The special characteristic of the founding imperial family, aside from having no Empress Dowager or Dowager Consorts, was that the imperial kinship bonds were still fairly good—unlike later emperors who couldn’t even keep track of how many children they had. At the very least, the current Emperor clearly remembered each of his children’s names, ages, spouses, and birthdays accurate to the month.

Due to the Emperor’s particular Libra-like balancing style, remembering which child came from which womb was relatively easy. If one excluded the Fifth Prince, then the womb source options were only two.

Like many self-made founders, although the Emperor already occupied the supreme position, he still retained very simple common people’s sentiments. To ensure that familial affection among relatives wouldn’t fade as their status rose, the Emperor must hold family banquets every month or two. Sometimes these were grand banquets—summoning all clan relatives, even including a few intimately close fellow townsmen who were meritorious officials and nobles. But mostly these were small banquets—only the Emperor, Empress, consorts, and several princes and princesses.

Tonight was a small banquet, and not everyone was present. The Third Princess had been ordered to confine herself for reflection, implicating the Third Prince Consort who also couldn’t attend. Noble Consort Yue maintained her usual divine invisibility—although Shaoshang had only been in the palace studying for ten days, she had vaguely detected that this Noble Consort Yue was basically in an unsupervised state. The Emperor had no time to manage her, and the Empress didn’t want to manage her. Aside from necessary public occasions where she and the Empress would perform a good show of virtuous wife and humble concubine, she avoided meeting the Empress whenever possible in other settings. No need to pay respects, no need to make courtesy calls, resulting in Shaoshang still not having seen this consort.

To avoid alienating flesh-and-blood kinship, there was no nonsense about legitimate versus common-born ranking rules—seating was uniformly arranged by age. The head seat on the right was for the Crown Prince and his wife, the head seat on the left was for the Second Prince and his wife, next down were the First Princess and Second Princess sitting opposite each other… Then came what horrified Shaoshang—sitting opposite the Third Prince next were actually Ling Buyi and herself?!

Seeing the noble Fourth and Fifth Princes and Fourth and Fifth Princesses actually sitting below her, Shaoshang only felt like she was in the clouds with both feet suspended, thoroughly uncomfortable all over. She had never been a good student from childhood—hosting cultural performances, outstanding student awards, political assembly speeches—those things never fell to her. Even when her grades improved so miraculously that the homeroom teacher or principal had no choice but to praise her publicly, their expressions looked like they’d swallowed twenty pounds of stinky tofu.

Though displeasure showed in the Fourth Princess’s eyes, she could still conceal it and even forced a smile as she raised her cup toward Shaoshang. The Fifth Princess’s eyes burned with fury—if not for the Emperor and Empress being present, she would probably spray fire on the spot. Unfortunately, with the Fifth Prince in between, by the time this heat reached Shaoshang it was merely half a basin of foot-washing water.

Instead, the Fifth Prince’s gaze drifted back and forth over Shaoshang, smiling frivolously: “Not seeing Lady Cheng for several days, your appearance has become even more radiant.”

Ling Buyi’s brows furrowed. But before he could explode, Shaoshang immediately covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed lightly, replying with practiced ease: “I’m flattered by Your Fifth Highness’s praise. Not seeing you for many days, it seems Your Highness has grown several inches taller.” Playing the hooligan? As if she’d never seen that before.

The Fifth Prince’s expression immediately stiffened from frivolous dandy silk ribbons into frivolous carrot color—PYS, that’s carrot color.

Actually, the Fifth Prince wasn’t badly looking, but unfortunately his stature was really rather reserved. This year at eighteen years old, not only could he not compare to the level of Ling Buyi and the Third Prince, if the Fourth Princess ate a few more bowls of rice at each meal she might catch up to him. At the last palace banquet, Shaoshang had heard the Second Prince patting and laughing at the Fifth Prince, with the Fourth Prince joining in from the side to tease about his boots padded with several layers.

