“I hate Pingyang… don’t mention her in front of me!”

Princess Anle was both furious and aggrieved.

Cui Jinzhi listened, his helplessness growing.

At nine out of ten imperial banquets, Princess Anle threw a tantrum on account of Li Shu. She came in bright and cheerful; she left in a storm of fury.

Li Shu had even said privately to him that Anle was like a puffer fish—poke her once and she would explode.

Cui Jinzhi sighed. “Why does the Princess always have to be at odds with Pingyang?”

He knew Li Shu—she was cold by nature, and unless Anle provoked her first, Li Shu generally couldn’t be bothered to pay Anle any attention.

She found Anle childish.

“What do you mean, always at odds with her?”

Anle heard this and grew even more incensed. Her eyes red, she jumped down from the rock and snapped, “Who is the one who wants to be at odds with her! She provokes me. By what right do you think it’s me picking a quarrel with her?”

Cui Jinzhi quickly folded his hands in a bow. “The Princess is correct—it was careless of me to speak.”

There was no point in arguing with Anle, just as there was no point in arguing with a child—nothing ever came of it.

He was eager to find Li Shu and did not want to be tangled up with Anle for too long. He cupped his hands in a polite gesture of leave-taking. “Your servant still has matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first…”

Anle saw that he was about to walk away decisively, as though spending a single extra moment with her was an agony—and her heart ached even more. She couldn’t stop herself. She crouched down on the ground and began to whimper. “Why… why do you all like Pingyang… why?”

“She has taken everything of mine…”

Cui Jinzhi had no choice but to turn back. He saw Anle crouching there, looking quite pitiable. He crouched down to her level and said, “Princess… what is this you’re saying? When has Pingyang ever taken anything of yours?”

Seeing Cui Jinzhi come back, Anle raised her face. Tear streaks still marked her cheeks, entirely unlike the haughty, imperious princess she normally was.

“She took Father Emperor from me…”

She listed her grievances to Cui Jinzhi.

Cui Jinzhi: “How could the Emperor possibly be taken away—”

“She did take him!”

Anle cut Cui Jinzhi off. “Father Emperor used to love me best of all. But what about today? He ignores me and calls Pingyang away for a private conversation.”

Cui Jinzhi rubbed his brow, thinking to himself that she had no idea what her Father Emperor had been saying to Pingyang.

The complaints kept pouring out unchecked. “And my Crown Prince brother too—he has always been so good to me. Yet today, because of Pingyang, he—he scolded me for being useless. He blamed me for not being as clever as Pingyang, for being unable to help him at court…”

Cui Jinzhi’s inner thoughts continued: she had no idea what her Crown Prince brother wanted Pingyang to do, either.

Anle worked herself into greater fury as she went on. “And you! She stole you too!”

“Back then… back then it was me who liked you first, and it was supposed to be me who married you—not Pingyang.”

Her voice trailed off toward the end.

Though five years had passed since then, Anle had never been able to let it go.

But upon hearing this, Cui Jinzhi immediately let his expression go cold. He stood up and said, “Princess, please be careful what you say!”

How could such words be spoken aloud? If someone overheard and it reached Yang Fang’s ears, how would Yang Fang feel? How could they continue serving at court together?

Fortunately there was no one nearby—Anle had sent all the servants to stand far away.

But Anle cared nothing for any talk of caution. Seeing Cui Jinzhi raise his voice at her, she immediately bristled and leapt to her feet as well. “I refuse to be careful! These are the words of my heart!”

“I like you, and she took you away—that is simply the truth! She has taken away one thing after another from me, one by one. I hate her!”

Anle nearly screamed those last words.

She hated Li Shu.

Even now she could not make peace with the fact that Cui Jinzhi and Li Shu had married.

Whether it was because her feelings for Cui Jinzhi ran too deep, or because her resentment of Li Shu had grown too fierce—perhaps both emotions were tangled together, and over the passage of time, her attachment to Cui Jinzhi had grown ever stronger, and her bitterness toward Li Shu ever more intense.

