Chapter 16
In the first month of spring, all things come to life.
The emperor is about to hold the spring festival. This year marks the sixtieth birthday of Taizu, and the spring festival ceremony is being conducted in a very grand manner.
Taizu endured a life of hardship, born into poverty and orphaned at a young age. After working as a butcher for decades and suffering under oppressive policies, Taizu accidentally killed a tax collector and became wanted fugitives.
In order to survive, they were forced to become bandits on the mountains.
Taizu were just and kind-hearted, sharing the wealth they acquired from robberies with their fellow brothers. Sometimes, they would come down from the mountains and help the suffering common people by giving away their ill-gotten gains.
At that time, people in Longxi joked that officials resembled bandits and bandits resembled officials, unable to distinguish who was who.
In the end, as more and more oppressed people sought refuge in the bandit stronghold, the authorities began to crack down on the bandits.
And then they rebelled.
After two decades of war, they finally defeated the oppressive emperor and established the Dongli Dynasty.
Sitting in the court, the emperor spoke of the arduous journey of building the foundation with a sigh. He had toiled for decades and ascended to the throne, but succumbed to exhaustion after only three months as emperor.
As his birthday coincided with the spring festival, the normally humble emperor decided to make the celebrations grand and lively.
The court and the palace concubines were all busy with preparations for the event.
Zhao Heng bid farewell to Bai Yu and felt no attachment to the imperial palace anymore.
She intended to leave the palace before the spring festival.
To leave the palace, she had to see the crown prince first.
She hesitated a bit. But she had to go.
She had not yet thanked him for his help.
The sunlight that day was not dazzling, loneliness hung in the air, and occasional gusts of wind brought clouds to the sky.
Zhao Heng headed towards Chengming Hall under the dark clouds, but unfortunately, the weather turned, and a sudden spring thunderstorm erupted, pouring rain down.
Zhao Heng hurried through the rain, passing Longwei Road, and saw Chengming Hall in sight, only to notice Li Wenjian followed by a group of officials in the distance.
He was dressed in bright yellow court attire, with a courtier holding an umbrella for him. From a distance, Zhao Heng couldn't see his features clearly, but she inexplicably sensed an unpleasant aura emanating from him.
As Li Wenjian ascended Longwei Road and saw raindrops on the floor of the white marble ground (Hanbaiyu), he paused for a moment, looking in Zhao Heng's direction.
Zhao Heng had already bent down to avoid him and was unaware of his gaze.
She felt a bit unlucky, encountering rain and coincidentally running into the crown prince.
Li Wenjian had just returned from discussing the spring festival with the emperor and was in a bad mood. He went straight to his study with his attendants.
It was a busy spring, with rebellions in the south and threats from foreign tribes in the north. Li Wenjian was overwhelmed with tasks, and the servants in the East Palace served him cautiously.
So, when Zhao Heng introduced herself as a laundry maid, the servant just said, "His Highness is busy now, come back another day."
Zhao Heng pleaded softly, "I'll wait here. When His Highness is free later, could you please inform him that I'm here?"
Li Wenjian was strict and disciplined, and those close to him did not dare to act arrogantly. In response to Zhao Heng's plea, he gestured towards a pile of name cards on the table and said, "If you're willing to wait, wait here. There are many others waiting to see His Highness as well, he may not have time to see you."
Zhao Heng wasn't keen on waiting, but her residence was quite far from Chengming Hall. Every time she came out, she had to formally ask the steward to excuse her and go through the cumbersome procedures.
After expressing her gratitude, Zhao Heng went outside the hall to wait.
The drizzling spring rain continued to fall softly, the raindrops slanting onto her face, feeling cool and refreshing.
Several more people in official robes arrived, waiting to see Li Wenjian. Judging from the patterns on their robes, their ranks were not low.
As Zhao Heng hesitated about continuing to wait, the sky darkened to her side, and the rain drizzled to a stop above her head.
Turning around, she saw Fei Yu holding an umbrella for her.
Fei Yu's youthful gaze fell on her face as he asked, "Are you here to see His Highness?"
Zhao Heng nodded.
Fei Yu said, "Then come with me."
Zhao Heng paused, "Has His Highness finished his business?"
Fei Yu shook his head, "No, he asked me to take you to East Pavilion to wait for him."
Zhao Heng softly acknowledged and followed behind Fei Yu, saying, "Let's go."
Fei Yu had to hold the umbrella for her as they walked through the corridor.
Onlookers in the side hall peered out.
Zhao Heng glanced at the umbrella in Fei Yu's hand and softly said, "Let me hold it."
Fei Yu responded with a muffled "Oh" and handed the umbrella to Zhao Heng.
Fei Yu led Zhao Heng around the side hall and into East Pavilion.
The East Pavilion was Li Wenjian's small study room, where he would rest during his leisure time, hence its simple decoration. The fragrance of incense from the eight-treasure censer mingled with the aroma of tea on the stove, creating a unique and pleasant scent.
Before Fei Yu went to fetch Zhao Heng, he had prepared clothes on a tray - a simple mountain blue sleeping robe emitting a faint scent of wormwood.
It was a unique fragrance of herbs, neither cold nor vulgar.
Fei Yu said, "His Highness mentioned that your clothes were wet, so he asked me to find you something to wear. There are no women in the East Palace, so this is an old robe from His Highness's youth. Please make do with it for now."
Zhao Heng looked up in surprise at Fei Yu, his youthful face showing innocence, and she hesitated before saying, "I...I'm fine, the clothes will dry soon."
"No." Fei Yu insisted firmly.
