Apricot Blossom Village in Lishao Mountain, by the bluestone bridge — a scene of perfect tranquility. Even in the height of summer, there was none of summer’s usual harsh intensity; beside the clear stream, apricot blossoms opened, butterflies danced, and the whole place felt like a paradise beyond the world, the kind of place one hated to leave.

Ziqing wondered — was the beauty of Liuxian Island in the Eastern Sea anything like the beauty before her now?

In the letters Yingzi and Physician Gu had sent, they’d mentioned more than once that it was a place so beautiful even immortals passing by would stay and never leave. Was Jun Beiyue so captivated by that little island that he still refused to wake?

According to the letter that had just arrived, Jun Beiyue still showed no sign of waking. Everything on Liuxian Island remained the same; the Gu family continued to treat him with the utmost importance, with the family head and his wife caring for him attentively, and Jun Beiyue’s two half-sisters were equally concerned for him.

“Brother-in-law…” Ziqing suddenly murmured to herself.

Seeing her mistress’s fine brows knit together, Shiliang couldn’t help but startle slightly, wondering if something had happened to the prince. She asked in a low voice, “My lady, what’s wrong?”

“Shiliang, a brother-in-law who lives long-term at his wife’s family home — can that really be a good thing?” Ziqing asked flatly.

“Living long-term… whatever the reason, if he’s not a man who’s married into the family, why would he need to stay so long?” Shiliang asked back.

“Indeed, why would he,” Ziqing said flatly.

“In my view, unless there’s some special reason, a man like that surely isn’t up to any good. A man with any pride would never live long-term at his wife’s family home,” said Guxi, who was usually quiet, chiming in.

Ziqing raised an eyebrow and was about to smile when Guxi immediately lowered her head, looking a bit embarrassed — this child was even shyer than Shiliang, if that was possible!

“Shiliang, Guxi, how’s our mercenary corps coming along these days?” Ziqing asked.

She’d spent a great deal of money hiring several instructors who’d once served in the White Tiger Army to accompany this mercenary band — even during her mission to Nanzhao, she hadn’t let these children sit idle.

“Their combat skills have improved a great deal — every one of them is itching for the mistress’s orders!” Shiliang said quickly.

“There will be plenty of opportunities eventually. In a few days, come with me to Liuxian Island in the Eastern Sea.”

With that, Ziqing rose and walked toward the thatched cottage not far ahead, where Prince Baxian lived in seclusion, leaving Shiliang and Guxi exchanging glances, taking a long moment to recover — both of them clearly delighted!

For days now, even Hongyi had been quietly trying to figure out whether their mistress intended to go to Liuxian Island in the Eastern Sea, and how many people she’d bring along.

In front of Prince Baxian’s thatched cottage, the courtyard gate was tightly shut. Ziqing knocked for a long while before a young attendant finally shuffled over, politely asking, “Miss, who are you looking for?”

“Prince Baxian,” Ziqing said, getting straight to the point.

The attendant had clearly dealt with plenty of people this direct before. He smiled. “Miss, you’ve got the wrong house. There’s no Prince Baxian here.”

Ziqing held out the jade hairpin. “Please take this token to your master for his inspection. Tell him it’s from someone Baili Weisheng recommended.”

The attendant seemed to recognize the name Baili Weisheng. He took the hairpin, asked Ziqing to wait a moment, and hurried off to report.

To her surprise, it wasn’t long before a white-haired, ruddy-faced old man in blue robes, brimming with vigor, came striding briskly out to greet her!

Ziqing studied him carefully. This man carried an air of Daoist immortality, the bearing of a true recluse — yet the nobility in his brow, the elegance in his every gesture and movement, sat entirely at odds with this humble thatched cottage. This must be Prince Baxian!

“My apologies, my apologies! I had no idea you were a friend of Master Baili’s — forgive my failure to greet you properly!” the old man said, bowing politely the moment he stepped outside.

Ziqing didn’t waste time on pleasantries. She bowed directly. “This humble consort, wife of Prince Yao Jun Beiyue, Consort of Prince Yao Han Ziqing, greets Prince Baxian!”

At these words, the old man’s expression shifted at once, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. “So you are Han Ziqing.”

“Indeed! Prince Baxian, Ziqing has come on Prince Yao’s behalf, specifically to invite you out of seclusion to take charge of Da Zhou’s affairs!” Ziqing said, still bowed, utterly earnest.