Cui Jinzhi was the first thing Li Shu had taken from her.

That year she was fourteen, and the marriage arrangement between her and Cui Jinzhi was all but settled—they were only waiting for her to come of age before the wedding. Then overnight, Father Emperor suddenly issued a decree commanding Princess Pingyang to choose an auspicious date and wed Cui Jinzhi.

Her whole world turned upside down.

Even now Anle could not understand what methods Li Shu had used. It was as though she had simply crooked a finger and moved her lips, and just like that, Cui Jinzhi had been taken from her with effortless ease.

She was so capable, and also so frightening. Anle was clearly of higher birth, yet she had not the slightest means of fighting back against her.

Year after year had passed. First she had taken Cui Jinzhi; then she had taken her Father Emperor, her Mother Empress, her Crown Prince brother, and her standing as well. When people spoke of the princesses of the Great Ye dynasty now, the first name that came to mind was Pingyang, not her.

She had seized everyone’s gaze.

And so one day Li Shu would take away everything that belonged to her, and when that day came, she herself would be nothing at all. Anle was terrified of that day’s arrival.

So every time she saw Li Shu, all she could do was put on a fierce and cutting front, wanting nothing more than to drive her away at once. Like a small dog with no real strength to fight back—and so it could only put on a ferocious show and bark at people.

She hated her, feared her… and envied her.

She hated that Li Shu had taken her things; she feared what Li Shu might take next; and she envied Li Shu for having the power to take them.

Years of accumulated bitterness had piled up in her heart. Anle bit her lip, looked at Cui Jinzhi before her, and in a moment of impulse made a decision.

She threw herself into Cui Jinzhi’s arms and held him tight.

She was going to take Cui Jinzhi back and make Li Shu feel what this was like.

Cui Jinzhi had not anticipated that Anle would do such a thing. Li Shu was her elder half-sister, which made him Anle’s brother-in-law! No matter how dissolute Cui Jinzhi might once have been, he would never do something like this!

Cui Jinzhi immediately moved to push Anle away. But at that moment a voice came from behind him, distant yet distinct: “Yang Consort?”

The voice drifted over from far away. Cui Jinzhi could not quite make it out—it sounded like Li Shu’s voice, and yet somehow, faintly, it did not.

He pushed Anle away and turned around. Far up the hill, he could just make out a figure standing in the pavilion atop the small rise.

From that angle, everything along the lakeside was in clear view.

*

Yang Fang had just entered the imperial garden. He had searched quite a while for Anle without finding her, and was about to head toward the lakeside when a voice reached him from some distance away.

“Yang Consort.”

He turned and saw a figure in a pavilion far away. At this distance he could not make out who it was, only that the golden-threaded peony brocade suggested it was Princess Pingyang.

Li Shu stood at the top of the hillock pavilion, watching Yang Fang walk toward her. Yang Fang climbed the steps, and Li Shu descended a few, meeting him partway up the hillside.

Standing there and looking down toward the lakeside, one’s view was perfectly blocked by the ornamental rocks and the trees.

For some reason, she found she had no wish to let Yang Fang see those things.

Yang Fang smiled. “Greetings to Princess Pingyang. What brings the Princess here alone?”

Yang Fang’s features were not particularly striking—one might call him dependably upright and proper. He worked in the Ministry of Rites, overseeing such matters as classical music and ceremonies, and had little occasion to scheme against others. Most of his time was spent buried in old texts. Perhaps because the Ministry of Rites kept one apart from the world’s struggles and its grinding pressures, Yang Fang’s smile still carried a trace of youthful guilelessness.

Li Shu returned his smile. “I dislike watching performances—too noisy—so I came here alone for some quiet.”

Yang Fang gave a slight nod of understanding.

Princess Pingyang and Anle truly were polar opposites in temperament. Anle made straight for wherever the noise was.

Thinking of Anle, Yang Fang quickly asked, “Has the Princess by chance seen Anle? She slipped away by herself a good while ago, and I’ve been unable to find her for quite some time.”

