This was the kiss Li Ce had longed for in his dreams, the one he yearned for day and night. As anticipated, it was as soft and warm as he had imagined. Merely drawing near set his heart racing violently, his soul burning as if to leave his body, craving only to enfold her. Yet, just as he tasted a faint hint of her fragrance, Ye Jiao stepped back abruptly.
At that moment, a sharp "snap" sounded—the unmistakable noise of a sword being drawn. Li Ce froze entirely, his half-closed eyes snapping open to see Ye Jiao staring wide-eyed with a mixture of bewilderment, panic, and a touch of coquettish reproach, her hand gripping the hilt as she drew the blade forward.
"What are you doing?"
"Kissing you," Li Ce's expression instantly softened into one of innocence, like a child pleading for sweets. "I've wanted to kiss you for so long."
A flush bloomed beneath Ye Jiao's peach blossom eyes, staining them like rouge. She retreated a step further, biting her lip. "Fine, you kissed me. Now keep your distance."
Just a kiss? That was merely a brush of lips. A sly smile curled at Li Ce's mouth as his fingers gently pinched Ye Jiao's chin.
"That doesn't count as a proper kiss. You don't mean to say... you don't understand, do you?"
His words stirred a spark of pride in Ye Jiao.
"Who says I don't understand? It's just a brush of lips!"
"Exactly," Li Ce replied. "How could you not understand? On our second meeting, you pinned me against the wall with your legs. Forgotten already?"
"That wasn't to kiss you," Ye Jiao hurried to explain. "I was trying to control you, to get your money."
"So now," Li Ce said, seizing the knife from Ye Jiao's grasp and tossing it inside the carriage, "it's my turn to control you." His left hand cradled her slender neck, preventing her retreat, as he leaned close and whispered low, "This time, I'm in command."
Ye Jiao struggled briefly, but the unfolding situation had surpassed her expectations. She felt Li Ce's cool lips press gently against hers like a bee savoring nectar—a kiss imbued with caution and fierce possessiveness.
"You..." The kiss shattered Ye Jiao's composure. Her soft murmur stirred even greater desire in him.
Her eyes fluttered half-shut, occasionally widening to gaze at Li Ce's enraptured expression. Suddenly, he released her, nibbling lightly on her lip.
"Good girl..." Before Ye Jiao could close her eyes fully, slender fingers veiled her sight. Defeated, she relinquished her resistance. In the enveloping darkness, it seemed the world held only the two of them.
No distance was ever close enough; no time ever long enough.
The carriage rolled onward, driven by Qing Feng, who sat as silent as a rabbit caught in a torchlight in the dead of night—wide-eyed, stunned into silence. His gaze remained fixed forward, vacant yet determined to keep the carriage steady, to avoid the bustling city's frequent stops and starts, and even to dodge the wind lest it stir the curtains and reveal the intimate scene within.
Qing Feng silently questioned himself: Is this something I should hear? Is this something I ought to know? I'm not a eunuch, am I? If His Highness needs a eunuch, he needs one devoid of desire to serve him!
Yet Qing Feng dared not utter a single complaint. When they turned a corner, he glanced toward the imperial mausoleum. If only he could return to Jiuzong Mountain, he resolved to ask the nursemaid, the tutor, and the old court eunuch who raised the Chu Prince: How did His Highness learn all these things? You are all wicked!
Since the two lovers, lost in their passion, gave no orders, Qing Feng first stopped the carriage at the An Guo Duke's residence. Waiting briefly with no movement, he then drove onward to the Zhao Prince's mansion.
Finally, Li Ce's voice came from behind: "We're home."
Qing Feng halted the carriage, bowed and stepped back, then reached up to help Li Ce down. But Li Ce deftly leapt out, turned, and supported Ye Jiao, escorting her back into the residence.
Qing Feng lowered his head nearly to the ground, only daring a furtive glance at their retreating forms once both had entered. Li Ce walked ahead, Ye Jiao followed behind, still respecting the decorum between man and woman. It was as if the voices he had overheard were nothing but a dream.
"What's wrong with you?" In response to the carriage's return, the guard Yan Yun came out to greet Qing Feng. Qing Feng's eyes remained dazed, his face flushed.
"I've lost my innocence," he pouted pitifully.
Entering the courtyard, Li Ce took Ye Jiao's hand. Her lips were flushed, and though still lively and unrestrained, the way she lightly bit the corner of her mouth carried a newfound shyness—one soon broken.
