Fu Huang settled into the warm sedan chair, its curtains shutting out all the wind and snow outside.
Inside the sedan, the fragrance of Spring’s Promise in the snow surrounded him, its comforting warmth like Fu Ye at his side. He closed his eyes, the phoenix-shaped eyes lowering with a soft, upturned arc at the corners. From beyond the sedan, he could faintly hear the Empress Dowager’s voice calling out, “Your Majesty”—but he acted as if he hadn’t heard, a trace of cold indifference and heartlessness, born of his own strength, showing between his brows.
The warm sedan was lifted. Beneath the covered walkway, the crowd of robed palace women exchanged glances, watching the imperial chair depart from Cien Palace.
Only then did Palace Attendant Sun hurry inside. The Empress Dowager was slumped wearily on the soft couch. When she saw Sun, she spoke in anguish and helplessness:
“Conghe, what are we to do? The Emperor has actually already married Prince Huan in secret!!”
It was shocking enough for the two of them simply to be together—and they even held a wedding?!
Two men!
The Emperor and a prince!!
Forget about this being unheard of since ancient times—there likely won’t be anyone like them in the future either!
The Empress Dowager was so distressed she pounded her legs in frustration.
Even Palace Attendant Sun was left dumbfounded.
His Majesty truly… was even more willful than before.
So willful that she actually found this act of his… carried a certain imperial majesty!
When Fu Huang returned to the Spring Court Hall, Shuangfu immediately brought over hot water and towels.
Fu Huang wiped his hands, then circled around the screen to look at Fu Ye.
Chief Eunuch Qin said quietly, “His Highness is already fast asleep.”
Fu Huang sat at the edge of the couch. Fu Ye was sound asleep, his breathing deeper than usual, his cheeks faintly flushed, his beauty even more radiant than on ordinary days.
Fu Huang warmed his hands again beneath the bedding, then reached out to gently stroke Fu Ye’s cheek.
Fu Ye’s skin was smooth and warm, like heated jade. Fu Huang couldn’t stop himself, stroking again and again, his fingertips gently brushing until a faint pink mark appeared.
Chief Eunuch Qin asked in a low voice, “Your Majesty, you told the Empress Dowager?”
Fu Huang gave a quiet “Mm.”
“I saw how things unfolded today and knew Your Majesty would have to speak of it sooner or later.”
Fu Huang said, “She brought it on herself.”
“Well… perhaps not everything was the Empress Dowager’s doing. These days, His Highness is like a sweet cake—everyone wants a taste.”
Fu Huang glanced at him.
“… It’s just a pity that in this whole world, only Your Majesty is worthy of His Highness!”
Only then did Fu Huang lower his gaze again to look at Fu Ye.
Chief Eunuch Qin felt a deep surge of emotion in his heart. The Empress Dowager’s best years had come to an abrupt end the moment the late emperor ascended the throne.
Had she been born in a time of peace and prosperity, she surely would have been a wise and virtuous empress of her age. But fate placed her in the most turbulent era of the Great Zhou. She had lived through three reigns, yet in the end, not a single one of those she had sought to protect could she keep safe.
When one thought about it, it truly was lamentable.
Fu Huang gently brushed his fingers across Fu Ye’s lips.
And who could have expected that, even in his drunken slumber, Fu Ye would lightly catch the emperor’s fingertip between his lips, his tongue just barely visible, as if to lick.
Chief Eunuch Qin quickly turned his head away.
Fu Huang withdrew his finger.
His fingertip was already damp.
He turned to Qin and said, “Go get some rest.”
Qin hurried out.
But he thought to himself: The Empress Dowager won’t accept this so easily.
That she hadn’t erupted last night probably only meant she hadn’t yet come to her senses.
And no wonder—if even commoners’ brothers becoming husbands would be called defying moral order, how much more so for the imperial family?
Ordinary people would need time to come to terms with it.
Unlike him—after serving a sovereign like Fu Huang for so long, there was little he couldn’t accept anymore.