Li Shu’s gaze dropped toward the lake, then quickly returned. “I didn’t quite notice just now.”

She turned to Hong Luo at her side. “Go down and look around—see if Princess Anle is down there somewhere.”

Hong Luo hesitated, clearly not eager. She paused, glanced toward the lake, then looked at Yang Fang.

Princess Anle was right there… with the consort! Why was the Princess covering for them? She ought to tell Yang Consort what was happening. Let Anle explain what she thought she was doing!

Hong Luo fumed inwardly.

Seeing Hong Luo unmoving, Li Shu urged her coolly, “Go on, quickly.”

Hong Luo knew the Princess wanted her to go give the consort and Anle fair warning to stop what they were doing and let Anle compose herself.

Yang Fang thanked Li Shu.

Li Shu said, “Don’t mention it.”

She looked at Yang Fang for a moment and said suddenly, “You are truly good to Anle.”

Yang Fang smiled at this. He was not given to eloquence and did not quite know how to respond to such a remark.

Fortunately, Princess Pingyang also seemed to have no interest in small talk. Her gaze was a little distant, as though she simply wanted someone to say a few words to.

“Anle can be willful at times, and yet you indulge her so patiently. If it were anyone else, they likely couldn’t treat her half as well.”

Yang Fang replied, “She is a few years younger than I am—I ought to yield to her more.”

His tone carried weariness, but the fondness beneath it was impossible to hide.

Li Shu heard this and gave a quiet, inward sigh.

A sigh for Anle, who did not know how fortunate she was.

The reason she had been able to sabotage Anle’s marriage to Cui Jinzhi all those years ago—yes, Cui Jinzhi’s past dissolute behavior was one factor, but it was not the root cause.

The root cause was that Father Emperor loved Anle and wanted to find her a good husband.

Not necessarily a man of old noble lineage. Not necessarily one of great wealth. Not necessarily one of exceptional looks. Simply a man who loved her sincerely and would treat her well for the rest of his life.

And so Emperor Zhengyuan had chosen Yang Fang.

Emperor Zhengyuan’s heart toward Anle was a true father’s tender love. It was a pity that Anle still felt Yang Fang could not compare to Cui Jinzhi, and after all these years she still harbored resentment.

Blessed and not knowing it.

It was lamentable—Anle had just been crying to the Crown Prince that nobody loved her. Yet in truth, everyone loved her. Everything Li Shu had taken from Anle was of no real importance.

After they had spoken idly for a while, Li Shu saw Hong Luo leading Cui Jinzhi and Anle over in their direction.

Yang Fang immediately descended the steps. Li Shu, however, stood where she was.

From a distance of a dozen or so steps, she looked down coldly at Cui Jinzhi, then averted her eyes without sparing him another glance.

Cui Jinzhi saw Yang Fang coming and quickly explained, “Princess Anle was at the lakeside—I happened to be passing by.”

Yang Fang had no suspicion. All his attention was on Anle. Her eyes seemed a little red. He was just about to ask what had happened when Anle said nasally, “The wind got in my eyes.”

Not another word was to be asked.

So Yang Fang had to let it go.

The group climbed the steps. As Cui Jinzhi passed Li Shu, he hesitated briefly and reached out, wanting to take her hand and walk up with her.

But Li Shu seemed not to see it and simply walked past, ignoring him entirely.

So Cui Jinzhi could only withdraw his hand and walk up to the pavilion alone.

Yang Fang was leading Anle upward, but Anle stopped beside Li Shu and faced her with a stiff expression. “I have something to say to you.”

Her tone was hardly friendly.

And so only the two of them were left on the middle tier of the steps.

Anle bit her lip, staring at Li Shu. “Did you see all of it just now?”

Li Shu looked at her with cool indifference. “I saw a great many things just now—what precisely are you asking?”

Li Shu was half a head taller, which meant Anle had to look up at her. This made her uncomfortable. Anle stepped up one tier, still feeling it wasn’t enough, and stepped up another.

Now she was looking down at Li Shu.