Given that the other princes were all tall and sturdy, the Emperor’s genes clearly had no problems—the reason obviously lay with the petite and delicate Beauty Xu. Unfortunately, this was an era that revered martial valor and fierce passion, advocating for men to be tall and imposing and women to be robust and voluptuous. Currently there was no room for petite, delicate pretty boys to shine.

Shaoshang sighed. Actually there was also no room for delicate, tender little beauties like herself to shine either. She wondered which of Ling Buyi’s eyes had twitched when he took a fancy to her.

The Fifth Prince had originally wanted to release a few harsh words to intimidate Shaoshang, but Ling Buyi’s fierce gaze had already shot over. He could only pretend to haughtily turn his head and shut his mouth, instead picking on the palace maids’ service as inadequate here and there.

Shaoshang pursed her lips and looked toward the head seats. She saw Beauty Xu humbly serving the Empress dishes and pouring wine, bowing and bending her knees without even daring to raise her head, squeezing out Luo Jitong who had no room to be useful. So she smiled helplessly at Shaoshang before leaving work early on her own.

Shaoshang sighed enviously at Luo Jitong’s departing back and leaned close to Ling Buyi’s ear: “Look, look, Beauty Xu keeps looking at His Majesty, but unfortunately His Majesty hasn’t noticed at all, so she can only desperately stick close to the Empress.”

Ling Buyi didn’t respond. He only gazed for a long while at the girl’s pink, plump earlobe and side of her face. Under the candlelight, her translucent skin was covered with childish fine down, so delicate and tender… He slowly clenched his palm.

Shaoshang was completely unaware and continued looking around with great interest—as a palace nobody, Beauty Xu could only show her face a little at occasions like this, otherwise the Emperor probably wouldn’t even remember her.

Speaking of eighteen years ago, Empress Xuan and Noble Consort Yue had not yet worked out a harmonious way of coexisting. One day the two of them had each quarreled with the Emperor one after the other, then both tightly closed their palace gates refusing to let the Emperor in. The Emperor angrily got drunk, and then came the “accident” of Beauty Xu, which subsequently triggered the “accident” of the Fifth Prince. However, according to Granny Zhai’s revelation, Beauty Xu wasn’t entirely innocent either—otherwise how did an outer court serving palace maid enter the inner sleeping chambers to have an “accident”? There were many among them attempting to climb the dragon and attach to the phoenix by this opportunity.

However, among the Emperor, Empress, and consort trio, they either had generous temperaments or were too lazy to deal with her. Afterward they punished a large batch of people, then gave her a title and considered the case closed.

The subsequent impact of this matter was that the Emperor’s inner sleeping chambers no longer had palace maids, only eunuchs, and Empress Xuan and Noble Consort Yue reached a tacit understanding of sorts. Namely, whoever causes trouble pays the bill, whoever quarrels provides lodging—the other absolutely doesn’t interfere.

Of course, implementation had its difficulties. According to Luo Jitong’s private account, once when she was small, the Emperor and Noble Consort Yue quarreled so loudly even the Southern Palace guards nearly heard it. The Emperor stormed furiously toward Changqiu Palace, but the Empress resolutely refused to open the door and even sent someone to Noble Consort Yue with a passage of sour text, angering Noble Consort Yue so much she chased over barefoot and forcibly dragged the Emperor back from outside Changqiu Palace gates.

Having heard this past event, although she’d just been scolded by the old Emperor like a turtle grandson, Shaoshang still felt a surge of respect for him.

“Actually His Majesty is a good person,” Shaoshang gazed at the Emperor and Empress smiling at each other, sighing from the heart.

Ling Buyi looked at the Second Princess couple at the side, intimately whispering with temples touching, smiling and speaking softly. Then he looked at the Second Prince couple diagonally across—who knows what amusing thing they said, as the Second Prince’s Consort even coquettishly adjusted the Second Prince’s golden crown.

He turned to look at the girl beside him and said in a low voice: “Shaoshang, look and see if my hair crown is crooked.”