Perhaps it was only now that her urgency truly showed.

“Well now… you truly are the Consort of Prince Yao — the first person ever to state their business so directly right at my front door! Aren’t you afraid I’ll simply chase you off right now?” Prince Baxian stroked his beard, asking seriously in return.

“If the prince speaks so, does that mean you won’t chase Ziqing off?” Ziqing didn’t answer directly, turning the question back on him instead.

Prince Baxian glanced at the jade hairpin in his hand, then merely gestured for her to enter, saying nothing more as he led the way inside.

Ziqing quickly followed, her heart giving a slight start of surprise — this favor from Baili Weisheng really was proving useful.

The cottage appeared simple, but it was spotlessly clean and tidy. Ziqing was invited to sit, and by the time three cups of tea had passed, Prince Baxian was still staring fixedly at the jade hairpin, saying nothing.

Ziqing had already stated her purpose plainly. Though Prince Baxian lived in reclusion far from the world, he remained thoroughly informed about the situation in Da Zhou, and indeed across the entire Longyuan continent.

In his day, this venerable prince had devotedly served the late emperor for a full twenty years — even chancellors across three reigns hadn’t dared casually claim the words “talent fit to be minister or general” in his presence.

Ziqing had not only stated her purpose clearly but had also presented this jade hairpin, carrying with it the weight of a life-saving debt. For someone wise, there was no need to waste more words — what Ziqing waited for now was simply Prince Baxian’s answer: would he honor this favor or not?

At last, Prince Baxian spoke flatly. “Consort of Prince Yao, might I ask how you came to know Baili Weisheng?”

“We met by chance and got along remarkably well. He originally intended to come with me, but something urgent came up, so he had me bring this hairpin instead, saying that once you saw it, you’d naturally understand his meaning,” Ziqing said flatly — pure fabrication, delivered without so much as a flicker of expression.

This was, quite plainly, her having cornered Baili Weisheng into it.

“Consort of Prince Yao, do you know who Baili Weisheng really is?” Prince Baxian asked again.

Ziqing was faintly startled — what did that mean? Baili Weisheng was a scholar who knew astronomy above and geography below, an eccentric genius who seemed to know everything — could he possibly have some other identity?

Ziqing didn’t answer, only frowned at Prince Baxian, increasingly sensing something was off.

“Consort of Prince Yao, if you were able to obtain this jade hairpin from Baili Weisheng, why bother coming to invite me out of seclusion at all? Baili Weisheng’s talent for statecraft and military strategy far exceeds mine! Strictly speaking, he’s actually my teacher!” Prince Baxian said earnestly.

At these words, Ziqing’s face instantly turned deathly pale!

That man had deceived her!

The life-saving debt, all of it a lie — the story about failing the imperial examinations year after year, coming specially to beg Prince Baxian to take him on as a student — utterly absurd!

Aside from the fact that this hairpin really could summon Prince Baxian, had a single word that man said been true? Why had he really come — was it pure goodwill, or did he have some other agenda?

Clearly, he hadn’t been the least bit afraid of her exposing his lies here in front of Prince Baxian!

Startled as she was, Ziqing remained composed, and smiled. “Prince Baxian, Baili Weisheng is, after all, an outsider. Surely you understand the true purpose of Ziqing’s visit here.”

A complicated look flickered across Prince Baxian’s eyes. That Han Ziqing had come all the way here meant she could no longer handle things alone — she needed someone she could trust to deal with Da Zhou’s internal and external troubles!

She was right — Baili Weisheng was, after all, an outsider. Once great power was handed over, no one could guarantee whether his loyalty would hold to the very end!

Prince Baxian hesitated a moment, then finally asked directly, “Prince Yao… how is he, truly?”

With Prince Baxian asking so plainly, there was no longer any reason for Ziqing to hide the truth!

That she had sought out this venerable prince at all meant she must have had some measure of confidence in him!

Throughout the whole of Da Zhou, aside from Jun Beiyue, this prince was likely the only one who genuinely cared for Da Zhou, genuinely cared for its people, rather than for power, status, wealth, or glory!

Ziqing asked herself honestly — she was no hero of great and noble virtue; she was merely a woman. She didn’t possess so many lofty, selfless ideals. In the past, she’d only ever cared about the mission at hand, only about the payment. But now, she cared about only one person — everything about him.

