Li Xuandu had just rushed into the banquet hall, and among the crowd of panicking noble ladies and elaborately dressed foreign dancers, he had not found that familiar figure. His heart immediately sank; he turned at once and ran toward the fire. Seeing the flames shooting high into the sky, his heart clenched tighter still — until he caught sight of her standing right there by the roadside, and only then did he breathe again. When he heard her call out to him in a loud voice and saw her running toward him, he didn’t even stop to think before rushing forward to meet her. Then he saw her stumble, watched her about to fall, and immediately surged forward, reaching out to catch her.

A soft body tumbled into his arms — but before he could feel anything else, he was first struck by an acrid smell of stagnant ditch water assaulting his nostrils.

Li Xuandu involuntarily stopped breathing and held his breath. In the firelight, he quickly looked over the woman he was holding and only then noticed that her clothing was somewhat disheveled, with a few dead leaves stuck to the hem of her skirt. Above her back collar, there was even a smear of moss. Her entire appearance — she looked as though she had just rolled out of a haystack.

Almost instinctively, not wanting others to see her in this sorry state that made her look as though she’d been roughed up, without even thinking he removed his outer coat and draped it over her shoulders, then asked: “What are you doing here? Why are you alone? Where are the others?”

She had left the banquet with only Nanny Wang and then sent Nanny Wang away on an errand, so naturally she had no one else with her.

This was unusual, and it was no wonder he asked immediately. But thinking that Shen Yang must still be not far behind her, the heart Pu Zhu had just managed to settle upon seeing him immediately rose to her throat again.

Clearly she had saved Li Xuandu’s life in her previous existence, yet he acted as though he had a grudge against her. Why did he always put his finger on exactly the wrong thing!

Her heart was full of frustration, but she pressed her face against his chest in a small and dependent way, looking exactly as though she had been frightened out of her wits. In a slightly raised, tearful voice she explained: “The General’s wife was kind enough to invite me, and tonight I had a bit of wine. I’d come out earlier to freshen up, but then the fire broke out, and I panicked. The night is so dark, and I don’t know my way around this place. Nanny Wang must have gotten separated from me in the commotion — I couldn’t find her. I had too much wine and my head was spinning; I lost my sense of direction… Fortunately Your Highness came — just now I thought I was going to die of fright…”

Having said her piece, she whimpered softly.

Li Xuandu said nothing, letting her bury her face in his chest. He simply arranged his outer coat properly around her, fastening the collar ties and wrapping her body completely.

Shen Yang walked up and said with apparent shame: “My wife invited her Ladyship the Princess Consort in honor of her birthday — she was an honored guest. Yet my wife and I failed in our duties as host. The fire in this courtyard was most likely caused by the carelessness of the pigeon handlers tonight, who left fire behind, leading to this accident, causing her Ladyship the Princess Consort such a fright. I feel deep shame, and beg Your Highness and her Ladyship’s forgiveness!”

Li Xuandu made no response and simply asked Pu Zhu: “The fire is too large here; we shouldn’t linger. Can you walk?”

Pu Zhu was about to nod when she suddenly heard a commotion rising from the direction of the banquet hall — it sounded as though a number of people had arrived — and she faintly made out Xiao Shi’s voice among them. An idea stirred in her mind.

This woman really was insufferable — relying on her old relationship with Li Xuandu, she had invited Pu Zhu today, keeping up an outward appearance of sisterly warmth and seeming to look after Pu Zhu at every turn, while in fact harboring sinister intentions. It was bad enough that she wanted Pu Zhu humiliated so as to make herself look better. But listening to what had been said in the quarrel between Xiao Shi and Shen Yang — could it be that even now she still couldn’t let go of Li Xuandu, and was trying to emulate Princess Imperial by seducing her former intended as a lover?

Wishful thinking!

Li Xuandu might be completely useless to her now, but when circumstances eventually left them no choice, she would force him to make something of himself and fight for his rightful place. Even in the future, when she had produced sons and it became necessary to arrange other women for him, she would never allow a dangerous woman like this one anywhere near him.