Shaoshang turned back to look and laughed carelessly: “It’s not crooked, it’s fine.” However, she finally remembered what she’d promised the Emperor not long ago and stretched out her arms to straighten his plain silver crown inlaid with purple jade.

In the summer night’s palace hall with brilliant candlelight, even with ice basins and cool fans surrounding them, Ling Buyi still felt the air grow warm, his nostrils filled with the faint fragrance from the girl’s body. When she leaned close, beneath her thin garment her chest was slightly full.

At this moment, the Empress lightly raised her wine cup toward those below. The children straightened up in waves to toast in return. Now Shaoshang could clearly distinguish the original womb sources of these princes and princesses. The First and Second Princes were born of Empress Xuan, the Third and Fourth were Noble Consort Yue’s. The First and Fifth Princesses were raised by Empress Xuan, while the Second, Third, and Fourth Princesses were Noble Consort Yue’s. The remaining ones were still young and won’t be detailed here.

The Emperor, like a township official who’d just secured investment, smiled radiantly, proud and earnest, pointing at Shaoshang and smiling to the imperial family that “this is Eleventh Lang’s new wife, henceforth one of our own family.” Shaoshang could only hold up a smiling face and bow all around, looking exactly like a plump white Chihuahua raising its short front paws in salute.

The Second Prince’s Consort, face round as the full moon, smiled: “Sister Shaoshang and I hit it off at first sight. Tomorrow is out of the question—you rest well at home. Next time you have leisure, come play at our residence and I’ll host a banquet!”

The Crown Princess smiled with lowered brows: “Second sister-in-law jests. Sister Shaoshang is quite reserved and shy. I’ve invited her to the Eastern Palace several times and she hasn’t gone.”

Shaoshang laughed inwardly, firmly refusing to join the battle, only eating melon seeds.

The Second Prince’s Consort stroked her greatly swollen abdomen, seeming unconcerned: “If it were me, I also wouldn’t go to the Eastern Palace. Already in the palace every day—turn your head and the Eastern Palace is still in the palace anyway.” She turned to Shaoshang again: “Shaoshang, I know you’re busy. I won’t make things difficult for you—whenever you’re free, then come to my residence. Zicheng, if you’re worried, come along too!”

The Second Prince had been frowning all along as if someone owed him money, but hearing this he relaxed his brow: “That’s right, that’s right, Zicheng, you come too!”

At this moment, the Third Prince suddenly laughed lightly. The Second Prince was displeased: “Third Brother, what are you laughing at!” The Third Prince slowly cut his roasted meat, saying: “Nothing much. I just recalled when Zicheng first entered the palace—I wonder who relied on superior height and strength to constantly bully him. Only in recent years have you repeatedly shown goodwill. Isn’t it too late?”

The Second Prince flushed red: “That, that—that was youthful ignorance…”

The Fourth Prince sneered: “Second Imperial Brother, were you still young then? You already had concubines pregnant!”

The Crown Prince had a headache: “Aiya, all of you stop quarreling… Why do you always start fighting…”

“What business is it of yours, Fourth!” The Second Prince rose angrily: “However much Zicheng and I quarrel and fight, we still grew up together in Mother Empress’s palace, better than you lot, hmph, you lot…”

At this time the Emperor’s brows furrowed, seeming displeased.

The First Prince Consort was quite alert. After reading expressions, he quietly reprimanded: “Second Highness, don’t speak recklessly!” At the same time his right elbow lightly touched the First Princess. The First Princess understood her husband’s look immediately and forced a smile: “We’re all flesh and blood relatives, all grew up in the palace together. Zicheng is no different from our siblings… Second Brother, sit down!”

The Emperor slowly relaxed his brow and turned to say: “Zilun, how is the Biyong renovation progressing?”

The First Prince Consort smiled: “Your subject, along with various great scholars, has been following all the regulations recorded in the Zhou Rituals and has already renovated to the circular wall.”

“Oh, that fast.”

The First Prince Consort bowed: “If Your Majesty is worried, why not go take a look.”

The Emperor waved his hand with a pleased expression: “When matters are entrusted to Zilun, I’m always at ease.”