He wanted Da Zhou prosperous, he wanted Da Zhou strong, he wanted the loyalty of the army, he wanted the hearts of the people — and these were exactly what she wanted too!

But these weren’t everything to her. Once he returned, she wanted to trade these things back to him, whole and complete — what she wanted was the secret hidden within her own body!

The secret of the enchanting fragrance, the secret of her immunity to all poisons, the secret of the isolated island, and… and that truest face of all!

If Jun Beiyue saw that face, would he still be willing to go with her in search of every secret?

Ziqing sometimes had such a thought, though she never let herself dwell on it too long.

When Ziqing told Prince Baxian the full truth about Jun Beiyue’s situation, the old prince suddenly stamped his foot and wept aloud!

“Da Zhou has only one Jun Beiyue! Only one Jun Beiyue!”

“That brat Tianhui — back then, this prince let him off once already. Never did I imagine that as a young man he’d fight his own brothers for the throne, and now he’s even fighting his own son for it! Laughable! Foolish!”

…

Prince Baxian had only known that Jun Beiyue was gravely ill and that all power had fallen into the hands of the Consort of Prince Yao — he’d never imagined the truth would be this dire: Jun Beiyue wasn’t merely gravely ill, he remained in a coma to this very day!

If Da Zhou were to lose Jun Beiyue, the consequences would be unthinkable!

“Ziqing, you should have come sooner. You should have come sooner!” Prince Baxian kept lamenting, again and again.

His grief now, his fury now — Ziqing might not fully understand it. But she’d felt something like it herself, in the instant she’d first unveiled Jun Beiyue’s face. The difference was, Prince Baxian felt as though all of Da Zhou were about to collapse — while she had felt as though the entire world were about to collapse.

“Ziqing, keep this jade hairpin. It was a gift I once gave to Baili Weisheng, back when he sought my counsel on matters of the realm. This time, I won’t do it for his sake — I’ll do it for Beiyue’s sake. This prince will come out of seclusion and hold the capital steady for you and Beiyue! I’d like to see who in the Da Zhou court still dares to act out of line!”

As Prince Baxian spoke, he slammed his hand furiously on the table and rose to his feet!

Ziqing accepted the jade hairpin, opened her mouth as if to say something, then simply said earnestly, “On behalf of my husband, Ziqing thanks Prince Baxian!”

That very day, Prince Baxian set out for the capital with Ziqing. Along the way, Ziqing sought his counsel on many matters of state, and also probed obliquely into the matter of Baili Weisheng.

It turned out that Baili Weisheng and Prince Baxian had indeed met by pure chance — a disagreement had sparked an argument between them, which had somehow escalated from trivial matters all the way to affairs of state, to matters of the entire realm!

Only then had Prince Baxian discovered that this young man, barely in his twenties, possessed a mind of such refined brilliance and learning as vast as mountains, that he himself couldn’t hope to match him — his strategic mind, his ministerial talent, his ability to govern the state, manage the household, and bring peace to the realm, rivaled even Jun Beiyue’s.

Not only that, he truly did understand astronomy above and geography below — there was hardly anything in the world he didn’t know!

Yet even Prince Baxian had no idea of his true origins, knowing only that he was some eccentric, wandering scholar, dashing and unrestrained, insufferably pedantic and cutting when in good spirits, spouting classical phrases with every breath — and an absolute rogue when in a foul mood, utterly unreasonable.

Ziqing had also sent people to investigate discreetly, but just as she’d expected, nothing turned up.

Could it truly have been mere chance — that she’d happened to catch him in a good mood, and he’d pedantically flirted with her once, while also lending her a hand?

Ziqing had no time to dwell on it further. She’d only just sat down at the Prince Yao estate with Prince Baxian after returning to the capital when Emperor Tianhui, Consort Yi, and the others came calling.

The moment Emperor Tianhui saw Prince Baxian present, he froze on the spot, his face turning ashen.

“This prince pays respects to Your Majesty.” Prince Baxian bowed politely — the very words “this prince” alone revealing just how high his standing truly was.

Such a bow was more than Emperor Tianhui could bear. He hurried forward to help him up, exclaiming with great joy, “Imperial Uncle Baxian has finally agreed to come out of seclusion! Was it Ziqing who invited you?”

