Actually, the Crown Prince thought his father too scheming. Last month when he learned Zhang Yao intended to accuse Huo Buyi, he’d originally planned to quietly suppress the matter. Moreover, he hadn’t originally planned to have his foster son return to court early—after all, what difference would another year or half make? Why invite criticism?

Until one day after waking from sleep, the Emperor suddenly heard that Cheng Shaoshang had already become engaged to Yuan Shen. Slapping his thigh in chagrin, he immediately thought he could use Zhang Yao to summon back his foster son. Later, because Grand Empress Dowager Xuan proactively proposed wanting to see Huo Buyi, the frugal-natured Emperor economized and saved Zhang Yao for later use.

“I truly was caught completely off guard by the Yuan and Cheng families’ marriage.” The Emperor sighed.

The Crown Prince responded emphatically: “Who could say otherwise! These two families were far too hasty about the marriage!”—As if he hadn’t been the one delighted when he first heard Lady Cheng finally had a new prospective groom.

Shaoshang returned to Yong’an Palace with drooping head and spirits, telling Grand Empress Dowager Xuan about this matter. Grand Empress Dowager Xuan encouraged her to testify properly and thoughtfully asked if she needed to take a few days’ leave to quietly recall past events.

Shaoshang was speechless for a moment, then turned to find Yuan Shen. After the two sat facing each other silently for a while, Yuan Shen said: “Things have reached this point—you not appearing would be unjustifiable. However, it depends on how you appear.”

Shaoshang’s eyes brightened. Clutching his wide robe sleeves excitedly, she said: “That’s exactly what I was thinking! When the time comes, there can’t be too many people at the trial, and they can’t be too loose-lipped!”—Testifying wasn’t frightening; what was frightening was a large public audience with all eyes watching. Yuan Shen’s face wouldn’t look good, and she herself would inevitably gain a reputation for old feelings dying hard.

Yuan Shen watched the girl pulling on his sleeve and bouncing lightly, her smile clear and beautiful. He smiled and glared at her: “In my past life, I must have been the worm in your belly!”

“How could that be!” Shaoshang’s skill at coaxing people grew ever more refined. “In our past life, you and I were two worms in the same person’s belly, which is why we can think of everything together.”

Yuan Shen felt delighted and laughed heartily.

Afterward, Shaoshang took leave to return home and prepare her testimony, striving to be truthful without inviting wild speculation. Yuan Shen went to the Court of Judicial Review to visit Old Man Ji Zun, his tongue like blooming lotus flowers for half a watch’s time. Three days later when Shaoshang entered the rear hall of the Court of Judicial Review, she felt her fiancé’s work was extremely reliable!—Though the Crown Prince was quite disappointed.

Ji Zun had cleared the entire area around the rear hall. Inside the hall remained only two scribes and several trusted subordinates. On the plaintiff’s side were four timid village women, with Zhang Yao sitting boldly in front of them to show his backing. On the defendant’s side was only Huo Buyi. The three officials on the bench sat in a mountain character formation—from left to right were Tiger Guard General Chen Chi, the Crown Prince, and Court Judicial Official Ji Zun.

When Shaoshang slowly entered, the plaintiff’s side had already finished one round of weeping. One woman still wailed: “…Watching helplessly as fathers, brothers and husbands all died miserably—if we hadn’t been lucky enough to hide beneath the firewood pile, how could we have escaped with our lives! Lord Ji, please give us justice and behead this beast in human form for public display!” The remaining three village women wept together.

Chen Chi shook his head. Ji Zun forcefully struck the table, ordering the village women to be silent.

Zhang Yao said triumphantly: “Nothing else need be said—summon Li Si and have him explain properly! Why did he lose all conscience and slaughter innocent villagers?!”

The Crown Prince said in a low voice: “Because Grand Empress Dowager of Huai’an was gravely ill, Zicheng came hastily. Much military business has not yet been handed over—Li Si and the others are still in the northwest handling matters.”

Zhang Yao said: “Then asking Marquis Huo is the same! This humble officer presumes to ask, uh…” He saw a court attendant bring in a beautiful young woman and couldn’t help but pause his questioning.

The Crown Prince had already been dissatisfied with today’s trial environment. He said with cold sarcasm: “Lady Cheng, you’ve finally arrived. I thought you’d wait until after the execution before coming!”

Shaoshang pretended not to hear—she hadn’t deliberately arrived late. It was just that Yuan Shen had chatted with her about this and that on the road, causing the delay.