Hearing the Emperor’s praise, the First Prince Consort, already handsome to begin with, now displayed pride and self-confidence, radiant and gracious.

The First Princess said proudly: “Father Emperor, didn’t I tell you before? Zilun most loves hearing your praise. He’s an honest person who takes your every word seriously! With your praise today, he probably won’t even be able to find the palace gates to leave! Renovating the Biyong is such a major undertaking—you still need to personally oversee it. If you just wash your hands of it, and later Zilun has something not in accordance with propriety and gets impeached, it’ll all be your fault.”

The Emperor seemed to greatly dote on this clever-tongued eldest daughter, stroking his beard and laughing repeatedly: “You, oh you—you’ve said everything there is to say!” After laughing for a moment, his gaze turned and he pointed at the Second Prince Consort with a smile: “And you, still composing poetry and music all day, with wife singing and husband following?”

The Second Prince Consort was very amiable and refined, the same type as the Crown Prince who resembled Peppa Pig’s dad. He smiled and said: “Different people, different abilities. Brother Zilun has great talent—how would your son-in-law dare compare? Your son-in-law wishes to follow the Daoist way of Huang-Lao, detached and passive, to grow old with the Princess beside green mountains and waters, with clear songs and wonderful dances, reciting for a lifetime.”

The Second Princess smiled deeply at her husband, then turned to complain with a laugh: “Father Emperor, really! You have so many capable sons and subjects—can’t you let us slack off a little? Next time we compose new music and choreograph new dances, we won’t show you!”

“Fine, fine, fine!” The Emperor scolded with his mouth but his eyes were full of affection: “If you love composing poetry then compose poetry, if you love dancing then dance. Fortunately your old father has some modest family wealth. Even if you do nothing, you won’t starve!”

“Isn’t that right?” The Second Princess’s expression was gentle and playful: “Who told your daughter and your son-in-law to be good at reincarnation? Not only did we reincarnate into good families, we also reincarnated into such a great era of peace and prosperity!”

The Emperor was greatly pleased, slightly drunk, and heavily slapped the food table: “Well said! I dare not boast of a golden age, but this realm has gradually become peaceful in my hands!”

The Second Princess tearfully replied with complete sincerity: “Father Emperor is too modest. What the situation was like when your daughter was young, and what it’s like now—are the people under heaven blind? This was all earned by Father Emperor burning ointment through the night, wearing plain clothes and eating sparingly! Your daughter and Prince Consort have no great talents, we only wish to compose a song of the golden age for this peaceful realm!”

The Emperor was moved by his daughter’s words until his dragon eyes moistened. He lowered his head to hide this, one hand waving continuously before him. With the atmosphere stirred to this point, all the imperial children in the hall rose to raise their cups and congratulate the Emperor on his great talent and strategy in stabilizing the realm.

Shaoshang put down her wine cup and leaned close to Ling Buyi’s ear, saying softly: “The Second Princess is really talented—she speaks so well!” This flattery divine skill could simply be written into textbooks—she must study it well!

Her words had just fallen, and before Ling Buyi could respond, the First Princess said in a thin voice while taking her seat: “Second Sister really knows how to talk. No wonder Father Emperor dotes on you so much. You and I are sisters separated by only a few months, but I’m far inferior to you.”

The Second Princess smiled without answering. The First Prince Consort, fearing complications, quickly poured his wife a cup of wine and told her in a low voice not to meddle.

Shaoshang leaned over again and whispered: “The First Prince Consort is quite practical.” Since the Second Prince Consort had no ambitions for the court, he wouldn’t create conflicts of interest with the First Prince Consort—why bother about how others flatter?

Ling Buyi extended his pale, slender fingers and lowered his head to grasp the girl’s skirt hem: “Just be yourself. You don’t need to learn others’ ways.” Pausing, “Don’t keep looking at others—you’ll become attached to appearances.”

Shaoshang was stunned and quickly withdrew her gaze: “Oh, you’re right.”