“Heh, I heard Beiyue has fallen ill. If this prince didn’t come out of seclusion now, I daresay Da Zhou itself would soon fall ill!” Prince Baxian said, his tone suddenly turning cold.

At these words, Consort Yi, the Second Prince, and the others all immediately dropped to their knees. Even Emperor Tianhui couldn’t help but step back. A Han Ziqing already holding great power in her hands was troublesome enough — and now, on top of that, came a Prince Baxian of such towering prestige. This left the already-puppet Emperor Tianhui utterly disheartened, with no mind left to spare for Consort Yi and the Second Prince’s slander.

“Father, from this day forward, Ziqing intends to devote herself wholly to caring for Prince Yao. The affairs of the Prince Yao estate shall therefore be entrusted to Prince Baxian. I ask that Father inform the court officials of this at tomorrow’s morning session,” Ziqing said flatly.

“That Ziqing was able to bring Imperial Uncle out of seclusion is truly a great fortune for our Da Zhou! Rest assured, I will make certain the whole realm knows — Da Zhou is not without capable men!” Emperor Tianhui said earnestly.

Consort Yi and the prince exchanged glances. They had assumed Han Ziqing would remain trapped in Nanzhao, unable to return — who could have guessed that the one truly trapped would turn out to be their own patron, Chu Feiyan!

“Mother Consort, what do we do now?” the Second Prince asked in a low voice. They had no more openings left within the Da Zhou court — if they wanted to turn things around, they would have to rely on foreign powers!

Xichu was their greatest backer!

Consort Yi kept shooting glances at Emperor Tianhui. After a long hesitation, he finally produced a letter. “I’ve come today with a letter to discuss with Ziqing. Since the Eighth Prince is here as well, he might as well weigh in too.”

When the letter was opened, it turned out to be nothing other than a personal letter from the King of Nanzhao himself — clearly no small matter.

Ziqing skimmed it briefly, a cold smile forming inwardly. So Chu Feiyan really had swallowed her pride enough to accept help from the King of Nanzhao — but she knew full well, such help never came without a price!

The letter asked, in essence, that the Emperor of Da Zhou grant the King of Nanzhao a favor by allowing Chu Feiyan to pass through Da Zhou’s southern border. The reasoning was simple: Chu Feiyan was Nanzhao’s guest, and Nanzhao bore the responsibility of ensuring she departed safely.

Ziqing was just about to speak when Prince Baxian asked first, “Your Majesty, what are your intentions?”

Ziqing suppressed a smile — that was exactly the question she wanted to ask.

“This is, after all, a personal letter from the King of Nanzhao himself… it’s difficult to refuse!” Emperor Tianhui said, clearly troubled.

“Does Your Majesty mean to grant this favor, then?” Prince Baxian asked again.

“Can we really refuse? Da Zhou and Nanzhao have always been on friendly terms, like brothers. The King of Nanzhao swallowed his pride to write this personal request — wouldn’t it be improper to refuse?” Emperor Tianhui said.

“Xichu and Da Zhou are likewise on friendly terms — didn’t we just sign a five-year peace agreement not long ago?” Prince Baxian asked.

Emperor Tianhui brightened. “Exactly, exactly! So this matter…”

But before he could finish, Prince Baxian cut him off. “Then why didn’t the Princess Imperial request passage through Da Zhou when she first set out for Nanzhao? Why was it only after being turned away by Xijing that she settled for the next best option? Isn’t this simply Xichu looking down on our Da Zhou? Could it be that in Xichu’s eyes, our Da Zhou ranks far below even Xijing?”

These words left Emperor Tianhui utterly speechless!

Ziqing sat calmly to the side, sipping her tea. Emperor Tianhui glanced at her and said, brow furrowed, “Ziqing, what do you make of this matter? The King of Nanzhao’s letter did mention your name as well.”

The garrison at the southern border was, after all, under the Prince Yao estate’s control!

“Father, Ziqing has already instructed General Zhao that only citizens of Da Zhou and Nanzhao may pass through — military orders are not to be changed on a whim. Chu Feiyan is neither a citizen of Da Zhou nor of Nanzhao, so how could she be permitted passage? The King of Nanzhao likely isn’t even aware of this passage regulation. Father may simply explain it to him in detail — I’m sure the King of Nanzhao, being a man of principle, will understand,” Ziqing said flatly.

