Chapter 83
Before the burial of the late young emperor, Yunzhu, bound by duty as his grieving aunt, found herself tethered to the estate, her once vibrant world shrunken and stifled. Escape was rare, but the seductive allure of spring proved irresistible, drawing her daily to the sprawling, intoxicating gardens of Duke Dingguo's mansion.
These gardens were no ordinary display of flora-they were a living, breathing tapestry of nature's finest art. By April, the fiery blush of peach blossoms had given way to fresh, verdant leaves, while the voluptuous peonies, heavy with promise, bided their time. Among them, one white peony captivated Yunzhu's eye-a bold beauty with tight, fist-sized buds poised to erupt into a glorious bloom. She returned to it each day, spellbound by its potential.
Over dinner, Yunzhu shared her fascination with Cao Xun. He, at thirty-two, exuded a measured calm, willing to delay starting a family for two more years if necessary. Yunzhu, a year younger, mirrored his patience but yearned for clarity. They both knew the stakes-a clean, swift resolution was the ideal. Divorce would be unnecessary if love bound them together as tightly as they hoped.
Cao Xun craved her affection, while Yunzhu needed proof of his willingness to shed his old reluctance and truly embrace her. For now, they had reached an understanding: a two-year trial as husband and wife, with no obligations save for honesty and mutual care.
Noticing her infatuation with the white peony, Cao Xun teased, "I thought your heart belonged to the red ones."
Yunzhu, her gaze unwavering, replied, "If they bloom at the same time, the red wins my favor. But until then, my heart lies with the first to open."
He chuckled, her words lingering in his thoughts.
The next morning, before dawn, Cao Xun slipped from their bed. While Yunzhu still slumbered, he devoted himself to his martial drills, his body glistening with the effort of precise, lethal movements. With duty calling, he would only find time for such practice in the quiet hours of morning and night. After his session, he wiped his sweat away with a towel, his mind wandering back to her obsession with the white peony.
Dressing swiftly in his official robes, Cao Xun made his way to the garden, the crisp morning air sharpening his focus. He walked the garden's borders, searching intently for the flower she adored. Yet, his eyes found no trace of the blooming white peony she'd so eagerly anticipated.
His search ended with a cruel discovery-a snapped branch, its wound fresh with droplets of sap, the stolen buds evidence of someone's audacious meddling.
Cao Xun's gaze darkened, his jaw tightening. His thoughts turned sharply to the west courtyard.
Who dared defile what she treasures?
Fifteen minutes later, Cao Xun strolled back into the secluded backyard, savoring the rare luxury of breakfast at home on a day free from courtly obligations.
Inside the second room, Yunzhu was finally stirring from her slumber. Lian Qiao and Shiliu entered quietly, carrying bowls of water, ready to attend to her needs. Yunzhu moved languidly, unhurried, knowing the ritual of taming her hair would be the most painstaking task. By the time she emerged, another quarter-hour had melted away.
Rather than rushing to see the flowers in bloom, she opted to linger over breakfast with Cao Xun. To her astonishment, he seemed equally unhurried, lounging with an air of mischief as he proposed a game of chess instead of heading to the office.
Yunzhu's eyebrow arched. "What's with this sudden streak of elegance?"
His dark eyes lingered on hers, a flicker of heat simmering beneath his composed exterior. "How else would I justify staying here with you longer?"
Her words faltered, replaced by a quickened heartbeat.
This man, it seemed, had been suppressing his desires for far too long, and his restraint was rapidly unraveling. They settled opposite one another on the couch, a low table between them. But the game was a mere prelude. When Yunzhu inevitably lost, the stakes came to fruition-Cao Xun swept her into his arms and claimed her lips in a lingering kiss that left no room for decorum.
Her heart raced, her mind a haze, but practicality fought its way to the surface. She broke free just enough to murmur against his chest, "If you're not leaving soon, your uniform won't survive this."
His hand lingered on hers, his breath hot against her ear as he whispered something that sent a jolt through her body. She felt her own resolve splintering under his touch, each moment unraveling her carefully guarded restraint.
The silence that followed was intoxicating-until footsteps broke the spell.
Yunzhu froze. Then, Ah Jiu's voice rang out cheerfully from the yard. "Slow down! Don't trip!"
Lian Qiao chimed in. "Where did all these peonies come from?"
Ah Jiu laughed. "The Duke knows Madam adores peonies, so he sent someone out at dawn to buy the finest blooms. We bought out the entire shop!"
Yunzhu turned to Cao Xun, her gaze piercing. He was already disentangling himself from her, straightening his clothes with maddening nonchalance. Calmly, he tidied the chessboard, his face betraying nothing.
Left to gather her composure, Yunzhu followed suit, smoothing her robes as Lian Qiao led a small procession of maids into the room. Each carried a delicate pot of peonies, their petals shimmering in shades of crimson, white, and violet, freshly dewy and heartbreakingly fragile.
Yunzhu selected three pots to grace the low table, delegating the rest to be displayed elsewhere. Once the arrangements were complete, the attendants departed, leaving the room cloaked in vibrant foliage, the air heady with floral fragrance.
Seated once again on the couch, Yunzhu lifted a pristine porcelain pot, leaning in to savor the rich scent of a blood-red bloom. She felt the weight of Cao Xun's gaze and cast him a sly glance.
"Did you have these gathered just because you knew I was growing restless waiting for the ones in the garden to bloom?"