Seeing the harmonious atmosphere at the feast, the Fifth Princess blinked, bit her lip for a long while, then suddenly said: “Crown Princess, you invited Sister Shaoshang before—so why exactly was she unwilling to go to the Eastern Palace?”

Shaoshang was furious. You little green tea bitch, are you done yet! The topic had already diverged eight hundred miles away, Princes Two, Three, and Four had all shut up in amazement and were drinking with lowered heads, and you’re still relentless! Are you a snapping turtle that won’t let go once it bites? Later I’ll find you a dear good sister and stew you in a Farewell My Concubine dish!

Just as she was about to sharply retort, Ling Buyi already said slowly: “Didn’t the Crown Princess just say? Shaoshang is reserved and shy, doesn’t love going everywhere. Did the Fifth Princess not hear? Could it be you have an ear ailment? You should have the palace physicians examine it.”

The Fourth Princess beside them heard this and burst out laughing.

The Fifth Princess was about to angrily retort when a young eunuch outside the hall suddenly rushed in hurriedly and quietly reported before the Emperor and Empress, seeming to request an audience. The Emperor paused slightly before saying: “…Summon them.”

Not long after, the eunuch loudly announced: “Princess Consort Ruyang arrives, Princess Yuchang arrives.”

Everyone looked up to see a young married woman supporting an elderly woman with graying hair slowly walking into the hall. The Emperor slightly rose and cupped his hands. The Empress lowered her head and bowed slightly. The remaining people all performed their courtesies according to protocol.

Princess Consort Ruyang glanced contemptuously at Beauty Xu. Beauty Xu was very clever and immediately yielded her seat positioned diagonally to the Empress, shrinking to one side and not daring to speak. Seeing this, the Fifth Prince secretly clenched his fists, his gaze gloomy.

The old Princess Consort slowly sat down, then pulled her granddaughter to sit at the same table before saying: “Emperor, this old woman came uninvited. You won’t blame me, will you?”

“Uncle’s wife speaks too seriously.” The Emperor slowly put away his earlier joking and scolding, his expression bland: “I wonder what matter brings Uncle’s wife here.”

Princess Consort Ruyang wore the expression of someone looking for trouble: “This old woman knew Your Majesty was holding a family banquet today and wanted to come see the younger generation. Oh, is this old woman not allowed to come?”

The Emperor only smiled and didn’t answer.

“Naturally…” The old Princess Consort continued: “This old woman also wanted to meet Eleventh Lang’s new wife.” Saying this, her wrinkle-surrounded old eyes swept downward.

Everyone at the lower seats thought: Oh please, you came specifically to see Cheng Shaoshang!

Shaoshang was about to rise to bow when she discovered a slender large hand resting on her small waist, firmly pressing her into her seat. With the thin summer garment, the slightly cool palm seemed to press directly on her skin, the fingertips even seeming to lightly knead her waist.

Shaoshang’s face reddened. She twisted and lowered her head to pry at his palm.

Others didn’t see these movements, but the Second Prince couple at the neighboring table saw clearly. The Second Prince Consort smiled slightly and gently took his wife’s hand. The Second Princess smiled coquettishly and clasped back, while glancing sideways at Ling Buyi, feeling an inexplicable trace of worry in her heart.

The Second Prince Consort was of one mind with his wife and asked in her ear: “What’s wrong?”

The Second Princess sighed softly: “Eleventh Lang likes her too much.”

“What’s wrong with that?” The Second Prince Consort asked curiously.

The Second Princess opened her mouth to speak but finally just smiled and shook her head—but his heart is too heavy, this is very bad.

Why must winter’s solid ice love summer insects? Why must Ling Buyi like Cheng Shaoshang? Wouldn’t it be better to find a girl with meticulous thoughts who was gentle and considerate like Luo Jitong?

“Lady Cheng…” Princess Consort Ruyang stared at the girl beside Ling Buyi, knowing she’d found her target: “I see you’re young in appearance—I wonder how your virtue and learning are?”