Huo Buyi had been sitting quietly, his jade-like face calm, unmoved by the various accusations, as if observing someone else’s affair. Only now did he say in surprise: “Shao… why have you come?”

Shaoshang assumed a proper air: “Hearing that Your Lordship was falsely accused, this concubine came especially to testify and declare Your Lordship’s innocence.”

Huo Buyi looked confused and suddenly glanced at the Crown Prince, who nonchalantly turned his face away.

Ji Zun was too lazy to deal with their silent communication. After having Shaoshang take her seat, he spoke methodically: “Zhang Yao, restrain yourself. Although these village women speak with certainty, three days ago Lady Cheng informed this official that when the Gushan massacre occurred, Marquis Huo was with her sightseeing at Mount Tugao. What do you say to this?”

Zhang Yao was startled and stared at the girl suspiciously: “Aren’t you a woman of the Huo family…”

Before he finished speaking, Shaoshang cut him off: “General Zhang has become muddled from guarding tombs! While desolate mountains and wilderness remain the same day after day, the capital changes constantly—I’m now engaged to the Yuan family of Jiaodong!”

Zhang Yao looked disdainful: “Hmph, one-sided testimony. Who knows if Huo Buyi went to Mount Tugao, who knows if you two haven’t still got lingering…” He didn’t finish, but everyone in the hall knew his meaning.

The Crown Prince suddenly felt this Zhang Yao wasn’t so detestable after all.

Shaoshang’s face flushed red as she said angrily: “There are so many maids and eunuchs at the Huo family’s hot spring villa—are they all blind? Lord Ji can go ask! Although the maids are Huo family servants, those managing eunuchs came from the palace—His Majesty assigned them to Marquis Huo to manage the villa! Moreover, my third brother Cheng Shaogong was there too!”

Zhang Yao snorted.

Ji Zun asked: “When did Marquis Huo return to Panqing Great Camp?”

“General Huo and I… spent three days together. He departed on the morning of October twenty-ninth. First he saw us siblings off to the capital, then he returned to camp on his own.” Shaoshang vaguely mumbled the middle part.

Ji Zun nodded: “Panqing Great Camp is two days’ journey from Gushan. The route from Panqing Great Camp through the capital to Mount Tugao takes a day and a half. Li Si and the others led troops and returned to camp on October thirtieth to report and claim merit for the heads. There’s no way Marquis Huo could have rushed to Gushan to kill innocents for credit. Woman below, how did you describe Marquis Huo’s appearance…”

“This, this…” The lead village woman shrank back, her face full of terror, her body trembling like chaff.

Zhang Yao stepped forward: “You stayed at the hot spring villa all three days? Huo Buyi left Panqing Great Camp for six or seven days—if he left early and bypassed the capital to go straight to Gushan, he could have!”

Shaoshang hesitated, then stammered: “…We only stayed at the hot spring villa one day, then went down the mountain to play.”

“I thought so!” Zhang Yao’s spirits lifted greatly. “Huo Buyi only needed to leave a day early. With his magnificent mount, he might well have made it in time!”

Ji Zun said with a rigid face: “Lady Cheng already said they went down the mountain to play, not that they left.”

“Only the three of them were present—how can we trust this?”

Chen Chi interjected: “My nephew studies with Young Master Cheng the Third. I’ve heard he’s very sincere.”—Though he does love reporting to teachers a bit much, he’s actually easygoing and refined, very pleasant to get along with.

Zhang Yao was half-believing, half-doubting.

“That…” Shaoshang was greatly embarrassed. “Third Brother didn’t go down the mountain. Only, only General Huo and I, plus a few guards and servants.”

At these words, everyone looked toward her and Huo Buyi, their gazes surprised, worried, or secretly pleased.

“However, however, along the way we encountered many people! It’s not just my one-sided testimony!” Shaoshang endured N burning gazes, the heat that had just receded from her face returning with a vengeance.

Zhang Yao smiled without mirth: “Oh really? Then Lady Cheng should explain properly what happened during the next two days.”

“There’s no need for such detail. Just say which people saw Marquis Huo in the Mount Tugao vicinity, that’s enough.” Chen Chi was honest-hearted and couldn’t bear to see the girl embarrassed. Truth be told, over the years their Tiger Guards had mooched plenty of refreshments, fruit drinks and emergency medicinal herbs from Yong’an Palace. There was even one time when a fellow-townsman deputy general under his command had a romantic affair with a palace maid and nearly got charged with defiling the palace. Fortunately Shaoshang helped cover it up and mediate.