Sure enough, early the next morning, before Prince Huan had even woken, people from Cien Palace arrived at Qingyuan Palace.
They had come to summon the emperor to Cien Palace.
His Majesty had risen early that day and gone to the archery pavilion for target practice. He hadn’t yet returned.
Qin immediately sent his apprentice to report to the emperor.
Palace Attendant Sun glanced toward the eastern wing and asked, “Has His Highness gotten up yet?”
Qin replied, “His Highness had too much to drink yesterday—he’s still asleep.”
So Sun said no more.
By then, the heavy snow had stopped, and a streak of morning glow appeared on the horizon. Within Qingyuan Palace, the world was blanketed in white; even the wind was still. Only the sound of palace servants sweeping snow from the pathways could be heard.
This was the most honored place in all of Great Zhou, home to both the large and small imperial studies, where civil and military officials gathered daily for court. And it was perhaps here that Fu Huang and Fu Ye had bowed to Heaven and Earth, and entered the bridal chamber.
Now the world of ice and snow lay sharp and silent, as if trying to bury this scandalous, earth-shaking bond deep beneath its surface.
As Sun stepped out of Qingyuan Palace, she turned back to glance once more at the building behind her.
In all the vast imperial city, Qingyuan Palace seemed so very unremarkable.
The palace stood desolate. In the future, once the Empress Dowager also left the palace, this place would be the only bit of Spring Morning left in an empty, lonely court.
She waited in the cold wind at the gates of Cien Palace for the emperor’s arrival. The sun rose in the east, its morning light spilling across the snow and making the entire corridor shimmer with fine, golden light. The emperor strode toward Cien Palace, surrounded by a crowd of eunuchs and Black Armor Guards.
He was dressed rather lightly, a black jade belt cinching his waist, his hair fastened with a single hairpin. There was a fine sheen of sweat on his brow. Compared to the emperor who had come last night in a warm sedan chair, now—bathed in morning light—he looked strikingly handsome and sharp, his spirit bold and unrestrained.
She hurried to bow and led him into the hall.
The Empress Dowager was still wearing the same clothes from the night before. Clearly, she hadn’t slept at all. Now she gazed at the emperor, worn and haggard, as if looking at some monstrous traitor to morality.
For her to accept this? That was beyond her ability.
But after a night of anguish and reflection, she could only say: “I have two conditions.”
Fu Huang did not take a seat. He stood there in the hall, looking at her, clearly waiting to hear what she would say before deciding whether to agree.
The Empress Dowager said, “… First, the matter between the emperor and Prince Huan must not be widely known to the officials and the people!”
Fu Huang replied, “Of course. I have no intention of making any grand proclamation.” Then he added, “Though I very much want to.”
The Empress Dowager: “!!”
She clutched her chest. “… Second, I want to see Prince Huan for myself, to be sure that he hasn’t been forced by you!”
Her love for Fu Ye had started with some selfish motives, that was true. But by this point, she had long regarded him as the blessed star of Great Zhou, someone she cherished from the bottom of her heart. She thought to herself: in this life, she hadn’t managed to protect anything—not a single thing. If Fu Ye had been forced, and she hadn’t done everything in her power to stop it, then what had her life been worth?
Fu Huang looked at her for a while, then ordered someone to bring out a letter exchanged during their military campaigns.
It looked like the most formal of letters, with no trace of sweet, cloying love talk. But even so, the Empress Dowager was deeply shaken after reading it.
This was clearly the writing of a pair who supported and cared for each other as husband and wife would.
If Prince Huan had been unwilling, there might still have been room to maneuver.
But with mutual love—there was truly nothing she could do.
And the emperor wouldn’t even let her see Prince Huan right now, clearly trying to shield him, fearing she might reproach him.
Truly… such tender love for his consort!
She completely lost her composure. The whole matter was simply too hard to accept. As the Empress Dowager, to be unable to stop such a shocking affair—she feared that if word got out, the officials and people would all know. In that moment, she truly didn’t know how to face these two brothers.
