enthusiastic again.

After hesitating a moment, Zhao Sui raised his head. He first confirmed the range of persimmons the long pole could reach, then selected the reddest one.

The pole head moved slightly, and the red persimmon smoothly fell into the net bag.

Zhao Sui leveled the long pole. Yao Huang ran over to retrieve the persimmon. It was indeed softer than the one she had picked.

Yao Huang went to the kitchen to fetch a set of bowls and chopsticks that her maternal aunts had specially bought to host her and Prince Hui. She scooped a ladleful of water and stood under the eaves, washing them before Prince Hui’s eyes. She likewise washed away the surface dust from the persimmon, then skillfully tore open one spot on the persimmon skin and poured the fruit flesh inside into the bowl.

Finally, Yao Huang returned to Prince Hui’s side holding the bowl with two pairs of chopsticks. She gave him one pair and invited, “Prince, taste it first.”

The fully ripened persimmon flesh naturally separated into several pieces. Under the princess consort’s gaze, Zhao Sui picked up a piece. Very sweet.

After eating this one, Yao Huang said greedily, “Let’s pick several more and bring them back to eat slowly.”

There were two persimmon trees. Yao Huang wouldn’t stand on ceremony with her maternal grandfather’s family. She directly moved over the low cabinets from the two carriages and only stopped after completely covering the bottom of the lowest layer.

After using the noon meal, the couple each took a carriage back to the manor.

Today was the seventeenth of the ninth month. Emperor Yongchang had begun the military review of the four camps in the capital suburbs yesterday, starting with the Eastern Camp. Today it was the turn of the Southern Camp.

A small review every year, a grand review every three years—the date each year was set in mid-September.

Last time when accompanying the princess consort to Changshou Alley to deliver Mid-Autumn Festival gifts, Zhao Sui heard Yao Zhenhu mention that this year’s military review of the Eastern Camp was set for the sixteenth of the ninth month, to be changed if the weather changed.

So when the princess consort suggested coming to her maternal grandfather’s home to pick persimmons today, Zhao Sui anticipated that on the round trip they might possibly encounter the Emperor and accompanying civil and military officials.

Zhao Sui didn’t want to dampen the princess consort’s spirits, so he had people prepare two ordinary carriages, driven by Zhang Yue and Wang Dong respectively, without bringing other guards. Thus if they truly encountered the Emperor’s procession midway, they could have the carriages move far to the side and pretend to be ordinary common people visiting relatives and friends.

When the couple left the city it wasn’t early. The Emperor had long since departed. On the return journey…

When the vast sound of hoofbeats came from the distance and Zhang Yue also reported in a low voice that it was the imperial carriage, Zhao Sui had him drive the carriage two hundred paces away from the official road.

When the prince’s carriage turned, the princess consort’s carriage behind also followed. Qing Ai and Fei Quan sat on the carriage shaft while A’Ji accompanied the princess consort in the carriage compartment.

The road outside the official road was full of bumps and holes, but fortunately Wang Dong had explained in advance, so Yao Huang and her servant were both prepared.

When the carriage stopped steadily again, Yao Huang lifted a bit of the curtain and discovered the imperial procession had drawn near. Two groups of Imperial Guards riding fine horses cleared and guarded the way on the left and right. In the middle, Emperor Yongchang took the lead on horseback, with Prince Kang and Prince Qing accompanying him on both sides, half a horse length behind.

There were other carriages, horses, and common people near the official road. Prince Hui manor’s two carriages weren’t conspicuous.

The autumn was dry. Horse hooves kicked up clouds of yellow dust, carrying the Emperor, princes, and civil and military officials past in a rush.

Before the first wave of yellow sand was blown over by the autumn wind, Yao Huang lowered the curtain.

With Prince Hui’s temperament, he definitely wouldn’t do such a furtive act of peeking. But Yao Huang believed that compared to accompanying her in skipping stones and picking persimmons, Prince Hui would rather go to the military camp for the review, right?

When Prince Hui manor’s two carriages finally arrived at the south city gate, Emperor Yongchang and his party had long since entered the city.

Returning to the manor, Yao Huang simply washed and changed into a set of silk undergarments, sitting at the vanity table slowly combing through her hair.

When Prince Hui came over, the princess consort’s long hair had already been combed very smoothly, the ends moving with her steps.

On the bed, the princess consort, still having her monthly courses, didn’t lie obediently as she had the previous days but actually burrowed into his arms.

Zhao Sui patted the princess consort’s hand.

Yao Huang pillowed on his shoulder and said very softly, “Actually, I know everything. The prince doesn’t want to accompany me going out idly day after day at all. Those things I like to do are all things that only children would like in the prince’s eyes.”

Zhao Sui: “…No, don’t think wildly.”

The autumn scenery in the suburbs was pleasing to the eye. Picking persimmons was perhaps somewhat childish, yet it was also a childhood pleasure he had never experienced.

Yao Huang nuzzled at his shoulder. “Prince doesn’t need to humor me. Whether you’re truly happy or falsely happy, I can tell the difference.”

Zhao Sui was silent for a moment, shifted outward, then looked at the princess consort’s face.

Yao Huang wouldn’t let him see and continued burrowing into his arms.

Zhao Sui then held the princess consort on top of him, only to face the princess consort’s tightly closed eyes.

Zhao Sui: “…I’m just not accustomed to showing my emotions. Not smiling often doesn’t mean I don’t like it.”

The princess consort with closed eyes perfunctorily nodded.

