The Empress Dowager was utterly astonished, staring at He Chang’an for a long moment. “This… the Marquis is being rather impulsive.”

How could one simply take a liking to someone and recognize them as kin on a whim? The Marquis of Gongyu was the emperor’s confidant and close friend — how could this Zhaoyi Hua, of common birth and now in the emperor’s disfavor, possibly be worthy of being his sister?

“My mind is made up.” He Chang’an closed his eyes and said. “I ask that the Empress Dowager grant her consent.”

The consorts sitting nearby all turned pale, and Consort Hui couldn’t help but speak up. “If the Marquis had wished to recognize her as kin before she entered the palace, this palace would find that entirely reasonable. But now that Zhaoyi Hua is already in the harem, for the Marquis to come and recognize her now seems…”

“This humble subject met Zhaoyi Hua outside the palace together with His Majesty,” He Chang’an said. “We were already acquainted. It’s only that this humble subject has been ill recently and hasn’t had the chance to report to the Empress Dowager sooner — Zhaoyi Hua’s household registration has already been transferred to the marquis’s residence.”

In other words, this was merely informing them, not seeking their opinion — the matter was already settled.

The Empress Dowager fell silent, and the consorts nearby had mixed thoughts of their own. Hua Chun knelt obediently, a modest smile on her face.

“Since the registration has already gone through, then so be it.” The Empress Dowager said. “Zhaoyi Hua hasn’t been in the palace long, but she’s brought the emperor some comfort. Since she’s now the Marquis’s sister, this palace thinks her rank should be raised — let her become a Concubine.”

The Marquis of Gongyu’s own sister — how could she remain a mere Zhaoyi? By rank, she could well be made a full Consort, but nothing was more taboo in this palace than rising too quickly, so the Empress Dowager felt that raising her to Concubine was just right.

Hua Chun was delighted, already calculating in her head. To be granted this rank so readily — surely the rank that came with the privilege of a palanquin wasn’t far off now?

“Many thanks, Empress Dowager!”

“No need for such formality. Those who behave themselves in this palace will always find the emperor’s favor again eventually.” The Empress Dowager said with a faint smile. “You two, brother and sister, may go back now. Looking at the Marquis, you do seem to have lost some weight lately.”

“Many thanks for your concern, Empress Dowager.” He Chang’an stood and smiled slightly. “Weight lost to illness comes back after a couple of good meals. This subject will take his leave now.”

“Mm, go on then.”

Hua Chun continued trailing behind He Chang’an like a little tail, head lowered, all the way out of Huiming Hall.

Qing Niao and Rui’er followed behind them to maintain proper distance. Seeing that their mistress seemed to have something to say to the Marquis, Qing Niao pulled Rui’er along, telling her to walk further back, and quietly chatted with her to distract her attention.

Hua Chun said quietly, “Second Brother, it’s been a while.”

He Chang’an curved his lips, his eyes as gentle as ever. “It has been a while. Are you doing alright in the palace?”

Hua Chun pouted and rubbed her chin. “How should I put it — pretty good, I suppose, just a little boring.”

“I heard you angered His Majesty?”

“No, we were just playing around.” Hua Chun shrugged. “This road in the harem is a hard one to walk — some cooperation is unavoidable. His Majesty won’t shortchange me, so if you hear any rumors, don’t worry about it either, Second Brother.”

“Alright.” He Chang’an nodded, then looked at her seriously. “If the emperor ever truly mistreats you, come back and tell me. Once the registration is done, you, Hua Chun, are my own sister by blood — whatever it takes, I’ll protect you.”

Hua Chun felt somewhat moved, and a little embarrassed. “This is really too much trouble for you.”

“Talking like that makes it seem like you don’t consider me your brother at all.” He Chang’an smiled slightly and reached out, meaning to pat her shoulder as he used to, but suddenly realizing their current positions, his hand froze mid-air, then, as though nothing had happened, withdrew it.

Hua Chun laughed awkwardly, pretending not to notice, and said cheerfully, “Come on, let’s head back to Yangxin Hall first — I have something to give you.”

He Chang’an nodded and followed her, his gaze somewhat complicated, but in the end it melted into fondness, watching, every bit like an elder brother, as the person ahead of him bounced along with each step.

“Your Majesty, the Marquis and Zhaoyi Hua have already left the Empress Dowager’s palace,” Eunuch Qin said. “They’ve gone to Yangxin Hall.”

The emperor’s hand, holding a memorial, paused. “Together, the two of them?”

“Yes.” Eunuch Qin secretly studied the emperor’s expression, then added, “Each with their own attendants.”

It wasn’t a matter of whether attendants were present or not. Yuwen Jie pressed his lips together — Hua Chun was someone he had forcibly taken from He Chang’an’s hands. Now that the two of them were meeting, there was no telling what they might talk about, or what might happen.

“Have the imperial procession prepared for Yangxin Hall.”

Eunuch Qin was startled, and reminded quietly, “You were only angry with Zhaoyi Hua yesterday, Your Majesty.”

“Can’t the anger have passed by today?”

Eunuch Qin: “…”

Fine, whatever you say, Your Majesty! He turned at once and went out to arrange the imperial procession.

“Ta-da!” Hua Chun produced a jade Rubik’s cube and proudly showed it off to He Chang’an. “This was originally meant to be a wedding gift for you. Later, when the Chancellor’s residence was raided and confiscated into the imperial treasury, I begged His Majesty hard, and he finally gave it back to me.”

This cube had taken an enormous amount of effort — from design to production, every step had been carefully considered.

The cube had six faces, each a different color made of jade or gemstone — arguably the most expensive Rubik’s cube in history.

“This… what is this?” He Chang’an looked at it with great curiosity, taking it and turning it over in his hands.

Hua Chun smiled, took it back, and said, “Watch this.”

Reaching out, she scrambled the colors on each face and said, “This toy tests one’s intelligence. Once the colors are scrambled, you have to figure out how to turn all the faces back to a single color each.”

He Chang’an, only half understanding, took it and tried, but no matter how he twisted it, he couldn’t get all the colors back into place at once.

This one also happened to be someone who didn’t like losing — he immediately grew frustrated, staring closely at the cube, testing, thinking it through.

Hua Chun sat nearby eating snacks, craning her neck to watch him twist it.

When the emperor entered, what he saw was precisely such a harmonious scene — much like when she usually craned her neck over toward him while he read memorials, except now her head had leaned toward someone else entirely.

His expression darkened slightly, and he turned his head. Eunuch Qin immediately understood and bellowed, “His Majesty has arrived—”

Hua Chun startled, looked up at the person in the doorway, and rose to bow. “This concubine pays her respects to Your Majesty.”

He Chang’an, right at a critical point, had no intention at all of looking away, and simply said, “This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

“Even paying respects should be done properly.” The emperor said, displeased. “What are you doing here?”

Still without lifting his head, He Chang’an said, “The thing Your Highness just gave me looks so interesting, this subject is trying to figure out how to solve it.”

She gave it to him? Yuwen Jie turned and looked at Hua Chun expressionlessly. “You gave the Marquis a little trinket like this?”

“This is not just some little trinket!” Hua Chun puffed her cheeks. “It took so much effort to make just this one — it cost me a whole year’s stipend! And finding the right craftsman was hard enough too…”