And so, that very day, she left the palace.
Palace Attendant Sun tried to comfort her: “At least… they truly do love each other.”
The Empress Dowager said, “Two men—can they really be in love to such a degree?”
She simply couldn’t understand the world anymore!
Fu Ye, after drinking himself into a stupor, woke on the first day of the New Year to find the whole world had changed!
He thought: The Empress Dowager’s feelings now must be like those of parents who always thought their son was straight, only for him to suddenly come out of the closet.
And the one he came out for—was his own brother.
No wonder she was so shocked—it couldn’t have been more earth-shaking.
Shame filled his heart. And he thought: Fu Huang actually took advantage of me being drunk to settle the whole matter just like that.
Only Fu Huang would dare to come clean at such a time.
He himself would never have dared.
He had thought: Now that the empire has just been pacified, if the Empress Dowager reacts too fiercely, it could shake the very foundation of the realm. That was why he had planned to act cautiously, to take it slow.
But Fu Huang had truly shouldered it all on his own.
To have such a husband—what more could I ask for?
He looked at Fu Huang, so moved he didn’t even know what to say.
Fu Huang said, “No need to get up so early from now on—and stop hiding my pillow.”
When Fu Ye heard that, he felt all the more that he had let Fu Huang down. He wrapped his arms around Fu Huang’s neck and said, “I’m sorry.”
Fu Huang replied, “There’s no need for words like that between us. I know exactly what’s in your heart.”
Fu Ye only hugged him tighter.
Chief Eunuch Qin quietly stepped out of the room.
Now, truly, all things were as they should be.
But the human heart is never fully content. If he had any lingering worry, it was this—the emperor’s health.
Back in his own quarters, he opened the small shrine and bowed before it several more times.
He thought to himself: Maybe I was just born to fret over things. Now that the good days have only just begun, I’m already hoping His Majesty lives to a ripe old age.
Truthfully, Fu Huang’s health had been improving steadily, but as Fu Ye had said, his old ailment would be hard to cure completely—it could only be tended to slowly over time.
Now, Fu Huang received acupuncture every other day, and herbal baths once every two days. He also drank all manner of medicinal decoctions on a regular basis.
But in Qin’s view, this still wasn’t enough. He thought about going to Fuhua Temple to make an offering of incense.
After all, the gods there were known to be especially responsive to prayers, and as the year’s end approached, the temple’s incense offerings flourished all the more.
It was just as well—the emperor had recently granted him a noble title, and he no longer needed to serve by His Majesty’s side as closely as before.
In the past, though Qin had been the chief eunuch, Fu Huang had always been mindful of the future. He had been reluctant to grant Qin too much honor, for fear it might bring him harm when the time came. But now, at last, Fu Huang had bestowed upon him the highest rank an imperial eunuch could hold—he had been made the Prince of Changfu.
The emperor and Prince Huan were both busy, so Qin made the trip to Fuhua Temple on his own.
Who could have guessed that this trip would reveal that the Empress Dowager had fallen ill after arriving at Fuhua Temple?
It was probably from worrying herself sick.
But the Empress Dowager hadn’t sent word back to the palace.
After thinking it over, Qin felt that the Empress Dowager truly had not had it easy. So when he returned to the palace, he reported it to Fu Huang.
Fu Huang then had him inform Fu Ye as well.
Kind by nature—and harboring some genuine affection for the Empress Dowager in his heart—Fu Ye wished to go visit her. Fu Huang agreed.
So Fu Ye left the palace and went to Fuhua Temple.
Given that the Empress Dowager had been staying at Fuhua Temple for several days, it was only right for them to visit. And now that Fu Ye’s status was all the more exalted, Fu Huang ordered that the imperial honor guard accompany him, and sent Chief Eunuch Qin along as well. The procession was grand and imposing.
Jiantaicheng was flourishing in peace and prosperity, and with the New Year just past, the temple was thronged with worshippers offering incense. Wherever Fu Ye went, crowds packed shoulder to shoulder.
