The Crown Prince twitched at the corner of his eye upon hearing the voice.
Was that phrase in her mind—"once more"—what he thought it meant?
He hadn’t summoned her for days, yet she had been perfectly content staying in her own quarters, not stepping into Chengguang Palace for half a month.
Wasn’t she quite familiar with Cao Yuanlu? Yet she never thought to ask him the reason, simply eating and sleeping as usual.
At this thought, the Crown Prince’s gaze cooled, and he said to Cao Yuanlu, "Why did you call her here?"
Cao Yuanlu hastily offered an excuse: "Deshun was sent to the Imperial Household Department, and Chengguang Palace is short-handed. I feared inadequate service, so I took the liberty of inviting Yun Kui over."
(‘When I went to fetch her, Your Highness didn’t stop me at all!’)
Yun Kui lowered her head sullenly.
(‘So His Highness never intended to summon me in the first place. What a wasted excitement.’)
The Crown Prince’s eyes flickered.
Excited?
He curled his lips slightly and said indifferently, "What use is she here?"
Yun Kui: "This servant…"
(‘I can serve in bed!’)
The Crown Prince’s gaze darkened. It felt as if a soft little hand had lightly scratched his chest, sending a faint itch spreading through his veins. He could even sense a certain part of his body growing heated, nearly uncontrollable.
He lowered his eyes calmly, his tone flat and unreadable: "Tonight, I am leaving the palace. You will accompany me."
Yun Kui’s face lit up with surprise: "L-Leave the palace?"
(‘It’s the Lantern Festival today! Outside the palace must be bustling—I can stroll the streets and admire the lanterns!’)
Since the start of the year, Emperor Chunming had been furious, punishing many officials. Even the once-trusted Imperial Uncle’s family had been stripped of their titles and properties. Rumors even spread about the Heir of Ningde Marquis and a concubine’s scandal. The palace servants, ever observant, knew better than to decorate lavishly or celebrate openly. Thus, the usually lively Taihe Gate and Imperial Garden remained devoid of the usual lantern displays.
At the mention of leaving the palace, the Crown Prince noticed the girl’s bright, shimmering almond eyes, her cherry lips curving into a radiant smile. The deep red of her crabapple-hued dress only accentuated her snow-white skin and porcelain-like neck.
Such a striking beauty parading through the streets would undoubtedly draw countless gazes. His original intention was to travel incognito—hardly ideal if commoners kept turning their heads.
Frowning, the Crown Prince said, "I have official business. Traveling light is preferable. Your attire… is far too conspicuous."
Yun Kui touched the hairpin at her temple, then glanced down at her perfectly ordinary dress. How was this conspicuous?
The Crown Prince: "Go and prepare."
(‘But I don’t have any clothes suitable for leaving the palace!’)
Returning to her quarters, Yun Kui rummaged through her chests. She had entered the palace at ten and never stepped beyond the Forbidden City since. Most of her wardrobe consisted of standard palace dresses issued by the Imperial Household Department, along with a few gifted by the late Empress. But the Crown Prince found even those too flashy…
Just as she resigned herself to picking an old dress, a knock came at the door—Lan Xiu, a maid from Chengguang Palace.
Lan Xiu entered with another palace maid, carrying a stack of dresses. "These are bestowed by His Highness. Some were prepared by the Imperial Household Department for serving maids. And this one—His Highness instructed you to wear it when leaving the palace tonight."
Yun Kui accepted them in astonishment. Once alone, she spread them across her bed—six dresses in total!
Among them were four thick winter robes and two lighter ones for early spring.
She examined them closely. The dress for tonight was a plain lotus-root-colored ruqun, but its silver-thread embroidery of camellias shimmered subtly. The others were made of fine fabrics—wisteria purple, stolen blue, apricot yellow, lilac—a dazzling array of colors.
She had thought she’d have to leave the palace in rags, but the Crown Prince was unexpectedly considerate.
Changing into the lotus-colored ruqun, Yun Kui happily made her way to Donghua Gate. In the distance, a solemn yet luxurious ebony carriage stood silently in the night.
Two glossy black steeds stood hitched to it. Delicate hexagonal glass lanterns hung from the carriage’s corners, and bronze beast-head bells exuded a quiet, predatory aura, as if imbued with their master’s imposing presence.
Yun Kui hesitated, not daring to approach.
Cao Yuanlu stepped forward with a smile. "Please board, miss. His Highness awaits inside."
Yun Kui blinked. "This servant is to ride the carriage too?"
What status did she have to share a carriage with the Crown Prince? She had assumed she’d be walking behind it.
Cao Yuanlu gestured. "After you, miss."
Only then did Yun Kui carefully climb in, lifting the dark blue cloud-patterned curtain. Inside, the Crown Prince sat with closed eyes, his sharp features softened only slightly by the dim light. He wore an onyx-gold brocade robe, a black jade belt at his waist—regal and intimidating.
The crisp chime of bells sounded as the carriage began moving toward the imperial avenue.
Yun Kui settled quietly beside him, her gaze lingering on the gold-thread embroidery at his cuffs.
(‘So much for not drawing attention. Dressed like that, yet making me wear something plain—afraid I’ll outshine him?’)
(‘Well, since he gifted me so many pretty dresses, I’ll forgive him.’)
(‘That said, it’s been days—has His Highness grown even more handsome?’)
(‘I wonder if his skills have improved…’)
(‘If he’s still as rough as before, this Empress won’t favor him anymore.’)