Zhao Sui was getting a headache when suddenly the princess consort opened her eyes, smilingly kissed his forehead, and turned to comfort him. “All right, knowing the prince likes me puts my mind at ease. Tired from a whole morning, sleep quickly.”

Zhao Sui saw clearly—the princess consort didn’t truly think this way.

After that, resting for several consecutive days, the princess consort didn’t ask him to go out again.

Emperor Yongchang was fairly satisfied with this year’s military review of the four major camps. When the Emperor was in a good mood, Empress Zhou felt assured to summon the female relatives of imperial family members and some titled ladies and refined young ladies from distinguished families to the palace to appreciate chrysanthemums. Viewing peonies in spring and chrysanthemums in autumn—this was both an honor the imperial family bestowed on invited female relatives and a way to have more people keep the empresses, consorts, and princesses company.

On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Yao Huang left Prince Hui behind and went to the palace alone to appreciate flowers.

After several social engagements, besides Chen Ying, the young lady friend she had gotten to know when Chen Ying was a palace lady, Yao Huang could converse happily with the eldest princess as well as Prince Kang’s two side consorts. If it weren’t for the second princess having a face exactly like Consort Du’s with an unpleasant mouth, and Zheng Yuanzhen having a superior attitude disdaining to associate with her, Yao Huang could also get along well with them, even if only in superficial harmony.

Appreciating flowers, attending the banquet—after using the noon feast, the female guests should leave the palace.

Yao Huang supported her forehead with one hand and said to the eldest princess, “Sister, I drank too much fruit wine. My head is a bit dizzy. Can I go to your place to rest for a while?”

The eldest princess naturally said yes.

Consort Du, Consort Liu, Consort Shen, including Princess Imperial Fucheng and the mother-daughter pair of Zheng Yuanzhen, all looked toward Yao Huang. If it were someone else, they would definitely suspect whether she was feigning drunkenness, borrowing the opportunity to stay in the palace to secretly plot something with the eldest princess and Empress Zhou. As for Yao Huang—she did have some cunning, but Prince Hui’s legs were already crippled. What could a princess consort from a minor household background plot?

Her face was so red—she was probably truly drunk. Every palace banquet, she ate most heartily.

Everyone dispersed separately.

Yao Huang truly rested for half a quarter hour at the eldest princess’s place. Upon waking, she followed the eldest princess to take leave of Empress Zhou.

Taking leave was certainly necessary, but not so quickly. Yao Huang looked embarrassedly at the eldest princess and told the mother and daughter the truth. “Actually, I have a matter I want to ask Mother Empress to help with. Even if Mother Empress hadn’t summoned your daughter-in-law to the palace to appreciate chrysanthemums today, I would have submitted a memorial requesting an audience with Mother Empress.”

Empress Zhou was slightly stunned. This child actually truly had something to “plot”?

The eldest princess was very understanding and smiled. “Second Sister-in-law needn’t reproach yourself. I’m very happy to help you with this small favor.”

Empress Zhou dismissed the palace attendants around her and asked curiously, “What does Yaoyao seek?”

Yao Huang lowered her head and said softly, “I want to see Father Emperor. It’s a matter related to the prince. If Father Emperor agrees, then very soon Mother Empress and Sister will know what this matter is. In case Father Emperor doesn’t agree, I also can’t properly mention it to Mother Empress and Sister. But I estimate that Father Emperor should agree. Otherwise I absolutely wouldn’t dare rashly come to trouble Mother Empress.”

She wanted to have Prince Hui go out for duties. She must obtain the agreement of both Prince Hui and Emperor Yongchang.

Only if Emperor Yongchang agreed would Yao Huang be able to persuade Prince Hui. Otherwise, if she worked hard to persuade Prince Hui well, but Emperor Yongchang refused outright, then Prince Hui, stabbed by his own father, would in turn stab this knife into her, blaming her for talking too much, for blindly coming up with ideas that caused him to lose face!

Any matter related to the Emperor was a major matter.

Empress Zhou didn’t immediately agree to Yao Huang’s request. After pondering for a moment, she looked toward her daughter.

The eldest princess was only sixteen this year. When she began to remember things, it was exactly when Consort Du, having the fourth prince, no longer valued her adopted son.

Speaking of it, the eldest princess and second brother Zhao Sui also didn’t see each other often, but she learned from her mother why second brother was obsessed with reading and didn’t love going out.

The eldest princess, simultaneously loved by both Father Emperor and Mother Empress, felt a bit of pity for second brother. After eighteen-year-old second brother established military achievements, this pity changed to respect. When second brother was injured and could no longer walk, the eldest princess secretly cried.

Now, based on the eldest princess’s understanding of second sister-in-law, she believed that what second sister-in-law would request of Father Emperor must be something beneficial to second brother.

“Mother Empress, I’ll accompany Second Sister-in-law to see Father Emperor. You can just pretend not to know about this matter. If there’s truly an accident and Father Emperor wants to assign blame, I’ll bear it together with Second Sister-in-law.”

The eldest princess grasped the hand of second sister-in-law, who was only a year older than her, and said gently and softly to her mother.

Yao Huang hurriedly said, “It has nothing to do with Sister. I’ll explain clearly to Father Emperor. You…”

The eldest princess interrupted her seriously. “If Second Sister-in-law treats me as an outsider again, then I really won’t care anymore.”

Yao Huang: “…”

Empress Zhou was amused by this pair of young sisters-in-law who were both very loyal. Based on her understanding of Emperor Yongchang, as long as what Yao Huang requested was for Prince Hui’s benefit, today Emperor Yongchang wouldn’t be angry with anyone.

“Go. Any later and your father emperor will be busy.”