Upon entering the temple, he first went to see the Empress Dowager.
Fortunately, her illness wasn’t serious.
It was mainly an illness of the heart.
The Empress Dowager didn’t say much to him. He felt awkward too and didn’t stay long before taking his leave.
Then, as part of his official duties, he presented this spring’s plum blossoms before the temple’s Buddhas.
Chonghua Temple was still under construction, so the nuns of Chonghua Temple were all still residing at Fuhua Temple. As Fu Ye was escorted toward the altar to offer flowers, he suddenly caught sight of the Lady of Chu.
She was dressed as always in snowy white robes, her veil just as pale, standing outside a mountain meditation hall looking toward the temple.
The mountain wind blew her white robes so that they billowed like clouds, making her seem otherworldly, like an immortal.
To Fu Ye, the Lady of Chu was even more of a stranger than the Empress Dowager—only because she was the birth mother of the man he loved did seeing her always leave him with a heavy heart.
In this world, no affection can be forced. Rare indeed is a life that is truly complete. And perhaps because of this, those who love one another should all the more cherish and support each other.
So he gathered many plum blossoms and brought them back for Fu Huang to see.
When he returned, it was evening. He first reported to Fu Huang about the Empress Dowager’s condition before going to bathe.
But halfway there, he thought he ought to arrange the plum blossoms first. So he turned back. By then, night had nearly fallen. He ordered Shuangfu to bring the flowers in from where they’d been set in the cold, while he went ahead into the Spring Court Hall.
Fu Huang was working in the small imperial study of the Spring Court Hall. Through the screen, Fu Ye overheard Chief Eunuch Qin say:
“The Empress Dowager must be utterly despondent, which is why she’s sunk into such gloom. Actually, if Your Majesty told her about His Highness’s true parentage, perhaps she’d find it easier to accept.”
Fu Huang said, “The Empress Dowager adheres too strictly to the ancestral rites. If she knew he wasn’t of Fu blood, once I’m gone, she might not support his succession.”
Qin fell silent for a moment, then said, “If Your Majesty always thinks this way, it would break His Highness’s heart if he knew.”
His Majesty loved Prince Huan deeply—he truly was planning far ahead for him.
Qin raised his head and said, “Your Majesty will live a long and healthy life.”
Fu Huang gave a faint smile.
After a while he said, “This illness of mine… it’ll likely be hard to ever truly recover. Even medicine itself carries harm.”
Fu Ye felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
After a while, Fu Huang spoke again. “A few troubles aren’t so bad. If everything went too smoothly, I’d feel uneasy. Eunuch Qin—if in life we can share a bed, and in death share a tomb, I don’t have any greater wish than that. Things as they are now… it’s more than I ever dared dream of before.”
Chief Eunuch Qin said, “Your Majesty has suffered for so long. Now that life has suddenly turned good, your heart just hasn’t adjusted yet. I remember once, when I was chatting idly with His Highness, he said a person should try to think positively. The more you think good thoughts, the better things really become. He said it’s called intent.”
Fu Huang let out a quiet laugh.
Just then, Shuangfu lifted the curtain and came in. “Your Highness, where shall I put these plum blossoms?”
Both Fu Huang and Chief Eunuch Qin turned at once to look.
Fu Ye pressed his lips together and said in a low voice, “Put them on the kang table.”
Qin hurried out and said, “Didn’t Your Highness go to bathe?”
Fu Ye gave a soft “Mm” and said, “I brought back some plum blossoms—wanted to arrange them first.”
With that, he went to place the flowers without another word.
Chief Eunuch Qin glanced back at Fu Huang, feeling a bit uneasy.
After a while, he saw Fu Huang emerge from behind the screen.
As he walked over, Fu Huang asked, “Where did you get the plum blossoms?”
When Fu Ye didn’t answer, Shuangfu spoke up, “His Highness gathered them from Fuhua Temple—the green plum variety.”
Qin added, “These blossoms are lovely, all just about to bloom. They’ll last quite a few days.”
