“Jiayi jiejie,” a voice whispered, “Over here!”
Jiayi followed the familiar voice and the lantern glow down the corridor, and just as she hoped, Sang’er was there.
“Were you waiting long?” She asked.
Sang’er shook his head, “I’d rather be out here for days than with His Lordship right now. He’s climbing the walls, waiting for you!”
Jiayi was glad the cover of night was hiding her blush.
Sang’er lifted his lantern to look at Jiayi closer, “Where’d you get a uniform from the ice house?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jiayi said, lifting her lantern to illuminate the street, “We shouldn’t keep Prince Han waiting,”
“Right, right,”
Sang’er led the way. Late at night as it was, Jiayi was wide awake. She had feigned a miserable bout of menstrual cramps, and Xiang pin let her sleep the day away. While everyone was asleep, she donned her…borrowed uniform and snuck away. She was taller than most maids, including the ones at the ice house, but she was good at making herself small. The road Sang’er led her on wasn’t the most popular. She was in the clear.
Jiayi hadn’t seen Prince Han, even in passing, since the excitement with Bai gonggong. There were too many words in her heart to put down on paper, so she snuck a note to Lingxiu to put her plan in motion. As they entered the gates of Yuqingdian*, Jiayi kept the lantern low to her feet and let the shadows obscure her face. The guards at the gate would see someone, but it wouldn’t be her.
As they approached the steps to the doors, they found Lingxiu lingering outside, a frown on his face. He lit up at the sight of them.
“You’re finally here,” He said, helping her up, “Get inside quickly,”
“Is something wrong?” Asked Jiayi.
Lingxiu raised a hand, “Don’t waste time talking, please. Get inside and save me from my misery,”
“My lord, she’s here,” He announced as he opened the door.
Jiayi stepped inside and was almost pushed forward by the force of Lingxiu shutting the door behind her.
Prince Han came around the corner, clad in a charming dark brown outfit.
Jiayi couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She kneeled to greet him, but he grabbed her shoulders, “We can spare formalities between us,” he said,
"Thank you, my lord," she said, savoring the feel of his hands on her body.
“Come, the meal just arrived,” said Prince Han.
“A meal?”
Prince Han led her deeper into the warming room, where a small table was packed edge to edge with steaming plates of food.
“My banquet is tomorrow,” he said as he helped her sit, “And I didn't even get to pick the food! So, I thought I could have a small dinner with you, first,”
Jiayi suddenly felt self-conscious in her borrowed clothes, “I’m not really dressed for the occasion,”
Prince Han tilted his head with a smile “I think it looks quite cute. You usually don’t wear those sorts of colors,”
Jiayi looked down at her pale yellow clothes and blushed.
“If that’s the case then I’m honored you want to spend your small birthday dinner with me,”
She poured them each a glass of wine and raised it for a toast.
“I wish you health, happiness, and prosperity on your 20th birthday. May you be blessed with many more,”
They touched the rims of the glasses together before each taking a sip. Well, Jiayi took a sip. It was one thing to try and sneak back into Chengqiangong in the wee hours of the morning, it was another to do it after a glass or two of wine. Plus, she rarely drank it. Who knows what more than one glass would do to her?
It burned a bit but was sweet. She’d keep to just this glass, though.
Prince Han let out a pleased sigh after he drained his glass, “Sang’er said the cooks nearly wrung his neck when he ordered this food, so let’s not waste it,”
Jiayi was spoiled with choice. While she had been eating far above her station since serving Xiang pin, it looked like Prince Han had very different tastes from her mistress. Xiang pin favored chicken, pork and rice with very mild or sweet flavors. The majority of the dishes in front of her were some sort of seafood or noodle, nearly glowing with spice.
As she was trying to decide a luridly red piece of shrimp landed on her plate, already peeled. Prince Han was already working on the second.