Emperor Tianhui was left at a loss once again. Beside him, Consort Yi could no longer hold back and quickly spoke up, “Consort of Prince Yao, this decree of yours… won’t it give people something to criticize you for, once word gets out?”

“How exactly would this princess consort be giving anyone grounds for criticism?” Ziqing shot back coldly. Had she not been in such a rush to find Jun Beiyue, the very first person she’d have sought out upon her return would certainly not have been Prince Baxian — it would have been none other than Consort Yi herself!

The source of everything traced back to the enchanting fragrance — and that fragrance had come from this very woman’s hands! The emblem on the carriage, the way Chu Feiyan had probed and tested her in Nanzhao — surely all of it had been Consort Yi’s doing!

Ziqing had no intention of alerting the snake in the grass just yet. Once she returned from Liuxian Island, she would settle this score with Consort Yi in full.

Whoever could obtain the enchanting fragrance, whoever knew of that emblem — the secrets of the isolated island in that person’s hands were surely no small matter!

“Consort of Prince Yao, there’s never been any such passage regulation at the southern frontier before. As long as it doesn’t involve Nanzhao’s forbidden matters, with the approval of the Nanzhao royal court and the permission of Da Zhou’s southern garrison, passage should be granted freely…”

Before she could finish, Ziqing cut her off with a smile. “Consort Yi certainly seems remarkably well-informed about the rules of the southern frontier garrison. If I recall correctly, that isn’t territory guarded by General Ouyang’s troops.”

Consort Yi’s face went pale. She coughed lightly a few times before explaining, “Beichen originally intended to accompany you on your mission, so this palace happened to learn a little about it.”

“Is that so.” Ziqing deliberately drew out her words, and by now not only Emperor Tianhui but even Prince Baxian looked puzzled — there seemed to be something unspoken between these two women.

Consort Yi, clearly trying to cover her tracks, quickly said, “There was no such regulation before — setting a new rule now might look as though it’s aimed specifically at the Princess Imperial. Even though there’s a five-year truce in place, why should the Consort of Prince Yao go out of her way to offend Xichu?”

At this, Ziqing immediately smiled. “Consort Yi, you’re so concerned about the southern frontier — yet how is it you don’t seem to know this princess consort was still in Nanzhao herself when this regulation was issued? Before this princess consort issued this order, Chu Feiyan had already gone to Xijing and been turned away. So tell me — how exactly was this princess consort targeting her?”

As she spoke, a cold glint flickered in Ziqing’s eyes. Had she not anticipated this, would she really have had Situ Haonan notify General Zhao in advance for no reason at all?

In everything she did, she either did nothing at all, or she did it completely, leaving no room for half measures!

Hearing this, Consort Yi had nothing left to say, and Emperor Tianhui understood there was no more room for negotiation on this matter. After sitting a while longer in awkward silence, he left, clearly embarrassed.

Once they’d gone, Prince Baxian smiled. “Ziqing, why did you ask this prince here at all? You, a mere princess consort, sent both an emperor and a consort packing with just a few words. Even with Beiyue not yet awake, the power he’s left in your hands is more than enough to keep you safe, and Da Zhou safe as well!”

Yet Ziqing only smiled bitterly, helplessly. “Prince Baxian, tonight, Ziqing must leave the Prince Yao estate.”

“Why!” Prince Baxian was startled.

How could Ziqing possibly reveal Jun Beiyue’s true origins, his true whereabouts?

“Prince Baxian, Beiyue has long since left the estate, sent elsewhere for treatment. Ziqing has no choice but to go, so…”

At this, Prince Baxian immediately waved a hand, signaling that walls had ears — such important matters could not be spoken aloud!

Prince Baxian hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Go, and go with an easy heart. This prince understands. I only hope you can return hand in hand with Beiyue.”

Ziqing nodded gratefully, again and again, and said in a low voice, “Hongyi will remain here — she’s someone you can trust. Prince Baxian, if anything important arises, simply have Hongyi bring word to me.”

With that, she gave Hongyi a few final instructions, then hurried out through the back door.

At the gate, Shiliang and Guxi had already arrived days earlier and had everything prepared. Seeing their mistress’s hurried, barely-contained joy, the two of them froze for a moment, only now realizing just how anxious their mistress’s heart truly was — she who had never once spoken of Prince Yao before others.

Jun Beiyue, Ziqing is coming.

She wished, more than anything, to return to him hand in hand.