“General Chen, don’t speak!” The Crown Prince’s expression was solemn, righteousness blazing. “Things have reached this point—there’s no need to conceal anything. Let’s just lay everything out clearly to prevent Zhang Yao from refusing to accept it and rumors spreading outside! Lady Cheng, explain everything that happened afterward in complete detail!”

Huo Buyi looked at him thoughtfully. The Crown Prince turned his face away again.

Zhang Yao’s confidence was high as he said loudly: “Exactly, we should clarify everything! The weather was getting cold then—the hot spring villa was most comfortable. Why did you have to go down the mountain? Do tell!”

Why go down the mountain?—Shaoshang and Huo Buyi’s eyes met quickly, then separated.

Everyone says hot springs paired with chilled wine are fit for immortals. That unreliable fellow Cheng Shaogong, whether dizzy from soaking in hot springs or drunk on wine, was soon carried into an inner chamber and didn’t wake until after Shaoshang and Huo Buyi descended the mountain.

From the moment Huo Buyi entered the hot spring villa, he’d been somewhat clingy. One moment he’d say the spring water made his old injuries ache and needed Shaoshang to rub them. The next moment he’d say soaking made his shoulders and neck sore and needed her little fists to pound them. Even more excessive, he said the hot steam made him short of breath and tight in the chest, requiring Shaoshang to fan him.

If Shaoshang said she was also short of breath and weak, that would be even better—Huo Buyi was willing to personally carry her from the water.

After several years, many details had blurred.

Shaoshang only remembered that amid the misty, swirling steam, the tall, fair youth reclined on a long bench by the bathing pool, quietly smiling at her, his amber eyes more intoxicating than fine wine. The thin silk robe he wore became semi-transparent from the water, revealing the tall, robust body beneath—muscles rippling with power. Yet this perfect body bore many scars of various sizes. She gently touched them, both shy and heartbroken.

Huo Buyi turned his head to look at the girl. He also remembered that moment, far more clearly than she did.

He remembered how the girl was steamed tender and sweet by the warm moist air, her misty eyes rippling with light, naturally charming without trying. He remembered the soft flesh beneath her chin—when gently kneaded with his fingers, the girl would protest with dissatisfied mewing like a little kitten…

However, the girl was quite alert. Seeing the situation wasn’t right, she decisively understood they couldn’t stay at the hot spring villa any longer and proposed going down the mountain to play the next day. He also realized his mind was wandering like an untethered ape, so he smiled and agreed.

Shaoshang’s face was burning as she said, mortified and angry: “I can go down the mountain if I want! Just ask about the next two days—the reason for going down has nothing to do with you!”

Zhang Yao, having been shouted at, was stunned for a moment, then snorted coldly: “Fine, then continue.”

“We went down the mountain at dawn and entered the county town below before sunset…”

Zhang Yao grinned widely: “I’ve also been to Tugao county town. Going down the mountain and entering town takes half a day—you actually took a full day! Hahaha, Lady Cheng, at least lie better!”

Chen Chi said helplessly: “Zhang Yao, why do you care how they walked? As long as they were in the county town on the third day, that’s enough.”

The Crown Prince swept his long arm, all solemn dignity: “Lord Chen, don’t interrupt. Since there are points of doubt, they should all be clarified. Lady Cheng, continue.”

Shaoshang forcibly restrained herself from spitting blood and said with a rigid face: “I twisted my foot. General Huo carried me down the mountain. Our party walked and stopped repeatedly, so we were slow.”

“Didn’t you have a carriage with you? Why did he have to carry you?” Zhang Yao wouldn’t let any point of doubt pass.

This time even Old Man Ji Zun couldn’t tolerate it: “At that time they were engaged—what’s wrong with somewhat intimate behavior? Zhang Yao, stop being unreasonable!”

The Crown Prince thought privately: Cheng Shaoshang and Zhang Yao—one a woman, one a petty person, one verbally sharp, one nitpicking over every detail. Their mutual confrontation couldn’t be more appropriate.

Even Shaoshang’s earlobes were nearly burning. She resolutely avoided looking at Huo Buyi and said solemnly: “On the way down the mountain, we encountered two groups of travelers. One group was the family members of Lord Wang of the Left Office. The other was the family members of Colonel Li of the City Gate. Lord Ji can verify this.”

Ji Zun nodded and said to Zhang Yao: “Did you hear?”

Zhang Yao turned his head resentfully.

“After entering the county town, we learned there would be a lantern festival the next day, so we stayed.” Shaoshang took a deep breath. “That night we settled at an inn. The next day during the daytime we toured the county town. In the evening we viewed the lantern festival. On the third day at dawn, we departed for the capital.”