His Highness instructed him to find her a change of clothes, and if she caught a cold due to not changing, it would be his negligence. Despite his young age, he had been with His Highness for many years, always treated like a child and not given significant responsibilities like Mu Gui. So, even in small matters, he took his duties seriously.
"I have them washed and perfumed every summer, so you can wear them with peace of mind, they won't attract bugs."
Zhao Heng felt somewhat helpless and glanced at Fei Yu again, saying, "It's not about bugs..."
"What's the matter then?" Fei Yu asked, puzzled, looking at her intently. "Hurry and change, if His Highness sees you still in damp clothes later, he will blame me for not being efficient."
Zhao Heng hesitated as she couldn't quite explain, but after a moment, she responded with a "okay" and took the clothes, saying, "I'll change right away."
Fei Yu finally showed a relieved expression, following behind her and eagerly said, "You go ahead and change, I'll go fetch water for you."
Zhao Heng nodded, "Thank you."
Fei Yu stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Zhao Heng was thoroughly soaked, the damp outer garment sticking uncomfortably cold against her skin. She slowly took off the wet clothes and put on Li Wenjian's sleeping robe.
Even though it was an old garment from many years ago, it was well-preserved, devoid of any stale musty smell.
The faint scent of wormwood on the clothes reminded her of Li Wenjian's smell. With his imposing aura, even the fragrance emanating from the clothes seemed overwhelming. This inexplicable pressure made Zhao Heng's breath hitch, leaving her uncertain whether to wear it or not.
She regretted waiting for him in the rain, not wanting to cause any trouble.
As she hesitated, she heard Fei Yu's voice outside again, "Have you changed?"
"Just a moment," Zhao Heng replied, finishing changing and pushing open the door.
Fei Yu, upon hearing the door opening, turned back and glanced at Zhao Heng in His Highness's attire, momentarily taken aback.
Though it was still the same person, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He couldn't bring himself to look directly at her, shifting his gaze and swallowing before saying, "Here."
After a pause, he added, "I had them brew ginger tea, they'll bring it over later. Drink the tea and wait here for His Highness."
Zhao Heng nodded, "Thank you."
Fei Yu nodded back and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Zhao Heng unraveled her hair and used a handkerchief to dab away the rainwater. Once she was done, there was a knock on the door, and she opened it to find palace maids delivering ginger tea and snacks. They left as soon as they delivered, not lingering for a moment.
Zhao Heng looked at the array of snacks on the table, only picking up the ginger tea Fei Yu had instructed, and drank it heartily.
A warm sensation spread through her, enveloping her in a gentle warmth that gradually drove away the chill clinging to her skin.
Perhaps due to the Crown Prince's preference for tranquility, there were hardly any movements outside. It was so quiet that Zhao Heng could only hear her own breathing.
She dared not move about freely, sitting still for nearly an hour, until she finally heard footsteps approaching from outside.
After a moment of hesitation, she stood up and pushed the door open.
Li Wenjian's tall figure emerged from the twilight rain. He held a dark blue oiled paper umbrella, and upon hearing the door open, he looked up, the swirling rain adding a faint mist over his eyebrows and eyes, enhancing the already exquisite features that resembled the verdant mountains shrouded in clouds.
He glanced at Zhao Heng, Donned in his youthful attire, and for a moment, he seemed stunned. After a brief pause, he lowered his gaze slightly, ascended the steps, and closed the umbrella, resting it against the door.
Approaching him, Zhao Heng offered a respectful greeting, "Your Highness."
Li Wenjian uttered a quiet "Mm" and proceeded to sit at the table, glancing at the pastries and asking, "Not hungry?"
In a hushed tone, she replied, "I'm not hungry."
Li Wenjian nodded, reaching for a teacup, which was empty. Zhao Heng composed herself before slowly walking over to Li Wenjian, picking up the delicate silver teapot and pouring him a cup of tea.
Li Wenjian's elegant figure made the clothes from his youth seem oversized on Zhao Heng, the sleeves sliding down to her elbows as she raised her hand, revealing a long stretch of delicate white arms. The loose collar covered her neck, while her slender shoulders peeked through.
Without averting his gaze, he lifted the warm teacup and took a sip.
While he drank, Zhao Heng gradually raised her eyes to look at him, "The laundry department has a new steward now, and they all say Your Highness is wise."
"Who are they?" Li Wenjian queried, looking over at her.
Their eyes met, and as Zhao Heng gazed into Li Wenjian's profound eyes, her mind was filled with thoughts that melted like snow, leaving her feeling nervous and unable to speak.
She lowered her eyes, inexplicably flustered, and softly said, "I am grateful to Your Highness. It's just that Your Highness is wise and benevolent, I dare not speculate that Your actions towards her were for my sake."
"In your eyes, am I a bodhisattva radiating divine light?" Li Wenjian chuckled softly.
Zhao Heng looked at Li Wenjian, "People say Your Highness is as kind as a disciple of the Buddha."
"If a disciple of Buddha shows kindness to the wolves, and the wolves harm the lives of the people, is that disciple truly kind or unkind?" He paused and continued, "I am not a disciple of Buddha, and I will not turn a blind eye to ruthless and malicious individuals."
Though she had suspected it earlier, hearing him admit it in front of her still caused her heart to tremble slightly, leaving her flustered for a moment. Eventually, she bowed her head deeply, sincerely saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Zhao Heng." Li Wenjian suddenly called her name.
Zhao Heng looked up at his voice, and he solemnly said, "Live well from now on, without constraints, live freely."
His voice was gentle, filled with profound expectations.