Someone outside called "Xiao Jiu," pushing open the gate. Ye Jiao swiftly withdrew her hand from Li Ce's and stood upright, gazing at the bare branches overhead, then down at the scattered twigs on the ground. Finding them dull, she picked one up and tapped it lightly.
Li Jing, spotting Ye Jiao there, stepped back in surprise, instinctively reaching to his sleeve. Thank heavens the Taishan Stone was still there. Slightly reassured, Li Jing approached.
"Greetings, Marquis Wu," he said, pointing to a nearby courtyard wall. "You took the main gate, right? Don't climb the wall—it's covered in cow dung, and next year it'll grow into prickly monthly roses."
Ye Jiao glanced at Li Jing, who immediately retreated behind Li Ce, tugging at his clothes like a rooster hiding in bamboo. Ye Jiao smiled.
Caught off guard by the beauty's smile, Li Jing momentarily faltered before tentatively asking, "You're not angry? Not going to blow up or hit anyone? I heard about the court affairs—you had the Chief Censor imprisoned with just a few words, and soon heads will roll."
Terrifying. The matter defied reason and involved two thousand desperate warriors loyal to Marquis Wu, now trusted by the emperor. Even more daunting.
Fearing Ye Jiao's wrath, Li Ce pulled Li Jing from behind. "Stop pretending," he said with a smile, "who was it that was caught by the Forbidden Army and brewed medicine to save the An Guo Duke's residence?"
Ye Jiao's expression flickered. "You have a kind heart?"
"Of course!" Li Jing said, tilting his head proudly. "Don't you owe me a favor?"
What's going on? Today Li Jing seemed to think Ye Jiao was easy to bully. Maybe because she looked small wrapped in Li Ce's cloak?
"How should I repay you?" Ye Jiao stepped closer, not realizing Li Jing hadn't really helped much.
Li Jing eagerly accepted the gratitude. "A child. Give me a child."
Before he finished, a branch fell from above, striking Li Jing on the head.
"I won't bear your child!" Ye Jiao scolded loudly. Li Jing fled toward the gate, only to be blocked by Ye Jiao's nimble steps. Forced to run toward the wall, his shoes soon caked in mud—some foul-smelling, possibly cow dung.
"I didn't say you'd bear my child..." Li Jing panted. "I heard you have a good relationship with Wang Qianshan. Can you tell me where he went? Have him predict whether I'll have heirs."
His face darkened as he approached.
"I just went to the palace; Mother urged me again to bear a child. Don't think I don't want to—I've tried my best."
Ye Jiao's cheeks flushed anew. She tossed the branch aside. "Wang Qianshan left the city. I'll send someone to find him for you."
Clearly, the topic was intimate—Li Jing must have been pressured by the Empress.
"Have you consulted the imperial physicians?" Li Ce asked.
Li Jing frowned. "The royal doctors have prescribed medicine. The prince and princess take it daily. I don't mind, but the princess vomits from it. If fate denies us a child, then so be it."
He glanced at Li Ce and Ye Jiao, then smiled slyly.
"But have you two reconciled? Hurry up and marry! Have more children and adopt some to me—then my problem's solved."
At this, Ye Jiao raised the branch again, scaring Li Jing into hastily smiling and waving goodbye.
"I won't disturb you further. Hurry up and wed—by next autumn, I'll have children."
Li Jing placed all hope on others. As he departed, he turned at the gate.
"Have you finished your ginseng? Need a refill?"
Li Ce smiled faintly, while Ye Jiao flung the branch, which struck the closing gate with a sharp "snap."
Negotiations with Tibet, which had progressed slowly, now accelerated rapidly after Bai Li Xi's incident. The emperor personally received the Tibetan delegation, who presented tribute and declared submission. The emperor issued an edict, announcing it to the world.
Naturally, a grand banquet followed.
The feast was held at the Linde Hall, which lay east of the Taiye Pool and near the western palace wall. Comprising front, middle, and rear halls, it stretched eleven bays wide, capable of hosting three thousand guests. Its terraces and pavilions soared into the clouds.
Though Ye Jiao's rank did not qualify her to attend such banquets, she astonishingly received an invitation beforehand. Naturally, she prepared herself meticulously to partake in the revelry.
Security checks were strict. After numerous inspections, Ye Jiao strode toward the Linde Hall.
Women's attendants gathered in clusters, chatting and gossiping. As Ye Jiao held an official post, she was occasionally greeted and engaged about affairs in Jingzhao Prefecture.
As she passed a corridor paved with Wukang stones and rounded a corner, a maid suddenly collided into her, spilling tea.
Ye Jiao deftly dodged back and bumped into someone who reached out to steady her.
"Careful," came a voice filled with concern...