Not to seize such a fine opportunity to directly cut down an enemy right to her face — at the very minimum, to shatter part of her illusions — what was she waiting for?

Pu Zhu went even more limp, as though all the bones had been drained from her body. Only her two hands retained any strength, clutching at the fabric at his waist. In a weak, breathless voice she said: “I can still walk… I’m just dizzy…” The words were barely out of her mouth when her knees gave and she began sliding downward, nearly crumpling to the ground.

Li Xuandu caught her around the waist with one arm, preventing her from sinking further.

He looked down, surveying this head buried against his chest for a moment, hesitated briefly, and then ultimately yielded to her wishes. With unruffled composure, he scooped her up horizontally from the ground and turned to walk outward — and very quickly found himself face to face with Xiao Shi, Madam Zhenguo, Chen Shuyuan, and others hurrying over from the banquet hall.

Xiao Shi had already recovered from the shock of suddenly seeing Li Xuandu appear in the banquet hall, directed servants to go fight the fire, instructed others to help Princess Ningshou search for the missing old governess, shook off the anxious princess, and hurried out of the banquet hall herself. Now she suddenly saw this scene and a look of utter disbelief flashed through the depths of her eyes. Her footsteps halted, and all at once it seemed as though lead had been poured into her feet — she could no longer move.

And it wasn’t just her — everyone saw it. Prince Qin was actually carrying the Princess Consort as he walked toward them, while she lay curled in his arms, her body wrapped in a man’s outer coat — clearly one just removed from Prince Qin himself.

The ladies stared, their expressions all different.

Xiao Shi’s gaze moved from Li Xuandu’s face to the woman he was carrying, then back from that woman to his face. She stared, unmoving.

Pu Zhu slowly opened her eyes and turned her face — the side buried against Li Xuandu’s chest — slightly outward. But one side of her pale forehead still rested gently against his arm. With weak and listless manner, she said: “Elder Sister — just now when I came back from freshening up, I saw the fire break out on this side. In my panic I lost my way, and I was truly frightened. My legs gave out from the fear, and between the wine and the dizziness, I couldn’t stand on my own. I can’t come down to speak with Elder Sister properly. Please forgive me for my lack of manners.”

The ladies looked at one another; not a single one made a sound.

Xiao Shi collected herself, smoothed her hair, let a smile appear on her jade-like face, and immediately stepped forward to offer soft words of comfort, saying it was nothing at all. She then turned to Li Xuandu and said: “Your Highness — the fault is entirely mine today. I invited her Ladyship the Princess Consort as my guest, yet I failed to look after her properly and let her be so badly frightened. On another day I will certainly hold a proper banquet to make amends.”

She gazed at the man before her — this man who overlapped with her memories yet had become utterly different — her eyes soft, her tone sincere.

Li Xuandu only said: “My wife has had quite a fright. I’ll take her home first. Please excuse us.”

He gave a slight nod to the ladies opposite, then continued walking with Pu Zhu in his arms, passing out through the main gate under the watching gazes of all those behind them.

The few remaining maids who had come with Pu Zhu also hurried out after them. Li Xuandu set Pu Zhu in the carriage, had the driver set off, and rode his horse beside it. They returned to the Prince’s mansion; the carriage stopped outside the main gate.

Pu Zhu leaned back inside the carriage, waiting for Li Xuandu to come and carry her down. But he paid her no further attention, abandoned her there, and walked inside.

Pu Zhu had no choice but to get out of the carriage herself and follow him back to the bedchamber. Once inside, Li Xuandu dismissed all the maids. Everyone filed out, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Pu Zhu sensed that something was off and decided to lead with thanks. She put a smile on her face and walked toward him — and after only two steps, he frowned: “Stop there! Stay back!”

Pu Zhu’s feet halted. She finally realized — he was disgusted by the smell on her.

She backed away, saying: “I’m going to bathe.” Saying this, she turned quickly to leave — only to hear him command again: “Stop right there! Who said you could leave?”

She had no choice but to stop.

Li Xuandu stood with his hands clasped behind his back: “Sobered up yet? Can you stand properly now?”