Fu Ye placed the tightly budded plum branches into a wide-mouthed white porcelain vase.
Fu Huang gave him a look, then said to Shuangfu and the others, “You’re all dismissed.”
They withdrew at once.
Fu Huang turned to Fu Ye. “So you heard everything?”
Fu Ye said, “Do you understand what intent is or not?”
Fu Huang replied, “I was just speaking offhand.”
Fu Ye didn’t even look at him.
Fu Huang sat down beside him, gazed at him for a moment, then reached out and pulled him close.
Fu Ye’s eyes were already red.
Fu Huang said, “I only think this way to guard against the worst. Of all people, if you don’t know how my health really is, who would?”
But even joking like this clearly didn’t help right now.
Fu Ye said nothing.
So Fu Huang simply held him and sighed.
After a while, Fu Ye said, “You can’t keep thinking like that either.”
Fu Huang said, “Mm. Intent—I understand now.”
Fu Ye looked at him very seriously, tears welling in his eyes.
Fu Huang reached out, stroked Fu Ye’s face, and gently nuzzled him.
Fu Ye gazed at the face he loved so deeply and felt that the sixteen-year-old Fu Huang he once knew—he’d never see him again.
But what he longed for wasn’t to see Fu Huang’s youthful, handsome appearance at sixteen. What he longed for was the Fu Huang of that time—full of vigor and health.
He didn’t care whether Fu Huang was beautiful or not. All he wanted was for him to be healthy, to live a long life.
To stay with him for many, many years.
He couldn’t bear to imagine a day when Fu Huang might no longer be there, and he would have to take Fu Huang’s place, ascending the throne alone.
Would he truly have to stand there, all alone, at the summit where no one else could reach?
Just the thought of it made his heart ache unbearably.
Fu Huang never would have dreamed that a single offhand comment between him and Chief Eunuch Qin, overheard by Fu Ye, would end up completely changing his life.
After the New Year break, as the weather turned warmer and the officials returned to court, things began to shift.
As before, the civil and military officials gathered daily at the small and large imperial studies in Qingyuan Palace for court meetings.
But lately, a rumor had spread like wildfire among the officials:
It seemed His Majesty was being sidelined by Prince Huan!
“Other than military affairs, hasn’t everything been moved over to the small imperial study?”
“Exactly! And those red-inked imperial comments—anyone can see that’s Prince Huan’s handwriting!”
“But His Majesty is still firmly in charge of the military, isn’t he?”
“Not entirely. Today I saw two military memorials that were also handled by Prince Huan!”
“Does His Majesty have no objection to Prince Huan taking so much power? Could it be His Majesty’s health is failing?”
“But didn’t I see His Majesty out at the archery pavilion today, practicing archery and riding?”
“I ran into him when I was delivering a report—he actually looked healthier than before!”
“Listen to this! Today I went to the imperial study and found Prince Huan in there. His Majesty had moved over to the small imperial study.”
“Goodness gracious… is the dynasty really about to change hands?!”
Grand Chancellor Xie thought to himself: Could Prince Huan be playing the long game?
A honey trap?
Looks like Prince Huan is about to seize full control!
He happened to know a eunuch who served in Qingyuan Palace.
This eunuch couldn’t be ordered around at will, nor was he close enough to eavesdrop on the emperor himself, so he didn’t know any great secrets. But he could still provide a glimpse of some of Qingyuan Palace’s inner workings.
“Prince Huan really does have a lot of power these days!” the eunuch told him. “When His Majesty wakes, when he sleeps—it’s all up to His Highness now.”
“His Majesty’s mood hasn’t been great lately. I overheard the Grand Eunuch—oh, I mean, the Prince of Changfu—tell him that Prince Huan is too strict, and that even he can’t say much. He just tells His Majesty to listen and obey!”
Grand Chancellor Xie: “!!”
Good heavens!
This is the emperor who united the realm and crushed his enemies! And he’s been brought so thoroughly to heel by Prince Huan?!
Honestly… this sounds a bit like he’s henpecked!
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