Shaoshang turned slightly sideways, about to answer, when Ling Buyi said blandly: “Regardless of her virtue and learning, Shaoshang and I are already betrothed. His Majesty personally issued the decree, and both sets of parents agreed. What meaning is there for the Princess Consort to say this now?”

Princess Consort Ruyang continued: “Both parents agreed? Hmph, Lady Cheng, have you gone to pay respects to Lady Marquis Ling?”

“Which Lady Marquis Ling?”

Ling Buyi seized the conversation again, ladling himself warm wine and slowly pouring it into the cup before him: “Oh, I forgot—my mother has already divorced my father. Then, the old Princess Consort is referring to my father’s second wife… Shaoshang has not yet met the Chunyu clan.”

Princess Consort Ruyang’s brows furrowed: “You’ve been betrothed all these days, Lady Cheng—why have you still not gone to pay respects to your future mother-in-law…”

Crack!

Ling Buyi heavily threw the wine ladle into the wine vessel, the splashing wine spotting the floor with several dark marks. The atmosphere in the palace room inexplicably turned cold, no longer the heated family banquet atmosphere from before. The princes and princesses saw the Emperor’s solemn expression and all dared not speak.

“Future mother-in-law? Does the old Princess Consort consider my mother dead?!” Ling Buyi looked over blandly: “So eager to find my wife a new mother-in-law?”

Princess Yuchang anxiously hurried to tug her grandmother’s sleeve.

The old Princess Consort Ruyang knew she’d misspoken. She eased her tone and said again: “This old woman spoke wrongly. But even if not the first elder, an elder is still an elder. Lady Cheng, why have you still not gone to pay respects?!”

This time Shaoshang didn’t even open her mouth, directly looking to her fiancé.

Ling Buyi indeed said slowly: “First, these ten days Shaoshang has been studying etiquette at the Empress’s side and hasn’t had time. Second…” He smiled mockingly: “My wife has not yet paid respects to my mother—how could she go pay respects to the Chunyu clan?”

The old Princess Consort became anxious: “Then when will Lady Cheng go pay respects to your mother?”

“My mother is unwell today and not fit to receive visitors.”

“Then when can your mother recover?!”

“How would I know?” Ling Buyi raised his long lashes, saying lightly: “Mother’s illness was planted over ten years ago. The root runs deep—sometimes good, sometimes bad. I also don’t know when it will improve or when it will flare up again.”

“Ling Buyi you—?!” Princess Consort Ruyang was furiously enraged.

Shaoshang seemed to understand, staring fixedly at the young man and saying softly: “The first time I had an audience at Tugao Mountain, you were also like today answering sentence by sentence, not letting His Majesty have a chance to make things difficult for me, not letting me have a chance to say the wrong thing… Later, you let me speak before the Emperor. Because you knew His Majesty had already accepted me. You’ve always been carefully watching over me, isn’t that right?”

Ling Buyi smiled, his deep brown eyes bright and clear, like dotted stars. He murmured in a low voice: “So what if I have? How do you plan to thank me?”

In the palace hall wreathed with candlelight—whether illuminated by the candle flames or flushed by the heat—the girl’s cheeks were as red as rosy clouds, her large eyes blinking, biting her lip about to speak—Ling Buyi just waited patiently like this.

The old Princess Consort was still rambling on: “…The Emperor was too hasty. Setting aside that Lady Cheng’s family background doesn’t match, this old woman sees the young lady also doesn’t look capable of shouldering the role of Eleventh Lang’s wife. In my view, this should be reconsidered and another family sought…”

Just at this moment, the young eunuch guarding the hall doors called out loudly: “Noble Consort Yue arrives—”

Shaoshang immediately turned and craned her neck to look, covering her chest excitedly and saying softly: “Is it really Noble Consort Yue? I can finally see her… Aiya, what are you doing…” The light sigh immediately turned to a light cry, but fearing to draw attention, she didn’t dare shout loudly.

Ling Buyi’s face was masked with frost as he gripped the girl’s wrist and heavily bit down on her pink, plump little hand.