Pu Zhu understood.

He had known all along, back at the garden, that she had been pretending.

She was embarrassed, and said weakly: “Yes…”

Li Xuandu gave a dismissive huff, turning his face sideways as he surveyed her: “What actually happened tonight? Where did you go? How did you come back smelling like a stagnant ditch?”

He didn’t even deign to look at her directly; his expression carried an undisguised contempt he couldn’t quite hide.

Pu Zhu hesitated, still trying to figure out how to explain everything that had happened that night, when she heard him ask again: “Are you on very good terms with Shen Yang’s wife?”

Pu Zhu shook her head and mumbled: “No…”

He said: “Then why did you absolutely have to attend her banquet? Are your eyes that narrow — always having to push into every crowd? And it’s bad enough that you went — you couldn’t even stay properly in the banquet hall, but actually went wandering around on your own near a fire! I thought you were truly drunk and your legs were unsteady — that I could understand — but has your head gone soft too?”

Having been scolded so mercilessly, Pu Zhu knew clearly that she ought to endure it — and yet found she simply couldn’t.

She had clearly asked him about it yesterday. At the time his manner had been so cold and indifferent, completely dismissive, and he hadn’t said she couldn’t go; so today she’d gone. Fine — now it turned out she had narrow eyes and liked pushing into crowds?

And why had she gone wandering around alone near a fire? It was because she’d felt sorry for Han Rongchang and wanted to help him — and who could have foreseen everything that happened afterward?

With his cold, cold scolding filling her ears, the scraping wound on her back seemed to sting even more sharply. All the fright and grievance she had suffered tonight crystallized in that moment into pure indignation.

Pu Zhu had no desire to listen to him berate her anymore. She said: “I’m going to bathe!” Saying this, she removed the outer coat he had earlier draped over her and set it aside.

Li Xuandu paused — apparently annoyed as well — and with a dark expression, called loudly for Luo Bao to enter.

Luo Bao answered and came in. Sensing the atmosphere was wrong, he stole a glance at the expressions of both the Prince and Princess Consort and trotted quickly to his side.

Li Xuandu pointed at the outer coat she had just removed: “Take it and throw it away!”

Luo Bao froze, looked at the garment as though not yet quite understanding the situation, hesitated, then looked toward Pu Zhu.

Pu Zhu said in irritation: “Prince Qin says he doesn’t want this coat anymore and told you to throw it away. Didn’t you hear?”

Luo Bao quickly said yes, snatched up the coat, and retreated.

Li Xuandu said coldly: “Rest early. Don’t come to disturb me!” With that he didn’t spare her another glance, turned on his heel, walked out of the bedchamber, and left her there.

He was disgusted with her to this extent!

Pu Zhu grew even more furious, and also somewhat sad. Of course she wouldn’t run after him to beg him to listen to her explain things. She stood there in a daze for a moment, then raised her arm and sniffed her own sleeve, called for the maids to come in and help her remove her makeup and bathe.

The scraped skin on her back touched the hot water and burned like fire. Enduring the pain, she washed herself clean and came out, changed her clothes, and wanted to have a maid help apply medicine — only to discover that all the medicine in the little medicine box in the room had been given away by her to Cui Xuan last time.

It was surely just a bit of broken skin and nothing too serious. She didn’t want to make more of a fuss over it, so she left it, and simply sat alone in the room in gloomy silence to wait for Nanny Wang. After a while, she finally received good news.

Nanny Wang returned and said she had successfully found the Prince Consort Han and had delivered the message to him.

Pu Zhu thought that if it had helped him avoid this disaster, tonight had at least not been entirely without gain — though her spirits remained low and she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. She had Nanny Wang go check whether Prince Qin was in his study. Nanny Wang returned shortly and confirmed that he was. Pu Zhu nodded, told her to go rest, then paced around the room for a while herself, and at last went despondently to bed.

As the night deepened, Li Xuandu sat alone in his study reading his scriptures. Just as expected, she never came to disturb him again. Yet the irritation in his heart had not diminished in the slightest.

Pu Zhu, the granddaughter of the Pu family — she was growing more audacious by the day, more brazen.