She tilted her chin up slightly. “Whatever you saw just now—well… all of it was real.”

She stared at Li Shu. “You took him from me. Now I am taking him back.”

This should have been said with force and confidence, yet Anle’s eyes were red as a rabbit’s, so no matter how one heard it, it sounded hollow.

Li Shu merely laughed lightly, wholly contemptuous. “Oh… then take him if you can—as long as you have what it takes.”

And so Anle puffed up like a poked puffer fish and flared up all over again.

If she had what it takes… if she had what it takes, Li Shu would never have married Cui Jinzhi in the first place!

She simply didn’t have what it takes. She didn’t even know how to go about it.

Just now she had done the most daring thing of her life—she had thrown herself at Cui Jinzhi and held him. But Cui Jinzhi had pushed her away immediately, and not only pushed her away, but scolded her sharply.

“Princess Anle, you are out of your senses today!”

“I am a living person, not something that can be taken by anyone. If there is any taking to be done, it is because I am willing. From beginning to end, I have never had the slightest feelings for you. What is there for Li Shu to have taken?!”

She had never seen Cui Jinzhi so cold and cutting before.

Seeing Anle rendered speechless, Li Shu gave another light, mocking laugh. “Younger sister Anle, if you want to take Cui Jinzhi back, you’d best act quickly. But…”

She raised an eyebrow and let her gaze drift toward Yang Fang up in the pavilion. “I only just realized today—Yang Consort is actually quite a fine man. Shall the two of us make a wager—whether you’ll succeed in taking Cui Jinzhi first, or whether I’ll succeed in taking Yang Fang? Hmm?”

Anle shot up at once and cried, “You wouldn’t dare! Don’t you set your eyes on him—Yang Fang is mine!”

Yang Fang, who was drinking tea, had no idea what Anle had suddenly blurted out. He startled so badly that he spat out a mouthful of tea.

Yang Fang immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—Sir Cui Jinzhi, I have been terribly rude.”

Cui Jinzhi sat across from him and quietly wiped his face with his hand.

Anle took two steps at a time up the stairs, planted herself in front of Yang Fang, and glared fiercely at Li Shu, guarding him as though protecting her most prized possession.

Li Shu walked unhurriedly up the steps, flicked a glance at Anle, then another at Yang Fang.

Good enough. It seemed there was some feeling there after all. It had not been in vain to say those words just now.

After learning that Li Shu had “designs” on Yang Fang, Anle could not sit still for another moment. She was ready to wrap Yang Fang’s entire head and face up to block Li Shu’s eyes.

She grabbed Yang Fang and headed straight back down the steps.

Yang Fang did not understand what was happening, and could only turn back toward Li Shu with an apologetic smile as Anle dragged him away. As a result, Anle walked even faster.

Li Shu watched them go.

She had not done this to help Anle. She had done it to help Yang Fang.

A man so devoted as that—she could only hope they would have a good ending… not like herself, all these years later, with nothing at the end of it all.

Now only Li Shu and Cui Jinzhi remained in the pavilion. Cui Jinzhi came and stood beside her.

He knew Li Shu had seen everything that had happened just now. He wanted to explain, but did not know where to begin.

So he opened his mouth and spoke of political matters instead.

“The Crown Prince told me that the Emperor wants you to lend grain to the Second Prince.”

Between them it seemed the only topic they could discuss was politics—beyond that lay nothing but endless silence.

Li Shu nodded and made a sound of acknowledgment, not even glancing at Cui Jinzhi.

Cui Jinzhi said, “What are your thoughts?”

At that, Li Shu finally lifted her eyes and looked at Cui Jinzhi—the first real look she had given him all day.

What were her thoughts?

Cui Jinzhi stood on the Crown Prince’s side; she had originally had no choice. She had gritted her teeth in front of the Emperor and refused to agree to release the grain, pushing the Emperor to the brink of anger and earning his deep disappointment.

And yet in the end—she was nothing but an attack dog.

“My stance has already been conveyed to the Crown Prince. Father Emperor asked me to lend grain, and I did not agree.”

