Chapter 4

I smiled at him. “Where had your tutor gotten to in your lessons at the Imperial Academy? I can continue teaching you.”

09

Winter passed, spring came. The face in the mirror had reached the age of twenty.

For three years, Attendant Chun had lingered stubbornly between madness and lucidity.

Zhou Hui had grown as tall as I was. A faint mustache had begun to appear, and the childishness had gradually faded from his face. Little by little, he was becoming a young man.

After years of taking warming medicines, his health was now much like anyone else’s. I had also taught him everything I knew.

The only person who ever came to visit us was Jiuqu.

Three years earlier, after the Emperor favored her, she had been made a Lady of the Sixth Rank. But the Emperor soon forgot about her. Since then, she had lived in Consort Shu’s palace, watching everyone’s mood to get by.

She secretly brought us a little clothing and food. Her eyes glistened as she looked at Zhou Hui. “Your Highness, don’t lose heart. One day His Majesty will remember you.”

Zhou Hui gave a self-mocking smile. “Then I’ll borrow your auspicious words, Sister.”

Unexpectedly, her words came true.

Half a month later, one night, Jiuqu quietly came to the Cold Palace.

Something major had happened in the inner palace.

The Empress and Noble Consort Shen had been fighting. In the struggle, they had accidentally implicated the Fourth Prince, Consort Shu’s son.

In the Imperial Garden, amid the chaos, the Fourth Prince was pushed into the flower pond. They rescued him, but his fever would not break, and three days later he died.

Consort Shu had only the Fourth Prince. Childbirth had damaged her health, leaving her unable to conceive again. She was heartbroken and raised such a commotion that the whole palace was thrown into turmoil.

The Empress and Noble Consort Shen shifted blame onto each other. They even argued endlessly at court.

The Emperor had to calm both sides. In the end, he promoted Consort Shu’s elder brother to Minister of Revenue, raised Consort Shu to Noble Consort, and allowed her to choose a child from the inner palace to raise beside her.

Now, the consorts who had sons lived in fear, worried Consort Shu might set her sights on their children.

Jiuqu whispered, “Your Highness, now all we have to do is make His Majesty remember that there is still a prince in the Cold Palace.”

“Preferably one with an untroublesome background who won’t cause problems.”

10

After Jiuqu left, Zhou Hui and I sat facing each other without a word.

After a long while, he spoke gravely. “Elder Sister Mingyue, this may be my only chance.”

As he grew older, Zhou Hui revealed less and less of his emotions. But with me, he was still like clear water—transparent to the bottom.

I asked him, “Do you understand what she means by an untroublesome background and someone who won’t cause problems?”

Unconsciously, he turned to look at the room next door, where Attendant Chun was mumbling incoherently.

He lowered his head, clenched his hands into fists, and pressed them hard against his knees.

I looked at him for a long time, then took his hands and slowly pried open each tightly clenched finger.

He looked up at me. Beneath the moonlight, countless feelings surged in the young man’s eyes.

This was not the first time he had looked at me like that.

After we entered the Cold Palace, I stopped applying angelica juice to my face. Even without makeup, even in coarse clothes, I knew my beauty still shone like the bright moon.

For three years, we had endured hardship in the Cold Palace. All news of my family had been cut off. It was no exaggeration to say that Zhou Hui and I had depended on each other to survive.

Now his only chance had arrived.

I looked into his eyes. “She gave birth to you. You cannot commit such an unfilial, treasonous act.”

“But I can.”

“If one day you manage to open a path for yourself, don’t turn around and blame me.”

Zhou Hui trembled all over.

Slowly, he rested his head on my shoulder. A moment later, I felt my shoulder grow wet.

Choking with emotion, he said, “Elder Sister, I will never blame you.”

“You are the person I will cherish and love most in this lifetime.”

Under the brilliant moon, I froze, as if struck by lightning.

11

That prophecy I had nearly forgotten resurfaced in my mind like a divine revelation.

So this was what Master Juekong meant?

Of course—he had said “an Emperor,” not the current Emperor.

If the prophecy was true, didn’t it also mean Zhou Hui would rise higher than even he himself had imagined?

I forced down my feelings and slowly wrapped my arms around the young man in my embrace.

It was as if I were holding the shared fate of us both.

12

The next day, I tearfully told the maid who delivered our meals that Attendant Chun had died.

No one thought it strange. After years of torment, the fact that she had only just died was itself a long life.

After a simple funeral, the Directorate of Palace Affairs requested an order from the Emperor about Zhou Hui’s residence. At last, the Emperor remembered he still had another son.

The half-hour audience in the Imperial Study went very smoothly.

Zhou Hui had proper features and impeccable manners. When tested on his literary learning, he answered fluently and insightfully.

After meeting him, Noble Consort Shu stopped making a fuss.

The Emperor was delighted. He had not expected this son to avoid becoming useless; furthermore, he had handled the crisis in the inner palace appropriately.

After granting him many rewards, the Emperor allowed Zhou Hui to move me to Jingren Palace, where Consort Shu resided.

Noble Consort Shu summoned me privately.

She was a true noblewoman from a powerful family. After the loss of her beloved son, she had done everything she could to secure the greatest possible compensation for herself and her clan.