“My lord, I can–“
He shook his head, “It’s alright, I can manage. Plus, it tastes sweeter this way,”
Jiayi quickly placed the shrimp in her mouth to stop herself from screaming. While it was far spicier than anything she’d eaten before, all the heat in the world couldn’t smother the sweet flavor of knowing Prince Han would do something as common as peel shrimp for her. In fact, each piece of food that Prince Han carefully placed on her plate tasted sweeter than the last. Even though she only had that one glass of wine, her head was spinning.
In between bites, Jiayi regaled Prince Han about Sixth Prince’s latest shenanigans, and in return, Prince Han delighted her with tales of gossip and nonsense within the Imperial Academy and the court. Here in this room, it was like the world outside didn’t exist. Before Jiayi knew it, the plates around the table were picked clean.
“I couldn’t eat another bite,” she said, letting out a sigh.
Prince Han laughed, “I suppose I ordered a bit too much,”
“Well, it was all delicious,”
“I’m glad. Making you happy is a great way to start my birthday,”
Jiayi blushed again and reached for the basket by her feet, “Speaking of that, I think it's time for gifts,”
“Gifts? Really?”
“Of course! It would be shameless to come here tonight without a gift for you,”
Jiayi paused and realized what she said.
“Well..more shameless,” she finished with a laugh.
She pulled out a roll of parchment tied with a red ribbon.
“For you, my lord,”
Jiayi watched, her heart skipping, as Prince Han slipped the ribbon off and rolled the painting flat. She hoped he liked it. It was a last-minute addition to the pajamas.
Prince Han said nothing for a long stretch of time, staring down at the painting of their hands floating side by side, connected by a thin piece of red string tied around their pinkies. She followed his gaze as he ran his fingers over her hand, which she took some artistic liberties with. She had lengthened the nails on her middle and pinkie finger.
“I know the nails are too long,” she said, “But it's just in case. If anyone came across it, they would assume–“
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Jiayi trailed off into silence as Prince Han stood and ventured back into his apartments. The sweet wine in her stomach turned sour. She’d overstepped. As soon as he returned, Jiayi would tell him she’d made a mistake, gather her things, and return to Chengqiangong to lick her wounds.
She had just figured out the least painful way to excuse herself when Prince Han returned. He dragged his chair from across the table to squeeze next to her.
“Look,” he said, pressing something into her hand.
Jiayi stared down at the pieces of a jade pendant. She pressed the sides together. There was a pine tree carved into the precious stone.
“I don’t understand,” Jiayi said with a shake of her head.
Prince Han leaned closer to wrap his hands around the jade as well, “I’ve had this pendant for years. No matter how bad my luck was, it's never broken. Just before Bai gonggong was arrested, it snapped clean in half,”
The wine in her stomach was practically rotting now. She gripped the jade tighter.
“I don’t know how,” He continued, “But my pendant must have taken your bad luck. It protected you,”
Jiayi didn’t know what to say. If Prince Han had told her this in any other circumstance, her heart would be bursting. But to hear Prince Han speak so earnestly about the “bad luck” the pendant had absorbed on her behalf when it had just been Jiayi saving her own skin–it made her feel slimy.
“I don’t know what to say,” she replied.
“Don’t you see? Something like this couldn’t have happened unless your painting was true. There is a string of fate connecting us,”
Jiayi had to wonder about Prince Han. How had he become this otherworldly man? He was a prince raised by The Emperor and Empress. All his life, he wanted for nothing. If a peasant family were to sell a single item from this room, it would feed them for a year. Like so many noblemen, there was every chance for him to be just like The Emperor.
How was he so good? And how did he end up with Jiayi?
As the questions bounced around her head, Prince Han placed a warm hand on her back. He leaned in close, a worried wrinkle to his brow.
“Are you alright?”
Prince Han had touched her many times before but for some reason, his palm sent sparks shooting through her body. She swore she could feel it in the tips of her eyelashes.
She pressed her lips to his.