His reply was as sharp as it was deliberate. "No. If it was mere impatience, you'd have sent someone to fetch them yourself."
There was truth to his words-there was a singular joy in tending to flowers one had nurtured, in witnessing their gradual bloom after weeks of care. Anticipation was part of the pleasure. She straightened, suspicion clouding her features.
"Then why?"
His voice dropped, laced with quiet authority. "This morning, I discovered the white peony in your garden had been severed."
Her expression turned cold, the warmth of the moment evaporating. No explanation was needed; the culprit could only be Pan Shi.
Cao Xun gently brushed a hand over her head, his voice low and full of intent. "I knew you'd be upset, so I made sure to bring you pleasure first."
Yunzhu's gaze lingered on the lush peony pots arranged in the next room, their vibrant blooms flaunting their allure. She couldn't deny it-Cao Xun had nailed it. Her passion for flowers was sated, her irritation somewhat dulled. Sure, she was still furious with Pan Shi, but the fire in her wasn't nearly as hot as when she had stormed into the garden to find the flowers missing.
For a brief moment, she pressed her lips together, thoughtful. Then, as if casting off a heavy cloak, she broke into a smile and shook her head.
Why waste her energy? Pan Shi wasn't worth it. Her grandson was dead, and though she still carried the title of the emperor's grandmother, her power had all but evaporated. The new regime had turned her into little more than an aging matron playing petty games in the shadows. A sneaky little bite here, a scratch there-she was nothing but a rodent now. Yunzhu decided it was far more amusing to let Pan Shi stew in her impotence.
"I get it. When you leave later, I'll send for her so she can enjoy the flowers too," Yunzhu said with a sly chuckle.
Cao Xun cocked a brow. "I didn't buy them for her."
Yunzhu motioned him closer with a playful tilt of her head.
He leaned in, obedient and intrigued, and she rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek, her lips soft but her words sharp. "You've got a real knack for making me forget my anger, don't you?"
He slid his arms around her waist, his tone turning firm. "She's not worth the fight, but I've made it clear: next time she tries anything, Uncle Zhang will have men watching the garden. One or two incidents, fine, but if she keeps at it, I'll deal with her. And I won't hold back."
Yunzhu let her fingers trail along his arm. "Alright, then. Go on to the government office. Don't let her pettiness disrupt your work."
With that, Cao Xun left, his strides confident.
Yunzhu, however, found herself more engrossed in the peonies than the politics of Pan Shi's antics. She'd wanted to rattle that old vulture, but now she was simply enjoying the triumph. Clearly, she cared more about the flowers than she'd initially admitted.
Meanwhile, Pan Shi sat fuming in her quarters. She had gone to the garden earlier, hoping to bask in Yunzhu's humiliation when she found the flowers gone.
How could that young upstart possibly enjoy her flower viewing when grief still hung heavy in the air, with the emperor barely cold in his grave?
Yet Yunzhu hadn't shown up at all. Instead, Pan Shi had been met with the watchful gaze of a boy who shadowed her every move like a hawk guarding its territory. Then came the final blow-Cao Xun had delivered over twenty pots of glorious peonies to Yunzhu at dawn.
Pan Shi's face twisted in rage.
"..."
Unable to stomach her defeat, she stormed into the palace, her voice trembling with fury as she lashed out at her daughter. "Look at him! Pretending to be the grieving uncle while cavorting with that slut, Yunzhu! The emperor's barely in the ground, and they're busy admiring peonies!"
Empress Dowager Cao, stripped of the finery and makeup that once adorned her, still carried the remnants of youthful allure, but the years seemed to have caught up with her mercilessly, carving weariness into her once-radiant face in what felt like mere moments.
The women of the imperial harem had spent their lives scheming, clawing for the emperor's fleeting attention. In her prime, Empress Dowager Cao had secured her position as Empress Dowager when her son ascended the throne, basking in the comfort of her elevated status. But now, with her son gone, she was nothing more than a lonely prisoner in the gilded confines of Cining Palace-a bird with clipped wings, bound by the iron bars of tradition and solitude.
As her mother sat nearby, disdain etched across her face, Empress Dowager Cao couldn't help but smirk at the irony. With a sharp, cutting edge to her tone, she quipped, "Even if my brother's grief is a facade, at least he's willing to wear it for me. That shows he still values keeping up appearances, still cares enough to extend me a thread of kindness. But you, Mother-if you keep provoking my brother and Yunzhu, don't be surprised when that kindness dries up completely. One day, he won't bother to pretend anymore, and then what will you do?"
Pan Shi bit her tongue, the flood of bitter retorts she longed to unleash kept at bay, though they swirled fiercely within her.
Exhaustion painted itself across Empress Dowager Cao's face as she sighed, her voice heavy with weariness. "Just live peacefully, Mother. Stop dragging me into your endless storms-I've had enough."
Her thoughts strayed to Yunzhu, the woman who might have married her younger brother Cao Shao. If that union had come to pass, perhaps the deep rift with the Li family would never have grown so vast, so bitter. And Li Yao-had she kept him close, had she harnessed his strength-perhaps his blade could have spared her son that fateful night.
But what-ifs are worthless. The past is a cruel mistress, and destiny is a beast that cannot be tamed. Some endings are written the moment a mother strikes down the love between two souls, severing a bond that could have changed everything. And so, here she was, living with the wreckage of choices that could never be undone.