“Just that simple?” Zhang Yao looked askance.

“Just that simple!” Shaoshang said decisively. “If General Zhang doesn’t believe me, I have more witnesses. That night at the lantern festival, we encountered a blind lecher at a wine house who spoke insolently and was severely taught a lesson by me. That person was a wealthy household from a neighboring county. Many people in the wine house that night recognized him. Lord Ji, I’ll write down that person’s name and background, plus several notable local scholars who were present, for you to verify.”

Ji Zun greatly appreciated the girl’s respect for legal procedure and smiled with a nod.

Zhang Yao still doubted: “With Marquis Huo at your side, what lecher would dare be insolent toward you?”

Shaoshang glared angrily: “Can’t a lecher have courage?!”

Huo Buyi laughed softly. Shaoshang was displeased and rolled her eyes dramatically at him—of course he had courage, because the lecher wasn’t harassing Cheng Shaoshang but rather Huo Buyi! That’s why she was especially furious and had to beat the lecher violently.

Huo Buyi lowered his thick lashes, one hand lightly pressing his chest, feeling the strong, powerful beating there. He felt the ice that had frozen him for years seemed to be slowly melting.

They had walked a full day going down the mountain because they’d seen a flower field halfway down like piled colorful clouds. It was deep autumn when ordinary flowers had long withered, but Mount Tugao’s terrain was warm, so the flowers bloomed even through winter’s severity.

The girl sat in the dense flowers, softly telling him that when her uncle and aunt first married, they were only slightly better than strangers. But one day when her uncle took his wife mountain climbing to view flowers and clumsily wove a flower crown for his wife, Madam Sang felt that marrying this verbally clumsy but kind-hearted man was truly, truly wonderful—at that time, flower fragrance swirled around them, sunlight was warm and gentle, and the girl’s tender face appeared hazy and crystalline among the flowers, pure and beautiful, dazzling him until he was lost.

The girl said: Her parents were a loving couple, her uncle and aunt were also a loving couple. She’d seen their deep affection and tenderness and envied it greatly. She hoped in the future she and he could also be like this—not like his parents, becoming a bitter couple full of resentment.

He’d wanted to say then that his parents weren’t a bitter couple. His parents fell in love at first sight, went through many hardships to become husband and wife, and afterward their love was extraordinary as they bore children. No matter the warfare and military disasters outside, they always shared the same heart and weathered difficulties together. If that beast Ling Yi hadn’t struck, they too would have grown old together like the two Cheng couples, living and dying in the same place.

He’d never woven a flower crown. He tried several times and failed. His best attempt only produced a sturdy, durable horse lasso. The girl laughed watching this and said to forget it. He didn’t want to forget it, so he ordered his attendants to secretly gather flowers and grass to hide in the carriage.

That night after settling in the county town, he worked through the night exploring the technique, using up all the flowers and grass until finally weaving a beautiful, elegant flower crown. He kept it secret, waiting until the second night’s lantern festival when, amid the dreamlike colored lanterns filling the streets, he placed the flower crown on the girl’s head.

He told her they too would be inseparably loving like her uncle and aunt.

The girl’s eyes filled with tears, hidden pain in her clear, large eyes. She said: She’d been alone since childhood, surrounded mostly by malice. But in the future she’d have him—she’d never need to fear being alone again, right?

He said: Yes, they would be together for life, never to part.

Huo Buyi raised his head and saw Shaoshang’s face puffed with anger, still arguing with Zhang Yao.

Zhang Yao sneered: “…Didn’t you twist your leg? How did you go downstairs to beat that lecher?!”

The Crown Prince said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “Wasn’t Zicheng there? Probably Zicheng carried her down to beat someone.”

“Your Highness, speak carefully.” Ji Zun said with a rigid face. “These trivial matters unrelated to the case need not be discussed further.”

Chen Chi hurried to agree: “Right, right, right…”

However, Shaoshang wouldn’t let it go. She seriously corrected them: “Not entirely. I walked down the last three or four steps of those stairs myself—the difference is significant!”

Huo Buyi could no longer hold back and laughed aloud, nearly laughing to tears.

The suffering had been too long, the estrangement too deep. Sometimes he even doubted why he’d come to walk this earth—was it just to watch his father be killed with his own eyes, watch his mother and siblings hung as corpses at the city gate, then change his name for over ten years, painstakingly plotting only for revenge?

He’d almost forgotten that after age five, he too had once been so joyful and beautiful, tender and sweet.

Now, he remembered it all.