Jiayi felt Prince Han tense and wondered if she’d made a mistake. But just as quickly, he melted into her, sliding both his hands to the dip of her waist. The kiss was soft and simple until it wasn’t. Prince Han gripped her waist so tight that Jiayi had no choice but to wrap her arms around the breadth of his strong shoulders. He pressed his lips so close that Jiayi worried they’d suddenly melt into one slippery, tender mass. Jiayi’s clothes suddenly felt far too hot and far too tight. However, a cold flash of surprise washed over her when Prince Han licked the inside of her mouth!
Jiayi pulled her head back with a yelp.
“Sorry!” He said, snatching his hands away.
“My lord,” she said, holding a hand to her pulsing lips, “Why did you…you licked me!”
Prince Han’s face was red all over, “It’s kissing,”
“That’s kissing?”
Prince Han nodded.
“And you’ve done that with someone..before?”
He nodded again.
“How many? A lot? And they liked it? All of them?”
Prince Han threw his hands into the air, “Jiayi, I’m not some scoundrel. Yes, I have kissed a few ladies, but I haven’t been gallivanting through the capital throwing myself at any woman who will have me,”
Jiayi giggled and felt herself relax. Prince Han had a strange power to always know what to say.
“My lord–“
“Zhishi,”
Jiayi blinked, “What?”
“My name is Zhishi. You should call me that now,”
Somehow, this felt as shocking as Prince Han’s tongue in her mouth. Calling him by his given name? Her?
She wrung her hands together, “My lord, don’t you think that’s going too far?”
“Look at where we are, Jiayi, and what we’ve just done. I think we moved past too far long ago,”
Prince Han reached for her hand, “Please. I don’t like this feeling of space between us when you use my title,”
Jiayi tightened her fingers around his. The space between them wasn’t a feeling. It was the truth. The moment Jiayi stepped outside these rooms, she would return to being a maid, someone utterly unworthy of his affections. She bit her lip. But honestly, did it matter? Ultimately, all she would have were memories like this–secret sequestered meetings and stolen kisses. And she would only have them for a little while longer. He was right. They’d already crossed so many lines. What was one more?
“Fine then,” she said, “Zhishi,”
Prince Ha–Zhishi’s eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed.
Jiayi smiled slyly, “Is something wrong, Zhishi?”
Zhishi turned away, “I’m..I’m not used to you saying my name yet,”
She threw her arms around his shoulders once more, "I'll do my best to change that,"
?
“That red looks beautiful on you, Your Highness,” said A’Fang.
Shen huang gui fei looked down from her raised chair with a smile. She stroked the white and purple plum blossoms on her sleeve. Yiru's weeks-long fever had broken, and reports from the Imperial Hospital declared that he was finally on the road to recovery. While he would always be sickly, he at least wouldn’t be dead. It was cause for celebration.
The wind blew gently, making the visage of the two playful mandarin ducks on the lower half of skirts flutter in the wind.
“His Majesty granted the palace mistresses new silk and wool to make clothes for the upcoming season. He remembered I loved plum blossoms and ensured my portion had these decorations. It would only be right to wear it to see him after all this time,”
“That makes even more special, Your Highness,” replied A’Fang.
As she changed clothes after the morning greetings, Shen huang gui fei sent someone ahead to Yangxindian to announce that she would visit His Majesty, and to her delight, His Majesty didn’t send word that she couldn’t go. The four fertility decoctions she drank every morning left her mouth bitter for hours, but today, it was as if sugar was on her tongue.
She stepped through the courtyard, her heart fluttering. Perhaps they would have lunch together, and she could convince him to flip her tag. She approached the steps leading up to the door, and a eunuch came to meet her.
“Pardon me, Your Highness, His Majesty, and Her Highness are speaking with De gui fei and asked not to be disturbed,”
Shen huang gui fei swallowed down a sigh.
“Her Highness sent word that she would be coming,” said Jingse, “Announce her,”
The eunuch bowed lower, “I apologize again. His Majesty said that while discussing the mistress’s lodgings for the hunt, he must not be disturbed,”
“Discussing lodgings for the hunt?” Echoed Jingse, “Her Highness has helped plan that for many years; why wasn’t she informed?”