Tonight she had actually learned to talk back to him, to show him a sour face!

Li Xuandu felt his chest grow increasingly stifled. He flung down the scroll he was reading, swung down from the meditation couch, shoved his feet into his wooden clogs, and walked to throw open the window — breathing in long drafts of night air as he faced the darkness outside. Just then he heard Luo Bao’s footsteps outside the door, followed by a soft knock.

His heart gave a faint skip — he thought she had finally given in and come after all. As the door was pushed open behind him, he still didn’t turn around, only asking: “What is it?”

Luo Bao, hearing the coldness in his voice, said carefully: “Reporting to Your Highness — Prince Consort Han has sent a letter for Your Highness.” He offered it forward.

Li Xuandu was briefly startled. He took the letter and unfolded it.

Han Rongchang’s letter was simple — just a few lines in rather hasty handwriting, clearly written in great haste. The letter said that the moment he received the news he had gone immediately and, though it had been touch and go, things had worked out. He had already arranged for his wife to be moved to another location. He was deeply grateful to the Princess Consort and had written this letter at once in the middle of the night, asking Li Xuandu to convey his thanks to the Princess Consort on his behalf. Once everything on his end was fully settled, he would personally come to express his gratitude to the Princess Consort in person.

Li Xuandu read it twice over, thoroughly baffled. He pondered for a moment, then had someone summon Nanny Wang.

Nanny Wang hurried over. When she heard Prince Qin begin asking about Prince Consort Han’s affairs, she didn’t dare conceal anything and recounted the events of that evening — how the Princess Consort had led her out of the banquet hall and instructed her to go find Prince Consort Han to deliver a message. When she finished, she noticed that Prince Qin had been silent for quite a while and his expression had become rather odd. Worrying that something bad might have happened afterward, she felt a little uneasy, and added on behalf of the Princess Consort: “Your Highness, the Princess Consort only didn’t want the matter to escalate further — had it truly gotten out, Princess Imperial would have lost face as well. Her intentions were entirely good; she only had me go tell Prince Consort Han. The Princess Consort meant no harm.”

Li Xuandu told her to go rest, and stood alone in his study for a while longer, pacing. At last he returned to the bedchamber.

The candlelight in the room was bright, yet all was utterly still and silent. The deep crimson curtain hung low, faintly outlining the shape of a figure lying on its side facing the inner wall, asleep in bed.

Li Xuandu walked to the bedside, stood for a moment, watched her remain motionless — she seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep — hesitated, then with quiet, careful steps climbed onto the bed and slowly lay down.

Pu Zhu, however, was still awake.

She had been through so much that night — it had been a brush with death — and no matter how resilient her spirit, she could not possibly have fallen asleep so quickly. Not to mention that after returning, she had been treated this way by Li Xuandu!

Because of the pain in her back she could not lie on it, so she lay on her side facing the wall, her heart full of frustration. She tried to reason with herself not to stoop to his level. Then she heard him return, and when he had settled onto the bed, she feigned sleep and lay still.

Li Xuandu could not sleep either. Turning over what he had just learned, he felt somewhat regretful about his earlier attitude — yet could not quite bring himself to swallow his pride and wake her. After lying down, he couldn’t help watching her. His gaze fell on the back of her garment, and he stopped.

She was wearing a white silk undershirt. Below the back collar of her garment, there seemed to be faint stains of red seeping through — thin and pale, but in the candlelight filtering through the curtain, however dim, he could still see them perfectly clearly.

Her clothing at the back was unmistakably marked with traces of blood.

Li Xuandu was startled. No longer hesitating, he said: “You have a wound on your back? What actually happened?”

His asking only made the scraping wound from crawling through the drainage channel ache all the more sharply. Pu Zhu felt ashamed even thinking about it, and if he found out, she didn’t know how he would mock her.

She bit her lip in silence and refused to speak. She felt him shift toward her and reach out, apparently to pull aside her collar and examine the wound — so she wriggled her body, dodged his hand, and said in a muffled, petulant tone: “It’s none of your business!”

—