Chapter Seventeen: Shadow Falls on Your Heart
On a late spring afternoon, the air in the imperial study was thick with the subtle scent of ambergris. Zhen Jiancheng finished reviewing the last memorial and gently pressed his brow. Liu Yue, who was standing by his side, promptly presented him with a freshly brewed cup of Junshan Silver Needle tea. The rising steam blurred the emperor's slightly weary face.
"How is Guanghe Palace doing these days?" He picked up his teacup and asked seemingly casually, but his gaze never left the tea leaves floating in the cup.
June bowed, speaking cautiously and meticulously: "Reporting to everyone, His Highness the Seventh Prince is well. Miss Guo... accompanies His Highness in reading and calligraphy every day."
"Reading..." The emperor's eyebrows twitched slightly. "What books?"
"Most of her lectures are on classics, history, and policy, but sometimes she also talks about... interesting anecdotes from the countryside, astronomy, and geography. I've heard that Miss Guo's teaching methods are quite novel and often give Your Highness pause for thought."
The emperor said nothing more, only waved his hand. June understood and quietly retreated outside the palace.
Silence returned to the palace. Zhen Jiancheng rose and slowly walked to the window. His gaze passed over the layers of glazed tiles, looking towards the direction of Guanghe Palace. That woman named Huairou, ever since their meeting at Canglang Pavilion, had been like a pebble thrown into a lake, the ripples spreading outwards, the impact of which had not yet subsided. The brilliance in her eyes when she discussed trade, that insight and composure that transcended the confines of a woman's quarters, even impressed this emperor who had seen countless people.
A few days later, at dusk, he dismissed his entourage and, accompanied only by June, strolled into the depths of the Imperial Garden. As twilight deepened, the Guanghe Palace in the distance was already lit. Without announcing his arrival, he decided to visit his son. In a pavilion not far away, Huairou was playing chess with Yunji. She wore a moon-white robe with cloud patterns, her black hair simply tied up; her profile appeared exceptionally slender and elegant in the afterglow of the setting sun. Yunji held his pieces, deep in thought, his brow slightly furrowed. Huairou did not urge him, but waited quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Suddenly, she reached out and gently touched the corner of the chessboard with her fingertips. Her voice drifted through the evening breeze: "Your Highness, chess is like warfare. Sometimes, taking a step back is not cowardice, but rather a way to build momentum and plan for a broader future. Getting bogged down in the gains and losses of a single piece or position will only lead to losing the overall game."
Upon hearing this, Yunji's eyes lit up, and he immediately made his move, opening up a new chapter in the game. He looked up at Huairou, a long-lost, bright smile of youth on his face.
At that moment, Zhen Jiancheng, standing deep in the bamboo shadows, was suddenly jolted.
He gazed silently at the young woman in the pavilion who was instructing his son, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him. Was it relief? Yunji seemed much more cheerful with her beside him. Was it envy? He longed for the reliance and trust in his son's eyes. Or perhaps… a growing curiosity and concern for this woman that he himself didn't want to delve into?
He saw Huairou raise her hand and gently brush away a fallen flower that had been blown onto Yunji's shoulder by the wind. Her movement was natural and carried a maternal tenderness. Yunji was slightly taken aback, but did not flinch.
Zhen Jiancheng's eyes darkened.
He turned quietly, disappearing silently into the deepening twilight as he had come. Back in his study, he dismissed his attendants and sat alone in the darkness. "June," he spoke to the empty hall, his voice slightly hoarse.
June appeared silently, like a shadow.
"How well do you know about the Guo family's daughter?" The emperor's voice, usually calm, now carried an unquestionable air of authority. June replied, "Your Majesty, it seems that Prime Minister Lu is quite eager for the marriage alliance between the Guo and Lu families."
The emperor paused slightly in his caress of the jade pendant, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. "I understand. You may proceed."
Once again, he was alone in the hall. He clutched the jade pendant tightly in his palm, the cold jade gradually warming. One was the woman who had entered his heart, the other was the son he and his beloved had left behind, a son who needed careful protection. On one side was the marriage alliance between generals and ministers that threatened the balance of the court, and on the other was the possible marriage alliance between the grasslands and the Central Plains—these thoughts intertwined and swirled in his mind. He was both a father and a king; he had personal feelings and heavy responsibilities.
“Huairou…” He uttered these two words very softly in the darkness, as if sighing, questioning, or a helpless confirmation. A fleeting glance, a reflection falling on the lake of the heart, and the ripples there were never to be calmed.
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