Li Shu looked at Cui Jinzhi with cold detachment. “Have you finished asking? Is there anything else you wish to ask on the Crown Prince’s behalf? If not, I am tired and would like a moment to myself.”

With that she turned and walked down the steps.

Cui Jinzhi watched her walk a few steps, and then, after a long, halting silence, suddenly spoke: “There is nothing between Anle and me.”

“There truly is nothing.”

These words held a faint, almost imperceptible urgency and distress, and he said them twice—afraid Li Shu would not believe him.

Li Shu stopped walking but did not turn around. The summer breeze off the lake carried her voice back to him, faint and cool.

“I don’t care.”

Whether anything had happened between them or not—she no longer cared about any of it.

Li Shu paid Cui Jinzhi no further attention. She walked straight-backed down the steps, and when she reached the very last tier, she finally could not help herself. She turned and looked back once.

Cui Jinzhi stood up in the high pavilion, his gaze following her all the way. He seemed to have so much he wanted to say, but in the end not a single word could make it out.

Li Shu looked up at him one final time.

It was he who had taught her to read and write, to understand people and the ways of the world, to navigate the schemes of the court. Once she had used all of that to plan on his behalf; from now on, she would use it all to contend against him.

Today she had stood in the pavilion, abandoned and adrift, waiting for him to come—yet he had been busy comforting someone else.

Whether it was a misunderstanding or not—it did not matter. What mattered was that she had needed him, and he had not appeared.

So from this day forward, she would never need him again.

The day stretched on and on. She could endure it alone.

In the past, Li Shu had stood on the Crown Prince’s side for two reasons: half for Cui Jinzhi, and half because the Crown Prince might one day be Emperor.

Now she no longer cared for Cui Jinzhi. As for the Crown Prince…

Li Shu gave a cold laugh. She had originally attached herself to the Crown Prince because he could become Emperor—and so it had seemed worth cultivating the connection.

But…

Was the Crown Prince truly certain to become Emperor?

She, Li Shu, was an attack dog. But the Crown Prince would do well not to forget—once a dog decides to bite, it bites to the bone, and shows no mercy.

“Hong Luo,” Li Shu instructed, “later, when no one is watching, go find the attendant Liu Cou of Hanyuan Hall.”

“Tell him only this: Little Sparrow is willing… but as for how to lend the grain and when to lend it, Little Sparrow has her own method.”

If she could not escape the fate of being used by others, then being used by Father Emperor was always better than being used by the Crown Prince.

*

After the imperial banquet, everyone dispersed, each carrying their own private designs.

The Crown Prince was still uneasy and pulled Cui Jinzhi aside as they filed out to press him: “Did you speak with Pingyang? What does she intend to do about this matter?”

Cui Jinzhi: “She will stand on your side.”

The Crown Prince asked doubtfully, “Is that truly so?”

Cui Jinzhi felt a flicker of impatience inwardly. To employ a man, do not doubt him; to doubt a man, do not employ him—and the Crown Prince could not manage even that much.

“It is truly so.”

Though between him and Little Sparrow things were difficult to put into words on the personal front, when it came to politics, Cui Jinzhi trusted Li Shu without reservation.

He trusted her. She would not betray him.

Only then did the Crown Prince release him.

Cui Jinzhi hurried out through the palace gates, thinking to find Li Shu—but discovered that her carriage had already departed long ago.

She had not thought to wait for him at all.

Cui Jinzhi pressed a hand to his brow, feeling as though tangled knots of court affairs were churning in his head, giving him no peace.

He had no desire to go home. If he returned, he would only be alone—and even if he went to find Li Shu, between them there was nothing to say beyond politics.

The affairs of state piled up one by one, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe. He wanted only some place to escape to completely, even if only for a brief while.

Cui Jinzhi mounted his horse, hesitated a moment, then did not head in the direction of the Thirteenth Prince’s ward. Instead he turned right out of Hanguang Gate and entered Yankang ward.

The residence he had purchased for Qing Luo was in Yankang ward.