The Crown Prince: "…"
As the carriage entered the streets, the clamor of the outside world seeped in—vendors hawking, children laughing. Parting the curtain with a finger, Yun Kui let the vibrant glow of lanterns spill inside.
She hadn’t left the palace in six or seven years. Everything before her was a long-missed delight.
The Crown Prince opened his eyes slowly to find the girl propping her chin on a hand, her silhouette framed against the window. The lotus-colored dress swayed gently with the carriage, its silver camellias glinting like a tranquil painting bathed in moonlight.
Sensing his gaze, Yun Kui turned—only to meet the Crown Prince’s deep, abyss-like eyes.
For a moment, her heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly tongue-tied, she noticed him looking at her dress and asked, "Your Highness, did you personally choose these dresses for me?"
The Crown Prince averted his gaze. "Don’t overthink it."
Yun Kui: "…Oh."
Listening to the growing noise outside, she ventured, "What business does Your Highness have outside the palace tonight?"
The Crown Prince replied flatly, "Official matters."
Yun Kui: "Must I stay by Your Highness’s side the entire time?"
The Crown Prince: "What do you think?"
Seeing her pout, he added, "If not attending to me, did you plan to wander off on your own?"
Yun Kui hurriedly said, "This servant would never dare."
The Crown Prince tapped his knee lightly. "You wish to see the lanterns?"
On New Year’s Eve, after leaving Chaoyang Hall, she had lamented inwardly about missing the fireworks and sky lanterns at Taihe Gate. Clearly, she enjoyed such lively spectacles.
Since he was traveling incognito tonight, bringing her along wouldn’t be troublesome.
Yun Kui nodded eagerly. "This servant brought silver. May I… buy a few things too?"
The Crown Prince: "What do you intend to buy?"
Seeing he hadn’t outright refused, she beamed. "Just some girlish trinkets, of course."
"Naturally, I’ll buy things that young ladies enjoy!"
Like rouge, powder, hairpins, and such—the Empress had previously bestowed plenty, and the quality from the palace was far superior to what could be found outside. Besides, the Crown Prince preferred simplicity, so she rarely used those perfumed cosmetics. Since she rarely got to leave the palace, of course she’d buy her favorite storybooks!
"And most importantly, I’ll stock up on some… enlightening materials about the harmony of yin and yang between men and women to discuss with His Highness the Crown Prince. Hehe!"
The Crown Prince clenched his fist, his expression slightly stiff. "You want to buy… storybooks?"
Yun Kui gave an awkward chuckle. "You guessed it?"
"You’re still too naive, Crown Prince gege."
The Crown Prince’s eyes darkened faintly.
She always had these strange ways of addressing him in her mind—before, she’d called him "big boss," "living King of Hell," and even dared to refer to herself as "zhen" (the royal "We"). The Crown Prince had never bothered to reprimand her for it.
But this "Crown Prince gege" made his chest tingle, as if brushed by a soft feather.
Suppressing the unreadable emotions in his gaze, he said, "Storybooks are explicitly banned in the palace. Where have you been reading them?"
Yun Kui answered truthfully, "The higher-ups turn a blind eye, and enforcement is lax. Palace maids often ask eunuchs on errands to buy them outside. I just borrow them to read."
Afraid he might forbid it, she quickly added, "It’s not just me—once they’re bought, they get passed around. One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred, and by the time they reach me, they’re practically falling apart."
The same went for those… educational illustrations.
But the Crown Prince maintained an official tone. "Since they’re banned in the palace, this prince cannot make an exception for you."
Yun Kui was about to get annoyed, but remembering she was the one asking for a favor, she put on a sweet smile. "Then why don’t Your Highness buy them for me? The ban applies to us servants, but who would dare question you?"
The Crown Prince scoffed. "How clever of you."
Yun Kui boldly leaned closer, winking suggestively. "If Your Highness buys them, just lend them to this humble maid for a couple of days. Once I’ve… studied thoroughly, I’ll be better equipped to serve Your Highness."
Even knowing she was being deliberately vague and shamelessly flattering, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but avert his gaze. He turned and gave a few quiet orders outside.
The carriage slowly stopped at the end of an alley near the main street, not far from the capital’s largest bookstore, the Quest for Knowledge Pavilion.
The Crown Prince gave a discreet glance to Cao Yuanlu, who was dressed in plain clothes, and the latter promptly handed Yun Kui a heavy pouch of silver.
Yun Kui gasped as she accepted the bulging bag of ingots.
The Crown Prince said indifferently, "Since this prince is the one buying, there’s no reason for you to spend your own money."
Yun Kui nearly jumped for joy. "Thank you, Your Highness!"
The Crown Prince then instructed Deshun, "Go help her carry them onto the carriage."
Yun Kui: …Carry?
Did His Highness think she was buying so much that it required carrying?
But since the Crown Prince had given the order and the silver, she wasn’t about to hold back!
At the Quest for Knowledge Pavilion, Yun Kui headed straight for the storybook section, sweeping up every popular title in stock. Then, she discreetly pulled the shopkeeper aside.
The shopkeeper, well-experienced, took one look at her blushing, hesitant demeanor and immediately guessed her intent. Noting her generous spending, he brought out the shop’s treasured masterpiece.
Yun Kui flipped through a few pages in secret and nearly dropped the book in shock—there were over a hundred positions! And the illustrations were far clearer than those tattered little books she’d seen before!
The shopkeeper thumped his chest confidently. "Rest assured, young miss. With this treasure, you and your lord will be in perfect harmony, floating among the clouds."
Yun Kui waved her hand grandly. "Sold!"