The eunuch shook his head, “I don’t know,”
“Step aside,” ordered Shen huang gui fei.
It had to be a joke. De gui fei, with her small mind and sleepy visage, knew nothing about these things. Ever since her promotion to Noble Consort, His Majesty relied on her to ensure The Empress's decisions were sound. How could De gui fei even be included? She was nothing! No sons, no connections–only her Mongolian blood afforded her such a high status.
Yet she wanted to take Shen huang gui fei’s place by His Majesty’s side? It was a revolting idea and somewhat laughable. As if De gui fei had the gall to attempt such a thing.
The eunuch looked up, his eyes wide, “Your Highness–“
“You heard Shen huang gui fei, move!” Her own eunuch said, pushing him from her path.
Jingse and A’Fang pushed the doors open. The Empress and De gui fei looked surprised to see her, The Emperor didn’t look at her at all.
“This concubine wishes His Majesty and Her Highness The Empress peace,”
She heard The Emperor sigh from over her bowed head before he let her rise to her feet.
“What brings you here, Shen huang gui fei?” He asked.
Shen huang gui fei smiled, “At first, it was only to keep you company, Your Majesty, but hearing that you’re planning for the hunt, I'm here to lend a hand,”
“No need. De gui fei is suitable enough,” he replied before glancing back down at the papers on the desk.
Was she?
In Shen huang gui fei’s opinion, the only thing De gui fei was suitable for was sucking the life out of the room. Just looking at the woman’s dull black and beige chengyi put Shen huang gui fei in the mood for a nap.
“I don’t imply that De meimei isn’t, just that it’s her first time assisting Her Highness with this task. I can be here to pick up anything that happens to fall through the cracks,”
The Empress shifted in her seat, her obnoxiously pink lips pursing,
“Shen huang gui fei, do you find me so lacking that you can’t believe I can educate De gui fei on something so simple? If that’s how you feel in your heart, speak your truth to His Majesty and let him correct me promptly,”
Shen huang gui fei’s face twitched. How dare The Empress try to put words in her mouth and such blasphemous ones! The Empress could sit and play the good woman, but only a two-faced bitch would be able to twist a simple sentence into something like that. Anyone could see through it.
“Shen huang gui fei would never be so foolish,”
Catching the gasp behind her teeth, Shen huang gui fei stared at The Emperor in disbelief.
“Her speech is muddled these days. She spends all hours caring for Yizhong and Yiru and preparing for Huabao’s wedding. She’s bound to be confused. Empress, it's your duty to be magnanimous and understanding. You can’t hold grudges for a moment of stupidity,”
Each word was like a dagger to the chest. His Majesty had never spoken to Shen huang gui fei like this. Cold and detached, as if she weren’t standing right before him.
“Your Majesty is wise,” The Empress replied with a nod before turning back to Shen huang gui fei, “Now that I look at you, I can see in your face that you’ve been tired for some time, meimei. Return to Zhongcuigong and rest well. I won’t hold what you’ve just said or the tantrum you threw with Zhang gui ren and Mao chang zai against you,”
Shen huang gui fei peered at The Emperor, hoping he could feel the weight of her stare, but it was useless. He refused to look at her. Only muscle memory had her thanking him and The Empress for their grace.
She walked back to her raised chair in a daze, ignoring A’Fang and Jingse’s nervous glances. Just as her eunuchs lifted her in the air, a eunuch from Yangxindian ran up to her.
“A message from His Majesty,” He said.
Had His Majesty realized how abrupt he’d been? Did he send this eunuch with a promise to visit her tonight or to tell her to come back tomorrow?
“Speak,” she said.
The eunuch cleared his throat, “His Majesty asks...that you not wear that garment anymore as it disrupts the harmony of the back palace with its garishness,”
Shen huang gui fei stared at him for a long while, biting back the acid she wanted to spit.
“This concubine understands,” she replied at last, “I will burn it at once,”
––––––––
*Hall of Jade Clarity (not real!)
